No Sew Plaid Scarf

I have a tendency to over complicate things. Each idea starts little, but rumination leads me to grander and more involved projects. One of my goals for 2015 is going to be to keep it simple. Get back to the basics. Fun the joy in the little things (and keep them little!)

When Lacy at Living on Love asked me to share a project for the 12 Days of Handmade Christmas series I can't even being to tell you the ideas that ran through my head. Then I remembered I was sick. And I have five exams and two practical scan assessments to complete before getting my family of four onto a plane to head to California for Christmas. I remembered that my situation is not unique. We're all up to our gills in "busy". However, no matter how busy you and I are, you know we love to give (and get) handmade gifts for the holidays. (I mean, that's why you're here, right?)


So here is a simple, yet stylish, handmade holiday gift for you to make this season. Make one for you. Make one for your boy friend. Make one for your boss. (Added bonus: you can make these while you're sitting on the couch watching tv with your feet up. Yep, no sewing friends! )


Start with 45" of plaid cotton flannel fabric. The size is not important. You decide the shape and size. I made my scarf to be a large square and purchased a length that was equal to the width of the fabric. Next, PREWASH YOUR FABRIC. Always prewash cotton flannel. Washer, dryer, bing, bang, boom. Press your fabric. Trim your fabric to square it up. This means making the edges straight and your corners, well, square. Also, trim off the selvedges (the not raggedy edges.)

Decide how deep you want your fringe to be (mine is roughly one inch-ish) and make cuts into the edges of your fabric that depth cutting as parallel to the fabric's threads as possible. Space your cuts roughly 2 to 3 inches apart. Make it easy on yourself. Use your plaid as a guide.


Using your fingers gently pull the threads in one cut corner from each other. The vertical threads are going to stay as your fringe. The horizontal ones you are going to pull out. It is easiest to pull them out one or two at a time. You'll think, hey, this is easy and try to do three or four and it just won't work.




Continue to pull out the horizontal threads until you reach the base of your cuts. If you need help removing the last few threads (my voices can't let me leave these last two white threads) use a pin or needle to pull them up and out.


Put your feet up and continue working your way around the scarf. When you get to corners cut them square like this.



Wait, you're saying. We're done? Yes, ma'am. You're done. That's it. Finito. Fold that bad boy up, put it in a box and gift wrap it. Or, better yet, wrap it around your neck and enjoy it's warmth.

My favorite way to wear a large square scarf is to fold it in half along the diagonal to make a big triangle. Then bunch it up a bit in your hands and criss cross the ends being your neck and bring them forward. Leave the long, or tie them up and tuck them under the triangle tips. It won't require fancy tying because the soft fluffy flannel sticks to itself a bit.



Looking for some other fun handmade gift ideas? Check out the other eleven days of Handmade Christmas! (I'm thinking my hubby could make me one of those DIY Bath Caddies. Hint, hint.)

December 1 - Rustic Wooden Chalkboards with Living on Love
December 2 - Fabric Candy Cane Ornaments with Crafty Mally
December 3 - Cookie Jar Snow Globes with Tag & Tibby
December 4 - DIY Bath Caddy with Down Home Inspiration
December 5 - "You Are Home" US Ornament with Natalie Creates
December 6 - No Sew Plaid Scarf with Made with Moxie
December 7 - Painted Decor Blocks with Classic Play
December 8 - Footprint Reindeer Aprons with The Caterpillar Years
December 9 - DIY Hostess Gift with Buzzmills
December 10 - Emoji Onesies with Frock Files
December 11 - Dried Fruit Ornaments & Garland with Maker Mama
December 12 - Salt Dough Frame Ornaments with Small + Friendly

Jungle Ave. Skyline Skirt

A few months ago it was super exciting when Art Gallery fabrics announced they would be doing Limited Edition fabric lines designed by talented and diverse designers. Each line is planned to have eight prints and be versatile enough for apparel, accessory, quilting and home decor sewing. This I especially love. It rubs me the wrong way when someone says that you're not supposed to make clothing from quilting cotton. "Supposed to?" The fabric police and I do not get along.


This month the Limited Edition line, Jungle Ave. by Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness, is hitting fabric shops everywhere. When Sara asked me to make something, anything, with her new fabric I jumped at the opportunity. Actually I shouted YES, then did a little dance, but then calmly replied in the affirmative to Sara in email. Not only do I love to help indie designers out, but the Jungle Ave. is so awesome to me. I love the colors and the city edge to it all. Plus, Sara is known for making dresses out of quilting fabric so I knew her fabrics would be perfect for clothing.

Choosing prints and a project was hard. I really adore most all of the prints in the Jungle Ave. line. Plus, the fact that I could sew anything with it left me with a bit of Blank Canvas Syndrome. You know, where you stare at the empty white canvas forever, not sure what to do or where to start, but afraid to mar the perfect and unblemished surface? I'm not the only one who does that, right?


In any case, these are the situations where I often come up with a grand idea and then half way through think, what the hell was I thinking. Since Sara's fabric line was inspired by her love of Chicago I decided to recreate Chicago's skyline. I originally was going to sew up a new bag, but then I thought I just did Jungle Ave. injustice by not making a piece of clothing. And the Skyline Skirt was born.

To make your own skyline applique, print google search for a silhouette of your favorite city's skyline. Print it out the finished size you'd like it to be and trace it onto freezer paper. Or print it directly onto freezer paper, which I did. People, computer printer sized freezer paper is freaking awesome, in my opinion.


Cut out your skyline, fuse it to the right side of your fabric, then trim the fabric so that there is a 1/4 allowance around the skyline edge. Trim external corners and clip diagonals into internal corners. Finger press the fabric around your skyline and use a clear colored glue stick (test your fabric first) to tack down fabric allowances. I've got to tell you, this worked brilliantly. I expected this to not go smoothly, or get burnt fingers from using the iron. Not at all. I sat down at the table for 15 - 20 minutes tops to finger press and tack down my edges with the glue stick to the wrong side of my skyline. Either I'm getting better at my hack ideas or the hacker gods were smiling upon me, but super easy. Peel your freezer paper off and top stitch your skyline applique to your base. Done.


I used the tutorial to draft my own reversible skirt with a yoga waistband. It's super comfortable and perfect for hot summer days. I live in skirts and tshirts all summer long. (This coming from the girl who designed a shorts pattern. I know!) The reverse side of the Skyline Skirt has patch pockets too.


I've got to tell you the hand of this fabric is really nice. I'm totally a texture girl. I've sent things to the Goodwill because they were itchy, or pilled, or just, well, creepy feeling. Jungle Ave. is smooooooooth. It's made from tightly twisted threads of cotton. Think of really fabulous high thread count sheets. Then kind that stay so cool and you want to slide in between on a hot summer night. It's like that. No joke. When I wear my Skyline Skirt I find myself running my hands over my thighs all day. (Oh man, I'm going to get more pervy google search results now. )

Want to see more? Check out the prints from Jungle Ave. right here. You check out the other Limited Editions planned for this summer too. Thank you, Sara! I love it.





Don't forget that Perfect Pattern Parcel #3 is on sale now through June 13. Fabulous summer patterns by indie designers!

How to bring home yards of fabric so your husband won't say a word

Sometimes you happen upon a fabulous sale at your favorite quilt shop. Sometimes there is a new line of prints that is just too gorgeous to pass up. Sure, you need more fabric like a hole in the head and you probably don't even know what you're going to make with it. But you did bought it all anyways and now you've got to get it in the house before your husband starts the You Bought *More* Fabric lecture. Here is my fool proof method:


Step One: Walk in the door and immediately put your fabric in the washing machine to start its pre-wash. (Yes, pre-washing your fabrics is important!)

Step Two: Go find your husband, if he hasn't found you already. Bring him to your bedroom. Have hot sex with him. (If necessary, put your kid's favorite movie on in the living room.)

Step Three: Move your fabric from the washing machine into the dryer.

Step Four: Make your husband a sandwich. Or potato salad. Or a pie. Serve him the food with a beer.

Step Five: Remove your fabric from the dryer. Empty the lint trap. Go press your fabric, fold it and put it away.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! And Happy Fabric Shopping! wink, wink

Covert Robin Progress

If you think being a co-host and veteran of the Covert Robin makes it any easier or less nerve wracking, you're wrong.

I'm one of those people who wants every gift to be *just perfect*.

I have chosen my fabrics.


And this morning I launched into my project.



As usual, I am trying something I have never done before. Which is awesome because I figure out a new skill, but it is also nuts because I put additional pressure on myself.

Do I have a Plan B if this fails? Nope. I can not fail!

Sale fabric

A week or so ago I went to JoAnn's to buy a pattern. It wasn't in stock but I can't go to JoAnn's and not look in the remnant bins or the clearance section. I found the softest cotton fabrics on sale for $3 a yard. There is no brand name on the selvedges or the bolts. Both patterns are so soft and lightweight, and heck, cheap, so I had to take some home.

First I made Jane and I shirred tops with elastic thread. I measured the bottoms of two shirred tops we already had and cut a rectangle of fabric that width. I hemmed the top of mine and both ends of Jane's.

I added a 4 inch strip of contrasting fabric to mine to make it hip length and just used the selvedge as a hem. Stitched and serged both side seams, then put in rows and rows of elastic bobbined stitching. Put in some basic straps and they are done. Super easy.

I took some long scraps, left the edges unfinished, then sewed quarter inch lines of stitching up and down with the elastic thread to make cuff bracelets.

I'm in love with tops and dresses made with elastic thread! So cute, so comfortable and easy. What's not to love?

I used the rest of the fabric to make us new pillow cases.

(Please note this is the first time I have made our bed in months. But I did it just for you. Oh, and to not look like a slob.)

I look forward to giving them a test run tonight!

(Ha, like she actually took a nap today.)

In fact, Little Miss I Can Do It Too, was watching me too closely this morning as I was trying on my top and pinning where I wanted my straps to be. Later when all was too quiet, I called her name. She proudly came out, proclaiming, "I'm doing pins too!"

Why is it that kids are attracted to every sharp, hot and dangerous thing? Sheesh! Just play with some fabric and scraps. Leave the damn pins, scissors, rotarty cutters, irons and hot glue guns ALONE!

Amazingly, no Dorsey was hurt during the making of these items. Wait. Is that a first?

My postal worker hates me

She's a lazy woman and doesn't like to get out of her mail truck which is what she has to do when I get large or more packages than she can jam into our mailbox. For someone who gets to wear jeans to work and sits on her tush all day she complains a lot. I want to tell her that the UPS and FedEx men never whine about the number of packages I get. And, quiet frankly, are much more attractive.

I won Fern's Frocks first SMS giveaway which was a set of 4 coasters made from this awesome owl fabric. When they arrived this week my daughter confiscated them along with a cute Hello Kitty ring. She loves it and wears it day and night on her index finger, like a mob boss.

To a two year old and an infant, coasters are great toys, so I decided to tear open a teeny hole in the seam of each and filled them with rice. Now they have a sweet set of owl bags to toss around. I also plan to microwave them so my husband can give me a faux hot rock massage. He thinks I'm kidding. I think I may need to make more.


Packages for the DS Charm Swap have been arriving everyday (much to postal worker's chagrin.) There are piles and piles of lovely Denyse Schmidt charm squares all over my cutting table. It's a shame I have to send the all back. I am fighting the urge to just run to the Mexican boarder with my sewing machine and live out the rest of my days in hiding, but with an impressive sized DS quilt.

I was checking off packages from my charm swap participant list and had one I couldn't find on my list. I was worried someone sent me fabric and had not signed up for an official spot. Or that I had royally screwed something up. Turns out it was the fabric I won on ImagineGnats' SMS giveaway from Contemporary Cloth Store!

It was a seriously generous offering of a half yard of each print. Thank you! I can't tell you how much I love the colors in the Stockholm line by Kaufman and the hand is amazing. I'm browsing for a fun quilt pattern for them right now. I need to make a new quilt so I can photograph it wrapped around my husband, shirtless, eating a spicy burrito.

You think I'm kidding, but I intend to have him be Mr. March in the 2013 Q.S.M.A.S.B.C. by the Bitchy Stitcher.

I wonder, do you think these colors compliment a naked man eating a burrito? :D