Thursday, July 28, 2011

I recently moved back to my home town - Pittsburgh, PA- into a new house (which happens to be my family home that I’ve lived in for my entire life. If you remember back a few months my mother passed away suddenly, and my dad- who owns a business just didn’t have the time to keep up the house and we were in the market for a new one so we ended up just moving in here. The last time the house was decorated was well back into the 90’s by my mother, and basically when we moved in we took the good of each house and kept it, and tossed the rest. We ended up with a mish-mash of tastes and styles and I’ve like to give the house a spruce up, tying in all the different styles. For this, I’m starting with the living room, then hop-scotching through out the house finishing it room by room. (bathroom is next, its already been decided) but here are the “before” pictures… it’s a bit messy and the coffee table is pushed in front of the fireplace to keep the child out of it (because she’s obsessed with it). But you get the idea.



 
 
I’m going for this color pallet.
 
I plan on using the dark, muted teal color as an accent wall, the wall with the fire place, and the white-ish color on the other walls, I plan on removing all the wall decorations except for the quilt rack. The quilt on that rack was made by my great great grandmother on my mom’s side. It is made up of thousands (I swear) of yo-yos alls sewed together.
I’m keeping the furniture, I love it in its on weird outdated way, it just…. Works. I also like the color pallet on the cushions. It has a teals, tan, navy and rose color mish-mash, all of the colors from my color pallet happen to be in it.

So what do you all think, does this have a direction? Or is it just as bad as what I started with haha. Now, all I have to figure out is what kind of wall décor and mantle decorations I should go with…. And for that, I’ll definitely need some help. So there the mission for my readers, help me decorate!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

CSM Project Run and Play Week two


An online sewing forum I’m a member of decided to do their own version of Project Run and Play. This week's theme was "Colorful Couture". I just redecorated the baby's room with a more feminine motif and I had soooooooo much fabric left over. I decided to make a very boutique style outfit for her out of that fabric. Hopefully I’ll be using this outfit for her 1 year old pictures. Its adorable with a pleated ruffle collar and a flow-y ruffle bottom. I also made matching bloomer and a headband to complete the outfit. It turned out EXACTLY how I wanted it to. so with no further ado... here it is on the baby:



Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Coupon Wallet Tutorial

Now that I’m a stay at home mom, I’ve been using coupons more often to save a little money. And I’ve been holding my coupons in a regular mailing envelope, it works, but isn’t pretty and is kind of fragile, being that its just paper. I could probably find a cheap coupon holder at the dollar store, but figured a special one would be more fun. Therefore, here you go, a tutorial.

What you’ll need:
Fabric (less than 1/2yd)
Bias tape
1 snap
Interfacing (I use pellon 808- craft fusible)


Cutting Directions:
Cut 2- 15in x 9in (fabric) [main fabric]
Cut 1- 15in x 9in (interfacing)
Cut 2- 6in x 9in (fabric) [sides]
Cut 2- 6in x 9in (interfacing)
Cut 3- 9in x 9in (fabric) [pocket separators]
Cut 3- 9in x 9in (interfacing)
 
Sewing directions:
1) Start by ironing on the interfacing to each matching piece (one 15x9in piece won’t have interfacing)
(optional: to attach the other side of the 15x9in piece of fabric, I used spray adhesive on the back of the interfacing and pressed the other piece of fabric to it, - the fabric pieces should be right sides facing out with interfacing between them)

  



 
2) Round the corners of one of short ends using a curved item (like a cup) as a jig
 
3) with the other pieces, fold in half and stitch the end (2 pieces should be 6x4.5in[sides], 3 should be 9x4.5in [pocket separators])


4) Turn the pieces inside out, and iron.


5) To make the coupon pockets, take one 6x4in piece and one 9x4in piece. Fold the 6x4in piece in half so the piece (folded in half) measures 3x4in. Insert the 9x4in pieces in the fold of the stitch down the fold at 3/8 inch seam allowance catching the pieces together. (it will look like this)


6) next take each side of the side piece fold the edge toward the center, insert each other pocket piece in those folds and stitch the same way as previous step.

7) construct the other side of the pockets the same way

8) To attach the pockets to the body, line the pocket pieces up to the body piece starting at the un-curved end 3/4in away from the end.

9) baste the edges of the pocket to the body piece.

10) Fold the body piece so that the pockets line up to the upper half of the body piece, 5 inches from the top. Baste the other edges of the pocket down. (this will form the envelope)

11) Attach Bias tape around the body edges to finish of the body piece.

12) Attach a snap and your done!