Something Special Sunday--pin cushion

I love this little pin cushion one of my sister-in-laws made for me.  She gave it to me a few years ago for Christmas, but it was sitting begging me to take its picture the other day while I was sewing.  I love well thought out gifts and I use this one all the time.

With Love to Mom--place mats

Here is a little sneak peak to part of my mom's birthday gift.  I haven't mailed the gift yet so hopefully she doesn't come on here, but she knows I can't keep a secret so she will understand. :)
When I was in college I decided I was going to make a quilt.  I bought all the cloth and slowly started cutting squares.  Well, 6 years later, my fabric container had 3 finished squares and a bunch of uncut fabric from that quilt.  I decided that I was never going to finish the quilt and tried to think about how I could use the fabric.   The colors of the fabric are a perfect match to my mom's dining room and style so I decided to make her a table runner using the finished squares and extra cloth. Then I made 4 place mats to match the runner.

Today I am only sharing the place mats. I am hoping to have a post with the whole set in a few days.  It is just so hard to photograph!

These are very simple to make.
1. Cut 2 pieces 20" x 14.5"  (I used 2 different colors, but you don't have to)
2. Cut piece of batting also 20" x 14.5"
3. Pin the layers--batting on the bottom, fabric #1 facing right side up, and fabric #2 facing right side down.
4. Sew with 3/8" seam.  Be sure to leave a few inches not sewn so you can turn the fabric right side out.
5. Turn the place mats right side out.
6.  Iron
7.  Topstitch around at about 1/8" (this closes the few inches you left open before).
8.  I also topstitched a second line about an inch in.

Click HERE to see great blog parties I link to.

No pattern brown shirt

A few weeks ago I tried out making my own shirt (not upcycling) from knit fabric.  I didn't take pictures along the way, because I was experimenting and ended up doing a bunch of seam ripping along the way.   I didn't use a pattern, I just took a shirt that fits me well and laid it on the fabric and used it as a pattern.   Most of the shirt went smoothly, but the neck was supposed to be gathered and that caused a little bit of trouble.  I think I ripped the seams out of the neckline 2 times if not 3.   But now I am very happy with it and proud of myself for sticking with it!

This picture makes the shirt look pretty plain, but I really like how it turned out.

Trying to get a shot of the little bit of gathering (it has separate gathering at the front, on both sleeves, and the back)

Click HERE to see blog parties I link to.

Halfway with nothing to show

I have been working on a bunch of projects all at the same time, but I have nothing to show for it yet.  A few of the things I finished are gifts and will have to wait for sharing and the others are all half finished :)   I can show you one of the projects I am in the middle of...

A friend gave me this table with 4 chairs saying she had seen my office chair makeover and knew I could give the table and chairs the little bit of love they needed to fix them up.  The white on the table is the backing of a table cloth.  The table was stored in a garage and I think the heat made the varnish sticky (very sticky, let me tell you!) and the table cloth stuck to it.  I spent most of yesterday trying to get the varnish off the top.

I will share more later when I am finished--the plan is to leave the top looking like wood and paint the legs black.  I have seen this look more and more recently and I love it.

After working on the table all day I treated myself to an Italian Beef Sandwhich from Portillos--Yum!   This is a Chicago based chain, but I heard that the owner vacationed to CA, and loved it here so he built a Portillo's out here too.  I don't know if that is true, but I am so glad I can get my fill of Italian beef without having to fly to Chicago every time. :)