fire and flowers

One of the best parts of Make Something Day is leftovers.  Here is Matt trying to finish off a whole leg.

We had a fun day yesterday working on Christmas gifts.  Matt drew pictures and hung them around the backyard, Paige spent hours drawing pictures that we are going to frame for grandparents, I worked on jammie sets, and Jason worked on a piece of art for his dad.  We had a handful of people drop in and work on gifts as well, Matt and Melissa came over and I taught Melissa how to use a sewing machine.  It was a relaxing day, and I can’t think of a better way to spend time with friends.

Thrift stores can be the best place to find some of your basic supplies.  Here’s a few things I’m always on the lookout for:  vintage tablecloths (even with stains and holes), vintage sheets and pillow cases, misc. sewing supplies such as rick rack or trims, pillow forms, vintage handkerchiefs, sewing patterns . . . the list could go on forever.  While at the thrift store the other day I found a throw pillow that was in pretty good condition for 50 cents.  I didn’t love the pink butterfly covering, so I recovered it like this:

Supplies: pillow form, approx. 1/2 yard of fabric  to cover the pillow, scraps of fabric for your applique and wonder under (this is a paper backed transfer fusing web product) – you can find wonder under at any fabric store and it sells by the yard for under $2.00.  For this project I used about 1/4 yard or maybe even less.

Directions:  If you are using an existing pillow, cut off the old covering and use this as your pattern for your new one adding 1/4″ around the outside for your seam allowance.  Cut out a front and back for your pillow.  Draw a simple design on a blank piece of paper, and cut out each piece seperatly (my trunk is a seperate pattern from the leaves).  Fuse your wonder under (use the directions that come with the product) on the back of your scrap pieces of fabric.  Trace your designs backwards on the paper part, and cut out.  Iron your design to one piece of your fabric and sew around the outside of each piece either by hand or with your sewing machine.  You will need to do this so your design will stay in place, wonder under is not permanent.  I use my sewing machine and sew the leaves on first, iron my trunk on next and then sew around that.  Next, sew your front and back pieces together with the right sides facing in, leaving a large enough hole to stuff your pillow form through.  Put your form in and handstitch or use your sewing machine to close up the hole.

I just got back from New York, where I am enrolled in a Holistic Health Counseling program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and I have quite a few ideas to catch up with.  New York was beautiful, all of the trees displayed their fall colors (something we don’t see much in San Diego), and the cold weather was a nice change – someday I’d like to live there.  But back to how to make some easy cute clips.  

Supplies:  bobby pins or small clips, a 7/8″ cover button kit (you can find these at any craft store for around $2, they should come with supplies for 4 buttons), scraps of fabric, E6000 glue and scissors.

Directions:  Use a pair of pliers to pull the wire out of the back of the button (this is the piece that you would use to sew the buttons onto a piece of fabric). Use the directions in your cover button kit to make two cloth covered buttons (You will use the template to cut two circles of fabric twice the size of the button, center one circle in the plastic holder and put your first button form face down in, then pull the edges of the fabric into the center of the button and put your back on top. Use the small blue piece to push down on the back of the button to snap it in place.) Next put a dab of glue on both the back of your buttons and the ends of your bobby pins or clips, make sure it is not too much.  Let them sit for a minute or two and glue them together pressing firmly.  Flip over your clips so that the button is face down and let dry for 24 hours before handling them.