I’m a sucker for this site. I absolutely love their selection of fabric, and the prices are pretty hard to beat. So when I see any kind of discount code, I can’t pass it up. This week only, until Saturday, July 24, 2010, Joann.com is offering flat rate shipping for only $5. No minimum or restrictions, just $5 shipping on anything you order. Use promotion code EQT205 at checkout. Enjoy! Read More →
I am such a sucker for Joann’s. No matter if it’s online or locally, I’m like a kid in a candy store. So when I see deals like this, I just can’t help but pass them along! From now until April 15th, get Free Shipping at Joann.com on orders of $35 or more. Be sure to use this code: MARFSA935. Even though some of you may be like me and not sew a whole lot when the weather is nice, it’s a great idea to go shopping while the shipping is free. I LOVE this store and don’t have any problem finding $35 worth of fun stuff to play with. Have fun! Read More →
With my best friend’s baby shower coming up soon, I’ve been on the lookout for some interesting handmade baby toys to make. But while looking at patterns in Joanne’s today, I decided that a teddy bear might be fun to make. I really didn’t want to spend something like $8 on a pattern I probably wouldn’t use more than once, so came home to look. After carefully scanning loads of patterns, I found the absolute perfect one. This one is four pieces – all body and no little “parts”. This to me is huge, since I have a hard time assembling things like arms and ears. But THIS pattern is so simple I think just about anyone can do it. (Warning – the above link is a .PDF file, so may take a few extra seconds to load). One small tip though – it took me a few minutes to realize when you are sewing...
Yesterday I was out shopping and came across the Garfield Chia Pet, so quickly snagged it since I’ve had a heck of a time locating it up until now. My son absolutely LOVES Garfield, but unfortunately there isn’t as much stuff as there use to be. He also loves messing with plants, so this was perfect for him (it’s so hard to buy or make things for an 8 yr old boy!). Well, now I’ve realized I’m behind two gifts for my daughter. They are at that age that yes, they will count. They will also notice size if one of them happens to have the biggest gift. Luckily I took care of that with two jumbo coloring books that are about as tall as they are. So anyway, I have to come up with two more gifts for my daughter that are a reasonable size. I have no choice but to finish the quilt that I started. With only a one full week...
It’s that time of year again! Time to pull out the fabric, hunt for deals on sewing supplies, and make a list of who’s getting what. As much as I dread this time of year, I do enjoy making all kinds of different projects. For the last few years I’ve been sewing pillows for my kids. It started with just picking up fabric of their favorite characters, but now it’s taken on a life of its own. Last year I took quilt blocks and made pillows out of them, which they thought was pretty cool (for my daughter I had found a block that looked like a cat, which she thought was special). This year I thought maybe they were getting tired of the pillows, and thought maybe I should do something else. Imagine my surprise when my daughter says to me one day “Am I getting another pillow for Christmas? I want another one!”....
I’m on a mission. Since it’s fall, I have a sudden interest in sewing again. Right now, I really want to make a diaper bag. Not for me, but for someone else. I’ve searched the internet high and low for a really good diaper bag. What surprises me is I haven’t found much. I’m not looking for something “different” and “stylish”. Regular diaper bags are invaluable, and in my opinion, nothing can top them. I like pockets and lots of them. I also like easy to sew stuff. So you can see why I’m having problems here. There was one style I really like, although I’m not sure I can sew it based on the instructions. I read over them carefully last night and *think* I can do it, but it makes me nervous. But I really, really like this style, and want to give it a try. (If you have experiences...
After changing his mind several times, my son finally decided he’s going to be Garfield for Halloween. We had already decided to make our costumes this year, but this one we really had no choice on. Sure we could probably find one if we looked hard enough, but why bother? It shouldn’t be that hard to make (although I said that about the airplane cake, and it really wasn’t). Luckily, so far, it’s been pretty smooth. I went on a hunt earlier this week for a large orange t-shirt or sweatshirt, and did a little happy dance in the middle of Target when I found one on the discount rack for $2.50. HURRAY! The plan with the shirt is to strap a pillow under him and put the shirt over top. I just have to figure out what we are going to do for stripes, but it will either be fabric paint/markers or black fabric. Next I went...
I was at Walmart the other day, walking past the Halloween fabric yet again, thinking how absolutely adorable it was and how badly I wanted a project to use it for. Actually, it wasn’t even really that Halloween specific, but was black with little crescent moons and stars in a yellowish-orange, but it was CUTE. Then, it hit me. Halloween candy bags. By the time I actually bought the fabric, it had been marked down to $2/yd. SCORE! So I bought it, and am planning to make the bags. I hunted for awhile for a good tote bag tutorial, but didn’t see one I really liked. I suppose, if you sew, then making a tote isn’t that big of a deal. All you need is 4 sides and a handle, then sew it all together. The size is going to depend on how much candy your kid rakes in, so really I guess you don’t need one. Point is, if you...
For some reason I don’t even think about sewing in the summer. When Christmas gets close, I do this mad dash to get quilts and pillows done for gifts. But why don’t I do them all year round? I mean a hobby is a hobby, right? So I’m curious. For those of you that love to sew but don’t do it so much in the summer time – why? Is it because we have so many other things (some outdoors) to do? Is it because it’s too hot to sit with a blanket on your lap sewing? Do you not like to sit still in the summer? What IS it exactly? Read More →
You may or may not have noticed there isn’t a whole lot of sewing projects posts here this time of year. That’s mostly because I don’t have a whole lot of interest in sewing in the summer for some reason. I don’t know why, but I usually don’t get the “sewing bug” until winter. Maybe it’s because I prefer to be out in the garden this time of the year, or playing outside in some way. Something about warm weather and sewing just doesn’t appeal to me. There ARE projects I probably should be doing, including some dress ideas and shorts. Luckily I did make my daughter a pair of shorts for Christmas so she’ll have at least one handmade item to wear this year. But aside from that I really don’t have anything and the motivation is gone. Maybe it’s just me – I tend to lose...
