Tennis Balls in the Clothes Dryer

I recently ran out of those expensive dryer sheets and fabric softener.  It is winter; so, the the static electricity levels are high.  I heard alot about dryer balls; but, I can never remember to buy them.  Then I found an old tennis ball in the garage.  It reminded me of an article I read about using tennis balls in the dryer instead of a dryer sheet.  I had just finished a load of towels and this seemed like the perfect trial.  It worked like a charm. The towels came out static free and fluffy.   I think it even took less time than normal to dry.  This was an unexpected bonus.  I am going to try to remember to buy more tennis balls.  I am thinking for heavy loads I may need to add a couple more.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

Judy 

Totally Tutorials

OMG, I found a blog that is nothing but tutorials.  There are tutorials for everything you can imagine.  New tutorials are added everyday. There are tutorials for cooking, sewing, writing and tons more.  I hope you will find it as much fun to explore as I did.  Click here  to access this marvelous site. Scan through the labels.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

Judy

BooBees

  Here is a kitchen towel that I made as a special request for one of my customers.  I think it is absolutely adorable.

Happy Halloween!

Judy

TuTu Ballet Tote Bag

One of my favorite customers asked me to make a ballet tutu tote bag for her.  She is always coming up with great ideas.  Anyway, who knew tote bags were so hard to find these days?  I used to see them everywhere.  I was looking for a pink or black and I needed it pretty quick.  First, I headed to Hobby Lobby and found a package of totes with several colors, no pink and no black.  Then, I tried JoAnn's; they only carry cream.  Next, I went to the dollar store, they had a few that were already decorated and very poor quality.  My last stop was Michael's; like Hobby Lobby, they only sell totes in packages.  At least Michael's package had a hot pink I could use.  When I got home I gathered the supplies (tote bag, tulle and ribbon) and began my new project.  Look how cute it came out. 

I love, love, love it.  I listed it in my Etsy shop and I have already sold several.  I will certainly need to order these totes from my online source; unfortunately, pink and black are on back order.  Oh well.  :(

BTW,  I know the background is not the best in these pictures; but, I needed a sunny place and I was in a hurry.

Let me know what you think.

Judy

Lined Zippered Pouch/Makeup Bag Tutorial from Flossie Teacakes

I found this really great Tutorial for a lined zippered pouch from Flossie Teacakes as I was "surfing" the web.  I love it and it looks really easy.  I especially like the covered ends on the zipper.  It looks neat and professional.  Christmas will be here very soon.  What a great gift this will make.  You can find the tutorial by clicking here.  Make sure you check out her entire blog; she has lots of great ideas and tutorials.

Judy

How to Make"Real" OilCloth: Who Knew?

Oilcloth is really popular waterproof fabric.  I was perplexed by the name.  Why is it called Oilcloth? The oilcloth I found in the marketplace reminded me of vinyl.  I am not a big fan of vinyl fabric.  This fabric does seem to have  better qualities than vinyl; but, I was still not sold on the product.  Come to find out, the fabric IS coated with type of vinyl.

Then, what to my wondering eyes should appear but, an article written by Modhomeecteacher.  This article discusses the origin of oilcloth and includes tutorial on how to make your own oilcloth using fabric and refined linseed oil.  Who knew, it was sooo easy. Click here to read this informative article.   Make sure you read the comments section at the end of this article too.  There are a few hints and a warning about linseed oil.  Careful, linseed oil is combustible and should be used in a well ventilated area.

After you make your oilcloth you may want to make some of the items in this book from Sofie Bester.  I really like the bag on the front cover. It looks there is ton of good stuff in it.

Get inspired, make something.  It will give you a new outlook on life!   :)

Beach Tar Balls and Baby Oil

I found this article while searching the web. I thought some of you might find it interesting.

Bare feet covered with TAR after stepping on a peskey tar ball during a day at the beach?

Remove it with baby oil. 

See more tips here.

Mosquito Bite Itch Relief Tips

Mosquito season is in FULL swing.  They are feasting and leaving behind big itchy welts.  I found these itch relieve remedies at Tip Nut.com.  Some of the remedies are pretty interesting; but, when the mosquito itch is driving me crazy, I am willing to give most anything a try.  Most of the relieve comes from common household items.  It is certainly worth a look.

Blog Face Lift

In case you haven't noticed, Judy Creates got a face lift! I want to thank Mama Dubs at eb Design! She did a fantastic  job. I love, love, love it. If you are in the market for a new look, Mama Dubs is the bomb. You can see the awesome blogs she designed, here.

 You may also want to check out her blog, Life in the Dub Lane.

One Yard Wonders: 101

I was very pleased when I received this book and saw all the great ideas and patterns in it.  I don't know where to start. This book is great for both beginning and seasoned sewers.  It is sprial bound making it easy to lay flat when working on a project.

The patterns are divided into sections such as "On The Go" (bags, lunch bags, lap top covers etc), "Household Affairs" (tea cozies,aprons, hot& cold packs) and "Outfit Your Small Wonder"  There are patterns for dog couture items, toys for children, great shopping bags and a wealth of small projects that really can be made with just a yard or less of fabric. It is amazing to see what you can make with one yard or less of fabric.

 You will also find sewing fundamentals - good for beginners or as a refresher for those of us with older cloth addictions . For the price, you can't go wrong. You will get your money's worth and so much more.

Some of these projects are for things that we could all probably figure out how to make. I don't know about you , but there are times when I am thrilled not to have to re-invent the wheel - and enjoy the fruits of what others designed and perfected.  I can save my brain cells for the more involved projects.

This book has opened my eyes to the amazing number of things a person can do with just one yard (or less). I used to think of my fabric stash as nearly useless - now my old fabrics are getting used up faster than I can replace them!

All in all I really like this book a lot and will highly recommend it. It seems to have something that will please everyone and is one of those books that will be a good resource and reference book. Give it a try - I don't think that you will be disappointed.

Creating a Man's Neck Tie

Recently, one of my faithful customers asked me to make her husband a neck tie. I had just made her son a diaper cover and she noticed the applique matched a dress she was going to wear in the family portrait. I have not made a tie in years; so, I was a little worried. I scoured the Internet looking for tips and tutorials. A neck tie is cut on the bias of the fabric; so, it can easily stretch out of shape during construction. I found this tutorial; but, it looked complicated and used a lot of hand sewing. I finally found my way to one of my favorite web sites called YouCanMakethis. com. I found just what I wanted. It is a pattern called "Daddy's Tie" by Patchwork Kids. The instructions were incredible and the tie came out perfect. The tie is made from cotton using Michael Miller's fabric called Round About Spa.

Now I have to get the pattern for little guys. It will be lots of fun making Daddy and me ties.

p.s. i quilt: rachel's cheesy corn chowder.

Doesn't this corn chowder look delish? I found the recipe at p.s. quilt. It looks pretty easy to make; so, I am going to give it a try tonight.

What Fun! How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag

This looks like something really easy and fun. It is something my grandchildren will love to doing. They think it is great helping in the kitchen. In about 5 minutes we can all be eating ice cream.

This Ice Cream in a Bag recipe is from Kaboose

What you’ll need:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size Ziploc plastic bag
1 gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag
Ice cubes

The larger bag is for the ice and rock salt, the smaller bag is for the food ingredients. Seal the small bag, put it in the larger bag, seal, then shake the whole shebang for 5 minutes or so until the mixture is homemade ice cream.

Make sure to read all of the instructions, some notes are included about using fruit juice instead of cream for a nice homemade fruit sorbet.

DIY How to Make a Tread Rack

Make this DIY Thread Rack with instructions from craftedition. blogspot.com

Boy, do I need one of these. I have spools of tread in several thread boxes; as well as, on smaller spool holders. It will really be awesome to have them all in one place. This project looks like something I can do; if, I can get my husband to cut the dowels for me. Here is the link: Thread Rack – Tutorial

You’ll be able to keep your threads neatly organized in one place. A quick glance will help you find that "certain" color.

Supplies needed are basic:

Pegboard, dowel rods, wood glue; optional paint and frame trim boards. The trickiest part of the job is going to gluing each piece of dowel into the holes on the pegboard; but. I am sure the result will be well worth the trouble. I am going to give the hot glue for wood a try on this project. Cut the dowels in various lengths and you will be able hold all types of thread spools–small, large and even serger thread spools.

Fabric Easter Egg Tutorial

Easter is coming in less than a week. I found this great tutorial for making fabric Easter Eggs. It is at a blog I just found called Retro-Mama. It has some really great stuff on it. Aren't these eggs just adorable? (Photo from Retro-MaMa Blog) This is a great way to use all of the tiny scraps we don't know what to do with. I am hoping I have time to make some of these and an easter basket too. Make sure you check out Kim's blog.

Sachiko Flower Tutorial

I love this Sachiko flower from Tea Rose Home. It has an easy to follow tutorial for making this pretty flower corsage. What a superb way to use those small bits of fabric to creating this pin. Go to the tutorial.

[photo from Tea Rose Home]

Wrist Pincushion Tutorial

Ellen from The Long Thread shows how to make this handy pincushion that straps around your wrist. This is such a simple sewing project, you can easily make one for yourself and for all of your sewing friends. Go to the tutorial.

(photo from The Long Thread)

I have been using wrist pinchusions for years. I couldn't locate my pinchusion if it was not attached to my wrist. Be careful, I forget when I don’t have it on and I try to stick a pin in my wrist. OUCH!

This is a great way to use all of those scraps we accumulate. These make great gifts for your sewing and non-sewing friends. If you are giving it to a non-sewing friend you may want to include a few pins and needles.