Friday Night Tutorials! - Easy Lace Earrings

See that pretty earring there? Well it took no longer than 2 minutes to make and the results are amazing. I've been seeing various forms of this allover the internet and I knew I just had to try it out for myself when I found this small piece of purple Venetian lace. It wasn't even 4 inches long but it was so pretty I had to do something with it. So I made earrings!



What you need -

- A piece of lace trim that can be cut apart or lace appliques.
- Ear wires - I had some laying around from another project but you can buy all different types at Michaels, Joann's or A.C. Moore. You can also find vintage ones on Etsy or Artfire.
- Scissors to cut apart lace.



First choose a deign you would like to use from your lace trim. If you are using appliques, skip this step.



Next simply run the ear wire through to top of the lace...and in 2 minutes you have an awesome new pair of earrings. If you want to get fancy and use more complex ear wires with jump rings simply separate the ends of the ring and place the lace.



Using a lace applique was much easier. Simply run the wire through the top and you have a pair of great shoulder duster earrings. Writing this post took much longer than the project! This project is great for using those small pieces of lace in your stash but is also wonderful to get use out of that special vintage lace you may have. I also think it would be a nice way to add "something old" to your bridal ensemble by using lace from your mothers or grandmothers dress or veil.

The options are endless with this, you can add beads and all sorts of fun things to make this project your own. Most of all, have fun! (Oh god, I'm getting cheesy in my old age...)

Friday Night Tutorials! - Flat Bottomed Purse by sewtogether.com

I've been ultra busy this week putting together a really nifty store for us so I didn't have the time to actually make something. However, I came across this awesome tutorial and I simply must share!

This is an amazing blog and I suggest checking it out by clicking the link.

See you next week! Happy Easter!

Friday Night Tutorials! - Easy Pet Bed

I've had dental surgery the other day and I'm a little off. A little off meaning highly medicated. There is no way to spend a Thursday like getting a piece of metal worth more than my car jammed in my face. So while this is tutorial, it is more of an excuse to show off pictures of my cats. (Like I said, I'm medicated.)

This is a super easy and fun project that you can do with fabric pieces laying around.

What you need -

- A piece of thick fleece, I used stuff that looks like faux sheep skin that they use on jackets.

- Fabric like a heavy cotton or canvas. I was lucky that I had these large manufacturer swatches that are 25" by 25". I used 2 of those. If you are using other fabric you can use a quarter of a yard which is 24".

- Scissors or rotary cutter.

- Sewing machine. I am sure you can hand sew this but with the thick fleece stuff I think it would be a pain.

- Needle and thread for finishing.

- Optional - Polyfill stuffing.

Directions -

- If you have a long piece of fabric simply cut it to make it 2 - 24" by 24" square pieces. If you have swatches or if the piece isn't perfect simply lay the fabric on top of the fleece and mark all the way around. I don't think the cats will mind it is wonky. Have fun with sizes.

- Cut your 2 pieces of fleece.



- Place right sides together and begin to sew. Leave an small opening on one side so you are able to turn it right side out. Repeat with the other fabric and fleece. NOTE - When sewing the loft of the fleece was crushed so I ended up with a lot of it over the edge. Don't worry just cut off the excess.

- This step is totally optional. Take the stuffing and stuff it to give it some body. Don't overfill like you would a pillow. You need a little give for fat cat butts.

- Hand sew the openings closed.

- Take the 2 pieces and place them on top of each other. Hand-sew three corners while leaving the other open. Fold that side open.



And you're done! To be honest I think the cats would have been happy if I just threw the fleece on the ground and were probably laughing at me for going to all the trouble but I think it's a cute little project for beginners and kids. It was fast and the kitties loved it.



Thanks so much for reading. Remember our Spring Stock Up sale is still going on. Visit our Etsy and Artfire shops for more info. Also, remember to follow us on Groupon so we can offer awesome coupons!

Friday Night Tutorials! - Trim Headband

When you deal with fabric as much as we do suffice it to say it gets the ol' creative juices flowing. I was in the drugstore not too long ago and saw these elastic and lace headbands for sale for 7 bucks. Insane. Making these types of headbands are so easy and so inexpensive I am sort of embarrassed to post this tutorial. The hardest part of this project is picking out the trim you want to use. You can use any sort of trim for this project. Lace, gimp, rope, strips of fabric (like the ones in Jellyrolls or what have you), ric rack, sequins...the options are endless.

They work up really quick and you can make a headband to match any outfit. You could even make headbands for your bridesmaids or even for a children's party. It is that easy and the results are beautiful.



What you need -

- Trim of your choice. I used some of our kitty trim, floral trim and rhinestone trim. You could actually use any trim for this.
- Sewing machine or needle and thread if hand sewing.
- 1/2" Elastic
- Scissors
- Tape measure (Couldn't be there for the photo, the cat was trying to eat it.)

Instructions -

Measure your head in the way a normal headband would lay. Remember that number.

Cut piece of trim so it runs from the bottom of one ear, over the top of your head and then the bottom of the other ear. I find that this is best since you get the most trim coverage.

Measure that trim piece and subtract that from the whole measurement of your head. That's how much elastic you need. Then again I winged it and I am sure you can too. If you want the headband tighter then make the elastic less, looser use more elastic.

Thread a needle and lets get sewing!

With the floral trim I simply overlapped the trim and the elastic and zigzagged across a few times one both sides. This is easily hand-sewed.




With the kitty trim the trim end is larger than the elastic. So I just folded into a nice point, placed the elastic underneath and sewed across. If you are hand sewing you can iron the point so it stays while you sew.



It was a little more difficult with the rhinestone trim. I wanted to make a double headband, sort of a Grecian look. I love my machine too much to subject it to hard little rhinestones and plastic so I hand-sewed this one.

- First sew the 2 strands together.



Then start to sew them on the elastic. Repeat for other side.



And voila! You have awesome headbands that cost mere pennies. We all have random trim hanging around so this is not only great for using your remnants but also wonderful as a first sewing project.

I hope you liked this tutorial. Check out our Etsy and Artfire shops for all sorts of interesting trim! We also have a great sale going on so get clicking. Check back next Friday for a new tutorial.

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Getting to know your fabric! - Rayon

In store I have noticed that even the most experienced sewers don't know their fabric! I think when you are doing a project, it is important to know what you are working with.

When I first started with Sew What's New, I knew nothing about fabrics other than the ones that were covering my own tushie so I have spent a lot of time learning about fabrics and their uses. I have in essence become a fabric nerd and I am not even close to knowing it all. Want proof? Ask me to pronounce "matelasse". It isn't pretty.

I think the fabric that gets the worst rap is rayon. A lot of people think it's like polyester, a synthetic fabric. I am happy to report that it is not a synthetic at all as it is a produced of wood fiber.

Really.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the subject...

Rayon is a very versatile fiber and has the same comfort properties as natural fibers. It can imitate the feel and texture of silk, wool, cotton and linen. The fibers are easily dyed in a wide range of colors. Rayon fabrics are soft, smooth, cool, comfortable, and highly absorbent, but they do not insulate body heat, making them ideal for use in hot and humid climates. The highest quality Hawaiian shirts produced between the 1930s and the 1950s that are most sought after by collectors are all made of rayon.

In other words, Rayon is wonderful for warm weather clothing but also great for linings for coats and jackets. I also find it has a great drape and when mixed with other fibers such as cotton or polyester, it adds a softness that only rayon can produce. You can find rayon in home decor fabrics, dress making fabrics and even some trims! Also, if you are concerned about Mother Earth, nothing is more biodegradable than rayon. It actually degrades faster than cotton

What I find interesting that some companies are producing a "synthetic rayon" that while it looks like rayon, it is missing that certain rayon "feel".

How can you tell if the fabric you are purchasing is rayon? It's easy! Simply burn an edge. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Have a cup of water present just in case. Take a strip of the fabric and hold a lighter to an edge. Let burn for at most a second and inspect the burnt edge. Rayon burns much like cotton. It burns rather quickly and leaves a crumpling ash. I find that rayon, unlike cotton, smells like burnt paper whereas cotton smells more organic like burning leaves. Or just ask us. We like to burn things.

Here at Sew What's New, we have hundreds of yards of all different types of rayon in all types of colors and prints. It is my personal favorite. Check out our Etsy, Artfire shops or stop in to see some amazing rayon that I just know you will love for all your projects.