Crafty Gemini

DIY Mini Ironing Board

2013-06-18T22:13:00.005-04:00

I'm busy packing for a secret business trip tomorrow morning to Colorado. I can't spill the beans on this crafty opportunity just yet but trust me... it's awesome!

As I'm packing I decided I needed a mini ironing board to take with me. I had to use stuff I already had at home and I needed to make one quickly! After a walk around the house I found the perfect thing to use as my base--- one of my kids' {many} wooden puzzles! It's the perfect size at 9" x 12", lightweight but still solid wood.

All you need is the wooden puzzle base, 100% cotton batting, 100% cotton fabric and a staple gun.

Thought I would share in case you want to make one for yourself to take on trips, or for classes/retreats. It's small enough to fit in a tote or in my case my suitcase.

Packed and ready to go!

Hope that helps you! If you enjoyed the quickie DIY tutorial feel free to Pin it! I love pins!

Maxi Skirt DIY Video Tutorial

2013-06-18T01:25:00.005-04:00

You asked for it... and I've delivered!

My maxi skirt tutorial is now LIVE! Watch it HERE!

This project is easy and fun! Once you make one you will start cranking out a bunch more. No pattern needed. I teach you to take two simple measurements of your body and use that to cut your fabric pieces. This tutorial is NOT for an elastic waistband maxi skirt. I'm all for elastic waistbands in some projects but this isn't one of them. Personally, I don't like the way they look with a long flowy skirt. So, I opted for a smoother more comfortable option- a folded knit waistband. It's kind of like a yoga waistband. You'll see what I mean in the video. This is the most comfortable way for me to wear my maxi.

I made three of these skirts in no time at all and here are some pictures so you can see the variety.

Fabric for all my skirts is from www.fabricmartfabrics.com
and can be purchased here: http://bit.ly/17T6wOT

All their fabric is while supplies last ONLY. So, once they're gone...That's it! Go get you some! Their prices are ridiculous! The blue cotton chambray is only $1.99 per yard.

I bought 9 more yards last week after I made this first maxi skirt. I have soooo many plans for this fabric including making myself some tops and dyeing it!

Click HERE to watch the Maxi Skirt Video Tutorial

Bento Box Lunches for Kids

2013-06-14T01:49:00.003-04:00

If you follow me on my Facebook page you've probably seen the pictures of the bento box lunches I've been packing for my 3 yr old son. He started attending a local summer day camp this week and I needed to pack him a lunch each day. This was my first time packing him a lunch so I knew I had to do some research to find the best option. After researching food packing containers it was clear to me that I needed stainless steel. We have dramatically cut back on plastic products in my house and I knew I wanted something environmentally friendly and reusable. I cam across a few different metal containers and finally decided on these- LunchBots Trio for my son and a LunchBots Uno for my hubby.

I love them! At first they look really small and you wonder how you are going to fit a proper lunch in them but as you'll see below there is plenty of space. These are a great idea for anyone looking to control their eating habits with portion control. It also helps me pack a colorful and nutritious lunch with a lot of variety. I really like the Trio for my son because of the compartments. I also picked up a pack of these 12 mini muffin silicone liners to further separate his food. {see pics below}

After posting this week's bento lunches on my FB page many of you have asked me to continue posting pics to give you some inspiration for your dinner menus and packed lunches.

Bento FAQs- These are the most popular questions I received on Facebook about bento lunches.

1) How do you warm it up, it's metal!?

•My son eats his food cold or room temp. We don't use microwaves so the metal part is not a problem. My husband reheats his lunch in a toaster oven at work right in the container because it's stainless steel.

2) How do you keep the hot foods hot and cold foods cold?

•The idea behind the bento lunch box is that you pack foods that can be eaten cold or at room temp {unless you have a way of heating it up}. We live in Florida and it's June= HOT, HOT! So, I pack my son's Trio in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack underneath it and his glass water bottle with ice in it on top.

If you missed the pics here they are, one week's worth of bento lunches for my son.

Monday: garlic and kale rice, chicken with homemade BBQ sauce, cherry tomatoes, roasted sweet potato slices and some organic blue corn tortilla chips

Tuesday: steamed green beans, veggie meatballs [this recipe: http://bit.ly/1bpsAh3], sliced almonds, cheese and tomatoes.

Wednesday: steamed broccoli, tostones (twice fried plantain slices) cooked in duck fat w/ ketchup, cheese and kiwi

Thursday: garlic & herb roasted potatoes, baked whole wheat spaghetti and meatballs, kiwi, bananas and tomatoes.

Friday: roasted chicken, quinoa salad, cucumbers, corn, and a lime cornbread cookie

Do you pack bento style lunches?

Click HERE if you want to get your own LunchBots.

How to Make Lemonade with Kids- Video Tutorial

2013-06-13T00:16:00.003-04:00

I live in Florida and summer is practically here! It's hot, rainy and we are always looking for ways to cool off! The kids and I had an opportunity to visit a local organic blueberry farm just up the road from us and pick 6 lbs of berries this week! So, we decided to make one of our favorites- blueberry lemonade!

Picking berries is so much fun and even the youngest kids can help. My daughter is not even two yet and she picked a good bit all by herself. We taught her which ones were ripe and once she got that she was off and picking! Do some research and see if you have any {organic, preferably} u-pick farms near you. It's a family outing we do at least a few times a year and the kids love it!

My kids and I picking blueberries at a local organic blueberry farm in Lake Butler, FL.

Jonathan (3.5 yrs) enjoys eating them more than filling his bag! LOL

Many of you often write me and ask how I get my kids involved in the kitchen and I thought I would whip up a quick video tutorial of how I have my kids help me make lemonade including the kind of tasks they can do all by themselves while helping. It's such an easy recipe and perfect for the hot summer days.

In the video I provide you with 3 variations for really simple and refreshing homemade lemonade- a simple lemonade, blueberry lemonade and mint lemonade. They are all delicious! Give them a try and let me know what you think.

What's your favorite kind of lemonade to make?

Click HERE to watch the video tutorial.

New Maxi Skirt- Sewing Project

2013-06-09T00:27:00.000-04:00

My youngest sister (age 21) is visiting us and as you can imagine with an extra set of hands around the house I've been able to get more done around here! Yippee! I'm teaching her how to sew and she's really into fashion so I started her off with a super easy maxi skirt project. I made mine while she followed along making hers.

My new maxi skirt! Oh so comfy!

I had some 4-way stretch denim in my stash that was super soft do I made the waistband out of it and I'm so glad I did! I'm still debating whether or not to tie-dye this maxi skirt with a darker blue, or perhaps some of the other suggestions I received from you via Facebook- low emersion dyeing for a mottled look and ombre dyeing it were some of the popular suggestions I received. What would you do to this maxi skirt to give a little something extra?

Love my hat?! I made it using THIS crochet tutorial.

Totally love my new maxi skirt!

It is a pretty full skirt but the fabric is nice and light... plus, I had to make full because it's also semi-sheer and without the fullness I would have to worry about wearing some type of slip or shorts, etc. I don't have time to be bothered with all that. I need clothes that I can just throw on and go!

What do you think about my new maxi skirt? Would you like to see a tutorial on this?

{p.s.- I made the hat too! I followed THIS crochet tutorial. }

How to Make a Pillow Sham & Giveaway!

2013-06-04T15:25:00.004-04:00

An easy quick tutorial for you this week- a pillow sham. You may have seen my regular pillowcase video tutorial HERE. Well, this one has an envelope closure on the back side and a 2" frame around the entire pillow form that goes inside.

Click HERE for the video tutorial.

{floral fabric print I used for sham can be found HERE.}

This project whips up super quick and is a big time money saver! If you've ever tried to decorate your room with pretty bedding you know how much one of these shams can cost at a store.

In this video tutorial I will teach you how to take measurements of the pillow you will be using so you can create a custom sham for it in any size. I use a standard sized pillow (20" x 26") but you can use the same method for smaller or larger pillows.

I teamed up with www.LowPriceFabric.com for this video and they were generous enough to offer me the fabrics I used to create this project for you. They are also offering a sale just for Crafty Gemini readers. Enter discount code: Crafty10 and receive 10% off your entire purchase. Code is valid one time per customer and expires on June 30, 2013.

If you don't know about www.LowPriceFabric.com definitely check them out! They are the online shop for Michael Levine, Inc. Their retail stores are located in Los Angeles, CA and I will be going shopping there next month! I can't wait! {more details on that trip later}

They pretty much have EVERYTHING you need for any fabric related craft project including- apparel & quilting fabrics, yarn, trims, notions, etc.

They are hosting a giveaway on my video tutorial so be sure to watch the video to learn the details on how to enter for your chance to win 2.5 yards of any cotton fabric off their website. Click here to watch video and learn giveaway details.

How to Make Soap- Room Temp/Oven Processed

2013-05-29T08:44:00.002-04:00

Many of you may have seen my first soapmaking tutorial I posted a few years ago. Well, since then I've received a ton of requests for another tutorial where I share my go-to recipe. You've asked and here it is!

In this video I teach you how I make a simple and all natural soap batch. I didn't add any colorants or fragrances to this batch to keep it as simple as possible. There are tons of different methods for making soap and over the years I have decided that this way works best for me because it's quick, easy and I don't need to measure any temperatures. Technically the method I show in this video would probably be called Room Temperature/Oven Processed soapmaking.

Emulsifying batter to reach trace.

I use four oils that can be easily found in your local grocery store or health food store- olive oil, coocnut oil, castor oil and sweet almond oil. Aside from that you just need some distilled water and lye (must be 100% sodium hydroxide).

Get your soapmaking supplies HERE.

If you're familiar with cold process soapmaking then you've probably heard about "gel phase." In this video I show you how I use my oven to make the soap go through a full gel phase. You can see the soap going through gel phase in the pic below. It's when the entire soap batch looks translucent. This starts in the center of the loaf and will work it's way to the outside edges if kept hot (or insulated) enough.

If you're new to soapmaking I definitely recommend you do ~~some~~ a lot of research before trying your first batch. Especially as it relates to soaping safety. The lye water solution I use for this batch is water discounted- meaning it is a highly concentrated solution and you definitely don't want to spill or splash it anywhere. Once you have the safety part down the rest is soapy fun!

Some soaping resources I love & recommend:

http://www.soapqueen.com/

http://www.youtube.com/soaping101

http://www.lovinsoap.com/

Watch me cut the soap bars.

Amazing lather that is not drying on the skin!

Click HERE to watch the video tutorial.

Happy soaping!

Memorial Day Sale!

2013-05-26T14:17:00.007-04:00

This Memorial Day weekend, join Craftsy in honoring the brave men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces. For every class sold this weekend, Craftsy will donate a portion of the proceeds to benefit a veterans' organization. Select classes will be on sale up to 60% off! They have all kinds of classes on sale- sewing, quilting, cake decorating, etc.

This is the perfect time to register for a course (or courses) you've been eyeing. I know I did! I've been looking for a class to give me some inspiration on trying out new bag making techniques so I went ahead and signed up for Brett Bara's Design Your Own Handbag class! Can't wait to be inspired by her really cool design style and techniques. Hopefully, I'll learn some really cool skills and will be able to bring you some new bag making tutorials based off my original designs. That would be awesome!

What class(es) are you signing up for?

{p.s.- If you're looking to learn how to make home decor projects check out my Craftsy class- Sew Little: Nursery Design. }

Child Size Bean Bag Chair -DIY Video Tutorial

2013-05-20T13:40:00.002-04:00

I've had this project on my mind for a very long time... just never set aside the time to figure it all out and do it. So when a new sponsor- Shannon Fabrics reached out to me about trying out their Cuddle Fabric I knew this was the perfect project for it!

I also provide you with the template you need to create the bags for FREE! Just click HERE to access it. Make sure you "download" the project from the Google Doc file before you try to print it. It needs to be printed while it's open in the Adobe PDF reader. The full template is 3 printed (8.5" x 11") sheets of paper and I included a 1" x 1" square for you to make sure your printers settings are printing it correctly. Do not adjust the page settings to "fit to page" for printing.
I wanted to make these specifically for our homeschool classroom for the kids to "read" on. As you can see they love 'em! I especially like that they are light enough to be moved out of the way or stacked in a corner.

No matter your sewing skill level I think you will be able to easily finish this project with the help of step-by-step video tutorial. It's 15 minutes long but I did my best to cover as much info as I could. Trust me when I tell you it is NOT easy to edit down hours of footage into 15 minutes. Phew!

The outer shell of the bean bag chairs is made of Cuddle Fabric by Shannon Fabrics. It is sooooo soft and as the name suggests- Cuddly! It's machine washable/dryable and they make it in dozens of different colors, prints and textures. You can find Cuddle Fabric HERE, at your local fabric/quilt shop, or at a number of other online retailers.

To fill the bean bag chair I used Fairfield's Poly-Fill® Bean Bag Filler. Which you can get at 20% off if you use our exclusive code: CG13BB and order from HERE. This code is valid until September 1, 2013 and is limited to one use per customer.

For the closure I tried two different methods and they both worked fine: For my daughter's bean bag I used my handy plastic snap kit {get it HERE} which I show you how to do in the video and for my son's I used hook and loop tape.

These should last us a good long time. Just remember to keep flipping the bean bag around so the Poly-Fil® Bean Bag Filler doesn't get compressed over time.

Hope you enjoy the video tutorial and thanks for following my crafty projects!

Click HERE to watch the video tutorial.

How to make a pair of leggings- DIY Tutorial

2013-05-12T23:38:00.006-04:00

WOW. I cannot believe I totally forgot to blog about a video tutorial I posted last month where I show you how to take a pair of leggings you already have and create a pattern from it so you can recreate as many new pairs as you want! My apologies if you missed out on it.

{side note- If you would like to receive email notifications every time I upload a new video to my YouTube channel go ahead and click HERE to subscribe to my channel. It's absolutely free. Subscriptions are just an easier way to manage all the YouTube channels you like to follow without having to visit each channel to see if a new video has been posted.}

Anyway, here it is! Click HERE to watch the video tutorial.

As you can see I make these in all kinds of fabrics and even enjoy tie-dyeing them with Rit liquid dye. To learn more about how I tie-dye my leggings click HERE for a step-by-step video tutorial.

This video is Part 1 in a two part series where I first show you how to make the leggings and then in Part 2 I show you how to tie-dye them and give them new life! Check out the before and after picture below.

Believe it or not... those are the exact same pair of leggings!

Watch the video and start making dozens of these leggings. They are perfect to wear all year round!

Happy sewing!

How to Tie Dye Leggings with RIT Dye & GIVEAWAY!

2013-05-12T12:58:00.002-04:00

Last month I posted a video tutorial on DIY leggings. If you missed it you can check it out HERE. This week I'm back with Part 2 of that series where I'm taking the plain ol' white leggings I created in the first video and give them some life with a cool tie-dye effect using Rit liquid dye.

If you have never tie-dyed before get ready... it is soooooooooooo easy! I love that Rit dye is non-toxic and is pretty straight forward to use.

BEFORE: I would never wear these white leggings out in public. They make my thighs look bigger and the fabric is semi-sheer so you can see everything.

AFTER: I totally feel comfortable wearing these out and I love that I can top them with a hi-lo tank like the one I'm wearing in the pic to allow more of the tie-dye design on the front to show but at the same time cover up my backside.

I think this project is a great example of what a little inexpensive bottle of dye can do to boost your wardrobe. I only used the Black RIT liquid dye bottle but you could use multiple dyes to get a funkier look. Totally experiment with it and no matter what you get it will be fabulous!

Hat: Kingston Crochet Hat {made by me from this tutorial}
Top: Hi-lo hem tank {bought at Target, similar ones HERE and HERE}
Leggings: 98% rayon 2% Lycra fabric {Made by me using this tutorial, tie-dyed by me using this tutorial}
Shoes: Hot pink canvas sneakers {Got at Target on clearance, similar ones HERE}

I'm totally loving this chill outfit. Shows my fashion style while being comfortable enough to chase two preschoolers around.

GIVEAWAY: This week I'm also hosting a giveaway thanks to my friends at Rit! One lucky winner will get the 6 bottles of Rit Liquid Dye you see in this picture. Are they awesome or what?!

For details on how you can enter to win click HERE to watch the video tutorial. All details are in the video.

Giveaway is open to worldwide viewers and ends Wednesday, May 15th at 11:59PM EDT.
Hope you enjoy the video and will give tie-dyeing a try with Rit dye. Click HERE to watch my video tutorial on how I made my cute leggings.

HAPPY DYEING!

Denim Quilt Backing? Yes, please!

2013-05-05T00:41:00.001-04:00

I loooooooove uisng lightweight denim fabric for my picnic quilt backings. They are so pretty and different looking and hold up great on rough terrain like grass, dirt and sand.

In this video I bring you Video #4 in my Locally Grown Picnic Quilt Series. If you want to watch the entire video series (4 videos) just click HERE and I'll send you to the playlist. You'll be able to watch the videos in order without having to search all of YouTube for each one individually.

Here are a couple of pictures of our picnic quilts. We really do use them all the time!


Baby Allie taking a nap on my Starry Picnic quilt at the splash park.

Reading the kids my son's favorite book at a homeschool playdate on the farm.

I've already purchased the denim backing fabric for my Locally Grown picnic quilt and I wanted to share with you a few things to keep in mind if you're wanting to give it a try.

Have you ever used denim for quilt backing? I'd love to hear your responses below!

Click HERE to watch the video tutorial on denim backing.

My son's first quilt!

2013-04-28T08:23:00.001-04:00

My 3.5 yr old son has finished his first quilt!

This is his "Snake Quilt." We submitted the finished quilt yesterday to be entered in a local quilt show that will take place next weekend. If you are in the North Central Florida area you should check it out! Lots of amazing & gorgeous quilts will be on display. Jonathan's will be on display in the Youth category. The kids' quilts don't get judged. They all receive participation ribbons which is great because my baby worked hard to make his first quilt. I know he will be beyond excited to get his ribbon.

{For more Quilt Show info click HERE.}

He designed and pieced the entire quilt top including:
•selecting fabrics
•piecing the snake together
•appliqueing the snake to the leaves in the background
•piecing the sky to the ground scenery (and the seam is pretty darn straight!)
• helping me cut out the clouds with pinking shears
•placement of each cloud, etc.

Here are some action shots of him working on his snake quilt!

Selecting his fabrics from my scrap bins.

"Mama, this kinda look like a snake skin!" -a great choice, indeed!

Piecing the snake together.

"Mama, snakes like to hide in the leaves." Putting the snake on the leaves background he chose. Another great fabric choice!

Appliqueing the snake to the leaves fabric.


Piecing the sky to the leaves fabric.

Placement of clouds in sky.

Then I took it to my longarm machine and finished it off for him to get it ready for the quilt show!

If you have a child in your life who is expressing interest in learning how to sew or quilt I suggest checking out my Teaching Kids to Sew video to learn some of the tips & tricks I practice when I'm teaching my son to use his sewing machine. The video is really cute and you'll get to see my son in one of his sewing lessons. Click HERE to watch the video.

Locally Grown Picnic Quilt Along Series - Part 3

2013-04-22T13:44:00.001-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted but I've been taking things a little easy these past few weeks. I'll explain more in an upcoming post. For now, I wanted to make sure you all received Part 3 of the Locally Grown Picnic Quilt Video Quilt Along series. I posted the video a few weeks back to my YouTube channel but never got around to creating a blog post to go with it. Sorry about that!

So, here it is! I hope you enjoy seeing how versatile this simple block design is. Let me know if you plan to piece your quilt top in one of the different designs I show in the video or if you came up with your own orientation. I'd love to see your quilts!

Happy Quilting!

Locally Grown Picnic Quilt Along- Part 2

2013-04-03T21:32:00.005-04:00

I'm moving right along into Part 2 of my Locally Grown Picnic Quilt video series. In this video I'll show you how to cut all the patchwork pieces for all 16 blocks. It's nothing but cutting strips... making this a GREAT beginner quilting project! I promise once you see how EASY it is to make these blocks you will want to make one of these picnic quilts!

If you are new to this series you can find the entire collection of videos in this series HERE.

Click HERE to watch video #2.

Turban Inspired Headband-DIY Tutorial

2013-04-02T00:25:00.001-04:00

If you need a quickie hair accessory this is the project for you!

Super easy to make and a great beginner project! Even kids can make these really cool turbands!

This is the perfect project to use up your stretch knit scraps because it requires such a small amount of fabric. I say you start making these now and start your own collection or give them as gifts. I'm going to make some for my little girl too. I love how these look on my curly hair, too!

Click HERE to watch the step-by-step video tutorial.

Locally Grown Picnic Quilt Along Series

2013-03-25T01:42:00.003-04:00

A new video quilt along is here! Who's ready?!

We are working with the most adorable fabric collection ever!

Locally Grown by Marisa and Creative Thursday for Andover Fabrics
Contact your local & independent quilt shops for this gorgeous collection!
If they don't carry it you can find it online HERE.

This time around we are working on a picnic quilt! This project is perfect just in time for the warmer weather headed our way.

Some quick details on the quilt we'll be making:

- measures 64" x 64"

- requires only one quilt block (repeated multiple times)

- super sized blocks for quick piecing

- super easy to make

- great beginner project

-cutting only squares and strips

-fun modern geometric design

Locally Grown Picnic Quilt design

Fabrics you'll need are listed below... click on links for purchasing info.

6051-N: 1 7/8 yards (sheep fabric in light brown)
6053-RY: 7/8 yard (chickens in yellow background)
6058-R: 1/2 yard (binding- flowers in red background)
6056-RT: 1 3/8 yards (chicks & eggs in aqua background)
6057-RG: 3/8 yard (chicks on green grass background)

I like to give my picnic quilts special treatment with a little something extra that none of my other quilts get. To find out what my secret is... be sure to watch the video series HERE.

Learn all about this project and quilting tips and tricks by watching the video series.

Video #1 in the Locally Grown Picnic Quilt Series is now live HERE!

Reversible Fleece Beanie Hat - DIY Tutorial & Free Pattern

2013-03-22T14:00:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not it's still pretty chilly here in Florida. It's wreaking havoc on my spring planting schedule and I can't wait for it to really be Spring! High 30ºs-40ºs at night is NOT what I was expecting this late in March... oh well! To help me stay toasty I decided to whip up a reversible fleece beanie hat and create a tutorial for you! It's pretty much the same as my other fleece hat tutorial but this one doesn't have the ear flaps. For that tutorial you can click HERE.

In this video I also teach you some basics about sewing with fleece fabric including how to tell the pretty side from the ugly (wrong) side, how to lay out your fabric so the stretch is running along the correct grain line, etc. The FREE pattern is also provided for this project right HERE on my patterns page.

This is a SUPER easy and fun beginner project. It would be great to make with kids and I know a lot of you live in colder places that I so you could still make one to wear this year.

*BONUS- It's fully reversible so you can make two hats in one!*

The fabric I use in this video tutorial was provided by my latest video sponsor:

www.fabricdiva.com

They have a ridiculous variety of fleece (and other fabrics) and really affordable prices so it's definitely worth jumping over there to check it out. Click right HERE to see what they got! They even have a fleece hat kit they are selling for my followers! The kits are smaller pieces of coordinating fleece fabric in just the right size to make either of my fleece hats! These kits are a great bargain and she's offering FREE SHIPPING in the U.S. for you too!

Click HERE to view the kit sales!

Straight from the FabricDiva.com website! Choose a solid fleece hat kit or a print/solid combo! FREE SHIPPING in U.S.!

Take advantage of the sale at FabricDiva.com and enjoy my step-by-step video tutorial!

Click HERE to watch the video!

{p.s.- There is a giveaway mentioned in the video.}

DIY Hair Headband Video Tutorial & GIVEAWAY!

2013-03-11T22:39:00.001-04:00

I love quick and easy projects! If you do too then I bet you'll enjoy this week's tutorial.

My baby girl rockin' her new headband.

I'm teaching you how to make these really cute and ridiculously easy headbands. A few inexpensive supplies and you'll be pumping these out by the dozen in no time. They are comfortable too! This would also be a great side business idea to try out. Fancy boutique quality headbands sell for $$$$$ and when you see how inexpensive {and easy} they are to make you may decide to start up a small business! Let me know if you do.

My baby girl loves playing in muddy puddles!

Can't believe she is 18 months old already!

The embellishments I use in the tutorial can be found on Simplicity's website right HERE. Check them out! Many of them are a dollar and some change! Super affordable and you will want to stock up on 'em.

A huge thanks to Simplicity for also helping me host a giveaway this week for 3 bundles of 5 different hair accessories. I will select 3 random winners when the giveaway ends on Sunday, March 17, 2013 ay 11:59PM EST. For the complete details on how you can enter for your chance to win please watch the entire video tutorial on YouTube by clicking HERE.

As you will see in the video I have a pretty big collection of fold over elastic (FOE) so I make these kinds of headbands all the time. For a ridiculous variety of FOE sold by the yard in different widths click HERE.

Here are the embellishment bundles I'm giving away! Aren't they cute?!

Here are a few combinations of headband and embellishments to help you get some ideas.

BEST sewing machine for beginners!

2013-03-05T12:05:00.001-05:00

In this week's video I'm answering the #1 question I am asked by you!

"What is a great & affordable sewing machine for beginners?"

Here it is! The Kenmore 19106 (or Janome 11542). This is my personal recommendation based on years of experience with a lot of different machines. I currently have 11 sewing machines in my studio and this one is one of my go-to machines, for sure!

Kenmore 19106 sewing machine

This machine is lightweight but one of my more heavy duty workhorses. You need to watch my video review to understand what I mean. You will shocked and amazed to see what this little 11 -pound machine can do! But the best part is the price!

Tuesday Morning sells this machine for only $59.99!

Yes, that is correct. No typo. $59.99. Tuesday Morning is the only place I've been able to find this machine at such a low price. You may come across it elsewhere but the price will be 2-3 times what Tuesday Morning sells it for. If $59.99 is not an affordable price point for a quality machine I don't know what is! Trust me people... it's worth looking into. I have 3 of these machines and love them!

To buy this machine from Tuesday Morning you can visit a local store in your area. To find the local store click HERE. Or, you can also purchase directly from their website by clicking HERE.

Just so you know this is the exact same model as the Janome 11542 which I have been using in my video tutorials for a few years now. I recently found out that Janome manufacturers the newer Kenmore machines. So, you are getting Janome quality with the Kenmore name on it.


Same machine just different brand names on it.

Ok, enough rambling. Watch the video and learn why I love it so much!

SB3129 Simplicity® by Brother™ Computerized Sewing Machine - Review

2013-02-27T11:51:00.003-05:00

If you have been following my video tutorials for a while you have probably seen me use a few other Brother™sewing machines in the past. This week I get to review the SB3129 Simplicity® by Brother™ Computerized Sewing Machine.

The SB3129 is part of the Simplicity® by Brother™Limited Edition line of sewing machines. There are 5 machines in this collection and you can learn more about each one HERE.

In this review I'll show you:
• what is included in the box
• extra goodies you get
• my favorite features
• the types of fabrics you can sew with it
• how to do free motion quilting with it
• where you can buy one
• the price
• some decorative stitch options
• sample fonts it stitches out
• and much more!

Note: I want to correct something I say in the video because it was only recently that I realized the Simplicity pattern that was included with the machine can be exchanged for a larger size if you need it. So, if you're like me and need a commercial sewing pattern larger than a size 12 then you can contact Simplicity at info@simplicity.com to exchange the included pattern for the next size range - P5 which includes sizes 12-20. Very good to know!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW.

{Disclaimer: Brother™ has provided me with the SB3129, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.}

Finishing Victorian Modern Quilt & PDF pattern

2013-02-22T14:58:00.003-05:00

That's it! My Victorian Modern Video Quilt Along series is complete! In this fifth (and last) video of the series I talk to you about backing, batting, binding and some different options you have for finishing your quilt.

If you are new to this series and want to check it out, click HERE.

Also, after so many of you asked about a printable version of my Victorian Modern pattern I decided to go ahead and put together a downloadable PDF document that you can purchase in my shop HERE. It's a 4-page PDF with block diagrams, pictures and all the info you need to create the quilt top.

The PDF is the best and easiest way to have this quilt pattern on hand without having to watch every video in the quilt along series. You can save it to your computer, print it out, and it's perfect to have next to you as you make the quilt top without having to go back to your computer for the next step.

Once the payment is processed you will receive an email (to the email address on file with the PayPal account used to make the purchase) with a link to download the file. It all happens automatically and instantly once payment is processed.

If you're participating in this quilt along remember that it never expires so you can join in on the fun whenever you want! Don't forget to upload pics of your blocks, fabrics and completed quilt to the Facebook event page just for my Victorian Modern Quilt Along HERE.

There have been some gorgeous quilt pics posted already!

I love seeing your projects!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE LAST VIDEO IN THE SERIES.

How To Video- Sashing strips & Cornerstones

2013-02-14T22:28:00.001-05:00

Can you believe my Victorian Modern quilt top is practically finished? We are flying right through this project! If you are stumbling across this project randomly click HERE to start watching from the beginning of the series. You can join this quilt along whenever you want! The videos will be posted indefinitely to my channel so you can make this quilt at your own pace.

This week I'm talking to you about how to make and attach sashing strips and cornerstones to frame out each quilt block. I especially enjoy this technique because it's a quick and easy way to add a little more size to your finished quilt top without much extra work!

Blocks and sashing on design wall.

The technique I use to attach my sashing strips and cornerstones is a great way to ensure you get sharp points at all the intersections. Instead of sewing together a long row of sashing and cornerstones this technique requires you to sew strips and cornerstones to individual blocks and then sew it all together. This is great for a few reasons:
1) minimizes the amount of intersections you need to match up in one seam.
2) allows you to sew fewer units at a time when putting it all together.
3) makes sewing up the quilt top more manageable especially for beginners
4) minimizes the length of each seam you need to sew. The shorter the seams you sew the better
your chances are of matching everything up just right.

Placing sashing strips on design wall.

If you've never added sashing to a quilt consider it! It's fun, easy and a GREAT way to use up any random leftover blocks you have from other projects. Sashing is great for scrappy quilt blocks and sampler quilts.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL.

{p.s.- Don't forget about the sale going on at Craftsy. Up to 75% off their online classes. Offer expires on 2/17/2013 at 11:59PM. Click banner below to see full list of classes on sale.}

Valentine's Day Sale!

2013-02-14T08:04:00.003-05:00

I love taking Craftsy classes! Mostly because they are professionally shot and I can watch at whatever odd hours I have in my schedule. If you've never heard of Craftsy definitely check them out. It's a great way to take classes without the need to travel!

They are having a HUGE sale for a few days only. So, check it out HERE and consider signing up for a class, or two, or three. They never expire and you can watch the lessons anytime from anywhere as long as you have internet access. For the complete list of classes and their low sale price click HERE.

Perfect time to signup for MY class if you haven't already, Sew Little Nursery Design!

And here are some other fun classes for you to consider... some are even FREE!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Sourdough, Jam, S'mores and Family!

2013-02-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

We had a very busy {non-work related} weekend here and I loved every second of it! My youngest sister and her roommate took a break from their college studying and came up from Tampa to visit us, play with the kids and help us get started on our Spring garden. My mom even popped in for the day on Saturday to visit us too!

Saturday morning we worked in the garden planting carrots, potatoes and two types of green beans. I filmed a short video of what we did and the kids helping. Click HERE to watch the video.

Later that day we baked some sourdough bread with my new starter and enjoyed it with the strawberry jam I made last week. YUMM-O!

{Side notes: I use THIS RECIPE to create my sourdough starter. I used the strawberry jam recipe included in the pectin package I use. THIS is the one I use. I love it because the sweetener amount necessary is on a sliding scale so you use your sweetener of choice and in a lot less quantity than traditional jam recipes. We use organic evaporated cane juice as our sweetener.}

My new sourdough starter.

Organic low-sugar strawberry jam made by me! 12 pints of strawberries yielded all this- 1 quart, 6 pints, and 3 half pints.

Later that night we decided on some outdoor fun because the weather was so nice.

A cool 55º F and a super clear sky.

We set up a little bonfire and made s'mores with the kids.

(From left to right) my mom, hubby, Baby Allie, Jonathan, Me and my youngest sister, Melissa.

Enjoying the bonfire!


My hubby and the kids.... Jonathan looking like his little mischievous self. LOL

All in all it was a great weekend. I stayed very busy but still felt like I was relaxing. I also managed to finish all 12 of my blocks for my Victorian Modern Quilt Along.

Hope you had a fun weekend too!