Easy Scrap Wreath a.k.a. The Boys' First Video Tutorial!

Check out my cool new wreath on the front door! Doesn't it just proudly proclaim, "A quilter lives here!" I can't remember where I first saw this idea -- somewhere on Pinterest, I think -- but I loved it. A few months ago, I came across a metal ring while going through my mom's sewing things, and realized that it was perfect for this project. It's a simple afternoon craft, and very kid-friendly.

The hardest part was taking the time to cut the scraps. I cut them 1" x 5.5". I cut waaaaaaaaay too many, so I'll probably go on the hunt for another hoop soon.

Once you cut the strips, it's as simple as tying a single knot around your ring.

 Meet my little hams -- they wanted to do a demo for you:

This is my normal front door decoration...it was made for my mom and dad by my Uncle B. 

For a few weeks, though, I'm excited to show off this beauty!

Happy sewing!

JustSewOlivia Pattern Launch: Make your child a SHARK costume!

YAAAAAY!  YAAY!  YAY!  Lots of excitement all up in this sewing oasis...

So you may remember a while back, I started a Shark Costume Tutorial series to show you how I constructed Big Boy's Halloween costume last year.  My original intention was to have the entire tutorial series posted by Shark Week, but I never actually finished it.  In the beginning, I just got behind, but ultimately I decided not to for a couple of reasons.  First, I spent almost all summer living My Other Life.  While I did a little sewing in hotel rooms, I just didn't have the kind of time to really do this project justice.  But I made the final call to stop midstream when I realized that I wanted to make MAJOR improvements to the pattern and simplify the process for people wanting to sew it. 

Significant refinement of design and concept were in order, and in all the effort to compose the pattern and instructions, I realized I'd reached that magical milestone:  The time had arrived to launch a pattern line with real, professionally laid-out graphics and the whole sha-bang.  Which brings me to today...

SO EUREKA!  IT'S HERE!  The FIRST EVER JustSewOlivia sewing pattern!!

I give you, "Shark Bait!"  YAAAAAY! And through Halloween, I'm discounting it to $3!

Get the Shark Pattern here on Craftsy!

Source: Shark Bait! Shark Costume -JustSewOlivia via JustSewOlivia on Craftsy

(Prefer Etsy?  Here's that link.)

Improvements

Here are some of the improvements I've made to this pattern over what you see on Big Boy in the photo:  The most obvious improvement will be in the tail.  I shortened the tail to make it stand out and have more life, like Bitty's dragon tail did.

Get the Dragon Costume pattern here! 

...And on Etsy!

Second, although you can't see it from the pictures of Big Boy's costume, the original process for making the back fin was a complete debacle.  So I went back to the drawing board and found a much simpler, faster, more satisfying way to put it together.  (I don't want anyone going bald pulling her hair out or chucking a sewing machine into the Bay like I almost did when I designed the original!)

Lastly, you'll get stunning process photos.  Although I never have as many photos as I would like, I do strive to provide many vivid, helpful images to accompany the instructions.

A word about free and not-so-free content: 

This part is delicate, but I want to be completely straight-forward.  We all love blogs, because we love free instruction and free design ideas bathed in clear instruction.  I'm no exception.  However, producing a (good) blog takes mountains of time and no small amount of money, and up to this point, my tiny business could be classified as a "negative profit."  (Ha!  But seriously...)  As I have always tried to do, I desperately wanted to do this project right for you, my amazing reader, which meant hiring out some graphic work.  That's an entirely new realm of deadlines and expenses.  I also wanted to do it right for my family.  It's time to try to make this thing GO.  So please consider that I'm able to provide the free designs and instruction that I do by the support you give in small purchases like this.

Finally, if you're not familiar with Craftsy's pattern store, you might consider looking there first when you need a pattern.  Craftsy makes its money off its class offerings, so it doesn't charge designers a fee to list there nor a percentage of the proceeds.  While I will continue to offer patterns on Etsy, you might consider starting with Craftsy, because you pay the same price but your favorite designers make a touch more when you purchase there. 

I am THRILLED beyond words and thank you -- THANK YOU -- for coming along on this journey with me! 

Shark Costume Part 1: Research, Planning and Materials

UPDATE!  See this link for the Shark Costume Pattern

Life happened.

That's why I never got around to writing the tutorial for the shark and dragon costumes last year after Halloween as promised.  But it's time to finish what I started, and I am TOTALLY jazzed about it!  :)  Read on to get a better look at the shark costume...adorable, right?

Tutorial: Basic Jelly Roll Quilt - QuiltWest

Goodness!  We're about halfway through our project to make quilts for the families of first responders in West, Texas.  Several people have asked me how to make a Jelly Roll Quilt, so here goes!

First, check out this great video tutorial with Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Co on this technique.  A lot of people call it the Jelly Roll Race, because it goes so fast that they want to race each other to see who can get it done quickest!

Now that you have the basic idea, let me walk you through in a little greater detail.

Supplies you need:

Best Practices: Pin Perpendicular to the Seam

I have a confession to make.  With few exceptions, I am a perpendicular pinner.  Though you may find it counter-intuitive, I am unapologetic.  No matter what your grandma taught you, I'm pretty sure I'll have you converted by the end of this post.

Wanna take that challenge? 

Quick Fix: The Pajama Problem

Bitty Boy owns some very special truck pajamas.  In fact, these truck jammies are far and away his most favoritest jammies.  Here's the problem:  These tight-fitting jammies had cuffs at the ankles...and those cuffs posed a major problem when he needed to potty at 1 a.m.  What to do when I'm cleaning up my third middle-of-the-night accident but the boy LOVES these jammies?  

Time for a quick fix. 

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 6 - Mission Complete!

The tote liner turned out FANTASTIC!  And yes, though I'm guilty of dragging out my postings, I did complete it and send it to my friend _before_ her baby debuted.  Gorgeous little K.T. joined us Jan 14, and I'm so pleased this reached her loving momma in time.  :)

So, are you ready to see the final step?

My Brief Soapbox and Step 3 of the GIVEAWAY!!

I think we're all WORN OUT from the election!  Regardless of your candidate of choice, I bet you're as sick of politics as the next person.  I'm always torn between my pride in the process -- our political system is, after all, the baseline evidence of American vision and ingenuity --

Thirty-One Skirt Purse Sew-Along, Operation Homefront and GIVEAWAY Step 2!

Okay, try to ignore my hideously ugly kitchen counters and check out these beautiful Thirty-One bags!  I'm uber-excited about the skirt purse.  I bought it specifically so I could make my very own cute skirts out of any fabric that suits my fancy!  In fact, in a few weeks, I'm going to do a Skirt Purse Sew-Along!  (...more on that below.)  This is the complimentary skirt I picked to come with it.  Pretty, yeah?  In My Other Life I have to carry a black purse all the time with my uniform, so I'm a sucker for a bright color the rest of the time.  I love this pop of red.

(Don't forget to click through to the bottom for Step 2 of the giveaway!)

Big News, Bundles of Joy and a GIVEAWAY!

Holy Moley, what a week!  So, I know I totally promised to have a tutorial out on the Toothless costume by now, but I didn't anticipate the domestic and military craziness that would take over my life.  At least I got a few baby gifts ready to send.  (I love all these fun flannels, but the Chinese lanterns are secretly my favorite.) 

Okay, so I've been chomping at the bit to share some very big news: 

Today's Photo Journal: Dragon and Shark costumes debut

UPDATE!  Get the Shark Pattern Here

UPDATE!  Get the Toothless Pattern Here

The Dragon (Bitty wanted to look like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon) and Shark costumes made their debut last night at our church's fall Trunk or Treat event. Wait 'til you see the rest...

Today's Photo Journal: Costumes...check!

After a few days of on-again, off-again sewing and a fair amount of indecisiveness, I FINALLY finished Big Boy's shark costume and Bitty Boy's Toothless (from How to Train Your Dragon) costume.  Woo HOO!  Just check out these cool parts and pieces!

How to Make 10-Second Prairie Points ... or in my case, dragon spines!

Prairie points have been around for eons, and many quilters use them to decorate the edge of a quilt.  But they're not just for quilts:  I used them this week to make the row of spines down the hoodie and tail on my son's Toothless dragon costume!

Like everything else, people have designed all manner of ways to make something really simple, well, hard.  For example, check out this tutorial for continuous origami prairie points.  I'm impressed -- it's really clever -- but I like the plain, simple way my mam-maw taught me.  And it takes -- literally -- like 10 seconds.

It goes like this...

Today's Photo Journal: Halloween Costume Time!

Oh, heavens, it's that time of year again...

One of my closest friends and I have a running joke about the self-inflicted torture mother's engage in when it comes to doing crazy things in the name of loving their children.

Tutorial: How to Patch a Pair of Shorts...(or most anything, really)

When Big Boy hopped off the school bus last week, I immediately noticed a quarter-size hole in his favorite shorts.  I asked if he wanted me to patch them, and of course, he said yes.  I'm tickled that the kids think it's no big deal that I can patch things, shorten sleeves or make them a pair of "comfy pants" (read: fleece) and let out the hem the next year when they're too short.  For once, being taken for granted makes me smile. 

Tutorial: Fabric Leaders for a Long Arm Quilting Frame

When I bought my long arm in 2009, we didn't have a gigantic room I could devote to a huge frame.  We cut the frame supports to about 7 feet long and set it up in the basement.  That time period really tested my love of quilting:  The lighting was terrible in that room even during the day, and the first machine was a lemon that took almost two years to get replaced under warranty.  I nearly gave up. 

$5 + Fabric = Fabulous!

Three bucks?! SCORE!

With SuperHusband and I already seasoned Craigslist veterans, I suppose it wasn't a huge leap when a wonderful friend C. of Colorado got me interested in yard sales last year.  Then a few months ago, I found out how many cool things my friend D. and Tina (you saw her handiwork here) were getting at thrift stores.  So I have a new secret life:  trolling the thrift stores and yard sales of the Florida panhandle in search of cast-offs that I can make cool again.

I can't just buy something "because."  I do at least generally go out with an idea of what I need and try (somewhat unsuccessfully) not to get lured in by shiny objects. So two weeks ago when I went in search of a collapsible wood TV tray and comfy barstool, I didn't exactly hit the mark, but I had a couple of pretty cool finds.  First, I got an entire bolt of beautiful paisley home decorator fabric in warm rusts and golds for $3.

But the second find was the real gem...

Simple Chic Pillowcase Tutorial

I needed to bring a little "girly" back into the guest bedroom adorned with SuperHusband's aviation art and the kids' masculine quilts -- airplanes and dragons.  These dramatic damask pillowcases dressed the space up nicely, and they make a perfect first project for the sewing beginner.

NOT YOURS!

Once, when Big Boy was barely two years old, he stumbled on his short, chubby toddler legs into my sewing space and began to make his way around the room, stopping every few steps to point at some forbidden item and shout, in the loudest meanest tone his precious little voice could muster, "NOT YOURS!"

Piecey Placemats Tutorial

About seven months ago, we experienced a serious upheaval.  We not only moved into a new home, but also introduced a whole new dynamic to our house by bringing Momma to live with us and setting Daddy up in a sweet bachelor's pad down the road.  The change to routine overwhelmed me a bit, and getting the new house looking pretty took a backseat to the tremendous responsibility of keeping the entire family -- six people from ages 2 to 76 -- on track.

So when the Gathering Gals asked to do placemats this week for class, I jumped at the chance to buy some new fabric to match my new, serene water house, and to dress up the dining room.  :)