Stitchy Saturday-Infinity Scarves

I will be the first to admit that I may not be the most fashion-forward lass out there, but I try. 

Luckily this year something that I love a wear all the time is a big trend. Scarves are everywhere this autumn and these infinity scarves are super simple to make.

I decided to do the prep work for two scarves at on time. For each scarf, cut a piece of fabric 18 inches wide and 60 inches long. I folded each in half along the long side with right sides together. I pinned the open side and stitched them into two long tubes.

Once they were stitched, I pulled them right side out and pinned the open edges of the tubes

together as much as possible. I stitched along the edge as far as I could with machine.

 Once I had a 3 inch gap, I pulled the fabric from the bottom of the loop. 

I hand stitched the opening shut with a quick whipstitch.

I ADORE these scarves and have since made several more. 

They only take about 10 minutes and jazz up any outfit!

Stitchy Saturday: Embroidered Sketchbook

Fall is a time for new beginnings, I think. I know that Spring is a more commonly held time to start anew, but the new school year always makes me more creative. I adore Moleskin notebooks of any kind, but wanted my fall sketchbook to echo that sense of what could be. 

Stitchy Saturday: TARDIS Plushie...finally!

I will finally have sweet dreams tonight! I finally finished my TARDIS plushie. The Doctor and all things Whovian will be dancing through my dreamland.

WIP Wednesday-TARDIS Plushie

Do you ever start a project, just to have it migrate to the bottom of your work basket, forgotten? Sadly, I started this TARDIS months ago with plans to make it into a plushie. I am happy to say that it is ALMOST done!

Stitchy Saturday: Steering Wheel Cover

I live in the heart of Central New York. That means hot summers and frigid winters. All summer long, I have been burning my hands when I hop in the car after work.                           

I know that before long, my fingers will fell as though they are freezing to the wheel. It was time to add a little more me into my ride while helping myself out at the same time. The steering wheel cover coordinates with the seat belt cover that I made earlier this week.                     

Nigel, my Beefeater co-pilot approves.

Stitchy Saturday: Fat Quarter Apron

Who says that a) you can't be adorable while you toil away in the kitchen or b) that a fat quarter that you love has to be relegated to a quilt? I say, embrace the fabrics that you love and make yourself the envy of every other kitchen guru at the same time...

This apron takes one fat quarter, a half-yard of coordinating fabric, trim (if you desire), and about an hour!

Stitchy Saturday: Embroidered Shirt

I have long loved embroidered Mexican blouses and skirts, but I am a small gal. That much pattern can overwhelm a small frame. I have also always wanted to try stitching on a knit. This project allowed me to control the amount of embroidery and experiment with a new technique.

For this project, I used a cotton v-neck shirt from

Old Navy, T-Shirt Stabilizer from Sublime Stitching

and was inspired by a pattern from So September.

Because I was free-embroidering, I wasn't sure how big the

stitching would become. I decided to iron stabilizer to the

entire collar area.

I began with vines stitched with split stitch.

I used two different shades of green.

To add flowers, I used lazy daisy stitch, 

french knots, and satin stitch.

I am really excited to layer this over

a coordinating cami and rockin' it

with a pair of jeans. Love it!

Stitchy Saturday: Felt Needle Book

I absolutely love to make things that are both adorable and really useful. Since I always like to be making things, I often travel with a project. Knitting and embroidery are much easier to take on the go than metal work or quilting, but it is never fun to reach into my project bag and poking myself with a needle. A handmade needle book was just the ticket!

This would make a great Mother's Day gift :)

I started with 4 pieces of felt, the largest being 8 1/2 x 4 1/2
inches. I cut the pages with my pinking shears to about
8x4 inches and I also cut two pieces of ribbon about
4 inches long to create the closure.

I pinned the ribbon to the inside (the "wrong" side) of the cover.

I stitched all the way around the edges, taking the ribbon down as I went.

I pinned the pages in and stitched down the center.

Complete, but a little plain :(

I cut two pieces of green felt for grass and several
pieces for flowers. I also choice some fun  buttons for the centers.

After stitching on the felt, I added some stems and leaves.
I added some bees, too...I love them!

Ready to go!

Stitchy Saturday: Lace Headbands

Wearing lace can be a little tricky. A gal can end up either looking like a baby or a granny. That's why these headbands, designed by the super-talented ladies at A Beautiful Mess are perfect. Their design was for a head band using three types of lace, but I decided to experiment with some single pieces of wide lace too.

I only planned on making one. But, I ended up with four
and plans to make more.

The original design called for lace to tie under your hair, but
thought that ribbon would work better and be a
little more fun.

Measure across the crown of your head, from just under your ear.
Cut one-three pieces of lace and 2 pieces of ribbon.
I used 12 inches of ribbon per side.
I stitched the ribbon to the lace with embroidery floss.

Perfect for a busy day in the studio.

Six hours later, and my hair is still in place :)

Stitchy Saturday: Sleeping on Sunshine Pillow

Challenges are...well..challenging to an aspiring uber-crafter. This week, I decided to make a pillow. Not a plain ol' pillow, but a round embroidered pillow. I have embroidered plenty of things, but never anything that was actually going to be used. I have also never made a round pillow, much less a gusseted round pillow. 


Well, challenges were meant to be conquered!

The final product! I will add a little more batting next time.

I made a gusset from a leftover piece from a fat quarter.
I sewed the strips together and then pinned the right sides of that
and the front together.

Ramses wanted to help me pin!

After sewing the gusset to the front, I pinned it to
the backing piece. I had to remember to leave a spot to stuff.

Turned right side out and ready to stuff.

Detail of the gusset and the layers together.

I am very pleased with my first attempt and look forward
to creating more intricate pillows as gifts!