Zaaberry HANDMADE

Make Your Own Monogrammed Tote

2026-03-02T19:06:00.002-05:00

It's college acceptance season and as I patiently wait for our friends' kids to announce where they will be attending, I'm scouring the various online fabric stores (moment of silence for Joann) for the right colors of canvas so I can make them each a tote.

I made these adorable monogrammed tote bags for my nieces for Christmas using my Picnic Tote Sewing Pattern. My sister reports that the kids LOVE them and I've seen them in action when they come to visit and have their own toys and snacks packed in their bag.

For these bags I used the mini size dimensions and ended up modifying the pattern a little bit so that the bag will stand up on it's own. I've updated the pattern instructions to show how to do that, but here's a sneak peek.

For main body of the bag, I used #12 Natural Cotton Duck Fabric from Online Fabric Store. Since this is a really sturdy canvas, you'll want to use a heavy duty needle. I used a Universal Needle size 90/14, but a 100/16 or a jeans needle would probably work better.

The main difference in the pattern is that you'll cut the natural canvas to be the full size of the bag front and back and then sew the contrasting band on top rather than sewing them together.

You have to do a little bit of planning in terms of the strap placement and sewing order, but I have added all those instructions to the pattern. The space between the straps is just about 5 inches, so when you do your letter cut out, you want to be mindful of that. I sized my letters to about 3.5 inches across.

For the "M" and "P" bags for my nieces, I used Canva as there are a lot more font options than Google Docs. The only down side is that you can't add a ruler in inches in the free version so you have to do a little trial and error to get the sizing right. I used size 322 Cabria in case that helps get you started.

There are a lot of different ways you can add the letter but my preferred method is to use Pellon Wonder Under. It's a wonderful product that basically turns your fabric into an iron-on patch.

I cut a square of fabric just slightly bigger then the letter, iron the wonder under onto the wrong side, trace and cut my letter with the paper backing still attached, remove the paper and iron the letter into place. You have to be aware of whether your letter will be backwards or not so you'll want to pay attention to that when you're tracing. Then I use a narrow zig-zag stitch all the way around. My machine has speed control which I turn down a little bit as it helps me go more slowly and carefully.

One added advantage to sewing the bag as one solid piece of canvas is that there are fewer seams to finish on the inside. I serge my seams but you could also encase then in bias tape or even make a simple lining. There are so many great possibilities for this pattern.

This bag has been my go-to for packing snacks for road trips, the kids track and cross-country meets, book club, you name it! A college themed bag would make a great gift or even Easter basket. So versatile!!

So what are you waiting for? Go grab your pattern and get sewing!

Weekend Duffle Bag for the College Girl

2026-01-26T14:25:00.001-05:00

After my daughter saw my recent Cargo Duffle, she put in a request for a duffle bag she could use when she comes home from college for the weekend. She goes to school close by and will come home for quick one or two-night visit, so doesn't need a huge bag. And.....though I LOVE my Cargo Duffle, it was quite a project.

I spent a long time on Etsy looking for a pattern that would be a little less time consuming but still check all the boxes. This pattern from PNCouture ended up being perfect! (Pattern is on sale until end of January 2026 - I am not receiving any compensation for promoting this pattern)

The bag came together shockingly quickly and the result is really great. No exposed seams to bind and it is fully lined. If you are a beginner sewist, this one might be a little tricky but the shop owner is very responsive and willing to help if needed.

My daughter's favorite feature is the cute zipper pull. It's a fun little touch that really makes the bag extra special.

The finished bag dimensions were spot on to the pattern listing at 17 inches wide, 9 inches deep and 10 inches tall. I made a matching toiletries bag using my free Boxed Zip Pouch Pattern. I've been lining my zip pouches with this great lightweight water resistant canvas from Sullivans Trim.

And just to make sure we're keeping things real, here's Zoe the almost 6 year old puppy needing to get in on the action and check things out. She approves.

I'll be sending my girl back to school later this week (once we dig ourselves out of nearly 2 feet of snow) and hoping to see her back soon with her new bag.

Happy sewing.

Boxed Pouch FREE Sewing Pattern

2026-01-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

After making my version of the Cargo Duffle, I really wanted to make a matching boxed travel pouch. For some reason, in all my years of sewing I've never made one and I had no idea what a journey it would be conquering this make. This is how my first try came out! My brain just couldn't fully comprehend the construction.

I finally was able to find a tutorial that made sense to me and then tried to optimize the size for what I wanted. I used a online calculator tool from Sarah Kirsten but her assembly method is a little different so these weren't exactly the size I was looking for. Though it was super fun pulling out this old Amy Butler (I think?) fabric.

So, after much trial and error, I was able to make the size I wanted. I made a couple of these for friends for holiday gifts, but still wasn't totally satisfied. The interior "wings" were just really bothering me and I felt like there had to be a way to put this bag together without having exposed seams, wings or needing to use bias tape.

Honestly, I got really stuck on this one. I spent a lot of time and made A LOT of pouches. But, the good news is I feel like I really optimized the construction and have put it all together in a FREE tutorial! The tutorial has dimensions for 3 sizes of pouches and walks you through the assembly, including a video (my first one ever!) showing how to box the corners. The method is the same for all 3 sizes which includes a small pouch, standard size pouch and a pouch sized for hair tools.

Download FREE PDF Pattern

I would love to know what you think of the pattern. Leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @Zaaberry.

Introducing the Picnic Tote - new PDF pattern

2025-12-23T12:20:00.002-05:00

I put this pattern together over the summer and had every intention of listing in my Etsy shop before the Fall. Gad school and life in general got in the way and here it is nearly 6 months later and I'm just getting back to it.

I had that "I can make that" moment when grocery shopping and was enticed to buy a bunch of mini-totes at my favorite grocery store.

The mini totes are my go to for bringing snacks to the kids' cross country meets, book club, or just running errands.

The pattern has instructions for 2 sizes. You can do the handles with fabric or with a pretty one and a half inch webbing making it an even quicker sew.

Easy download in my SHOP.

Hope you'll check it out and tell me what you think.

Tag me on IG if you make and share // @zaaberry

Cargo Duffle Again!

2025-12-21T15:02:00.001-05:00

A good pattern is one that stands the test of time, and the Cargo Duffle for me is one of those patterns. Anna from Noodlehead partnered with Robert Kaufman fabrics in 2013 and published this free pattern. I made my own version back in 2015 and then a kids size version later that year. Here I am 10 years later going back to the same pattern with my own modifications.

This time around I invested the time in the quilting and the result absolutely was worth all the effort. I also added end tabs so I can attach a shoulder strap if I want.

I made my verison a bit wider so my bottom gusset was 8in x 30.5in and my zipper gusset was 4in x 30.5 in.

With zipper by the yard being so readily available, it was easy to add a two way zipper. If you haven't discovered zipper by the yard, I highly recommend it. I'm slowly working my way through all my sized zippers and will eventually transition to cutting all my zippers to size by project.

I made the bottom with a vegan leather for added durability and made a drop-in canvas lining. I added Peltex to the bottom and side panels below the zipper for added structure.

Though I made quite a few modifications to this bag, including leaving off the cargo pockets, I still mainly followed the pattern and it was my primary inspiration. I'm already planning my next bag that I'll likely make to donate to a local fundraiser auction. This one I'm keeping for myself and can't wait to use it on my next trip.

Noodlehead Quarry Tote

2025-12-19T19:31:00.000-05:00

The Quarry Tote by Noodlehead is another one of my recent favorite patterns. It comes together fairly quickly and the step by step sewalong video Anna has posted on her YouTube channel is really helpful.

I made this one with this cute cat fabric from Ruby Star Society. This friend loves cats and loves to knit and crochet and the Quarry Tote makes a great project bag.

I added a grommet on the side that you can thread the yarn through. I wasn't sure if this would be a nice feature or not and though I haven't tried it personally, my friend seems to like it for her projects.

I didn't have the netting that the pattern called for so I used a clear vinyl instead and I think it woks just as well. Overall, another great pattern by Noodlehead.

Noodlehead Range Backpack + Mini Version

2025-12-15T11:30:00.004-05:00

Earlier this year, I came across the Range Backpack by Noodlehead. I wanted to make something to donate to a charity auction and I thought this would be perfect. I joined the Noodlehead Sewing Patterns Facebook group and got a lot of ideas and inspiration, in particular the zippered top.

It was fairly easy to figure out and essentially I put together the front and back and then attached each to the zipper leaving an opening at the bottom of the lining then turned the whole thing right side out.

As much as I like this bag and pattern I found it to be a little big for my taste, so I made my own mini version. I wanted something that was just big enough for my computer, water bottle and a few extra odds and ends.

The finished size is about 13 inches tall, 11 inches wide and 3 inches deep.

I put together a PDF of the modifications I made HERE. You will need to purchase the pattern from Noodlehead in order to make the bag.

Let me know if you make a mini version....tag me on IG #zaaberry.

I'm Back!

2025-12-14T09:05:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe my last blog post was nearly 10 years ago! It feels like yesterday... I'm not sure what exactly prompted me to want to start posting again, but here goes.

That little girl that inspired my blog and business name graduated high school and is studying Marketing. My son is a Junior in high school and starting the college search process. Crazy that in a few short years, the house will be a little quieter.

My lab research position came to end in 2019 and after bouncing around a bit I've landed back in the Higher Ed world using my science background to support facility renovations. It's been a great learning experience and I really enjoy being back on a college campus. I also decided I wanted to go back to school and enrolled in a Master's in Business Analytics program.

In 2020, like many people, we added a fur baby to our family and she has been my new inspiration. From doggy toys to Halloween costumes, much of my sewing in recent years has been for her. So much so that when she hears my sewing machine, she comes running hoping for a new toy.

That's the update for now. I have some ideas for posts and hopefully will keep up some level of momentum. I really enjoy blogging even if nobody is listening. It's my own personal journal.

XO Ruby

Baby Swimsuit

2016-02-02T13:40:00.003-05:00

I'm no stranger to sewing swimwear. In the past I've drafted my own pattern from store bought suits. Recently I came across Patsy Aiken Designs and fell in love with this adorable swim set. I have a little baby niece and let's face it, sewing for babies is so much fun!

Though I've sewn quite a few suits for my daughter you can see HERE and HERE, I can never leave well enough alone. I feel pretty comfortable using my coverstitch machine for most things, but have not had success with swimwear.

So like the crazy lady I am, I spent all weekend conquering my machine and all this spandex. After much trial and error, I finally got it to work, though I'm not positive I could do it again. The striped suit came out great, but my first one was a bit of a disaster.

This flower print fabric is heavier than the stripes, and I used a thicker elastic. Not sure if that was the problem, but my machine did not like it. I kept getting skipped and uneven stitches. It looks cute if you don't look too close.

Ultimately I put in new stretch needles, went with a thinner clear elastic, a lighter fabric and it worked much better.

This pattern is very cute, but be forewarned, the instructions are all words, hardly any pictures. If you've never sewn swimwear before, you'll need to have your computer closeby for help.

Can't wait to see this suit on my little baby niece!

EASY Rounded Zip Pouch TUTORIAL

2015-11-11T17:04:00.000-05:00

With the holidays kind of right around the corner, I started sewing up some little zip pouches with extra fabric in my stash. These pouches come together really quick, are great for using up larger fabric scraps AND make a great gift. Who doesn't love a zip pouch?

Here's what I did. First, get the pattern HERE.

You'll need 2 exterior pieces, 2 interior pieces and a 9 inch zipper. I added a fusible interfacing to my exterior fabric, but this is totally optional.

Clip or pin your zipper to one exterior piece, right sides together, with zipper pull hanging off one end (zipper tape lined up to the other end).

Pin the INTERIOR fabric on top of the zipper, right side facing down (not sure how I missed this picture, sorry!). Sew through all 3 layers with a zipper foot and a 3/8 inch seam allowance.
When you fold back the layers, it should look like this. You can see the pink INTERIOR fabric in back, with wrong side of interior and exterior together.

Repeat with the other exterior and interior pieces.

So, you'll pin the exterior piece to the zipper with right sides together (as shown). Then place the INTERIOR piece on the other side of the zipper, right side facing the wrong side of the zipper. Sew across the top with a zipper foot and 3/8 inch seam allowance.

Here's what is looks like when all the pieces are sewn to the zipper and pressed down. You can topstitch next to the zipper if you like.

With the zipper opened all the way, match the lining and exterior pieces. Starting at the lining piece, sew all the way around, leaving about a 3 inch opening in the bottom of the lining. Cut off the zipper end and turn right side out.

Either by hand or by machine, stitch the opening in the lining closed.

Done! I sew fairly quickly and each one took me about 20 minutes start to finish! How great is that?

The Little Boy Learns to Sew

2015-10-07T20:18:00.001-04:00

This is kind of stating the obvious, but sewing is a huge part of my life. My daughter has been at my feet in my sewing room since she was an infant. When she started getting interested in sewing, we happen to win a copy of Sewing School 2 and for her birthday, I got her a Janome Sew Mini sewing machine. It served it purpose, but it's quality matched it's price; cheap. All of a sudden, the little boy turned 7 and instantly decided he wanted to learn to sew too.

We turned to our Sewing School 2 book again and just like that, he made a few projects and caught the sewing bug.

Our little Sew Mini was on it's last leg and after a few projects, it finally bit the dust. I went searching for a replacement machine with only 1 feature in mind, speed control. My sewing machine has a little dial where you can reduce the machine speed regardless of how hard you press on the foot. I think for kids, this is really helpful. But, I wanted something affordable as well. I finally decided on the Brother CS-6000i.

I can't say enough good things about this machine. Keep in mind, I am not being compensated for any of this, so these opinions are totally not influenced. The machine costs less than $150, comes with a billion little accessories, has a great LED light, and it super easy to thread and use. We had it out of the box and the kids sewing with it in a flash. I'm so happy with our purchase and it's feels so wonderful to have taught both my kids the love of sewing.

This little gem is going straight to the keepsake box!

iCandy Handmade's Everyday Skirt // Transitioning to Fall

2015-09-10T21:55:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post! I have been sewing a lot, but haven't had the time to take, edit and post pictures. I'm trying to get caught up, so check back often for some upcoming posts.

I just need to take a quick minute to reflect on blogging. I started blogging over 5 years ago (holy moley, time flies!) as a fun way to share projects and to keep me motivated. Life has gotten busier and blogging isn't such a high priority for me anymore and to be quite honest, I've gotten a little tired of seeing so many "sponsored posts" from some of my favorite bloggers. I totally understand that some people make their living by blogging and doing sponsored posts is part of that. I have ads on my sidebar and for me it generates a teeny tiny bit of money. I've been approached many times to do sponsored posts or to be a "influencer". It's not who I am or why I do this. Anyway, I guess I just want to say that I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and my pictures might not be perfect and my poses are kind of all the same in the same places around my house. I'm going to keep blogging with the hope that I can share a little bit of my sewing knowledge and maybe inspire someone out there to try a new pattern or follow one of my tutorials. Anyway, I hope I haven't bored you with my monologue or offended anybody. This isn't meant to be directed at anybody in particular, just something I needed to say. Moving on.....

This time of year, I'm kind of ready to transition to fall, but so far, the weather hasn't been cooperating with that. I wanted to make myself a knit half circle skirt and just didn't have the patience for taking measurements and doing the math. I stumbled across the Everyday Skirt Take 2 from iCandy Handmade and decided to give it a try. The best part is there is a free, downloadable pattern. Since I'm a bit smaller than a medium, I just compared the pattern to a skirt I own and trimmed it down.

I sewed this up in a lovely ponte knit. I really love this skirt. The weight and drape of the knit is exactly what I was after. And I can totally wear it into fall with leggings and boots.

The first one came together so quickly and easily, I decided to make a navy version. This time I used my coverhem to stitch along the waistband to help it sit a little flatter.

I think this one took me a little more than half and hour to sew.

Can you say instant gratification?

I Just finished another Simplicty 2226 skirt, my third so far. And, I've got some harem pants I'm not quite sold on to share. Hoping for some time and motivation to take pictures soon!

Back to School // Perfect Little Lunch Bag Sewing Pattern

2015-08-14T15:50:00.001-04:00

Oh my goodness, this summer seems to have flown by. We've got a couple weeks left and I've been making new lunch bags for both my kids and my etsy shop. I got a great tip from my friend Roselee of Jane of All Trades that makes sewing the handles much easier.

Instead of sewing the handles to the exterior fabric a few inches down from the top, she lined up the raw edges of the handles (3 inches in from each side) with the top raw edge and then sewed the zipper right on top.

The result is a much neater looking front and this technique saves a lot of time! Genius! Thanks Roselee!

Last year, I had my kids lunch bags embroidered at a local shop. This time around I decided to use my Silhouette Portrait and black and white heat transfer vinyl instead. I really like how it looks and this way and they definitely won't get mixed up with other kids lunch bags.

You can find the instant download of my sewing pattern HERE in my shop.

Don't want to sew your own? I've got a couple of lunch bags listed in my shop and I'm also taking a few custom orders.

My favorite thing about my lunch bags is the fact that they are totally machine washable. My kids used theirs for a full school year and I'm sure they got washed a least a dozen times. The fabric color faded, but other than that, they held up great. Something about a dirty, smelly, lunch box really grosses me out. I'm never going back to store bought!

Kids Size Cargo Duffle

2015-07-13T15:43:00.000-04:00

I love my Cargo Duffle so much, I decided to make one for each of my kids. With upcoming summer trips and sleepovers on the horizon, they both really could use a nice, kid sized bag. Like my version, I simplified theirs from the original tutorial from Noodlehead. I didn't do any quilting and left off all the pockets.

I modified the size so that my pieces were as follows:

Front/Back - 18 x 11 inches (cut 2)

Zipper Panel - 4 x 28 inches (cut 2)

Bottom/Size - 8 x 28 inches (cut 1)

Finished dimensions: 17" wide x 10" tall x 7" deep

On the exterior pieces I lined each piece with a midweight fusible interfacing.

Since my daughter chose a directional print, for the bottom/side panel, I cut the piece in half and made a seam across the bottom so that the print wouldn't be upside down on one side.

I used upholstery vinyl, folded in half and stitched, for the straps.

I cut the lining from a quilting weight cotton and used a sew-in, heavy weight interfacing on all the pieces except the zipper panels.

I let the kids pick their own fabrics and I think they made great choices!

These bags came together very quickly and the kids love them! Can't wait for our upcoming trips.

First Birthday Shirt // FREE Silhouette Cut File

2015-07-03T22:01:00.000-04:00

In the past year or so, I've developed a reputation in my local community as the go-to seamstress for kid projects. I've made a few bow ties and neck ties for weddings, a few tooth fairy pillows, and a few birthday shirts and dresses. I've been able to use my Silhouette Portrait to cut some cute applique and I thought I would attempt to share my files. I've uploaded the Silhouette Studio file to google drive. You should be able to download the file

HERE.

For this applique I used Pellon Wonder-Under instead of the Silhouette fusible interfacing and I found it worked the same if not better. With both interfacings, I've had trouble with the thread breaking while I'm sewing. I did a search and came across a neat little trick. I rubbed the tiniest amount of sewing machine oil on my needle. Sure enough, no more broken thread! I also sewed the smile and the nostrils by hand. Too delicate for my machine skills.

Oh and remember my City Gym Shorts from way back in June? Well, I guess I made the finals in Imagine Gnats, Shorts on the Line Contest. Go check out the top 21 shorts here and vote for your favorite.

Shorts, Shorts, Shorts...My Version of the City Gym Shorts

2015-06-06T21:21:00.000-04:00

I didn't have any plans to make shorts. But, I've been seeing some Shorts on The Line posts over at Imagine Gnats and discovered the free City Gym Shorts pattern. I love me some free patterns, so why not make some shorts! I ended up modifying the pattern a little bit more for each of the 3 versions I made. Here's what I did.

The pictures of these shorts are really wonderful and there are so many great versions out there, but the style just isn't me. So, I decided to modify the pattern so that I could sew them like regular shorts without the bias tape. I just added a bit of a seam allowance to the side and straightened the curve on the bottom.

I also decided to add pockets. I actually followed my own tutorial and pattern for dress pockets which you can find HERE.

This first version came out pretty well. In fact, I'm wearing them as I type this. The fit is more of a pajama short for me. I ended up just serging the bottom since I didn't think they'd be wearable if they got any shorter. The pockets turned out a little small, but truth be told, when I look at the picture, I think they look great. But on my body, they feel a little bit small for my taste.

I also was a little hasty and used my good fabric for my first pair. So, I mustered all the patience I could and made a second pair with fabric that I had sitting around and not my favorite.

For this pair, I added a little bit of length and width to the pattern and made the pockets a little bigger. They are good and I will definitely wear them, but still aren't exactly what I'm after. I decided to print the pattern out one more time and cut in between sizes. Here's a comparison of the pattern I used for my first pair and my final and favorite pair. The piece on the left is what I did for my last pair and the piece on the right is for my first pair.

These shorts are exactly what I had in mind. The fit is amazing. Not to loose, but not too short and tight either. I love that these shorts have an elastic waist, but don't look frumpy.

For this pair, I used the full size pocket from my tutorial and it's perfect.

I love the way the side looks and I love this fabric. I was hoping the color and print would work with tops other than white, and I think it does.

So I guess being a little bit obsessive does pay off. And, before I forget, I have to mention that the instructions for this pattern are really great. I didn't get a picture of the inside of the shorts, but I think part of what makes them look so great is the way the waistband is sewn. It ends up being 4 layers of fabric plus elastic, so it's really stable and there are no unfinished seams on the waist on the inside.

There are also kid sizes, so I might try modifying the pattern for a kid version as well. Did I mention how much I love free patterns?

Noodlehead's Cargo Duffle // Free Pattern Sewn by Me

2015-05-28T21:43:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how I stumbled across this free pattern from Noodlehead, but I'm glad I did. My version is much much simpler than her version, but I'm really happy with how it came out. I read a lot of various blogs and reviews before I started sewing mine.

I was totally inspired by Coconut Robot's Cargo Duffle. Her version is beautiful. And though I used a lot of her modifications and I love the look of the quilting, I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much time on it.

I expanded the width of my bag using the measurements Kacia provides. In the original pattern the finished bag is about 5 inches wide whereas this version ends up being closer to 9 inches wide. I would definitely recommend adding the width as I can't imagine it being narrower. This size is perfect.

I also chose to leave off the front snap pockets and opted for a zip pocket instead. Adding the zip pocket was a lot easier and I like the look better as well.

Another change I made was making the handles out of upholstery vinyl. I just cut a 4 inch wide strip, folded it in half and sewed down both sides.

To finish off the bag, I added a lining and used a heavy weight sew-in interfacing on the side and bottom panels. The bag ends up having great structure, but is still lightweight. I took this bag on an overnight trip recently and it was the perfect size for all of my husband and my stuff.

I'm so happy with how this bag came out and happy with all the changes I made. If you give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think.

Triangle Quilt // SeeKateSew Tutorial

2015-05-11T20:27:00.000-04:00

My sister's baby girl is due to arrive any day now. Back in March I threw her a baby shower and go to give her all the handmade goodies I'd been working on.

I wanted to make some kind of blanket, though I'm not really a quilter at heart. I saw a tutorial at See Kate Sew for a modern triangle quilt and it felt like just my kind of project. I ended up making mine a lot smaller since I thought such a large quilt might not be so useful for a baby. I downloaded the pattern, cut all my triangles, laid them all out and started sewing. When I got ready to sew one row to the next, I kind of scratched my head and thought I had done something wrong. It seemed like there is not way to sew triangles together and get, TRIANGLES!

I kept sewing because after cutting all those triangles, there's really no turning back. A few weeks later, an updated pattern came out that actually makes triangles! The updated pattern is here. Too late for me.

I made a nursing pillow cover and basket liner as well. They all look so pretty together. I wasn't sure about the fabric, but I think it works.

I wish I had the time and energy to sew this kind of stuff for my babies. Can't wait to meet my new baby niece!

DIY IKEA Knockoff Sewing Table

2015-04-23T18:39:00.000-04:00

Shortly after we bought our house, we finished our basement to use as a play/sewing/guest space. When my parents moved to Florida, I inherited an office desk that I've been using as my sewing table for almost 10 years. At first, when I only had 1 sewing machine, it was great. But I've slowly acquired more machines, each with it's own job. I have a serger and a standalone coverhem machine now, and though it's not ideal, I've been making it work on my office desk. So recently I decided it's time for a new desk!

The biggest issue I have with my current setup is that I often have go back and forth between all 3 machines and the knee space of the office desk doesn't allow me to do that effectively. I end up having the slide one machine out of the way in order to use one of the others.

I'm also not in love with the colors we chose all those years ago. We have a walkout basement, so we get some light from the slider, but it's still a little dark. We liked the sort of coffee shop look of the yellow and maroon color scheme, but I'm not sure how well it works in brightening up the space.

A few quick changes made a big difference. I painted the maroon wall a lighter gray color.

I was planning on buying a new chair when I had the aha moment that I could simply remove the arms on my current chair and recover the seat and back. The back ended up being a little more tricky and I ultimately had to use nails to get the back piece back on.

The biggest and most fun change is the desk. I had my eye on a kind of build your own desk at IKEA. But I was dragging my feet on getting there. The 2 limitations for me are the size of my vehicle and the fact that the closest IKEA is at least a 3 hour drive round trip. I'm and IKEA lover, but I was also concerned with how lightweight the IKEA table might be. I didn't want to drive all the way there only to end up with a table that shook a lot.

After a few trips back and forth to Home Depot, I realized I could build essentially the same desk and not have to make the drive! Here's what I did.

Materials

desk tops - 2 @ $16each (4feet long, about 23 inches deep - I opted for 2, 4 foot table tops. They also sell a single 8 ft piece, but it wouldn't fit in my car.)
plates for legs to screw into - 4 @ $3each
table legs - 4 @ $11each
edge tape for table tops - 1 @ $6
drawers - on clearance at my local Michael's $35
as is piece of melamine at my local Home Depot $2
2 inch cord grommet - 2 @ $2each
2 inch hole saw drill bit - 1 @ $8

DESK PROJECT TOTAL - $143

My husband predrilled holes for me to screw in the top plates, in 2 corners of each top. Then, I simply screwed the legs into the top plates. Easy peasy!

The next part took a bit of troubleshooting. I found this set of drawers on the clearance shelf at Michael's but it wasn't the right height. I went back to Home Depot and was able to grab a piece of melamine from the as is bin for $2 and have someone cut it for me. The first guy I asked wouldn't do it, so I asked someone else. Pays to be persistent

To make it a bit more stable, I screwed the bottom base into the drawer frame from the inside. The one downside of the Home Depot melamine tops is that the edges come unfinished. To finish the edges, you have to iron on a special finishing tape. I was a little nervous about doing it, but it ended up being pretty easy.

The last little touch I added to my tables is a cord hole. Because my old desk had a larger depth, I had to keep the cords for the foot pedals in front. These table are only 23inches deep, which means with a well placed cord hole, I can have all the cords under the desk.

I bought an attachment for our drill and my wonderful husband drilled the holes for me. I was warned at the store that you need to hold tightly on the drill when you first start because there would be a lot of torque. That scared me, but my husband had no trouble.

I am so so so happy with my new table. It totally fits my needs and was really easy and affordable to make! I can't believe I didn't do this sooner.

I'd love to hear if you decide to make one too.

Drawer Organizing Jars DIY

2015-04-19T19:59:00.001-04:00

It's been quiet on the blog here lately for a couple of reasons. One, after what felt like an endless winter, spring is finally here and we are making up for lost time. Once the snow finally melted, we have been outside all the time. Also, Spring sports started a little later because of the snowy fields, so we now have soccer games and baton competitions to fill our schedule.

I've also been working on a fairly big project....a new sewing table for me! I am very lucky to have a dedicated sewing area in our finished basement. Maybe it was because the winter was so cold and long, but one day I decided it was time for a spruce up. My space was started to feel dark and I was getting fed up with squeezing my 3 machines on one not so well designed desk.

My new desk and space is pretty much done and I'm excited to share how I made this table with parts from Home Depot. It's kind of an IKEA knockoff, but about $50 less than what it would cost there. It wasn't so much about the cost, but more about the durability and the travel time. The 2 closest IKEA stores are just about 2 hours away for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm an IKEA lover through and through, I just didn't feel like I'd have the time to make the trip.

More details on the table coming soon. In the meantime, here's a quick and easy project I made while transitioning my space. I recently redesigned my Zaaberry CHILDREN clothing labels and needed some way of storing them in my new drawers which are much shorter than my old ones.

These 4oz Ball jars are the perfect size and cost about $5 for 4 jars.

I took the jars apart,

measured the diameter of the circle top piece,

and drew 4 circles in Powerpoint. I added the text for my labels and printed them on yellow paper. I glued them into the ring top, then glued the the center circle to the bottom. I would recommend making your circles a little larger than the center circle piece. I ended up getting some glue leaking over the side since my circles were a little bit on the small side.

Oh well, not perfect. But they do the job and look nice in my new drawers.

Come back soon to hear about how I built my new sewing table.

From Sap to Syrup

2015-04-02T20:52:00.002-04:00

Spring is off to quite a slow start here in Massachusetts. With near record snowfall for our part of the state, we are all ready for the change of season. Slowly but surely, the days are getting warmer. With the nights still below freezing, it's the time of year the maple sap starts flowing. Some friends of ours have been collecting maple sap and making syrup for a while now and this year we decided to give it a try.

My husband is an arborist, so it wasn't hard for him to identify a few sugar maples in our small patch of woods. We started out with one tap and bucket.

The kids have been so excited to check the bucket every day after school so we figured we might as well just tap all the trees we can. We only have 3 sugar maples so we improvised 2 more buckets and this time bought some cheaper metal taps. The plastic tap, bucket and lid were a bit more expensive than we were expecting.

This container that my husband rigged up with twine works especially well since it's got a spigot at the bottom and it's clear so it's easy to check.

We boiled our first batch down most of the way over an open fire, then finished it off in the house on the stove. We started with about 1.5 gallons of sap and ended with about 3/4 of a cup of delicious, amber, maple syrup. The ratio of sap to syrup is about 42:1.

It's been so much fun doing this with the kids. We've got quite a bit more sap to boil and have been learning all sorts of fun facts along the way. We were expecting the color to be darker, but apparently the lighter color is considered Grade A and is typically more expensive. I've read that the color is dependent on the tree and the weather and tends to darken as the season progresses. I'm so curious to see what our next batch looks like. No matter what the color is, everything tastes better when it's from your own backyard.

DIY Wood Photo Background

2015-03-23T21:20:00.001-04:00

For a while now I've been wanting some kind of a new background to use for taking photos of my baby clothing. I really like the look of a wood backdrop, but I also wanted something lightweight and relatively inexpensive. I've seen a few made with peel and stick flooring, but I couldn't find any good colors at my local store and overall it was more expensive than I was expecting.

As I was wandering around the hardware store, something I actually really love doing, I came across a package of pine wainsot. It was $12 for the package, and the finished dimensions are approximately 3 x 3.5 feet. Perfect!

The pieces are tongue and groove and are meant to be nailed into place. I just put a little wood glue on the tongue part and put it all together on the floor.

I decided to keep a few pieces separate. I put the weights on so that they would dry flat (they tended to pop up).

After the glue dried, I painted both boards white with paint I had on hand.

To give it a bit of a weathered look, I also added a little dark stain while the white paint was still wet. After that all dried, I put a coat of clear finish on (that ended up turning a bit yellow for some reason).

Here are the paints I used. All of these were sitting on a shelf in my basement. I think anything will really work if you are looking for a weathered look. Before I found the dark stain, I was considering using my kids tempera paints. And in this picture, you can see how I used my 2 separate pieces. The large piece is the background and the smaller board is on the floor.

I also made some really easy and cheap reflectors using foam board and clear tape from the dollar store. I taped the boards a little offset from each other so I could fold them up for storage.

I'm really happy with how all my new photo props turned out. Here are some of the first pictures I took with my new gear. This cute outfit is headed to Texas for a new little Texas Rangers fan. And you can see, I've finally perfected my heat transfer vinyl technique. If you missed my last post, go check it out for my heat transfer vinyl fail and what I did to get it right!

Heat Transfer Vinyl Learning Curve and Tips

2015-03-15T20:23:00.000-04:00

I may have mentioned that a few weeks ago, I got a Silhouette Portrait. I've wanted something like it for a long time, but didn't realize just how much it can do. My newest obsession is with heat transfer vinyl.

I bought a roll of the Silhouette brand smooth black vinyl, and followed the instructions. The elephant came out well, though it took me a couple tries to get it to stick.

My second attempt came out terrible. The plastic warped and the design essentially melted. After doing a little searching, I concluded that the iron was too hot. The instructions say your iron should be 300F which they say is a typical cotton setting. My iron doesn't give me temperature numbers and everything I've read says a typical cotton setting is much higher than 300F.

I tried again with some white and got much better results. This time, I set my iron to the wool setting. It took some work again to get it to stick. But at least it didn't melt!

For my most recent project, I think I finally got all the variables right and it worked perfectly. This is a special little outfit for my son's kindergarten teacher.

She's pregnant with her first child and my son begged me to make something for her. He came home with the information that she's having a boy, her favorite color is yellow, and her favorite animal is a dog (she has a black lab).

He even requested that the hat have ears. So sweet. (hat tutorial HERE)

So, here's my list of heat transfer vinyl tips:

use a heat setting lower than cotton - I use the wool setting

don't use a cloth on top, instead use the parchment paper that comes with the vinyl in between the iron and the vinyl

use a hard surface underneath the design -I use a small cutting board

Easy Oven Mitt TUTORIAL

2015-03-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

My little 6 year old boy has been very interested in helping make dinner lately. My husband and I love having him help out. I could see him one day being a very creative little chef. To support his growing interest, I offered to make him some oven mitts just his size. To make a pattern, I just traced his hand and then added a good 1.5 inches all around. Obviously you can make them any size, the instructions are the same.

For ONE mitt you will need 2 exterior pieces that are mirrored, 2 pieces of insulating fabric (I used Insul-Bright) and 2 pieces of a lining fabric (I used a lightweight cotton). You will also need about 1/2 yard of double fold bias tape.

With right sides together, sew each set along the outside edge leaving the wrist part open (1/4 inch seam allowance). Trim the edge.

Turn ONLY the exterior fabric piece so that it is right side out. Slip the insulating piece inside the exterior piece and the lining piece (wrong side out) into the insulating piece. I did it this way so that there wouldn't be any seams hanging out on the inside of the mitt.

When you get all the pieces tucked in, trim the edge so it's nice and even.

Pin the bias tape to the raw edges being careful to get all 3 layers sandwiched in and overlapping the ends of the bias tape.

Sew around. I use a wide zigzag stitch so that I'm sure I've got all the layers sewn in. I also sew on the inside as you can see in the picture. It's much easier than trying to sew from the outside.

The little guy was really happy with his new mitts. He looks kind of dazed here because he was trying really hard to hold still for one picture. The next 5 pictures were of him doing his karate moves in his new mitts. Gotta love that 6 year old boy energy.

Trying to Beat the Winter Blues

2015-02-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'm chalking my lack of blogging here lately to a bad case of the winter blues. I'm a snow lover and usually winter doesn't bother me much. It's the cold that been getting me down and has really affected my motivation.

The kids were on February break this past week and we took our usual ski trip to northern Vermont. I decided to pack some yarn and a knitting pattern to try to keep myself busy. It's been years since I've knit anything. I knit a lot when my kids were babies, but in recent years have gotten more hooked on instant gratification of a simple sewing project.

But sewing isn't very portable and knitting is. And, I'm hooked again. I made the blue hat first and it ended up a little big for my child sized head. The second one is a perfect fit and sooooo warm. Just what I need.

So here's what I've been up to the past month. I'm throwing this picture from January in to remind myself of when we were happy about the snow. We had so much fun this day.

Now, we can no longer see our bushes or our front stairs.

I treated myself to a Silhouette Portrait and have been having fun playing around with it. It's really amazing how much you can do with this little machine and I'm still a total newbie.

I'm a huge fan of Brindille and Twig patterns and tried out a new to me romper pattern. I cannot tell you how cute this outfit is in real life.

So now you're caught up on the last month. I'm hoping that Spring is around the corner and I can snap out of my funk.

I leave you with a photo I snapped today at work. This made me smile. I guess if the ducks can handle it, so can I.