Positively Splendid {Crafts, Sewing, Recipes and Home Decor}

Saturday Seven Party {No. 11}

2012-01-28T19:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday!

Welcome to the party!

New to Positively Splendid? Each Saturday marks my Saturday Seven Party, a time when I open up the PS stage for YOU to share your projects!
Last week's most-viewed link:12 Ways to Reuse Diaper Boxes @ The Bean Sprout Notes

Be sure to check out my post from this morning, where I shared seven Valentine projects that caught my eye from last week's line-up. And then hurry back to link up your latest creations, because you might just find yourself featured here at PS!

A few party guidelines:

Please link back to Positively Splendid, either using a text link (Positively Splendid) or by using the button below:
<a href="http://www.positivelysplendid.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Positively Splendid" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/alb413/saturday7button150.png" /></a>

Feel free to link to any project, recipe, tip or idea. Basically, if you created it, I would love to see it!
Please do not link to giveaways, Etsy shops or anything you are selling.
Be sure to link up to a specific post on your blog and not your home page.
Please link up a new project each week to keep things exciting!
If you are reading via email, head over to the blog so you can join in the fun!

After you link up, visit at least two other party-goers and leave them some comment love. Because after all, who doesn't love comments? :)
Sound good? Alright - let's get this party started!!

Saturday 7 Spotlight {Valentine Ideas!}

2012-01-28T10:17:00.000-06:00

Good morning, friends!!
There were so many inspiring projects linked up for last week's Saturday 7 Party. It was honestly difficult to narrow it down to just seven to share this morning!
With February just around the corner (who can believe it?!), I am finding myself gravitating toward all things Valentine's Day. Today I'm sharing with you (in no particular order) seven of the Valentine's Day projects linked up last week that caught my eye!
one.Stuffed Paper Hearts @ The Scrap Shoppe

Such a fun ideas for kiddos to hand out as favors at school!

two.

Valentine Hutch @ Lookie What I Did

Such a gorgeous display! I love the way that red pops against the black background.

three.

Valentine's Day Wreath @ Balancing Home

Fabric scraps never looked so pretty!

four.

Sign Language Valentine @ Greenbean's Crafterole

If you ever played with Shrinky Dinks when you were little, you will fall head over heels for this little card. I am so smitten with this!

five.

Valentine Pot Holders @ Country Momma Cooks

Aren't these precious? What a fun little something to give a cook in your life!

six.

Polka-Dotted Heart Valentine Buckets @ Crafts by Amanda

When I was little, my mom made me these sweatshirts embellished with designs formed from puff paint dots. These remind me of those! Such a fun idea.

seven.

Love Wall Art @ Uncommon

This sign, inspired by a one from Pottery Barn, is even better than the original! So chic!

***

Thank you so much to everyone for linking up last week! This week's party will open tonight at 7 Central, but the fun will be going on all weekend long. I hope you'll make plans to join us!

Whimsy Couture Pattern Review + Giveaway!

2012-01-27T06:00:00.004-06:00

Happy Friday, everyone! I am so glad you stopped by!

Chances are, you have heard of Whimsy Couture Sewing Patterns. If not, then allow me to introduce you!

Denise, the creative talent behind Whimsy Couture, specializes in creating fresh, fun children's and ladies' garment patterns. Best of all, every pattern in the Whimsy Couture shop is available as a PDF, so you can get straight to the business of sewing instead of having to wait on shipping for a conventional pattern. I love being able to create when the mood strikes, don't you?

Whimsy Couture patterns are not only convenient, but they are a terrific value! One thing I am always on the lookout for are patterns with a large size range, and Whimsy Couture has got me covered. Many of the children's patterns go all the way up to a size 12. I love knowing I will get the most out of my pattern investment!

And - best of all - there are so many patterns to choose from!

Darling dresses...

Sweet baby rompers...

Adorable jackets (like this one my mom made for Charlotte last year)...

and many others!

I had the opportunity recently to work with Denise's Easy Peasant Top and Dress Pattern. I had so much fun putting this together! I loved that the pattern allows you to make the garment as detailed or simple as you wish, with options for piecing the bodice together and adding an accent ruffle or trim to put your personal stamp on things. This is a pattern that can be layered with a cardigan or over a long-sleeved tee in cold weather, and then worn on its own once spring has sprung. I will definitely be making this again!

I just love the gathering at the neckline...

...and those sweet little puff sleeves!

And what little girl's outfit is complete without some yummy ruffles?

Ready for some exciting news? Whimsy Couture is offering one lucky PS reader a 3-pack of her choice of patterns! Yay!!
The details on how to get yourself entered to win:

Entry One (Mandatory): Visit the Whimsy Couture Shop, and come back to let me know which pattern you can't wait to try!
Entry Two: Follow Whimsy Couture on Facebook, and come back to let me know about it.
Additional Entries: Tweet, post on Facebook, or blog about this giveaway. For all you tweeters out there, you can copy and paste this tweet:

A 3-pack of patterns from Whimsy Couture is up for grabs with @splendidamy at Positively Splendid! I hope I win! http://ow.ly/8IpgY
The fine print:Giveaway will close at 11:59 p.m. CST on February 2. The winner will be announced on the blog and via email on or after February 3. Patterns will be delivered by email to the chosen winner. Contest is open to both US and international readers. You must leave a separate comment for each entry in order to maximize your chances to win. If your email address isn't linked to your Google account, pretty please leave your email address along with your comment so that I can contact you in case you win! If an email is not provided along with a winning entry, I reserve the right to select an alternate winner.
***
Be sure to stop in tomorrow morning for the Saturday 7 Spotlight. So many terrific projects were linked up in last week's party that I cannot wait to share!

Memory Insurance

2012-01-26T04:00:00.003-06:00

In the wee hours of Monday morning, I huddled on my couch with a very frightened 6-year-old watching ugly radar images and praying we would be spared an encounter with a rare mid-January tornado. Thankfully, the storms left our home unscathed, but the next day as I watched news footage of the families who weren't so fortunate, my heart broke for all of those poor people whose lifetime of earthly possessions had all been scattered and destroyed in a mere matter of moments.
When it comes to my digital photos, I have a painstaking system in place to keep then protected: both an external hard drive that I add to myself and a remote backup service for additional peace of mind. But what about the hard copies of precious photos and videos that are just one disaster away from being gone forever? I am ashamed to admit that until this week, the lion's share of our old family photos taken before the days of digital cameras - ranging from my childhood photos all the way up to the photos of our wedding - were all still boxed up in our garage, in the precise location the movers had plopped them when we moved into our home over a year ago. All of those precious memories were just one storm, one burglary, one fire away from being gone. Poof! I have known for ages that I need to do something to convert those photos into digital format so that I can preserve them in the same way I have done with the images taken with my digital camera. But let's face it: who has time to scan every single one of their hundreds of old photos by hand? I know I don't!

That's where the beauty of LiveOn Rewind lies: if you can devote just one weekend of your time to sorting through photos and choosing the ones you want converted, LiveOn Rewind will do the tedious work of digitizing them for you. Once the photos are digitized, your files are sent to you on a DVD, along with all of your original hard copies. When you place your order, you can even choose to have them send you a box to mail your media in with their pre-paid preservation kit option. So simple!
LiveOn Rewind services include converting slides, old VHS tapes, photo reels and a number of other media to digital format, too. And perhaps the best part of all is that all of the images and videos are automatically placed in your LiveOn account once they've been digitized, making it so easy to sit down and document the stories and memories that go along with each one.
Remember the video I created of George's birth with LiveOn? Imagine how meaningful it would be for my mom to do the same with my own baby pictures so that we could compare our unique experiences of motherhood. It is like a time machine to connect the past with the present!
I know my experience on Monday has prompted me to take action to protect my old memories, and I am so thankful LiveOn Rewind is making it so easy to do. I placed my order with them on Monday, and my box from them arrived on my doorstep yesterday afternoon! The task of sifting through the old photos was so much fun. Just look at how young Matt and I were!!

These photos and many, many others will be sent off to LiveOn Rewind today to be safeguarded from any storm that may come our way. What a great feeling!

Wanting to get started insuring your own collection of memories? LiveOn Rewind is offering a 30% discount on their services to all PS readers. Just enter the code cgc70 at checkout.
Thanks so much for stopping in!

Thank you to LiveOn for sponsoring this blog post. Please LiveOn to learn more about sharing and preserving your most important memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. Although story ideas were provided, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Valentine Mantel

2012-01-25T12:30:00.005-06:00

Let's face it: sometimes decorating your home has to take a backseat to being a mama, driving the carpool, cooking, cleaning, and all of the other standard business of maintaining a household. By planning ahead just a bit to incorporate elements that can transition well from one season to the next, you can streamline your decorating investment without sacrificing your sense of style!
As I packed away my stockings after Christmas, I realized many of the elements from my Christmas mantel display would transition very well into a Valentine motif. Instead of completely reinventing the wheel and starting from scratch for my Valentine mantel, I retained certain elements from my Christmas display (the framed silhouettes, the rolled rosette tree, and the feather boa "swag") and then put a Valentine stamp on things by adding a handful of other decorative touches, many of which I already had in my stash of seasonal decor items. What a time (and money!) saver!
The only items I had to purchase to put together this mantel were a heart wreath form and the X and O papier mache letters. That's it! Everything else was in my creative stash. I love when I am able to do that!

In case you missed it, I shared the tutorial last year for how I create these silhouette images using Photoshop Elements. I knew the perfect way to really set them off would be to hang a heart wreath at the center of the grouping. I was incredibly inspired by these gorgeous heart wreaths Myra at My Blessed Life shared earlier this month, but because I didn't have any satin on hand in the color I needed in order to use her technique, I decided to refer back to my tutorial for how to create a simple ruffled wreath using my short-cut ruffling method (no gathering required - such a timesaver!) and scraps of fabric leftover from the Christmas stockings I made last month.

Guess what I used as a hanger on the back of this gem? You guessed it: a pop tab, a trick I shared yesterday in my 12 Why-Didn't-I-Think-of-That? tips!

By removing the green bow from my rolled rosette topiary tree and replacing it with a turquoise one, the tree instantly became Valentine-worthy. I replaced the silver candle holder I used to elevate the tree in my Christmas mantel display with a clear glass holder to lighten things up a bit.

These little felt bird sachets were some that I created for a bird-themed baby shower I hosted a couple of years go. I thought their little heart wings made them a perfect addition to this display! The felt heart box is a gift Matt and I received from a sweet friend at our Valentine engagement party eons ago.

For my quilted X and O letters, I used the same basic technique from my quilted chevron monogram tutorial, with a few modifications. I'll be sharing a full tutorial for exactly how I created this version soon, so stay tuned!

A few weeks ago while clicking through Pinterest, I came across this tutorial for how to create this super-easy felt heart garland from Betz White. From start to finish, this project took me a half hour, and I absolutely love how it turned out! This would be a terrific project to help older kiddos hone their sewing skills.

I rounded things out with matching red and white plates and three pink and white striped bows. Bright and fun!

Do you do a Valentine mantel? Remember, even if you don't have a traditional mantel to work with, you can create a fun display on top of a shelf, hutch, piano, console table, or any other flat surface!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Linking this to...Home Stories A to ZTidy MomSerenity NowHoosier HomemadeThe Shabby Creek CottageNest of PosiesThe Idea RoomTatertots and Jello

12 "Why Didn't I Think of That?" Tips

2012-01-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

I never cease to marvel at the sheer abundance of amazingly useful information available on the internet. Every once in a while, I stumble upon an idea that makes me stop and think, "Now why didn't I think of that?" In today's By the Dozen feature, I'm passing along twelve of these tips that are simple, no-nonsense ways to streamline various aspects of your life!
one. Piping Bag Trick @ Dollar Store Crafts via Karen's Cookies

Heather calls this amazing technique for filling piping bags mind-blowing, and for good reason: it really is! For anyone who has ever dealt with the hassle of filling piping bags for any project involving frosting, this is a must-read.
two. Cupcake Liner Storage @ Tidy Mom

I can finally reclaim my utensil drawer from all of those rogue cupcake liners! What a simple, brilliant idea!
three. Freezer Paper Pattern Tracing @ Girl. Inspired.

When I first came across this trick from my friend Stef, it was a serious A-ha! moment! By tracing patterns onto freezer paper (or by printing PDF patterns directly onto freezer paper using your inkjet printer), you can then iron each piece onto your fabric before cutting out, eliminating the need for pins or pattern weights. And no bunching or shifting!
four. Grocery Bag Storage @ Tatertots and Jello via Infarrantly Creative

Finally - a way to consolidate the grocery bags that want nothing more than to take over my pantry! Beckie's tip for how to roll the bags so they dispense properly is downright clever.
five. Hanging Pictures with Pop Tabs @ Apartment Therapy

Have a piece of artwork with no hanger? What a smart idea to use a pop tab to do the job!
six. How to Regrow Green Onions @ Cookthink

You know those little white bulbs you are left with after chopping green onions? Place them in a bit of water, and they will sprout so you can harvest new growth several times! Who knew?
seven. How to Prevent Painted Items from Sticking While Drying @ Chica and Jo

This idea of using push pins to avoid the frustration of having newspaper remnants stuck to the edges of your painted projects is brilliant!
eight. How to Remove a Stripped Screw with a Rubber Band @ Apartment Therapy

With this handy dandy trick a dreaded stripped screw is no big whoop!
nine. Mess-Free Painting Tips @ The Family Handyman

There are some truly ingenious ideas in this lineup, but my favorite is definitely the idea to use Glad Press'n Seal to protect surfaces as you paint!
ten. DIY Foaming Soap @ Full of Great Ideas

Get the same fun foaming action at a fraction of the cost! I am definitely going to try this one.
eleven. Bread Tag Cord Labels @ Apartment Therapy

What a true sanity-saver this little trick will be the next time I need to decipher the origin of the wires behind my desk!
twelve. Lint Roller Glitter Pick-Up @ Real Simple

Not that I tend to be a messy crafter or anything. Of course not. But if I were, this might just revolutionize my crafting life! ;) This same idea would also be a terrific way to clean up small bits of paper and embellishments left over from kids' craft projects.
***
Do you have any favorite tips and tricks you've discovered that made you have a serious "Why Didn't I Think of That?" moment?

Baby Boy Nursery Tour

2012-01-23T06:00:00.004-06:00

Oh my goodness. Have you ever worked on something for so long that it feels like it's become a part of you? For months now, the lion's share of my DIY endeavors have been done for George's sweet little nursery, a space that I could not be more proud or fond of! This room is every bit of what I hoped it would be when I first started to envision it all those months ago: a vibrant, happy space, and one that is current and stylish yet entirely livable.
Until the day of our son's arrival, we didn't know if he was a boy or a girl (the surprise of a lifetime!), so creating a space equally appropriate for either sex was somewhat of a challenge. The very first thing I decided on for the nursery was the color scheme, which evolved from my initial plan of a duo of chartreuse and navy to also include turquoise. These colors were a terrific gender-neutral selection, as they could easily be tailored for either a more masculine or feminine sensibility by incorporating different accessories and accents.
When it came to an overall theme for the nursery, I found myself gravitating toward a bee motif, since we didn't know what the baby would "bee" until the big day. As I continued adding new elements to the room, I also incorporated quite a few bird elements as well, although I can assure you that I in no way set out when planning this nursery to make it centered around the birds and the bees! ;)
This space was a true labor of love, and one that will quite possibly always be my favorite DIY project ever. With the exception of a handful of elements, everything in this space was sewn, crafted or redone with my own two hands. In knowing this would be the last nursery I would plan and execute (after sweet George, our family is complete), I poured my heart into this space to make it a little retreat where I can rock my baby boy and soak up every bit of the joy these precious days with him have to offer.
Let's take a tour of Master George's nursery, shall we?As we walk through the room together, I will include links to each of the specific project tutorials I've shared over the course of the last few months below the appropriate photos.
A view from the door...

Ruffled Crib Skirt

Pennant Valance and Matching Drapes

Polka Dot Fabric Wall Decals

Honeycomb Alphabet Sampler

I absolutely love that the little outfits my mom and I make for George can be displayed like little pieces of artwork on the clothing rack next to the bookshelf.

Painted Laminate Bookshelf

Diaper Box Canvas Bins

My biggest splurge in the space was this upholstered rocker. I love this chair! Instead of buying the matching ottoman, my mom made me a floor cushion using a fabulous tutorial by Susan at Living with Punks (linked in the resources below).

Honeycomb Lamp
Bee Happy Pillow

DIY Framed Chalkboard
Stacked Wall Frames

I have had so many of you ask about these little brass owls! These belonged to my husband's grandmother, and I was so happy to be able to include them here.

George has no blanket cozier than this faux chenille blanket made especially for him by Mammo Reita.

This gorgeous sketch was done by a dear friend of my parents'. It is entitled "The Gift." Isn't it wonderful?

The antique dresser I refinished for the space doubles as a changing table. George loves to stare up at the mobile hanging above it!

Revamped Antique DresserPom Pom Baby Mobile

I made this little name banner and the garland on the shelf below the framed chalkboard using my rosette dies from Lifestyle Crafts.

The gallery wall next to the dresser is a work in progress. I plan to add the cross-stitch birth announcement sampler my mom is making for him, as well as new photos, in the future.

Bushel and a Peck Printable

Digital Silhouettes with Photoshop Elements

Chalkboard Display Birth Announcement

I just love the lantern and tissue paper pom pom mobile and the zebra rug! (See below for resources.)

One final look of the entire space on our way out...

Resources:Jenny Lind Crib - WalmartFabric - Premier FabricsLanterns - Luna BazaarClothing Rack - Wayfair Zebra Rug - OverstockRocker - Best ChairsCrib Bumper and Crib Sheet Tutorial - Sew4HomeFaux Chenille Blanket Tutorial - MADEFloor Cushion Tutorial - Living with PunksFabric Bird Pattern - SpoolTissue Paper Pom Pom Tutorial - Martha Stewart
***
The joy of having a precious bundle to create this room for has only been increased by having the privilege to share the process with you along the way! To be making a livelihood out of doing the very things I love most - nurturing my family and creating beautiful things - is a veritable embarrassment of riches. I count myself immensely blessed, and I am truly, profoundly thankful (to the bottom of my heart!) to all of you for being a part of my blogging journey!

Linking this to...Skip to My LouHome Stories A to ZSerenity NowOopsey DaisyLil LunaCreations by KaraEvery Creative EndeavorTatertots & JelloFlamingo Toes

Saturday Seven Party {No. 10}

2012-01-21T19:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I am so glad you could make it to the party!

New to Positively Splendid? Each Saturday marks my Saturday Seven Party, a time when I open up the PS stage for YOU to share your projects!
Last week's most-viewed post:Ikea Home Organizing Ideas @ Serenity Now

Be sure to check out my post from this morning, where I shared seven projects that caught my eye from last week's line-up. And then hurry back to link up your latest creations, because you might just find yourself featured here at PS!

A few party guidelines:

Feel free to link to any project, recipe, tip or idea. Basically, if you created it, I would love to see it!
Please do not link to giveaways, Etsy shops or anything you are selling.
Be sure to link up to a specific post on your blog and not your home page.
Please link up a new project each week to keep things exciting!
If you are reading via email, head over to the blog so you can join in the fun!

Saturday Seven Spotlight

2012-01-21T06:00:00.008-06:00

Happy Saturday, friends!!

Last week's Saturday 7 party was our biggest yet! I just can't thank all of you enough for stopping in each week to link up your amazing ideas!

I had so much fun going through the ideas y'all shared. Below you'll find seven of the projects (in no particular order) that caught my eye!

one. I'll Fly Away Sign @ Lovely, etc.

There just aren't words enough to gush about how very much I love this.

two. Homemade Cherry Turnovers @ Gluesticks

From-scratch puff pastry? Oh. My. Gracious. That's all I have to say about that. :)

three. Brickstitch Baby Afghan @ Full Plate Living

What a lovely creation for a little one, and Kelly was even generous enough to provide the free pattern for how to make it. This makes me want to learn how to crochet!

four. 52 Reasons I Love You Book @ Papervine

An absolutely marvelous gift idea for a special someone this Valentine's Day!

five. Triple Bunk Bed @ Organizing Made Fun

If space is of the essence in your home, you must check out this tutorial showcasing a tiny home with big organizing ideas. This bed is incredible!

six. Pallet Art @ Tara Being Tara

Seriously. How cool is this? I love the modern look of the paint detail coupled with the rustic feel of the pallet!

seven. Ruffled Lace Flowers @ I Heart Naptime

These bright colors make my heart happy! I can think of so many possible uses for these little gems!

***

Don't forget: This week's party will kick off at 7 central tonight! I hope to see you there, and I'd love for you to spread the word and invite some friends! :)

Premier Fabrics Giveaway!!

2012-01-20T07:20:00.002-06:00

It's been a nursery extravaganza here at PS for the last couple of weeks, with me presenting all of the projects I completed for that space. Without a doubt, the thing that sets off that room more than anything else are the gorgeous Premier Fabrics I used for the bedding!

A Little About Premier Fabrics:
Premier Prints was founded in February of 1991. We were originally located in Tupelo, MS and moved to our current location in Sherman, MS in 2003.
Striving to remain an environmentally friendly company, we use a water-based pigment printing system utilizing Stork rotary equipment. Our company has experience printing on a variety of substrates including the following: cotton, poly/cotton blends, cotton/rayon, and polyester. These fabrics range in widths from 45" to 65". We are capable of applying water resistant, flame retardant, and ultraviolet enhancing finishes.
We sell a large line of affordable designer fabrics that range from traditional to modern. Our fabrics can be used in a variety of applications including furniture/ upholstery, drapery, bedding, baby products and handbags.
They have the super-hot chevron we all love...

Darling novelty prints...

Gorgeous florals...

Stunning harlequin...

...and ikat prints that are going to be hot in 2012!

I cannot say enough what a pleasure these fabrics are to work with. Their weight and feel is downright luxurious, and the pattern prints are unbelievably vibrant!
Don't these lovelies make your heart go pitter pat?
If you love these fabrics as much as I do, you are going to be downright giddy to hear that not just one, but FOUR lucky PS readers are going to each win 2 yards of their choice + free shipping from Premier Fabrics!!
The details on how to get yourself entered to win:

Entry One (Mandatory): Visit Premier Fabrics, and come back to let me know which fabrics you love most. (Trust me - it will be a very hard choice!)
Additional Entries: Tweet, post on Facebook, or blog about this giveaway. For all you tweeters out there, you can copy and paste this tweet:

4 lucky people will #win 2 yards of Premier Fabrics with @splendidamy at Positively Splendid! I hope I'm 1 of them! http://ow.ly/8AjCT
The fine print:Giveaway will close at 11:59 p.m. CST on January 26. The winner will be announced on the blog and via email on or after January 27. Contest open to US residents only. You must leave a separate comment for each entry in order to maximize your chances to win. If your email address isn't linked to your Google account, pretty please leave your email address along with your comment so that I can contact you in case you win! If an email is not provided along with a winning entry, I reserve the right to select an alternate winner.
Good luck!!

Honeycomb Table Lamp

2012-01-19T11:46:00.001-06:00

Completely by accident, I found myself gravitating toward a bee theme in the nursery. My inspiration came from the fact that we didn't know what baby George was going to "bee" until the day of his arrival, and I thought a bee motif would work regardless of whether the baby turned out to be a boy or a girl.
The first project I completed with a bee theme was the Honeycomb Alphabet Sampler, and yesterday I shared the Bee Happy Pillow I created to coordinate with the crib bedding. Today I'm sharing the honeycomb lamp I created for the space using an old lamp base I had in storage in our garage and a new drum lampshade I purchased for around $10 at Target.
If you've never tried your hand at updating a lamp, you really should. This type of project is so simple to do, and the results are always so dynamic!
To start, the lamp base got 3 nice coats of Krylon gloss white paint. While the base was drying, I worked on my shade.
To create the honeycomb motif on the lampshade, I used my Silhouette to cut hexagon outlines from contact paper. I then adhered the hexagons to the shade in a grid pattern. After that, I sprayed the shade with three light coats of Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze. I have to thank the uber talented Emily from Decor Chick for giving me the idea to spray paint lampshades. I don't know why it had never occurred to me to try this before! The little black vinyl bee I cut out using my Silhouette was a last-minute addition, but I really love how it sets things off!
And that's all there was to it!
What started as this sad little lamp base...

...and a plain white drum lampshade I purchased at Target...

Became this!

I love it!
Many of y'all have asked when or if I'll be sharing a full tour of the nursery. I am in the process of putting that post together now, so you can look forward to the full nursery tour first thing Monday morning!
Oh - and a little birdie told me that if you love the fabrics I used in the nursery bedding, you might need to makes plans to stop by for tomorrow's giveaway. Just sayin'. :)
Happy weekend eve, my friends!

Piping Tutorial + Bee Happy Pillow

2012-01-18T12:31:00.001-06:00

In my opinion, it's the little touches that take a sewing project from ho-hum to fabulous, and there are few things that can accomplish that effect quite as dynamically as adding piping, and especially custom piping made to match your project to a tee.

Just recently I used piping in the bumpers I made for George's nursery bedding set...

...and in my Vintage Photo Pillows.

When it comes to children's garments, no one uses piping quite as well as my friend Lindsay from The Cottage Home. See that custom-made piping detail at the collar of this adorable dress? Impeccable!

Not long ago, I was completely intimidated by the thought of using piping. I didn't know how to insert it, much less make it myself. After a bit of practice, though, I found working with piping is not only very straightforward - it's downright fun!

Today, I'm going to share with you how to make and insert your own custom piping by demonstrating how I did so to make this Bee Happy Pillow to match the nursery decor. A pillow is a terrific beginner project to hone your piping skills!

Note: The basic construction of this pillow is identical to the process I used for my Freshly Squeezed Pillow Set last spring, with a few exceptions:

Instead of using freezer paper stenciling for the front patch, I created a bee design using my Silhouette machine and their heat transfer material.
I rounded off the outer corners of my front and back pieces to make inserting the piping easier.
I inserted piping before sewing my front and back layers together.

Let's get started!

For this project, you will need:

Fabric for the main pillow front (I used a chartreuse chevron to match the nursery decor): cut one piece to 16 x 16 inches

Fabric for the front patch (I used white twill): cut one piece to 10.5 x 10.5 inches

Fabric for the back panels (I used grey twill): cut two pieces to 16 x 11 inches

(1) 16-inch pillow form
Silhouette machine and heat transfer material (I purchased a bee design from their online store)

70 inches ready-made or custom 1/4-inch piping (see instructions/supplies below for the custom version)

Part I: Making your piping

Supplies:

1/4" cotton cording

Fabric for your piping

Coordinating thread

Rotary Cutter and Mat

Zipper Foot
Seam ripper
Basic sewing supplies: machine, shears, etc.

To begin, measure and cut a 70-inch length of cording. How did I arrive at this 70-inch measurement?

The rule of thumb for how much piping you'll need for a project is to have a length of piping equal to the fabric length.

Since our pillow has (4) 16-inch sides, we will need enough piping to run along each side (16 x 4), plus a few inches (6 inches, in this case) of wiggle room.

So, we'll need (16 x 4) + 6 = 70 inches of piping.

Now, you will need to make a 70-inch bias strip that is 1.5-inches wide. Why 1.5 inches?

The width of your bias strip is calculated by doubling both the width of your cording and the width of your seam allowance and then adding both of these numbers together.

Our piping is .25" and we'll be using .5" seam allowances. So, our bias strips will need to be:

(.25" x 2) + (.5" x 2) = 1.5"

For a terrific how-to for cutting bias strips, I recommend checking out step one of this tutorial from Prudent Baby. This ingenious method allows you to make an abundance of bias strips in half the time it would take using the typical method. It has revolutionized my sewing life!

Now that you have two equal lengths of cording and bias strip, let's make some piping.

Place your bias strip face down on your work surface. Center your cording piece lengthwise on top of your bias strip, and then fold your bias strip in half (like a taco) around your cording, lining up the raw edges of the fabric. At this point, you can pin everything to prevent everything from shifting as you stitch, but I'll be honest: I never do!

Now, allow me to introduce you to your new best friend:

Hello, my name is Zipper Foot!

A zipper foot is a must when making and inserting piping. It allows you to stitch very closely to your cording, resulting in a clean, polished look for your project.

Head to your machine, which is outfitted with your zipper foot. Stitch to close your bias strip around your cording, stitching very closely to the cording as you go. The zipper foot will make this easy to do!

Hooray! You now have a lovely length of custom piping! Wasn't that easy?

Now that your piping is finished, let's use it to make our pillow!

Part II: Preparing Your Pillow Pieces

Note: For a full pictorial tutorial detailing the following bulleted steps, refer to steps 2 through 4 in the tutorial for my Freshly Squeezed Pillows.

Apply your heat transfer bee design to your front patch piece (the 10.5-inch square) according to the heat transfer package directions. Fold under each of the raw edges of this patch piece 1/4"; press.
Center the patch face up on top of your front panel piece and pin into place. Edgestitch to secure your patch to the front piece.
Fold under one long edge of one of your back panels 1/4"; press. Fold the same edge under another 1/4"; press. (You are creating a narrow hem.) Stitch along this hem to secure it. Repeat with your other back panel piece.
Using a round object as a template (a roll of ribbon works well), round off all four corners of front panel piece and the two corners at the unstitched sides of each of your back pieces.

Part III: Attaching Your Piping and Finishing Your Pillow

Now, pin your piping to the right side of your front panel piece, aligning the raw edges of your front panel with the raw edge of your piping. Pin into place as you work.

When you reach one of the rounded corners, shape your piping around the curve, cutting notches so it lays nice and flat, as shown.

When you have pinned all the way around your pillow and are back to your starting point, use your seam ripper to open up the unpinned end of your bias strip to expose your cording inside.

Trim your cording end so that it meets up precisely with the cording at the beginning of your piping piece.

Fold under the edge of your bias strip by about 1/2", and then wrap this end around the beginning of your piping strip, so that the raw edge of your piping is enclosed completely, as shown. Pin this into place.

Now, stitch your piping into place using your zipper foot, stitching just a little bit to the right of the stitching you used to create your piping. Be sure to remove all of the pins as you stitch!

Here the piping is all stitched into place.

With your completed pillow front face up on your work surface, lay one of your back panel pieces on top, right sides facing, so that the rounded corners and edges are all aligned and the hem on your rectangle piece runs through the center of your front piece. Pin. Now, position your other back panel piece on the bottom portion of your pillow front piece in a similar manner. Pin. Note: The hemmed edges of your rectangle will overlap by a few inches at the center of your pillow.

(For photos of this step, refer to step 4 in my Freshly Squeezed Pillow tutorial.)

Using your zipper foot, stitch all the way around your pinned pieces with a 1/2" seam allowance, stitching as closely as you possibly can to the cording as you go. You won't be able to see the actual piping as you work, but you will be able to feel it and see the outline of the cording as you sew.

Note: There is a type of foot available called a piping foot made specifically for this step. It has a groove at the bottom that goes over the piping as you stitch, ensuring your stitching is done properly as you go. If you happen to have one of these, use it here. I actually own one, but I opted to use a zipper foot for this project since that is one that far more people are likely to have in their arsenal of sewing supplies.

Finish your seam either with a serger or a zigzag stitch on your regular machine. Turn your pillow cover right-side out and slip your pillow form inside. You are finished!

Doesn't that piped edge look sharp? So professional!

If you're interested in making pillows of your own but don't like spending a fortune on pillow forms, check out my tutorial for how to create pillow forms from a body pillow!
Thanks so much for reading!

Linking this to...Tatertots and Jello

DIY Stacked Wall Frames

2012-01-17T12:15:00.001-06:00

I absolutely love the look of the stacked colorful frames in funky shapes that have become so popular lately. I have had in mind to find and/or make some frames like these to hang on either side of the framed chalkboard in the nursery, and while perusing Pinterest, I saw a pin that suggested buying wood plaques from Hobby Lobby and Mod Podging photos on to achieve the look of these frames for a fraction of the cost. One problem: by doing it that way, you wouldn't be able to switch out your photos later on. Very impractical! I loved the idea to use the unfinished plaques, though, so I set to work creating a version that would give me more flexibility in displaying new photos later down the road. This is the project I came up with, and I achieved the look I was going for for a fraction of the cost of buying the pre-made frames!
Here's how I did it!

For each frame, you will need:One large unfinished wooden plaqueOne 5x7" unfinished wooden frame Acrylic paintPolyacrylic (optional, but I like the sheen and protection this provides)Foam brushesWhite adhesive vinyl OR painter's tape and white paintRotary cutter and matX-Acto KnifeIndustrial-strength adhesive-backed Velcro*One 5x7" piece of foam board or thick cardboardSawtooth hangers
*This is found in at DIY and hardware stores, not in your sewing department
step one / Paint your plaque and wooden frame in your desired colors using your acrylic paint and foam brush and let dry. Apply a coat of polyacrylic a to each piece and allow to dry completely.
Project Note: If you want a flawless look for your frames, sand the plaque with fine-grit sandpaper to smooth it out before painting. I wish I had done this with mine!

step two / Cut 1-inch strips of vinyl using your rotary cutter and mat. Arrange your pieces to form vertical stripes on your plaque. I had to get creative with my stripes on my frames, since I only had a small amount of white vinyl on hand and I didn't want to drag all of my kiddos to the store to buy more. :) At the center of my frame, instead of forming complete stripes, I placed a 3-inch section of vinyl on either side (see below). Since your photo will be covering the center part of your plaque later on, you really don't have to worry about what this area looks like, and no one will know the stripes don't extend all the way across your plaque. Now, use your X-acto knife to carefully trim away any vinyl that hangs over the edge of your plaque.
Project Note: Alternatively, if you prefer to paint the stripes instead of using vinyl, you can tape off your stripes with painters tape and paint them with acrylic paint before you coat your plaque with polyacrylic. It is totally up to you!

step three / Remove the easel back from your 5x7 frame and set it aside to use for a later project. Carefully remove any hardware from the back of the frame, as shown. The goal here is to have a frame that is completely flat on the back.

step four / Now, cut two 2.5 x .5-inch strips of Velcro. Pull the loop and hook portions of each section apart. Adhere the loop (softer) portion of your strip to the back of your frame, centered at the top edge, as shown. Place another loop piece at the bottom edge in a similar fashion.

step five / Place your frame on top of your plaque so that the frame is precisely centered. Use a pencil to lightly mark the center of the top and bottom edges of your frame, and use these marks as guide to place the hook portion of your Velcro on your plaque. You will place the top hook section just below your top mark and your bottom hook section just above your bottom mark, so that each section will be concealed by your frame when you sandwich your frame and plaque pieces together. The Velcro will hold your top and bottom pieces together securely, but you will still be able to switch out your photos any time you like! Now, place a sawtooth hanger on the back of your plaque for hanging.

step six / If your frame came with a glass piece, place that in your frame before inserting your photo. Fit your piece of foam board into the frame snugly behind your photo, and then affix your front frame to the plaque piece using the Velcro strips.

All finished!
I just love how these came together! They are the perfect way to display precious photos of my sweet baby boy!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Linking this to...Skip to My LouHome Stories A to ZSerenity NowOopsey DaisyLil LunaCreations by KaraEvery Creative EndeavorTatertots & JelloFlamingo Toes

Bushel & A Peck Printables

2012-01-16T06:00:00.013-06:00

There are certain songs that take me back to my childhood the moment that I hear the very first notes. The printables I am sharing today are an homage to one of these!
I wanted something meaningful to round out the wall decor in George's sweet nursery, and as I was pondering what theme to use, it only took a moment for this song to come to mind:
Bushel and a Peck (from Guys and Dolls)
I love youA bushel and a peckA bushel and a peckAnd a hug around the neckA hug around the neckAnd a barrel and a heapA barrel and a heap And I'm talkin' in my sleepAbout you
My mom used to sing this song to me when I was small, and it was as I was singing this very tune that George first regaled me with the precious sound of his first giggles. Although I plan to leave this up all year long in his room, it would make a perfect addition to any Valentine's Day decor, too!
I created two files so that you can choose the color scheme you like. To download, simply click the arrow with the line under it at the bottom right and save. Easy as pie!

I love sharing these printables with you, but please note that they are for personal use only. Thank you!
Enjoy!

Saturday Seven Party {No. 9}

2012-01-14T19:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday!! Welcome to the party!

New to Positively Splendid? Each Saturday marks my Saturday Seven, a time when I open up the Positively Splendid stage for YOU to share your projects!
Last week's most-viewed post:Organizing Ideas @ A Pumpkin and a Princess

A few party guidelines:

Feel free to link to any project, recipe, tip or idea. Basically, if you created it, I would love to see it!
Please do not link to giveaways, Etsy shops or anything you are selling.
Be sure to link up to a specific post on your blog and not your home page.
Please link up a new project each week to keep things exciting!
If you are reading via email, head over to the blog so you can join in the fun!

Saturday Seven Spotlight

2012-01-14T08:10:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday, my friends!

I have had so much fun going through the links from last week's Saturday 7 party. So many terrific ideas linked up!!
Here (in no particular order) are seven of the projects that caught my eye!
one. Honey Almond Oatmeal Soap @ My Own Road

Doesn't this look absolutely luxurious? I've never made soap before, but this has inspired me to want to try!

two. Love You Deerly Tee @ The Crafting Fiend

This is a love-themed tee that will be able to be worn long after Valentine's Day has come and gone!

three. Duct Tape Boots @ Crafting in the Rain

I am still absolutely amazed this is duct tape she used here!

four. Graphic Lockers @ Lovely, etc.

That's it: I must find some lockers!

five. Linen and Lace Fingerless Gloves @ Nancy's Couture

The way these were made is so ingenious! I love those little feminine touches of lace.

six. Washer Pattern Weights @ Sugar Tart Crafts

All you sewists out there: if you aren't using pattern weights instead of pins when cutting out your projects you really need to start. Such a time saver! This is such a great idea to craft some using washers!

seven. Cranberry-Ginger Scones @ Beurrista

Ginger and cranberry in one delicious package? Yes, please!
***
This week's Saturday 7 party will be on tonight at 7 Central!! I hope to see all of you there!

Cutting Edge Stencils Giveaway!!

2012-01-13T06:00:00.003-06:00

**Contest Closed**Congratulations to Kristi, #93!!***
Hi, everyone! It's Friday again, and I have another terrific giveaway lined up for you that I am so excited about!
Stenciling is one of the hottest things going in the DIY realm right now, I am seeing more and more gorgeous stenciling projects popping up all over the web! If you're ready to try your hand at this trend, Cutting Edge Stencils has everything you need to do it right!

Their wall stencils are truly swoon-worthy. It is amazing what a dynamic impact stenciling makes on a space!

Aladdin Allover Stencil

Zamira Allover Stencil

Mermaid Allover Stencil

Gorgeous!!

I love the support Cutting Edge Stencils provides their customers, helping to ensure you can achieve results like those by providing a number of helpful instructional videos on their site to guide you along the way.

Admittedly, the thought of stenciling an entire wall can seem a bit intimidating. That is why I absolutely love their new line of craft-size stencils, which are the perfect way to get your feet wet and hone your stenciling skills. The craft stencils are smaller than the all-over wall stencils, and they are the perfect size to create show-stopping items to decorate your home. Or, in my case, a new accessory!

I created this fun little tote using the Hand Forged Craft Stencil. By stenciling a store-bought canvas tote, this gem only took me a half hour to make, from start to finish!

I made this with plans to let Charlotte carry it to dance class, but I think I might have to make one for myself, too. :)

I can honestly say that after tackling this smaller stenciling project, I feel like I could go for the gusto and try this technique out on a wall in my home. It really was an enjoyable process, and so simple to do!

Guess what?

Cutting Edge Stencils is generously offering one lucky PS reader a $50 credit toward anything on their website, along with free shipping!

Here's the scoop on how to get yourself entered to win:

Entry One (Mandatory): Visit Cutting Edge Stencils, and come back to let me know which stencil you like best.
Entry Two: Like Cutting Edge Stencils on Facebook, and leave a comment letting me know about it.
Additional Entries: Tweet, post on Facebook, or blog about this giveaway. For all you tweeters out there, you can copy and paste this tweet:

I just entered to win $50 of stenciling goodies from @splendidamy and Cutting Edge Stencils! http://ow.ly/8sd8e
The fine print:Giveaway will close at 11:59 p.m. CST on January 19. The winner will be announced on the blog and via email on or after January 20. Contest open to US residents only. You must leave a separate comment for each entry in order to maximize your chances to win. If your email address isn't linked to your Google account, pretty please leave your email address along with your comment so that I can contact you in case you win! If an email is not provided along with a winning entry, I reserve the right to select an alternate winner.
Good luck!!

Pennant Valance and Drape Tutorial

2012-01-12T07:27:00.001-06:00

Throughout this week, I've been sharing the fabric projects I completed for my new son's nursery, starting with the crib bedding, then moving on to the custom fabric wall decals I used on the accent wall behind his crib. Now, let's move on to today's promised project tutorial for how I created the pennant valance and matching drapes!
Pennant Valance

For this project, you will need...

Kraft paper, to make your pattern
Clear ruler
Background fabric for the front of your pennants (I used white twill)
Assorted accent fabrics
Drapery interlining (Much like a lightweight flannel, found in the home dec section of your fabric store.)
Fabric for the back of your pennants (I used a charcoal grey twill.)
Large grommets and grommet tool (Depending upon the size of your window, you will probably need two packages of grommets for this project. You will need two grommets per pennant.)
Washable ink marker
Coordinating thread
Pinking shears
Ribbon
Basic sewing supplies: machine, shears, etc.

Draft a pattern for the main body of your pennants. To begin, draw a line on your Kraft paper that is 7 inches long. Make a mark at the midpoint of this line. Now, starting at that center mark, use your clear ruler to draw another line that is 13 inches long perpendicular to the 7-inch line. Using your ruler, draw a line to connect the left and right edges of your 7-inch line with the end of your 13-inch line. (Refer to the diagram below.) Voila! A pennant template. Cut this template out.

Now, you will make another template for the center accent triangles on your pennants using the same method from above, except for this smaller template, your short line will be 5 inches and your long line will be 10 inches. Make sense? Cut this template out, as well.

Measure your window to determine how many individual pennants you will need. Each finished pennant will be about 6.5 inches wide. For my 71-inch window, I made 11 pennants. Using the main body template you created earlier, cut out your fabrics that will comprise the main body of each pennant panel. Each individual pennant is made up of three layers:
Top: Front Background FabricMiddle: Drapery InterliningBottom: Backing Fabric
So, for each pennant you will cut a triangle using your main body template from the fabrics for each of those layers.
Now, use your smaller template to cut out a triangle from your accent fabric(s) for each pennant using pinking shears.
At this point, I recommend placing your cut triangles in stacks to keep all of the pieces for each respective pennant together. It makes the assembly process much easier!
Take one of your front background fabric triangles, and place it face up on your work surface. Center one of your smaller accent triangles face up on top of this piece, so that the top edges of each piece are aligned. Pin. Edgestitch along the long edges of the accent triangle to affix it to the background triangle.

Place your backing fabric triangle face down on your work surface. Place your drapery interlining piece on top of this piece, carefully aligning all of the edges. Now, place the front triangle piece you just stitched face up on top of your drapery interlining piece. You've just made a fabric sandwich! :) Pin all of your layers together and stitch them together around all three sides using a 1/4-inch seam. Use your pinking shears to trim all the way around your pennant piece as closely as possible to your stitching without cutting any of the threads.

Repeat the above process until your have completed all of your pennant pieces. This part really goes quite quickly!
Once all of your pennants are stitched, it's time to set your grommets. You will need to set a grommet at each top corner of your pennant pieces so that you can connect them with ribbon later on.
To do this, place your grommet on top of your pennant as desired, and trace around the center with a washable ink marker. Use very sharp scissors to carefully trim away the center of this circle, making sure to cut through all three layers of fabric.

Now, insert the front grommet piece (the one with the long post at the center) through this hole, working from the front of your pennant piece to the back, so that you can see the post of the piece sticking out of the back of the pennant. Place the grommet back over the center post, and then fit the anvil piece (this is provided with the grommet-setting kit) on top. Use a hammer to give about 3 even whacks on top of the anvil to secure the grommet in place. Repeat until you have set two grommets in each pennant piece.
Arrange your pennants on the floor in the order you want them to hang, and thread ribbon through the grommets to tie your adjoining pieces together, as shown. I tied my pennants together in two different sets.

Your valance is complete! Now, let's get started on the drapes.
Drapery Panels

So here's the skinny: I cheated here a little bit. See those white drapery panels? I found them for less than $20 (for both!) at Walmart, and then I gussied them up with fabric to match the crib bedding. This is such a great technique to use for any room in your home! Sewing drapes can become a shockingly expensive endeavor when you calculate how much fabric each panel requires, so sometimes the money and time saved by customizing premade products is just what the doctor ordered!
For this project, you will need...

Store-bought drapery panels
Assorted coordinating fabrics
Coordinating thread
Basic sewing supplies: machine, shears, etc.

Each of my drapery panels were 39.5 inches wide. I knew I wanted my accent fabrics to extend 22.5 inches up from the bottom of each panel, so I cut my fabrics to the following dimensions:

Upper Accent Piece: 40 x 6.5 inches (40 = Width of panel + .5 for seam allowances and 6.5 was a number I chose to provide enough width to adequately see the polka dot pattern)
Lower Accent Piece: 40 x 16.5 (40 = Width of panel + .5 for seam allowances and 16.5 = 22.5 [length of accent panel] - 6.5 [length of upper accent piece]+ .5 for seam allowances)

After the calculating and cutting this couldn't be simpler! Place your upper accent piece and lower accent pieces together, right sides facing, so that the lower edge of the upper accent piece is aligned with the top edge of the lower accent piece. Stitch together using a 1/4-inch seam. Press your seam open. Now, press all of the outer edges of your completed panel under 1/4 inch.

Place your accent panel face up on top of your drapery panel, carefully aligning the bottom corners of each piece. Pin into place and edgestitch all the way around your accent panel to secure it to your drapery panel. All done!

To hang your creations, I recommend installing a double curtain rod set. Use the ribbons at the end of your pennant sets to tie them to your front rod, and hang the completed drapery panels from the back rod.

In my opinion, there are few things that impact the look of a space more than window treatments. I just love how these turned out: just the whimsical, sweet feel I was after!

Thanks for sticking with me this week throughout this nursery extravaganza! I have been so excited to share these projects with you, and I have been absolutely thrilled at the amazing feedback I've received regarding this space. Truly, your comments and kind words are such a blessing to me! Thank you!

Custom Fabric Wall Decal Tutorial

2012-01-11T09:09:00.001-06:00

These custom wall decals I created with scraps of fabric from the baby bedding I sewed for George's nursery took me a total of one hour to cut out and hang, but the personality they add to the space is huge. These give a cheery polka dot sensibility to the accent wall behind George's crib, and they mimic the look of painted wall stenciling, but with a fraction of the work. The secret? Use spray starch to temporarily adhere fabric shapes to your walls. That's it! For those living in rented spaces or those wanting to keep their options open to change out their decor frequently, this is the perfect wall solution. These decals will pull down from the wall easily when I am ready to change things up down the road, and the wall will be absolutely no worse for the wear!
Curious to see how I put these together? Read on!
I was first introduced to the idea of using spray starch to adhere fabric to walls by Brandy of Gluesticks in this post. I banked the idea away for future reference, and when I was staring at the blank wall behind the crib in the nursery a few weeks back, I knew exactly how to put it to good use!
For this project, you will need...Newspaper or Kraft paperCircle templates in various sizes Washable ink markerScissorsScotch tapeVarious fabric scrapsSewing shearsSpray starchPlastic bin or bucket
Start by tracing your circle templates onto your newspaper or Kraft paper, and then cut each circle out. You will need to cut out a circle for each polka dot you want on your wall. This might seem like a lot of work, but trust me: it will make achieving a nice, balanced polka dot pattern so much easier! For my templates, I used serving bowls in various sizes from my kitchen.
Using your Scotch tape, adhere the circles in your preferred configuration on your wall. This might take some finagling, but arrange and rearrange the circles until you achieve a pattern you like.

(The photo above presents a very strong case for using the proper lighting in photos. Taken at night, with a flash. Yikes!)

Once you are happy with your pattern, I recommend using a pencil to label each hanging circle with the description of the fabric you want to use for it. You can refer to this as you cut out your fabric circles to ensure you don't wind up with too many or too few of a particular pattern.
Now, set to work cutting out circles from your fabrics. Don't remove your paper circles from your wall to do this! Instead, use the bowl or template you used to make each paper cutout to trace a circle using your washable ink marker onto your various fabrics. By doing it this way, you will simply be able to swap out your paper circles for your fabric ones later on, saving you the frustration of trying to remember exactly which size circle belongs where!
Once your circles are cut out, it's time for the fun part of the process: adhering them to your wall! Place each circle in your plastic bin, and spray it with starch until it is completely saturated. There should be no dry spots remaining on your fabric. Hang each starched piece over the side of your bucket for a minute or so to allow any excess starch to drip off.

Now, swap out each paper circle with its respective fabric replacement. Adhering your starched fabric is much like placing a giant sticker on your wall: simply place it facing out on your wall, and then, starting at the center, smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles. So easy! This part really goes quite quickly.

As you're working, try to touch the outer edges of your fabric circles as little as possible, since their unfinished edges will fray with too much contact. If some fraying does occur, you can use your fingernail to smooth out the strings to conceal them along the edge of your circle. If you have any starch drips down your wall, use a damp rag to wipe them away.
That's all there is to it!Your polka dot accent wall is complete.

I have been so overwhelmed by the positive feedback regarding this space. Thank you so, so very much for all of your sweet comments! The pennant valance and drape tutorial is on its way tomorrow, so I hope you'll make plans to stop back by.

Linking this to...Skip to My LouHome Stories A to Z

Valentine Doughnut Pops

2012-01-10T08:30:00.001-06:00

I had a sudden epiphany the other day as I was walking through the grocery store bakery: When it comes down to it, the difference between the cake pops that are so popular right now and frosted doughnuts is fairly negligible. Both are sweet, yummy cake confections that are covered in chocolate. And both are made even more fun by being served on a lollipop stick!

These little doughnut pops are so quick and easy, it's almost silly. We're talking 15 minutes of active time to make the pops, plus a half hour or so to dress them up a bit. I think these little gems will be the perfect treat for my kiddos to give their friends this Valentine's Day!

Start by gathering your supplies.

You'll need:

Store-bought chocolate frosted doughnuts

White chocolate chips (or white candy coating)

Lollipop sticks

Small treat bags

Ribbon

Decorative tags

To make the tags for my pops, I used brand-new dies just released today from the Lifestyle Crafts Sweetheart line. Cute!!

All of the dies in this line are downright adorable, but something about that sprinkled doughnut from the Baked Goods Dies really speaks to me. :) For the base of my tags, I used heart shapes from the Nesting Eyelet Heart Dies. Easy peasy! Once my doughnuts were adhered to the front of the tags, I wrote a clever little message on the back of each one:

"Donut" you wanna be my Valentine?

To assemble the pops, simply melt 1/4 cup or so of the the white chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power for about 45 seconds. Dip your lollipop sticks into the melted chocolate, and push one up through the middle of each of your doughnuts.

Once all of your sticks are in place, pour your remaining melted chocolate into a zip-top bag (or a piping bag, if you're feeling particularly fancy) and snip off the corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the pops to add a decorative touch.

Allow your chocolate to harden completely before placing your pops in the treat bags. Twist the bags around the lollipop stick and secure with a ribbon, threading the ribbon through your tags to tie them to your pops.

All finished!

If you want to dress these up even further, you could even affix a heart-shaped candy to the center of your doughnut with the melted chocolate. The possibilities are endless here!

As always, my lovely readers will receive 20% off the dies you see here and other Lifestyle Crafts products simply be entering the code SPLENDID at checkout!

And, all of the Lifestyle crafts dies are compatible with any manual cutting machine, so even if you have a Cuttlebug, Big Shot, or other machine, you can still play along!

Some other projects I've done using Lifestyle Crafts products...

Bakery Box Gift Boxes

Hands Memory Book

Lighted Flower Garland

Have a sweet day! :)

Linking this to...Skip to My LouHome Stories A to ZSerenity NowOopsey DaisyLil LunaCreations by KaraEvery Creative EndeavorTatertots & JelloFlamingo Toes
I was provided free product from Lifestyle Crafts to review for this post. All opinions shared here, as always, are expressly my own.

Ruffled Crib Skirt Tutorial {Nursery Bedding Reveal}

2012-01-09T06:00:00.014-06:00

I am so thrilled today to finally be sharing the bedding I made for George's nursery!
I was set on a color scheme for the space almost from day one, and I was delighted when I found Premier Fabrics had just the fabrics in the colors and patterns I was looking for, and at a really terrific price. For this bedding, I used their chartreuse zigzag, royal blue damask, and turquoise polka dot. I found two primary sources of inspiration for the construction of the crib bedding: this crib bumper tutorial from Sew4Home and this gorgeous crib bedding set, complete with a truly unique ruffled crib skirt. The bumper tutorial was a pleasure to work with: so easy to follow! Although a tutorial wasn't available for the crib skirt, I knew without a doubt from the very moment I laid eyes on it that this was a DIY project I wanted to tackle for this space, so I set to work creating a pattern of my own.
This ruffled crib skirt really is a very straightforward project, but I won't lie: it is fairly time consuming. With an abundance of ruffled sections (16, to be exact!), this isn't a project you can expect to crank out in one evening. I highly recommend that you commission the use of a serger to finish the edges of the ruffled pieces with a rolled hem if at all possible. These are very long pieces of fabric you will be working with, and doing a standard narrow hem on each section would be a ton of work! That being said, it is entirely possible to do this project without a serger. I will include instructions for both serger-users and standard machine-users in this tutorial so you can choose the option that's right for you.
So, ready to see how this is done? Let's get started!
For this project, you will need...
(Please note that all yardage specifications are based on 54-inch home decorator fabric.)
Fabric 1 (top and bottom tiers) - 2.25 yardsFabrics 2 and 3 (middle tiers) - exactly 1 yard (I recommend buying a bit more so you have some wiggle room) 90-inch muslin - 2 yardsRotary cutter and mat Coordinating threadWashable ink markerBasic sewing supplies: shears, measuring tape, etc.
To begin, make your fabric cuts.
From Fabric 1: 6 tier 1 ruffle strips that are 7x54" and 6 tier 4 ruffle strips that are 6x54"From Fabric 2: 6 tier 2 ruffle strips that are 6x54"From Fabric 3: 6 tier 3 ruffle strips that are 6x54"From Muslin: 2 long tier 2 connecting strips that are 5.5x54"2 short tier 2 connecting strips that are 5.5x29.52 long tier 3 connecting strips that are 9.5x542 short tier 3 connecting strips that are 9.5x29.52 long tier 4 connecting strips that are 13.5x542 short tier 4 connecting strips that are 13.5x29.51 platform piece that is 55x30.5"
Note: Measurements above are based on the use of a serger. If you do not have a serger, add 1/2 inch to the length measurement of each of the ruffle strips you cut from fabrics 1, 2 and 3. (For example, you will cut strips that are 7.5x54" and 6.5x54" from fabric 1.)
step 1 / Align two of the short edges of two of your ruffle strips from tier 1, right sides facing, and pin together. Stitch together with a 1/4" seam. Press seam open. Finish seam either with pinking shears, a zig-zag stitch, or an overlock stitch. Repeat with two more of your tier 1 strips. Repeat this process with four of your tier 2, 3 and 4 ruffle strips, so that you have two long ruffle strips and two short ruffle strips for each tier.
step 2 / Using your serger, finish both of the short edges and one of the long edges of each of your ruffle strips with a rolled hem. To keep things tidy, first hem the short sides before hemming the long lower edge. If you do not have a serger, use a narrow hem on each of these sides. To complete a narrow hem, fold under the edge 1/4" and press. Fold under another 1/4" and press. Stitch.

step 3 / Working with your muslin connecting strips, finish each of the short edges on each of these pieces with an overlock stitch using your serger. (If you do not have a serger, use your sewing machine's overlock stitch or a zig-zag stitch.) Set these connecting pieces aside for now.

step 4 / Working with one of your ruffle pieces, stitch a line of gathering stitches 1/8" and 1/4" from the unfinished long edge. Repeat with each of your ruffle pieces from all four tiers. Gently pull on the bobbin thread of your gathering stitches to ruffle each of your pieces. You will need to gather each piece so it is shortened by approximately 50%.

step 5 / Working with one of your short tier 2 ruffles and one of your short (5.5x29.5") muslin tier 2 connecting strips, adjust the gathers so the ruffled piece is the same width as the muslin piece. Pin the pieces together, right sides facing, and stitch together with a 1/2" seam. Finish your seam with an overlock stitch on your serger or a zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine. Repeat with the other short tier 2 ruffle and the remaining short tier 2 muslin connecting strip. You will repeat this step with the each of the long tier 2 ruffle pieces and the long muslin tier 2 connecting strips, connecting one ruffle piece to one connecting strip.

When all of your tier 2 ruffles and connecting strips are sewn together, move on and do the same with all of your tier 3 ruffle and muslin connecting strips, and then all of your tier 4 ruffle and muslin connecting strips. Be sure to sew the short ruffles to the short connecting strips and the long ruffles to the long connecting strips in each tier.

step 6 / Place one of your completed short tier 4 panels face up on your work surface. Place one of the short tier 3 panels face up on top of the tier 4 piece, aligning the top raw edges of each panel, so that the right side of the tier 4 panel faces the wrong side of the tier 3 panel. Layer the tier 2 panel on top of the tier 3 and 4 panels in the same manner. Pin all three layers together, and baste them together along their top edge using a 1/4" seam. Working with one of your short tier 1 ruffle pieces, adjust the gathers on the piece so that it is the same width as your stacked lower tiers. Pin the ruffle face up on top of the lower tiers, so that the wrong side of the ruffle piece faces the right side of the lower tiers, and baste stitch the ruffle on top of stacked lower tiers 1/4" from the top raw edge. One short side of your crib skirt is complete!

Now, repeat this step with your remaining short tier 2, 3 and 4 panels and your remaining short tier 1 ruffles. Then move on and do the same with your long tier 2, 3 and 4 panels and tier 1 ruffles. At the end of this step, you will have two complete stacked short ruffled sides for your crib skirt and two complete stacked long ruffled sides.

step 7 / Use your washable ink marker to mark a 1/2" square at each of the corners of your muslin platform. Trim these squares away. Working on one of the long sides of your platform piece, pin one of your long ruffled panels to this side, right sides facing, aligning the top raw edges of the pieces. Stitch together using a 1/2" seam. Finish the seam with an overlock stitch on your serger or a zig-zag stitch on your machine. Repeat on the remaining sides of your platform piece, matching the short sides with the short ruffled pieces and the remaining long side with the remaining long ruffled piece.

Hooray! You are finished!

Project Notes:

For my crib, this pattern results in a crib skirt that is a few inches above the ground. I planned it this way to make vacuuming under the crib easier than if the skirt went all the way to the floor. If you want to add length to your skirt based on your particular crib's dimensions, or if you simply prefer a longer skirt, I recommend doing so by adding length to the bottom ruffle.
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Interested in seeing some of the other projects from the nursery? Click below to explore!
Pennant Valance and Custom DrapesPolka Dot Fabric Wall DecalsPainted Laminate Nursery BookshelfPom Pom Baby MobileDIY Framed ChalkboardPainted Antique DresserHoneycomb Wall Canvas

Thanks so much for stopping in!

Linking this to...Skip to My LouHome Stories A to ZSerenity NowOopsey DaisyLil LunaCreations by KaraEvery Creative EndeavorTatertots & JelloFlamingo Toes

Saturday Seven Party {No. 8}

2012-01-07T19:00:00.001-06:00

It's Saturday! And that means it's time again to party!!

I am so glad you're here!

New to Positively Splendid? Each Saturday marks my Saturday Seven, a time when I open up the Positively Splendid stage for YOU to share your projects!

A few party guidelines:

Please link back to Positively Splendid, either using a text link (Positively Splendid) or by using the button below:

<a href="http://www.positivelysplendid.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Positively Splendid" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/alb413/saturday7button150.png" /></a>

Feel free to link to any project, recipe, tip or idea. Basically, if you created it, I would love to see it!
Please do not link to giveaways, Etsy shops or anything you are selling.
Be sure to link up to a specific post on your blog and not your home page.
Please link up a new project each week to keep things exciting!
If you are reading via email, head over to the blog so you can join in the fun!

Saturday Seven Spotlight

2012-01-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you're slated for a marvelous weekend!

I had such fun going through all of the links from last week's party. You are all so talented! Below you'll find seven of the projects (in no particular order) that caught my eye.

one. Miss Fox @ Blue Robin Cottage

This just couldn't possibly be more darling! I love all of the thoughtful details: the bow, the purse and the little mary janes.

two. Jenga Keychains @ Creative Passage

How smart is this? I can see an adaptation of this concept being a terrific gift option for the men in your life who are so hard to craft for!

three. Farm Fresh Apron @ Ruby Jean

Those polka dot ruffles are to-die-for cute, but what really sets this off is that sweet little cow!

four. Champagne Cork Magnets @ Lookie What I Did

This is such a seriously clever idea! Love that saying, too.

five. Recyled Bottle Dish @ Moments with the Montanos

I absolutely love that cobalt color. What a truly unique gift!

six. Flirty Ruffled Apron @ Northern Cottage

More yummy ruffles. I love the way the bright colors pop against the neutral ticking fabric here!

seven. Chair Update @ Too Much Time on My Hands

A lovely transformation, and Kim made her own chalk paint for these beauties! Who knew??

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This week's Saturday 7 party will kick off at 7 Central, so I hope you'll make plans to stop by and share what you've been up to this week. I can't wait to see you there!

Lollipops and Notions Giveaway!!

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! It's time for another terrific giveaway!

Lollipops and Notions is a brand-new shop specializing in goodies for quilters and those interested in sewing children's clothing. The shop is brimming with yummy Riley Blake fabrics and a terrific assortment of patterns!
I am coveting this happy laminated cotton. Wouldn't this be perfect for a spring raincoat?

This mosaic fabric is right up my alley, too!

The Retro Mae poncho pattern couldn't possibly be more precious. I think my girls need this!

In addition to terrific patterns from other designers, the talented ladies at Lollipops and Notions also are launching their very own pattern company called Wee Whimsy! This precious dress and pinafore is a Wee Whimsy exclusive design, and the pattern is soon to be available in the shop!

Wouldn't that be a perfect dress for a little girl in your life this spring? I just love it!

I have some exciting news! Lollipops and Notions is generously offering one lucky Positively Splendid reader a $25 credit to their shop! Yay!

The main entry for this giveaway is a bit of a change-up from our normal giveaway routine. In order to get entered, you must leave a comment here with your suggestion for the perfect name for that adorable Wee Whimsy dress above.

Your suggestion might wind up being the one they use for this brand-new pattern. Fun!!
Additional Entries:
Visit the Lollipops and Notions shop, and come back here to tell me what you would choose with your credit.
Tweet, post on Facebook or blog about this giveaway, and come back here to let me know about it.
For the tweeters out there, you can copy and paste the tweet below:$25 is up for grabs from Lollipops & Notions and @splendidamy at Positively Splendid, and I just entered to win! http://ow.ly/8jTYt
The fine print:Giveaway will close at 11:59 p.m. CST on January 12. The winner will be announced on the blog on or after January 13. Contest open to US residents only. You must leave a separate comment for each entry in order to maximize your chances to win. If your email address isn't linked to your Google account, pretty please leave your email address along with your comment so that I can contact you in case you win!
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Good luck! Be sure to stop by tomorrow morning for the Saturday 7 Spotlight. I have my eye on some truly inspiring projects from last week's Saturday 7 party!

Valentine's Day Projects from the Archives

2012-01-05T07:54:00.000-06:00

With Valentine's Day a little over a month away, you might be starting to think about fun projects to do to help celebrate the day of love. Here are a few projects from the PS archives to provide you some creative Valentine's Day inspiration!
Plantable Valentines

This is such a fun project to do with little ones! Make your own seedpaper with wildflower seeds to create these darling valentines that can be planted in the spring.

Sweetheart Cake Mix Cookies

Four ingredients are all you need to whip up a batch of these cookies that do taste as yummy as they look!
Sliding Door Valentines

This Valentine's Day rendition of my sliding door card concept (you might remember the gift card holder from last month) is the perfect way to treat your sweetheart to something yummy!

Framed Love Equation

Make this sweet little tabletop decoration for your Valentine's Day decor this year. So quick and easy!

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Happy weekend eve, friends! Be sure to stop back in tomorrow for a terrific giveaway I have lined up for you!