NEW Hotness!

As you all know my Old Machine DIED! :(  but for Christmas The Hubbs and the Rents got me THIS!

So if my old machine is OLD and BUSTED.... Then this must be NEW HOTNESS!

I can definitely feel the QUALITY! 

I've just gotta make the time to tackle the sewing projects I've been amassing!

~LuLu

A Moment of Silence...

... for my poor poor sewing machine! I think I've had it since I was 12 (possibly longer). We've been through a lot together. The ups, the downs, the quilts, the clothes, the royal messes, and the awesome successes. Last week she finally gave up the ghost... and I haven't been quite the same since!

Although I guess its guess its a good time of year for a BIG purchase... Now to pick my NEW machine! MUAHAHAHA!! I have a feeling my new machjine will be WAY better than my 12 year old walmart special machine!!

However, the torture of having a stack of reddy to go projects waiting on a new machine is enough to drive any crafter MAD!

~LuLu

Headband and Hairbow Holder Tutorial

Materials:

-Empty Oatmeal Container (or other similar container)
-Cotton Batting (like for quilts The cheap stuff is perfect I didn't have that so I used what I had)
-Fabric of your choice to cover container (I didn't measure but it can probably be done with a fat quarter)
-Hot glue gun and plenty of glue
-Coordinating construction paper




Step 1: Take cotton batting and wrap it around the container twice. I did this with the lid on so that I wouldn't accidentally glue it too high and then not be able to use the lid later! I glued one side seam, then did top and bottom at the same time in small sections, then did 2nd side seam and was able to trim extra off then.














Step 2: Since your fabric will be longer than your container just do the middle seam for now. Do one side. Wrap fabric around pulling tight and then glue down. If the edge is raw and fraying consider folding over before gluing for a more polished look.










Step 3: Starting on the bottom of your container. Trim fabric so its only has about an inch extra. Then slowly glue the excess fabric down stretching it tight as you go and smoothing wrinkles.










Step 4: This is pretty much step 3 repeated on the top only I glued in 2 places on the top. I did my first glue just over the lip of the container on the inside all the way around. Then I glued again under the lip (it sorta sticks out a little in the container.









Step 5: Cut 2 circles just smaller than your container one to cover the bottom to make it pretty and one for the lid.... Or skip the bottom I mean who looks at the bottom... and spray paint the lid :)









Step 6: (Optional) Use a piece of construction paper to cover the inside of the container. Cut to the same length as the inside of the container then glue inside to cover raw edges. (I don't know if I'll go back and do this for myself, but if I were making it for some one else I TOTALLY would!)

Step 7: Drill or use scissors to poke a hole in the top of the lid. Take a piece of ribbon and tie a bow with 2 reallllllly long ends and double knot it.... (like tying your shoe) then feed this into the hole in the lid. The knot should keep it from falling through. Then tie a knot on the inside of the lid to keep it from pulling out. Tie a knot in the end of each string that is hanging into the container to keep things from sliding off. (SOOOOO sorry there aren't more pictures of this step it was sort of a quick decision that turned out great but doesn't have pics, but look at the 2 pics at the top to sorta see what I mean!)















On the top I clipped a bow that I really like and thought looked good on top, but you could do anything to decorate the top or just leave with the little bow.


Then pile on the head bands and clip on the hair bows. My counter is a TON cleaner now and I can still see everything... and ACTUALLY find what I'm looking for!



















Download this Tutorial as a PDF

***Please don't re-post my tutorial on your site or directly to my PDF instead PLEASE link to my blog post and let them get the tutorial from MY BLOG. I appreciate it a ton! ***

~LuLu

Hello Kitty Bow Tutorial and Giveaway

Materials:
Bow Template
Black Felt
Red Felt (or any color you like)
Black Thread
White Marking Pencil or tailors chalk
Pins
Scissors
Needle

Download and print the Bow Template and if you want the Tutorial Too. I print mine on Card-stock and think it gives it a bit more durability for multiple bows.

Step 1- Cut out Pattern Pieces (I don't cut those inner little circles I free hand those on the felt by site because they are too small to trace.)











Step 2: Cut out 3 felt pieces 2 Black and 1 pink (or what ever you want)










Step 3: Use fabric marking chalk to trace and then cut out the Front of the bow on the felt.















Step 4: Attach the little oval-ish piece to the back of the back piece of your bow. I use the machine for this part or double and triple stitch by hand for strength and durability.








Step 5: Sew around the edges of the top part of the bow (inside and out) see the picture. I did this in paint so you can sort of see where I sew










TA - DA!!!! Finished!











to wear slip a hair clip into the back and clip into hair, use a bobby pin, slip on a head band (See my Pic at top of post), use safety on an outfit or bag, or whatever! I totally want to see your finished products and HOW you wear them!!

***Please don't re-post my tutorial on your site or directly to my PDF instead PLEASE link to my blog post and let them get the tutorial and template from here. I appreciate it a ton! ***

GIVE AWAY! I'm feeling generous so I'm giving away one of my bows! You pick the color (Red, Pink, or Purple)....
1. Leave a comment telling me what color you would want and how you'd wear it and you're entered to win
2. Follow my blog and leave a second comment for a 2nd chance to win!

***Edit*** Winner will be picked Friday February 4th at 8pm Est (sorry I left this out before) ***

~LuLu

Halloween Wreath

 Last week I made this awesome Halloween wreath which was shamelessly inspired by Crafts and Sutch. It's not 100% perfect yet. I still want to add a big creepy black bow at the bottom, but alas I don't have the perfect ribbon yet. I figure this is good enough for this year and next year I'll add a bow with what ever after Halloween ribbon I get this year!

The hubby likes it and that's all that matters. I believe he said "you know babe this is pretty awesome... I really like it" Needless to say I had a HUGE grin on my face! That man is amazing!

So here is how I did this wreath but crafts and sutch has great pictures too!

Materials:

Most of these are from the dollar store!! Yay! The glitter, paint, and glue gun I had and the spiders came in a big bag of spider webbing from the dollar store last year. This year I spent 3 dollars on this project! OOOPPPs I lied... I spent 4 dollars! lol I forgot that the sign isn't listed here and I didn't find one at the dollar store, but Michaels had one for a dollar so I got it!!



The Process:

So grab a hand full of your moss (tug hard if its stuck) then using your glue gun haphazardly drizzle glue over a 2 - 4 inch section of your wreath frame and attach the moss. Continue until the frame is covered.

This was my crazy method for glittering the spiders since I had already cut the ring portion of the spiders off I hot glued them to long wooden toothpicks from the kitchen and then used a Styrofoam plate to hold them up like a creepy Halloween bug collection. Then I painted on my glitter glue and let them dry.

Apparently this is where I stopped taking pictures because the camera battery died and I was too impatient to wait! LOL

Then using a blend of black, white, and gray paint I painted the sign. To get my words on the sign I printed them on my regular boring paper. Then cut it down to the size of the words with a little extra border of paper. Then on the back of the paper I shaded the entire area with a regular pencil. I then laid that on top of my lovely dry painted piece of wood and traced the out line of the words. The pencil on the back of the paper works as a transfer medium and you are left with a pencil out line of the words to fill in with paint. Then I painted the words onto the sign using a very small paint brush. Added the sign with left over twine and spread out my spiders in various positions around the wreath. 

TA DA!!

~LuLu