written by marieann

I made this easy cute curtain to jazz up our new kitchen. I’ve been tardy on posting because I was swamped with graduation and then moving to my new city, San Francisco. I bought this expensive and beautiful silk fabric for a dress but I suck at custom fitting. So I had a few yards of this great fabric and I when we decided our kitchen was going to be black and white it was perfect!

Materials:
Fabric that is 2-3 times the length of your window width to treat

Tools:
Sewing machine

Instructions:
1. These curtains use a piece of fabric that is as long as the window as the fabric is wide. I chose this fabric with a border print so that it could run along the bottom of the curtain. So your curtains will only be 45″ or 60″ tall (a bit shorter though for the hems). This is why they work best as kitchen curtains that you want to act only as a valance. So you don’t have to do any cutting when you’ve purchased the fabric.
2. Hem the bottom edge (this is the long edge along your length of fabric). I did a double fold so that the raw edge was tucked in.
3. Hem the left and right edges (this is the short edges).
4. To make the ruffle along the top, fold the fabric down along the top with approximately 6″ of overlap. Sew along the raw edge.
5. Then sew another line above the one you made in step 4 that gives you enough width to thread your curtain rod thru. You are making a casing.
6. You’re all done! Thread thru the narrow casing and hang up. If you use a stiff fabric, the ruffle will stand up. If you use lightweight fabric like I did, it will flop over and make a rufflier top.

written by marieann

I picked up this great Asian silk dress at the thrift store for $5 but I knew that I wouldn’t really wear it as such. It was really form fitting and not really my style. So I made this skirt that is just the right amount of Asian print and yet is much more wearable. I’ve got it paired with a long black shirt and it looks great.

Materials:
Form fitting dress you’d like to make into a skirt (Asian dresses work great)
1″ elastic (longer than your waist; don’t cut it until you’ve sized it in step 6)

Tools:
Sewing machine
Scissors
Safety pin (large)

Instructions:
1. Try the dress on and find your natural waist line. You can find this by bending sideways. The place that your side folds is your waistline.
2. Mark this point with a pin on either side of your body.
3. Remove the dress and lay it really flat and even. Line up the hem to be sure you’re going to cut straight across. Cut a line straight across the dress 2 1/2″ above the pins.
4. Fold the top of the skirt over 1 1/2″. Fold the bottom half inch under (to make a casing). Pin in place and sew along the bottom of the casing with a tiny seam. Leave a tiny hole (about 1 1/2″ in the casing to put your elastic thru).
5. Pin the safety pin thru one end of the elastic and push it thru your hole. Feeding the safety pin thru the casing, work it all the way around.
6. When you’ve gotten the elastic all the way thru, try the skirt on. Pull the elastic as tight as needed to hold up the skirt. Sew the ends of the elastic together with a zig zag stitch. Sew the hole you left in step 4 closed.

I found that the silk was difficult to work with so the band looks a bit wonky but it doesn’t matter as I would always wear a long shirt that covers up the waistband anyway.

written by threadslinger

Inspired by Marie’s NES Mario Quilt, I decided I would try my hand at quilting NES Zelda. This is just my first block although I am thinking about using him as the center piece and doing a quilted border so that it is a lap quilt, perfect for playing video games. Below is the pattern I used to make the border. Download the largest if you want to make your own NES Link.

written by marieann

I participated in my first real swap on craftster. I was really nervous because I really wanted my partner to like what I made her so I went a bit overboard. These days I have a LOT of crafting time (or rather, I make crafting time like right now when I am skipping class) and I love to give away the crafts I make. SO, if you want to personal swap, contact me I’d love to make a package for you too.

Here’s what I sent in this swap:

• Half apron: featured here
• Baby girl dress: featured here
• Squirrel print (I bought this fabric from Japan) travel tissue holder: tutorial here
• Squirrel print fabric covered journal: tutorial here
• Crochet mushroom case: to be featured
• Fabric bookmark with buttons: to be featured
• Cute envelope with forest animal stickers
• Paper decorated shoebox (I mailed everything in this and she can store her craft supplies in it)

written by marieann

I had admired handbound journals I’ve seen around the internet for ages but I’ve always thought it was too difficult a craft to pick up. Thanks to this amazing tutorial, I learned I was wrong. I whipped up ten of these little books in a couple of days (one is not photographed). I paired plain papers with every cool paper I had been hoarding without a purpose in mind (like pages from old children’s books, maps, watercolor reprints, etc.). The covers are made from fabric so you are limited only by your stash.

I also made matching pen/cil holders for these like these.

written by threadslinger

I recently spent 4 days on the mountain boarding and when I came back my face was nearly raw from windburns. I saw lots of people on the mountain with bandannas tied over their faces and thought to myself that I could make it a little better. I came up with this nifty and cozy bandanna. Make one to protect your face! Also, this can be used for skiing too. I am snowboard centric because it is what I do. Oh, and also cause it is the best.

Materials Needed

Fleece
Fabric
Velcro
Sewing Machine

Directions

1. Fold over fabric (think hamburger style, please someone get that reference) and cut out a triangle that will fit around your face. Repeat the same with fleece.

2. Sew them right sides together, leaving a space to turn inside out on either side of the bottom of the triangle. Set aside.

3. Cut 2 strips each of fabric and fleece, put right sides together and sew 3 sides, turn inside out. Place inbetween layers on triangle piece and sew together.

4. Sew velcro pieces on the end of the strips and VOILA you have a rockin’ bandanna.

Here is a sick nasty photo of it modeled by yours truly.

written by marieann

I love the idea of mug cozies but I’m not that big of a crocheter. When I saw this idea in a store, I had to make my own! It’s a quick project and sooo cute. Make one to fit all your favorite mugs.

Materials:
8 eyelets
ribbon
batting
fabric scraps

Tools:
hammer
sewing machine

Directions:
1. If you are using a curved cup (like from Starbucks; its when the cup tapers to smaller at the bottom) then you need a curved cozy. Use the brown paper cozy from a Starbucks cup for the pattern for a curved cozy (shortened it a bit though so you have room for the laces). If you use a straight mug, then you need a straight rectangle pattern. Just measure around the straight mug to get the circumference and make it as tall as your hand. Tape your pattern around your mug just to be sure it fits smoothly but is a bit short to go all the way around.

2. Using the pattern you made in step 1, cut two cozy pieces from your fabric and one from the batting.

3. Pin the three layers together as follows: fabric pieces should be right sides together, the batting should be on top, batting touching the wrong side of one of the fabrics.

4. Sew around three edges (leave a short end open) with a 1/4″ seam.

5. Trim excess fabric around seams and clip corners. Turn right side out; press.

6. Turn under the raw edges and sew that seam shut. Quilt randomly all around.

7. Mark four places for the eyelets to go on one end evenly spaced out and 1/2″ inside the edge. Put in the eyelets. Then fold the cozy in half and mark the eyelet placings on the other end (this ensure accuracy so that both ends match). Put in those eyelets.

8. Lace with ribbon, walaa!

written by threadslinger

I can never find the many remotes that we have in our house and it was driving me crazy. So, I got this idea to create a remote control hang up organizer. I hung it on the side of a chair in our living room and it works great. Here is a quick tutorial for you to make your own.

Materials needed

fleece or some kind of heavy fabric
matching cotton fabric
sewing machine

Directions

1. Lay all your remotes out in a line and measure how long you need to make your organizer. If you are like me, addition of living with boyfriend > in remotes.

2. Cut out a piece of fleece and fabric the right length and height. Then sew it wrong sides together, turn inside out.

3. Lay your remotes inside the pieces of fabric and pin sides so that you have a personalized pocket for each remote.

4. Sew along pins to make pockets for each remote.

5. Then cut 6 strips of fleece and sew to the top left of the organizer. Sew another in the middle. Tie to a chair or possibly pin to the wall and now you will never have to search for your remotes again!

written by marieann

I am kind of in love with this purse. I used this easy peasy tutorial (click receita-pleatness bag.doc to download). I bought this lovely pink fabric a few month ago and was zealously guarding it. I love it paired with this burgandy. The zipper was easy to put in and the handle is the perfect length. I am making Caro one for her birthday and offering one for the Public Interest Law Auction at my school. I see more of these in my future.

written by marieann

I used this tutorial to make a bitty toddler dress from an old adult botton up for my swap partner. The tutorial was really easy to follow. It’s especially easy because you just need to know the baby’s chest size. My shirt didn’t have a yolk as she suggested but I don’t think that it mattered. I added the lace on the bottom and tie straps to be sure that it fit the little girl. I hand sewed this design in felt scraps. I’m a bit worried that this won’t wash but I’ll just tell mommy to gently hand wash.

Felt Motif Tutorial

Materials:
Felt scraps
Thin paper (I used tissue paper)

Tools:
Some design to trace/or drawn
Needle
Embrodiery floss
Fabric glue
A “base object” to sew your motif on

Directions:
1. Choose your design. I chose Deery Lou from the makers of Hello Kitty because my partner loves kawaii and it’s a forest friends swap.

2. Trace each part of the design that will be a different color on thin paper.

3. Glue the felt pieces to your base (whether it’s a dress, purse, pillow, etc.). Don’t put glue near the edges but rather just in the center to hold it in place. Let the glue dry.

4. Using the floss and needle, sew around each piece (thru all layers) with a coordinating color. You could use a blanket stitch but I thought it looked cool with just sewing a straight stitch thru the edges.

5. Adore with buttons, ribbons, etc. for extra cuteness.

In this photo I hadn’t finished all the hand-sewing around the orange but I had really good light so I shot it anyway.