Fabric Flowers

Photo by Jackie Ray Photography

My sister, Katherine, and I spent the last two weeks before her wedding sewing flower girl dresses, making a ring bearer pillow and paper cone flower girl baskets. These fabric flowers originated from a brainstorming session about ways to embellish the flower girl baskets. Katherine shared with me a magazine clipping she’d found of balls of fabric that were used as “bouquets” for a wedding. She thought something similar would be fun for her wedding, but wasn’t sure how to create them. They reminded me of the tissue paper pom poms that I created for Elizabeth’s bachelorette party. So with a little experimenting, we came up with these fabric flowers.

Photo by Jackie Ray Photography

They looked so cute on the paper cones we decided they would be perfect as corsages for all of the ladies helping serve food and drinks at the wedding. I made 10 of these beauties. I took me several evenings to complete all of them, but that was with a newborn baby in the house.
These corsages would be perfect for a mother’s corsage for a baby shower or even used as embellishments for your next sewing project.

To make your own fabric flower you’ll need:

Eight 3”-by-5” pieces of fabric, floral wire, wire cutters and a safety pin. Optional items include: felt, hot glue gun, ribbon, card stock paper, green tissue paper, green floral tape and green floral wire.

1. Stack eight 3-by-5 pieces of fabric. Make ½ inch wide accordion folds, holding fabric tightly.

2. Fold a six-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded fabric; twist.

3. Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

4. If using the flower for embellishment, trim wire and attach with a safety pin.

To make a corsage:

1. Cut a 3-1/2 inch circle from felt. I cut a scalloped edge on the felt, but you can leave it a simple circle as well. Snip a small slit in the center of the felt circle.

2. Tie a piece of ribbon around the wire at the base of the fabric flower.

3. Slip the fabric flower wire through the slit in the center of the felt circle and hot glue the felt, ribbon and flower together.

4. Cut a leave shape from green tissue paper and twist the green floral wire around a ball point pen to create the curly cue stem. Attach the tissue paper leaf to the floral wire stem using green floral tape. Using hot glue attach the leaf and stem to the flower between the flower and the felt backing.

5. To finish the back and hide the wire, I placed a small piece of card stock cut using a circle punch on the back of the felt.

Button Flowers

While working on Marin's photo album I researched flowers created from the combination of buttons and embroidery. It lead me to a few ideas I thought I'd share with all of you.

Button Flower "How To" from Artsy Crafty Babe.

Button and embroidery embellishment ideas on Craft Log.

Embroidery art you can purchase on Folksy.

Traditions {A Photo Album for ME}

I'm my Mother's first born. Yes, that's right; I have multiple photo albums and baby books full of memorabilia. But of these many photo albums, one is most special to me. It's an album that mom made for me while pregnant with my sister Elizabeth. She wanted me to know how special I was to her and my Dad even though the new baby was getting all the attention. It's full of pictures of me as a baby with various people who were important in my life. At three years old that album meant something different to me than it does today at 30.

I love the expression of love found in this little photo album with the hand embroidered cover and wanted to pass on this tradition to Marin.

My mind cannot fathom having two children to love and hold in my heart. I know it's possible, I felt extreme love as the oldest of six children, but I worry that my relationship with Marin will change. Will she know what she means to me? Will my love spread evenly? I look forward to the arrival of the new baby, and yet I worry my relationship with Marin will never be the same. Maybe this little tradition will help her little (almost 3 year old) mind comprehend my love for her even when baby Adalyn is getting everyone's attention, but I also hope that when she is 30, she'll know how much I love her.

Thank you, Mom, for such a beautiful give of love and a tradition that I can pass on to my first born. I love you.

Mommy Gifts

I've been waiting to upload these until after I'd given them to Tasha as a gift. I made two of these bags as Christmas gifts last year and they were a big hit. Hoping this will make a nice, small, on the go, diaper bag. The Margaret Bag is a free pattern I found on one of my favorite blogs Oh, Fransson! The blogger Elizabeth Hartman has such creative and beautiful patterns and oh so much quilting which intrigues me. I modified the pattern for Tasha's diaper bag to include a magnetic snap instead of the hoop and button that the pattern design calls for. I'm anxious to see which "closure" users prefer. The fabric is Pop Daisy-red from Heather Bailey's Pop Garden collection.

This diaper case pattern I found on Jan Andrea at Home. It's a free pattern with lots of step by step instructions. The only modification I made was to add a magnetic snap instead of velcro.

And lastly, my own creation a crayola caddy meets baby grooming kit. Used a light weight clear vinyl for the front so that it's easy to see and clean. Rolls up neat and tidy and matches the diaper bag. Too cute eh? This pattern from Martha Stewart is similar.

Hoping to make a set of these for my bundle of joy...

Tooth Fairy Pillow

Found a free pattern for these ADDORABLE tooth fairy pillows on mmmcrafts.blogspot.com. My nieces, Julia and Corynn will be turning five this coming year and I thought these would make perfect Christmas gifts. As a child, we didn't believe in Santa, but the tooth fairy was REAL. Real, I tell you. Sharing one of my favorite childhood memories for Christmas....perfect.

Fleece Baby Cap

I've not been in the sewing mood lately. Actually, I haven't touched the sewing machine since Marin's birthday party! So, it was a big deal when I finally felt like sewing again. Made two tiny baby caps for a joint baby shower next week. The gals are both having boys. Not sure I "do" little boy stuff very well. All my fabric choices are so girlie. Hoping the yellow "x" gave these red caps a "boy" feel. So cute and simple. Only an hour start to finish on each cap (and that's with interruptions from the two year old in our home). Inspired by one of my favorite sewing blogs, but the pattern is courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Cotton+Cherries+Dancing = Favorite PJs

Yes, I'm in the mood for pajamas.

Marin's calls her favorite nightgown her "dencing dress." (See the night gown on the left in the first photo). She begs to wear it every night, so, I decided I'd make her another one. I found this light weight cotton fabric with cherries and knew it was going to be her new "dencing dress."

Yep, that's right, no pattern; just and old night gown for reference. I'm a bit proud of this accomplishment.

Our photo shoot with "Marin the model" was quite entertaining. She LOVES to jump on the bed but HATES the flash on the camera.

Angelina Ballerina {Pajamas}

I'm addicted to fabric shopping. I love it. The problem with that is, I have an armoire full of fabric just waiting to be made into something. Waiting for the day I'll open the armoire and decided "that yellow fabric will make the perfect gift for __________." It's so nice when a fabric TELLS you what it wants to be. (Yes, fabric speaks.) That's what this Angelina Ballerina fabric did last week. It told me it wanted to be Pajamas. And so, I made pajamas for two little girls (sisters actually) whose birthdays are just around the corner and who happen to be BIG Angelina Ballerina fans. Perfect!

I used Simplicity 2734 for the pants, and cheated a bit on the tops. They are Garanimals t-shirts from Wal-Mart. I just jazzed them up a bit by stitching fabric and felt stars to the front.

Yes, I made a pair for Marin too. It feels good to be sewing again.

Quacky Birthday Marin {The Dress}

When I tried to imagine something cool, comfortable and simple for Marin's party dress, a pillowcase dress immediately came to mind. I've been looking for an excuse to make one anyway. I found these instructions most helpful and easy to follow. I did make my own modifications as I wanted the dress to be lined in yellow bandana. I was happy with the final product and Marin enjoys wearing it. Win and win!

The New and Improved Duck!

Remember the felt ducks I wanted to make for Marin's birthday party? Well, I just hated that they didn't match the duck on her invitation, so.....I played with my own pattern and tada! Here she is a felt duck that matches Marin's party!!!! Yippee. So excited. Too cute for words. I've got to get busy making more!

Sewing: McCalls M5362

I've made three of these bags and have been really happy with the end product each time. The pattern is simple to follow and creates a very usable, sturdy bag. Adding a pocket to the inside of the bag made it a bit more organized and added a little flair. This bag was created as a gift for my sister-n-law who will be starting chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer soon. I'm hoping this bag will help her carry necessities back and forth and ensure she looks stylish to boot!

Here is a picture of the cover for this pattern.

Something New From Something Old: The Curtain Purse

And here she is! Isn't this lovely? I'm amazed at how pretty she is. SUPER happy with this one. Can you believe that funny old curtain could turn into something so trendy and delicate?! Below are before and after shots. I'm really getting into this "Something New From Something Old" theme.



Remember that funny fringe on the bottom of the curtain? Well, now it's the strap. Don't want to deal with the strap? Tuck it inside creating a simple clutch. This Buttercup bag design is a free pattern design courtesy of Made By Rae blog spot. I really love her blog and the clever patterns she creates. Thank you Rae!


The outside was so simple, I thought it would be fun to throw a splash of color inside.


Oh, I'm so happy with the end result. Can't wait to find the next "something old." Stay tuned!