Clip art quilting

No, no, no, I don't mean clip art pictures of quilts.  I mean I USED clip art to help me make this quilt, because I'm a terrible artist.  Seriously, my two year old is about to pass me up in artistic ability.

I sewed my quilt top together in three sections and used spray adhesive to stick it to the batting.  Which is way awesomer than pinning because it holds better, and when your quilting, you don't have to hug a porcupine.

Then I printed out a clip art star and traced the stars on my quilt with a chalk wheel.  After that I sewed all over my chalk lines.  Hey! Pretty good for a beginner quilter! Now if my mom would just get that quilting machine I could really rock it. Maybe one day I'll have a quilting machine.

Next, I sewed my three sections of quilt together and was quite surprised to find that the extra batting in the seam added very minimal bulk.  You probably wouldn't even notice if I didn't tell you.

Now, remember that I have the quilt top quilted to the batting with on back.  So I cut the back to the exact size and pinned them together right sides together and sewed it, leaving a hole to turn it right side out.

I closed the hole with a precise and neat hand whip stitch.  Just kidding.  I just top stitched all the way around.  I only use needle and thread for emergencies and those pesky buttons.

Easiest binding ever! Maybe that's because it's non-binding binding? Check out my first attempt at non-binding binding.

*I must read the tutorial before diving into projects* 

*I must read the tutorial before diving into projects* 

*I must read the tutorial before diving into projects*

Bah, who am I kidding.  I always look at a picture on pinterest and think I just must know how they did it.  If my husband showed me a couple pictures on plugging wells I would probably think I knew how to do that too.

I digress....

This non-binding binding looks sweet.

If you liked this post then please consider subscribing to my blog for more posts you will love, or leave a comment! 

Dave Ramsey money envelopes

Once I saw these Dave Ramsey money envelopes I just knew I had to make a pile for myself.  Before we were just using regular paper envelopes and every other second I was switching one out because they were getting all haggard.  And since your on a budget these can be made entirely from scraps. 

 1. Cut two squares (matching or not!) 7 3/4'' by 7 3/4''

2. Apply medium weight interfacing to one of the squares. I save my scraps just for this.

 3. Sew the squares, right sides together, leaving a hole to turn it right side out.  Clip the corners.

4. Turn and sew along two opposite sides of your square. 

5. Fold the square in half, bringing the seams together. I like the piece with the interfacing on the outside, but I have made them with the interfacing on the inside fabric and it doesn't make much of a difference.

6. Sew the other opposite edges.

7. Stuff with money.  I also put in a index card where I write what the envelope is for and how much goes in each month.

8. Go forth and multiply.

If you liked this post then please consider subscribing to my blog for more posts you will love, or leave a comment! 

Teaching a four year old to sew

Yes! A four your old can sew, and can sew well.  Harlee made this pillow.  Now she wants a whole bed set that matches.  And she wants Cheyenne to have an entire matching bed set, only in purple.  She wants to sew it now and she wants it done tomorrow. Go figure. She is way too ambitious.

I thought I would teacher her how to iron.  I told her where it was hot and where to hold it and she picked it up and went to town.  I feel like less of a teacher and more an overseer of her learning. 

She has mad skills.

I run the foot pedal, and make sure the fabric is lined up when we put it in the machine and I give verbal commands.

Harlee can thread the machine (when talked through it).

Harlee can back stitch.

Harlee can guide the fabric.

Harlee can iron her fabric and her seams open or to the side.

Harlee can guide the fabric through the machine.

Harlee can pin her fabric.

Harlee knows what right sides together means.

 Most importantly Harlee is proud of herself and what she can do.

She seemed to learn all this overnight.  Hindsight really is 20-20.  She often has wanted to sit in my lap for a couple of minutes here and there.  I would be all "this is this and that is that."  The whole time she was soaking it all up, and I thought I was talking just to hear myself.

Next time Cheyenne wants to sit in my lap while I'm sewing I think I'll try to be more exciting.  Who knows what she will learn if I know I'm actually teaching.

trash to fabulous - junk jeans to cute skirt

Ya know what drives me nuts?  Little girl jeans, they never fit right.  They're either too long or too short and 99% of them are too big in the waist.  So you have to buy the ones with the elastic waist bands to shrink em up properly so your cute pig tail wearing baby girl doesn't look all gangster.

Then once you finally find that magic pair that fits right and you live happily ever after.

Just kidding.

They either grow out of them in two weeks or wear holes in the knees.  And your right back were you started....which is at old navy trying to get a toddler to try on 45 pairs of jeans.  

But summer is coming soon (I hope).  We don't need jeans! We need skirts and flip flops.  I got the idea from here.

Harlee's jeans with holes in the knees.  She has been doing this to quite a few of her jeans lately.

 

I cut them off just above the crotch, along with a pair of Cheyenne's jeans that were too short.

I cut two pieces of fabric for each skirt.  The pink I made 5 inches wide and long enough to wrap around the bottom of the jean skirt twice.  The green is 3 inches wide and just as long as the pink.

Then I hemmed one long side of each piece of fabric.

Then I sewed the ends together to make a circle.  Next time I make these I'm going to sew this before I hem it.

Next, sew your circles together on the unhemmed side with really really big stitches.

 Pull on the threads of your big stitches to gather it. 

 Now you have this funky tutu looking thing.

Pin funky looking tutu to jean skirt, right sides together and stitch.


 

 Fast. Easy. Cute.  That's how I roll.