Archive for the ‘Crafts’ Category:
Make your own Play Dough
What do you do when it suddenly turns cold, you’re looking for indoor activities to do with the kiddos and your discover that the Play Dough dried up over the summer?
You make your own!
If you bake fairly regularly you probably have everything you need on hand.
Supplies:
Flour
Salt
Vegetable Oil
Cream of Tarter
Food Coloring
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Heavy Pot
Rubber Spatula
Directions:
In the pot off the heat add 1 Cup of Flour, 1/2 cup salt, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons cream of tartar.
Mix then add 1 of cup water.
Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. You can also stir in the food coloring at this point.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff.
Turn out onto wax paper and let cool.
After it cools knead the Play Dough a few times with your hands to help make it more elastic. Then play!
Misadventures in Sewing
Well, the project sat on the corner of my kitchen table for several days, but I finally got out my sewing machine and started putting it together.
No, I’m not sewing my own bikini. It’s the beginnings of an apron. There are all these great blogs dedicated to the pursuit of cute and flirty aprons, The Apronista, Confessions of an Apron Queen, The Secret Stitch Club and many more. It looked so fun, and I wanted in on it.
Now, I read somewhere that an apron is a good, simple project for the beginner. But I think I went out and bought the most difficult apron pattern ever devised by man. I envisioned cutting out one large piece of fabric and maybe adding some ties and few embellishments.
As usual my lack of attention to detail (The reason there are so many typos in my posts. To think I once was an editor.) got the best of me. I didn’t study the pattern very well before I purchased it. I just thought the pictures on the front were pretty. When I got the pattern home I discovered that these aprons were rather complex with all sorts of bands, and trims, and a myriad of other little pieces. They’re more like dresses with out backs.
As you can see, I’ve managed to get something together that resembles the top. The trim on one side is wider than the other, because I didn’t fully understand the directions when I began the execution. Hmm, it looks better in the photo than up close.
I also forgot to change the thread in my sewing machine from white to black initially. I know, amateur mistake. Look, I still have to read the diagram on the machine every time to remember how to thread it.
Well, do you know how I took care of that white thread?
Black Sharpie.
Yep.
I colored over the white stitching with a permanent marker.
Oh, yeah!
I am so resourceful.
The ties were my next dilemma. I sewed two inside out, then I was supposed to turn them so the seams were on the inside. The stinkin’ things are so narrow, it was almost impossible to turn them. After 10 minutes of trying, I found some polka dot ribbon scraps I had, and used those. I just just have no patience for things like that.
I have to say as bad as I am at sewing, I’m having fun, and already thinking about what to make next.
After I finish this.
Next year sometime.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe in a reader and get more Mommie Daze every day!Girls Just Wanna Win Swag: Seedling Textiles & Baby
Rebecca is the winner of last week’s Keyboard Wrist Rest Set from Comfy Creations
This week’s Swag sponsor is Sarah. She’s busy running two Etsy shops, Seedling Textiles and Seedling Baby. “I make vintage and recycled textile accessories. Everything in [Seedling Textiles] is made from at least 50% vintage or recycled materials. I focus on tote bags, zipper pouches, headbands, and pillows. Everything I make has some sort of twist to it like hand screen printing, special pockets, or vintage embellishments. I also hand screen print reclaimed baby clothing. I recently created a new shop just for my baby products called Seedling Baby.”
A tote from Seedling Textiles
Sara, originally from the Midwest, makes her home in Austin, TX where she’s lived for five years. “Living here is extremely inspiring. The city is just brimming with creative people,” she says. Engaged, Sara and her fiance plan to marry this spring. When they’re not working they like to spend time, “watching movies and teasing our pound puppy, Greta.”
Sara says that her Seedling shops are the culmination of two aspects of her life coming together. “The first is that I am a fabric junkie, especially when it comes to vintage fabrics. I love having an excuse to feed my fabric habit. The second is my love of sewing. I’ve always been into arts and crafts, but I didn’t get my first sewing machine until i graduated high school. I was instantly hooked. I taught myself through much trial and error.” These days Sara says she’s focusing on quality and attention to detail. “I only use quality materials, make all of my own patterns, and take a lot of care to create long lasting products.”
Sara’s designs draw on the past. “I have always been inspired by the 1950’s, specifically the fabrics and simple designs. But, I have no interest in recreating the past. So, that influence is not always obvious. Also, I’m inspired by the idea of functionality. For instance, my tote bags are longer than normal tote bags. This is to contain everything inside while still keeping it easy to access. It’s little details that make a good product a great product.”
I asked Sarah what makes the products in her shops stand out from the rest of the marketplace. “I have a knack for finding great vintage fabrics. Also, I am well known for my custom work. Because I’m so detail oriented and really listen to my customers, I can create a one-of-a-kind product for anyone made to their own specifications.”
A onesie from Seedling Baby
Sara says there is also a Green aspect to Seedling Textiles and Seedling Baby. “I think to some people ‘going green’ is kind of overwhelming. I want to show that recycled products are accessible to all, and everyone can play a role in saving our planet.”
Sara opened her Etsy shops because she loves the idea of working for herself. “I have been sewing bags for friends for about 10 years in my spare time. Etsy is an amazing venue for weekend crafters to take their idea to the next level without having to take the scary leap of quitting their day job. So, that’s where I really started to take it to the next level.”
If you’re going to be in the Austin area October 18th and 19th you can look Sara up at the 2nd annual Maker Faire. “If you are not familiar with the Maker Faire, it’s a 2 day event that brings together artists, craftspeople, performers, and tekkies to showcase their work in a d.i.y. friendly environment. ‘Makers’ give demonstrations to inspire others to try out different forms of creativity,” explains Sara. “I will be showing how to sew simple recycled and reusable gift bags.” For more information visit the Maker Faire website.
Win It
Sara is offering a $25 gift certificate good towards a purchase in either of her shops, Seedling Textiles, or Seedling Baby to one lucky reader.
To enter visit Seedling Textiles or Baby then come back here and comment ON THIS POST with the name of one other favorite item from the store. Comments not following the rules will be disqualified. Earn an extra entry by posting about this contest on your blog, and linking to this post and to at least one of Sara’s shops. If you do the extra credit, let me know by leaving a separate comment with the link to your post.
Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. The contest is open internationally.
The contest will run until 11:59 p.m. EST Sept. 24th. I’ll randomly draw a winner, and announce it on the next edition of Girls Just Wanna Win Swag. The winner will also be contacted by email, and will have three days to reply. If the winner does not reply in three days, another will be chosen. You may also check Prizey Fetch to see if you’ve won.
Keep up with the weekly Swag giveaways. Subscribe to my RSS feed in a reader or by email. Click here.
Have a women-owned business you’d like featured in a Swag giveaway? Send me an email (see the side bar) and let me know.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe in a reader and get more Mommie Daze every day!Hello? Is This Thing On?
Check, check , check…
Check, one, two, three, check, one, two, three…
Mommie Daze was down most of they day yesterday, because my web host was having problems with their servers. Looks like it’s all fixed now.
A little update on the sewing project…
I did manage to get the rest of the pieces cut out, but that’s as far as I got. We aren’t having a hurricane here, but it’s been raining for 24 hours, and there’s no end in sight. We’re looking at rain well into the night. So I had a wound up three-year-old to entertain yesterday, and didn’t get much done.
Dogs and little boys must be exercised outside daily.
If I can’t take David outside to blow off some steam, he starts climbing the walls.
Let me tell you, it’s a real pain to get him down from the ceiling.
Well, we’ll be stuck inside all day again today, but dad’s home since it’s Saturday. Maybe I’ll get a chance to break out the sewing machine.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe in a reader and get more Mommie Daze every day!Sew it Goes Day One
What have I gotten myself into?
I’ve set out to try and sew something. I don’t mean just a few stitches and some hot glue. I’m talking about really making something substantial.
I grew up watching my mom sew all the time. In fact, for the first eight or nine years of my life she made almost every piece of clothing that I wore. Then I got old enough that wearing “homemade” clothes wasn’t “cool”. I wanted to look like all the other kids who shopped at the mall.
She tried to teach me how to sew a few times when I was in junior high. Thirteen is not a good age for a mother to try and teach a daughter anything. It usually ended in some kind of argument after I got bored and frustrated.
See, I utterly lack patience when it comes to learning new things. A lot of things come easily to me, but when they doesn’t, I can’t handle it. And sewing does not come easily. Mostly because a side effect of lack of patience is lack of attention to detail. Attention to detail is kind of important when you’re sewing.
But I really do want learn how to sew. I have piles of fabric I’ve been buying up for years.
Then the other day I actually bought a pattern.
Tonight I started.
I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was afraid to even cut the pattern pieces apart. I did end up cutting a piece in half that I had to tape back together.
The Aftermath of Sewing Day One
I got the pattern pinned on and most of the pieces cut out before I’d had enough for the evening. I think I did O.K. Just how closely do you have to follow that cutting line?
The whole time I kept asking myself why I didn’t pay more attention to my mother during those sewing lessons years ago?
I need to finish cutting out the pieces tomorrow, then I’ll be breaking out the sewing machine. That’s usually where it starts to get hairy for me.
I’ll have my seam ripper close at hand.
What am I making? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll keep you posted.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe in a reader and get more Mommie Daze every day!Tutorial: Make a Cloth Pumpkin
Here’s an easy Cloth Pumpkin you can make in less than an hour.
Choose your fabric. Find a round object to trace. A dinner plate makes a small pumpkin.
Obviously the larger the object the larger the pumpkin. Cut out your circle.
Sew a running stitch all away the way around the edge of the circle. Use something strong, like three of four strands of embroidery floss.
After you’ve stitched completely around the circle place some stuffing in the center of it.
Pull on both ends of the thread to gather the fabric together around the stuffing. Tie the thread to hold the gather together. You can add more stuffing through the hole in the top to fill out the shape.
One you have the shape you want, get some twine. Wrap the twine around the ball four times, criss-crossing like tying a ribbon around a gift. Tie ends to secure. Trim off extra twine.
To make a stem break a small piece off a stick. Insert in the center of the pumpkin. Hot glue to secure.
On a piece of green felt draw a leaf “collar” that you will insert over the stem to cover the hole on the top.
Cut the leaves out. Cut a slit in the center so that it will slip over the stem.
Place the leaves over the stem. To make vines wrap some floral wire around a pencil.
Pull the wire off the pencil. It will be shaped like a spring.
Make two vines. Wrap them around the stem.
And there’s your pumpkin!
