Midwestern Sewing Girl

strawberry cheesecake minis...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Sat, 26 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Need a last-minute dessert that requires no baking? Here you go...

These are what I am bringing to our friends' house for a Memorial Day bbq...aren't they adorable? And soooo easy to boot!

Just grab some strawberries, a tub of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling (found near the cream cheese at your grocery store...I'm letting you know this only because I searched for 20 minutes before it finally dawned on me that it may be near the other cheese products) and some graham cracker crumbs.

I cut the bottoms of the strawberries off so that they would sit easily on a tray and I hulled the centers. Then I filled a plastic bag with the filling, cut off a bottom corner of the bag and used it to squeeze the filling into the strawberry. Finally, I sprinkled some of the graham cracker crumbs over the top. Um...yum.

The only thing I may change about what I did here is that next time I may dip the cut strawberry into the crumbs instead of sprinkling them on top. I sprinkled a little too much over some of the minis and the crumbs changed the color of the filling to this weird yellow. They tasted fantastic but they didn't look perfect...

Then I made this little banner to accompany these little desserts...

Heidi Swapp Color Magic Banner, Mini Market stickers from October Afternoon, Whisker Graphics' Divine Twine

Cute little patriotic set-up, don't you think?

And yummy, too!

Click here to see what I'll be sharing these little goodies!

affiliate feature...beauty box 5

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I'm sure I speak for most (if not all) of us woman when I say that I want to look my best...and makeup and skin care are really pretty important to me. I look for products that will minimize my crow's feet (exactly how many feet are crows supposed to have anyway? because my crows have a lot...a lot), bring out my eyes and make my hair shiny and soft. But spending tons of money just to experiment stinks.

Enter Beauty Box 5.

Beauty Box 5 is an online monthly subscription service wherein you (the subscriber) receive 4 or 5 beauty samples every month...things like makeup, skin care products and fragrances with the option to buy full-size products right on Beauty Box 5's site! How cool!

I was sent a box of product from BB5 to try...and I have to say, I was impressed...

Here's what arrived in my mailbox...

Beautiful packaging...I'm a sucker for anything wrapped in a pretty box...

...so lovely...but it's what inside that counts, right? So here's what was inside...

Oh yes.

I have already tried 4 of these products (I'm still waiting to try the hair moisturizer until after I highlight my tresses for the summer...) and I really like them. I mean really like them. In fact, one of the products up there is so amazing, I'm buying the full-size. And I would never have known about it were it not for Beauty Box 5.

DISCLOSURE: As I mentioned, I received a box of product from Beauty Box 5 to try. I was not asked to do anything for BB5 in exchange. All opinions are mine and have not been swayed in any way. I think BB5 is a super-cool program and is fantastic way to try new products without wasting money.

inspired by martha...drawstring bread bag TUTORIAL

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:28:00 +0000

I got my June issue of Martha Stewart's "Living" a couple of weeks ago. And, like usual, I started reading it the instant I took it from the mailbox and didn't stop until I was completely through it.

I find something I love in "Living" every single month, but this month I was instantly inspired by a photo I saw...this is the one...

See which one I'm talking about? A bread bag made from vintage Swedish tea towels? So cool!!! But at $22 each, I knew I'd never be buying one.

So, the next time I went to Target I picked up this dishtowel...(I could have just made the bag from fabric, but I figured, this way, a lot of the work was already done for me)...

...and I got to work turning it into a, well two, actually, drawstring bags...

Wanna see how I did it?

Well, here you go...(now remember, this tutorial is for making 2 bags out of one large towel...you can choose to make one larger bag out of the whole towel, just skip STEP 1)...

Here's what you'll need:

*1 large tea towel
*Rotary cutter & mat
*Scissors
*Sewing machine (or this can just as easily be done with hand stitches)
*1 long-ish length of ribbon or cord or rope or jute (about 30" or so long...it's always easier to have more and cut off the excess)
*Coordinating thread

STEP 1:

Fold your towel in half lengthwise and cut it down the middle. My towel started out at 18" x 28"...I cut it to become two pieces, each 9" x 28".

STEP 2:

Open up one of your pieces...

...and sew a hem into the raw edge. Check your other hem sizes and make sure to sew this one the same size (mine was 1/2").

*****

*To sew a hem, fold the raw edge of the fabric down about 1/4" inch and iron down. Then fold down another (in this case 1/2"), iron down and sew as close to the inside edge as possible.*

*****

STEP 3:

Now, fold your piece in half, lengthwise, with the "right" sides together.

STEP 4:

Take your folded piece, and turn it so the open short edge is toward the top. In other words, make sure the top of what-will-be-the-bag is at the top.

Then make a mark 1" down from the top of the bag - along the edge of the right side.

STEP 5:

Sew down the long side of the bag, as close to the edge as you can...starting at your 1" mark and finishing at the bottom fold.

STEP 6:

Now, you'll see here that I've missed a photo in the steps...but let me try to explain what happens next.

Unfold your bag along the seam you've just sewn so that it looks like the photo in STEP 5. Fold the top 1" of the bag down and iron. Then sew this piece down as close to the edge as you can (about 1/8"). You are making your drawstring casing here.

Do this on both sides of the bag top. Make sure that you keep your bag open while you are sewing so that you don't sew the top closed. And sew this 1" open casing as close to the side seam as possible...if you can't make it all the way to the seam, no worries...just try to get it as close as possible.

Here's what your bag should look like now when you have it open. You can see how the inside ends of the casing are open and almost touching.

STEP 7:

Now fold your bag back up, still with the right sides together, and sew your bag closed with a 1/8" seam allowance. Start your seam at the bottom of your casing (you can see in the above photo that my casing isn't completely sewn down at the end...this isn't a problem, and you won't even notice once the bag is completely put together) and stitch all the way down the bag.

Now, turn your bag right-side-out and iron it flat. Take a length of ribbon or rope or jute (I used jute) and thread it through your casing, starting at the sides of the casing that you just made (in my bag this would mean the side that wasn't sewn down all the way).

*****

*If you've never threaded a piece of elastic or rope/ribbon through a casing before, here's a super-easy way to do it:

Take a large safety pin (make sure it fits into your casing), and attach it to one end of your elastic/rope/ribbon. Then push the pin through the casing, a little at a time until you get all the way around your casing. Then just pull the pin out of the other side of the casing and your done!*

*****

I cut a stencil out with my Silhouette and painted the word "bread" onto my bag. The one in the magazine had the word "BROD" embroidered onto it...I'm assuming that means bread in Swedish...and I really liked that, so I wanted to do the same...sorta.

If you decide to do this, make sure you stick a piece of cardboard or something similar in between the two fabric layers so that your paint doesn't leak through to the back of your bag.

And you're done!

Not too bad, huh?

I love these little bags! And they are perfect for just about everything! How about as reusable fruit or vegetable bags for your groceries?

Or as a hostess gift filled your favorite kind of artisan bread? Oh, how I would love to receive one!

So what do you think? What would you use your little drawstring bag for?

*I've tried my best to make this tutorial clear and easy to understand, but if you have ANY questions at all about it, please make sure to contact me at msgirlblog@hotmail.com - THANKS!*

Here's where I'm linking up this week!

step outside your comfort zone...with Shelley of Crazy Wonderful

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

It's time for another installment of Step Outside Your Comfort Zone! Yay!

This time around the amazing Shelley from Crazy Wonderful is here sharing her project. Shelley has magnificent taste and her design style makes me wish I lived closer to her so that I could have her come rearrange my living room. I find it hard to believe that there is anything she feels challenged by...

If you're a new reader, let me give you a quick rundown on this series...

As crafters, diy-ers, moms, (dads?), humans, we often get stuck in our "comfort zones." We find a place in our lives where we're comfortable. And we stay there.

This series challenges bloggers to step outside their comfort zones (hence the catchy name), to try something they don't normally do...to do something that may scare them a little, frustrate them a little...whatever.

I think it's good for us to shake things up a bit...it keeps things from getting stale...and it keeps us on our toes...

So, let's meet our challenger, shall we?

*******

Hello everyone! I'm Shelley from Crazy Wonderful, and I'm ubber excited to be here posting for Outside My Comfort Zone!

I've done a couple pieces of art in the past, but this time I wanted to try something different that didn't involve paint.

Here's what I came up with!

Supply List:

silver leaf
metal leaf adhesive spray
plain paper (I used a few sheets of computer paper)
background paper (I used a thicker paper so it wouldn't buckle)
pencil and object for tracing
scissors
glue stick

What I did:

STEP ONE: Spray your plain paper with the metal leaf adhesive spray. A light coat should be sufficient.

STEP TWO: Start laying down the sheets of silver leaf. Cover the entire piece of paper.

STEP THREE: Flip the paper you just silver leafed over, and trace circles using the lip of a glass. If you want a smaller circle, a large circular punch would make this much easier and save you the tracing and cutting out time.
STEP FOUR: Cut out your traced circles.

STEP FIVE: Use a glue stick to coat the back of your cut outs.
STEP SIX: Arrange circles onto your backing paper.

Frame and you're done!

My favorite part about this piece is how it changes at different angles. These aren't the most glamorous photos, but it shows you how different it looks when you see it's reflection in the mirror.

So, another use for good ol silver leaf!

Thanks for having me over today, Maggie. I had fun, and definitely enjoyed stepping outside my norm!

*******

*If you love Shelley's art, please Pin It! But first, please head over to Shelley's site and pin it from there to ensure that she gets proper credit...thank you!*

Thank you so much for sharing your project, Shelley! I LOVE the way this looks. It really reminds me of something you would see in a high-end gallery...it's just gorgeous. And I can't believe you cut out all those little circles by hand...they look perfect! Great job!

Do you have something you'd like to try that is outside of your comfort zone? Just contact me at msgirlblog@hotmail.com and I'll set up a date to feature you!

...thinking outside the grain sack pillow...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

We have all seen vintage grain & feed sacks turned into pillows...

source

And they are gorgeous...

But how about a grain sack turned bathmat?

Pretty cool, huh?

Now, I wish I could take credit for this idea...but, alas, I can't. The grain sack bathmat is the brain-child of author and jewelry designer, Kaari Meng. A few years ago, Kaari wrote a book called Home Sewn where she features a number of...what else...projects you can sew for your home.

She uses vintage grain sacks and linens for all of these sewing projects, and let me tell you, you have never seen such lovely items.

I just happened to have an extra sack lying around...and I already have more than enough pillows...so when I saw the bathmat in Home Sewn I nearly squealed. I grabbed the sack, some linen & fusible fleece and a couple of hours later, I had my new bathroom accessory.

I really like how it brings some texture and earthiness to my French Country bathroom...

And I also like how, if I get tired of stepping on it, I can just take the mat apart and make something else...but not a pillow.

*Check out Kaari's site, French General...so cool...*

an eMeals GIVEAWAY! PLUS penne pasta with bacon, tomato & asparagus!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:52:00 +0000

At the end of last year, I won a giveaway on The CSI Project...a giveaway for a 3-month subscription to eMeals™. I had no idea at the time that that giveaway would change my life.

eMeals™ is a monthly menu subscription that you can tailor to fit your family's needs...right down to which store you prefer to shop in! Isn't that awesome?

This is how the eMeals™ website describes their program:

"Manage your food budget and enjoy delicious dinner recipes at home.
Menu plans based on weekly grocery store sales, seasonal discounts
or diet preferences. Be meal-wise and money-wise with eMeals."

That pretty much sums up the program perfectly...and I don't know how I ever lived without it. Instead of struggling over what I'm going to prepare every night, I just print out my weekly menu and shop for the foods on my list. And now that I've been a subscriber for 5 months (yes, I renewed my subscription after my giveaway ran out...how could I not? I've grown to depend on eMeals™), I've acquired enough meals to easily plan menus that include some of our favorites each week.

For as little as $5.00 per month, you can receive the menu of your choice each week. Ummm...that's a little over $1 per week...the time that I no longer have to spend worrying over what to make each night is definitely worth more than that.

I used to receive the Aldi menu plans, but I've recently changed to the Clean Eating menu plans...and, oh my gosh, this food is amazing. Some of the recipes we've tried have been among the best I've ever prepared. The Clean Eating menu is the newest of the eMeals™ menus and is based on creating meals using fresh rather than processed ingredients. I was a little nervous at first that the meals on this plan would be difficult to prepare...but I was wrong...with just a bit more chopping, my family is now eating more healthy...so awesome.

Here's one of our favorite Clean Eating dishes...the Penne with Bacon, Tomato & Asparagus...(a huge THANK YOU to eMeals™ for letting me share this with you!):

Now, you may be wondering what all of my gushing has to do with you, right? Well, eMeals™, is generously giving away a 3-month subscription to the menu plan of the winner's choice to one lucky M{s}G reader! That's right, 12 whole weeks of dinners...planned for you. How can you possibly go wrong? You can't.

And you have 4 chances to win! Just enter below using the Rafflecopter...

*Giveaways on Midwestern {sewing} Girl are for followers of M{s}G only. If you are not already a follower, please become one using GFC or subscribe via RSS - thank you!*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, in case you're still not sure if eMeals™ is right for you, they have sample menus on their site that you are free to download. So head on over there, browse around, and sign-up...you'll thank me.

DISCLOSURE: I contacted eMeals regarding featuring one of their recipes on my blog. They happily agreed and asked if I would like to do a giveaway in exchange for a 1-month extension of my subscription. I said of course!, because I love eMeals and I plan to be a subscriber long into the future.

...easiest banana shake recipe ever...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

My kids LOVE bananas.

You know, on second thought, strike that...I should say "My kids LOVE bananas for about a week and then they get sick of them for a few weeks and then they want them again..."

No complaints here...I love that they eat them. Inevitably, however, there are extra uneaten bananas left around to brown on my counter.

Overripe bananas, as I'm sure you know, are perfect for use in baking...they are soft & mushy and sweeter than they are when they're still a little green or yellow. But did you know they are also awesome in milk shakes?

And my family recipe (actually my Mom's recipe) is so easy, you are almost guaranteed to have the items in your refrigerator. So grab those brown bananas and let's make some shakes!

Here's what you'll need:
*1 banana (overripe works best, but any old banana will do)
*about a cup of milk
*1 packet of sweetener or about a tablespoon of sugar (optional)
*a dash of vanilla (optional)

Now throw everything into a blender and get to blendin'...

That's it! You're done. This shake is really yummy...and it's almost an entire breakfast in a glass...
add an english muffin and you're all set...

You can even add in some blueberries or strawberries for a change...I love to add in any fruit that's been around a day or two too long.

Enjoy!

This is where I'm sharing this recipe...

a beautiful etched glass pendant for Mother's Day...with Randi of Dukes & Duchesses...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Mother's Day is Sunday! Oh my gosh...where does the time go? If you're anything like me (and please please say you are), you are not completely prepared for it. BUT, not to worry...the amazing Randi from Dukes and Duchesses is here to save us!

********************

I'm Randi from Dukes and Duchesses and I'm so thrilled to be posting here at Midwestern {Sewing} Girl! Maggie's blog is one of my absolute favorites.

I'm sharing a pretty but simple gift idea for Mother's Day: an etched glass pendant necklace. The monogram is subtle and classy and it makes a unique Mother's Day gift.

To make one, you need:

a piece of glass (rounded edges are preferable)

letter stickers

etching liquid

and a pendant hanger.

All the materials can be found at any craft store.

Place the appropriate letter sticker on the piece of glass, leaving room for the hanger at the top. Cover in etching liquid and follow the manufacturer's time instructions. Rinse, peel the sticker off, and you're done! See, I told you it was easy!

All you have to do to finish the necklace is glue the pendant hanger on (I used E6000).

It makes a super simple but beautiful gift.

I hope you have fun with it ... and I hope you'll stop by Dukes and Duchesses and let me know if you make one!

********************

I LOVE this, Randi! And it's my favorite kind of project, too...not a lot of work and super-high impact! Thank you so much for sharing it today!

If you've never seen Randi's blog, you must check it out. She has some of the most amazing parties, and her craft projects are fantastic! Please make sure you head on over there and tell her hi!

And don't forget! The Mother's Day linky is still going on! Come link up your Mother's Day-related projects until Sunday!

my great grill & patio MAKEOVER! Plus...a pre-Memorial Day/Cinco de Mayo par-tay!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Now that the weather is (FINALLY!) getting a little warmer around here, it's time to start spending some time outside! Woo hoo! Grilling season has started, outdoor parties are scheduled and summer is right around the corner...

My family loves to spend time outside playing, listening to music, splashing around on the slip 'n slide, or just sitting and reading a book...and when we had a gas grill (more on that later) we would cook out a couple of times every week.

We also love to entertain during the warmer months. Every Memorial Day we have a bbq of some kind or another...it's become a tradition. But enjoying the outdoors and summer entertaining is infinitely harder to do when you have no patio furniture (more on that, too)...in fact, the pre-Memorial Day/Cinco de Mayo party we were hosting this past weekend was scheduled to take place indoors...no matter the weather...because we just didn't have anywhere for anyone to sit outside.

Here...let me show you just what I'm talking about...take a look at our wreck-of-an-outdoor-space...

See what I mean?

10 year old furniture overtaken by bees, broken grill...just be happy you didn't have to see those things...the garbage truck took them away weeks ago...

The patio is a disgrace...wouldn't you agree? Yes, it definitely needs some work.

And, up until a few days ago, I had resigned myself to the fact this spring/summer would be spent either indoors or on the front porch...the back porch was going to remain neglected. And then I thought, you know what? ENOUGH of this nonsense!..it was time for a PATIO & GRILL MAKEOVER! After all, we did have a full 30 hours before our friends were due to arrive for our little get-together...that's more than enough time, right?

Thank goodness for the folks at #KmartOutdoor and their amazing new Outdoor Living collection!

Picking out our new furniture and grill could not have been easier...Kmart has this amazing system where you can purchase your items online and pick them up at the store in just a few hours!

So, Thursday night (that's right...just a day and a half before our guests arrived) I sat down at my computer and did my shopping. I looked through the online catalog to get an idea of what was available (just click the image above to see the catalog for yourself)...and then I picked out my favorites on Kmart's website. Their "Patio Finder" makes it so easy to choose your furniture and accessories...

And, with Kmart's "Grill Finder," you just click on your personal grill criteria, and the site shows you what's available! Cool, huh?

I was also able to pick out some of my favorite accessories, add them to my cart, and have them available for pickup, too!

I picked out a whole set-up, right down to some pillows for the chairs, and a grill. The next morning, I got the older kids ready and out the door, dropped Ty off at preschool, and checked my phone...and there was a text from Kmart...letting my know me order was all set and ready to be picked up! Awesome!

So I drove right down the road to my local Kmart, popped inside and checked in at the Customer Service desk.

In a matter of minutes I had my purchases loaded in my car and I was on my way...and it was only 9:20 am...still a little over 24 hours until "go-time."

I headed to another Kmart...a Super Kmart...which happens to be just down the road a-ways...to shop for a few accessories I couldn't get at my Kmart, as well as some plants and flowers to help dress up our new patio. I also needed to get a few more food items for the party...

***You can check out my entire shopping trip here...on Google+***

After running those errands I came home and got to work...first trimming the big bushes behind the patio, then re-edging & mulching the ground underneath them. Then I was able to start the fun part...assembling the furniture & grill and arranging all of my new accessories. Doug came home early from work and was able to help with the furniture...and then he and Gray put the grill together Saturday morning.

By 3:00 pm Saturday we were pretty much set...and our patio looked completely different...wanna see? Wait...first let me remind you of what the area looked like BEFORE...

Concrete slabs...no furniture...

Old dirt & woodchips...no color...just tons of beige...

Old charcoal grill...never used...

Overgrown bushes...

and a nasty old hose-roller-thing...which, to be fair, still worked just fine...it was just big and awkward...

And now here is the after...prepare yourself for a LOT of photos...and by "a LOT," I mean TONS...

Ta-da!!!

So...what do you think???

WAIT! Don't answer yet...let me show you some more...

Eeeek! I'm so stinkin' excited about this space!

I have been so into bright yellow this spring! And these pillows from the #KmartOutdoor collection fit the bill perfectly!

I had bought the umbrella & the rug and a few of the accessories before we purchased the new furniture and grill and they worked with our new items just beautifully...

I just love this view!

And here's our new super-awesome Char-Broil grill!

Doug said that this was the easiest grill he has ever put together...many of the pieces were already assembled and most of the screws were already threaded - they just needed to be tightened...it took him only about an hour to do...

More beautiful bright yellow...

...a brand new hose-keeper!

Some lovely plants and flowers...

A strawberry plant that already has little baby strawberries!

And a hibiscus tree! My fingers are crossed that I don't kill it too quickly...

And that's not all...

Check out my new firepit...oh. yes.

Roasted marshmallows anyone?

I can't tell you how much I adore our new space...and it looked even better with friends, family & food all around...

Aren't those napkins from Sandra Lee's new collection for Kmart so awesome? I love the bright color!

My friend, Michelle, is the best Mexican-food-maker EVER...ever.

These margarita push-pops were the best...

And the scratch-off Solo cups helped the kids keep their cups straight...

Yum...arrachera & green onions on the new grill...soooo good...

There's Michelle...the master...and her wonderful husband, Pete...we love these guys...and we were so happy they were with us to break in our new furniture and our new grill...

I think Ty liked the new furniture, too...

Yep...there were smiles all around...we had the best time with our dear friends...

I know one family that will be happily spending a whole lot more time outside this season...I can't tell you just how much I adore our patio now...and I can't believe we were able to make such a huge difference in just 1 day! So cool...

And guess what? Kmart has a whole bunch of deals and promotions that are going on THIS WEEK! You can find the following, plus more in your Sunday, May 6 Kmart circular...

*20% off all patio cushions and umbrellas

*20% off all folding lawn furniture

*Metal arbor with gate on SALE for $79.99 (reg $149.99)

*50% off hanging basket plant stand & deluxe basket plant stand

...and every single day at Kmart:

Shop Your Way Rewards members save more each and every season and for every $1 you spend you get 10 points...how awesome is that?

AND

You can lock in today’s low prices for all of your upcoming events with Kmart Layaway!

Want to know more about the great deals at Kmart? Check out these links to help you stay informed...

Kmart on Twitter

Shop Your Way Rewards on Twitter

Kmart on Facebook

Your local Kmart ad

Kmart Weekly Deals

So...what do you think? Did we do OK?

DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric All opinons are my own...thank you so much to Kmart & Collective Bias/Social Fabric for this opportunity...it was a blast!

THIS is where I'm sharing this renovation...

a sweet little favor box...and the linky party continues!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Don't forget the fantastic Canvas Corp giveaway...going on right now! Just click the photo on my sidebar to enter!

*****************************************************************

As soon as I received the die for these darling little dessert boxes from Lifestyle Crafts, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with them...

With summer fast approaching and the nautical trend just exploding, I decided that these little dessert boxes would look perfect dressed up like little boats...

To make these little boats, I simply cut out two of the tops of the tops for the box...each one out of a different cardstock...to make them resemble little waves...

Then I dressed up a small skewer with paper flowers, little "flags" and a little paper pom pom...

I broke a little popsicle stick, punched a whole in it, and attached it to a skewer to serve as a name tag...(and it looks like a little oar...sorta...)...

I finished off the "mast" with a little twist of hemp rope (from Canvas Corp) and done!

Wouldn't these be adorable for a baby shower or lake or boat party? Or you could attach a gift card to it! OH! Or use them as invitation, even! Just slip the info into the box!

And the dessert boxes themselves are just perfect for treats, or little knick-knacks...make a whole bunch and you have a little paper cake! How cute is that?

And don't forget! ANY purchase you make from Lifestyle Crafts is 20% off (that includes SALE prices, too!) with the promo code "MIDWESTERN" - awesome...

And one more thing...the Everything Mother's Day linky party is going on RIGHT NOW! Click here to enter your projects!

Everything Mother's Day link party

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:51:00 +0000

from last year...

Yay! It's May 1! (already!) And it's time to start the Mother's Day celebration! Time to link up all of your Mom-centered posts...recipes, diy or craft projects, giveaways, anything! Got a post from last year? Link it up...the more inspiration the better...

Here we go!

a mini album...and a Canvas Corp giveaway...NOW CLOSED

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:26:00 +0000

Remember last Thursday when I mentioned the amazing giveaway I had lined up for today? Well, it's here...yay!

Canvas Corp is giving away a HUGE...and I mean HUGE variety of their amazing paper and canvas goods to one lucky M{s}G winner! Oh, and remember when I told you that Canvas Corp had acquired 7Gypsies and Tattered Angels? Oh yeah...there are some things from those companies in there, too...woo hoo!

But before I show you what is included in this giant box o' goodies...I want to share a little mini scrapbook album I'm making with Canvas Corp/Tattered Angels/7Gypsies products...

I just recently discovered Instagram (don't laugh...I knew about it, it just wasn't available on Android until a few weeks ago...)...and I am IN LOVE. What a super-fun way to take and share photos. This entire little album is full of Instagram photos I've been taking.

Canvas Corp has a whole series of brightly-colored beautiful chevron papers available...gorgeous. I cut out the middle of the "o" in LOVE so that you can see the page below this one through the letter.

I used one of the little canvas stars as a background for the Instagram logo...I think it gives the page just the right amount of dimension...

Canvas Corp carries a line of Tissue Stock in a variety of natural colors that is just amazing.

The Tissue Stock is just like tissue paper, only it's a little more sturdy, a little thicker and a whole lot easier to cut and work with than regular tissue paper. The above page is made from a cut sheet of Tissue Stock, a Tattered Angels misting mask, and Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Key Lime Pie...oh my gosh, how I love that stuff...then I just covered the edges with different deco tape.

On this page I used the Tissue Stock again...I cut out a small square and placed more of the chevron paper on top of some of the Canvas Corp polka dot paper...then I used more Glimmer Mist on the little half-circles on the sides...

I love love love to use the sewing machine on my scrapbook pages...I think just a random line of stitching can really add to a page...and I love leaving the strings attached...it just looks so cool to me.

OK, seriously, isn't that chevron paper THE best?

I love how the muted colors of the 7Gypsies deco tape and embellishments from their Conservatory Collection stand against the stark black and white of the paper...so cool...

And finally, my favorite page so far...

I combined 2 different colors of the chevron paper and cut out a little flag banner out of Canvas Corp's Cork Stock...that's right, I said Cork Stock...adhesive cork paper...how awesome is that?

Oh, how I love that little boy wearing my big boots...

OK, OK, enough of that...I have about 20 more pages to show, but I'll spare you...for now.

Now...the moment you've all been waiting for...just check out this prize...

Oh. yeah.
Every. single. thing. you need to make your own mini-album...and then some. And then some more. And even more after that.

And all of those tags you see up there? Those are absolutely the perfect sizes and shapes to make banners and gift tags. Really...so easy...you just take a length of cord, grab some of the canvas tags and attach them to the cord with the mini-clothespins...how simple (not to mention darling) is that?

...see the little banner I made last year with those very same things?

Just enter using the Rafflecopter thingy below...entries must be received by Sunday, May 6 at midnight eastern, and the winner will be announced Monday morning, May 7.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~This contest is open to U.S. residents only, please.~~

UPDATE!! The awesome folks at Canvas Corp have opened up this giveaway to EVERYONE!! Yay, Canvas Corp!!!

Good luck!

And don't forget tomorrow starts the Everything Mother's Day linky party! Yay!

DISCLOSURE: Canvas Corp generously sent me a box of their products for my personal use. I truly appreciate this kindness and I'm so happy to be able to giveaway some of their items to one of my readers.

friendship...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:10:00 +0000

Today I'm home (like usual)...with no car (NOT like usual).
I took my little minivan into the dealer yesterday for an oil change and to have the brakes looked at and ended up having to leave her there for new tires, front brakes, two recall fixes, an oil change, and multiple fluid replacement. I love my car...I just hate having to maintain her.

Anyway...it's usually no big deal for me to have no car...the older kids take the bus to and from school and Ty has school has only 3 days week...the problem with having no car today is that Tyler does have school. So, enter my awesome friend, Geanna.

source - friends help friends...

We all have those friends that we can count on when we need them. No questions asked. Always. That's Geanna. When I told her my dilemma, she didn't even wait to hear my explanation...she just said "of course." And not only did she pick Ty up for me this morning, she's picking him up after school and taking him to her house to play with her son for a while...awesome.

I whipped up some peanut butter cookies for her this morning as a way to say thank you...oh my heck, I love peanut butter cookies...thank goodness I made a lot of them...

Then I just popped them into a little berry box from Garnish...

...and added some of my favorite Martha Stewart deco tape to the sides...

I hope G likes them...

And I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
Don't forget to check back Monday...awesome giveaway day!!!

giveaway tracker...a printable...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

First let me start by saying that I've got some AWESOME giveaways in the works!!! In fact, I have one starting next Monday that you will NOT want to miss...believe that.

I love giveaways...love. them. And I'm always entering them...I'm not always winning (in fact, I very seldom do that), but I'm always entering. The problem I have is keeping track of the giveaways I've entered. And because of that, I've started to worry that there may be some giveaways I've won (???) and never known because I've missed checking the giveaway blog that day, or I've simply forgotten I've entered. Yikes.

But, no more!

I whipped up this little Giveaway Tracker printable so now I can actually keep track (hence, the name "tracker") of the giveaways I've entered...woo hoo!

There are just 3 simple columns...the blog that's hosting the giveaway, the product that's being given away (and it's site address) and the giveaway's end date (along with any notes on the giveaway)...(I just wrote the word "giveaway" or some form of it 4 times in one sentence...betcha didn't think that was possible...). Keeping this info available should help me be just a little more organized...and for me, even a little more organization is a biiiiig plus.

Would you like this little tracker, too? Well, it's yours...go ahead and share it...

Giveaway Tracker Printable

Just click the little cloud with the arrow in it to download it to your computer...

And remember...awesome giveaway starting here, Monday!!!

Have a great Thursday, everyone...and thank you so much for reading M{s}G!

nautical knot rope bracelet...a tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This summer, the buzz word is NAUTICAL...everything from clothing to jewelry to home decor is adorned with ropes and anchors, stripes and ship wheels.

The other day I saw my husband's knot-tying book sitting on the shelf in the computer room, so I grabbed it and some of my Canvas Corp rope and got to work making my own nautical accessories. I'm not a very "delicate" girl, so for me, rope is the perfect bracelet medium...ahoy mateys...

Today I'm sharing my Carrick Bend bracelet...so easy to do...

This is all you need:

*2 pieces of rope or jute or super-chunk yarn. Yup. That's it.

Here's what I used:

*Canvas Corp braided rope...2 pieces, each about 18" long.

Now here is how you make your bend (fyi...a "bend" is a method of joining two ropes...)...

Lay out your two pieces of rope...I've used different kinds of rope here, just for clarity's sake...

When you have your knot here, simply pull the 4 rope ends to tighten it until you are satisfied with how it looks...

And here is the final knot (with 2 pieces of the same rope...).

In order to "fasten" the bracelet in the back, simply take two of the rope ends and tie them in a square knot...then do the same with the other two ends...here's a brief refresher on square knots in case you are unfamiliar with them...

And here's the final bracelet...

Here's the front (or top)...

...and the back (or bottom)...

I really like it...it looks great with jeans and a tee...super casual, super trendy...

So, what do you think? Are you digging the nautical thing as much as I am?

Mother's Day linky party!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Can you believe it's already almost May?

My goodness...

At the end of last year...around the holidays...I was hosting a monthly themed linky party. I LOVED the ideas I got from the parties I had and I thought it was about time for me to have another one. This month's theme will be Mother's Day! Yay!

From May 1-13 come on over to link up your Mother's Day projects...they can be anything at all Mother's Day-related...recipes, projects, inspirational stories, diys, giveaways, anything! As long as they are focused around that one day of the year we remember just how awesome our Moms are...

Have a little sewing project that would be easy to whip-up as a gift for your Mom or Mommy-friends? Link it up! Have a great brunch recipe? Link it up! Having a giveaway for an awesome spa day? Link it up! You get the idea...

Do you have an awesome Mother's Day idea that you would like to share in a guest post sometime during the 1st-13th? I have 2 spots open for bloggers that would like to take over M{s}G for the day! Just contact me at msgirlblog@hotmail.com asap to reserve your spot.

Please grab the button below and spread the word! The more links we get the more inspiration we get...and I loves me some inspiration...

And here's a larger button in case you wanna go all crazy...

Now go on and get those projects ready! 'Cause I wanna see 'em...

ps...I am diggin' this watermelon/navy-greyish color combo...can you tell? love love love it...

don't forget! this sale ends tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Lifestyle Crafts has it's 24-piece paper packs (12x12 paper) on sale for 50% off until tomorrow! That's right...the sale ends April 22! So make sure you get on over there - right now! - and get some!

Here are the patterns...

hello. goodbye. paper pack

sweet and spicy paper pack

AND, if you use the promo code "MIDWESTERN" at checkout you get an additional 20% off! So, those $10 paper packs are only $8! Wha?!?!

AND!!! If you spend $25, you get FREE SHIPPING!

OK...seriously...tell me where you can find a better deal than that...

Now, get to shoppin'...
And have a great Saturday...

9 years ago today...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:00:00 +0000

...we were blessed with this lovely little girl...

Happy Birthday, sweet Kate...we love you.

summertime wallet...a tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I originally shared this tutorial when I was the guest blogger at Truly Lovely last week...head on over to Kassi & Kayli's blog and check out all of their lovely ideas...

Now, I don't know about you, but one of the things I hate doing during summer is carrying around a big ol' purse. Not only does it get in the way, but I'm always so afraid I'm going to leave it somewhere. And I'm not even going to mention how hard it is to get sand out of it if I take it to the beach...yuck.

My solution? A tiny little wallet that holds just the essentials...wanna learn how to make one?

This is a great project to use up some of your fabric scraps...and the completed wallet can be shoved into your back pocket or beach bag without getting in your way...

Here is all you will need to make this little summertime wallet...

*2 pieces of fabric at least 12"x5"
*fusible interfacing (iron-on bonding, actually...the kind that's stickable on both sides...)
*a sewing machine (or a needle & thread)
*scissors
*a ruler

Now let's get started...

First, cut your fabric & bonding following the diagram below...

Next, take either your main fabric or your lining fabric, it doesn't matter, and lay it right-side-down on your ironing board. Take one of your larger (3"x4") pieces of bonding and adhere it (per the manufacturer's instructions) just to the left of the mid-point (6" mark) of your fabric (right where the orange arrow is pointing). Leave about 1/2" of fabric on both the top and the bottom of the bonding...

Lay one of the smaller pieces of bonding about 1/8" to the left of the first piece...again leaving about 1/2" of fabric on both the top and bottom of the fabric. Don't worry about measuring the placement of these pieces...it's really not necessary for them to be perfectly placed..."close enough" is good enough.

Now do the same thing with the other two pieces on the right-hand side of the fabric...

When you've adhered all of your bonding, take your fabric (still right-side down) and place it on top of your other piece of fabric...make sure the fabrics have their right sides together...

Line up all of your edges and pin them together if necessary. Then sew around all four sides...using a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave an opening of a couple of inches across one of your short sides (this will be where you turn your wallet so that the right sides are facing out).

Next, remove the paper from your bonding...you should see a sheen where the bonding sticky stuff has adhered to the fabric...

*Next, get me a manicure...holy cow, how yucky...*

Back to the tutorial...clip the corners of your fabric rectangle...making sure NOT to clip any of your stitches...

Now, turn your wallet right-sides-out, using a chopstick or something similar to push the corners out...

Bring your fabric back to your ironing board...iron the little pouch flat...and make sure to turn in the edges of the opening on the side, so that you have a nice crisp, straight rectangle...

Once your fabric is ironed, sew the open edge together...as close to the edge as you can...

Bring your fabric back to the ironing board (again), fold it in half (making sure to keep your main fabric on the outside), and iron it.

Open your fabric back up again...take each short side and bring it in toward your middle fold...not all the way to the middle, just close...leave about 1/2" on either side...and iron again.

Almost done!

Sew down each long side of your fabric...with about a 1/8" seam allowance...don't forget to backstitch when you start and finish...

Now, fold your little wallet in half, and you. are. finished!

Woo hoo! Not so bad, huh?

These come together really quickly once the fabric & bonding is all cut...

I think I'm gonna make some for all of my mommy-friends for Mother's Day...

Fun and easy...and practical!

I'm linking this tutorial up to some of these wonderful parties this week...

washi & deco tape organization...sorta

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I have been collecting washi and deco tape for years now...and now that this awesome tape is so huge, it's easier and easier to get a variety of wonderful patterns.

I often use a bunch of different tapes in my scrapbooking especially...I love the effect they can bring to a project. Recently I decided it was time to sort through my collection...and, truthfully, I was stunned when I was done going through my stash. I couldn't believe I had as many tapes as I did...and I certainly had forgotten about a whole lot of the patterns I owned.

I decided I needed a way to view all my tapes at once...they had been in a big canister...but it couldn't be too big...I don't have tons of storage. So, I started searching around my house and this is what I came up with.

I started in my kitchen...I grabbed a little cherry tomato basket...then I headed to my basement and "uprooted" some fake flowers from their little pot and found some styrofoam in the bottom. I grabbed that too...

Pretty, huh? yikes...

My idea was starting to take shape...

Then I grabbed some 12" dowels I had left over from my corker-bow-making days and about 1/2 hour later this is what I had...

I simply cut the styrofoam to fit into the little basket, covered the basket with some of my tape, stuck the dowels in & done. OH! I did decoupage (with DecoArt's DecouPage) the tape to the basket because, as you may or may not know, washi tape is not the stickiest stuff around.

Now I can see every single roll of tape I own, and I can take some off the roll without disturbing the other tapes...

It's probably not the prettiest or most creative way to display/organize my stash, but it definitely works for me. And it was free...

So what do you think? I'd love to hear!

gardening 101...I NEED YOUR HELP!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:50:00 +0000

OK...I've been diligently working on my little garden...and I must admit...I stink at this...I really, truly do have a brown thumb...

Here are my "strawberries" - or sticks, as I like to call them...I bought the kit (with those little strawberry "bulbs" I think they were called) at Menards and followed the directions exactly (I think...) - this is what they've looked like since I planted them almost 3 weeks ago. WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG??? Any help you may have would be greatly appreciated...even if it's just "give it up, girl...they sell strawberries at the grocery store..."

I'm keeping them watered, but not too watered...only doing it when the soil is dry...and I put them in the sun all day...and they're just...ewwwww.

So whaddaya think?

Thank you! Love you guys...

fashion to figure...a giveaway NOW CLOSED

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

What better way to start a beautiful Monday in spring than with a giveaway?

Fashion to Figure is a wonderful online clothing store for women sizes 12-26...and today they are giving away one item of the winner's choice, valued at $30 or under (which includes basically everything in their shop! Awesome!).

link

Check out some of my favorite items...

link

I seriously LOVE this jacket...I'm totally digging yellow lately, and those stripes? Puh-leez...love.

link

Tangerine is so hot this spring...and ruffles are always in (at least in my book)...and this baby is just $22.00! What?!?!

link

I love the bodice on this little dress...and the color would be gorgeous on anyone...

link

This top is my absolute favorite...I love the addition of the little orange belt...I may be buying this one for myself...

And finally...

link

I'm not a super-blingy chick, but I gotta tell ya, this super-trendy nautical necklace is so cool...and would look great dressed up or down...

Wanna win? You know you do...

Just enter using the Rafflecopter below...the contest will be open until midnight eastern time on April 22, and the winner will be announced Monday, April 23. Please make sure I have a way to contact you in case you win! US Residents only, please...

Can't wait for the giveaway to end? Fashion to Figure has $5.95 Flat Rate Shipping and orders over $70 ship for FREE! You can't beat that with a bat...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

my kids ate broccoli...no, i'm not kidding...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:47:00 +0000

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

*****

Please tell me I am not the only mother who has a hard time getting her littles to eat vegetables. Please?

So any time I see a way that may make getting those veggies into their tummies a little easier, I jump on it.

That's where the Clare Crespo Cookbook comes in...

This darling little cookbook is full of fun, whimsical, step-by-step recipes that families are sure to love.

Yep, I said "families" - that includes kids...

My (almost) 9-year-old is a huge help to me in the kitchen...some nights she prepares our entire meal
(I'm so lucky)...so I recruited her to help me pick a recipe from this free little cookbook and to make it for our family.

This is what she chose...

The Broccoli Swamp. Sound appetizing? Well it does to kids...(and, quite frankly, the photo won me over...I adore broccoli).

Here's what we needed...

Broccoli, half-and-half, swiss cheese, eggs, garlic & a few spices...AND, the miracle ingredient...

Now, I have to admit...we are a real butter family. I had never before purchased Country Crock, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

BUT, I was pleasantly surprised. The first part of the Broccoli Swamp recipes calls for you to saute
your broccoli in Country Crock...then you set some aside for use later. I couldn't resist (plus, I was completely hungry) and I chomped on some of the "set aside" broccoli. And, wouldn't you know it? It was DELICIOUS. Truly...so good. Even my daughter, who, as I mentioned, is not a huge veggie fan, loved the broccoli cooked in Country Crock. I think she may have eaten more than one piece...

And Country Crock has 70% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than butter, PLUS it has 0g trans fat. How can you beat it? You can't. That's how.

These recipes are so easy to make, too...Kate did pretty much everything herself. She sauteed the broccoli...

She mixed the remaining ingredients together...poured them into the pie plate...and popped it into the oven.

Then I sent her into the garden to cut some fresh chives...

About half an hour later, she was able to decorate our "swamp" with the remaining broccoli and chives...

I think she did a pretty dang good job...and, because the veggies tasted so good cooked in the Country Crock, there was no need to hide them. They're all there...right out in the open.

This dish was a perfect compliment to our meal. Even my husband had more than one serving. And all 3 of the kids ate a whole piece! That is unprecedented in our house...no joke.

Did you know that 8 out of 10 kids think veggies with Country Crock are delicious? I know my 3 out of 3 do...

Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

And you can connect with Country Crock on Facebook & Twitter, too!

a rustic welcome sign...with kassi from truly lovely

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Today the gorgeous Kassi from Truly Lovely is here! Woo hoo! Kassi is one of the sweetest girls I've met blogging and I'm so happy she agreed to blog-swap with me today! Now, take it away, Kassi!

Hello there lovely MSG readers!!!

My name is Kassi and I blog over at Truly Lovely. It's an 'all things lovely' blog created by myself and my sister, Kayli.

I am thrilled to be blog swapping with Maggie today! She has always been one of my most FAVORITE bloggers! For reals, there is no one nicer or more encouraging!!! :) She is over at my place as we speak sharing some of her AWESOMEness so I'm sure she'd love a visit when you're done here...

Today I have a fun DIY/Craft to share with you dolls.

The hubs and I made Pallet Welcome Signs for some friends of ours and I'd love to share the tutorial with you!

First, hubs cut up an old pallet into several similarly sized pieces. We decided three pieces would make a decent sized welcome sign. Next, I cut out some words in vinyl using my Silhouette SD to make some stencils.

I stenciled the words onto the pieces of pallet using the vinyl stencils, a small paint brush and some black acrylic paint.

We let them dry for several hours.

Once they were dry, we took the three stenciled pieces (per sign) and connected them using two Strong-Tie straps purchased from Home Depot, and a few well placed screws.

You can also see our sign "hanger" in the above photo. The barbed wire was the hubs' genius idea. Adds to the rustic look, don't you think?? We simply cut a small piece of barbed wire, bent it to our liking, then screwed each side down on the back of the sign.

So.... What do you think??

Hubs' was a great help on this one... It would appear he's got an eye for rustic design. ;)

My thanks to Maggie for having me over to share with you lovelies! It's been a pleasure!!! :)

Hope you'll pop over to Truly Lovely and say hello sometime!!!

~Kassi

Ummmm....LOVE this project. What a fantastic idea for a housewarming gift or for a newly-married couple! So cool...and isn't Kassi absolutely darling? Head on over to Truly Lovely to check out more of Kassi & Kayli's projects...you'll be happy you did...

a new twist for your treat bags...

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Yesterday I shared the invitations I made for Kate's 9th birthday party...today I'm going to show you the treat bags she will be giving to her guests...

And these aren't just your average old treat bags...these bags have a little twist...

Do you see what it is?
Well, we'll get to that in just a second...

First I took some plain white paper bags (5x7) and used my Lifestyle Crafts Epic 6 and Letterpress Splendor plates to print the little gift and the words "for you" on the bags. I learned yesterday that it really should NOT take as long as it did for the ink to dry on my invitations. I most definitely used too much ink...I will know better for next time.

{***from now through April 15, the Splendor printing plates are 25% off! PLUS, if you use the code MIDWESTERN at checkout, you can an ADDITIONAL 20% off...what the what? awesome!***}

Then I took a pink marker and just added a little depth to the gift graphic...

Now here's the twist...

I was looking for a way to close the bags...simple folding is great, stickers are fine, staples are OK, but I wanted something a little different. Suddenly, it occurred to me that a Chips Ahoy bag is perfect! What better way to close a bag than to fold it and make sure it stays folded with those little tab thingies? Now, I know what you're thinking...airplane bags fold the same way...well...yes, they do. But I prefer to compare my bag to one that holds chocolate chip cookies thankyouverymuch.

I found some fabric scraps that were about an inch or so wide and about 10" long (you can use wide ribbon for this, too!)...

I folded the fabric in half width-wise and sewed down the length of the piece...

Then I cut the fabric piece just long enough to extend past both sides of the bag by about 1 1/2"...

Next I grabbed some floral wire and my wire cutter...

I cut the wire to fit inside the strip of folded fabric...with just a little room between the end of the wire and the end of the fabric...about 1/4"...

Then I sewed the ends of the fabric closed...you can see by the photos that I didn't worry too much about having nice crisp seams or super-accurate lines of stitching...and I didn't bother finishing the ends of the fabric...I just left them raw...

After I had finished making my little wire sleeve, I decided where I wanted to place it on my bag. It was so handy that the bag came with a little lip at the top...I was able to sew the sleeve on here without worrying about sewing the bag closed...

If your bags don't have this lip, just cut one side of the bag down a little to create one...

Sew your sleeve onto your bag...

And make sure you can still open it...

Here's a view of the back...after the sleeve has been sewn on...

And guess what? You're done!

You now have some super-cool treat-bags...with a twist!

And here they are all twisted up...

You can choose to fold the bags so that the wires fold toward the front, too...I chose to fold them backwards on my bags...

So what do you think? Think you would add this to your next set of treat bags?

DISCLOSURE: Lifestyle Crafts sent me a Letterpress Combo Kit and the printing plates and ink used for the invitations and treat bags. All opinions stated are my own...100%. I think this system is wicked-awesome and I love how the letterpress printing turned out. It's really classy looking...totally different from printing from your home computer and it's super-easy to do.

Here's where I'm linking up this week...