Owl Embroidery

Of course it's beautiful and sunny out today!! We did not get lucky this weekend as far as weather is concerned. Our entire weekend camping was spent under a tarp, freezing!! Fortunately, we were able to make the most of it [unfortunately, I don't have a single picture to show for it due to the constant down pour].

Knowing it was going to be cold this past weekend, I thought it would be nice to have an extra layer to wrap around me while sitting by the fire. I didn't have much time to throw something together so I decided to buy a blanket from the store and embroider it with a fun looking owl. A girl can't just use a plain green blanket!! I had to make it unique somehow!!

Seeing how it was so simple I thought I'd share how I made it with you. Sorry ahead of time... I did most of this while at my bowling league so I don't have many pictures to show!

To start...

1. Buy a blanket and find an image you'd like to use. I just googled a couple key words... originally I wanted to do a tent of a fire but couldn't find anything that I really loved so I scratched that and searched "owl embroidery image." Once I found it I printed it out. Gather the other supplies you'll need: embroider floss in various colors, an embroidery ring [I think that's what it's called], and an embroidery needle.

2. [The next two steps could have probably been done in a much better way... so if you know of a better method please share!! Like I said I was on a time crunch!!] Iron medium weight interfacing [stabilizer] to the back of the blanket on the area where you plan to embroider your image.

3. Put your blanket into the embroidery ring and trace your image onto the blanket. To do this I place the paper print out onto the blanket and traced over it with a pen until the pen broke through to the paper. [Like I said there has to be a better way to do this!!]

4. Decide what colors you're going to use for which areas of the image along with which stitches you'll use. I decided to outline the owl in brown using the back stitch and filled in the eyes and wings using the satin stitch.

5. Now get to work!!!

If anyone has done their own embroidery, leave me a comment. I'd love to see your work!!

Enjoy, Amanda

Camping Checklist

I'm a bit of a self confessed control freak with OCD tendencies. I make lists for any and everything. It's a habit I don't ever see breaking. It gets even more obsessive when I'm planning trips!! Camping is no exception.

I've just made it easier on myself though! I've created a masterlist of everything I need for a camping trip. I've laminated the piece of paper so I'm able to write on it with dry/erase markers. I keep this list attached to the lid of my super-duper tupperware container!! This container holds EVERYTHING [well almost everything] needed for a camping trip!! It's great to have everything in one place, both convenient and easy to restock.

I'm sharing my list with you to download and printout. It's a big help keeping yourself organized!!

Click here to download Camping Checklist

Enjoy, Amanda

Makeup Bag Tutorial

[I'm moving Food for Thought Thursday to Friday... I'm trying a new recipe this evening for bowling and want to share it with you tomorrow!!]
Yesterday, I was in a time crunch for a birthday present for this evening. I didn't have the time or the money to run out to the store so I turned to my stash of fabric and figured I could throw something together with some supplies I already had.

My original idea was to make a wristlet but realized I only had a 7inch zipper and that wouldn't be long enough for the size wristlet I wanted. Instead, I opted to make a small makeup bag- the perfect size to carry in your purse.

I used...

2 fat quarters (or scrap fabric) I had lying around in coordinating fabrics [make sure you press them before beginning]

1 zipper

interfacing

I made it by...

1. Cut your fabrics according to the size bag you want- 2 pieces from each fat quarter Also cut 2 pieces of interfacing. I had a wristlet lying around that I based my measurements off of.

2. Iron on interfacing to the 2 exterior pieces of fabric.

3. Okay this was the confusing part [at least for me]. You're going to sew your interior fabric to the zipper by lining up the underside of the zipper with the right side of the fabric facing it [hope that makes sense... I think I confused myself just typing it!!]. Then for the exterior fabric you're going to line up the topside of the zipper with the right side of the fabric facing it. Hopefully the picture helps...

4. Next open the zipper almost all of the way. Then take the two exterior pieces and pin them together with right sides together and do the same withe interior pieces. To make sure my bag is symmetrical I drew lines on the exterior fabric to follow while sewing.

5. Sew along lines on the exterior fabric. Do the same for the interior fabric but be sure to leave room in the in bottom to flip everything right side out.

6. Flip right side out. And stitch the whole closed.

7. Fill it with your favorite cosmetics and throw it in your purse and you're done!!!

Enjoy, Amanda

Passport Wallet

This is my first attempt at creating a tutorial so please bear with me! Please feel free to ask any questions if I didn't make a step clear. With that being said I made this passport wallet for my friend Juls, who is moving to Spain in less than a week!!!


Materials & Measurements:

Outside Fabric (purchased from Ikea)

• Shell- 8"X12"
• Right Flap- 8"X3"
• Left Flap- 8"X5"
• Pocket- 4.5"X3"

Inside Fabric (purchased from Jo-Ann Fabrics)

• Lining- 8"X6.5" and 8"X6"
• Passport Pocket- 4.5"X5"

7" Zipper
4" Skinny Elastic
Button

*Side note- For this project I used a thicker/sturdier fabric for the outside fabric and a simple cotton for the lining. The studier fabric on the outside helped the wallet keep its form. You could always use interfacing if you wanted it stiffer.

**Beware- This post has A LOT of pictures!! Just thought it'd be easier to understand that way.

Directions:

1. Press all pieces of fabric. I know this seems unnecessary but believe me it really helps with measurements when there aren't crinkles in the fabric.
   
   
2. Cut all pieces out on paper and trace onto fabric. Cut out fabric.



3. Attach the zipper to the two pieces of lining material along their 8" sides.
   
4. Press ¼- ½" seams on all edges of the passport pocket and smaller pocket. Sew seams on both of the pockets. Press seam on the right edge of the left pocket and sew. Press seam on the left edge of the right pocket and sew. Pressing in this step makes clean edges for when you sew pockets and flaps down.

5. Sew the small pocket on the passport pocket.


6. Sew the passport pocket onto the left flap. Keep to the far right of the pocket because you'll need a seam allowance on the left side of the left flap.

7. Lay right flap on top of the lining to the right side of the lining. Sew credit card pockets into the right flap (be sure the measure your cards will fit before sewing). To sew the pockets simply sew from the right edge or fabrics to the left edge of the right flap.
8. Sew button to the right side of the shell fabric where you think it should go.

9. Lay the left flap to the left of the zipper. Sandwich fabric with right sides together. Remember to open the zipper a few inches so you're able to flip the wallet right side out. Trace straight lines around the perimeter of the fabric to sew along (Don't have to the previous sentences but it helps the keep the lines looking neat.)Take elastic and slide loop into the sandwich of fabric and pin in place. Sew around the perimeter line.
10. Trim excess fabric.

11. Turn right side out.
12. Press.
13. Determine where the center fold is and sew a straight line from top to bottom.
14. Fill it with your passport, money, ID, and credit cards!!!
    

There are plenty of variation you can do to this. If you don't want it to be for a passport you can always do away with the pockets on the right and make more credit card slots.

I hope this was helpful. I'd love any feedback!!

Enjoy, Amanda