The Mint Needle

   Remember when I told you I had a really cool project you could do with all those left over denim legs?  Well here it goes! This cute and adorable, sturdy bag was made for the summer weather. The best part ~ it was free! All you need are some remnants of jeans you made into shorts, a straight edge, a rotary cutter,  a sewing machine, thread and extra fabric. The straight edge is the key ingredient!  Here we go!   Cut on the right or left side of each seam so that you use the most of your fabric. I saved my jean remnants vs the girls for the strap because the length was the longest.   Using the straight edge and the rotary cutter, start by creating strips of various widths. This doesn't have to be perfect as you'll see in the pictures below, you will have to trim excess pieces. Lay them out in a desired pattern before stitching. Think of quilting patterns.   Stitch them together. I did this w...

  A late post. I did this project about a week ago when our lilac trees were in full bloom. It smelled just like Heaven. I made some beautiful & fragrant necklaces for the girls. A little sweet something when they got home from school. They just loved them:)  If you plan on making these and don't need to use them right away, make sure your place the necklaces on flat surface in the fridge. Spray lightly with a midst of cool water to make sure that they don't wilt.   And.... Did you know that they're edible? How cute do these buds look on this cupcake? You can even sprinkle a few flower buds in your salad for some color....next year, of course:)   Happy trails to the beautiful, fragrant, & tasty!   

   One of the best pieces of advice my mother gave me when I started sewing more than household items was to take swatches of my fabrics and make a log. It's quite handy especially when working with patterns.  There are so many different materials available, it's good to know the feel before you decide to do a complete project with it. And most fabric stores will even let you scrap a swatch for free. Save these little pieces and document what percentage is cotton, polyester, etc. You can take it an extra step and document the best needle size when working with that specific fabric. All you have to do is stitch the material right on to paper. Also, print out a mini dictionary for quick reference. You can do this right off the internet without having to buy a book. In a separate section of my fabric log, I keep the receipts of all the fabrics I've ordered and business cards. This is great in case your running low and need ...

 "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." ~Marcel Proust   The month of May... why are you packed with soo many unplanned to-do's? I'm referring to the plethora of gardening & house work that we've been pre-occupied with. The only time I've spent sewing was to hem a pair of pants and mend a hole on my daughter's favorite stuffed bunny. I miss it. But I did enjoy my birthday which already came and went. It was amazing. I can honestly say it was the first year I didn't mind getting older. I still haven't forgotten about some upcoming promised posts & will do my best to share those 'things' sooner than later. Until then, I show you some beautiful pictures: our flowering quince trees, some delicious fabric, a pretty weed, Lucy hiding in a toy box, and cut denim. There's a ton more things to talk about including more patterns & homemade projects...

Picnic season is officially here. Can you feel it? As the days progress, the weather appears more and more promising. I've been enjoying hearing my little one's yell "race you" as they run down a bright green, grassy hill,  laughing and giggling, practicing softball for the upcoming games, climbing trees, digging in dirt,  and making secret paths in the woods. (I can't wait to show you those!) I enjoyed some me time and having my hair done.  I was not going to spend my fast approaching 32nd birthday with split ends. (Should I add an 'lol' to the end of that sentence?)  And... I especially loved my daughters adorable comments when I got home. "Mom, you got your hair de-puffed. It looks great." Yes... de-puffed . It is my new favorite word:) Enough of all that warm weather bliss. Here's the go. I've been overloading on pinterest & great images of picnics. Wow! There are some amazing ideas out there. I...