Happy Camper - Iron On Transfer T-Shirt Design

Of course, another camping inspired post.  I doodled this little tshirt design on a piece of paper and fell in love with it... so I put it on a shirt.  Because that's what you do with things you love, right?  You wear it on your sleeve.  Or your torso, whatevs.  This was my first endeavor into Iron-On Transfers... and let me tell you, I'm obsessed!  Seriously, I want to iron-on EVERYTHING.  I even made a hoodie for Atari.. he's wearing it in this pic, but that will be another post for another time... 

My new Cricut Explore One made this little project so ridiculously easy!  All the supplies came from Michaels, of course.

This trip, we stayed at Breakneck Campground in Portersville, PA.  Check out the adorable hut we stayed in that hung over the side of a gorge.  I would live here.  Like seriously.  If you've never visited Pennsylvania.. I highly encourage you to do so and check out all the natural beauty it has to offer.  I cannot wait to explore more hidden corners of this beautiful state I live in.

Leather Accent Zipper Pouch

This post originally appeared on The Sewing Rabbit. If you need a good makeup pouch, or even a trendy pouch for pencils and other school supplies, this is the tutorial for you!

I found a bag filled with leather scraps for under $5 at an estate sale a couple years ago and snapped it up as quickly as I could. It was like finding hidden treasure! Inside, there were several large strips of leather, leather lacing, and leather dye. Most of the leather strips were covered in chalk markings, and I've always wondered what those leather strips were meant for. Maybe a pair of men's shoes? Some belts maybe? Whatever the case, I'm sure the former owner never thought his leather collection would eventually find its way into my hands to be turned into necklaces, riding pants, purses, and now a zipper pouch!

I love sewing with leather. There's just something about adding leather to a project that gives it a little edge and chicness. With the simple addition of a few leather triangles, this simple zipper pouch becomes a stylish bag perfect for makeup or odds and ends.

SUPPLIES: two 8"wide x 6" tall pieces sewable interfacing, two 8" wide x 6" tall main fabric pieces, two 8" wide x 6" tall lining pieces, one 7" zipper, one 2" wide x 3" tall piece of fabric for zipper tag, four thin leather triangles approximately 4" long and 2" tall, iron and ironing board, zipper foot, sewing machine and basic sewing supplies.

Note about working with leather: when selecting your leather to use for this pouch you want 7-9 oz. leather that is soft and easily pliable (not the stiff kind typically used for belts.) You can find bags of thin scrap leather at many hobby stores. Also, if you're using thin leather as suggested, a universal sewing needle will work fine.

Attaching The Leather Triangles

ONE: first (not pictured), iron your interfacing to the back of your two main fabric pieces. Then, measure the 6" sides of your main pieces to determine where to place your leather pieces.
TWO: I didn't pin my leather down because I didn't want to poke holes in it. Instead, I held the leather in place with my fingers and slowly (and very carefully!) sewed in a continuous triangle until I got to the middle. You could always try a small amount of spray adhesive to help keep your leather in place, but I didn't have a problem with my leather moving around.

Attaching the Zipper

ONE: take your 3x2 scrap of fabric and iron the long sides over to meet in the middle.
TWO: next, fold each end to meet the middle and press, then fold once more in half and press so that the raw edges are encased inside of your fabric tab.
THREE: sandwich the end of your zipper in the fabric tab you just made, and sew straight across to secure. On the opposite end of your zipper where the zipper pull is, trim off approximately 1/2 inch.
FOUR: Place one piece of your main fabric face up on the table, then place your zipper face down as shown above with your zipper pull face down on the left side. Make sure the top edge of your zipper is lined up with the raw edge of the fabric.
FIVE: place a piece of your lining fabric face down, sandwiching the zipper inside. Your fabrics will now be facing right sides together (RST.) Pin along the top edge to secure.

Assembly


ONE: using your zipper foot, sew along the edge of your fabric close to your zipper teeth.
TWO: when you unfold your fabric pieces, it should look like this with your main and lining fabric wrong sides together (WST). Repeat the steps above to attach your main fabric and lining pieces to the other side of your zipper.
THREE: Your pouch should now look like this, with one main piece and one lining piece on either side of the zipper facing WST.
FOUR: to give the pouch a more finished look, you can go back with your zipper foot and top stitch along each side of the zipper.

FIVE: unzip your zipper halfway (don't skip this step!) and fold your pouch so that the two main pieces are facing each other and the lining pieces are facing each other RST. With your regular sewing foot, sew around the perimeter of your pouch, but leave a 2-3 inch opening in your lining pieces for turning as shown in the picture above.
SIX: pull your pouch right side out through the opening you left, and then tuck the raw edge of your lining fabric inside and hand stitch the opening closed. Push your lining inside your pouch, zip and you're done!

Now you have a beautiful finished pouch!

I love the polka dot lining fabric inside of my pouch. It's like a little surprise each time I open the bag :)

I hope you enjoy your new zipper pouch, and if you're looking for a few more ideas to incorporate leather into your projects, here are some past projects to try:

1.The Artsy Mini Tote 2.Plaited Leather Wrap Bracelet  3.The Little Things Purse  4.Riding Pants 
5.Leather Leaves Necklace
 

Women's Magazine Street Maxi + A Giveaway!

I was provided this pattern free of charge, but all opinions are my own.

Hey guys! Shannon and I are so excited to be a part of the Seamingly Smitten pattern tour today and share a really great pattern (and a giveaway!!) with you all.  I already own a couple of Seamingly Smitten patterns, so when Jenny contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in trying another pattern, it was an easy yes!

My initial inclination was to sew up the Magazine Street Maxi Dress for Girls because I've been eyeing it for-ev-er, but my daughter, Haley, has enough dresses to last her until she's 42 and I have a pile of gorgeous knit from Girl Charlee just waiting to be cut into, so I thought it was about time I did some selfish sewing!

The Sienna Top Tutorial + Free Pattern

This top was first shared at The Sewing Rabbit as part of our monthly contribution last year, and I've decided to bring it home! I hope you enjoy the tutorial and free pattern in 4T for this cute top!

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The kiddos are going back to school soon, and that means they need some cute clothes to add to their wardrobe (and I need another excuse to buy more fabric!) My 4-year-old is very tall for her age, so she's always outgrowing everything. I guess I can't complain, I love to sew for her! She's at the age where she genuinely loves the things I make for her, so of course that fuels my sewing itch even more.

The Sienna Top was created with my daughter's preferences in mind. It needed to be comfortable enough for everyday wear, but still have a girly flair to it. This comfy knit top has a small pocket in front and slight curved hems, but the bows along the back neckline are what make it really special. My daughter loves it; and best of all, I'm sharing a free pattern in 4T with you today! Since my daughter is so tall, it's on the larger edge of a 4T, so children in a 5 may be able to wear it as well (you may want to extend the bottom hemline down a bit though.)

Faux Fur Boot Cover Up

I have a pair of boots that I call my "fake Uggs" that I've owned for years. I used to wear them a ton, but in recent years I've found new favorite boots, and now they've been sitting in my closet, lonely and forgotten. When I pulled out my fall gear recently, I found my sad little fake Uggs and decided they needed a makeover, stat.

I was inspired by all of the awesome fur lined and fur covered boots I've seen around. I really wanted a pair but didn't want to pay the hefty price tag so like the crafty girl I am, I found an easy and super cheap way to give my old boots a new look.

Here are the boots before they got the faux fur treatment:

Booooooring, right? Dig into your closets for some old boots, and let's get funky with some fake fur!

SUPPLIES: 1/4 yard faux fur, suede cording, a pair of boots, sewing machine and basic sewing supplies.

First, measure your boots at the widest part of the boot (at the top) and the skinniest part near the bottom. Also measure the length of your boot from the top of the foot to the top of the boot and add an inch.



Next, cut out two pieces of faux fur in the measurements you wrote above. Beware, fake fur will get allllll over the place. I learned this the hard way, and I was blowing fake fur out of my nose and picking fur out of my clothes for a few hours after. Unless you like that sort of thing, it would be a good idea to have a small vacuum handy while you're cutting. You'll thank me later.



With right sides together (RST) fold one of the long edges down 1/2 inch. Pin and sew. Next, fold your cover up in half with RST and pin along the short edge. Sew to make a tube.



Try your cover up on your boot to see if it fits properly, then make any changes needed before you move on. I ended up tapering my cover up a bit since the top of the boot was quite a bit wider than the bottom, making the cover up look a really baggy. You want it to be pretty fitted for it to look its best.



Finally, you'll want to complete the look by wrapping suede cording around your boot. Start by wrapping your cording around the back of your boot and crossing it in front. Continue wrapping and crossing your cording until you reach the top, then tie the remaining cording in a bow. You can leave it plain or maybe even add some beads.

Easiest shoe makeover. Ever.

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!

10 Minute Flannel Infinity Scarf

I am STRAIGHT UP obsessed with plaid this year.  It's everywhere.  And I love it.  I was lusting over a tartan plaid infinity scarf on Etsy that was going for $35 and of course, like any good crafter/blogger, I reacted by saying, "I can SO make that."  So I hit up the fabric store, found some amazing feeling flannel and raced home.  Within 10 minutes of sitting down I had myself an identical scarf to the one on Etsy for a mere $4 (got the fabric on a wicked awesome sale!)

All you need is a sewing machine and 2 yards of flannel.  I cut mine to be 22" thick and the full 72" long.  

Next, sew a single stitch along the long sides to prevent fraying.  (Although, I like the little bit of fray that resulted up to the stitch line.)  Next, sew your two short ends together.

THAT'S IT.  The best part?  This is even great for a guy. My husband immediately requested one for himself.  He loves scarves, but never seems to know how to wrap/tie his properly.  Problem solved.

   

Check out our link party page to see where we link up each week!

Easy Feather Earrings

I love feathers in jewelry, and with Thanksgiving coming up, it just seemed appropriate to share these. If you're new to jewelry making, don't be scared! Simple projects like this one will boost your confidence and turn you into a pro in no time. Also, if you need some extra help, Bev from Flamingo Toes has a whole section for jewelry tips that will explain any basics you have questions about.

Feathers add a fun, tribal edge to outfits, and you can find a number of different patterns and colors at your local hobby shop. Add different colored beads or other embellishments to make them your own!

Want to make some for yourself?

SUPPLIES:

Crimping Your Feathers:

ONE: first, choose the feathers that you'd like crimped and one crimp bead.

TWO: insert the end of the feathers into your crimp bead, and use your flat nose pliers to press each side down to contain the end of the feathers.

THREE: here is what your finished crimped feathers should look like.

Finishing:

 

 ONE: insert a jump ring through the hole of the crimp bead (but don't close it yet!) Repeat for your second set of feathers if desired.
 

 

TWO: insert your bead onto your headpin and then, using round nose pliers, wrap your wire around your pliers to make a loop
THREE: insert your bead through your jump ring, add your earring hooks,  then close your jump ring and you're done!

I hope you enjoy your new earrings! With the holidays coming up, these would also make a quick, stylish gift.

If you're looking for more easy jewelry tutorials, check out these past projects:

Snow Globe Necklace, Leather Leaves Necklace, Gem Earrings, Yarn Wrapped Bangles

 Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!