A house divided

A House Divided...But in a good way: Screen Building Tutorial

01 FEBRUARY 2010

I am very excited to show you the project we have been working on.

First, let me give you some background.  I used to work at Icon Health and fitness while attending college.  No that doesn't mean I worked out a lot, I worked in the legal department and the treat drawer was huge... I gained weight while working there...  Along with the extra ten pounds, I did get a smokin' deal on a huge elliptical, and later a recumbent bike.  Just recently my neighbor sold us their old treadmill...  So, while I am thankful to have my own personal gym, it is not all that pretty in my family room.  But how to hide it?

Enter google search.  

I love you google search!  
Anyway.  I found this screen online and thought "$519.00 dollars" gulp...  But, it is funky, and oh so fun. You know what?  I could make it.  SOLD!

And guess what, now you too can make this! Original on left, ours on the right.

 Just keep that in mind, that you will be blown away when you can see how we did it for $30 to $50, depending on the size you want.

Supplies:
1 to 2 sheets 1/2" x 4' x 8' mdf, cut to size at the store, see specification sheet for dimensions, (Home Depot makes cuts FYI) Approx $20.00 a piece
6 hinges, very small 2 screw hinge. These come in sets of two for Approx $2-3.00
Paint 
Wood patch compound (optional, for oops!)


Tools:
Straight edge, or long ruler (for drawing on template)
Measuring tape (for drawing on template)
Pencil (for drawing on template)
Jig saw (to cut out shapes) - not included in cost, but they are only about $30.00, for a simple saw, FYI
1-2 sheets, 150 grit sand paper (for sanding raw cut edges) 
A round object (for sanding curves, see instruction sheet)
Sanding block (or small piece of wood with sanding paper wrapping it)
(If you do not have these tools check bottom of post for another option to build the screen)

You may copy these images for personal use only,

it may not be reproduced or posted on any other blog
without author's written consent before use. Thank you

christmas stockings

22 DECEMBER 2009

I know I am cutting it a little close, I mean Santa is coming in a few short days....  But now that we have Etta, I decided I wanted new stockings.  Growing up my mom made us some really fun crocheted granny square stockings, that just spoke Christmas.  So, I just really wanted yarn stockings.  BUT, I didn't have time to crochet them, story of our lives I'm sure!   The other day, while I was at my favorite local thrift store shopping for tacky Christmas sweaters...(post to come)  I picked up a few other sweaters as well to make this:

It was SEW easy!  If you can sew along a line on a sewing machine you can make this.

1st Pick up a few sweaters at the Thrift store (or your closet!) 

2nd.  Launder them and remove any lint etc.

3rd To begin, turn sweater inside out.

4th Smooth out the sweater so that the bottom edges are lined up together (this is most important because the bottom of the sweater will become the top of your sock)

5th Now trace a stocking shape onto the sweater with the opening of the sock aligning with the bottom of the sweater.

6th after tracing pin the sweaters front and back side together along the drawn sock.

7th Sew around with the sock shape ***With light tension and the longest straight stitch. (this way the fabric will not pull and pucker)

8th Remove pins and cut out sock with about a 1/2 in seam allowance. 

9th Sew around the sock again, and then zigzag just outside of your straight line to make sure it is secure

10th Flip right side out, at this point the sock is done.

You will need a small loop to hang them, you can use what you like to create a loop, and attach it to the top back of the sock.  Honestly I haven't done this yet, so I just used a binder clip, don't tell Santa!

One little trend in the Christmas sock area that I have noticedthis year especially, is just hanging a letter on the sock, instead of having their name on there.  And I tried it too:

1st print out the first letter of all the names in your family. 

(we have Mom, Dad, Etta, and a small Kitty and Buddy!)

Print them out backward ( I just flipped the image horizontally in Photoshop)

2nd Glue them to a sheet of chipboard ( I used an old gift box, the ones you always have kick around)

glue to the front of the chipboard a paper that you like, (this is what will show)

3rd I beefed up my letters with a sharpie, til I thought it looked decent.  (not necessary, I just wanted to)
4th Cut out the letter, and hang with the sock!

Mckenzie's scarf tutorial

The Holiday Ruffle Scarf

I can't even tell you how excited I am about this tutorial! It is so easy, and it looks so elegant! Here are the materials you need:

* 11''x60'' piece of satin

*sewing machine and matching thread

*scissors

*measuring tape

*white crayon

Step 1:

Cut your satin to size. The size I used is a rough estimate. I had a lot of scraps of satin in different colors that I have been making these scarves with. Each of them are a few inches different, but they all end up looking pretty much the same!

Step 2:

Measure and mark spots 2 to 3 inches apart (I have three marked lines, the more you do, the more ruffles you will have). Mark with your white crayon all the way down the back of your fabric.This is where your ruffles will be.

Step 3:

Sew along the lines you have drawn with long stitches.

Step 4:

Pull one string from the stitch and make the satin ruffle. Pull to make ruffles even.

It should end up looking like this...

Step 5:

With right sides together, fold in half (lengthwise) and pin. Also pin one of the ends as well.

Step 6:

Sew along your pinned edges with your normal sewing straight stitch (be sure to adjust your sewing machine back to the smaller stitch after using the long stitch earlier).

Step 7:

Turn your scarf right side out.

Step 8:

Sew your open side shut with rough edges folded in.

Even out your ruffles again and...

you are done!

It can be worn without a knot...

 Or with a knot! They are both beautiful!

Happy creating!

this chick shannon is AMAZINGLY crafty!

I have a shirt, okay I have ALOT of shirt that I can't stand. However, this particular one I usually wear as an undershirt. Well, this time it came out of the wash the top of the shoulders were miss colored.

They looked like this:

What is up with that. So the creating began. I scrunched up my shirt and rung it like a rag and filled the sink with bleach. I barely rubbed it in the bleach and then would ring it out. Then re wind it up and do it again.

Then I washed it in the washer and there you have it.

But, it wasn't completed yet. So I took eight strips of fabric that were 2 inches by 7 inches. I layered two of them on top of each other and sewed a gather stitch down the center.

And then I gathered them.

And then along the neck line I pined them in s-shapes.

One after the other. I did three of them on the neck line and then the fourth one I put underneath the 1st and 2 one to make it more full.

Then sew them on. Just down the center of the s-shapes.

Take out the gathered stitch, and there you have it!

I LOVE it, but I am afraid it might be a little too crazy and out there! What do you all think? Am I going to make the worst dress list if I wear this outside of the house?

Cartigan

I love the look of the long simple cardigans that can be found at Anthropology, Down East, and pretty much every store on every corner. So I thought I would give it a try and make my own. You will need 2 yards or more of a jersey knit fabric.

Measure yourself from your t-shirt line on the back of your neck, down to the bottom of your t-shirt. I measured 27 inches. Lay your fabric out and cut it that width.

Fold in both sides 18 inches. And pin starting from the end, not the fold, for 8 inches. You will leave the 10 inches remaining open and unpinned.

Here is a close up view (and I can't figure out why blogger rotates some of my photo's like the one above...)

Take this to the sewing machine and sew from the edge to the pin mark at 8 inches. Do this to both sides.

Now you need to put it on. This might be tricky. The part that you have sewn will be under your arm pit and down to your waist. In other words the part that you left unpinned is where your arms go through. The opposite edge that you did not pin goes on your neck and you just drape the ends down over your arms like you are putting a towel around your neck.

Take two pins and mark the bottom of your neck on both sides.

Take it off again and fold it how you had it when you sewed the sides. Now on the fold place a pin.

Draw a line with chalk from the pin you just put in the fold to the pin you put in by your neckline.

Baste on this line back stitching at the start and then gather as tight as you can. Tie the two threads together on the other end and cut.

Put it on, and there you have it! You can wear it like this for a dress down look.

It looks great with jeans or a skirt.

And it's super comfortable.

And who would have guessed that the back would be so beautiful? (If you want your draped fabric to be longer so your shirt isn't showing then you need to use more fabric than 2 yards.)

Or you can grab the ends and tie it up in the front for a more dressed up look.

The perfect touch to take your outfit up a notch.

And again, the back is stunning to look at.