Utility Rope Necklace

I think this necklace has a very elegant look to it.  You can find the tutorial for this necklace at Honestly WTF.  The beads are actually compression sleeves found in the plumbing supply area of your hardware store.  Love strolling through the hardware store.

Graduation Gifts

Graduation is coming up soon and here are a few ideas.  How about a few fun ways to give money to a grad (a favorite gift) from Happy Home Fairy. ( I really like the idea of the gum balls in a jar, but you have to go to Happy Home Fairy’s blog to see it.)T-shirt quilts have been around for some time.  It is a great way to display all those teams and events that your children have been a part of and fun to snuggle up in on those cold days.  Blessings Over Flowing gives a good explanation on how to put this quilt together.  T-shirts can stretch which can make it tricky.  On BOF blog she used a basting spray. You could also use iron-on interfacing for each square.  You will need to do one or the other or you won’t be happy with the results.  Also use polyester batting, if you use cotton you will have to do a lot of quilting as it separates and becomes cotton balls when washed.  Not a nice thing to find out the hard way.This next idea is one you can use your own imagination and run with.  The original is from Martha Stewart.  You could make this special for the grad by making the theme something that works for them.  If they are going off to school and living in a dorm make them a special tool bucket.  Screwdriver, small hammer, hooks they can use in the dorm, tape, scissors. Those little things that come in handy and can make you new friends.  Small sewing kit and the know-how to use it can make you friends in the dorm too.  A bath caddy filled with wonderful soaps, shampoo and lotions.  A laundry bag, roll of quarters, soap and dryer sheets.  If they have cooking facilities a few kitchen tools, can opener, pot holder, dishes for the microwave.  See how crazy you can get?

Sewing with Painters Tape

I have a favorite pair of shorts that I would love to copy the pattern.  Well today I found an easy way to make a pattern off of a garment using painters tape thanks to Cheap and Picky.  Really this is a pretty easy approach and should work out great. I wish I knew who to give credit to for this next idea, but all I could find was the photo.  For quilters, use painters tape to give you a nice straight edge. You can mark your measurements on the tape so your design comes out even.If you have ever laid out quilt squares and had them neatly stacked and taken them to the sewing machine and then found out you turned one.   Painters tape to the rescue!  Just mark which row and a direction arrow on the tape and this should help you keep your sanity.  Thank you The Cottage Home.Tall Grass Prairie Studio uses painters tape to help her with those long straight sewing lines when quilting.Prudent Baby uses painters tape to help keep her seam allowance straight by taping a piece on her sewing machine.The possibilities are numerous with how painters tape could help in the sewing room: help keep snaps in place to sew on, reinforce a paper pattern, tag pattern pieces, help with stitching designs, use as a stencil to paint on fabric. What ideas can you come up with?

Refashion

Refashioning old garments to new is a trend that you can find all over the internet.  I think it is a great idea.  I am a little old school and think you should use your best sewing skills and finish the garment.  I don’t like leaving a cut edge on a garment, I think it should be turned and sewn.  But that is just my opinion.   The Renegade Seamstress is one of my favorite blogs for refashion garments.  She has a good eye for what works.This summer dress from Zaaberry is another cute refashion idea.And you can really make a simple t-shirt stand out with a little refashioning.  Love the lace on this T by Sweet Verbena.Just remember if you are adding new material to an old garment to wash the new material. (per-shrink)   It is fun to create a new look from something old.  With a little research you can find many different kinds of ideas.

Mother’s Day Gifts

Mother’s Day is this Sunday!  OK now that I put some of you in panic mode let’s see if I can help you with a few ideas.  If your mom loves the ocean maybe she will like these hand-painted glass sea urchins from Mich L in LA.  These are very simple and the instructions are easy to follow with beautiful results.  Dream A Little Bigger has the gift I am wishing for, a drying rack for art work.  I would probably put little feet on the bottom and forget the hanging part to make it work for me, but I love the idea.  Again a simple idea with great results.OK this one you may have to start today to get all the drying time in to have it ready for Mother’s Day, but any mom or grandmother would love this.  Just a few simple items, photos and instructions from All Parenting and you have a marvelous gift.How about a bouquet of paper flowers?  Creative Bug shows you how to make these beautiful flowers and they will last a very long time without water.

Cell Phone Pouch

I like this pouch made for carrying those small essential items.  During the summer if I am carrying a purse I get “could you put this in your purse” and next thing you know my purse weighs 20 pounds.  So if I scale down to this cute little pouch from Sew 4 Home I could put a stop to this problem. Pattern, instructions and photos make this an easy sewing project.  I think I would put a wrist strap on it for my taste.

Bucket Jockey

I just found what I want for Mother’s Day!  I love the use of this bucket jockey (something you can find at most hardware stores)  All your art supplies can be right there easy to pick up and take with you.  I saw this idea on Pinterest.  I found the organizer from $7.00 to $20.00 and a bucket is around $5.00.  You could make one but the store-bought ones are so reasonable that the cost of material and time would out way the store-bought one.  And you could always paint it with craft paints to make it your own.