Thursday, May 24, 2012

Cute Sewing Projects and Helpful Hints


I've had several sewing projects on the back burner, just waiting for summer to arrive. Yesterday, I made this fun flower pillow using a fabulous tutorial I found. It was so easy! I used less than $2.00 of material, and I was finished with it in under an hour. 

 It's a pillow slip cover, so if you have an old throw pillow hanging around that needs a new look, this would be great to make! 

The flower is made of felt petals and unfortunately, our Walmart only carries Christmas red and green felt. I went ahead and made the red flower even though it doesn't match a single thing in my house! I think I'll give this one away. The next time I'm in a big city with a fabric store, I'll pick up some other colors of felt to make some throw pillows for the girls' beds.  

Here's the link to the tutorial if anyone else wants to make one:





Here's another fast and easy sewing project:

 I whipped out these cute camera strap covers on my sewing machine in less than an hour.  They're so fun and bright for summer! I like to switch up my camera straps every now and then for variety.  Because I'm a dedicated blogger, I'm never without my camera. Why not make it look cute!?!


They also make great gifts. Next week, I'm flying to Texas with my friend Dawn so we can visit our other friend Gina and see her new baby girl.  I made these two straps to take for Gina because she's a fabulous photographer, and green is her color!!!


Here's the camera strap tutorial I used over at Cluck, Cluck, Sew:




Also, I thought I'd share with you a few tips that have been making my life easier lately.  You are such smart readers that you're probably already doing these things, but I'm here to share them with you if you aren't. 


I love the new re-usable cups with lids that all the stores are carrying right now, but I did not love cleaning the straws out. Even in the dishwasher, they didn't seem to come clean.  So I bought a package of pipe cleaners from the craft department of Walmart. I put a little soap on the tip and run it through the straw. Voila'...clean as a whistle!




Also, I've been starting to use my iPhone to take pictures of recipes I'd like to try in magazines around the house. It's so much easier than writing them down! If you're at the dentist office and don't want to rip a page out of an old magazine, just snap a picture of it! Then the next time you're at the grocery store,  just look at the photo on your phone, and you can pick up all of the ingredients you need for the recipe.





Enjoy the day!

Nell














10 comments:

  1. That pillow is adorable! I made a smaller version of that felt flower for a pillow, and it was a pain in the hiney. I imagine a large one would be so much easier.

    Camera strap covers are among my favorite thing to sew. They come together so quickly, and are so easy to embellish! I really need to make a new one, mine is looking pretty gnarly.

    ALSO: You need to make a recipe organizing app!!!! Because surely you have time to learn technical coding and such, but seriously, what an ingenious idea. You snap a picture of a recipe and the app categorizes it?!?!? I'll be waiting for you to figure out how to do that. You'll make millions. In the mean time, I'll just take a picture like you suggested.

    And by the way, I have that very same cup. Does it have the gel in it where you can freeze it? I love mine, keeps my iced coffee cold for hours. Have a great weekend!

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  2. VERY CUTE pillow!! I love it!! Also, thanks for the tip for the straw! I just got one of those cups and I love it but cleaning the straw was immpossible!! Thank you! xo

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  3. I really love your idea for cleaning your straw. My kids have never been allowed to drink cola, milk or other messy drinks in their “fun cups” because I never could clean the straw properly. What a great idea!

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  4. Very cute sewing projects!!! and I LOVE the straw cleaning tip! Brilliant!
    Hope you have a great day!

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  5. My friends laugh at me because I take pictures of recipes, too! HA! Look who's laughin' now! I'm NOT the crazy recipe picture snapper lady any more (well, at least not the only one!)!

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  6. I love the pillow!! So cute, and I bet it's easy!

    I've made the camera strap cover, and that is easy, and super cute!!

    Thanks for sharing, you are truly a very sharing caring person!! :)

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  7. I've never seen that web site before. Now I'll have to try some of the things on there. I've been looking for a nice looking watch and haven't found one I like. Maybe I'll try one of the fabric watch bands they have on there.

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  8. Love the camera straps! My m-i-l made mine and it's great. Cute pillow too!

    Those cups are so cute...have not bought one but if I do, I have the secret to clean the straw! GREAT idea for the recipes. I don't have an iphone...but it's a great idea!
    Have a fabulous weekend!!

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  9. The pillow is so cute! Might have to give it a try!

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  10. I LOVE my camera straps!!! SO cute!!! And totally ups my photographer cred. Right? :) I have a pillow to cover and LOVE your flower pillow! Will totally have to make one! :)
    ~Gina

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