Finally a new sewing project: Camera/Gadget Case!

As I mentioned in my previous post about the wristlet I made for my grandmother, I was actually in the process of making one more.  I finished it yesterday, and gave it to my good friend Melanie as a birthday gift.  She loves anything pink & black, and I knew I already had the perfect fabric to use for this project.  I seriously love these fabrics together!  Especially the pink & white floral.

I had a little bit of these fabrics leftover from this project, and was surfing around, trying to find something new to do with them.  Pinterest to the rescue, once again!  I stumbled upon this fantastic tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew for a camera/gadget case.  What a fun, easy, cute project!  I absolutely love how it turned out, and it was really easy!   All you need are 2 rectangles of fabric and 1 rectangle of cotton batting (all three pieces should be 14″x5″), a 4″ length of thin elastic, and a button.  The whole project took me all of 30 or so minutes.  Love projects like this!

Linking up!:

 shabby creek cottage

Projects for a very special occasion.

Sorry for another quiet week around these parts.  Life has been rather hectic lately, and there just hasn’t been much time for the creative stuff that’s fun to share on the blog.

I did want to do a quick post to share a couple of the creative projects that I completed prior to my trip to Boston.

First, the letters that I showed you in this picture:

We used them at the guestbook table at my grandmother’s birthday party.  I just bought the letters pre-painted at JoAnn’s (on sale!), and four coordinating sheets of scrapbook paper.  I used my Mod Podge to paint a thin layer of glue on the letters, stuck them to the paper, and then cut away the excess paper with a craft knife.

They were a huge hit with the guests, but if I were to do it all over again, I would do a couple of things differently.  I would use a thinner layer of glue (and be more careful about wiping off the excess while still wet), and I would let them dry more thoroughly before using the craft knife.  You can see the “D” has some scuffy spots on the edges, and the “N” and “A” both have ripped spots.  You couldn’t tell unless you looked closely, but I knew they were there and it bugged me!  Honestly, between everyday life and getting ready to go out of town, I did not devote as much time to this project as I would have liked, so I’m sure that contributed to the imperfections.

Also, I wanted to handmake a gift for my grandmother.  I decided to make another wristlet (based on this clutch tutorial), and she adored it.

She said it will be her new bag for when she goes to play bingo.  So cute!  I have to say I really love this project for gift-giving because everyone seems to really appreciate both the looks and usefulness of the finished product.  I’m actually working on another one now.  At some point I need to break out and try something different, but for now I will stick with this gathered wristlet as my go-to gift of choice!

This was right after I gave her the wristlet. She's holding it and telling me about her sewing skills from back in the day.

Love my Nana!  I hope she had a fabulous 90th birthday!  So glad we got to attend!

Taking a break from zipper projects…

Look at me!  Two posts in one day…

As I mentioned previously, I had a sewing project fail on my last zipper project, so when I got home tonight and had a desire to whip up a quick project, I decided to try something familiar and easy that didn’t require the use of a zipper.  I intend to keep practicing with zipper projects, but just wanted a break.

I was going to try to make another reversible headband with a leftover scrap from another project.  But I quickly realized the scrap was the wrong shape to fit the headband template.  It did, however, fit the coffee sleeve template perfectly.  So I went back to my old favorite project, and I have to say this is one of my favorite iterations of the coffee sleeve.  I really love this print, especially on this project!

As I mentioned last time, the tutorial I used for this project can be found here.

I was going to find another set of scraps to start another reversible headband, but we downloaded season 2 of Downton Abbey, and I am now glued to the TV!  Tomorrow is another day…

Linking up with the Drab to Fab party at Sugar and Spice!

 

An Instagram Hodgepodge Post!

I realize things have been kind of slow lately around these parts.  Work is still crazy, and it’s still leaving me mentally exhausted every night when I get home, although it’s starting to calm down a bit.  At least for now.

As tired as I am today, I need to go shopping for 1) sewing project supplies and 2) Easter basket stuffers!  So after work I will be swinging by Starbucks for a jolt of caffeine, followed by a trip to a few stores.

I thought that today I would just share what I have been up to lately via my most recent posts on Instagram.  I guess you could say that this is in honor of the brand new Android app that Instagram released yesterday.  I am an iPhone girl, but I am happy that my Android friends can now join in the fun!

Last week I decided to try a tutorial I found that promised 3 cosmetic cases using 2 fat quarters.  I only had 1 matching zipper on hand, so while I cut out the pieces to make 3, I only actually sewed one.  And while I love the prints I used and the size, my own botching of the construction left a lot to be desired.  Still working on getting used to sewing with zippers!  You can’t really tell how badly I screwed this one up from the pics, since my hand is artfully covering it.  Still, at least it’s usable…Just a little wonky.

Saturday we drove over to my parents’ house to do our taxes (procrastinators, I know…), and I spied their lovely poinsettia plant still blooming away in their yard.  I know it’s almost Easter, but how pretty is this?:

Sunday night was dinner with the girls!  We ate at Sushi Pop in Oviedo, which I have discussed is one of my favorite quirky local places.  My favorite beverage to order there is the raspberry saketini.  It’s sake mixed with fresh raspberry puree served in a frosted martini glass.  So yummy!  I also love their truffle salt edamame, and the Oviedo chicken roll!  It’s was 80′s pop star night (every night is themed at Sushi Pop), so the wardrobe of all the waiters/waitresses was very sparkly and bright.  Perfect for girls’ night!

Monday night, we went to the Wine Room on Park Ave in downtown Winter Park to support my friend Lara, who was hosting trivia!  Tadd and I love any excuse to have a relaxing evening on Park Avenue, so I picked him up after work (he even got out early!) and we strolled around Central Park a bit before going to trivia night.  This is the main fountain in the park.  It was so peaceful and nice in the shade (but too hot in the sun!).  Incidentally, the Wine Room’s mushroom truffle flatbread is amazing.  As is Southern Tier’s Mokah Stout beer.  Yes, I had beer at a wine bar.  But it was REALLY GOOD beer!

Follow me on Instagram!  I’m “sunshineteablog”.

Kitchen Inspiration Files

Originally I had thought we were going to do a shoestring budget kitchen makeover this year.  Now we know we have some exterior repairs to do (we need to add some gutters to our roof, and part of our front entry will need to be worked on), so depending on how much the not-so-fun stuff costs, we may have to delay some or all of the kitchen makeover.  So until then, I am just gathering ideas and inspiration.

Here is my kitchen as it looks now:

I know I have talked before about my ideas for what I have in mind to do:

  • paint cabinets white
  • add cabinet hardware
  • new pantry doors (I want french doors painted black with frosted windows or possibly curtains behind the glass)
  • white subway tile backsplash
  • butcher block countertop for the island with a new smaller prep sink & faucet
  • wrap the island in beadboard
  • new countertops for the outer counters, although I haven’t decided yet what I want to do with them…we might use one of these Rustoleum countertop kits

So since I’m not sure when we will be able to start, and because once we do get started on the kitchen, it will likely be a slow project and not done all at once, I am satisfying my desire to make it over by looking at inspiration pictures.  So many beautiful kitchens out there in Pinterestland…  Sigh!  Someday…

This is pretty much how I plan to makeover the island by wrapping it in beadboard.  Just picture it minus the extension and plus 1 prep sink.

Source: At The Picket Fence

Another beautiful butcher block and beadboard island.  This one has the subway tile backsplash too!

Source: Southern Living

This island is much bigger than ours, but it has a prep sink!  I love the little shelves with the spice jars and cookbooks.

pinterest

A close up of my backsplash of choice.  So pretty!

Source: Kitchen Tile Backsplashes

This is another idea I have had is keeping the beadboard island white, and painting the rest of the cabinets black.  My walls are very similar to this color, so this would give me a really good idea of what the finished product would look like.  Although I think if I were to do that, I would have to go with butcher block counters for the whole kitchen to unify the space.

Source: Favorite Paint Colors

An example of french doors on a pantry painted black!

Source: Thrifty Decor Chick

More pantry french doors, this time in white with frosted glass:

Source: The Inspired Room

So I guess maybe you can see now the kind of look I am going for.  I am so excited to get started, but obviously our kitchen is functional as it is, so other stuff takes priority.  I am ok with that.  Nothing we have planned is particularly expensive, so we can just take our time and do a little here and there.  It probably won’t be done by the end of the year like I had hoped, but that’s ok.  It just gives me more time to gather inspiration and ideas.

Sewing Projects: A wristlet and a headband!

I have a couple of new sewing projects to show you.  One I have been holding onto for awhile because it was a birthday gift for a friend who reads this blog!  Couldn’t give away the surprise too soon.  Her birthday party was last night, so now that she has it in her possession, I am free to share!

I took the gathered front clutch tutorial I used for this project, and turned it into a wristlet with a removable wrist strap!  Just like the original clutch, the interior has a spot for 2 credit cards, plus a large divider pocket.

The other project I whipped together as soon as I got home from work.  Using this tutorial from TheLongThread.com (which includes a printable template that I traced onto a piece of cardboard), I made a very cute, very easy reversible headband.

I love easy, quick projects like this that use up scraps from other projects.  And I love headbands, so this is one I will definitely use too.  As a matter of fact, I wore it to the aforementioned birthday party last night!

Spring Fling Craft: DIY terracotta coasters!

I had been wracking my brain trying to come up with a spring craft to try for the Spring Fling party today. Then I remembered a Pinterest pin I had stashed away a few months ago. It was a short and sweet tutorial from a blog called Joy Is At Home, with an EXCELLENT idea on how to make custom coasters. She used small terracotta pot saucers, spray painted them, added some scrapbook paper, and voila! Cute, cheap, and simple!

On my way home from work, I stopped by the craft store and picked up the saucers ($0.99 each), and a piece of springy floral scrapbook paper ($0.59). The rest of the materials I had on hand (except for felt dots for the bottoms…I forgot to pick up those).

Below is everything you will need, minus the felt dots. Saucers, paper, something about the size of the inside of the saucers to use to trace on the paper (drinking glass), Mod Podge decoupage glue, small brush, spray primer, spray paint, and spray sealer.

Spray prime and paint your saucers.

Trace and cut your paper.

Once the saucers are painted and dry, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the back of the circles.

Center the circle onto the saucer and press firmly to ensure that it adheres. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to dry a bit.

Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper circle. Make sure the edges of the paper are sealed. Carefully wipe off any excess around the edges of the saucer while still wet.

Allow this to dry for another 20 minutes or so. Spray the whole coaster with the sealer and allow to dry again.

Then you get to the step that I haven’t gotten to yet…Apply dots of felt to the bottom with a little hot glue to keep the coasters from scratching your furniture. I will be adding these to my coasters tomorrow.

And there you have it. Springy new custom DIY coasters. Total cost to me was about $4.50 for the whole set plus whatever the felt costs me. These would make great hostess gifts for a party, or housewarming gift. I also love that you can make as many or as few as you need.

Linking up with the Spring Fling craft party at CentsationalGirl.com!

Also linking up to the Drab to Fab Link Party at Sugar and Spice!

And the Addicts Not So Anonymous party at Addicted 2 Decorating!

And the It’s a Cinch Link Party at It All Started With Paint!

Sewing Project: Gathered-front clutch.

The past couple of days, I have been working on my most complicated sewing project yet.  Back in January, when I first started using my sewing machine, I stumbled across this pin on Pinterest:

The pin lead to an awesome tutorial from the Noodlehead sewing blog, and I was totally enamored by the finished product.  So cute, right?  I looked over all of the steps on the tutorial, and quickly got overwhelmed.  At the time, it looked SO complicated to me.  Especially the zipper part!  I figured I should probably start with simpler stuff, so I did.  I ended up starting with the throw pillows, then moved onto the tissue cases, then the coffee sleeves, and then the produce bag.  Each successive project was slightly more involved than the next.

After I whipped through the produce bag fairly easily, I decided it was time to revisit the gathered clutch tutorial.  I was a little scared to attempt the zipper, since I had read that sometimes even experienced sewers are intimidated by them.  But I just took it step by step; cutting the pieces and assembling each panel the first night, (including a divider pocket and credit card holders for the inside!)…

…And then attaching the zipper and assembling the panels together the second night.  I got to use my zipper presser foot for the first time!  So exciting.

The finished product is FAR from perfect.  As a matter of fact, I ended up with two holes on the bottom of the lining that I had to re-stitch together.  Although luckily with the lining pushed all the way down on the inside, you really can’t tell.  And the tabs next to the zipper ends are a little wonky.  But it’s usable and fairly cute.  I want to install a grommet and a small strap in one corner so I can turn it into a wristlet.

It’s hard to see really well on the inside (and my pics aren’t the best quality, I took them at night with my phone, so I apologize for that), but it holds two credit cards in the side card pockets, a cell phone in the divider pocket, and then keys, and some lip balm in the main compartment.  There is plenty of room for a few extra items as well.

I want to make another one because I know I could do better now that I know my way around this pattern a bit more.  But I must admit that it’s kind of cool to see my progression in just a couple of months.  I can tell my confidence in what I am doing is growing.  And it’s fun to make useful items that people like!

Linking this post up with the Transformation Thursdays link party at The Shabby Creek Cottage, Drab to Fab link party at Sugar and Spice, and the Addicts-Not-So-Anonymous link party at Addicted 2 Decorating.

More from my semi-productive weekend.

The weekend is almost over.  It seemed so much shorter than normal, even though it’s only technically shorter by one hour.  I don’t know about you, but daylight savings time always takes several days for me to get used to.  I am a much bigger fan of “Fall Back” than “Spring Forward”.

We have continued our weekend of doing not much of anything.  We did get out and run some errands this morning, which was nice.  I get cabin fever if I am cooped up in the house too long.  One of our stops was at JoAnn Fabrics, where I certainly bought some stuff.

I think I am starting to develop an addiction to fabric.  It’s terrible…I go into the quilting section, and immediately want to buy everything I see.  All told though, everything pictured (about 3 yards of fabric total) cost about $10 thanks to sales and coupons.  Not everything here has a purpose yet, but I’m sure I will find ways to use all of it.  For my next new project, I intend to try making a simple apron, so at least one of these fabrics will be used for that.  Also, can you tell I love graphic florals?  I need to start branching out into some polka dots and stripes.

Last night, I decided to try an idea I found on Pinterest.  My husband loves peanut butter anything, especially when combined with chocolate, so I knew it would be a big hit.  Just take canned crescent rolls, spread with peanut butter, and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Roll up, bake at 375F for 11 minutes.  The result: YUM!  The peanut butter and chocolate get all melty and warm.  I had a very happy husband.

Oh, and at my husband’s request, I finally made him his very own manly coffee sleeve.  He had been requesting one for himself since I made the first one about six weeks ago.  Took me long enough to get around to it!  I hope he likes it.  I know it looks huge on the small coffee cup, but it was the only thing I had on hand to serve as a “model”.  It’s really the same size as the other ones I have made.

Sewing Projects: A reusable produce bag

The exciting news for this weekend is that there is no exciting news.  For the first time in a long, long, LONG time, we have no plans at all for this weekend!  Normally that would make me sad, but we have been so busy lately, that it’s actually really nice to have a few days with no obligations.  We plan to use it to relax and get stuff done around the house.

I decided to find a new sewing tutorial to try, so I turned to my “Sewing Projects” pinboard on Pinterest.  I knew I wanted to make something with only what I already had on hand.  I came across this tutorial for a reusable produce bag, which was perfect.  It only required one fat quarter of fabric, nothing more and nothing less, and I had recently bought a bunch of fat quarters on sale at Joann’s.  The instructions couldn’t have been more clear or easy to follow.

Before I knew it, I had finished my produce bag!  The design is a little different.  One handle is long, and the other is short.  When you place your produce (or whatever else you are carrying) into the bag, you loop the long handle through the short one to cinch it.  When you are not using it, you can fold the bag into thirds, then roll it up, wrap the long handle around it, and pull it through the small handle.  This makes it very compact and easy to take along in your purse to use at the farmers market or grocery store.