Happy Turkey Day

This is our first year staying home for Thanksgiving.  No worries though, we are still mooching off of some friends for dinner.  I've never made a Turkey before and the thought of it kind of intimidates me...maybe next year.  Someday I'm going to have a fancy dinner with a beautiful table display.  Here are a couple ensembles I found at BHG that I wouldn't mind at my future Thanksgiving festivities.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving...full of counting blessings and food!

Wanna learn the official way of setting the table.  Check it out here

Sincerely,

Ms This

Trial and Error

I attempted my first item of clothing without a pattern and I love the finished product.  It didn't end up the way it was pictured in my head but it fits and that makes me happy.  I also used elastic thread for the first time to sew up the neck and sleeves.  This shirt required little fabric and little time.  I think I'll be making some more.  Maybe even a tutorial!

Sincerely,
Ms This

Eat Drink Chic

I found this cute greeting card download at Eat Drink Chic.  Click here if you want the free download!  I love free stuff.

Felt Food

My daughter may or may not be receiving a kitchen set for Christmas...I believe every cute kitchen set requires cute play food.  My Aunt and Sister-in-law showed me this great link for making felt food from UCreate.  I also loved the book-themed felt food idea found here.  I'm a very visual person and need the instructions right in front of me when I'm "crafting" so I put together some of my favorite felt food tutorials along with some pictures to help create my own.  I figured I would share it with you too if you have the urge to make some cute homemade treats!  I pretty much copied and pasted the tutorials from different websites.  I made sure I put whom it was from at the start of the tutorial if you want to refer back to the original.  Again the links (plus more) can be found here at UCreate.


Felt Food Tutorials

Sincerely,
Ms. This

Sublime Stitching

I'm anxiously awaiting for these two patterns to come in the mail.  I found them on Sublime Stitching and I love the fresh designs that they have created.  They got me excited about embroidery and I can't wait to stitch one of these Dutch-Russian Dolls.

Quiet Book

I made this book for my daughter in hopes that it would be good entertainment during church.  I completed the project and brought it with us to church.  It did not entertain in the way I had hoped.  I think she is still a little too young for it.  She was throwing all the pieces and trying to rip them apart.  I'm a little too attached to the book to let her mess it up like that.  We are storing it in her dresser until she understands what it's for!  Mean...maybe, but look how cute it is....

This is the cover of the book.  I created a tutorial for the book if it is something you want to make.  Just click our tutorial button to find it!

I found a lot of ideas online for the pages of the book.  I copied some, tweaked some a little bit, and created some of my own.  Here are the sights I used for inspiration:

How to make a quiet book

Homemade by Jill

The Egberts

Itybty Frog

Naptime Journal

I found a template online for the mailbox on the right but I can't find the link anywhere!  I'll keep searching...

The finger puppets I found in the dollar section at Target.  Ikea has great ones and Martha has a tutorial if you want to make your own (click here)

This page along with the ARK pages are my favorite!  This one reminds me of the PINK line from Victoria's Secret.

Sincerely,
Ms This

Quiet Book Cover Tutorial

Materials Needed:  2  11x23 inch pieces of fabric for front and inside (don't have to be same pattern)

1  5x28 inch piece of fabric for strap

1 9x9 inch piece of fabric for inside pocket

1 11x23 inch piece of batting

1 button

sewing machine

thread

scissors or rotary cutter and mat

Step 1:  Cut pieces of fabric to dimensions stated above.

Step 2: Take 5x28 piece of fabric for strap and fold right sides together (hot dog style).  Sew together leaving an opening for turning right side out.  Make sure you don't sew along fold.

Step 3:  Turn right side out and press.  Fold under raw edges of opening and iron down well.

Step 4:  Take 11x23 inch piece of fabric for the front and center strap on it.  Make sure you pin one edge of the strap 1/2 inch in from side edge (that extra piece of fabric is needed for another seam).

The strap on the other side should run off the end.  Mark with a pin 1/2 inch in like you did on the other side of strap.

Measure all along the strap to see if centered on the front piece.  Mine measured about 4 1/2 inches up from the bottom.  I just slid my ruler across the strap to make sure it was consistent.

Step 5:  Sew strap onto front piece by starting on side with excess strap.  **make sure you start 1/2 inch in**.  Sew all the way around the strap stopping at the same side you started at.  **again stopping at the 1/2 inch mark**

Step 6:  Take 9x9 inch piece of fabric for the pocket and press a 1/2 inch fold towards wrong side of fabric on each side.

Step 7:  Stitch along side that you want to be the top of the pocket.

Step 8:  Place pocket on the the 11x23 inch piece of fabric designated for the inside of the cover.  Place it on the right side of inside piece and pin.

Step 9:  Sew around pocket starting at top right.  **Make sure you don't sew top part of fabric.  We don't want the pocket sewn shut!

Step 10:  Pin excess part of strap onto strap that is already sewn on.

Step 11:  Now place front and inside pieces right sides together with pocket and side with excess strap on same side.  Place batting on top of that.

Step 12:  Even pieces up and pin all round.  Double pin an area 6 inches apart designating it as your opening.   Start sewing at one end of opening and sew all around book ending at the other end of the double pined marking.  Turn book inside out and press, make sure you fold raw edges of opening in and press well.

Step 13:  Sew around book one more time sewing opening closed.  When you come to the part with excess strap, lift the strap up and sew underneath it.

Step 14:  Once you have sewn all the way around the book stitch a border around the rest of the excess part of the strip connecting the previous stitches.

Step 15:  Sew button hole on edge of excess strap big enough to fit your button of choice.

Step 16:  Open up button hole with seam picker.

Step 17:  Sew on button to the front edge of book.

Step 18:  Your done!  Now you can start working on the pages to fill the book!!!