Exciting News

Hi everyone! This is just a quick post to share some exciting news with you. Today, I got my letter of acceptance for the Nursing Program at my school!!!!! It made my day! I am so excited!! This means I will start the Nursing Program in spring 2013. It will be a lot of work, but I am really excited to start all my classes for my major.

Nursing School, here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a wonderful night, everyone!

~Elizabeth

A Wedding Gift

Happy Saturday everyone! A couple of weeks ago, my friend got married. The wedding was in another state, so I didn't go, but I wanted to make her something. After a lot of thinking, I finally decided on cloth napkins. They are practical, pretty, and are a perfect wedding gift. My friend's favorite colors are baby blue and baby pink, so off I went to look through my stash. I didn't find those exact colors, but I did my best.

Originally I was going to cut big squares and hem the edges, but then I thought, why not make reversible napkins? It would be like two in one! I made two napkins for each set, so four napkins all together, but since they are reversible, it is like having eight.

 

The first set is red on one side and has leaves/flowers on the other side. I thought it would be a good set to have for fall.

 

 

 

 

I used baby blue on one side for the second set and I used a fun print for the other side.

 

 

 

The first set is 18 x 18 inches and the second set is 15 x 15 inches.

 

 

I made a cute label with her favorite colors and tied the napkins with a ribbon. I found the "Everyday Napkins" saying here, from this tutorial that I had planned on using before I decided to make them reversible.

 

I love how these napkins turned out! They will make my friend's new home very pretty! They were so quick and easy to make and I will definitely be making more for future gifts.

 

~Elizabeth

 

Guest Post: DIY Design at Home, by Alexandra

Hello everyone! Today, I'm excited to share a guest post from Alexandra of  Alex's Journeys. She is the first guest poster on my blog, so I hope you enjoy!

 

Living in Brooklyn, especially a place like Williamsburg, means that the space you can afford to live in might be pretty close quarters. Luckily, there are a ton of do it yourself projects that can improve the interior design of your Williamsburg loft and add tons of elements of personality to your flat. Those bland white walls don't have to stay white or empty, and Brooklyn Flea one of the best flea markets in the area, can provide you with a ton of adorable decorating options for a really reasonable price. Do not let yourself get stuck living in a boring apartment, just get to work on some do it yourself design.

One great way to open up a small apartment or loft is an accent wall. Choose a color that compliments your taste or the main furniture pieces you already have and go to town. This kind of wall looks particularly good and opens up a room considerably more when it is at the far end of the room. Having your couch or loveseat on the opposite wall will allow you to enjoy the color all the time, not just when you first walk into the room.

 

Check out Brooklyn Flea and start a collection of vintage glass bottles and candle holders in a variety of colors. Arrange them in rows and clusters on your window sill, and watch as they function as sun catchers, spreading pretty patterns on the wall during the sunrise and sunset. They add a burst of color to an otherwise dull room. Vintage scarves are also great to drape around curtain rods or place over open surfaces like windowsills and shelves. They add a colorful and esoteric feel to a room.

While you are at the flea market, look for old prints that are interesting and cool. Even vintage record covers can be great for this. Matting your own artwork is really simple and cheap and requires little more effort than a trip to the art store for some mats and a jug of mod podge. You can use sticky tack to hang your new prints so that you do not do any wall damage and wind up losing your security deposit.

If you are someone who likes sewing, scour the flea market or even your mom or grandma's closet for some vintage pillowcases that you can turn into new throw pillows. Just cut the cases to your preferred size, cut them inside out, sew the hem about halfway, turn it right side out, stuff it with cotton batting, fold the hem in, and sew it the rest of the way up. These pillows do not have to coordinate to look cool and fun.

There are plenty of ways to dress up your space loft all by yourself without breaking the bank and still having a place that is unique and all your own. All you need is your sense of style, a little legwork and the willingness to make your flat your very own special space.

Alexandra is a travel enthusiast who loves to write about fashion, beaches, food, and the wonderful things in the world.  She provides her own insights on vacationing to the blogosphere.  If you would like to learn more about her, follow her @alexsjourneys or visit her blog alexjourneys.wordpress.com

Sewing and Reading

What's better than sewing and reading? A book about sewing! A fiction murder mystery, that takes place in the south and involves sewing, to be exact. What could be better than that?

I love to read. However, this summer I was having a hard time finding a book I enjoyed, other than ones I have already read. So, I went online and searched "sewing fiction books." One of the first things I found from this search was the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series, by Elizabeth Lynn Casey. Just looking at the names of the books got me interested (Sew Deadly, Death Threads, Pinned for Murder).

I am now on Book number 4, "Deadly Notions," and I plan to read all of them. They are such a fun read and I love the characters. Each book provides you with the opportunity to get to know the characters a little more. It takes place in the south and is about a group of friends who all share a love of sewing. I love the series for the sewing aspect, and also for the close knit friendships that are formed. These sewing circle women show you what true friendship is both through thick and thin.

The first book starts out when Tori Sinclair moves to Sweet Briar, North Carolina for a job at the library. Sweet Briar is a small town, and soon everyone is talking about her. Leona Elkin is one of the first friends she makes and who helps her adjust to the ways of the south. Soon, she wins over the ladies of the sewing circle and shares her new ideas for the library. Just as she seems to be settling in, a murder takes place and it doesn't look good for her, as she is new in town. Will her new friends help her or will they turn against her?

The books are suspenseful, funny, interesting, and keeps you guessing until the end. You won't be disappointed. You can read more about the books at the author's website, here.

Another thing I love about these books is the sewing tips and sewing project at the end. There are instructions for making a similar project of what Tori and her sewing group worked on in that book. In "Pinned For Murder," the Sweet Briar Sewing Circle made hats and scarves for a women's shelter. I decided to try my hand at making a hat a scarf, and it is probably one of the easiest projects I have ever made!

Here's the scarf:

 

 

 

Basically, you just layer four fleece rectangles, sew down the middle and make cuts every 1 inch on both sides. Then you fluff it out and you have nice warm scarf!

 

 

The hat was very simple too. You just cut one rectangle, folded the rectangle in half and sewed all but 4 inches on the side. Then turning it right side out, you cut fringes on the part you did not sew and tied it off.

 

 

They are both very warm and I know I will get a lot of use out of them this winter. I would really like to make a bunch of them for some type of  service project like Tori and her friends did in the book.

Do you have any book recommendations? Let me know what you think if you decide to read this series!

~Elizabeth

Sewing Swap - What I Made and Received

Hello everyone! Remember when I posted about the sewing swap I was participating in? Well, we have all gotten our assignments, sent off and recieved packages!

I was paired with Jen, and from the survey questions she answered, I found out she likes the colors green, purple and bright pink, and that she loves coffee. Based on this, I wanted to make something with those colors. I also found some coffee fabric in my scrap pile and I thought it would be perfect!

Side 1 of the coffee cozies

So, I decided to make her some coffee cozies. I combined several different tutorials I found because I wanted the cozies to be reversible and have a button closure. Since they are reversible, she has four different choices!

Side 2 of the coffee cozies

The cozies fit a standard size cup from Caribou or Starbucks (they would fit other cups of similiar size too). I bought a small coffee from Caribou just to be sure! It gave me an excuse to buy coffee! They work great and are much more prettier than the cardboard sleeve.

The ugly cardboard sleeve!

I had so much fun sewing for Jennifer and I was so happy to hear she liked the cozies!


The pretty fabric sleeve!

I had so much fun sewing, but I was also very excited to get my own package. I don't get much mail here at college, so I was jumping with excitement when I got an email saying "You got a package." As soon as I could, I went to the front desk of my apartment and picked up my package.

Kevin sewed for me and he did a wonderful job. I am so happy with what I received!!

 

 

It's a little purse/clutch with some of my favorite colors! I love turquoise and green. The outside fabric is not cotton - it is heavier than cotton, but not as heavy as home decor fabric. I'm not sure what type of fabric it is, but I really like it. The lining is black felt.

It is the perfect size to carry with me when I only want to bring a few things and leave my larger purse at home.

 It has a very pretty button on it with a closure. When I opened the bag, I found another surprise inside:

 A felt tissue holder! It will be perfect to have when I'm at class or out and about. I will have a place to put my tissues and I will know where to find them! I love the flower details on it too!

 

Thank you so much, Kevin!! I will be using these a lot.

 

~Elizabeth

A Sewing Swap!

Hi Everyone!

This is just a quick post to tell you about a sewing swap. Ashley from the Little Willow Tree is hosting a sewing swap. You can find more information about it here or by clicking the button on my sidebar.

It sounds like a lot of fun, so I hope you'll join me and everyone else participating! You have until September 9th to sign up!



~Elizabeth

A Scrap Map and An Idea

Last year, I came across this tutorial from See Kate Sew. It was a scrap map and I wanted to make it immediately. What seamstress doesn't have scraps? Who wouldn't want a map made out of fabric? It took awhile, but I finally finished it.

 

 

The project requires a printed map, scraps, heat and bond, an iron, a piece of muslin for the background, and sewing machine. You cut fabric scraps and heat and bond pieces big enough to cut the state out. You cut each state out, fuse them onto the muslin and then topstitch around each piece.

 

The topstitching was definitely the most difficult, especially around the smaller states. I used mostly cotton scraps. However, I used a piece of flannel for Minnesota because it's cold here. I used a piece of fleece for Alaska because it's really cold there.

 

All in all, it was a very fun project! Maybe I'll make another one someday. I have more than enough scraps!

 

 

 

Tonight I had the most wonderful idea after talking to my friend! She wants to start a knitting club at her college and that got me thinking...I could start a sewing club at my college!! People tell me all the time that the wish they knew how to sew. Sewing is my passion and I would love to share it with others! We could have "learn to sew" meetings.

I thought it would be great to incorporate community service projects. Hospitals always need blankets! I have made some dresses for "Little Dresses for Africa," so that could be an option. I'm excited just thinking about it!

Do you have any ideas for me? I think it would be a wonderful opportunity, but I would love to hear any suggestions!


~Elizabeth