The boots were hung by the chimney with care

Update:  Some of the pics were not loading correctly.

Look no further than your closet for inspiration

to create these whimsical boots err…stockings.

Throughout the year, I acquire deeply discounted

upholstery remnants and ribbon/trims at the fabric store,

or find drapes in rich brocades at the thrift store
for less than $5.oo a panel.

These are not traditional holiday fabrics, deliberate on my part.

Iron on applique trim.

Thinking out of the box....anything goes.
Using embelishments already on hand enhances creativity.

Rhinestone strand removed from old t-shirt.

I think these stocking boots are festive.
They make great gifts.

I make the pattern out of a grocery sack or newspaper
and tracing about ½” out and around the entire boot.

The pattern is also used to make the lining.

Better to pin, but I used soup cans as weights instead. !Laaazzy!

Cut out 2 boots and sew up the bottom and sides

I use the end of a small paint brush and

gently push out the toe and heal of the boot.

Press seams.

Pin trim to the boot and sew.  The seam will later be hidden.

I used a silk ribbon, leaving the tails long to tie a big fancy bow.

Cut out the lining.

Notice: The lining is cut so it stops at the ankle of the boot.

*You’ll see why.

Sew up the lining leaving about a 5” opening along the back seam.

Do not turn out!

Place the boot inside the lining and sew along the top opening.

Press the seams of the lining and push down into the boot.

*Take some batting and push it down into the foot of the boot

through the opening in the lining,

giving a nice full shape to the boot.

There is plenty of space for the goodies.
This boot will hold a bottle of wine!

Pull the lining back out and sew up the 5" opening.

The hook is actually part of a hoop earring.

I’ve attached the hook and tied the bow. 

I'm done!

HA!

The old earrings occupy my thoughts a lot lately.

Now I'm done.

Jester Stocking (on either end) made with Dawn Anderson, Vogue Pattern 7375.

PB: Inspiration for DIY

Mauve/decopauged thrift store table, $15. Stripped, refinished, and added new hardware

to resemble a PB table for use as a nightstand in my son's room.  

Whether its repurposing furniture,

Beaded fringe added to Asian lamp shade for a Victorain flair. 

spiffing up existing items with clever accents,

Son's junk art guitar, made from a Gateway box, wood trim remnants, and acrylic paints.

PB Teens for inspiration.  It really is acoustic. 

Wood composite trim;   Primed, painted, distressed,

added (10) drawer pulls, and hung the trim 5 feet from the floor

in the laundry room to hold totes, raincoats, backpacks...

Odd sized frame, garage sale find,  $.50.

Barbed wire from the 1800's.

Wood shelving from great, grandfathers barn.

This assembly nearly came together on its own

at which time my husband claimed for his office wall.

or creating distinctive displays, using color, texture, and imagination,

PB is a source for ideas and inspirations, when I'm 'drawing' blanks.

My son wanted Euro pillows similar to some we had seen in PB Teen.

I borrowed a friends PB Euro Pillow Case and took measurements.

They look complicated but in fact are very easy to make.

The finished pillow measures 30x30 with a 2” flange
 for a 26x26 Euro Pillow.

Before cutting, launder/iron your fabric.

Use a ruler or straight edge and draw the panels right on the fabric.

Make the length (for the back pieces) with the grain and

be sure to mark the grain direction for the front panel.

Cut 1 panel 31” x31” for the front (ex.a)

For the back you need  2 pieces that create an over flap
to insert your pillow form.

Cut (1) 17”x31” (ex. b) and (1) 21” x 31” (ex. c.)

For the 2 back panels, fold and press the middle seams ½”,

then fold over 1”, press, stitch close to the inner edge.

Hint: for visible stitching, increase stitch length to 3.5mm for a professional look.

Assemble pillow in this order.

Front panel (ex. a) print side up

17x31 (ex. b) print side down and lined up to one side

21 x 31 (ex. c) print side dorn and lined up to other side

Make sure the fabric grain is in the same direction as back pieces.

Pin sides and stitch all the way around the pillow using a 1/2" or 5/8 seam allowance".

Trim seams to 1/4". Press open seams.
Turn pillow right side out pushing out corners, press.

Stitch around the pillow 2” from edge to create the flange.

Hint: Put a piece of masking tape on your sewing machine,

measure 2” to the right of needle, draw a straight line with ruler.

Use as a guide, lining up the outer edge of the fabric as you sew.

Insert pillow form

My son  loves them….

so I made some for my other son.

He loves them too!

Hobo Bag

I made a Hobo Bag, McCalls m5198, view D.

This bag could be a challenge for a beginner. It wasn’t too bad for me because I am used to working with upholstery fabrics. The instructions are easy enough but the thickness of the fabric specifically when working the shoulder piece presents some difficulty. Case in point: I had to cut and sew the tab piece 3 different times to accommodate the thickness where the two shoulder straps meet. This tab wraps around that bulk and is slip stitched together. I also tacked the tab to the straps to keep it from flipping around.

I used an upholstery fabric remnant from Joann’s. The pattern calls for interfacing. This fabric has a plastic coating on one side, so I did not use interfacing. I used a powder blue soft cotton canvas for the inside lining. I wished I had used something flashier.

For the inside pocket, I used a striped satiny upholstery fabric left over from some curtains I made. Tiny oversight, the pocket is supposed to be attached inside below the loop closure. Oooops.

Overall, I like the titanic size of this bag and think it turned out well for a first of sorts. I am traveling next week with my two kids in tow. I think this will be perfect for carrying our travel accouterments.

Serger Huskylock 910

My designated sewing area is organized. I just need to finish painting, add some more shelving, and voila, I should be good to go. I have a class next Tues. to learn how to use my new Serger Huskylock 910. My sewing machine intimidated me when I first got it, but nothing like this Serger does.



I’ve been told the Serger can almost take the place of a sewing machine and reduce regular sewing time by half. It sure would have come in handy when I was making all those curtains and comforter.

This sewing cabinet was my grandmothers that had been stowed away after she passed in 1983. I was thrilled when my dad came by and gave it to me last week. I also consider it a sign that sewing is my new frontier. The compartments are roomy. The coolest thing is how compact and light weight it is when closed up. My son was eyeballing it too, thinking it would make a cool Lego storage container.



My Grandma got this sewing box sometime in the 70’s. I found the assembly instructions inside for a #350 Syskrin Sewing Cabinet, Singer Industries, Phillipines. They don’t make sewing storage like this anymore.

SEWING

I bought my first sewing machine in 2003. We had just moved into a larger house with many windows and my grandmother insisted this was something I needed. I purchased a Viking Husqvarna Freesia 415. It sat in the trunk of my car for almost a month. I moved it to the living room floor (still in its carton) where it sat for another month. Then I cleared out a space in the laundry room where it was idle for 2+ more months. During this time, I bought several yards of fabric to make curtains and comforters for my boys’ bedrooms.

Finally, I took a sewing class and have been hooked ever since. I’ve made pillows, curtains, comforters, window seats, pajama bottoms for my kids and myself, boxers for my husband and most recently, Xmas stockings.

I would love to learn how to sew my own clothes. Unfortunately, this has proven to be far more difficult for me than sewing up rectangles and squares. The couple of shirts I have sewn went into the trash can.

Lately, I have been obsessed with the idea to give it another go. I read just about anything related to sewing including many sewing blogs. What an incredible community of very talented people. I think they will keep me inspired.

Intrigued by the website http://www.burdafashion.com/ and the reviews at http://www.sewingpatternreview/ I subscribed to the Burda Magazine. I LOVE this magazine. It contains all the patterns of the clothes they profile (and there's many), sewing tips and instructions. You can see how everything looks made up and modeled on a real person as well as a technical drawing. Each item is rated according to sewing level.

Now, to organize an area dedicated for “SEWING ONLY”