DIY Soccer Banner – Meet the Stingrays

diy soccer banner

With spring soccer beginning I thought I would share our last season soccer banner.  We were the Stingrays and we had an awesome season!  In our town, most teams pay over $100 for a custom airbrushed soccer banner.  With a team of only 7 players, this seems to be a lot of cost per family.  This homemade version was much more cost-effective and it was cuter than any airbrushed banner I’ve seen.  We received compliments on it all season long.  You can use canvas or a heavy duty drop cloth as the background fabric.  Click HERE for step by step instructions.  There is not a predetermined or set banner size.  I usually use the width of the fabric as my guide.  Cut the desired size of the banner.  Notch the top 2 corners about 4″ and then fold the sides and the top in and sew a seam.  This leaves a space open in the corners for the PVC elbows.  It’s not fancy at all.  Then we cut the PVC pipe to fit the measurements of the banner.soccer banner 2

I spray painted several blue paints on the canvas to give it a watery look.  I drew the stingray shape on some tissue paper and then cut them out of felt.  I used a combination of Fabric Fuse and hot glue to adhere the stingrays.  I added a little bow on the tail.  The eyes, eyelashes and mouth are cut out of felt.  I printed the letters out on Heat n Bond EZ Print sheets.  I cut out the letters and used fabric fuse and hot glue to attach the letters.  (normally you can just iron the letters but the paint makes it difficult.)  The names are written with black metallic puffy paint.  It was fun to use puffy paint, it always reminds me of high school cheerleading days 🙂  I found a soccer ball image from an internet search and printed it on Heat n Bond transfer sheets.  I then ironed the soccer ball to a piece of felt and glued it to the banner.

I painted stingrays on the coaches T-shirts so they matched.

soccer banner 6

Whats fun about this banner is at the end of the season, during our team party, we cut the banner up and each girl got to take her stingray home.soccer banner 3

This year we are the Bengals.  I better get working on the banner!!!
soccer banner 5

soccer banner diy

{Pattern Review} The Potato Chip Skirt by The Tie Dye Diva


potato chip pattern review

This is not a paid review, I purchased the skirt pattern from Tie Dye Diva’s online shop.

I am so excited to be sharing my experience of making this super cute girls skirt called The Potato Chip Skirt by Tie Dye Diva.  I don’t think it’s possible to say how much I love this skirt, how it fits so perfectly and how wonderfully the pattern is written.  Tie Dye Diva has many fabulous patterns and this is my first experience sewing one of them.  You can purchase the pattern and download it immediately.  The pattern was easy to tape together and assemble.  The step by step instructions were very clear and thorough.  I am confident a beginner could tackle this pattern as it is so well written.  This pattern is sized from 12 months to size girls 14.  potato chip skirt 1

 

 

Baby Mufasa loves helping with the pattern pieces!  He chewed one of the pieces and I had to tape it back together!DSC_0712The fabrics are from Blend’s The Makers line.  The fabrics are a light whimsical feel with several panel prints.  I fell in love with this print of a girl sewing with her kitty!!!  The panel was slightly smaller than the skirt pattern so I added some coordinates: 5″ to each side and 6″ to the top.potato chip skirt 1 10

OK, I really can’t get enough of the girl & the kitty!!  I top stitched a little lace around the pockets.  Sally is so thrilled to have a skirt with pockets!!!!

potato chip skirt 14

I also top stitched along the seams where I pieced the panel so they would stay in place after washing.

potato chip skirt 13

I love the scrappy look of this skirt, with the back having a totally different fabric.  My teenage daughter was begging for one in her size 🙂

potato chip skirt 2

The skirt pattern has 3 options: no lining, lining, and reversible.  I choose to make the reversible version.  I love the weight the skirt has with the lining – it hangs really nice.  The waistband is super simple because it has elastic in the back portion.  I used some Heat n Bond fusible stabilizer in the waistband to give it some strength.

potato chip skirt 3
This skirt can easily be downloaded, printed, cut & sewn in 2 hours.  It’s called the Potato Chip Skirt because you can’t make just one!  That’s true, I already have several more in the works!  Sally is happy because I pay her $1.00 for each modeling session 🙂
potato chip skirt 6

 

I can’t stop gushing about this pattern.  The length is perfect and the fit is perfect.  Sally is 7 years old, wears a size 10 and I cut out the size 9/10 skirt.  It’s PERFECT!!!!potato chip skirt 8

Kitty Mini Quilt

minikittycover

My Mini Kitty Quilt Pattern is available to purchase from Emily Ann’s Kloset.  The inspiration from this quilt came when I heard from a friend that her 6 month old kitten was diagnosed with a fatal disease.  My heart broke in half.  Of course this was devastating to her and her children. I have lost 2 kitties in the last 2 years and it hurts really bad 🙁  I wanted to send her something to show I cared.  I came up with this Mini Kitty Quilt.  I was inspired by folk art paintings of flying cats.

Kitt Quilt 2

Of course my Kitty Muasa was very helpful in making this quilt!

kitty love mini quilt 15

Here are a few other versions of the Mini Kitty Quilt in different colors.  It is such a fun quilt to make and you can make it in about an hour!mini kitty quilt 5

mini kitty quilt 3

mini kitty quilt 2

mini kitty quilt

kitty quilt

 

 

The Blythe Skirt – Magic Pattern Review

magic pattern skirt

Today I am sharing my thoughts about this super cute pattern from Amy Barickman’s The Magic Pattern Book over on the Therm O Web Blog today.Magic-large

This book is amazing with such cute patterns and styles.  There are 6 basic patterns and then variations on each pattern which give 36 different styles!  The CD has all the patterns included.  I love skirts and I especial love this A-Line pleated front skirt.  There is no zipper, not buttons, no hooks – super easy, right?

Magic Pattern Skirt 10

Magic Pattern Skirt 6

I love the two front pockets and I also love the length of this skirt.  I can’t wait to sew up a few more!
Magic Pattern Skirt.3

Magic Pattern Skirt.4

Valentine Bookmark and Sachet Tutorial

valentine bookmark and sachet

 

Don’t you just LOVE February!!  I love all the cheerful colors, flowers, fabrics, and blossoms!  It’s even been 80 degrees around here in the daytime!  I’m super happy!!!IMG_3280

These fabrics from the Dear Stella Flirt line just scream Valentine’s Day.  They make me want to throw a Jane Austen inspired Tea Party…..maybe I will!!dear-stella-flirt-fabrics

I love giving little gifts on Valentine’s Day and these sweet projects can be sewn up quickly.  I love using fabric bookmarks in my books, this bookmark is flat and thin so it won’t damage your book.
valentine bookmark 2

 

This lovely lavender sachet is perfect to toss in a drawer or even in your car!
valentine sachet. 2

They make a lovely pair.  I can’t wait to sew more of these!  My full instructions are on the Therm O Web Blog.  This project uses Heat n Bond Lite for the appliqué which makes it a snap.  There is also a little Heat n Bond medium weight stabilizer in the bookmark to give it stability.  I can’t wait to sew a few more!!
valentine gift set 3

Deco Foil Hanging Heart {DIY project}

 

deco foil hanging heart valentineI didn’t quite know what to hang on my front doors this Valentine’s Day season.  Do any of you have the problem of having 2 front doors?  It’s always a delllama, do I hang just one item on the door we use, leaving the other one bare?  Do I hang two of the same thing?  Two different things?  If I hang 2 wreaths, does it look like my doors have eyes?  I came across these sparkly scalloped wood heart hangers at the craft store and I thought they might solve my front door problem.  They were just screaming for some embellishment, don’t you think?  I ran around the house, gathering items that might be cute all while eating cinnamon gummy hearts (highly addictive).  If you don’t have wood heart hangers like these, you can add this heart to a pillow, a frame, or pretty much anything!  Here goes!!foil valentine craft

Supplies:

fabric scraps for the hearts, I used Riley Blake Designs small dots, pink & white

a few yards of small lace and larger lace to hang

Heat n Bond Lite EZ Print sheets

Heat n Bond Lite

Deco Foil silver
10942962_10205726136972927_6418707949747214144_o

 

Don’t you just love all the colors this Deco Foil comes in?  This was my first time using it, I was a little intimidated; now it’s my new favorite product!

Begin by drawing your desired heart shape onto the paper side of the Heat n Bond Lite.  Roughly cut around the heart and iron it to the wrong side of the fabric.  I choose to use Heat n Bond Lite rather than fusible stabilizer because I like the texture it creates when applied.  Leave the backing paper on.foil valentine craft 2

Print out the words in reverse onto the EZ print sheets.  You can download the words like I used or make up your own.

foil valentine craft 1

 

Press the words to the wrong side of the Deco Foil.  Then cut out with scissors.  The XOXO were easy to cut, the Love was a little intense, I might not choose such an intricate word to cut with scissors next time 🙂  But I like how it looks.
foil valentine craft 7

Once the letters are cut out, peel off the backing paper and place the words as desired.  I covered my letters with tissue paper because I was afraid to put the iron directly on the foil.  Press into place.

foil valentine craft 9

I LOVE the foil!  I can’t wait to try it on more projects!  To finish the heart, peel off the backing paper of the heart.  Center it on the wood heart.  Using hot glue, glue the lace all the way around the heart.  You will burn your fingers many times while doing so 🙁  If you have another favorite glue, you might try that.  I was in a hurry 🙂  You could also use any kind of trim: ric rac, small tinsel, pom poms, ruffles, etc.  I wasn’t in love with the cheap ribbon hanger the hearts came with, so I snipped them off and added some wire.

valentine foli craft

I added a lace bow and also hung it with lace.  I don’t have a wreath hanger, so I tack the lace with a tiny nail to the top of my door.  Maybe that’s not a good idea?

foil valentine craft 4

foil valentine craft 5

foil valentine craft 3

A little peak at my front porch….

valentine front porch 2

chalkboard frame front porchMy teenage daughter is in charge of all the chalkboard writing in our home.  It’s too nerve racking for me!

I found this desk literally on the side of the road.  I spray painted it grey and made it look rustic and it lives on my front porch.  In the spring I have flowers growing out of the drawers!!  I also found the chair on the side of the road.  People probably think my porch looks junky – I like it!!


repurposed desk diy

valentine front porch

Little Girl’s Western Outfit

My sister and her friend asked me to sew western outfits for their 4 year old girls.  I just finished them – I think they turned out pretty cute!  The hardest part was finding plain tops – all our stores are in-between seasons and there is not much to pick from.  I was lucky to find 1 white and 1 black shirt!  The cow print is my favorite 🙂
IMG_3093

 

I used Heat n Bond lite for a quick appliqué on the shirts.  Then I added a denim & lace rosette accent.IMG_3094

IMG_3097

IMG_3098

Vintage Kitty Valentine


valentine kitty

I’m excited to be sharing my tutorial for these darling Vintage Valentines over on the Therm O Web Blog today!  They are super fun to make and sew up quick!  In fact, my 6 year old daughter even made one all by herself!  All the wonderful fabrics are from Blend’s fabric lines: Equniox, Modern Lace, and Turkish Delight.

I choose some vintage cat images off the internet and printed them onto the EZ Print Transfer Sheets.  You could print any image you want.  The image is then ironed on to white fabric.vintage valentine cat 5

Of course I had to include my kitty in this kitty project!  Mufasa had fun playing in the lace, then he had a nap in the lace!
vintage valentine cat 12
vintage valentine cat 22

Sally loves to sew!!

vintage valentine cat 20

I made this one for Ella to match her room with blues and greens.

vintage valentine cat 19

This one is Sally’s – she choose the fabrics and the buttons and sewed the buttons on herself.

vintage valentine cat 39

I like this one too – it has diagonal rows of lace for the background.  They are so much fun to make and they make great gifts because you can really personalize them!  Now, get sewing 🙂

vintage valentine cat 36

valentine kitty

Salt Air Quilt with Lucy’s Crab Shack Beach Blanket Pattern

beach blanket quilt

 

I purchased this pattern Sweetwater’s Lucy’s Crab Shack Beach Blanket over a year ago.  Along with it I picked up some pre cuts and yardage of Moda’s Salt Air line.  I love this line of fabric and I knew it would be perfect in my parent’s home.  beachblanketp189

I hoped to sew it for my parent’s anniversary, then Christmas, and then time just went to fast.  So, finally, this past summer, I finally put it together and had it quilted.  I wrapped it up and gave it to them for Christmas.  It’s the cutest!beach blanket quilt salt air6

This pattern is super fun to sew and fairly easy.  The half circles are drawn on Heat n Bond Lite appliqué paper and then ironed on and top stitched.  I changed the pattern a little bit by omitting the inner boarder and adding a few more half circles so my quilt was a larger throw size.
beach blanket quilt 2

 

My quilter, Janika from Springville, Utah did and AMAZING job on the quilting!  When she gave it back to me, thoughts of keeping it for myself entered into my head 🙂beach blanket quilt salt air 3

It’s extra cozy with this soft gray minky on the back.

beach blanket quilt salt air 2

 

beach blanket quilt salt air 4

 

My favorite print in this collection is the whale’s tails…..see if you can spot them!!beach blanket quilt salt air


More Zipper Pouches

zipper pouch 2What do you get when you cross “My Favorite Zipper Pouch” with “Full Access Zipper Pouch“?  Last minute Christmas gifts!  I sewed up 6 of these and filled them with some Bath and Body Works goodies.  I think the ladies in my husband’s office will love them!

IMG_2378

I used the dimensions from My Favorite Zipper Pouch and then added the full access zipper using this tutorial.  It’s not to late to sew a few!

zipper pouch

 

All the fabrics are from Blend’s Harmony collection by Jessica Swift.  They are amazing!!!  This pattern uses Heat n Bond fusible fleece to give the pouch a little stability & softness; add touch of lace and these coordinating fabrics and you’ve got a darling gift.  (I need a few for myself!)
Harmony-by-Jessica-Swift-500x500 zipper pouch3

zipper pouch4

zipper pouch5

zipper pouch6