You’ve made cookies for your child’s teacher, the postal carrier, and the dental receptionist who was able to find an appointment for you at the last minute. Now, how are you going to give them the cookies? A plate of cookies requires a lot of cookies to make it not appear skimpy. You don’t want […] Read more…
How to Make a Table Runner
For Thanksgiving I wanted my well-worn table to look as good as our newly painted and decorated dining room, without having to refinish the table. I knew I wanted to make placemats and not a full tablecloth but I decided that instead of making a placemat for each person, there would be six of us, […] Read more…
How to Make a Bento Bag
As a kid when I needed to transport small toys out to the back yard, I would place them in the center of a bandanna and tie the opposite corners together. I thought it was the perfect little tote and even used it high school (and beyond) as a purse. The bento bag is a sort […] Read more…
How to Make Cloth Napkins
The following video was made in 2013 but never put up on the site. We have always used cloth napkins, at first it was to save money, now it just seems, well, why not?. I stopped buying already made cloth napkins when I couldn’t find them in 100% cotton in the colors I wanted or […] Read more…
Tutorial Review: Noodlehead’s Open Wide Zippered Pouch
After seeing these pouches on Pinterest over and over again, and on a quest to use up the little cuts of fabric in my stash, I decided to try out Noodlehead’s Open Wide Zippered Pouch tutorial. (No, wait. Cut to reality – It wasn’t as organized and leisurely as that sounds. It was a last […] Read more…
Sew a Mat for Your Pet’s Bowls
My dog is a messy eater and sloppy drinker. He will put his head up, open his mouth wide and let whatever food or water that was in his mouth just fall out. Did he forget he was eating? Did something distract him? “Quick,” he thinks, “dump this stuff, maybe she’ll think she hasn’t feed me yet and […] Read more…
How to Make a Tree Skirt
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, I decorated your branches but I neglected to cover up your tree stand. Well, to the defense of my laziness the lower branches and the gifts, once wrapped and placed under the tree, hide the mammoth, green, plastic stand pretty well. How did I get so lackadaisical? Years ago I made […] Read more…
Easy and Quick Fabric Gift Bags
I have a love hate relationship with gift wrap. I love the designs, the colors, the way they make the simplest gifts look so good. I don’t like that it can only be used onced and then tossed away. (Yes, same with Kleenex, but Kleenex serves a very useful purpose before it is tossed). Gift bags are slightly better […] Read more…
Pattern Review: Easy Wristlet Purse by Sue Kim
What I sewed: Wristlet Zipper Purse Pattern found in Bags the Modern Classics by Sue Kim and published by Stash Books Bag sewer and pattern maker Sue Kim of ithinksew.com has been making bags since 2007. She published Bags the Modern Classics in 2011. I recently picked it up used. I liked a few of the […] Read more…
Kwik Sew’s Bow Tie: Easy to Sew
A bow tie was never something I thought I would make. I’m not against them, they simply aren’t on my radar. Besides, I view ties like undies; garments to be bought at a store. Yet, I’ve just made a bow tie and I liked it. It went so fast and so easy. Recently a friend […] Read more…