selvage bracelet tutorial

I know I'm always really lazy whenever I tell you how I made something, and I've vowed to be better about taking photos of each step of a project. I'll also admit it drives me a bit nuts to stop and take a picture each step of the way, but I'm sure that with a little practice, I'll get used to it.

That being said, I wanted to share a really easy project with you using the selvages of your fabric. You know that little strip on the end that tells you the name of the fabric, that you always cut-off? Well, I recently came across this blog and I found myself paying attention to that little strip. And I figured out that the names of the fabrics are pretty fun. (Like Ride at Your Own Whisk!) So I decided to turn them into a bracelet.

Here we go, my first "real" tutorial:

(This makes one 9" x 1" bracelet.)

Supplies:

Rotary cutter or scissors
Ruler
Iron
Fabric scraps
Thread
Sewing Machine (these are small, so you can also hand sew them too!)
Selvages of fabric
Velcro strips

Instructions:

1. Using a scrap of fabric, cut a strip of fabric measuring 4 inches wide by 9 inches long.

2. Lay your fabric, with the design facing down, on your table. Fold each long side of the fabric strip towards the center as shown in the photo. Press with your iron.

3. Then fold the strip in half as shown. Press with iron.

4. Sew around the entire outside of the strip, on all four sides.
5. Cut the saying you want to use off the selvage piece of fabric and center onto fabric. Sew onto the strip.
6. Sew Velcro onto ends of the strip.
7. Wear proudly. I like piling a bunch up on my arm, but I suppose you could also have some restraint and wear them one at a time.

Okay-I know I lost steam with the photos after Step Four. I think we all know that it's a miracle that I have as many steps up as I do. I promise to do better next time! Email me if you have any questions! Oh and speaking of patience. Check out this dress made entirely out of selvage pieces. I want one!

FTC and blogging

I'm sure you probably already know there are new FTC rules for bloggers about disclosure. If you want more information about it, read my newsletter and get the scoop.

I think it's really important for all of us to be aware of these rules, so I'm going to encourage you to read my information with a little prize giveaway. Read my newsletter and tell me what important (and dreaded) event is coming up in my personal life this month. Leave a comment on this post with the answer and I'll draw a name on Friday. The winner will receive any ebook in my Etsy shop they want!

pumpkin pasta

This is a great recipe for the Fall. I found it on Alicia's blog, Posie Gets Cozy, last year, and I've already made it twice this Fall. It's super easy and has an earthy, warm flavor that is perfect for the crisp Fall weather.

Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients:

1 c. whipping cream or heavy cream
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
20 leaves of fresh sage (chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 links of mild Italian sausage
1 lb. pasta (penne or shells work great!)

Directions:

1. Cook the sausage according to the package directions.

2. Combine cream, pumpkin puree, and Parmesan cheese, sage, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn the heat to low and let simmer.

3. Make the pasta according to the package directions.

4. When pasta and sausage are done, pour sauce over the pasta. Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to the pasta.

5. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

That's it! I told you it was easy, but it's really good and people will be wildly impressed with your cooking skills. Why not make it for Sunday Dinner this week?

painting

You may have noticed that I have been sewing and crafting a lot lately, but I haven't been producing much in the way of original artwork. The other night, I had the urge to paint and spent a couple of glorious hours painting away. I'm thinking of doing a series of the women in my family, called "The Good Girls". The paintings would all be my interpretation of old family photographs, specifically of the women in my family marking their completion of certain Catholic sacraments, such as First Communions and Confirmations. So far, I have my mom's First Communion painting and my Grandmother's Confirmation started.


Of course, I always I come up with these great ideas, and work on them deep into the night and then in the light of day, they are forgotten or don't seem like good ideas anymore. We'll see where this project goes. Right now, I'm just enjoying playing with my paints for awhile.

dia de los muertos

I've always wanted to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. I love the bright colors and the celebratory nature of the holiday. This year, I made a little ofrenda, dedicated to my paternal grandmother and grandfather, my maternal grandfather and my beloved dog, MaryAnn. (After seeing the link I just gave you, I see that next year's ofrenda will need some changes. I feel a new family tradition coming on!)

sunday dinners

It all started about 8 years ago. Every Sunday afternoon, my husband and I would get so caught up in complaining about not wanting to go to work, that we would end up ruining the last remaining weekend hours we had left. Something had to be done! So we decided we needed to get our minds off Monday and create a Sunday night tradition that we could look forward to. Sunday Night Dinners was born. Each week, we take turns making a fantastic dinner for one another. The rule is, it has to be something we have never made before. We've become much better cooks over the years because at least once a week we are trying new techniques and recipes. Whoever is in charge of cooking that week takes care of everything and at the end of the day, we're so busy eating a delicious dinner and drinking wine that we almost forget that the weekend is over.

In honor of our tradition, I'm going to share recipes with you on Fridays. Maybe you'll try one or two on a Sunday evening?

Cranberry Dessert Sauce
(Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart)

Ingredients
1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries. (You do not need to defrost the frozen berries.)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cherry brandy
3 tablespoons of water
vanilla ice cream

Instructions
1. Put all the ingredients, except ice cream, in a saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
2. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occassionally.
3. Let cool slightly, for about 10 minutes and keep warm.
4. Pour over servings of vanilla ice cream.

This is more delicious than you can ever imagine and perfect for the holidays. If you have leftovers, it may solidfy in the fridge a bit. It can be used as a jelly (perfect on leftover turkey sandwiches!) or just reheat it in the microwave and eat it with more ice cream!

nevermore

This is the last Halloween project (maybe)! For someone who claims to hate Halloween, I sure was busy this year!

I had the design of this pillow in my head for awhile, but I was having trouble getting to the fabric store. I finally did and spent a whole glorious day this weekend sewing.

The nevermore pillow is my homage to Edgar Allan Poe's poem, The Raven. I made it as a pillow sham, so I can easily pack it up and store it.

I don't know what's gotten in to me lately, but I've been on a creative bender. I'm not complaining-I love it when the ideas flow, but it can be frustrating. I mean I just I want to craft and paint and sew all day and all night, but I can't. I'm carrying a notebook around with me at all times to ensure that I don't lose any of my ideas. Now I just need to find the time implement them...

cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes

I recently had the opportunity to play with Sizzix's new Scoreboard Dies. Designed by Eileen Hull, these dies cut and score chipboard. Eileen asked me to participate in the launch blog party of her dies and sent me some samples. I was thrilled to see that there are Cupcake Holder Ruffles in the line!

Here are the designs I came up with:

Big Daddy
I think this design would be great for a man's birthday or even Father's Day.

Sweetness
Little Girl's Birthday Parties and Baby Showers seem in order for this design.

Black and White
Complete with sparkling rhinestones, these would be great for a wedding, wedding shower or any black-tie event.

Which one is your favorite?

Check-out Eileen's blog on October 28 for links to see what other designers did with the Cupcake Ruffle Die! My Creative Newsletter went out today! There are a few more photos of the cupcakes in the issue and links to Halloween party ideas and tutorials. You can check-out the issue in the archives here. Don't forget to sign-up for the newsletter too!



Update! Here is a list of the other talented designers' blogs! Check-out what they did with the Cupcake Die!

Jenn Ellefson

Fabrizio Martellucci

Bonnie Bruns

Barbara Mattheisson

Denise Clason

Gabriela Delworth

Eileen Hull

getting lost in blogland

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get overwhelmed when I read blogs. It's almost too much inspiration some days. I usually read my favorite blogs in the morning while I drink coffee, so I use my laptop. I use Google Reader, so I read all the new entries on one screen. This ends up being a problem because, when I see a tutorial I want to try or a recipe I want, I tell myself I'll remember to go back to it. But then I'm on to the next blog and by the time I'm done reading all my favorite blogs, I've forgotten who I wanted to go back to.

So I made up a nifty form, that I keep by laptop, and whenever I see something I want to go back to, I write it down right away. I'm planning on filing all the forms in a binder so that when I need inspiration, I can just pull-out the binder and look at my notes. I'm pretty excited about it. It must be working, because this weekend, I already did 3 tutorials I saw on other blogs! (The other great thing about writing down information about where I want to revisit is when I blog about a project, I know exactly where I found the idea, so I can give proper credit to the originator of the idea!)

I thought I would share my form with you! I call it Blog Breadcrumbs because I feel like it helps me find my way in the "forest" of blogs I read! Feel free to download it here and start keeping track of your inspiration. All I ask is that you only use the form for your own use. It would also be nice if you used my nifty Blog Breadcrumbs button on your blog. Just right click on the button below and then link to this blog post. Be sure to tell you friends!

P.S. While I was feeling all organized and Martha Stewart-like, I made up a calendar similiar to the one she has in the front of her magazine. You can check it out by clicking on the "What is katydiddy doing?" button in the sidebar. I thought that, by writing down all my great plans, I might actually do them!

Halloween Sale

There's still time to get your Halloween Paperie Party Packs! I've marked them down and am offering free shipping in the USA! Check-out the goodness here.