Stop staring and start sewing!

Make a canvas of your favorite state

I'm in the process of decorating some new shelves and really wanted a pop of turquoise in a couple of spots. I'm also trying to add meaningful items as I spruce things up so these state canvases were the perfect solution. I'm an Oregon native (my ancestors were among the first 50 wagons on the Oregon Trail), but we truly love living in Arizona (even though the move 20 years ago was supposed to be temporary) so I included both states on my shelves.

I got these 2 slanted 8 x 8 canvases at Michaels and they are terrific because they can sit anywhere on the shelf without having to lean against the back of the shelf. They were 7.99 each (but I had a coupon). The acrylic colors I picked are plain old white (in satin) for touch ups, Apple Red 2901, and Patina 2951. I got a few new paint brushes too.

First I found silhouettes of the states on Google images and sized them to around 6 inches across using Adobe Illustrator (you can probably do the same in Gimp or any other graphic editing software). Then I used some tracing paper (the kind used for tracing sewing patterns) between the canvas and the printed page and traced around the state with a pointy pen).

Here's the canvas after I traced on it.

I carefully painted within the lines and ended up needing 3 coats of paints to get it really covered.

I traced a little heart over our cities and painted the hearts red.

I love them!  They look perfect on my new shelves and make my heart happy.

Yay! Such a simple and fun project.

Our new old vintage pendant lights - goodbye fan

We've been going hot and heavy on the home improvement front and are finally putting the finishing touches on some rooms. The dining room is the most recent room to get the final seal of approval from me and that's because we finally removed the ordinary old fan and replaced it with some terrific, glamorous pendant lights.

Last fall I happened upon these two beautiful vintage lights at an outdoor antique fair and snapped them up for 40.00 (we tried to get them for less but she held firm and I really wanted them so everyone left happy that day). The seller said they were the last pair she had retrieved from an old Hollywood home and I was smitten with the glamorous potential I saw in them.

 When we finally decided where they would go (at first I thought the kitchen but I'm glad we waited so I could stew over the plan in my head for awhile) I knew they needed a little sprucing up. This Rust-Oleum hammered paint in silver was exactly what I had in mind. After a couple of coats they looked gorgeous and ready to go.

 We bought the hardware for hanging them and it all cost under 30.00. Then it turned out we didn't need the hooks because they were included in the swag light kit (we just couldn't see them right away at the store).

 Joey got to work on the wiring and did a fantastic job. Part of the reason it took me so long to replace the fan in here is because of the way the builders had placed the hole for the fan so close to the vent. It made me nuts because it really limited what I could hang there since I didn't want something that blocked the vent. I probably would have picked something different (and sooner) if I hadn't had to factor in the vent location. But we kept the original hole and capped it with the canopy kit and it looks fantastic. And then with the hooks we were able to hang each pendant evenly centered over the table.

 I love them. They put out about the same amount of light but it's now focused on where we need it and it's a much softer look. And they're just darn pretty.

 Here's a close up. The glass was pretty fragile and detailed so I was very careful while washing them because the inside had lots of pockets and nooks and they were pretty dusty. But I was sure to place a cushy dishtowel at the bottom of the sink so they wouldn't hit the hard ceramic sink if I sadly dropped them (I didn't).

 So here are my before and after pictures and you can see why I love them so much. They are so special and unique and really are the icing on the cake after all my work in this room with the curtains and slip covers.

Here's another view. This room is so soothing and dreamy now and it makes me so happy to just stop and stand there looking at it (which I do a couple of times a day). The fan will be used somewhere else in the house since it's a good fan and we can replace one of the cheaper fans in the kids rooms with this.

And here's a picture of how dark and sad this room used to be. It was our tv cave (the tv was on the wall you can't see but you can see Skate sitting there watching it). When I see this picture it reminds me of how sad I was at the time and how dark everything felt in our lives. Sometimes home improvements are born out of life improvements aren't they? When things got brighter I wanted to express how much happier and sunnier I felt. I think I've done that.

 

And I have been doing a lot of sewing lately so don't think I'm trying to turn into a home improvement blog (but we have been doing some great stuff here and I can't wait to share more of it)! Have a great week and keep on sewing!

Build your own DIY cutting table for your sewing room

I get a lot of questions about how I made my big cutting table and it's so simple you'll be amazed. It's got a big work surface (80" x 60"), oodles of storage, and it goes together quick and easy.  No power tools needed!

Here's my supply list:

* 2 Hollow Core Interior Doors 80" x 30" (about 28.00 each)

* 4 Omar 36" long Shelves from IKEA (or similar shelves) (24.99 each)

* 2 Omar 18" long Shelves from IKEA (or similar shelves) (18.99 each) (these are optional)

* 3 Mending plates (w/ 4 holes each) (about 1.00 each)

Assemble your metal shelves so they are all at the height you need (the whole shelf unit is 36" high but the lower shelves are usually adjustable).  

Secure your doors to each other using the layout picture below.

Place your doors on top of the shelves (mending plates facing down) and center it so the edge of the doors hangs over by about 4" all the way around.  You are done. I've never had mine shift off because the doors are pretty heavy (but we don't live in an earthquake zone and the boys aren't allowed to wrestle in here). My husband has climbed up on the table to install our new lights and it's crazy solid.

Here's a closeup of the center mending plate (I took this picture under the table, it was tricky).

Here's the top. It's the perfect width for one of those big cutting boards. I really love this work surface.

The 18" wide shelves are optional. I pull mine out and stuff big boxes of fabric under there.  You might want to leave one out (or both) and maybe put a trash bin at the end if that's where you do most of your work.

I had a similar table a few years back for my fabric store and it was nice but smaller than this new one (and we made it much more complicated than necessary). I still get questions about it but honestly, the new one is better.

Here's the same room with new everything (floors, paint, lighting, curtains, everything!) and our bigger table.

It's my happy place.  I hope you found this to be helpful!  Let me know if you make one, I'd love to see pictures.  Keep on sewing!

Make a self binding table square...or napkin...or anything

 This is a really fun and easy project and if you love perfectly mitered corners then you will adore this tutorial for a self binding table square. I love mine!

 You can use this concept for a table square, table runner, napkins, anything that's square or rectangular. I'm making a medium sized table square to go under my cake stands and once I'm done it will be 21" x 21". A good way to figure out your finished size is to add the dimension of the smaller one to the dimension to the bigger one then divide by two and subtract the seam allowance.  18 + 26 = 44 (both heights added) then 44 ÷ 2 = 22 (divide by 2) then 22 - 1 = 21 (subtract total of all seam allowances). I hope that makes sense.

 To get started you'll need to mark sewing lines on all of your pieces. I'm using disappearing ink which will wash off with just a dab of water when I'm done.  I use these disappearing ink pens all the time so if you haven't tried them grabbed your 50% off coupon and treat yourself to a wonderful new sewing tool. If you're using a pencil make sure you don't get your mark beyond the 1/4" seams allowance where it will end up showing when you've finished.

The center piece (with the bird on it)  is 8" smaller than the big piece (the bottom and binding) so divide 8 in half and mark the big piece 4" from each corner edge.

 Then on the wrong side of the center piece make a mark 1/4" from each corner.

 Now, work with two opposite sides and pin your center fabric so it's between the marks on the larger binding fabric (just scrunch up the larger piece of fabric underneath until your sides reach each other). Starting on the small corner dot, stitch across each side starting and stopping at the dots (don't stitch all the way to the ends). Use a 1/4" seam allowance. Be sure to backstitch as you start and stop.

 Here's a closeup of what it will look like. You can see the fabric is right up next to the blue line underneath and I've stopped stitching at the blue corner dot.

 

Now you're going to sew the other two sides. You'll need to "scrunch" the larger fabric piece underneath and pin the un-sewn sides of the center fabric to the un-sewn sides of the larger binding fabric (make sure the fabric is between your markings like you did on the previous step. You can see a closeup of a corner below. Be sure to move the underneath fabric out of the way so it doesn't get caught in your stitches.

 

Stitch from dot to dot (be sure to backstitch again) but leave a 3" opening along one side for turning your fabric right side out.

 

Here is a closeup showing how the stitches meet at the dot but don't go past it.

 

Your larger fabric will be big and loose like this.

 

Now fold a corner so the raw edges meet up together and place a ruler along the fold. Draw a straight line from the fold to the dot where your previous seams met (a drew a dot on the outer fabric to make it obvious). Do this on all four corners. Don't draw all the way to the raw edge because you won't be sewing to the raw edge, you'll sew between the dot and the folded edge.

 Sew between the dot and the edge (remember to backstitch).

 Cut away the extra fabric.

 Now press the center fabric's seam allowance toward the larger fabric. This will make the next step so much easier and cleaner.

 Here's a close up of the un-sewn opening after it's pressed.

Now reach in and, starting with the corners, pull the fabric through the opening.

 Here's the opening after you've turned it inside out. The previous pressing step made the binding fabric nicely folded on that edge and ready to stitch shut.

 Press your table square and make sure that opening fold is just the way you want it so it blends in with the rest of the binding seam. Top stitch around the binding, pivoting at the corner seams where it's nicely mitered. Now nobody will ever be able to tell where that opening was.

 Here's a picture of the stitches underneath.

 Now press your table square smartly and place it somewhere you can enjoy every time you walk by it.

 

Pretty!

These make great gifts, especially for newlyweds or house warming gift giving.  You can use this method to make a cute set of napkins (make the big square 19 x19 and the small square 15 x 15 for a nice sized napkin), or a table runner for a baby's dresser. The ideas are endless!

Make your own pillow insert for cheap

I had a customer request a pillow insert that is 24" x 16" and it's a bit of an oddball size so I don't have one in stock. I looked into it and they're at least 17.00 on average and I thought wait a minute....

I went to Walmart and picked up a regular old pillow in "medium support" style for 4.88.  This is the standard size and it's 17 x 26 inches. 

I cut the end open.

Removed the polyfil stuffing.

And then cut it to the size I needed plus the seam allowance (16 1/2 x 24 1/4 since it already had a seam at one end).

I stitched up each side and a little bit on each side of the end.  I left a decent sized hole to stuff all the polyfil back in.

I grabbed my cheapo scissors and trimmed off some of the polyfil at the end (I'll keep the excess for a pin cushion or softie project).

Then I stuffed it all back in making sure I got it into the corners.

I pinned the end shut but put the pins about 2 inches from the edge so the fluff wouldn't get in the way while I was sewing. All of my seams are obvious but since it's going inside a pillow cover it doesn't matter. 

Bam!  It's exactly the size I needed and cost less than buying it even at a wholesale price.  You can do this with any size of insert you need.

Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you!

 

Make a pillow cover with an invisible zipper (no pins needed!)

I'm going to show you how to make a smart and fabulous pillow cover with a truly invisible zipper!

Few things bring me more satisfaction than a well done invisible zipper.  I see lots of tutorials for pillows with zippers and some call them "hidden zippers" but it drives me crazy because the zippers are behind the obvious fabric folds and there are seams showing the whole length on each side of the zipper (just a pet peeve of mine).  It doesn't have to be that way!  Installing an invisible zipper is no more difficult than sewing regular zippers (I think it's easier actually).

Here are the two pillows I've made recently.  The top one is awesome.  The bottom one has a poorly installed invisible zipper.  The two big differences were 1. ironing the zipper coils first and 2. getting my sewing machine needle as close to the coil as possible while sewing.  I'm going to take you through those steps as well as others to get a great finish!

First, let's talk about invisible zippers.  Invisible zippers are actually labeled "Invisible Zipper" (it's not just the outcome of the process, it's the actual name).  On the left is a regular zipper which has exposed teeth and a square-ish zipper pull.  On the right is an invisible zipper and you can't see the teeth at all plus the pull is long and tapered. Invisible zippers cost a little bit more but the great outcome makes up for the small price difference.

Now let's talk about zipper feet.  Your sewing machine probably came with a zipper foot like the one on the left.  This one will do the trick if your machine has the ability to shift the needle over to the side. The notched areas underneath each side enable you to get your zipper closer to the needle (but not all the way which is why you need to shift your needle over).

The foot on the right is a foot specifically for sewing invisible zippers (this one is from my Juki so it's got a higher shank but the grooves will be the same on a lower shank foot).  If your needle can't be adjusted to the side you need something like this because it allows you to set the zipper right under and next to the needle without having to move the needle.

If you don't want to invest in an invisible zipper foot quite yet you can get this plastic one, pictured below, made by Coats. They're a lot flimsier than the metal ones of course, but for 2.50-ish it's a great way to see if you like the grooved foot before buying a metal one.

  

Besides a suitable zipper foot, you'll need the supplies below:

1. Two fabric squares cut the same dimensions as your pillow form.  My pillow form is 18 x 18 and I cut the fabric squares 18 x 18 so I get a finished cover of approximately 17 x 17 inches.

2. One invisible zipper at least 4 inches longer than your fabric pieces (my zipper is around 22-24 inches long).

3. One Elmers-type glue stick.  I use the stuff that is purple before it dries.

Your first step is to unzip your zipper and iron the coils so they lay as flat as possible (this will enable you to really get your needle up next to it).

Here's a picture of one side of a zipper before and after ironing.  I really applied a lot of heat and took my time to really get it to "uncurl" and lay flat.  

Lay your zipper on one side of the fabric and mark both sides of the zipper about 1.5" from the end of your fabric. The zipper pull is face down when you mark it (more detailed picture next).

Here's an example of how your zipper will lie when you start gluing it in place (yes glue!).  I've zipped this one up partly so you can see that the zipper pull is face down.  You'll need to unzip it completely for the next few stages.

Glue along the whole edge where your zipper will be sewn.  Place a piece of paper under it so you don't get glue on your ironing surface. The glue dries pretty quickly so have everything ready when you get started.

Once you have the zipper pressed in place along the edge you want to heat set the glue with your iron.  Just set it on top of the zipper and press and it will dry the glue enough to hold it while you work with it.  I've used glue for a long time but it was my friend Cristy Fincher who showed me you need to heat set it with your iron (it changed everything for the better!). If the glue is drying before you can get to this part then do this process in two parts (glue half way up, set your zipper, heat press and then glue the rest of the way to the end and repeat the process).

This glue seriously holds!  So much more accurate and reliable than straight pins.

Now flip your glued part over on top of the other fabric piece (like the picture below) and repeat the glueing process on the edge of this piece.

Make sure your edges and the marked lines match up.

Here's what it all looks like when the zipper is glued and heat set in place.  You're ready to sew!

Place your zipper under the zipper foot and adjust your needle so it's right next to the coil.  Don't start stitching at the very end of the pillow piece but start about 1/4" before the mark you made.  Backstitch and start sewing the length of the zipper.

Stop stitching just 1/4" past the other side of the mark you made at the other end.  Backstitch.

Now repeat that process on the other piece of fabric.

Place your fabric pieces right sides together and pull your zipper in so it's no longer hanging off the end of the pillow pieces.  Don't pull it all the way shut.  Now you're going to finish stitching the length of the zipper side.  Pull your zipper "tail" up and out of the way.

Now dab some glue on the un-sewn corners.

Heat set.

Here are both ends (folded so you can see both). They are glued shut at the corners and the zipper "tails" are out of the way.

Now use your marker to make the sewing line on each end.  Draw a straight line from the end and go past the end of the zipper stitch by 1/2".

Move your zipper foot over to the other side, adjust your needle over so it's on your line, and stitch along your line past your zipper stitch.  Backstitch.

Now cut the zipper tails off (use cruddy scissors for this).

Cut both ends of the zipper off.

Open your pillow and press your seam.  Isn't this lovely??  Once you've pressed this seam you'll need to unzip your zipper about halfway down the length of the pillow (or you won't be about to get your hand inside your pillow to turn it right side out once you've finished stitching all the way around it).

Did you remember to unzip your zipper?  Good. Now fold your pillow back together (right sides together). Glue and heat set the edges of the pillow pieces all the way around the perimeter.  Keep your edges even and lined up neatly.

Now use a 1/2" seam allowance and stitch all the way around starting at the zipper edge.

Rather than pivoting at the corner, just stitch all the way off the edge (but backstitch at the spot where you would've pivoted).  Then start sewing again on the next side (again backstitch at the spot where the two stitches intersect).

Once you're done sewing snip your corners off.

On the corners near the zipper you'll want to trim off a little of the seam allowance on the side too (this will give you sharper corners here).

Start turning it right side out and poke your corners out (you can use a chopstick point or something similar to get a good corner).

Lay your pillow cover flat and press your seams open as much as you can.

Here it is, nice and finished and ready to be stuffed.  Nice clean lines, a discreet zipper, and you didn't use one pin the whole time.

 Squish your pillow form up and stuff it into your new, beautiful cover.  Take care to stuff it into the corners too.  Now zip it up.  Isn't it pretty?  Pat yourself on the back now.  Do it.

Now you can enjoy them forever.

Let me know how it works for you!

 

New parsons chair slipcovers for my dining room

 I've been focusing most of my sewing/decorating focus in my dining room lately.  I'm getting desperate to have things finished instead of "in the process".  A few more things and I'll call this room done.  But covering the chairs was the biggest part of it so it's quite an accomplishment and I'm ready to show it off.

A couple of years ago I was watching Season 3 of Sarah Richardson's show on HGTV and fell in love with the dotted fabric on the kitchen chairs (pictures here).  Unfortunately for me, the fabric is over 30.00 a yard.  Ouch.  When I saw this Birch (like a barkcloth texture) Ikat Dot Nova Grey home dec print from Premier Prints I had a feeling this was just what I was looking for.  I bought a yard just to check it out and it's absolutely perfect.  It's grey with creamy dots so the overall effect is a perfect "greige". I have more here in my Fabritopia store and it's only 12.99 a yard!  Each chair has taken about 1.5 yards so it's been a very reasonable and beautiful solution.

 Here's what I started with.  I bought 6 of these parsons chairs from a Craigslist add for 65.00 (plus they threw in a table for free which I used as a desk for awhile then got rid of).  They are comfortable and the fabric was in good shape so they looked fine with everything but I wanted them to look super fine.

I looked all over for a pattern and ended up purchasing one but I didn't like all the extra pieces (I knew with some pleats and corners it could be simplified and still look smart). I took the process nice and slow with the first one since I knew I needed a good pattern in order for the other 5 to be easy.  I used muslin for the pattern pieces and started sewing, seam ripping, and sewing again until the fit was nice.  I started with the seat.

 I then added the seat back and worked hard to get the pleats at the top corners nice and tight and made sure the seam where the two pieces met was low enough to not pull apart from the pressure of someone sitting but high enough to not look baggy the rest of the time.

 When I added the back piece I knew it would need to open up a little in order to slide onto the chair (it's wider at the top than the bottom). The pleat opens about 7 inches from the top so it's not baggy.  I wasn't careful to match my dot pattern with this back piece but if fixed that on the other 5 so you can't really see the seam (and this one goes against the wall where nobody can see the back!).

 I wanted the skirt to look finished but still be soft looking and these gently flared pleats did the trick.  Plus the piping gives it a smart finish.  This first one was a little droopy at the front of the seat so I raised the pattern up in that spot for the rest of them.  I'm okay with the first chair being less-than-perfect (it took me awhile to get to the place in life!).

 

I just made a simple, but crisp, bow to pull the pleat together in the back.  I considered a button and loop, a frog closure, hidden hook and eye...but finally settled on the bow.  I really like it.

 So here's my room at this point and I couldn't be happier.  It looks like somebody cared enough to take care of the details.  I'm shopping for a new light fixture next.

 And Joey found these HENRIKSDAL chairs for the end of the table in the AS IS section of IKEA.  They were half price and are a close enough match that I don't know if anyone will even notice the difference one they're covered.  I'm working on a pattern right now and will be able to make it available to others since these chairs are easier for folks to get.

 That's all! 

 

Have a great week and keep on sewing!!!

The post in which I bribe you with lemons and share some cool stuff

The nutshell:

1. I've started a new business and I want you to "like" my facebook page.  

2. I'm having a drawing next week from all my facebook "likers" and the winner gets a big box of lemons fresh off my trees (I can only ship in the US, sorry).  The drawing will be within a week since the lemons NEED to be picked now.

3. All items in the new store are 20% off in February with the coupon code LEMON2015.

(Oh, and follow our store on instagram "homehaberdasher")

The whole store is below: 

I've taken a nice long break from blogging and it's been good.  I've been busy.  Very busy.  Things are changing and I'm trying to figure out how to adjust my blog in the process.  I started this blog in 2007 and life has changed, I've changed, my baby is a big old 3rd grader now...  I've had oodles of thoughts and ideas floating around in my head that past couple of years and they are finally starting to fall into an orderly-ish place in my mind.  This last year was so consumed with our daughter's (beautiful) wedding that we hardly had time to focus on anything else besides making it to that blessed date and then collapsing.

But here we are in a new year, and actually a new season of life, with a little more space on our plates for some new things.  So why not start a new business?  Check out Home Haberdasher!  It's just a little thing right now but I have so many great plans for it and hope it grows big enough to make a difference not just for us, but for other folks looking for a way to make money from home (think Pampered Chef type of thing).  I've already lured my newlywed daughter Peety away from her job at Target to her post here as Employee #1.  She's smart as a whip and is managing a lot of the graphic work already (yessss!), plus sewing, photography, cleaning (double yesssss!), and everything else that needs to be done.

Here she is overcoming her fear of my electric rotary cutter.  Every day is casual dress day here at Home Haberdasher (pajamas are acceptable attire as well).

I've used this new situation to "practice" with our new, glorious fabrics on my own home.  Here is our new sewing/fabric storage room in the process of being converted from my office.  Why not have a glamorous work space?  I call these curtains "glamorjack" since the the main print is so glamorous but the checkered trim adds a lumberjack touch to it.

With tie backs to let the Arizona glow in.

 

And here is my now splendid dining room after making new drapes (unlined to let the sun through).  My heart leaps every time I walk into this room.  Our new store is selling custom made drapes and they are soooo much more reasonably priced than Pottery Barn and other places that sell a quality product (these fabrics are far better than anything you'll find at a Target type of store which is why I can't get enough of them).

I love this little corner here....

Here is the evolution of this dining room in the past few years (after it was a grimy concrete floored tv room for a couple of years but that's a whole 'nother Oprah show...).

My work is done here.  Oh wait...I'm making slipcovers for all of my dining chairs....

Yeah, these are gorgeous.  I'm serious.  This fabric is amazing and I can't stop.  

Over time I will continue to add more of these great fabrics from the fine folks at Premier Prints, Inc. (it's all made in the USA!) and help people make pretty things with them.

So here's the plan:

1. Build up our new Home Haberdasher business to the point where it supports itself and then expand it to provide jobs and opportunities for more people.

2. Re-build Fabritopia (it's starting already) filling it with gorgeous fabrics from Premier Prints, Inc.  

3. Create video tutorials to help folks with all sorts of sewing projects. This will be fun!

4. Get my stores off Etsy (the fees are killing me!) on back onto an independent website.

5. Hand my Hipster Haberdasher store over to one of my kids (it's been such a blessing but I'm tired!).

 

So here's where the lemons come in!  Last year I had a drawing for a big box of lemons and the response was amazing (the lemons were amazing).  This year I'm doing it again but I'm drawing from all the folks that like my new Home Haberdasher facebook page.  We will be having regular sales and give aways and hope you will check us out and stick with me as I begin this new venture.

Right now (through February) you can buy anything at the store and get 20% off our already lower-than-the-competition prices with the coupon code LEMON2015.  Seriously!  Get new drapes, pillows, table runners, etc.... at a killer price!

Lot's more coming up!  Keep on sewing!!  XOXO

 

You can make your own nativity scene (a tutorial and pattern)

UPDATE: Wise Men pdf pattern now available (scroll down to the bottom of this post).

After years of wishing and hoping (and a little bit of nagging) I finally have a beautiful nativity scene for my front yard and I love it.  I did a lot of searching through clipart sites until I found the silhouette that I really liked and one that would translate well into a large sized cut out.  This one even has coordinating silhouettes for the 3 Wise Men for next years project.  We made the star a couple of years ago using this tutorial on Little Bit Funky.

I spy a little doggy in the window.

I sized the design to be able to fit on one 4x4 piece of plywood (about 24.00).  My hubby had the nice folks at Home Depot trim a 15 inch strip off so it would fit in the back of our car (the 15 inch strip was the right size for the Joseph piece).

Here is the pdf file if you're interested in making one yourself.  Just click here or on the picture below to download.  I traced the design so it would use less printer ink and included a mini version of it so you can see how all the pieces should go together.  Each grid represents one 8.5 x 11 piece of paper.

Once the pieces were all taped together Joey cut out each individual character and traced them on the smooth side of the plywood sheet (this is the 15" strip he had cut).

The Mary and Baby Jesus fit best like this on the other piece of the plywood.

To cut out the inside holes he used the big drill bit to drill holes around the inside edges so he could get the jigsaw in there easily.

He took his time with this part and did a great job.  The jigsaw kind of scares me so I'm glad he was doing this.

Tada!  It came out great and the halo and the little "hay" details look fantastic.

After he was done cutting the pieces out he quickly filed the rough edges away.

One good coat of white paint was sufficient.

Then he made the base using 2 x 4s and angle brackets.  The front one is 48" long and the sides are 24".  The back board is a 2 x 2 and he decided to use that in case he wanted to weigh it down with some flat brick caps of something.  So far we haven't needed them but it hasn't been windy. I painted the front 2 x 4 white as well.

When everything was done he just used some screws to attach each piece to the 2 x 4.  It will be easy to dismantle and store this way.  He also bought a small flood light (and extension cord) to light it from the front.  Pretty!

So here it is and I'm in love with it!  Let me know if you try it!

I hope you're having a great Christmas and Hanukkah season!  If you're looking for some ideas for hand crafted gifts don't forget to check my tutorial page.  Keep on sewing!

 

UPDATE:

We finally made the Wise Men! Here are the pictures:

I love them!

This makes me so happy. We will be working on some shepherds next and I will update when that is ready but in the meantime here is a picture of the cut out and a link to the pdf. Click here or on the picture below for the pdf pattern. When we make them we ended up separating them into 3 pieces at the bottom (look at the above pictures to see what I mean). Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

My master bath mega spruce up re-do

We have lived in this house for 11 years and up until about a month ago I've never had a shower curtain in my master bathroom (and it's been this depressing brown color for 10 years). I put up with it because nobody but our family ever saw it so I just kept putting off making changes even though I have truly hated it forever.  

Well, with the wedding planning in full swing we knew we'd have to get the house in better shape since there would be a lot more people coming and going (and staying for a bit too).  And even though nobody really comes into the master bedroom area I still wanted to not feel like cringing if it happened.

So here it was with paint swatches, a broken towel hook, and a pathetic shower curtain liner.  And mismatched finishes everywhere.

Here it is now!  Calm, fresh, pretty, and much more organized.  Oh and Hello! A shower curtain!  The paint is Sea Salt (by Sherwin Williams but I did a Behr color match in Satin finish).  This is my favorite paint color ever and it was an easy choice since I still had a bunch left over from painting the downstairs.  I even painted the ceiling!

Here is the corner behind the door.  I took advantage of that blank wall and added some containers from IKEA to hang my cosmetics, blow dryer, etc. I used the rest of the shower curtain fabric for this simple, but fun valance. I was so excited about it I super-scrubbed my dusty blinds (a loathsome task).

Here's a close up of the storage.  I splurged and spent about 60 dollars for all the pieces.

We put the finishing touch on last weekend when our neighbors had this shiny new light fixture in their garage sale (they just gave it to us) and it totally matches the style of the other finishes.  Win!

Fresh paint on the doorknob (hammered black metal spray paint), a re-purposed clock (taken from my old office), fresh new towels from Target (just 3.50 each), and that cute "French" sign from World Market (10.00) and it doesn't even look like the same room.

I realized I have a bad habit of buying things that I like without considering the "big picture".  I got this cute hook on the left and then realized it didn't match anything.  So Home Depot came through with the nice silver ones in the right picture (at only 3.00-ish each).  Back on track.

Here's my cute little toilet corner.  Yes, you can reach the toilet paper from the toilet!  And the air freshener types of things in the middle come in handy but I especially like being able to grab a fresh wash cloth from the shower.  Towel tab tutorial here.

I was completely inspired by this blog post here at Our Fifth House (cute stuff over there!) and found the baskets at Michaels for around 8 bucks each (half of sale) and the wall hooks at Home Depot for about 9 bucks for all three sets).  The baskets had metal handles which Joey sawed off and then re-wrapped the edges with the extra wicker stuff so you'd never know.  The little numbers are Tim Holtz designs I got at Michaels (stitched on with twine). 

 I wanted to show you how I got the stripes to match up so beautifully on my shower curtain since that can be tricky.  I just used my glue tip that I got from Cristy at Purple Daisies LLC and pressed it all together and it didn't shift one bit while stitching.

 One last look!  Such an improvement!  And I'm HAPPY when I come in here and see how pretty it easy (happy to clean it too actually!).