New Years

Happy New Years All!

      I am very excited that we are starting a new year. It gives me a chance to send 2009 packing. It has been a very tough and difficult year here and we are hoping and praying 2010 will be more secure and fruitful for our family. That said here are the things we are going to be focusing on in the New Year:

    We are going to work on getting ourselves and our business operations more streamlined, so we can focus on those things that work and eliminate the things that don't.

     We will be doing the same for our personal lives things that don't work are going bye bye and new traditions and new patterns of interacting with others will be our goal.

    We will blog at least 4 times a week
    
    We will get even more frugal

    And lastly we will not be sucked into drama that is brought on by codependent and irresponsible relatives any more. Sometimes you just have to create new family ties elsewhere. This is the great lesson we have learned from 2009. And it is freeing and We already feel a great burden lifting. SOOOO.............


2010 For us will be more organized, simplified, frugal and personal relationship freeing............It feels so good even saying it.
                            

                                                          Don't you just love fresh starts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                                        The Bells

Another Show and Tell: New Outfit For My Young Miss

Just had to get a little show off picture of the outfit I made for my daughter(Young Miss) from scraps from the flannel I used to make sheets for the bed......70" wide material gives you the luxury of some good sized scraps to work with.....So from my scrap stash This emerged. The skirt is a multi paneled Vogue( I will have to post the number later as my sewing room is being reworked and it is MIA in the piles somewhere, AAUUGGHH!).. Anyway we are not skinny misses in the this house by any means..As my lovey hubby likes to put it....G-d  did not skimp on the portions in our house. Anyway this pattern IS A KEEPER..It is awesome fantastic for curvier gals....The cape had no pattern, I just winged it. It is lined with lining from the stash ..And this trim was picked up at a thrift store about 7 years ago for $1.00... It had many many yards on it..Still some left......Anyway here she is..........

Disclaimer: this girl is in desperate need of a haircut!!!

Pretty cute for scrap yah? Still think it needs a different top.Since the red are not quite right together. But the hat from her wardrobe is a perfect match.New blouse Soon. Total cost to make was $7.00....See I am out to prove to all the nehsayers that that sewing CAN be cheaper than buying and you get one of a kind and cuter stuff to boot! Heres to creativity. THERE!(sticking tongue out)

Hey on Tuesday you can check out other peoples DIY projects over here

Sew And Tell Friday: Dec 18, 2009

This is my first time doing Sew And Tell. over at the site amylouwho.com.

 I spent most of the week working on a project for someone I don't even know. I found a little girl on the website Wish Upon A hero........The link is on my side bar under my Etsy display. She is a "little" person. A anachondriplasia dwarf (excuse me if  I got that wrong) and as she is getting older she is having a more difficult time finding clothes. So having just a  little something of an idea how hard it is to go to school everyday and not be able to get clothes to fit and feeling like you don't fit in, We decide to grant her wish for new clothes. So here is the hitch, I am in the middle of a sewing room make-over and loose the cord for the camera so I cannot download any photos.............So I have none of those items I worked on this week to show... I am hoping and praying her mother takes some photos and sends them my way so I can post them to show.  I just hope and pray they fit as i was working long distance with only measurements, I of course did not take............Heres hoping they all fit.............Anyway so I did get a couple of other projects done this week. Not as much as I should have but anyway.


     First I made another set of bedsheets from mill ends(from top manufacturers sometimes) that are sold at our Wal-Mart ( our Wal-Mart is one of the few left in the country who have a fabric department, Thank you Tongan and Samoan lady sewer who have threated to boycott and put Wal-Mart out of business here if they don't keep the fabric department here. We love you!!!)   .... anyway  a   couple of months ago......I found three bolts of Portugese 18 ounce velvet finish flannel.......This is the same stuff that they make set sheets out of and get almost $300.00 a set.. And score!! It was only $2.00 a yd... I almost peed myself! ALMOST!!!!.......So I made sheets sets(fitted, flat and 4 pillow case sets of each material).....This stuff is so yummy to sleep on no one wants to get out of bed. And the cat Now REFUSES to get out.. Stinker!!!

And this is a denim rug in progress made from the waistbands of old blue jeans, went as far as I could this week, but I am in need of way more......Anyone got any any old jeans that are to far gone to wear, I will gladly take them off your hands. Just let me know.

And last but not least is this set of pillows...This was the last of this material..Boo Who!! Another bargain of monumential proportions.

I promise I will have better pictures next week. I kind of winging it this week.  Guess this is some progress from the me and the Crew........BYE.

Tutorial: Linen Vintage Look Bell Pull

This bell pull is any easy beginner level project. It takes no more than 45 minutes to 1 hr tops to complete a pair of these. They look great displayed on double front doors, one on each. They also look great on either side of a mantel or just on each door of your home....The linen look it just perfect for a modern classic look.
These cost me about $4.00 a set to make. My Supplies were purchased at Wal-mart. May run a little more if purchased else where.

Disclaimer here: I am not  now, or ever was a hand model . These are just poor ole working girl hands. So just get use to it!

So here we go:        To make a set of two You will need :2 1/2 yds of Red trim Burlap Upholstery

                                                                                       webbing (used in upholstery to weave under the
                                                                                            chair to hold seats and backing in place)
                                                     
                                                                                         Red grosgrain 1/2" wide ribbon about 8 yds

                                                                                         Jingle bells : 20   that are 1 1/4" diameter
                                                                                          or 40 that are 1/2"  diameter

                                                                                             matching beige thread

This is what your material will look like.     

Now to start sewing:

Turn one end of your material down 1/2" and stitch close as you can to the folded edge.

Once you've done that turn the fabric to the wrong side with the center slit area matching the center of the material from side to side to form a V shape at the bottom edge of the bell pull. Pin as shown. Stitch across the straight edge. (some people will say that you should do a true miter instead, but it does not work as well. This method keeps seam bulge from showing to the front and also keeps you from having to trim too close which with this type of material will cause fraveling that might be fatal to this project) This method I am showing you also gives the piece the weight it needs on the end to hang straight otherwise it might twist when hanging.

                                                               right side after sewing straight  across.

Now measure from tip end out to 38" and cut other end straight.

Fold the cut end 1/2" to back side and stitch as close to folded edge as you can across.

Once that is done. measure out a 2" long loop of grosgrain (so 4" total)

Pin and

 stitch to back side in the middle where you had stitched before. Flip work to front side and bend grosgrain ribbon over the edge and stitch one more time. You will be able to see what I mean in the next photo.

Then fold to back side 1 1/2" to form a pocket and stitch to where the loop will be hanging facing up so you can hang your pull.

Now measure the miter  type end up 2 1/4" from tip of V and mark with chalk.This will be the placement for the first bell or bellls.

Then you will proceed to mark bell placement with chalk working to the top with each being 3" apart .

Take a workable length of grosgrain and cut into a v the end so it will go through a large eye needle easily.

Double over thread. (Big Tip: make sure your needle is not so big it won't go through the back end of the bells.. Don't usually have to worry about this with the larger size bell, but you might with the smaller ones.)

Run thread from back to front and leave about a 4" tail to back.

Just like that.

Now thread one large or two small bells on needle and thread and pull them down to the fabric.,

Run needle through front to back of work, making the bells snug to the front. Leave another end with at least 4" and cut. You will then tie off in a double knot to the back of the work. Remember to hold a knot well it is Right over left and then left over right.  Repeat the process for each chalk mark until you have 10 placements down the front. Repeat for the second pull same as the first. Or make many sets as I did and do all the steps assembly line style. Goes much faster that way!

And no my door is NOT dirty. It has a linen look glazing technique on it.

Hang and enjoy, by using loop in back and a nail, or those commando hooks that don't marr walls. Or make a decorative hanger or dowel to run through the top pocket and hang. I love these. They are classy, easy and inexpensive. What could be better. If something is not clear or you have questions or comments please feel free. We love comments. Makes us feel loved!

 

It's Been a Long Time

Hi all!

It has been way too long, but we are back. Not everthing in our lives has been ironed out. But we are starting to see the forest for the trees so to speak.   So let's get this party started, shall we?


                                             Kim and Crew