Sunday, September 18, 2011

What I'm working on Before and After!

The Chair is finished!  I am super happy how it turned out, I wish I had a pair.  :)  It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be either, which is a huge plus. 
Remember this bench?
As soon as I get this back to the house to take a better picture I will post it.  Oh and the rocking chair too!  The one I forgot to take a before picture of so you will just get to see the after.

Now that I am done redoing furniture it's back to sewing purses!  Well until I buy some more.  Just don't tell my husband.

Monday, September 12, 2011

What I'm working On

Since my last "What I'm working on," I've added a cane chair and a rocking chair to the the redos.  The cane chair is in amazing shape, it still had the shipping tag attached to it, and it was a great deal.  But I am not real fond of the orange.  Don't get me wrong, I love orange but this is too much for me.   I forgot to take a picture of the rocking chair before I started painting it.  But as soon as I get back to the shop I will take of of it in the works.   The bench is stripped and ready for painting also!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

What I'm Working On



I love this bench that I bought at a shop near by.  But the paint is chipping and peeling.  I wish I would have taken a close up before started working on it.  At first I was just going to scrape off the chipping paint but then I realized it had been painted many times already.  So I decided to strip it.  Wow this has become a bigger job then I planned.  But that usually happens to me.  :-) no turning back now.

I also had UPS at my door yesterday (again) and got some of the fabric I ordered.  Stay tuned to see what I'm up to. 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

First Day of School!


Today is the first day of school for Mya!  But Kinsley still has to wait about a week.  Life is going to be different around here when they are both girls are in school.  It will be just be me and Jens home three days a week.  What will we do?  (Sew Maybe?)  We had fun taking a few pictures this morning.
Happy Monday Tuesday!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Okay so here it is, my tutorial for Lined Drawstring Bags!


I made a bunch of these for Mya's birthday party for the girls from her class.  She is really into Peace signs lately.  I used my Mom's Janome machine to embroider all the girls' names on them too. I think they turned out cute if I do say so myself.  (Just alittle pat on my own back)
Each drawstring bag uses almost a whole fat quarter because I lined them.  But you wouldn't have too. 
The Drawstring bag I made, used half of two fat quarters, so technically you could make two.  :)

To start off pick out your fat quarters that you are going to use.
Once you pic your fabric, I like to iron it into quarters.
I have this get ruler square thing that I like to use, it makes a perfect square 8 x 8 inches.  But any ruler will work of course.  Line it up on the folded corners. 
When you draw the lines on, it should look like this.
Do this to both fat quarters and cut out, you should end up with these pieces.  Perfect for two bags.


 Next I head over to the iron.  I start with the thicker green strips and cut them in half. 
(This is the part where the drawsting will go through.) Also cut the larger pieces in half.  Then iron under about 1/4 inch.  Like this
Next iron the drawstings.  I make it like bias tape even though it's not.  I learned to do it the way from this video on YouTube by The Green Wife. So use the long skinny pieces and I will just show the picture how I ironed them.

Now I over to the sewing machine.  I start by stiching the top of the bag where the drawsting is going to go. 

Next I do the drawsting.

Then go around two sides of the larger pieces.  Both the outside piece and the lining but on the lining make sure you leave an opening so later we can turn the bag right side out.

Head back over to the ironing board to iron the part where the drawstring is going, in half with the wrong sides together.

Now pin you tube to the outside piece of your bag.  Center them on each side.

Now stuff the outside of your bag into the lining, right sides together.
Stitch around the top, taking the pins out as you go.

Then turn the bag rightside out by pulling it through the opening you left in the lining.

Stitch the lining shut, you can do it by hand but for something like this, I just do it on the machine.

Back over to the ironing board just give it a quick press.

Then top stitch the bag. 

Now we just have to thread the drawstings through then your done!