Halloween 2010

This is that one time a year when red eye from a photo is OK!  We had a great time this Halloween!  I decided to be a Voodoo Doll and Michael was the Witch Doctor.  

I made my dress out of burlap and a few scraps from the basket.  Super easy!  All I did was lay an old dress down on top of the burlap and cut out the silhouette for the front and back pieces. 

  Half inch strips were cut and zigzag stitched down the center to keep it from fraying too much.  The strips were sewn onto the edges, front and back locations matching.  The shoulders were sewn together.  The neck and arm holes were altered here with a pair of scissors.  

My friend did my hair and makeup.  Thanks Jill!  Our costumes were definitely conversation starters.  

Good times!

Kitchen Makeover

Before!

I've been wanting to make curtains for my kitchen for awhile but could never find fabric that screamed perfect until now.  I had wooden blinds in there but found out quickly that my cat Lucy liked them more than I did.  She enjoyed chewing the string that each piece sits on...Yay.  We quickly came to the conclusion that we needed an alternative.  I found this great tutorial for Roman Shades on Jen Duncan's What's New blog.  Worked out perfectly!!

The fabric I fell in love with is called Pretty Bird which I purchased from Stitches N' Giggles.  Lori has some great inventory!

Mom, Grandma and my BFF Jill came to my house for the day on Saturday and we finished everything in 10 hours!

Before!  (That's Lucy aka "the trouble maker")

Kitchen Sink Window

After!!

We use blackout fabric on the back so you can't see through the shades at night.

Mom did the whole custom table cover and it turned out beautiful.  We put batting and strips of shelf lining underneath to keep it from sliding around.  Now all I need to do is paint a terracotta pot purple for the little plant.

Cute Little Japanese Purse

This little wristlet was quick and easy to make and it only requires one fat quarter. Take the long strap and weave it under the short strap and voila! a wristlet large enough to carry your cell phone, keys, a picture id and even lip gloss if you like. I watched the tutorial on YouTube then went to Fiona's site, fatquarterfun.com.au. Her tutorial is easy to follow and the pattern is FREE. When you get there be sure to peruse her fabrics and note you can purchase a FQ for charity, too. So cute and great for times you don't need to drag your larger bag around. I really like this one!

My first attempt at free motion quilting!

I just love my new little bag. It's about 6"X8" tall. It's my first attempt at free motion quilting and I am HOOKED! I had several pieces of batik fat qtrs and didn't quite know what to do with them, so I put three layers together, lining, batting and exterior piece, changed the foot on my sewing machine and away I went.....It was really a lot of fun and mistakes, no worry.......there are NO MISTAKES IN ART!! The pix show front and back and it became even prettier with the embellishments that I hand sewed randomly. The colors are fabulous! You should try it out for yourself. I know you'll love the technique as much as I do.

Crochet Hook Caddy

Look how cute this turned out! The pattern is FREE from a download at Quiltingarts.com. Theirs was for a 12 pocket colored pencil roll, but I made mine for crochet hooks. Easy to do and quicker to make than I thought it would be. I love it and will no longer need to worry about losing my hooks in my yarn bag. If you would like me to make you one, let me know. I've got lots of fabric colors to work with.

Dew Drop Handbag!

I just finished this today! I bought the pattern on etsy from Keyka Lou Patterns. I also follow her blog which has some fun projects and tutorials. I made this handbag from my favorite owl fabric and matching pink for the liner. It was a lot of fun to make! I think the next one I'll do will be in Moda Blush. I'm going to add a magnetic snap at the handle as well to keep it closed. Let me know if you want one!

-Christina

Ready to go to the beach??

I am! I just finished this cute bag tonight. The sandal fabric was perfect for a beach bag so I found this one on Etsy. Thanks Shannon! I'm still new to the world of sewing but the pattern was easy to follow frustration proof.

I was so excited to get it done! It's big enough for all your beach or pool necessities: large towel, book, sunscreen, water bottle. I've also added a pocket on the inside for your keys and phone. I decided this was perfect for a friend of mine. I'll be making more soon and adding them to the FA store!

- Christina