What I'm Working On Wednesday

Today, I'm working on a couple of things:

Etsy Shop Production

I've kind of let my Etsy shop sit dormant for a while because I haven't had a lot of sales. I even considered closing up shop, but just this week I decided I'd like to give it another try. So I've start mass-producing Christmas stockings to get them listed later this week. If you're in the market for new stockings this year, keep an eye out for my new inventory. And I'm always happy to do custom orders and may even offer custom embroidery.

Cub Scout Arrow of Light Awards

I only have two weeks to finish up the Arrow of Light awards I've started on. Come see the hand painted plaques I made in this post. This week, I'm working on putting together each boy's award arrow to hang below his plaque. I'm using arrow kits I found at Nature-Watch. I like these arrow kits better than the ones at the Scout shop because these ones have stone arrowheads. I'll post an update once they are finished so you can see the final product.

Organizing a Days for Girls Sewing Event

I am the team leader for the South Jordan, Utah team for Days for Girls International. In September, I'm hosting a sewing day for anyone who wants to help! If you're in the Salt Lake City area, come sew with us! See the event details & RSVP on Facebook here. If you're not in the area, but still interested in helping out Days for Girls International, check out their website and find a chapter or team near you!

What are you working on today?

Octagonal Window Covering

We have an octagonal window in our master bedroom. If you have the misfortune of also having an octagonal window in your house, you know how difficult it can be to find a window covering for it.

Our master bedroom is very long and up until late last year, our bed sat on the opposite end of the room from this weird window. We've gotten used to having a fair amount of light shining into our room. Our town home is on a courtyard and we have many neighbors who leave their porch lights on all night long, which illuminates our room.

When we began prepping our home for sale, we decided to do some rearranging. This put our bed (specifically MY side of the bed) right under the octagonal window. Did I mention this window faces east? During the winter, this wasn't a big problem, but once the sun started coming up before 7 AM every day, it became unbearable. I knew I needed to find a solution.

So, I set out to create a covering for this weird window. I succeeded, but it was so hard that I could not even attempt to write up a detailed tutorial. But, since these oddly shaped window coverings are so hard to find, I want to give you some idea of how I made this, just in case it can help some other poor octagonal window owner in the future.

First, get a pencil and a sheet of paper (or two or three) and a measuring tape. Measure and document the following:

1. Each side of the octagon. That's right -- all 8 sides. Why? Because they probably are not exactly the same. I know mine aren't. My side lengths vary up to 1/4". I ended up averaging them.
2. The total width of the octagon (from left to right... or right to left).
3. The total height of the octagon (in theory, this should match the width, but again, mine didn't).
4. The sides, width, and height of the window frame.

Once you have all these measurements written down and possibly drawn out, you are ready to start.

Next, select your fabric. I didn't want to spend money on this in case it was a huge embarrassing failure. I used some leftover blackout lining for the back. For the front, I used cotton. The red prints are Stampin' Up! fabric. I also used some off-white muslin.

Now, starting with the lining, draw your shape onto your fabric. Be sure to add a bit for seam allowances. I am terrible at math and haven't used geometry since the 8th grade, so this part was really difficult for me. Ultimately, I drew a large box using the width and height of my octagon. Then I found the center of each side of the box and measured out my octagon sides from there. My lining ended up with a lot of extra lines because I had to start over a few times.

Once you've gotten your shape drawn onto your lining and you're sure it's big enough to cover the window, cut it out!

Do the same with your other fabric. My floral fabric was actually a fat quarter, so it was not quite large enough to cover my window. I pieced my fabrics together to make it big enough before drawing and cutting.

Before you sew your pieces together, you'll need to add some loops across the back to feed your curtain rod through. Place one loop near the middle, then one close to each edge. Sew those onto your lining.

Now, pin your fabrics together, right sides facing. Sew around, leaving a space for turning. Flip it right side out, stitch your gap closed, then top stitch around the entire thing. Feed your curtain rod through.

You can see that my top corners do not stay up straight because my fabric is not very stiff. At the top of the curtain, I have added a few little squares of velcro with adhesive velcro stuck to the window frame. This keeps it up well enough that I am no longer roasted awake each morning at 6:25 AM. Mission accomplished, and though it is not perfect, it is good enough for me!

Do you have any oddly shaped windows in your house? I'd love to hear what solutions you've come up with.

Outdoor Cushion Tutorial

Two weeks ago, I guest-posted on A Peek Into My Paradise and shared this cushion tutorial. Today, I'm sharing it here in case you didn't see it already! Of course, be sure to click over and check out Cathy's blog because she's always sharing worthwhile things.

This project came to be when I put together a cinderblock/wood plank bench for our family cabin. The inspiration for the bench came from Kayla's Basement. I actually put the bench together last summer, but never got around to adding a cushion before the cabin was closed up for the winter. This summer, I decided I needed to get it done.

First off, you'll need to figure out what size you want your cushion to be. My bench was made using 8 ft planks. I measured the bench between the cinderblocks to determine my cushion length: 76 in. To figure the depth, I measured from the back of the back plank to the front of the front plank: 26 in.

Next, you'll need to gather your materials. Here is what you'll need (measurements provided are the measurements I used for my 76x26 in cushion):

• Foam for the cushion.
• Outdoor fabric (2.5 yards)
• Coordinating piping (5 yards)
• Coordinating zipper (the longer the better - I used 28 inch)

Just a side note about materials: Foam is really expensive to buy. If you want a quality cushion, I recommend buying good quality foam pad from JoAnn or somewhere similar. Since I was going for a budget-friendly version, I used an old eggshell pad that's been hanging out in the closet at the cabin for years. It just happened to be the perfect size when I folded it in half - eggshell sides together, which made it about 4 inches thick.

Now you're ready to begin!

Step 1: Cut your fabric to size & square up the edges.

First, I laid my fabric out on top of my foam to make sure I didn't need to trim my foam down at all.

Then, I trimmed off my selvedges so that I was working with a clean edge.

I determined that I needed my fabric to be 80 inches long so that I'd have 4 inches to compensate for the depth of the foam and seam allowances. I squared up the short edges and trimmed off a total of 10 inches from one end of the fabric.

I decided to use the fold in the fabric along the back of the cushion so that I would only be adding piping and sewing three sides.

Step 2: Baste your piping in place.

Since we're dealing with thicker fabric, you'll want to baste your piping in place on one side of your fabric. Start in the middle of your long edge and pin your piping in place on the right side of the fabric.

I left my normal presser foot on my machine, switched to a basting stitch, then stitched right along the raw edge. There should be just enough space to have the left edge of the presser foot up against the piping cord as you stitch the edges together. Your piping only needs to extend halfway down the short sides of your fabric. Find the halfway point, then leave an extra inch or two of piping past where you stop basting.

Since we're using piping, you won't have square corners. When you near a corner with your piping, clip the edge a few times until you can get it to lay flat around the corner. Baste it in place, then trim the fabric to match the piping edge.

Step 3: Stitch your layers together.

Switch to your zipper foot on your machine. Fold your fabric lengthwise. With right sides together (and piping sandwiched between), stitch all the layers together. I stitched my entire thing closed. 

When you get to the folded corners, fold your piping under and tuck the end through, like in the photo. This way, the raw edge of the piping will end up on the inside of the cushion cover. Sew all the way to the corners.

Step 4: Install the zipper.

On the long folded edge of your fabric, you will cut a slit for the zipper. Make sure the slit is at least an inch shorter than your zipper. I wanted my zipper right in the middle of the cover to make it easier to get the foam into the cover. You could also add the zipper at one end of the cushion if you prefer.

Turn your cover right side out. 

Follow the instructions that come with your zipper. Or, if you bought one like mine that didn't include instructions, follow these steps:

• Unzip your zipper.
• Pin one side of the zipper in place, folding the raw fabric edge under as you go. Be sure to fold it under enough that your stitches will catch it - approximately 1/4 inch.

• Using the zipper foot, stitch the entire length of one side of the zipper.
• Pin the other size of the zipper in place.
• Stitch the entire length of the zipper.
• When you come to the end without the zipper pull, make sure the zipper is on the inside of your cover, then stitch across the zipper if your machine can handle it. If not, do your best to taper your stitches until each side's stitching meets up below the zipper.

Once your zipper is installed, shove your foam into the cover, zip it up, and voila! You're finished!

Now our bench might need a little paint to jazz up those cinderblocks... but that's a project for another day!

Guest Posting on A Peek Into My Paradise!

Still wondering what this piping was for? 

Well, your days of anticipation are over. Today I'm honored to be guest posting over at A Peek Into My Paradise. Click here to see the post!

Anna & Elsa Frozen Cape Tutorial

My daughter, along with every other small child on the planet, is obsessed with Frozen. She is particularly smitten with Queen Elsa. It didn't take long for me to get tired of helping her keep a blanket around her shoulders so that she could dance around the house singing "Let It Go." I knew I needed to make her a cape.

I found a great set of instructions from Lara at You Are My Licorice. Her tutorial helped me figure out how much fabric I needed and then how to assemble the cape. I highly recommend checking out her instructions.

I used her tutorial, but made some changes, so I thought I'd put together my own tutorial.

My daughter insists on having an Elsa coronation dress, so the cape I put together is the purple cape that Elsa wears with her coronation dress before "letting it go" on the north mountain. This cape looks a lot like Anna's cape as well.

Now for the tutorial:

Materials Needed for 4T:

• Approx. 1 Yard Purple Satin (Mine is from Joann and I just happened to find a remnant in the exact color I needed!)
• 1/8 Yard Dark Purple Satin (for trim around the capelet)
• Matching or contrasting thread
• Sew-on velcro
• Decorative gem

Step 1: Cut the Cape & Hem

Measure your kid from the shoulders to where you want the hem to fall. My daughter is tall, so my measurement was 33 inches. Add 2 inches for seam allowances.

Fold your orchid satin long-ways, right sides together. Use chalk to mark where you'll be cutting the bottom edge of the cape.

Tip: Pin your layers together before you cut or it will slide around a lot. I didn't do this for the first step and regretted it!

Cut along your line. Then, you'll hem up the sides and bottom edges of the cape.

Step 2: Cut the Capelet

For the capelet (the small cape around the shoulders), repeat the above steps. See Lara's tutorial to see the shape for this part.

Step 3: Add Trim to Capelet

Once your capelet is cut out, you're going to add the trim to it. Take your 1/8 yard of dark purple satin and pin it to the longest edge of the capelet, right sides together.

Stitch them together using a straight stitch, then turn it and press flat. 

Tip: To press satin, make sure you use a pressing cloth and a dry iron so that you don't burn the fabric.

Step 4: Hem the Capelet

Trim the dark purple down to about 1.5 inches wide. Then, you'll roll the dark purple up and pin it in place so that you can hem it. This will enclose the raw edges.

Straight stitch to hem. Then, fold the sides in and hem them. Finally, go back and add another row of stitching to the trim to flatten it out. I used a decorative stitch down the middle of my dark purple strip.

Step 5: Gather the Top of the Capelet & Cape

Sew a long basting stitch along the top edge of your capelet, then gather it up. You'll do the same thing to the top edge of the cape.

Step 6: Attach the Capelet to the Cape

Lay your cape out, then place the capelet on top of it, lining up the gathered edges. For this part, you'll put the cape dull-side up and the capelet on top of it, also dull-side up. Pin the pieces together, lining up the side edges.

Straight stitch the layers together, then flip the capelet to the right side of the cape.

Step 7: Finish It Up!

With your capelet on the right side of the cape, sew a straight line about 1/2 inch from the seam at the top. This will enclose the rough edges between the cape and capelet.

Attach sew-on velcro at the corners.

Add a gem to the front side of one of the corners.

Then let Queen Elsa be free!

{Linked on Daisy Cottage Designs, Serendipity & Spice, Project Run & Play, Huckleberry Love, Carrie This Home, Sew Can Do, Uncommon Designs, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, My Pinterventures, Pursuit of a Functional Home, Fluster Buster, Pig & Dac, Ginger Snap Crafts, Chaos & Kiddos}

Easy Shirt Alteration - A Tutorial

I am notorious for buying and wearing v-neck t-shirts. My hubby and friends tease me about this. So in an effort to branch out, I have been working hard to find shirts I like that are not simple v-necks. That is what led me to ordering the "Swiss Dot Boho Top" from Old Navy. (Yes, I know it has a v-neck... I'm taking baby steps, folks.)

Once I received it and tried it on, I realized something just wasn't right. Eventually I decided the sleeves were too baggy and needed to be altered. Thus, this post was born.

In this photo, you can see the difference, though it is subtle. The shirt is meant to be a little loose, but to me, the sleeves felt puffy. I took them in about 1.5 inches and think it made a big difference. If you would like to try something similar, here is a step-by-step tutorial on how I did it:

Step 1: Put the shirt on inside out so you can see the seams. Determine how much you need to take the sleeve in. Since I was doing this by myself and only have two hands, I stood in front of the mirror with the shirt on inside out, held my arm out horizontally, then pulled the seam running down the sleeve down so I could see how much excess fabric I had to work with. I estimated that I needed to take off a little more than an inch.

Please note: This shirt is woven, so it does not stretch. If you're working with knit, be very careful not to stretch the shirt as you pin and sew, because the results will not be pretty.

Remove the shirt and lay the sleeve flat, lining up the seams. Then, pin along the line you plan to sew. I didn't want to worry about altering the armpit or the cuff, so I started in the armpit where the seams all came together, brought the line up to narrow the sleeve through the middle, then brought the line back down to the cuff. The result is a much straighter line from armpit to cuff.

Step 2: Sew the line. I used big stitches so that it would be easy to pick out if I messed up. With one sleeve sewn, turn the shirt right side out and try it on in front of the mirror again. If it looks right, move on. If not, go back and change your sewn line as needed.

Step 3: Turn your shirt back to wrong side out. Zig-zag right along your sewn line to prevent fraying. Then, trim off the excess fabric.

Step 4: Now you're ready to move on to the other sleeve. You want the sleeve to match, so lay your unaltered sleeve flat on your work surface. Then fold your shirt, laying the altered sleeve over the top, lining up your edges. Then, pin your unaltered sleeve right along the new seam on your altered sleeve.

Follow the same steps as above for the second sleeve. I skip trying it on this time around, though. Once you've zig-zagged and trimmed your excess fabric, you're done!

This same technique can be used for altering all sorts of clothing. If you have a similar item that fits well, use that as a template to help you get a good fit.

{Linked on Upcycled Treasures, And Sew We Craft, VMG 206, Lil Mrs. Tori, Nap-Time Creations, New Nostalgia, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Hope Studios, Ladybug Blessings, Coastal Charm, My Pinterventures}

Put a Bird On It Roundup

I find real birds a little bit terrifying, but even I think that these bird crafts are pretty great! I've put together this roundup of my favorite bird-themed items. Enjoy!

(As always, click the photo to be taken to the source)

Wooden Bird Earrings from One Happy Leaf

Birds in Flight Headband from Jersey Maid

Birds on a Wire Pillow by Sweet C's Designs

Easter Birds by Craft & Creativity

Pink Flamingo Doormat by Life Is Art Is Life

Flamingo Scarf by OzlemDesign

Hummingbird Applique by Juicy Bits

Quails Alight by Pumml

Fabric-Covered Magnet Board

Today, I am working on a project that will (hopefully) help me be a bit more organized -- a fabric-covered magnet board. I have tried this project before using one cut of solid-colored fabric, but today I wanted a version that would be more interesting. So, I pieced it!

Here's a tutorial:

I started with a simple cardboard-backed magnet board that I found on clearance at Target. It is about 11.5 inches square.

Choose your fabric. For my fabric, I chose three coordinating prints.

This fabric is some that I got from Stampin' Up! They have discontinued their fabric, but several of the lines are still available on clearance. It comes in sets of three fat quarters and is currently priced at $3.99/set. Go check it out!

Cut your fabric. Once I selected my fabrics, I cut them random sizes. I used 45 degree angles to make the piecing easier.

Piece the shapes together until they are large enough to cover your magnet board.

Remember, when you're piecing fabric, press your seams down after you sew each one. This will help the finished piece lay flat and makes it much easier to avoid bunching. 

Trim your pieced fabric down to fit across your magnet board.

Be sure to take the sides of the magnet board into account and leave enough fabric so that it can wrap around to the back. Give yourself at least an extra inch on each side, depending on the thickness of your board.

Attach your fabric. This can be the tricky part. Lay your fabric wrong side up, then place your magnet board face down on top of it. Do your best to center your magnet board, then pull one edge to the back and staple it in place. Make sure everything is still centered, then pull the opposite edge of the fabric to the back and staple that in place.

This is just like upholstering a cushion. Make sure you always move to the opposite side for every new staple, pulling the fabric snug as you go. This should make the fabric evenly tight across the front of the board.

For the corners, take your time! Tuck and fold until you can get the corners as flat as possible, then put in as many staples as you need to secure them. They don't need to be pretty on the back as long as they're pretty on the front!

Rock it! Find somewhere to hang your new masterpiece and get some cute magnets to match!

{Linked on Content in the Meantime, Someday Crafts, Handy Man Crafty Woman, The Crafty Wife, Family Home & Life, Wine & Glue, Pig & Dac, Sew Much Ado, The Turquoise Home, Fluster Buster, Gingerly Made, Makin' It In the Mountains, Denverista}