DIY Pleat Dress

Saw this free, cute and easy DIY dress on a blog called icandy handmade.  I haven't tried to sew the dress yet but it is in my to do project list.

(tutorial and pattern) Boxy Pleat Dress

Paper Christmas Fortune Cookies

With Christmas approaching I've been brainstorming some DIY projects to tackle.

Today, I made some paper Christmas fortune cookies. I had seen this post on Oncewed.com a while back when my friend was getting married as a possible wedding favor DIY idea and thought I'd change it a bit for a fun Christmas DIY project.

1. I used a bowl to trace a circle about 6" on pretty wrapping paper
2. Fold right sides together
3. Pinch middle and bring outer edges together
4. Open back up and place small candy on either side of crease
5. Refold
6. Tape edges to secure candy inside

Add a note or fortune and you've got a fun little Christmas treat!

Easy Fabric Flower

With the weather getting chilly and the holidays coming up I have started knitting a few hats and scarves. I have been wanting to make something to dress up my daughters hat and I wanted something easy to make either during nap time or some down time in the evening when I watch tv.

So my nap time project today was to make a few fabric yo yo flowers and I have to say these fabric yo yo flowers were super easy! It took me only a few minutes to make this one.

I just used a bowl to trace out 5" circle. Got my needle and thread then began stitching along the border. Pulled the thread through to close up the circle and stitched to the back center. I then brought my stitch back to the front and secured my button. I didn't bother with a finished edge since the button covered it up.

Viola! Quick and easy fabric flower, can't wait to make more!

Homemade Tomato Soup

Last month we were in Baltimore to visit my brother and to do a bit of site seeing. We had a yummy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich from Lamill Cafe at the Four Seasons, Baltimore. With that in mind and with the cold and windy weather we have been experiencing I decided to whip up a pot of tomato soup for dinner.

What I used:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece of celery, diced
2 pieces of carrot, diced
2 bell peppers, oven roasted
6 tomatoes, quartered and roasted
1 can roasted tomatoes
1 c half and half
1 c chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 bay leaf

In medium pot, cook onions, garlic, carrots, celery, chicken broth and seasonings until soft. Meanwhile, I placed the bell peppers and tomatoes into the oven at 425F for about 15 minutes.

Afterwards, peel skin off peppers and and tomatoes as well as scrape away seeds.

Pour vegetable mixture into food processor along with the bell peppers and tomatoes. Blend, pour in half and half then continue to blend until smooth. If soup is too thick just add more chicken broth or half and half until it is the consistency you desire.

Pour back into pot then spoon soup into bowls. Before serving, top with shredded Parmesan and basil.

DIY Nursing Cover

Quick, easy and a must have for every new mom...a nursing cover!  I have a bebe aulait nursing cover that I absolutely love and use each and every time we are out of the house.  I was thinking of purchasing a second cover that I could use while it was in the wash between outings.  So instead of purchasing a second cover I decided to make one, using my bebe aulait nursing cover as my guide.  This is also a perfect gift I can make in the future for a new mom as a gift.

What you need:

26" x 38" fabric for nursing cover

3" x 29" and 3" x 8" fabric for straps

15" boning material

2 D rings

9" squares of terry cloth and cotton fabric (optional)

Thread and sewing machine

For the straps, I cut out 3" x 29 and 3" x 8.  Fold straps in half then press down raw edges and sew along both sides to create straps 1.5" wide.

I liked having a terry cloth pocket in the the bottom left hand corner so what I did was cut out a 9" square terry cloth, folded it in half and cut triangle as well as a 9" square cotton cloth, folded that in half and cut triangle.  Then with right sides together (terry cloth and cotton cloth triangles) sew together the middle.  Flip around right side out and iron.  Go ahead and sew the other two sides together but it won't matter if seams show because it will be hidden inside the edges of the nursing cover.

Iron out fabric then fold in raw edges to create finished seams on three sides (not the top). Pin terry/cotton triangle under seams into left bottom corner then sew, removing pins as you go along.

Mark middle then match up the boning material facing down then fold fabric over to create seam.  Pin down straps on either side of boning material overlapping an inch or so to secure it when sewing.

Fold straps over the top of boning seam and sew again to secure.

  

Sew as close to D rings as possible to secure into place.

All done!  Now I can make another as a gift with some fun printed fabric I have in my stash :)

DIY fabric bin

Who doesn't need more storage bins to put away miscellaneous things so they aren't scattered everywhere?  I found this great DIY storage solution project at sew4home that I loved.  There is a great tutorial found here.  I simplified it so I only made the storage bin and handles, no fancy edges or finishing ribbons to hide seams.

This project was quick and easy which was a perfect distraction for me when I was a few days past my due date and anxiously needing something to do.  It's also a great nap time project!  After successfully making the first one I have now made two more for total set of 3.

Cut two different patterns of fabric for outside and for the lining.  I cut 2 of each 15 x 10 for the bin and 2 x10 for the handles.  Cut 4 pieces of interfacing, iron onto wrong side of fabric and sew along edges to secure interfacing.

Right sides together sew coordinating pieces together along 3 sides.  Push corners out, mark 3" in, cut and sew right sides together.  Repeat on solid to create lining.

Right side out outer fabric and fit together.  Pin on handles then fold and top stitch edges to create finished look.

Citrus Glaze

I made this quick and easy orange glaze to go over a batch of cookies today although this glaze would be great on any baked good, I plan on trying out this recipe with a lemon next!

What you need:
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tbsp orange peel
1 tsp vanilla

Whip all ingredients together and viola!