My boys clothes

Remember this post?

Yes it's from over a year ago. Well, the top is complete. I started it as rectangles, then changed my mind. And now, with a great sewing machine. It's done. The only problem...

What color do I use for the back? and for the binding? I don't really know...

(And yes, this is made out of all of the clothes my boys have stained, grown out of, or out worn. Oh and of course I threw in some of my husbands and mine as well... I think I will be making one of these for each of my boys, I hae enough fabric cut to, and it really didn't take that long to make the top. For those interested. The square is 6X6. The small square is 3X3, and the rectangles are 3X6. Sew the small square to a rectangle. The large square to a rectangle. Then sew them together. Then sew the rows.)

How To Screen Print

Screen printing can be easy and you can do it! I have had a blast screen printing and would LOVE to teach you how.

I used an old curtain. You can use a table cloth or any piece of sheer fabric. I like to use white, so you can see through it. Place a piece in an embroidery loop.

Then take a vinyl design, (you can purchase the ones I used, and all my other designs, here at my shop, or email me with a design you want and I'll make it) And place it on the inside of your fabric in the loop. It needs to face the direction you want it to be on your shirt. If I wanted this one flipped then I would need to put the vinyl on the back side of the fabric for this step.

Then take your lovely lovely I love so much Mod Podge and paint it all over the sheer fabric. Get as close to the edge as possible and paint right over that vinyl design.

This is what it looks like from the back. There is no Mod Podge where the vinyl design is.

Let the Mod Podge completely dry. Then peel of the vinyl design.

Place a piece of wax paper in between the layers of the fabric you will be screen printing.
Place the screen print down onto the fabric.
You can either use fabric paint ( I don't I don't like how hard it is once it is complete) or make your own. I take acrylic paint...tole paint...craft paint... you know it comes at the craft store it's like $1.00 a bottle and it's in a trillion colors. Well, I use it and I mix it with a little bit of water. Like a tablespoon. Open the bottle and feel the rest of the open space with water. Close it and shake it really well. Once you wash it the design is soft soft soft, just like the fabric. So anyways, back to the tutorial, Paint it on the screen print. Just enough to cover the open space and don't use to much paint. You just want a nice thin but covered layer.

I know someone would ask...this is why you don't use fabric dye. It just bleeds through the design and doesn't keep where it is supposed to.

Once you have painted the entire design carefully lift the screen print off of the shirt.

Let the shirt completely dry. See that ring. It's cause I did the above sample so you could see what not to do and some of the ink got into the embroidery loop. Don't panic. Just dip a q-tip into bleach and dab it on the ring.

See it disappears. Wash your shirt once it is completely dry and you will have your finished look.

The helicopter design was designed by me. The bird below is designed by myvinylreadydesigns.

Enjoy! And once again, If you have a design in mind, please let me know I will make it up for you!!! As for that cute bird shirt above. Stay tuned. I am going to be adding a skirt to it!

Bandanna Headband or Wristband

Two ways to use a bandanna! Both super cute and super trendy right now.

Take a bandanna and cut it in half. You will just need to use half of it for this project.

Cut it in half again. Then cut down the middle of the half and leave one inch attached on the edge just like this picture.

Then take two of the pieces and put one going each way so the edge part that isn't connected are together, just like the picture below.

Pin one of the ends to your ironing board.

Take the piece hanging and you are going to put one of the ends in each hand. Then you are going to twist each piece to the right. Twist them all the way down to the end.

You want it twisted really tight.

And as you twist to the end of each piece you will twist them together going left. So in the opposite direction.

Once you get to the end of this piece tie a knot in the end.

Unpin the end and pin up the end that you just twisted. Then repeat to the other side.

You know the drill. Twist both of the ends to the right.

And twist together to the left. And tie the end into a knot.

Now all of it is twisted, with a knot at either end. (This is where you stop for the headband...see below)

Fold it in half and tie a loop in the middle with a knot, like below.

Then twist the two pieces to the left.

Tie a knot in the end.

Cut off the extra fabric on the end.

Slide the knot through the loop. And there you have a bandanna rag bracelet.

Slip your arm in it and it's done.

Make a second one with the remaining two strips and double it up for the perfect look.

You can either sport the knot on your wrist or on the top of your arm for a sporty look.

To turn your headband bracelet into a rag you are simply going to stop after the entire length is twisted together. Take it and tie the two ends together for a headband.

Or wrap it up your arm for a skinnier and more wrapped look!

Enjoy!!! If you make one post a link in the comments I would LOVE to check it out!!!

Easy Breezy Receiving Blanket With Self Binding

This is super easy and super cute. There is nothing better than a great receiving blanket during winter when you have a new little one at home. My Church has a humanitarian service day in our area where we, among alot of other things, put together and sew blankets for people in our city that are going to be taking their baby home from the hospital without one, and also for many many other women without. I LOVE to serve and these are so so darling. You can make receiving blankets millions of ways. This is how I like to make mine. I think they look a little fancier this way with the self binding. Like a min-y quilt so to say.

Get one yard of two different fabrics. Lay them so the print side is down on the first piece and the print side is up on the second piece. Take your pins and pin a large x in the middle, from corner to corner in both directions. Then fold over the edges on opposite sides. This makes the print of the bottom fabric shown on the outer edge of the top fabric. Like a hem only inside out. And fold over again. Then do this on the other two sides. When you get to the corners you will fold them right over and the sewing keeps them down...Here's pictures and a video to help it make more sense.

Where you have pinned corner to corner in an x shape you are going to sew. This keeps the fabric from moving around freely and bunching up.

Here is the x. You barely notice it and it plays such an important role so don't skip it.

Then the corner. One of the edges will be on top of the other one. So when you are sewing it you sew a square around it as you sew the side hem. Here is a picture of it completed.

Watch this video of me (yeah, I hate my voice...oh well) to see how to do it.

And there you have it. Super easy, right? And this one is plenty big for those of you who have extra fluffy babies like me. It also works great for those wiggly worm babies as well!

I'm Converted...

For all of you ladies who think your husband is just like Edward. First of all he's not. But I won't get started on that comparison...it makes me gag...but second of all. You can have him cause he is

U

G

L

Y

oh and creepy like with the way he stands and his eyes and his pasty-ness, and his happy trail...ugh...so...


I'll take Jacob any day. Yeah. He's HOT.



uh hum. The movie New Moon converted me. I am on Team Jacob.

Yeah I am a twilight fan...not obsessed just a fan...hope you don't mind!

Picture Frame Cosmetics Tray

This one is super simple. Take a picture frame and turn it over and pry off the back stand. It will leave some holes, that is okay.

Then take a piece of printed scrapbook paper and put it in the frame.

And tada! It makes a perfect cosmetics holder for your bathroom counter. No more rust shaving cream rings on your counter.

It's also great in the center of your kitchen table with a salt and pepper shaker and a napkin holder.

Why don't you live here?

Are you crazy???

While you are building snowmen we are throwing rocks, in shorts and t-shirts and bare feet.

Seriously, I can't believe I didn't move here sooner. And take my word. We aren't leaving. So come join us...It's fun in the sun down here in Phoenix!!!