I love sheep!

Did you know I love sheep? Well, I do. I can’t really explain why – it’s just one of those things – but I love sheep in all forms: pictures of sheep, plush sheep, edibles that use marshmallows to look like sheep, the real sheep that “baa” and even sheep measuring cups.

Maybe you thought I was kidding about the measuring cups.

I know, the sheep thing is a little weird, but so am I. My loved ones are kind enough to just embrace it! I have a steadily-growing plush sheep collection above my desk at work, and more than half of those sheep have come from my family and friends.

So imagine how excited I was to stumble across this Little Lamb Pillow tutorial at The Purl Bee - and just in time for Easter!

Photos & tutorial courtesy of http://www.purlbee.com

Magical, right? I love the way the wavy cutting lends itself to the lamb’s “wool.” Can’t wait to try these out!

Do you have a strange favorite animal, too? Or am I the only one?

Do the sewing touchdown dance

Even though it still feels like summer here in Florida, football season has officially arrived! Although I’m not a die-hard football fan, I grew up hearing my dad’s Chicago Bears games in the background every Sunday and the sound of a football game on TV still makes me feel incredibly nostalgic.

When I see Chicago Bears fabric stocked on store shelf here in Central Florida, I can’t help but stop in my tracks. Living across the country from my hometown, it’s a rarity to see my team of choice! But licensed fabric is expensive and I’ve never had any specific NFL-ish projects in mind, so I’ve always passed it up.

That is, until recently, when I saw a treasure trove of Chicago Bears fleece in the remnants bin… two remnants that were each just one inch short of a full yard. I almost did a touchdown dance right there in the fabric store. I couldn’t pass up these Chicago Bears gems for 50 percent off!

SCORE.

But what are the most relevant uses for NFL fabric? After some Google searching fun, here are some free tutorials for projects that might shine even brighter with some licensed team fabric – both fleece and non-fleece projects!

Photo and tutorial courtesy of Sew4Home.com

Never lose your remote again with this handy couch caddy! Click here for the free couch caddy tutorial at Sew4Home. (Note: this tutorial technically calls for home decor weight fabrics. Since most licensed fabrics aren’t home decor weight, you may have to get creative with heavy interfacing.)

Photo and tutorial courtesy of Sew4Home.com

Follow along: Football games on Sunday afternoons >> Sunday afternoons are lazy >> lazy Sunday afternoons call for pajama pants. Enough said. Click here for the free comfy PJ pants tutorial at Sew4Home!

Snuggie, Slanket, Snuglet... whatever! Photo and tutorial courtesy of SissonFamily.com.

If pajama pants just aren’t lazy enough, how about a tutorial for a knock-off Snuggie - a.k.a. “Snuglet?” Yes, please! Click here for a free “Snuglet” tutorial from SissonFamily.com!

Photo and tutorial courtesy of Your Homebased Mom.

I’ve had fabric pendants on my sewing to-do list for awhile, but I only had celebratory birthday pendants in mind. A fabric pendant made with team fabrics (mixed with color coordinating calico prints) would be really fun for Super Bowl parties, etc! Click here for the free fabric pendant tutorial at Your Homebased Mom.

Photos and tutorial courtesy of From an Igloo

Gotta dress warm for football games up north! I love both of these fun fleece hat tutorials – but they’re designed for children, so be sure to re-size accordingly. Click here for the free winter hat tutorial at From An Igloo! (PS – there are free scarf and mitten tutorials all over the internet, as well!)

Photo and tutorial courtesy of Sew Mama Sew and Fishsticks Designs.

This tutorial is so amazing it’s ridiculous – a stadium blanket that can be toted around in a bag that doubles as a bleacher cushion – and can be made using old t-shirts. BRILLIANT. Click here for the free stadium blanket and cushion bag tutorial from Sew Mama Sew and Fishsticks Designs!

Well, I’m off to TACKLE some studying… ha ha ha.

Any other fun ideas for using NFL fabric?

I did not sew this wooden birdhouse but I’m writing about it anyway

Happy Father’s Day!

Here’s the sewing-related Father’s Day blurb: a free necktie tutorial at The Purl Bee!

Photo and tutorial courtesy of The Purl Bee

My dad rarely wears neckties in his profession – he’s a dentist and can most often be found wearing scrubs. However, I have some guy friends who often wear ties to work, so I have tucked this tutorial away for a future project!

Now, the non-sewing related Father’s Day craft that I’ve been waiting to share. My dad really enjoys birdhouses, bird feeders and pretty much any other device that attracts birds into the yard. He spends summer nights sitting on the back porch with a glass of red wine, looking over his land and watching the birds take advantage of the whimsical sanctuary he’s created in the yard.

In recent years, I’ve taken to painting a new birdhouse each year for Father’s Day. One more thing I should mention is that my dad dreams of driving the monorail at Walt Disney World when he retires from dentistry. So, I present to you… the Father’s Day 2011 birdhouse inspired by the oh-so-magical highway in the sky:

Like the backdrop? It's a Disney Snuggie.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! You can bet that the next time you hear birds chirping, they are surely saying “Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas!”

Sunny Summer Sewing Projects

It’s summer! And unlike most people, I love summers here in Florida. I love spending scorching sunny days poolside with a good book and a LOT of sunblock! Lucky for me, the Florida summer lasts about six months instead of the standard three, so I don’t feel guilty spending some time inside crafting even when the sun is shining.

Of course, I plan on keeping my project list bright and summery. No plans for heavy quilts or winter projects! Check out some of these FREE (!!!) tutorials I’ve recently added to my summer project inspiration list:

Photos & tutorial courtesy of http://www.ikatbag.com

This adorable strawberry bag folds up into a tiny take-along strawberry when you’re not using it. Hello, Farmer’s Market! Click here for the free strawberry bag tutorial at ikatbag!

Photo and tutorial courtesy of obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com

What’s a day at the pool without a hooded towel? And these aren’t just for kids — I’m 27 and may or may not have hooded towels with Mickey ears folded up in my bathroom closet. Click here for the free hooded towel tutorial at Obsessively Stitching!

Photo and tutorial courtesy of alemonsqueezyhome.blogspot.com

Although these are usually advertised for carrying cloth diapers, wet bags are perfect for carrying damp swimsuits! Click here for the free wet bag tutorial at A Lemon Squeezy.

Photo and tutorial courtesy of punkinpattern.blogspot.com

This insulated picnic tote is perfect for keeping groceries cold on a sweltering summertime car ride home. I desperately need one of these! Click here for the free insulated tote tutorial at Punkin Patterns.

Photo and tutorial courtesy of noodle-head.com

Check out this quaint little bike bag for that special cyclist in your life. Click here for a free bike bag tutorial from noodlehead. 

Photos and tutorial courtesy of CraftBuds.com

Any picnic blanket is a nice-to-have item – but a tote bag picnic blanket is a must-have! Click here for a free picnic blanket tote tutorial at Craft Buds.

Photo and tutorial courtesy of make-it-do.com

This garden apron is so cute that I don’t think I could bear to get it dirty! Click here for a free garden apron tutorial at Make it Do. 

Photo and tutorial courtesy of purlbee.com

Just look at these giant strawberry pillows. Honestly. Have you ever seen anything more magical? I’m in awe. I just love these. Click here for the free strawberry pillow sewing tutorial from The Purl Bee. 

Believe it or not, these projects are just the tip of the iceberg. I found tons of inspirational summer sewing tutorials out floating around the internet – it was really hard to narrow down my favorites!

What’s on your craft list this summer?

Flashback Friday: Viewmaster Pouch

Photo and tutorial compliments of LiberateCreativity.com

Simply amazing. What else is there to say? Click here to get the free ViewMaster pouch tutorial at LiberateCreativity.com. 

On a (crayon) roll!

Google the phrase “crayon roll” and you’ll be inundated with images, tutorials and etsy shops featuring this gem that allows kiddos to tuck crayons into little pockets, roll ‘em all up and take ‘em on the go. As someone who is constantly on the hunt for free sewing tutorials, it finally got to the point where I just HAD to try making one of these little guys. They’re famous in the online sewing world!

As luck would have it, my friend Brie was about to celebrate a birthday – and Brie LOVES crayons. It should be noted that Brie is an adult, but if you are an adult who does no longer finds joy in a set of brand new crayons, you’re clearly not living your life to the fullest.

So I set out to find the most ideal crayon roll tutorial and settled on The Pleated Poppy - a blog tutorial featuring super-clear instructions and stunning photos.  I whipped up my first crayon roll in just an hour or so, impressing even myself – new projects never have such a quick turnaround! There were some slight mish-moshy stitching errors here and there, but overall, the project was a winner!

Notes about this project:

• It uses very little fabric! I was able to use some scraps leftover from my Friendship Bag and my nook cover  for Brie’s crayon roll.
• The tutorial linked above uses an elastic and a button to secure the roll closed, but I opted for ribbon ties instead.
• Precise measurements are crucial for both the fabric pieces and the seam allowances. If the seam allowance is too big, the crayon pockets on either end of the roll will be too small. I learned this the hard way!

Since then, I’ve felt inspired to whip up a handful of crayon rolls, assembly-line style, for all of the kiddos in my life. Messy crayon buckets be gone!

The Friday Five: 5 steps to a no-sew wreath

This week’s Friday Five is both a list AND a tutorial wrapped up into one post! Wahoo!

When I was little, I remember my beloved Aunt Corlyne (who was always bursting with enthusiasm about the latest and greatest craft trends) bringing over bags of supplies to make these easy fabric wreaths. This no-sew craft gives everybody an excuse to shop in the fabric aisle, regardless of whether they know how to sew or not. It is a fun project for kids who are old enough to be trusted with a pointy pencil, although grown-ups may have to take care of the pinking shears portion.

1. Gather: You’ll need a few yards of fabric in coordinating colors, a styrofoam wreath (usually available in the floral section of craft stores), pinking shears (a.k.a zig-zag scissors) and  a pointy object such as a screwdriver, skewer, pencil, etc.

2. Cut: Use the pinking shears to cut out a pile of fabric squares. The exact size does not matter and the shape can be rough, but the size should be approximately 3×3 inches. 

I used a bunch of Valentine fabric leftover from a quilt my mom made me in college!

3. Stab: Wrap a fabric square around the pointy object, then stab the whole contraption anywhere on the styrofoam wreath. When you pull out the pointy object, the fabric should stay wedged in the styrofoam. 

Wrap the fabric around the object right-side-up.

4. Fill: Continue with step #3, filling in the entire front side of the wreath. You’ll probably find yourself having to revert back to step #2 and cut out more squares as the project progresses. It only took me one viewing of Eat, Pray, Love and one episode of How I Met Your Mother to complete my heart wreath from start to finish!

Keep going until the entire wreath looks like this!

5. Hang: Now that your wreath is complete, hang it from a nail or use thumbtacks to secure a ribbon on the back!

 

The Friendship Bag

In my first few weeks of sewing machine bliss, I was lucky enough to stumble across p.s. i quilt, an inspiring blog with lots of incredible tutorials. I was immediately drawn to the Friendship Bag tutorial. Not only was the bag adorable, but I read the instructions ahead of time and understood each and every step thanks to the wonderful photos included throughout the tutorial. Plus all of the fabric pieces were rectangles that I could easily measure and cut myself without having to print a pattern.

I eagerly chose a variety of “fat quarters” at the fabric store. I have since learned that “fat quarters” are a quarter of a yard of fabric… duh, makes sense. But that means they are not always the best deal at $1.99 apiece, as that would be about $8/yard on the bolt! A little pricey for a beginning sewer, prone to disaster, who is just experimenting with a new project. But alas, the fabrics I chose complimented each other perfectly, were very “Lindsay-ish” with their cutesy blend of browns and pastels, and therefore worth every penny.

I made the bag and was shocked at how tiny it was. But my euphoria about making a successful bag outweighed the fact that I hadn’t really paid attention to the measurements, which clearly indicated how small the bag would be. Since I had plenty of fabric left, I later recalculated the measurements and made a larger bag.

What I learned from this project:

• There are lots of awesome, free tutorials available on the internet, thanks to savvy sewers on the web. Wahoo!
• Pay attention to measurements in order to get an idea of how large or small the final product will be. Don’t assume!
• “Fat Quarters” may look like a wee little economical choice in the store, but that is not necessarily the case. That doesn’t mean I’d ever pass up an adorable Fat Quarter, but I’ll never pass up an adorable fabric on the bolt out of convenience, either.

And now, I will leave you with the measurements for the larger bag. Follow steps in the p.s. i quilt tutorial, with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

• 16 strips, 9.5″ x 2.5″
• 1 bottom panel, 17.5″ x 9.5″
• 1 lining, 16.75″ x 25″
• 2 straps, 24″ x 4″

Happy sewing!