These aprons are my love! I used the fabrics that I sell, and just love the color combination. Reversible too-- of course you know I had to go there!

Cord Cover Tutorial

I occasionally make things and think, "I should photo this and make a nifty tutorial to share my knowledge." Today I decided to do it! My daughter's room is in the process of being redecorated to her "big girl room" (although she still sleeps in her baby bed, I am thinking ahead!) and recently hung a cute shabby chic-y chandelier lamp in the corner of her room. I immediately noticed a need for the cord to be covered up.



Ewww, that just looks shabby, and definitely not chic. I *knew* this was something I could make, but wasn't sure if I'd *ever* have the time to do, so I looked around online and in town for a cheap cord cover. No luck. So I resigned to add it to my mile-long to-do list and picked up one yard of white polyester satin fabric at Hobby Lobby. Total cost about $2.50. Then I set off, camera at my side, to put this baby together. It is SO EASY! It took me 30 minutes start to finish. Here are the steps I followed:

Decide how long you want your cover, and how "poofy" you want it to be. It needs to be two to three times as long as the cord itself. Mine is 20 feet long. I wanted mine pretty full so I cut 5 inch strips, all the way through the width of the fabric. What I ended up with was four sections 60 inches long by 5 inches wide. Sorry the photo is blurry :(



Next, take two of your strips, RIGHT sides together, and sew them together, like so:


(Note: I am using my serger for this project, but a regular sewing machine can also be used just as easily. A serger is a machine that uses four spools of thread and two needles to make a professional finished seam as well as cut off the seam allowance all at once.)



Repeat for the remaining strips, so you end up with one very long skinny strip of fabric. Here is the seam from the RIGHT side.


Next you will want to finish both ends of the cover. I got lazy and just serged the edges so they won't fray, but you can (and probably should) turn the edge under and sew it down with your machine. I took a photo of both options.

Serged:


Turned under:



Next, fold your cover in half, RIGHT sides together longways, and sew edges together, making a long skinny tube of fabric.


Now is the hard part; turning the tube out. You can use a turner tool if you have one, or a large safety pin will work. Depending on how long your cover is, this may take a while. Don't get frustrated! You're almost finished!


The end coming out after lots and lots of pulling:




Now you have a cord cover!! Slip over the cord, scrunch, and viola!

The Red White and Blue Festival in Bullard was so fun! I love this festival. It's my second year to be involved over there and both times have been fantastic-- well-organized, well-advertised, and just loads of fun. It was only a one-day event this year, so not as exhausting! I'll definitely keep it on my very short list of shows for the future. My husband keeps telling me to stop doing outdoor shows, but I just don't listen! Well, honey, I'm starting to hear you... now that the weather is getting cooler (can't say cold exactly, since it's still high 70s here in TX in November) but the thought of dragging all the tables, tent, boxes, and racks out for a day of unpredictable weather, and even more unpredictable sales, does not appeal to me. Especially when I have to put off my list of special orders, which currently is quite lengthy.

SO... I'm hunkering down for a winter sew-in now. I've got a few deadlines to complete -- some self-inflicted, and some buyer requested-- that I'm going to be working toward now. I am absolutely still open to orders, so browse, buy, order, and share! I'm already working on a spring line, and am excited to see how that turns out. Times are fun!

Festivals

The Rose Festival was a wash.... again. I will not be participating next year unless it is moved back to Bergfeld Park. (My husband tells me I said that last year... well this year I really mean it!) It didn't help that the fabulous weather forgot to show up and it was cold, damp, and generally icky outside.

I have another show coming up next weekend, November 7th, in downtown Bullard. This was my favorite and most successful show last year, so I am looking forward to it again. And my friend Shelly will be sharing booth space with me, so even more fun will be had! Nothing like hanging out with a crafty friend, although Shelly will tell you she is anything but crafty (she just hasn't realized it yet!!). Come out and see us Saturday, November 7th from 8-5ish, right smack in the middle of downtown Bullard!

hodge podge showoffs

And now I'd like to share a few photos of new things I've done recently! I've been very busy sewing and embroidering, so haven't had the time to photograph and list everything until now. I'm still working on getting all this up on my Etsy site, but until then, if you see anything you need, just email me. All these items are IN STOCK and READY TO SHIP (or deliver, free locally!)!


This Prince/Princess design is available in almost any color, and I CAN add a name monogram to it as well! (It would then read, "Princess Carly... etc.")








Crowns in Shimmer Silver or Gold:




Bibs and Burp Sets:

(Name monogram is included in the sailboat design's price)




(name monogram is included in the butterfly design's price)



My latest craze: Trendy Cross Appliques!!






24 month:


24 month:




24 month:



24 month:








Skirted Onesies:






Don't forget the Boys!














Christmas onesies and Tees -- Front says "nice." Back says "(naughty.)" Love it!