Poppy Summer Garland

Hi I'm, Jen from LipstickandLaundry, trading places with Becky from Liberate Creativity ... Hope you enjoy the Summer California Poppy Garland!

California Poppy Garland...

Viewmaster Pouch

Level: Intermediate

Time: Expect 1-4 hours

Topic: Accessories, Sewing

Hi there! I'm Jess from Craftiness is not Optional and I have a fun little project to share today!

Design-It-Yourself Clothes by Cal Patch

Book Review: Design-It-Yourself: Pattenmaking Simplified by Cal Patch

The Breakdown
This 158 page book, Design-It-Yourself: Pattenmaking Simplified by Cal Patch takes patternmaking to a whole new level! Patch's book is separated into 3 parts: Preparing & Taking Measurements, Making Patterns, and Customizing and fitting. Patch offers fun and modern directions for completing 20 different garments. The book is filled
with detailed description and instruction for building the perfect pattern; she not only tells how to make it, but also explains as to the reason you should pay extra attention to tailoring, detail and fabric choices. Patch includes countless drawings and detailed graphs in attempt to leave no questions unanswered. The book includes a table of contents and index, as well as a references page, and a helpful measurement conversion chart.

My Favs about this book

My favorite things in the book is that it's easy to navigate and is extremely detailed. Patch's book made me excited to make my own patterns and offered an amazing foundation to do just that! Patch encourages the reader to think big and realize that you can create patterns for any piece of clothing! Another favorite part of the book was the section that explained how to create patterns from pieces of clothing that you already own.....and showed how to do it without cutting them up! This was right down my alley and I hope that Patch considers writing an entire book dedicated to this sometime down the road too! Okay, another fav about this book was Patch's section on "Insider Sewing Techniques." She broke down and simplified various seam finishes (mock-french seam, overedge zigzag, etc.) and explained to the readers exactly how to execute the finish flawlessly.

Big Gulp....Anything I would change about the book
Although I very much enjoyed this book I fear it's certainly not a perfect fit for a novice sewer without the inspiration or desire to learn. The book is filled with such wonderful information, but if you're not necessarily ready for the challenge than it could seem overwhelming.

I certainly recommend Cal Patch's book to add to your crafting inspiration collection. This would be a perfect book for a sewing buddy's birthday!

A Visit From Lemon Squeezy Home

Christie from Lemon Squeezy Home has joined us today to let us in on her creativity process. You definitely need to check out her Etsy shop, Lemon Squeezy Shop.....some serious cuteness going on! If you needed a lift of creativity today, Christie's the one to do....take it away....

Spring Banner

Hi, I'm Nicole from Our Cozy Nest and I'm excited to do a little guest post here today.   I decided to do a  Spring Pennant Garland Tutorial.  I was hoping that maybe if I hung this outside, mother nature would get the hint and stop sending snow here to Utah.

Level: Intermediate

Time: Expect 1-4 hours

Topic: Sewing, Household

My inspiration were these gorgeous Easter dishes from...

Fabric Coffee Cozy

How to make a fabric coffee cozy...

Instructions by: Rachael Lindsay

Level: Beginner

Time: Less than an hour

Topic: Sewing

These coffee cozies are so fun and unique. These are an absolute favorite in my Etsy store. There are so many types of fabric to use, and they can fit any personality....

Out To Eat Place Mat

Level: Intermediate
Time: Expect 1.5-3 hours
Topic: Children & Sewing

Hey, everybody! I'm Gwen, and I blog over at Gwenny Penny. I am so thrilled that Becky asked me to be here with you today. I love to sew, and today I'm going to share a sewing tutorial for an "Out to Eat Place Mat". I'm guilty of feeding my 14-month-old daughter her finger food right on the table at restaurants. Gross? Yes... have you seen them wipe down the tables before? I decided to make a place mat that I could easily tuck in my bag to bring with us when we go out to a restaurant.

Richly Ruffled Dress

I'm ecstatic to have Jenn from A Jennuine Life today to offer a super duper fab tutorial! Be sure to check her out on her site and show her some Liberate Creativity Love! Come back soon Jenn!

Richly Ruffled Dress

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Time to complete: Depends on ability, but you'll have fun doing it!

Topic: Clothing, Children, Sewing

Shamrock Button Shirt

Hi, I'm Valerie from Occasionally Crafty!  On my blog, you'll find fun projects for home decor, clothing, accessories, and more.  Today I'm going to show you how to make a cute St. Patrick's day shirt.  I know it's coming up quick, but seriously, this only took me a little over an hour to whip up!  And the great thing is, you can adapt this idea, using different shapes, for any holiday!


Level: Beginner
Time to Complete: Expect less than an hour
Topic: Clothing, Children & Sewing

Materials needed:
Shirt
Shamrock template (see below)
Green buttons- various sizes
Needle and coordinating thread, embroidery floss, or glue (if you don't sew)


Directions:
1.  Cut out your shamrock template to use on your shirt.  I traced a clipart image. You can print out mine by right-clicking on the image below, then save it to your computer, resize as necessary, and print.  Or just trace your own!

2.  Trace your shamrock onto your shirt.  (Shh---I used a pencil because I knew it would be covered up, but if that makes you nervous- go for the disappearing ink fabric marker from the craft store).

3.  Determine placement of your buttons.  I only had two sizes of buttons, so I had to adjust from my template a little.  

4.  Hand stitch each button to the shirt.  This is EASY but a little time consuming.  What worked best for me was to put a tiny dot of hot glue on the back of the button and press it into place.  Then, after all the buttons were adhered where I wanted them, I used a needle and embroidery floss to attach the buttons to the shirt.  Hot glue will not hold up in the wash, so this makes them secure.  Feel free to experiment with fabric glue and such if you don't want to sew!

5.  Put it on your little lass and let her dance around the yard.  Or snuggle by the heater if it's still cold where you live :)

Thanks for having me here today!  Have a happy St. Patrick's Day, and I hope to see you all around my blog soon!

The Inaguration Cardigan

Wanna see some talent? Get ready to be awed by our guest bloggers today! Shwin & Shwin have had me addicted to their site since I first laid eyes! I would marry their talent if I could and their sweetness is divine! Cross our fingers that they'll come back to visit us more than once because one time is certainly not enough!
Check it out!

Level: Intermediate
Topic: Sewing, Clothing, Children
Tiime to complete project: Expect 1-4 hours


We are so excited to do our first post of Liberate Creativity! In honor of Presidents Day we thought it would be fit to share our Inauguration Cardi with you! The perfect little cardigan for any age, that adds a little sophistication to any outfit.
Want to make on too? Great let's get started! First with the pattern:



Bandana Apron

Steph from Somewhat Simple has been kind enough to offer a super funky and fun tutorial to make an unforgettable apron! I adore the idea of making simple aprons to match my outfit! LOVES! Make sure to check her entire site out at www.somewhatsimple.com (after you read this tutorial of course!). Happy weekend to all!

Level: Beginner

Topic: Clothing, Accessories, Sewing

Time to complete project: Expect 1 hour or less

I saw this idea on Martha Stewart. 

Not only is this the easiest thing you will ever make, it is super cute and will come in handy!

There are a ton of cute aprons out there (it seems like a new trend or something!) and I have made some and love them, but I wanted something a bit different than the full-body ones I have hanging in my pantry- something I could wear while entertaining that wouldn't cover up the outfit I chose very carefully to wear to the party. After all, what's the point in looking cute at a party if you have an apron covering your clothes, right? Enter "half-apron" and better yet, make it coordinating and matching to my party outfit and suddenly it all seems perfect!

Items Needed:

Bandanna- standard size is about 22 inches square

Ribbon- enough to fit around your waist and tie a bow from behind. Make sure you burn the edges of your ribbon to keep them from fraying.

Straight pins- unless you are better than me and can sew a straight line without using them.

Directions:

Step 1: Measure to find the center of your ribbon and place it on the center of your bandanna. If your bandanna has any words on it, like "Made in China", you might choose to cover those up with your ribbon.  Pin your ribbon to secure, then continue pinning along the length of the bandanna in the center of your ribbon.

Step 2: Sew both the top and bottom of your ribbon in a straight line. If you have a cute color thread, you might want to pick a cute stitch and do this along the ribbon for added detail. My thread was clear, so I just kept it straight since you wont be able to see it anyway.

Step 3: Oh wait, youre done! There is no step 3!!! Maybe step 3 will be "Throw a Dinner Party!" and use your new apron!

I love the idea of making these for each holiday too- bandannas come in every color, so you could make a black one with orange ribbon for Halloween, a brown one for Thanksgiving, a red and green for Christmas... seriously, do you need me to name all the holidays and their coordinating colors? Quit reading and start creating!!!

Stephanie Dulgarian

somewhatsimple.com