Sew much FUN!

Sorry for the blurry photo, it's all Martha's fault. 

 I'm going to be completely honest with you here,  I really don't know what I'm doing with a sewing machine. I have probably mentioned that a time or ten.  However, I have fallen in LOVE with this reversible purse for my girls.  Although I'm thinking they will use it as an overnight bag.  I think it's just ADORABLE, I'm in love with the asymetrical handle!  It adds just enough FUNK!

The extent of my sewing knowledge is slim. Basically it would fit in a thimble! (HA!)  I usually leave the stitching to paper projects.  I Love to sew on scrap book pages or tags for presents.  I've got the sewing on them down pat!  Part of the reason is on paper it's kinda cool to be a bit messy so that the project has that "homemade" feel to it.  I'm thinking that messy sewing is all I can accomplish and it may not look so cool on an actual project!  Regardless, I'm taking the girls to the fabric store to pick out 2 fabrics each.  Sewing the banner for Peyton's party really got me in the sewing mood.    Stay tuned to see how bad I can mess up this project!  I'm sure Martha won't be pleased.  Her directions are below...

EDIT:  Fabric choices are at the end of the post.  I decided I wanted to make one for myself too!  The fabric was so hard to resist!

This simple reversible purse is a wonderful project for beginning and advanced sewers alike.
Tools and Materials
Bag template
Heavy paper or cardstock
1/2 yard of patterned fabric
1/2 yard of solid fabric
Pencil
Fabric scissors
Pins
Sewing machine
Coordinating machine-sewing thread
Iron
Needle and thread for basting stitch
Reversible Purse How-To


1. Download, enlarge, and print template on heavy paper or card stock. Trace template twice on each fabric and cut out.
2. Align and pin the two solid pieces together, right sides facing. Do the same with the two patterned pieces.
3. Using 1/4-inch seam allowance, sew along the top of each handle and along the bottom curve of each pinned piece, leaving both sides of both handles open.
4. Turn the solid piece right side out, and insert the solid piece into the inside-out patterned piece. Line up seams, raw edges, and handles.
5. Pin the edges of the "neckline" of the bag and sew with a 1/4-inch seam.
6. Going through the longer handle, turn the entire bag right side out (patterned fabric on the outside). Press all seams.
7. Fold raw edges of "armholes" in 1/4 inch and press. Baste together. Topstitch 1/8 inch around bag handles to finish.


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Reversible Purse - Martha Stewart Crafts

I couldn't resist this pretty botanical print Callie showed me, that's when I decided I needed a bag too!

Callie chose this HAPPY bright stripe and pink polka dots



Peyton picked this pretty pink, white and grey floral and the light pink polka dot as her contrast.  It's funny because this pink polka dot fabric is one I used for her table runner and banner at her sweet shoppe party!



Party Hat Tutorial

Sweet Jillian of the fab party site Catch My Party asked me to put together a little tutorial on the party hats I made for Peyton's Sweet Shoppe Party.  I thought you might enjoy it too! Jillian was also so sweet and had Peyton's party as one of the parties of the day!  It's wonderful site to get ideas, definitely check it out!  There are other examples HERE that I made if you want more inspiration!

  To make these hats, you will need:


a couple sheets of coordinating scrap book paper 12 x 12
cardstock
matching cupcake wrapper (optional)
glue gun and glue
embellishments
chipboard monogram
matching ribbon
matching festooning      available at Bake It Pretty and Party Cheap


First go through your scrap paper and see what you have that might go together well and look for matching embellishments. Oh and by the way don't look at my horribly dry hands in these photos! ;-) THANKS!

I love the funky colorful pattern on this paper



black, white and pink is so graphic and cool



I love pink and orange, I think it has something to do with Dunkin Donuts!

I love pink and green



I chose this one because I love the cherry blossoms and the vintage feel of the paper



I used an antique crochet millenry flower, a hat pin and cream colored paper pima flowers and a few gems

Pretty EASY and so PRETTY!

If you make a party hat, PLEASE let me know, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE for you to share it with me!

Out On A Whim: DESIGN MOM

The enchanting exterior of La Cressonniere

Those DORMERS!

Like ducks in a row

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that periodically I wanted to feature a new place on the web that I've become enamored with.  I obviously have been living under a rock because I never came across the fabulous blog I'm about to share with you.  It's called DESIGN MOM and it's this gorgeous jewel box of anecdotes, stories, PHOTOS and just plain old mommy goodness.  Gabrielle Blair is the shining star behind all of the fabulousness that is DESIGN MOM.  Her site has been recognized by too many people/publications to name including TIME MAGAZINE and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL!  Her moniker is "where design meets motherhood", and it IS that and oh so much more! 

A marvelous detailed knocker on THE BATHROOM DOOR

The gorgeous photos are what captured my attention about a month ago.  I began to read her blog and found out that Gabby and Ben Blair (she delightfully refers to her husband with his first and last name) moved their little family of 8 to Normandy France on February 1st for a year!  I was enthralled.  Sometimes getting my little family of 5 ready and together to go to the movies is a monumental and exhausting task.

The Blair family has children ranging from middle school to diapers.  They packed them all up and moved across the big pond to an incredibly gorgeous French home that is called La Cressonniere.  The house actually has a NAME, not an address. How COOL is that?  Gabby has me on the edge of my seat waiting for each photo installment of the tour of La Cressonniere.  Each room is almost more beautiful and charming than the next!  The house was built in 2 seperate segments, one in the 17th century and the other in the 18th century.  I'm in awe just typing that!

Those FLOORS...and that DOOR!

Hand painted walls

A fabulous headboard

Everything about Gabby's blog is engaging.  You feel like she's a sophisticated, very cool friend that is down to earth and elegant at the very same time.  The type of friend that has fabulous adventures and it's exciting just to know her but at the same time she's REAL.

If you don't already read Design Mom, check it out, you won't be sorry!  Gabby also contributes to several other sites including Babble and she is the founder of the social media community called Kirtsy.



Something as mundane as grocery shopping seems to be an impressive adventure



Restoration Hardware Crush

I did a little selfish dreaming today.  Sometimes I like to pretend that I've been given a HUGE gift certificate to a company that I love, and I "shop" as though money is no option.  Gosh, I hope I don't sound like a freak!  Today, the object of my affection was Restoration Hardware.  There isn't a whole lot in that store that I wouldn't love to have!  If you like, follow me on my little faux spending spree...

I'd first order this awesome table for my kitchen!

I'd love to have these funky industrial cool stools for the island



Ohhh, I'd love to add 3 different of these gears to my fireplace mantle



I'd also like a few of these for my fireplace mantle so that I could switch it up when I got bored!

I totally want this ultra cool mirror above my sink in the powder room

I'd love to get my husband this fabulous chair to watch football in!

I really can't stand my foyer light and think this one would work great!

I love this table!  Actually I have this coffee table but got it at a flea market instead!  It was a TON cheaper!

Do you have any stores that you like to pretend to shop?

Garnish and a fabulous give away over at 2805

I came across this cool site the other day.  I'll be the first to admit, I am a total geek over packaging.  Unique and cool packaging gets me every time!  So when I saw the goodies on this site I went a little gaga.  (not lady gaga-ish or anything...I'd never ever ever ever wear a dress made of meat!)  This sunny weather we've been having lately just screams PICNIC and so does this first photo!  How fun with this little box lunch be to share with a friend?  Check out GARNISH, you won't be sorry!  The site not only sells cool packaging but has awesome ideas how to use it!  BTW, this is NOT a sponsered post, I just think it's a cool site and love how most everything is so GREEN!

 

On a completely different topic, have you met Honey over at 2805?  She's a SWEET (pun intended) blogger from Texas with gorgeous photos!  Go meet honey and enter her RAMSIGN giveaway!  It's open to worldwide bloggers, how cool?