How to Streamline your Spices

The magnetic spice rack idea is floating around the web on hundreds of sites.  I can't remember where I first saw it, but the idea has always captivated me.  I love storing spices in stainless steel containers, love reducing clutter in my cabinet space, and love the look of spices stored in uniform ways.

My metal containers are from Ikea, and a package of 3 is $4.99.  These containers are larger than I expected, and the lids fit very securely.  They have an extra large magnet on the back so rest assured it won't fall off your magnetic surface.

I used my labelmaker (free after rebate at Staples a few years ago) to make clear labels for each container.

 

I chose to put my spice containers on the side of my refrigerator.  My kitchen isn't that large, and this area of my refrigerator is easily accessible when I'm cooking or baking.  I have seen others put them on a cookie sheet and lean it against a cabinet or backsplash, or you could have a piece of metal cut to fit on the inside of a cabinet door.  Whatever works for you.  But, for me, the magnetic space on my fridge was already paid for and involved no extra trips to the store.  :)  I also feel like it's a form of artwork in my kitchen... functional artwork.

Wouldn't this be a great wedding or housewarming gift?  You could buy spices in bulk from Costco or Sam's, and then put them in these containers and give them on a cookie sheet!  I just may do that for my next wedding gift....

How to Make Custom Curtains in Four Hours

So, as I said earlier today, I had a few hours this afternoon to work on my living room/dining room curtains.  I had already measured the windows and knew how I wanted to design them, so the hardest part was done.

These were the curtains I had previously.  My mother and I made them last year for our rental.  They worked perfectly in the rental, but just weren't what I wanted for this house.  I was looking for something long, flowing, softer and more neutral.  So, after about four hours, I had made this pair of panels for the dining room window.

 

I love the way they turned out!  

The sewing details and more photos are below, so if you are interested in making something similar, keep reading.

The blue bird fabric is called "Nestled in the Branches" and is part of the Legacy Fabric collection at Jo-Ann's.  I'm not a huge Jo-Ann's fan... I don't think they are very helpful, but their store is closer to me and I liked this fabric.  It was $9.99/yd and I had a 40% off coupon.  I bought 5 yards, because I have two other windows and some pillows (and maybe a table runner) to do.  

The taupe satin fabric (which I'm really not sure if it's satin... it may be something else with a satin look) was on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $1/yd about 5 years ago.  I remember buying it when we lived in our apartment in Louisville, and I used a little bit of it, but had a lot left.  Can anyone else not resist fabric at $1/yard?

I put a 12 inch strip of the blue fabric at the top and bottom.  The taupe fabric measures 60" finished, so total my panels are 84" long.  I need to get hubby to raise the rod a little because the curtains drag the floor- I just put it in the previous holes since I'm not so handy with a drill.  

So, 60" of taupe fabric, and two 12" pieces of blue bird fabric.  Sew together... make sure your birds aren't upside down!  :)

Since the fabrics are different weights (thickness), I topstitched the blue bird fabric to the seam allowance of the taupe fabric.  Is this called a "stitch in the ditch"?  I've always heard that term and not sure what it means.  Anyways, whatever it is, I did this so that my fabric would lay nicer (or hang nicer, really). 

I used muslin (from Wal-Mart) for the lining.  I sewed three sides of the muslin to the taupe/blue bird panel, right sides together, like a giant pillowcase.

Turn right side out.  Press seams flat.  Then, since I didn't want to do any handstitching, I just ironed my top fabric a little over the lining.  (Thanks for this tip, Mom!)  This makes your lining stay in the back and not creep around to the front. 

I then hemmed my curtains by folding them over twice (to hide raw edges) like a regular hem.   Because I didn't want to topstitch on my finished product, I used stitch-witchery to glue the hem down.  This is a great solution for things you won't be washing regularly.  I fell in love with this stuff when I made a dust ruffle for my friend Steph.  

 If you will fold in the corners like you are wrapping a present, they will finish prettier.

I bought curtain rings with clips from Ikea ($2.99 for a pkg of 10) so that I didn't have to sew a casing.  

Total project cost:

Bird Fabric- $35

Curtain Rings- $9 for 30 rings

Curtain Rod- From rental house

Taupe fabric- From my stash, but maybe $8???

Muslin Lining- Don't remember, maybe $10

Total:  $62 for the finished product-- 3 windows, pillows and some fabric left over!  Not bad!

Four Hour Curtains

Today my MIL has my kids and I am attempting to make new curtains for my living room.  I have about 4 hours before I head to work tonight, so we'll see how much I get done.  Hopefully I'll have some progress to post soon!

Flower Power Bibs

I recently wrote about the Tie Bib I made for boys, and I forgot that I never showed you my Flower Power bib for girls!

 

So, this bib is made of upcycled jeans on one side, and fabric on another.  So, it is totally reversible!

 

I used the denim corsage pattern found here for the flower, and put a covered button in the middle.  The entire flower pins on the bib, so it can easily be removed for reversing the bib or for washing.

 

I completely sold out of these bibs at the Handmade Holiday Open House back in December, but plan on making more soon!

Valentine Ruffle Wreath

Last year I made this Valentine Ruffle Wreath.  I packed it away with our other valentine decor, and it stored so well.  I just fluffed the ruffles and hung it on our door!  

 This wreath was really easy to make and kid-friendly, too!  I cut out the felt while watching a TV show with my kids.  My son loved playing in the scrap felt and practicing his cutting skills.

There are so many variations with this wreath- you could do different shades of pink, throw in some lavender color, etc.  Or, you could stick with a traditional round wreath form (available at the Dollar Tree!) and vary the colors.  I'm thinking red and green for Christmas, red, white and blue for patriotic holidays, pretty spring pastels for Easter, warm fall colors for Thanksgiving, and of course orange and blue for the Florida Gators!

The Olivia Clutch

 

I made this small clutch for my sister for Christmas.  This is an Ali Foster pattern, which I am in love with, because it is so easy and just practical.  Ali is so nice to offer advice and encouragement to those who sew by her patterns.  I also sewed her pleated tote for my brother's girlfriend for Christmas, but forgot to take pictures, so I'll just have to make another... :) !!!!

 

This is a Micheal Miller fabric that my sister had used for a Shoe-Themed Birthday Party years ago.  She used this one yard as her tablecloth, and since she has recently married, I knew it would be okay to re-purpose this fabric.  Her husband would never let this tablecloth fly in his home! 

 

This was such a simple and fun sewing project; I see many more in my future!

Bibs and Burp Cloths

 

I recently made a set of bibs and burp cloths for my friend Steph, to give to some new mommies she knew.  This is the vintage bib that I featured here, with the fabric flower from here.

 

This fabric was from a vintage tablecloth.... I just love the bright colors.  I backed the bib with a tericloth towel for easy cleanup and maximum absorbency.

 

 The burp cloth is primarily yellow flannel, but then has a diagonal swatch of the vintage fabric on the bottom.

 

I love this pink fabric from Michael Miller too!  Stephanie picked it out when she was pregnant with her daughter, and I made a sling for her.

Office Storage for $3!

I share my sewing room with our computer desk, filing cabinet and this ugly plastic contraption that holds all our mail.  I had multiple problems with this storage device- it was bulky, it sat on top of our scanner (which meant I had to move it every time I scanned something- which isn't that often, but still), and it just looked so ugly to me.

This has been an eyesore in my sewing room for quite some time, but I haven't had the time or idea to change it... until last week.

I went to Target, and was found these beautiful bins for $1 each.  I had hoped they would be stackable, but they weren't, so I found a unique way to mount them on the wall.

 

I put cup hooks in the wall and then "hooked" the plastic bins on the cup hooks.  I made the labels with my label maker- free after rebate at Staples about two years ago.

Hooking them on the highest holes gives the most stability against the wall and the weight of your papers/bills/junk mail, etc.

 

I just love the way they look so streamlined on the wall!

 

Now if only I could get my filing cabinet this organized!

How to Make your own Homemade Vanilla

I made this for many of my family members for Christmas, so I couldn't post it until now, but stash it in your file for the holidays!

Background:  I lived in Africa from 2002 to 2004 as a missionary nurse, and many of the other Americans there would talk about making their own vanilla extract.  One of the European airlines, KLM I think, used to give out small bottles of vodka.  I would hear ladies talk of saving this vodka and adding a vanilla bean to it for holiday baking.  It intrigued me, but I never did it.

Fast forward to last October.  My friend Gabriele, who can make just about anything, told me about the same.  She helped me find a source for vanilla beans, and I was set.  I by no means claim to be a "Vanilla Making Expert", but I'm happy to share my experience and tips.

You will need:

• Glass bottle (plastic will not work).  I used a vodka bottle.
• Enough vodka to fill the glass bottle.  (Don't buy the cheapest brand, but don't get the most expensive either.  I used Smirnoff.)
• Vanilla beans.  I got mine from a health food store.  Check around your area, or there are places online that sell vanilla beans.  I paid approximately $1 each.
• Small bottles with lids (I used 2 oz) for giving.  I ordered from specialtybottle.com- $28 total for 30 bottles.  The bottles need to be dark to protect the vanilla from light.

My big bottle was 750 ml, and I used 9 vanilla beans.  The ratio works out to one vanilla bean to approximately 80 ml of vodka.

Vanilla beans are long and skinny- they looked like burnt asparagus to me.  Before putting them in your bottle, use a knife to slit them down the middle, but not all the way through.  This helps to expose all the sweet vanilla goodness in the middle of the beans.  Put the beans in your empty glass bottle.  Pour the vodka over the vanilla beans, until they are completely covered.  Put the glass bottle in a cool, dark place for at least 2 months, or longer.  The longer you let it sit, the better your vanilla will be.

Each day, more of the vodka will absorb the vanilla and the color will get darker and darker.  When you are ready to share some vanilla, give the bottle a gentle shake, and pour into the smaller bottles.  If you notice some grainy specs floating in the vanilla (like coffee or tea grounds), don't worry.  This is normal.  If you use a 750 ml bottle like me, you should have about 12-13 2 ounce bottles.

Add a personal label and give with joy!

My Sewing Room: The Big Picture

So, I thought I'd conclude this series with a photo of my entire sewing room.  As I said in the beginning, I am so blessed to have this room in our home.  For years, I sewed out of a closet or on our kitchen table.  I encourage you to be creative with your sewing space, wherever that may be.

 

I'd love to eventually have one of those cute and charming sewing rooms that is actually decorated.  But, for now, my sewing room serves the purpose for which it is intended, and it's everything I need.  One day I will make it look pretty, but for now, it's all I can do to find time to actually sew!

My Sewing Room: Bookcases for Storage

When we moved from our rental into our new home, we no longer needed these three black bookcases for book storage.  We were blessed to have beautiful bookcases around our fireplace (well, they are beautiful now, but they didn't start that way), so I claimed these three Target bookcases for the Sewing Room. 

They are so great for the storage of many different items, such as fabric (duh!), supplies, baskets, vintage sheets and pillowcases, and my business cards and shipping supplies.  As you can see, I have them pretty packed full of stuff, but I know where everything is, and I like it that way.  :)

Some of the fabric is on bolts I made from this idea...

My trim is on these plastic holders, which my Grandmother says the fabric stores will give you when they finish the ribbon or trim.  You'll have to check with your local store for details on that.

Some of my fabric is folded...

These are my vintage sheets and pillowcases, along with all my denim and curduroy, too.

These beach towels are rolled.  I picked them up in the Dollar Spot at Target last year and plan to do something fun with them before the summer.

I also have some plastic bins where I throw scraps and other assorted stuff.

So, it's organized, but in my own way.  I challenge you to think of how to reuse pieces of furniture in not-so-common ways!