Pink Roses

vintage linen bunting...

I sewed a bunting out of vintage linens and doilies as a little Valentine's Day present for my sons sweet girlfriend Katie.  (hanging above it is a garland I made in a class taught by Pam Garrison that I wrote about HERE)

I started by cutting out 15 triangles of heavy canvas to use as my base.  My triangles were about 10" long and 7" wide, and my finished bunting was about 10 feet long.

I sewed the triangles together at the top with 2 pieces of seam binding...one on the front and one on the back, with the canvas in the middle. Cut 2 long pieces of seam binding, leaving about 3 feet loose on each end for hanging.  By sewing the seam binding on both sides, the banner will hang properly and not twist.

Then the fun part...layering and stitching your vintage linens.  I never pass up an inexpensive damaged linen at the flea market...those are the ones I don't feel guilty cutting up!

Some linens were sewed onto the canvas and cut into a triangular shape, and others like the crochet doilies, were left in their natural shape and just trimmed at the top. 

I stayed with a pastel palette, because Katie is a fan of Shabby Chic.

And I wrapped it up with a copy of one of my favorite books...

She loved it...and I thought you might too!

fabric collage book...

This is my current work-in-progress...a fabric collage book.  After working on organizing my studio ( a New Years resolution), I had a huge bin filled with scraps of fabric, lace and ribbon that were too small to do anything with, and too good to throw away.  I decided to use what I had on hand, and make a fabric collage book.   For the cover I used a scrap of an old quilt that I actually bought with the idea of making it into a cover of something...

I cut 3 rectangles of canvas slightly smaller that the cover, to use for the pages.  The canvas made a sturdy base for sewing on lots of layers, and it's what I had handy:) I sewed a straight seam down the middle, and presto...a book!

Then I just started layering scraps and sewing them on, with the machine and by hand.  I'm still adding...from this...

to this...

I sew down a few big pieces of fabric as the base...

and then layer the smaller pieces on top...

 

 

I'm still working on this and have lots to add (I still have 3 blank pages to fill), but I thought I would share the progress!

pom pom tutorial...

I made lots of pom poms this past Christmas, and used them to tie gift tags onto packages, and to decorate my winter snowflake garland in my kitchen window...

 

The method I use is quick and simple...I used to make these in elementary school!  It's a great way to use up leftover scrap yarn.  You start with a piece of chipboard or thin cardboard- a cereal box would do.  Cut out 2 circles with holes cut in the middle.  As you can see, I traced a glass for the outer circle, and traced a tea light for the inner circle.  The outside circle is 3.5 inches, and the inside is 1.5 inches.  You can do any size you want.  This made a finished pom pom of about 2.5 inches:

Next, cut a length of yarn.  I usually pull off about 5 arms lengths- probably about 15 feet- and then I fold it if half 3 times, making a shorter piece of yarn with 8 strands.  I begin wrapping the strands around BOTH pieces of cardboard together like this:

keep wrapping until you have covered the entire circle.  I always run out, and have to cut another piece of yarn, but that's ok.  It is easier to work with shorter lengths of yarn, and you will trim the extra

bits when you are done.

When you have finished wrapping the circles, place your scissors INSIDE the outer edge of the 2 circles and cut the yarn apart:

Cut it all the way around:

Then cut a length of yarn (I usually cut about 2 feet-you can always trim it later), and carefully slide the yarn between the 2 layers of cardboard to tie off your pom pom.  Don't pull the cardboard off yet:

Pull the yarn all the way around to the other side, and tie a knot.  Pull tightly and tie several times:

Then pull the cardboard off (you can use it again and again), shake your pom pom to fluff it up, and trim off any stray pieces of yarn.

So quick and easy...5 minutes at most!  The possibilities for using pom poms are endless...on a hat or sweater, in pastels tied onto baby shower gifts, string a bunch together for a garland (pink/white/red for Valentine's), or make bunny tails for Easter.  Happy crafting!

DIY: no-sew fabric banner...

I made a little no-sew fabric banner this morning for my daughter's kitchen, and thought I would share how I did it.  Here is a collage of photos I took in her happy Anthropologie inspired kitchen.  This was my inspiration.

 

I wanted to use a variety of coordinating fabrics, but I had nothing in her color family, so I went to my local quilt shop and bought a package of pre-cut quilt squares.  This package of 24 different squares cost around $7.00!

I used an iron-on adhesive to bind my fabric together.  You could also sew, or use fabric glue.

 

I folded the fabric squares in half on the diagonal, to form triangles.

I cut a triangle of the paper backed iron on adhesive, and ironed it onto one half of my square.  Follow the instructions for your individual product (mine said iron for 2 seconds).  After all the fabric pieces had adhesive ironed to them, I trimmed them a bit to my desired shape.  I folded each triangle in half:

 

and trimmed the fabric like this:

I used 2 strands of bakers twine to string my banner (red and blue), but you can use any string/ribbon/cord that matches your fabric.  I opened the fabric up, placed the bakers twine in the seam, removed the paper backing from my adhesive, and folded the fabric back together and ironed.  Again, follow the instructions that come with the product you purchase, as instructions vary regarding temperature and time.

here is the finished product hanging in my entry:

Oh...and the little scraps I trimmed?  Have no fear, I used them too!  Because the scraps had the iron on adhesive on them, I ironed them onto some plain shipping tags, trimmed them up, and look how cute they turned out...

My daughter gets a fabric banner, and I get some really cute fabric scrap tags!

DIY: vintage purse journal...

 

Vintage beaded and sequin purses seem to call my name at every flea market and antique store I visit. I have a few that I use for special occasions, and the rest...apparently I'm just hoarding :). Making a journal out of one of these vintage purses helps to justify my collection.

Here's how:  Start with one adorable vintage clutch purse.  It's OK if it's damaged, you won't feel too bad about altering it!  Mine is quite small-the finished pages are 3"x5"!

Use a seam ripper to open the side seams. The bottom of the purse will now be the spine of your journal.

Cut watercolor paper to fit the measurements of your purse.  I used 4- 6"x5" pieces of watercolor paper which I folded in half to make 3"x5" finished pages.  4 sheets of paper= a journal with 16 pages (front and back), and that was all my little purse could hold, and still be able to close.  Play around with the size and number of pages, and find what fits your purse best. I like watercolor paper because it is nice and thick, and you can sew and paint on it with ease. I embellished the right side of the pages, and kept the left side of the pages blank for journaling, sketching and collage. Here are the "right" side pages...

I punched two holes in the fold of the pages, that I will later use for binding.

You can see that the "left side" pages are blank {for now!}.

When I stacked all 4 sets of embellished pages inside each other to make one signature, my journal was too thick to close.  So, I made 2 signatures and tied them into the "spine" of the purse/journal with seam binding.

I threaded the seam binding through the holes in the fold of my pages...

and punched corresponding holes into the "spine" of my purse/journal with a crop-o-dile.  I also used scraps of fabric to cover some of the inside of the purse, because it was stained.  I was still "in progress" when I took this photo. I just stitched this piece of fabric on 3 sides, so that it formed a secret pocket:)

Here is a side view of the signatures tied into the journal with seam binding.

The edge of the pages...

I tied the ribbons into a bow on the spine, and added a bit of lace and a rhinestone button to the cover.

I think this idea could make a great wedding keepsake or guest book.  I am making another one as a scrapbook for my daughter and filling it with the photos I took of them on their anniversary in September.  But don't tell.  It's a Christmas present!

DIY Friday: doily table runner...

I finally made something that I have had pinned to my Pinterest "DIY" board for almost 9 months...this table runner made from doilies!  I saw the original here:

.

and thought I would make it for my kitchen table.  Well even though I have quite a few doilies, it wasn't enough, so I scaled it down and made a smaller runner for my coffee table in the living room.  I just arranged (and re-arranged) the doilies until they were in a pleasing pattern, and then pinned and hand stitched them together where they overlapped.  Some day I could always add to it and make it larger for my kitchen table.  I also did a "makeover" on this cute Easter bunny I found at TJMaxx this week...

He started out with a blue crepe paper ruffle around his neck, and I just changed it to a silk ribbon and added a soft pink flower from an old hat.  Now maybe HE is a SHE!  Either way, the bunny is now more my style!

DIY Friday: vintage journal...

After my flea market adventure last Friday, I was inspired to use some of my vintage finds to make a journal. 

I used the covers from some old books as the pages, and embellished them with a little bit of everything!

The books I used were not the same height or width, but were close in size.  I cut the covers off the books with an exacto knife, and used the front and back cover of the tallest book (the tan one) as the front and back cover of the journal.  Because my pages were very 3 dimensional, I only used one cover of each of the other books, 7 covers total...5 pages plus the front and back cover.

I punched holes in the covers with a crop-o-dile, and held it all together with 2" binder rings from the office supply store.  The outside edges of the journal are the smooth edges, and the "spine" is the cut edges of the book covers. Here is the cover : lace, millinery, satin ribbon, and a rhinestone pin...

 

The back side of each cover was covered in assorted papers, and a piece of watercolor paper was added as a blank spot for journaling on some. Here is the inside cover and page 2: a vintage dress pattern,  lace trim, velvet ribbon, a millinery rose, and a vintage calling card...

I hadn't added the journaling spots when I took these photos...sheet music, bridal lace, a vintage embroidered hankie, and a milagro tied on with ribbon...

The next page has a piece of vintage barkcloth with a bit of padding behind, so it can be used to "pin" on items, including a vintage enamel flower pin from my collection.

The next page has more vintage barkcloth and lace, and I laced seam binding to make a place to hold journaling tags, business cards, etc.

The back of this cover has vintage wallpaper and more lacing (like a corset), to hold more journaling.  I may not actually use these tags for my journaling...I just put them here to show you a possibility.

The last page has a round doily cut in half, then sewn to form a corner pocket to hold notes, cards, etc...

The back side also has a pocket...

This journal is sturdy and thick and just filled with all the vintage things I love and collect...and it was SO much fun to make!

  It would make a great guest book at a wedding!

DIY Friday: {easy} linzer cookies...

 

There are a million great cookie dough recipes out there, but sometimes I take the easy way out, and use good old Pillsbury...

 

I like to make bite sized cookies because they are so darn cute.  Little things are always cuter it seems!  I use little canapé and hors d'oeuvre cutters (yard sale find: $1.00), but any small heart shaped cutter will do.

 

To make linzer cookies: roll out the cookie dough and cut into heart shapes, bake according to recipe/package directions.  When cool, take 2 cookies and make a little "cookie sandwich" with raspberry jam in the middle.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar. YUM!

 

Then the fun part...packaging them!  I used regular waxed paper from the grocery store, and sewed little bags that would hold 3 or 4 cookies each.

Leave one side longer, so that you can fold it over as a flap.

You can cut the edges with decorative scissors, and decorate the flap with ribbon, paper hearts, a little tag...there is no limit!

They make pretty little gifts for everyone on your Valentine's list!

{Today I'm happy to be linking up with Beverly and PINK SATURDAY !}

DIY Friday: vintage valentine boxes...

Oh yes, I know it's Sunday, but I'm finally posting my Friday project!  My Friday craft day turned into a mother-daughter day instead, and I just couldn't turn down a chance to have lunch and shop with that girl of mine!  My project this week has been to redo some new Heart shaped candy boxes...

I actually bought these last year after Valentines Day for 75 cents and have been saving them for this project.  I still have a few I'm working on, but I thought I would post what I've done so far.

This first is a box for my daughter, and I used crepe paper and a vintage millinery flower, and some pale green ribbon that was wrapped around my flowers in her wedding.  Yes, I save everything :)

I folded the crepe paper streamer not quite in half, I wanted there to be a double ruffle, then basted it on my sewing machine and gathered the ruffles.  I used a hot glue gun to glue on 2 rows of ruffles.  As you can see, I covered the top of the heart with an old book page first, just to cover the red box.  I had the crepe paper extend over the edge of the box, so this box looks larger than the bright pink box, but they are the same box.

I covered the sides of the box with paper as well, and then added rick rack.  All the underside edges were covered in German glass glitter.

This box is for my sons girlfriend Katie, and she likes brighter colors...

For this heart I covered the top with a book page, then covered it in lace.  I added some velvet ribbon in bright pink ( from an old Victoria's Secret box), and a great vintage millinery rose.

the sides have paper and lace seam binding, and glitter as well.  I"m still working on a few more, and will update this post later this week.  Here are a few vintage boxes I found on Pinterest to further inspire you!

This belongs to my friend Heather Kowalski...

The next two photos are from Jessica Enig of Such Pretty Things...

DIY Friday: fabric hearts...

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, it seems a good time for heart shaped projects.  I've had hearts on my mind since I saw the class that Pam Garrison and Charlotte Lyons are teaching at French General this weekend.  Oh, how I would love to go!

So, when my friend Danielle Muller asked me to be in her Valentine Heart swap, my response was YES, YES, YES!

I used a vintage linen napkin to make my hearts.  I sewed it and stuffed it, then hand sewed on some vintage lace from a wedding dress.  I added a velvet flower from an old hat, and some pearl buttons to attach the ribbon.

It's a great way to use up scraps...now I'm off to make a few more!