DIY Sewing Machine Cover

A few weekends ago, I finally finished converting a section of our basement into my workshop for Hoot & Bumble. That weekend, I completed a few projects I've been meaning to get to for a long time. It felt good to knock them out of the way.

One of those projects was a sewing machine cover. I had wanted to make one for a while, but since I didn't have a craft area, it was never a priority. Now that my sewing machine is in our unfinished basement, I figured now I must have one to keep my machine clean and free of dust.

I didn't set this project up to do a tutorial, so excuse the lack of pictures, and proper measuring. 

I had some soft apple fabric I bought over three years ago, and never used. I decided to use that along with some yellow ribbon (it doesn't match great, but I was trying to use up things I had sitting around).

I did this project without a pattern, so it's not perfect. I didn't measure great. Instead I kind of draped the fabric over my machine, and marked where it landed on the table. Then I cut out a rectangle using my markings. 

From there, I draped the fabric back over my machine, and marked where the corners were. Since the back of my sewing machine is wider than the front, the markings were not even. 

Then, I cut the corners out where I marked them, so the fabric looked like a big lopsided cross. 

I cut 8 pieces of ribbon a few inches in length, and sewed them as ties onto each corner a few inches down from the top.

If I wanted it to look perfect (I was being pretty lazy), I would have folded the edges all the way around, and created a hem for a more finished look. 

When finished sewing, I placed my cover on my sewing machine, and tied all 4 corners into a bow. 

And it's done! If you make one, link me to it in the comment section below. I would love to see it!

DIY Placemats- Easy Beginner Sewing Project

I have been wanting to make something like table place mat this for a long time.

(Say Yes to Hoboken)

I got some fabric a few weeks ago thinking I was going to make a new tote with it, but decided to make a few place mats with it instead. They looked pretty easy, and I was excited to finally have place mats. Well, I made the place mats, and then began working on the freezer paper stencil place settings (the plate, and utensils you see on the place mat above). I finished a plate in the middle of one of my pace mats, and hated how it came out. I couldn't bring myself to do the rest of them. So for now, I am leaving my place mats how they are. I may try to sew fabric cut outs on to my place mats next time I make a batch.

Materials to make 4 placemats
2 yards of fabric- this can be two yards of the same fabric, or 2 different coordinating fabrics
sewing machine
coordinating thread
iron
(I didn't use interfacing, but I will next time I make place mats. I recommend using interfacing.)

Pre wash and iron your fabric.
Cut out (4) 12.5" x 19" rectangles in each fabric (you should have 8 rectangles total)

Place 2 right sides together and pin all the way around.

Sew using a 1/2" seam allowance leaving a 3 inch gap for turning.
Clip the corners, and trim any excess from the sides.

Turn fabric right side out, and press.
Top stitch all the way around using a 1/8" or as close as you can get it, closing the opening. & you're done!

  This project is so easy, and you'll be so proud when you can tell your dinner guests you made the place mats. It's a great project for beginner seamstresses. 

I would love for you to send pictures of your completed place mats! HootandBumble@gmail.com

First Dance + Song Lyrics Wedding Picture Part 2: How to Make a Photo Canvas

A few weeks ago, I showed you how to create a Wedding Song Lyrics Picture. Now it is time to mat that picture to a canvas to turn it into some beautiful + sentimental home decor artwork.

If you're like me, you love the look of those beautiful printed photo canvas's many places are now offering. Those things start at around $40 a pop! I figured out a way to make them- super cheap, without sacrifices any of the quality.

First I printed out the picture. I sized my picture to an 8x10 when I created it, so that's the size I printed it out as. I like to use Snapfish.com to order my pictures. I like the convenience of being able to choose if my pictures will be shipped to me, or if I am going to go pick them up at one of their pick up locations. I typically order them and have them shipped to me. It is cheaper that way, and I like their quality better than the in store locations. However, this time I ordered it online and picked it up at Walgreens. The quality was pretty good, thankfully.

For this project, you'll need: 

A photo ($3.99 Walgreens through snapfish)

A Canvas the same size as your photo ( $4 while on sale at JoAnn Fabrics)

Black paint (already had)

Paintbrush (already had)

A sponge brush ($1 at dollar store)

Mod Podge (not pictured above) ($10 for 16 oz on Amazon Mod Podge Original 16-Ounce Glue, Matte Finish, but you will use less than an ounce for this project. I already had some. It's great to keep around the house since it can be used for so many projects)

First, I painted the sides of the canvas black. I typically leave mine white because I like the look, but for this photo I did paint the sides because the photo I am using for this project is dark with a lot of black shadows. (I have also seen people use scrapbook paper or fabric for the sides, but when I tried it, it didn't work out too well, and I ended up giving up on that step.) 

You don't have to paint the whole canvas. Just the sides like in the picture below. 

After that is dry, put a layer of Mod Podge on the top of the canvas. 

{A little note about Mod Podge. This stuff is amazing. There are many different kinds and finishes of Mod Podge. For my canvas's I use the matte finish because canvas's are not shiny. There are also recipes out there to make this stuff. It's basically just like school glue.}
This link below will take you to Amazon.com to buy matte finish Mod Podge. If you buy using this link, I will get conpensation for your purcahse because I am a part of Amazon Associates, an affiliates program.
Mod Podge Original 16-Ounce Glue, Matte Finish

Lay the photo on top of the canvas, and make sure the sides line up with the sides of the canvas. 

With the sponge brush, coat the top of the photo with mod podge. This layer should be an even layer of horizontal strokes only. It goes on white, but don't worry, it dries clear. *Wash out your brush with warm water in between coats. The mod podge dries fast, and if it dries on the brush you won't be able to use the brush for the next coat.* Let the first coat dry completely before moving on.

Next, do a layer of even vertical strokes. Let it dry completely.

Lastly, I touched up my black painted sides with more black paint. Probably something I should have done first, but I was impatient.

I like to do my canvas's this way because the two layers of horizontal lines then vertical lines dries, and you can see the cross sections, so it looks like an authentic printed photo canvas. I have so many of these up around my house, and I get so many compliments on them. If you look at the picture below, you can see how good the cross lines look. 

I hung my photo canvas in our master bedroom above two frames that already had wedding pictures in them. I think it adds the perfect personalized touch. This would make an excellent anniversary present for someone. 

Here are a few other photo canvas's around my house: 

(This gallery is over our living room couch. Our amazing family photo's were taken by Hello Darlin Photography)

You can really do a lot with these canvas's. They look so good, and can transform any space. Send me your finished projects when their done! I want to see them! 

HootandBumble@gmail.com

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Elizabeth

xxxx

 {I did not receive any money from picmonkey.com or snapfish.com for recommending them. All thoughts are my own.}

Cloth Napkin Tutorial

This week I tackled a project that I've been meaning to get to for a while now. I'm excited to share it with you, because I'm excited about having them in my home.

Cloth napkins have been on my to-sew list for a few months now after talking with a friend who uses them in her house. I feel like we go through so many paper napkins each day. I hate buying new packs because I know they will all end up in the trash sooner or later. I find so many just barely used napkins on the table after meals and snacks. Half of which, I'm not sure if I should keep or toss, and they end up getting tossed anyway. Such a huge waste. Not to mention, they are not good for the planet. 

So, I decided to make some cloth napkins for our family. They are reusable, and washable, and oh so cute!

*Please excuse the poor quality pictures. Note to self: stop taking tutorial photos with my iPhone*

I took Jackson to the craft store with me, and let him choose some fabric. He chose two coordinating Where The Wild Things Are fabrics that we got from JoAnn Fabrics {with my 40% off coupon}. 

I chose to use cotton fabric because I hear that it absorbs better. I want to try making some that are double sided- cotton on one side, and flannel on the other. I will let you know how that turns out.

This project is so easy, and would make a great project for beginner seamstresses. There are a few basic skills that are practiced in this project such as cutting rectangles, basic sewing machine usage, sewing straight lines, cutting corners, and top stitching.

Materials Needed {makes about 12 napkins}

1/2 yard of each fabric, or 1 yard of the same fabric
sewing machine
coordinating or contrasting thread {based on the look you want}
rotary cutter/scissors


Directions

*Always wash, dry, and press fabric before using for a project.*
Cut out as many rectangles as you can get out of your fabric. Mine were about 9 1/2" x 6 1/2", and I was able to get 12 rectangles cut from each fabric. I like to use my rotary cutter, and clear ruler to cut my rectangles. I cut one rectangle out in the dimensions I want to use, and then use that as a template. I lay it on top of the fabric to be cut, and line the edge of my clear ruler up with the edge of the fabric, then run my rotary cutter alongside the ruler, to get a nice clean cut. It's way faster than scissors, and the cuts are nice and straight.

Next you can start putting the rectangles right sides together. Since I used coordinating fabrics, I used one of each fabric for each napkin. Place right sides together, and pin. I used binder clips to pin this project together, and when I do a lot of the same kind of project, I like to do it as an assembly line. So, I pinned them all first. 

Next, sew all the way around, leaving about 1/4-1/2" seam allowance. Leave a 2 inch opening for turning, too. To sew a perfect corner, when you get to each corner, leave the needle down in the fabric, lift up the presser foot, turn the fabric 90 degrees, put the presser foot back down, and continue sewing. I like to leave my openings in the middle of a side, and not near a corner, because it makes it easier to sew the opening closed once it's turned.

 

 

Clip the corners, and trim any excess fabric on the sides, being careful not to get too close to the seam. Turn right side out, and iron.

 

 

Top stitch all the way around, making sure to close the opening. I like to sew the top stitching about 1/8" from the edge. I used a coordinating thread (navy blue), and set my stitch length a bit longer for a more decorative look.

 

 

& you're done! Super easy, and something you can use over and over again! I surprised Jackson with them the next morning, and let him use one at breakfast. They were great for slopping up the milk he dripped from his cereal.

 

 

 

I just love them, and plan on making a bunch more. I even want to go to the dollar store, and buy two baskets to keep them in. One for the clean ones and one for the dirties that are waiting to be washed.

 

Oh, and by the way, I intend to wash and dry them just like I wash all of our clothes. Once I get more made, I may do a separate load for just napkins, but I don't see myself doing that unless there are a lot. Also, be sure not to wash them with chunks of food in them. Food is not water soluble, and will stay in your washer. + not using fabric softener is probably the way to go too. Fabric softener will make them less absorbent over time.

 

If you make any of these, please link up! I want to see yours!

 

 

First Dance + Song Lyrics Wedding Picture Tutorial Part 1: How to create a photo graphic

November 28, 2009. 

A day that changed my life forever. 

In one of the best ways possible. 

The day I became Mrs. Kyle Leahy.

I will never forget our first dance as husband & wife. We were both so nervous, in a smiley, embarrassed kind of way. We aren't great dancers + we don't like to be the center of attention. But when I walked up there to the dance floor- with the most handsome man alive- my husband{!} all of that nervousness I felt melted away. It was just me and him. Forever. Always. My Endless Love.

We chose Endless Love as our song because it's a song that we both love. We chose the Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross version. We feel the lyrics of the song fit our relationship perfectly. I just love everything about the song, and it is even more special now that it is our song. 

I found this picture of a couples first dance  with the words from the song printed it on pinterest, and knew I wanted to make one. For most of my graphics, I use PicMonkey.com to create them. It is fun, and easy to use, and can turn most pictures into something amazing with just a little creativity. My only complaint is that sometimes the editing and saving is a little slow. But as long as I don't have many pictures to edit, I can handle it.

So for this project, I found our cds with our wedding photos, and took a little trip down memory lane, getting distracted a few times before deciding on this picture to use.

I uploaded it into picmonkey, using the edit a photo button, cropped it to the size I wanted {in this case, 8x10}, and began editing. 

First, I took all the color out of it using their colors tab on the left side. Then, I adjusted the exposure so it was a little darker. I wanted the shadows to be darker than normal so the white words would stick out on it a little better.

{On the left side of the screen there are basic edit buttons. For most of my photos I use exposure, color, and crop.}

Next I started the process of adding the text. To get text options, click on the "P" on the left side of the screen. There you will find an add text button, and a vast variety of font options. Play around with the fonts to see which one you like.

Click the "add text" button at the top left, and a box will pop up on the screen. From there you can adjust the size, placement, orientation font, and color of the text. While making mt picture, I used a different text box for every phrase, or size of the text. This made it easy to adjust and move the text around to be how I wanted it. I also used the circle above the text to rotate some of the words for variety. There were some words I left out too. This project is completely flexible, and easy to personalize.

When everything looks how you want it to look, click save at the top of your screen. This will allow you to download your file back to your computer. I usually just click "download it" under "Having trouble saving your photo?" because the other saving option doesn't always work for me. 

I have made so many graphics and great pictures using PicMonkey. There are so many ways to use the website to create amazing things. There is even a Royal, or paid version {like a membership}, but so far, I haven't needed it. I use all of their free options. 

Here are some of the other graphics I have made using PicMonkey.

Now, I will upload the wedding lyrics picture file to my favorite photo printing website, and order an 8x10 picture. When I receive it, I will show you how I plan to make a photo canvas out of it for our wall.

I'd love to see your photo creations, if you make any using PicMonkey. Please share them with me on Facebook, or email them to me at HootandBumble@gmail.com

**Updated to add the link for Part 2 pf this project: how to create a photo canvas**

Boo Boo Bag Sewing Tutorial

While stocking my online shop, I decided to add one of our family favorites. Then I decided why not make a tutorial out of it?...

I made a few of these when our son was little and just starting to wobble around, getting little bumps and bruises multiple times a day. They are perfect because they are super soft, and flexible, AND they can be used hot or cold- like an ice pack, or a heat pack! My son loves his, and I've used them a few times too! We keep them in the freezer for those unavoidable bumps and falls. But they can easily be heated in the microwave for a few seconds if you need a little hot pack. (Just stick a small cup of water next to the bags in the microwave to prevent the microwave from drying out.) They are filled with rice, so they are completely safe too. (*Disclaimer: The small pieces that are inside this bag may cause a choking hazard. I do not recommend leaving young children alone with these in case of breakage.)

I've also been known to heat up a couple of them in the winter to use as hand warmers! Just stick them in your pockets, or inside your mittens to keep your hands toasty + warm! The kids think these are so fun! Everyone at the bus stop will want a pair!

These little bags are even great for games. They can be used just like bean bags! So versatile!

Looking for an easy beginner sewing project? This is a quick instant gratification project! And if you're not up for making them yourself, you can find them in my shop, here. (Set to open on July 18, 2013).

So, let's get started:

You'll need:

- fabric scraps (I like to use flannel, or even fleece for this project for softness, but cotton would work too)

- rice

- a sewing machine

- scissors

- thread

- ruler

First, you'll want to measure and cut your pieces. I used 3 inch by 4 inch rectangles for my project. You can play around with a size that fits your needs. I like the smaller sizes because they are perfect for little hands, and they fit nicely in my pockets if I'm using them as hand warmers.

Next, place right sides together and sew all the way around using about a 1/4 inch sewing allowance. Make sure to leave a small section open for turning! I usually start about an inch before one corner, and end 1 or 1 1/2 inches away from where I started, leaving a nice gap.

Clip the corners, trim the edges to remove bulk, and turn right side out.

Fill bag about 3/4 of the way full with rice.

Then fold edges in, and sew opening closed. I just use my sewing machine, but for a nicer closing finish you could hand sew it closed. Clip thread, and you're finished!

Enjoy!

Let me know what you think of your Boo Boo Bags, and my tutorial! 

xxxx

Elizabeth