Category: Sewing
Merry Christmas!
For years, I had a Styrofoam banner of gingerbread cookies that hung in my living room window. It disintegrated. So, this year I decided to replace that old banner with some quilted letters that say “Merry Christmas”. These letters are VERY easy to make. Cut 2 – 5 inch squares of fabric and put a
It is Gazebo Time…and Time for New Pillows
A couple of years ago, I sewed outdoor pillows for the various chairs that I have around the pool. Last year, we added a gazebo and an outdoor living room space. So, this year, I decided to update the pillows and give everything a refresh. Sewing pillows is exactly the same as sewing a zipper
Headband – Simple and Fast
A simple, knotted headband makes a great gift and it is fast and easy to make. I have included the pattern here so you can try one…https://icansewthis.com/free-knotted-headband-pattern/This is another great way to use up scraps of fabric. I am including them with my little bunny “un-birthday” gifts for the little girls at the birthday party.
A Doorway Puppet Theater
A sixth birthday is a BIG deal and so, we created this puppet theater to celebrate the occasion. The pattern is available on ETSY for $10.00 and it instantly downloads. The only difference or addition that I added was that I lined the actual puppet theater with a thicker fabric so that it was a
Little Bunnies for Little Girls…
This weekend, we are off to a birthday party for Mason, growing up so fast and already turning 6. At the party, there will be some little girls who need to have “unbirthday” presents. I created these little bunnies simply by cutting out the bunny shape, sewing wide around the outside, clipping with pinking shears,
St. Patrick’s Day Tea Towels
Tomorrow is the final day of February! March is literally around the corner! With March comes St. Patrick’s Day and so I have started planning for some fun and creative things to give to celebrate “the green” with my circle of friends and family.
The Traditions of Valentine’s Day
Everyone agrees that Valentine’s Day is a cultural phenomena. Basically, created by retail businesses to sell products, we can always get caught up in the materialistic nature of the event. I choose to celebrate family and friends whenever I can and I love to give gifts – mostly homemade to those in my circle. So,
The Easy-to-Make Shopping Bag
During the month of February, I have been looking for fun things to make for my friends and family. So, when I considered my friend, Helen, I went looking for a pattern for a shopping bag. Helen goes grocery shopping, she carries items back and forth to church and she can really make use of
Embroidery for Valentine’s Day
Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle and thread. It can also incorporate other materials like beads, pearls, quills, and sequins. Embroidery originated in early Chinese civilizations around 30,000 B.C. It was once a sign of wealth and social status. The Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th century work of art,
A New Season, Another Layer to the Outdoor Pillows…
How do you keep life positive? It is all the little things that we do – like creating new pillow covers that celebrate winter. With Christmas packed away, and Valentine’s Day around the corner, I am always looking for a way to brighten my day and make those in my little circle feel loved and
A Simple Sewing Gift…The Pillow Case
With the Post Office back in business, there are a couple of gifts that I still want to send across the country. Aunt Sue lives in Winnipeg and we just got back (in November) from a visit for her 90th birthday. Aunt Sue is Charles’ dad’s sister and we have found a special bond –
The Mason Jar Pin Cushion
This is the “no sew” gift for your favourite sewer. Here is one link to instructions for creating your own Pin Cushion Jar…but there are many on line…https://www.seasonedhomemaker.com/mason-jar-pin-cushion-tutorial/A couple of hints…I used a puff ball (like you would use on the top of a toque) that I found at Fabricland to wrap the cloth and
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas…
Every year, I put my Christmas Cactus outside for the summer. It stays green and looks happy for the season – sitting around the pool. I bring it in on Labour Day weekend and put it in my front window (a north facing window) and it happily acclimatizes back to it indoor life. Every year,
Thanksgiving Napkins
Getting ready for Thanksgiving is an opportunity to pause and consider everything that is a blessing in your life. You can step outside feelings, worries, anxieties and look outside yourself and just appreciate life. Gratitude is considered to be something that is good for our mental health and it inspires us to move and to
It is Pumpkin Season…
I have always said that one of my favourite parts of sewing or quilting is picking out fabric. With Thanksgiving and Hallowe’en around the corner, fabric stores have lots of fun fabric. So, I went looking for some fabric to use to cover some pillows – both for my porch and for my friend Jayde
A New Bedroom Rug
Another beautiful rug…this one is in our bedroom and was made from the leftover fabric from the quilt that I made for our bedroom. This is the second rug that I have made – this one turned out really well. It is difficult to make them turn out flat. This time, I washed the rug
An Autumn Project
I have created my own fabric before – it is called crumb quilted. I used it to make a pillow. This Autumn, I am working on a coat. I have currently created all the fabric for the front pieces, the arms and the back by sewing together pieces of fabric from my collection (and a
Pumpkin Garland
Autumn is here and with it comes time to bring out some decorations that suit the season, pumpkins, sunflowers, coloured leaves, cornucopia, scarecrows, corn stalks, bales of hay, buckets of mums and so much more. Over the weekend, I created a simple pumpkin garland. We have a double fireplace in our house so we have
More Dresses for Little Girls…
Once you start doing something fun, it is really hard to stop. I was inspired to sew a dress for Charlotte when we found some “CARS” fabric at Joann Fabric in Niagara Falls, New York. Then, it gave me the idea that I should probably keep practicing this pattern until it became part of my
The Bee Dress
Several weeks ago, while shopping with my friend, I found this beautiful, light-denim “bee” fabric. When I saw it, I immediately wanted to make a dress out of it – this time for myself – and I really wanted it to be an old-fashioned jumper that I can put a turtle neck under in Autumn
Sewing a Little Dress
I am a quilter, not a dressmaker. I am a crocheter and a knitter and so, when I am faced with a garment, it is a bit of a challenge. I have sewn several small garments now and, each time, I learn something new. This time, I had the privilege of sewing with my friend,
Little Aprons
I am so privileged to be able to spend time with some VERY FUN little people. We share stories, go to the park, scooter around the neighbourhood, bake and make and colour and play. So, when their mom asked me if I could make some aprons for them, it made my heart very happy. I
A Case for Your Sunglasses
This is a simple pattern – it took a bit to figure out and adapt but, once I did, it was very straight forward. Start by cutting outer and lining fabrics 9- 1/2 x 8 inches Cut pieces of heavy felt to 6 x 6-1/2 inchesCut fabric from the outer fabric for the tabs 2
Hopping Down the Bunny Trail…
When you have a fireplace and a mantel, it is another opportunity to celebrate different seasons and holidays. This spring, I am adding some bunnies to my collection of mantel decor. This was a VERY simple project. I cut out 10 – sets of 2 bunny shapes out of spring and Easter fabrics. Placing them
Making a Jelly-Roll Rug
The Jelly-Roll rug makes me think of antique rag rugs that my great-grandmothers had in their homes. They are basically made from strips of cloth (or rags) folded around strips of batting. I really wanted to make one for my front hallway and now that I have made one, I want to make a couple
Valentine Pouches
I love to give gifts. There is a book called The 5 Love Languages and it talks about the way you feel loved: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. As we raise our children and try to do our best to make our relationships grow in healthy ways,
Card Holders – Quick and Easy Christmas Gifts
My dear friend, Jayde sent me this idea. I found the patterns and have been making them for the last few weeks. For little kids and seniors, this is a great gift. Card games are SO much fun and a great way to keep your mind sharp, learn and pass the time. I am always
Thoughts on Mother’s Day…
When I think of parenting, I often think of sending our boys off to school. For the most part, they barely looked back. They felt confident and able to handle the next chapter of their lives and that is how it is supposed to be. “The fundamental unfairness of parenthood is that if we do
Fabric Envelopes for Valentine’s Day Treats
Every year I try to come up with a unique way to share treats for Valentine’s Day. This year, I found this easy and adorable pattern at https://www.peekaboopages.com/valentine-fabric-envelopes-tutorial/ I will fill them with a valentine and some treats and send them off to show love and friendship. It is as simple as cutting rectangles, cutting
Easy Party Dresses for Little Girls
Do you shop at Fabricland? You can also shop at https://fabricvill.com. This fabric is already shirred at the top and is perfect to make a quick little dress for any little girl. They have a variety of patterns but, I do love this one – with the red cherries – a red headband completes the
Make a Reversible Tote
This is a great pattern…http://verypurpleperson.com/2010/04/making-reversible-bag/ I have made it four times now and I have some great tips for you!First, you need a denim needle. I made afew bags out of denim and you have to go slowly and they are super tricky to do. If you choose a lighter fabric, you want have as
Sew a Tie for ANY Occasion
Download this free pattern to create a tie – mine are going to the three men in my family for Hallowe’en.. https://blog.treasurie.com/how-to-make-a-tie/
Boo Bags for Hallowe’en
Hallowe’en is just around the corner! I love making extra special bags of treats for all my young friends. These are super simple – a bit of Hallowe’en fabric, ribbon, pinking sheers and some treats and you are on your way. Life is MUCH more fun when you are bringing other people joy and having
Outdoor Cushions
A simple project – sewing cushions to enhance our pool deck. These bright coloured cushions add colour and fun to your outdoor space. Use outdoor fabric and stuff with old pillow filling or any kind of filler…finish off with some blind stitching and enjoy.
Project Updates….
My paper piecing bird is almost complete – in only needs a log cabin border – and I will have it framed for our bedroom. The baby romper has pockets…ready for a collar and ruffle and zipper…. The pillow to match our bedroom quilt is taking shape – the center panel of pillow one is
We Like Sewing and the Pinwheel Lunch Bag
It was a lot of fun to create this “stash-busting” project for Prime publishing! Try it!https://welikesewing.com/articles/stashbuster-pinwheel-quilted-lunch-bag/?t=2915
Mug (or Wine Glass) Rugs
Are you looking for a fun gift for a friend or a favourite teacher? These mug rugs (or wine glass) rugs are easy to make. You just need a bit of terry cloth (an old towel will do), some scraps of fabric, a bit of batting and some fabric for the backing. Cut out a
Hexi Hanging Wall Storage
I created this project for http://welikesewing.com – it has been really fun designing for this company and they have lots of great patterns – so be sure to look them up. My project is found at https://welikesewing.com/articles/hexie-hues-quilted-wall-organizer/?t=2670
Valentine Garland – Fast and Easy
I have created this garland several times – it uses up scraps and it is very easy. It is a really fun gift that is “all heart”. I have attached the DIY Valentine Garland pattern: https://craftsbyamanda.com/heart-garland/ I have a couple of tip. #1: I save old foam pillows and use them as the stuffing. It
Recycled Mittens – An Easy Homemade Gift…
Do you have any old wool sweaters or fluffy fur or any old sweaters or wool coats (they don’t have to be felted because the usually already are) that can be felted. To felt the sweaters or fabric, wash on hot and dry in a very hat dryer. Use the attached patterns to cut out
Gnomes for Christmas
They are easy to make….you only need a few simple supplies… a piece of fabric (I used flannel) a dollar store mop some stuffing for the hat a styrofoam ball for the nose and a piece of fabric to cover the nose (I used gray felt) a pair of Christmas shoes (optional) a piece of
Bowl Cozy
A bowl cozy holds your bowl when you put it in the microwave to heat your bowl of…soup, stew, oatmeal…anything! It is easy to make, can use up your stash and makes a great gift!! Step 1: Cut 2- 10 inch squares of 100% cotton and 2-10 inch squares of microwave safe quilt batting. Step
Puffy Letters for Little People
I created a set of puffy letters for my little friend, Mason (plus all the letters to spell Mom, Dad and Mason). When his sister, Charlotte arrived this spring, I decided to add her name to the collection. They are SO easy. Find fabric – I tried to pick fabric the matched the letter (airplanes
Baby Pillow Cases
My little friend, Mason is turning 2 years old and he want his own pillow. He loves turtles and sea creatures and Buzz Lightyear. So, I created a pillow case that is safe and comfortable (no zippers) and easy to take off and on for washing. The pillow size is 15.7 X 9 X 1.4″
Masks
I have been making masks since last April due to the coronavirus pandemic. I started with masks with ties and have now found a mask that everyone in my circle seems to like so, I am sharing the pattern and the pictures of what it looks like during the process. I predict mask wearing will
Mini Easter Baskets
What do you need? Two squares of any size fabricI square of batting to match the sidethread to matchHow do you do it? Place the fabric right sides together with the batting on top. Sew a 1/4″ seam around the outside edge, leaving an opening so that you can flip it right-side out. Flip it,
My Journey into Sewing
My mom was an expert seamstress. She sewed wedding dresses and suits and baby clothes and doll clothes. I actually sewed with her a bit when I was expecting my first baby. At that time, even though I was in my 30’s, I still had a lot of growing up and learning about myself to