Pillowcase Dress

I really really really like this cute little dress and the fact that it is made from a pillowcase. If you want to make your own pillowcase dress go here for the details. You could make a little girl verrrry happy with this gift.

Special Day Chair Cover

Click here to get the instructions for how to make a Special Day chair cover. A simple sewing project that will make someone feel extra special for birthdays, graduations, or achievements.

I am sorry, but this is too irresistible!

Spring means baby showers galore! Go here to get the scoop on the cutest baby blanket I have ever seen! I love those words! What a simple way to bring a smile to any new mom! These letter were cut out by hand - so even if you aren't the proud owner of a cricut you can do this project.

In A Pinch?

St. Patrick's Day is almost here! If you are in a 'pinch' (get it?) and need some holiday decor then you are in LUCK! Check out what Heather at Lulu's Tiles has been up to. Thanks to her you can whip out some last minute stuff for St. Patrick's Day!

Lucky Banner made with circles, letter stamps, and ribbon.

This Shamrock Frame is a five minute project using stamps and paper! Heather traced a shamrock shape onto the paper with pencil, stamped the word "lucky" around the line, erased the line, and popped it in a frame. You could do this with so many themes too!

These lucky clothespins make a last minute gift super easy to put together. And all you need are clothespins (I found some at the dollar store - 30 for a $1!), magnets, and stamps to do this project.

Go on over to Lulu's Tiles for the full story. She's got a lot of other great ideas you won't want to miss.

Love These Baby Burp Cloths

I fell in love with these baby burp cloths because they look so classy, but even better than that I could make these! If you can sew straight lines then this is a great homemade gift idea for you to try. Check out the the link for a great tutorial and more pictures.

T-Shirt Fabric Flowers

I was inspired by this in making these fabric roses out of an old t-shirt. Check out the link for a great tutorial. They were easy to make even for me - just a little hand-sewing is all you need!

Sack Lunch

Inspired by this I decided to make my own version of a felt lunch sack set for a little girl's birthday party last weekend. I made a bologna sandwich with tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce along with a bag of ruffle chips and a chocolate chip cookie. This was my first "on my own" sewing project ever. I borrowed my friend's sewing machine (after she showed me how to thread it and wind the bobbin - sad, but true), crossed my fingers and went to work making templates and putting it all together. And it turned out to being a lot of fun. Felt food is a great way to begin sewing I think. So if you are looking for a fun little sewing project there are tons of tutorials out there for all kinds of food.

Free Giveaway

Do you want to enter a free sewing machine or embroidery machine giveaway? Click here.

And check out this video:

Valentine Pillow Notes

Cute little Valentine pillows. Made from dish towels (simple sewing so even I could handle this one). With little pockets for "Why I love you" notes to your kids (or anyone special to you) for the 14 days leading up to Valentine's Day. I'll be starting this tradition next year for sure.

So click here for the details and the tutorial. And watch for the after holiday sales for those Valentine dish towels (these were 50 cents each). Aren't they cute?

Love You Banner

How could you not love this banner? Banners are another one of my new loves these days and I would be so happy to get one as a gift. If you have the storybook cricut cartridge then you are set. The black background shape was made using this cartridge (set at 5.5"). The patterned paper is cut to 4x6 and the letters were made from the same cartridge (set at 4"). Add a little ribbon and stuff here and there to add to each letter. I also like that she used eyelets to thread the ribbon through the top of the paper to prevent it from tearing.

If you love banners too then you should check out more: simple magazine Valentine Garland, a glittery Thankful Banner, Holiday Bunting made with Christmas paper and recycled Christmas cards, Trick or Treat banner using freezer paper, mini Easter bunting...

Don't you think it would be fun to show up on someone's doorstep with a happy little banner for any occasion? I know it would cheer me up!

Send a link of your banner or one that you love. I would love to see it!

Fabric Flowers

I am in love with fabric flowers these days. There are so many cute ones that I have seen around the blogging world. And they are good for so many things: pin them on sweaters, headbands, purses, cards, or pillows. Or ALL of the above. I found the one pictured above here (via here) along with a really great tutorial. The great news is that it takes very little fabric and an even smaller amount of sewing skills (only a needle and thread and a simple stitch or two).

Here are some other links you should check out to fall in love like I did. Here is one with lovely polka dots and a tutorial. Here is a cute idea for using fabric flowers on cards that I love. And here is a totally unique version I haven't seen anywhere else with a template included.

If you make one, please send me a picture. I'd love to see how it turned out.

Baby Boy Ties

My friend, Liz, helped me make these cute little baby boy ties for my sister's little one on the way. I don't really sew unless you count Home Ec. so this was quite an accomplishment for me. If I can do it so can you!

This was a pattern for 6 month to 1 year size ties and they use less than a 1/4 of a yard of fabric. Very affordable, creative, and fun to make and give!

Update 01/23/10: I found the tie pattern online. It can be purchased here.

Raggedy Ann Doll

My sister found a great site called ohsewdollin where she got a free pattern for this darling raggedy doll that she made for my daughter. There are tons of cute patterns to choose from that can be purchased as well. My sister estimates that the materials for this doll cost her about $5 (although she had to spend more than that on the materials, but she can make multiple dolls with the leftovers). Don't you just love it?

Keep your eye out for those limited time only free patterns on the website. Or purchase a pattern and put it to good use.

Dishtowel Bib

I really like these bibs. One day when I get brave enough to sew I am going to do one of these (or many). These are by far the best kind of bibs and once you try them you'll never go back to anything with less coverage. It seems like my kids always get food on the shoulder of their shirt if they don't wear a bib like this.

Mini I-Spy Quilts

Take on a mini project and try this out. Here are some fun mini i-spy quilts I found here. If you have your own scraps from other projects this could be very easy on the wallet.

Recovered Baby Buggy

My friend, Martina, found this cute baby buggy at a second hand kids store. The fabric pattern that was actually on the buggy originally wasn't the greatest. She removed the old fabric and used it as a template for her new fabric. She hand-sewed her new cut fabric around the frame. For the visor she just left the original fabric on it (so that she wouldn't have to mess with the ribbing and put the new fabric over it. Pretty good for her first sewing project don't you think?

I am learning not to rule out second hand items. There are a lot of treasures so keep your eye out!

Towel Hoody

A towel hoody is a great idea for babies and kids. You can find this one here. With or without the embellishing it is a useful gift. Look for towels on clearance for your next baby shower (and put it in a crate!) or give them to the grandkids for Christmas. You could even add a fun bath toy for older kids.

Spud Sack

This is a great idea that I got from my mother-in-law and I know you will love it too. This little flannel bag makes your microwave potatoes taste like oven-baked ones. Just put your washed potatoes (they don't have to be pierced) into this bag and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes x # of potatoes. Then pull the bag out of the microwave and let the potatoes steam inside the bag for 2 minutes total. You won't believe how great they taste!

Here's how you do it...

Fabric you'll need:

1. flannel fabric (46"x10")

2. thin batting (23"x10")

Put right sides together so you have a rectangle that is 23"x10". Place your batting on top of the folded flannel and sew the 2 long sides closed. Then flip inside out (so your batting is now on the inside) and sew the remaining edge closed. Then, fold one short side until it overlaps about 2/3 of the rectangle. Then fold the other short side until it overlaps the other edge by 4 inches. Now sew down the long sides one more time.

Dress Ups

The week after Halloween is the best time to buy dress-ups for your kids for Christmas (or for birthdays). My friend was able to buy all 3 of her girls a princess dress for a ridiculously low price at Wal-Mart.

And if you need a gift for a boy buy a pirate, cowboy, police officer, or soldier costume after Halloween for them to dress up when they play.

If you miss the Halloween blow-out sales you can always make dress-up costumes whether you sew or not. It doesn't have to be a lot. Just an eye patch and hat would be awesome to dress up as a pirate.

Besides giving costumes to kids you could also give a variety of costumes to grandparents. They might appreciate some new and exciting things for the grandkids to do when they come to visit.

Kids Tool Belt

I like finding gift ideas for boys. It seems like girls are easier sometimes so I was really excited to find this little fabric toolbelt found via here. She includes a great tutorial too.