The weekend came and went too fast and the only project I have to show for it is a decoupage deer head….

Since Taylor is moving soon, she has been spending lots of time in craft stores looking for decoration ideas. While strolling through the paper mache isle, we stumbled across this great looking deer head and I suggested we cover it in pretty tissue paper (my idea was a floral, but Taylor liked this geometric print instead).

As for ‘construction’, we painted a white base coat, slathered it in Mod Podge (hard coat), applied tissue paper, and coated it again. Believe it or not, I was able to cover the entire head in one sheet of tissue paper. Next we’ll mount it on a rustic wood piece and call it done.

Now, back to the sewing machine….. I hope!

When I can’t sew, I find myself dreaming up ideas and then buy lots of fabric….. as you can tell, this is the bind I’m in.

This is my latest order from Knitpop – a serape knit, several florals, and black and knit solid. I had the idea that I needed some pretty floral tees (and maybe a romper) like I’ve been seeing in stores lately. I did manage to wash all of this up and prep it for my ideas, but that’s about as far as I’ve been able to get….. so I ordered several yards of fun prints from SoSewEnglish (my first time ordering, but it that has yet to ship it out). I also had some Peek-a-boo fabric (pre-order, although they are all in her shop right now) arrive the other day as well – these prints were ordered quite awhile ago and are specifically for Easton for back-to-school fun tees.

Get ready for back to school and make this adorable unicorn backpack (cut file for the Cricut included too)…. then make a matching  crayon case!

But wait! There’s more unicorn goodness to be had when you make this unicorn neck pillow and super cute plush.

Join the Ellie & Mac Facebook group to get the code for the new Trendy Halter pattern.

I have discovered that you can never have too many shorts when you have a boy (so why not make your own?) – they just get sweaty and dirty too fast!

A few years ago, I went on a binge of making casserole carriers for everyone – I couldn’t help it, they were fun to make! So I have a certain fondness when I find new ones to try out.

One of my favorite custom fabric designers is branching out and making her own patterns. Today she releases a few designs, including a free version (at the time of posting, the free pattern wasn’t available yet, but here is the information on how to get yours).

Change up the look of a classic pencil skirt by adding a big bow.

This button front tank not only keeps you cool this summer, but looks stylish too.

It’s apron week at Sew4Home. There’s all sorts of styles for everyone so far, but this version is perfect for men and is the simplest of the group.

I’ve always been intrigued by the “quilt as you go” method. Try out this technique and make a pretty jewelry case, too.

Win this seahorse mug rug set.

Looking for a great grab-and-go style this summer? Learn how to make an easy tee shirt dress.

We have about a month left before the pools close around here (it’s still hot as heck, but they are close during the week because schools are back in session) which means it’s still not too late for a new suit!

I didn’t care for the bottoms that came with the Indigo Halter pattern, so I decided to crack open Jalie’s GIGI bikini and use the basic, lower waist bottom instead. I love it! Now I can’t wait to try the whole pattern! But for now, it’s time to test this new suit out in the water.

Sometimes I make things and they have absolutely nothing to do with sewing. Most recently, I saw a pair of bling Nike slides and decided that I needed some, but could easily make them myself….. and now I realize why they are $90. My version isn’t half as awesome as theirs.

So, some things I learned from this:

Use small rhinestones. Mine were 5mm (which was the smallest available at the time) and I think I could have easily gone down one or two more. Swarovski crystals would have been much nicer and shinier, too (but definitely more expensive).

Use VERY SMALL seed pearls for the base of the shoe. I thought the ones that I got were tiny, but they are not tiny enough – they let a lot of the shoe base show through.

Speaking of shoe bases…. white would be best. That will give you a lot of fudge room and make the pearls look fuller.

I thought the easiest route was to place the larger beads down first, then apply the seed pearls. This was way too difficult and left some spots bare around the larger pearls. Instead apply a layer of the seed beads and then place everything else on top.

Use fresh glue. I started with an old tube of E6000 that was very thick and had lots of clumping issues. Once I got a new tube, it was much easier to spread (but much, much messier).

When you’re pressed for sewing time, even the littlest project seems like a major accomplishment.

One of Taylor’s (future) roommates had made her own headboard for her room and wanted a coordinating pillow (with pompoms) to go with it and asked if I could make one. The pillow she had originally purchased was super puffy and had a piping so the final dimensions were somewhere between 15 -16″ (depending on where you measured and how much poof was in the area you were measuring) – so I split the difference and made this slipcover 15 1/2″.

I’m not going to lie, it was nice to whip up something quickly. I think I need more instant gratification projects this summer!

These packing cubes are a great way to keep your luggage organized while traveling.

This bucket bag is perfect for jaunts out of the house and has great features like purse feet and fun snap straps.

The Alcoy Dress is a quick sew that will take you from summer through fall.

Not enough light when sewing? Then enter to win an LED light kit.

The Undercover Maker Mat (for under your sewing machine), is one of the largest versions with lots of pockets that I’ve seen.

This easy beach dress looks great and doesn’t even require a pattern.

Stay cool with this cute (and quick to sew) Sewing Bee Sleeveless Shell Top.

Alpacas seem to be the new foxes…. so why not whip up a trendy softie?

If you missed my cooling scarf tutorial from earlier this week, then be sure to check it out – it’s a must have for scorching days like today!

It may be sweltering outside, but it’s July, which means that Christmas Crafting is in full swing! Whip up pretty Victorian stockings for your chimney or a Tiny Stocking Bunting.

I love duffel bags – they usually a great size, hold lots of stuff, and are easy to make. Plus this one is FREE!

I’ve found that making shirts for boys to be difficult. Not because of the lack of sewing patterns (although there are a ton more for girls) or fitting issues, but because there just doesn’t seem to be a many fabric or themes that are good for guys…. especially older ones.

I recently got to test another cutting file (for the Cricut) for Peek-a-boo Patterns. This one was for the #Mamarazzi Bundle which I was thrilled to get to try because it seemed like a fun “matching” shirt that I could make for Easton and I that wasn’t too childish and didn’t scream “Look we match!”

For our versions, I used holographic glitter vinyl (with regular HTV vinyl for the “Can’t Escape The” lettering and the camera on Easton’s tee). Let me say, it was a pain in the rear. I found that my household iron was not really hot enough (or enough pressure) to get it to stick well and I realized that I really NEED a heat press. Otherwise, I I love the way this turned out (especially Easton’s which I think looks the most commercial).

It’s July, which means 2 things:

One, I’m about over summer… It’s hot and it’s not necessarily my favorite season to sew for. Two, I realized that I am way behind on the things that I did plan on sewing – like a new swimsuit.

While I have several patterns that I wanted to try, what I really wanted this year was a halter style top. In hindsight, I probably could have modified a pattern than I already had, but why reinvent the wheel when there is already the perfect pattern out there? So, this weekend I picked up Swim Style’s Indigo.

While I don’t plan on using the bottoms, the top perfectly fit my needs – plus it had a really cute tie back. The instructions were great and everything came together without a hitch. Now about the fit – it is a slim (for lack of a better word) fit across the sides. After looking at commercial swim halter tops, I realized that is just how they typically look. While it works ok for the most part for me, I found that it is really necessary to pull the strings tightly around my neck so that it pulls the top more snugly across the bottom and the sides which will reduce side boob slips. I think that using the clasps would reduce this greatly, but, honestly, it wouldn’t look as cute. I also omitted the bra cups from both versions – I didn’t think it was necessary (I may eat my words later) and made me feel the top feel more snug (but not in a good way).

This didn’t stop me from making this top twice though. As soon as Taylor saw me making the top she asked if she could “model” this one for me (which is code word for “This will be mine”), so I wound up giving her the first version (shown on the left) and I made a second one (shown on the right). I will say that the second time around I was more careful with design placement and used a slightly different elastic (firmer) which seemed to help the fit some as well.

As we dive into the dog days of summer, chances are you’ll want to beat the heat. My latest tutorial for BERNINA’s WeAllSew is live and it’s the perfect DIY to take the edge off…. a cooling scarf!

Not only is this project inexpensive, but it’s safe to use with kids (and even pets) and works unbelievably well. The secret? Polymer beads. This product is the magic that is used in most disposable diapers (but you can find yours in the floral department) – so it’s very absorbent and stays that way for quite some time. That means that when soaked in cold water they retain the chill for several hours. Best of all, these can be made in under an hour – so everyone can have one before your next adventure.