Would you not love to wear this stunning RED Boreal Sweater on Christmas day or any of her FAB outfits?  I think her designs are just awesome and I hope you visit this young lady Shanah’s blog “Little House Clothing” and ETSY shop “Little House” and look over all her spectacular designs.  I am sure we will be seeing her design on the runway!

Shanah : I am a 28 year old full time sewer, I mainly make clothes but lately I have been having a lot of fun making hats! My clothing line is called ‘Little Houses Clothing’ and can also be found on ETSY “Little House”. I do all of my own silk-screening at home in my studio.

As I mentioned I was doing the sewing until we hired an editor and the new editor will be starting on Monday, so stop by “felting” and say hi.

Linda

Snow Folks Beanbags!  Who knew snow could have so much personality? These easy-sew beanbags will be happy to spread good cheer as stocking stuffers, ornaments, or package decorations.

Snowman Doll

Hi all, I am Linda the felting editor, I am doing the sewing column for a while until the editor applications can be sorted out and approved.  We did not want to miss the Holiday season and all the lovely sewing ideas that can be created for gifts! The Mr. and Mrs. Snowman Mittens project has a little sewing but not a lot.  The Placemat Market Tote Bag is a sewing project!

I just think these are sweet and easy enough for us all to make. 

I found these two delightful projects on Crafts at Home and please pay them a visit and look around at all their amazing free crafting patterns.  I welcome all ideas for sewing blogs or shops!

Just when you thought you could toss out those teensy scraps, along comes a little idea to use them up. (“Waste not/Want not”)

Cut your scraps into 1 ½” squares making sure you have a front and a back. Iron a 1 ¼” square fusible web such as Wonder Under between them and get set to embellish them with buttons, lace, charms, yarns, ribbons or anything you have lying around.  You can machine embroider them, paint them, bead them or leave them plain. If you have bits of border or triangles left over from quilting, these would be perfect to join together for our “mini quilts”.

 These little tags can be used for package decorations, card embellishments, scrapbooking, or even a hanging mobile if you have enough. This is micro-art!

Shapes are more difficult to work with such as starts or hearts, but not impossible. Just be sure to use a stiffer interfacing in between the front and back to keep it stabilized while you embellish it.

Finish the edges with zigzag, couched on ribbons or yarn or pink them and sew
a straight stitch 1/8” in from the edge.

Here are a few more ideas to clean out those closets.

Sweaters

·         Shrunken wool—Here’s something you once may have cried about, but can now rejoice over. That expensive sweater you splurged on that could now fit your poodle, can now be made into a great hat and mitten set. Or hat, if only that big. Trace a hat you already have onto paper. Cut out two of the same using the hem as the bottom of the hat, adding ½inch seam allowance to the sides.  If you unsure if the sweater will run or not, run a narrow zigzag just inside the cutting line on your sewing machine before you cut it out.  After you cut it out, just place the two halves  right sides together, and zigzag or serge around it. If you have enough for mittens or have more than one sweater, trace around the outline of your hand, leaving lots of seam allowance, trust me here.  Don’t forget you need to make 4 halves, two for each hand. Stitch around, turn right side out and enjoy your sweater! Oh, if you have no other use for it, put it on your dog.

·         Scarf—use bits of sweaters and  make a patchwork scarf joining the random pieces together with a zigzag or serge stitch. I would make it wide enough to fold in half lengthwise, stitch down and turn inside out so you can’t see any of the seams, plus it will be warmer.  Unravel some of the yarn from any remnants and make fringe for the ends.

·         Bag—make a cool bag. Cut off the sleeves and stitch them shut rights side together. Stitch straight across the top of the shoulders including the neck edge. Turn upside-down so the bottom is now the top and you have the beginnings of a bag. You can then use the sleeves for handles, or use jean legs for something funky. You can add pockets from scraps of whatever you have. If the sweater has a loose knit to it, you may want to line it. Think of a contrasting colour that may show through for extra funkiness!

·         Stuffed animals—what do you do with disco leopard print sweater that was off one shoulder? Make a stuffed leopard, what else?  Make a stuffed elephant for something different? Get creative, who doesn’t want a pink striped dog?

June has come and gone and now what to do with those luscious dresses swathed in plastic lurking in the back of every girl’s closet? Here are a couple of great ideas to use up the fabric at least. Perhaps make an extra one for the newlyweds as a reminder of their wedding day!

Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-915 

Craft designer Tracey Dale demonstrates how to give new life to the old bridesmaid dress hanging in the back of the closet.

When the dress is taken apart it can be used for a variety of projects including

Lampshade covers, shawl’s and even photo album covers. Visit HGTV’s website for full instructions on how to recycle your puffy purple dress.

http://teddiesbylauralynn.com/free-patterns/patterns.html

Snowbear Pattern

This will make an 8 1/2″ tall Snowbear. Snowbear pg1
Snowbear pg2
Snowbear pg3

Materials:
Mohair/Fur fabric: A fat 1/8th yard of mohair / fur
Prototype was made from 5/8″ semi sparse, curly matted mohair.

Joint discs: (2) 1″ discs (only one joint in this pattern)

The hardware of your choice (cotterpins, locknuts & bolts, setscrews…)

2 glass eyes – I used 9mm

Bells or buttons

Artificial “branches” – 2
I used “oak leaves” on branches and stripped off the leaves.

Pearl cotton for nose/mouth

Fiberfill

Glass beads or steel bb’s

Seam allowance is INCLUDED in the pattern: 1/8″.

Basic Sewing: Sew with right sides of fabric together.
Do not sew into arrows, they are just to make matching the pieces easier.

Sew the head as usual (or see Basic Directions.)
Below are sewing directions for the body:

You have 4 body pieces.
Match up BODY A and BODY B together along the “F G H” side.
Sew from E to F – then leave gap where it says to leave open.
Now sew from G to H.

Match up BODY C and BODY D together.
Sew from I to J in the direction of the arrow at I.
Now you have 2 body pieces.

Match up the 2 Body pieces.
Sew from E/I to Y/Z. When you get to the dotted lines in the middle of the body, sew along the dotted lines to make a slight dart.

Now you have one inside out snowman, but he needs a base!
Sew his base onto the bottom just like you would a footpad.

Turn right side out thru opening.
Take finished and closed head and insert neck joint thru the seam at the top where all 4 body pieces join together. Attach disc on inside of body and secure.

Begin to stuff snowbear by filling the bottom inch or so with a weighted material. I use glass sand, you may also use stainless steel bb’s. This keeps him from falling over.

Finish stuffing with fiberfill. This takes longer than you might expect for such a “little” body!

When he’s all filled, close the seam. Determine where his front is and sew on your buttons, bells of choice. Take your “sticks” and determine how long you would like them. Trim to size. Take your wire cutters and strip off about an inch of the plastic away from the wire base and the bottom of the “sticks” (where you will stick them into the snowman). Take your awl and make a hole where you want the first “stick arm” to go.
Squeeze some white craft glue on the base of the stick and insert into the snowman.

Do the same for the other arm. **I have TRIED the gel superglue… but it dries too quickly and becomes a huge mess! White craft glue is your best bet! Let you snowman’s arms dry overnight.

http://www.auctionfabric.com/

I get together with friends and having to balance my iron on top of something as I try to get it home has always been a challenge. Of course, if I was organized, I would  stop sewing a few minutes earlier to  let it cool, but hey, who wants to give up precious sewing minutes? Get creative with it! I put a few little pockets on the outside, you can never have too many!

Make Your Own Iron Caddy

Iron Caddy For Traveling
Debbie ColgroveHere’s a quick project that will protect your cars synthetic carpet after sewing class, with a pocket for the cord.

Materials Needed

• 19″ Square of cotton fashion fabric
• 19″ square of batting
• 19″ square of Teflon Fabric(silver, heat resistant fabric)
• 14″ by 5″ piece of fabric
• 11″ of 1/4″ soft elastic
• Thread
• Stuffing
• Tape measure or ruler
• Pencil or chalk

Directions

Fold fashion fabric in half and in half again, so that it is folded in quarter.

From the folded corner measure 9″, rotating your ruler to form a 1/4 circle. Join your marks together and cut on the marked line. When unfolded you will have a circle of fabric.

Use the circle as a template to cut out your batting and teflon. Set aside the batting and teflon.

Use the 14″ by 5″ piece of fabric to make a pocket. Fold right sides together so that you have a 7″ by 5″ folded piece. Using 1/2″ seams stitch around cut edges leaving a 1″ area open to turn right side out. Trim corners. Turn right side out. Push out corners. Press flat and press the unstitched area in 1/2″ to match seam line.

From any edge of the cotton fabric fold up an area so that the fold to the edge measures 6 1/2″. Measure 5 1/4″ in along folded edge, from both sides.

Line up pocket with your measured area. Place the open area that you turned the pocket right sides out, towards the center of the circle. Pin in place and stitch close to the pocket edges. Leave open on the long edge that is nearest the circle edge.

Lay batting on table. Lay cotton fabric over batting right side up. Lay teflon fabric on top of fabric shiny side down. Line up all edges. You may pin them together but pins will leave marks in the Teflon. You can paper clip it together and remove the paper clips as you get to that area.

Stitch along edge leaving a 3″ – 4″ area open to turn right sides out. Turn right sides of fabric out. Press flat and press under the unstitched edge.

Stitch 1/2″ on from pressed seam edge, around the entire circle.

Using a safety pin, thread the elastic through the edge of the circle. Overlap the ends of the elastic and stitch to hold them together.

Use a slip stitch to close the open edge.

Tips

I designed these instructions for a standard household iron. You may need to vary the elastic for your iron.

Even though Teflon is heat resistant, please be very careful with a hot iron. Allow it to cool while you pack up everything else.

Although clothes pins are bulky, you can use the spring type to hold fabrics together in place of paper clips.

Insulated Totes For Soda & Water Bottles
Debbie Colgrove
7/7/04

Bring your own beverage to parades and community events and keep them cold.

Here you’ll find insulated bottle totes in various sizes for most popular water and soda bottles. Here is a way to keep that drink cold!

Materials

This backpack is perfect for small kids to carry their things in. It has a drawstring opening that can be closed and the straps on the sides will hold the backpack securely on their bodies. This backpack has a cotton lining to give it more durability. You can choose instead a fabric that is water resistant if you like.

Tip:
This bag makes a wonderful shoe bag as well for those travelling with baggage.

Supplies needed:- Two coordinating pieces of fabric measuring
60 cm (24 inches) x 27 cm (10.8 inches) each
- 2 pieces of matching cording measuring each 11 cm
(4.4 inches)
- 2 pieces of matching cording measuring 1.20 meters
(48 inches) each
- matching thread
- quilters ruler
- standard sewing suppliesFor instructions: http://www.craftideas.info/html/childs_backpack.html

Special Offer
Free Pattern!
McCall’s/Sew News
The Fashion Collection
Fall 2007

For a limited time, Sew News readers may order McCall�s 5480 FREE (you pay postage and handling), or order one or more of the remaining designs from the McCall�s/Sew News Collection and save more than 72% off the retail price. Simply download and fill out the form on this PDF, and send it with a check or money order (no cash or stamps, please) to the appropriate address. Hurry! Offer ends December 31, 2007.

1. Save those plastic salad boxes with the snap on lids. They stack, they are the right size for fat quarters if you quilt and they are see through. Oh, and they are free! Ask everyone you know to save theirs, you can never have too many. I keep my scraps in them according to whatever whim I feel at the moment. I keep small projects lumped together in them and can reach for them at any given moment when I have a “notion” to work on it.

2. Roll up your fabric and store on shelves that have dividers on them. Make your own dividers with shelf brackets or just stand a piece of wood or an old LP cover between the rolls. Rolled fabric doesn’t crease as much, and trust me, when you pull out that piece in twenty years, you will be glad of that (because that is when it will be in style)

3. Patterns can be stored in large zippered freezer bags that you can purchase at a dollar store. You will never get those pieces back in the envelope, no matter who you are. I also through out all the excess paper, instructions is languages I don’t understand and any pieces I will never use even if it is 20 years in the future. It saves a little space I figure.

4. I was able to find an old wooden cabinet with many mini-draweres at a factory auction that was used to hold parts or something. I painted it brilliant purple and labeled each of the drawers to what they should hold. Inside the drawers I found little baskets and conta