Fabric 'n Mod Podge Drink Coasters

Mod Podge...I wish I would have found you sooner! Mod Podge is one of the coolest things ever! Who knew! I didn't. So I got it into my head to make some cool drink coasters. I found various tutorials on the internet for making them, but they were all slightly different, and most of them used scrapbook paper. I can't even remember all the different blogs I read regarding this, but here's what I did to make my coasters. Bear in mind that I was a Mod Podge virgin, so this is just how I did it and what worked for me.

Materials
- 4x4 ceramic tiles (I got mine at Lowes for .18 each, I got the plain white glossy tiles)
- jar of Mod Podge (I got the 8oz. jar of Glossy at Joann's for $4.99 minus a 40% off coupon. I know there is also a Mod Podge Fabric, but they didn't carry it)
- 1 sheet of colored felt (on sale for .25)
- fabric scraps, cut to 4"x4"
- paint brush

I used 4"x4" fabric scrap squares for this project. I know the tiles are 4x4, but when I actually measured them, they came out to be around 4-1/4", so if you cut the scraps to 4"x4", they will be the perfect size so that you will have a little bit of white border around the edges.

I started out by brushing a layer of Mod Podge on the actual ceramic tile, making sure to brush it all the way to the edges. Then, I immediately centered the fabric scrap on the tile. I pressed it down gently with my fingers, starting at the center and working my way to the edges. This will help smooth out any bubbles.

The first few tiles I made, I waited 20 minutes to brush a layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric, but I found that if you brush it on right away without waiting, it seemed to decrease the amount of bubbles that I had to deal with. Again, I'm new to this, but that's just what happened with me. Again, make sure you brush the Mod Podge all the way to the edges so it seals the fabric in. It helps to brush the sides vertically and the top and bottom horizontally, because this will keep the frays in check.

Goldfish Bags and Tufted Tweets.

Some of the tutorials I read instructed you to use 1 layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper/fabric, and others up to 6. I did 3 layers, waiting 20 minutes for it to dry in between each layer, and then I couldn't take the smell anymore, so I stopped. Three layers seems to be adequate. By the way, it looks white when you paint it on, but dries clear.

Also, a couple tutorials also mentioned spraying on an acrylic sealant when you're finished. This is because when the Mod Podge dries, it still feels sticky or tacky. However, if you wait about a month (or so I'm told), the Mod Podge will cure and you can avoid using the acrylic sealant. I'm really sensitive to sprays/air fresheners/candles/perfume, so I opted to wait the month. The fumes from the Mod Podge bothered me a little bit as it was. I suppose I could have done them outside, but I work on projects from around 9pm until midnight most nights, so I didn't want to be abducted or anything (this is Chicago, after all). I don't really need to use them right away.

Alice and Wonderland for my daughter, and a Scooter

I let the tiles dry overnight, and then cut out 4"x4" squares of the felt. I used super glue to glue the felt to the bottom of each tile.

Mix tapes, and of course Superman for my son

This was a super-fun project! I can't wait to explore more with Mod Podge. I only used about .75 cent's worth of Mod Podge on these, so my total expense was about $1.60. Cha-ching! My husband thought the tiles would make a really cool wall hanging if I made a ton of them and hung them individually. Or maybe a border in a small room, like a bathroom. The nice thing about them is that you can Mod Podge anything...covers from cd liner notes, post cards, scrapbook paper, anything. You can even sew some patchwork squares, press the seams open, and use them like that. The possibilities seem endless.

The felt on the bottom of the coaster

Madison Bag Sew Along - Link Up!

Time to link up your completed project from the Two Peas Madison Bag Sew Along! Special thanks to Trish from Two Peas in a Pod Designs and Heidi from Quilt Home for the pattern and supply discounts!

Tutorial Thursday - Colette Sorbetto Top

Since I'm on a Colette roll lately, here is the free pattern tutorial for the Sorbetto Top. I really like the bias-tape trim on the neckline and sleeves, and the detail down the center. Even though this one is free, you are still getting the same attention to detail as all of the other Colette patterns. You can print out the pattern pieces from the pdf instructions and assemble the pieces by taping a few of them together. The instructions look very fast and easy!

Pssst...don't forget about my Amy Butler Sew Along, lots of exciting things going on! Amy's got a bunch of free sewing patterns on her site, too, so even if you don't own one of her patterns, you can jump right in!

The Colette Diaries - Ginger {Week 2}

This post is part of my Colette Diaries series. Feel free to check out my original Colette Diaries post for schedule and previous posts!

Time for Week 2 of my progress on the Colette Ginger skirt. The aim is to break these Colette patterns up into 6 posts over 6 weeks, but this pattern is so easy that honestly I'll have to try and stretch things a bit. There's only 6 steps total. The pattern is just so short and sweet!

Today, I assembled the waistband. When I cut the waistband pieces out, there was one segment that was cut on the fold (for the front of the skirt), and then the back panel, cut twice, which is where the zipper goes in the back.

When you sew the waistband together, one back panel is sewn to the front waistband on the left side, and the other back panel is sewn on the right side, making one long band. I can't remember where I read this, but I did remember seeing somewhere in blogland that someone, with a similar figure to mine, had made the skirt, but the band ended up sort of 'blousing' away from their body. I especially kept this in mind when making that waistband panel. I tried the band on (covering my belly button area, since that is where is seems like the skirt sits), accounting for the seam allowance for the zipper in the back, and did notice that the band did indeed sort of leave my body, at the very top of the band. I suppose everyone is different and this would depend on your shape.

The picture above is of the right side of my waistband (the top of the band is at the top of the photo). The stitching on the right is my original stitch with the 5/8" seam allowance. The stitching on the left is my adjusted stitch after trying the band on. I took it in a little bit at the top since that's where the band started to go away from my body. So, I would just recommend trying the band on, before and after you attach the skirt, just to make sure you've got it right.

And this is my skirt with the front sewn to the two back panels at the sides. The band was a bit smaller than the seams at the top of the skirt (probably because I made those adjustments above), so I had to tweak it a tiny bit.

Skirt side seam with zig-zag finishing...bumpy. Boo!

Skirt side seam with French seam...smooth. Yay!

After I finished the side seams on my skirt, I zig-zagged to finish the seam in place of a serger. I'm not sure if it was because of the decor-weight fabric or just my sew job, but the zig-zag made the edges curl and look bumpy on the outside. Since I had to take in my skirt a small bit to match the seam on my waistband, I ripped out my zig-zag and instead made a French seam using this tutorial from Colette. I'm not sure if you can see the difference in the photographs, but it worked out perfectly...when I held it up around my waist, it looked clean and smooth. Plus, the seam was completely hidden.

The French Seam

So, as you can see, the first few steps of the pattern are incredibly easy. If you can sew a straight line, you can assemble the waistband and the skirt (before the zipper goes in). As with any garment, I think trying it on several (or in my case many) times during construction is key. There's nothing worse than getting to the end of a clothing project and realizing that it's too tight/big/wrong!

See you next week for some more progress...I'll be adding some light blue piping to the top of the skirt.

Giveaway! And SEW ALONG! Amy Butler

Just about everyone has a little bit of Amy Butler...a pattern, some fabric. Or if you don't, you've probably at least heard of her. This sew along was originally supposed to be for the new Amy Butler Spice Market Tote, a great beginner-friendly pattern. But, I have decided to change it up a little bit. BTW, if you're participating in the Two Peas Madison Bag Sew Along, don't forget that you have until Friday to finish and link up your bag!

The Amy Butler Sew Along Deets - For this sew along, you may use any Amy Butler sewing pattern. You can use one of her paper patterns, her Style Stitches book (if you have the book, it's never too late to jump in on my friend Bree's Amy Butler Sew Along...one project from the book each month), or if you don't have any of her patterns, you can get some for FREE on her website. You can also get the free pattern for the Blossom Bag at Sew Mama Sew (which is awesome, by the way). So, you have a lot of options out there.

You may use any of her patterns (you can make a pillow, quilt, clothing, bag, whatever!). You do not need to make your project out of Amy Butler fabric; any fabric is fine!

My Amy Butler Lotus Tunic

My only specification is that your project must be sewn NOW through the end of the sew along (which is September 14th). No previously completed projects, please! You may complete more than 1 project, and each project may be counted as a separate entry for the giveaway prizes.

Blossom Bag

I will be working on the Sophia Carry All...it's been sitting cut-out on my ironing board for awhile, so it's time to get to it. :-) I've completed several Amy Butler projects before, which can be seen on my Pattern Reviews page. Even if you're a beginning sewer, there is an Amy Butler project out there for you (if you need help choosing one, let me know, I'd be happy to help!!).

Support - I've created a Flickr Group for the sew along. Feel free to join up, post pictures of the fabric you are planning on working with, as well as any questions along the way! We're here to help eachother get to the finish line!

Every week I'll post some Amy Butler inspiration for you!

My Amy Butler Weekender Bag

The Prizes - I'm going to do this a few different ways.

Prize #1 - Most creative use of an Amy Butler pattern will receive prize pack #1, which includes the Madison Bag, Kimberly Bag, and Cabo Halter sewing patterns courtesy of Amy Butler Design. My judges will choose this one.

Prize #2 - 'Crowd Favorite' will receive a $20 gift certificate to an online fabric shop. The Crowd Favorite will be narrowed down to 10 finalists chosen by my unbiased team of judges. Then you all will get to cast your vote on your favorite.

Prize #3 - Randomly chosen winner, selected by random.org, out of everyone who completes a project. This prize pack includes the Midwest Mod Pillows and Spice Market Tote patterns courtesy of Amy Butler Design.

Prize #4 - My Dirty Bubble Zippered Pouch from my free tutorial. The pouch will be stuffed with vintage wooden spools of pretty thread! This winner will also be randomly chosen, selected by random.org, out of everyone who completes a project.

Prize #5 - My Naughty Secretary Bag from my free tutorial. The actual bag! This winner will also be randomly chosen, selected by random.org, out of everyone who completes a project.


Linky Party - You have from now until Wednesday, September 14th to complete your Amy Butler sewing pattern project. There will be a linky party here on this blog, on that day, for you to "link" up your completed project (if you don't have a blog, you may link to the Flickr or other photo-sharing site, with your completed project).

Today's Giveaway - If you've made it this far down the post, congratulations! And here is the info for today's giveaway! To kick off this event, you can win yourself a shiny new copy of Amy Butler's Spice Market Tote pattern! The giveaway closes Wednesday, August 3rd at 11pm CT. The winner will be chosen by random.org out of all the entrants. Anyone may enter this giveaway, and you can have up to 3 chances to win!

1. Leave a comment. Any comment will do.

2. Follow my blog. If you already follow, thank you so much! New followers, welcome!

3. Tell me what Amy Butler pattern you are thinking of using for the sew along. I am so curious to know!

If you are a no-reply blogger, or if you're not sure if you are or not, please leave your e-mail in the comment so I have a way to contact you.



Thanks for reading, and feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have! Anything at all! sara(at)sewsweetness(dot)com.

Surprise! Quilt

On Monday, I sent this little beauty of a picnic quilt out as a surprise birthday present for my friend, Kim. Her birthday is this weekend. I can't believe how excited I am; I've been checking the tracking number about 5 times a day since it left me. Just this afternoon I saw that it was out for delivery today!

The best thing about this quilt is that I got her friends together to send me blocks. Besides Amy Lou Who, I don't know any of her other friends, but I'm not afraid to admit that I stalked a bunch of people on her Facebook wall. I had no idea who sewed and who didn't, but I sent out a bunch of messages anyway, and actually got some bites.

We used this Wonky Log Cabin tutorial from Quilt Dad. It's a great tutorial; basically you started with a square and attach random-sized strips (1" to 2.5") to the sides until you've arrived at a 12.5" block. Some people chose to do them up wonky, and some didn't, which turned out great. The final size of the block, after adding the white border, is 15.5". I had everyone quilt their block to batting, to minimize the work for me in putting it all together.

I think all the blocks are so beautiful individually, so I wanted to show all of them to you up close:

The Teapot Block
Jodi made this block. I just adore the little sand bird (what is that fabric?? gosh I love it) and the teapots. She also quilted her block in a free motion pattern, which I have never done, but I would love to learn how since it looks so awesome.

The Echino Block
 After using my Echino stash to make a Dresden quilt (correction: attempt, as all the dresdens are on my unfinished pile), I had miniscule scraps left over. Most of them weren't even 2.5" large. So my block isn't exactly log-cabin-ish because when I got near the top of the block, I didn't have long enough scraps left. But, I still think it looks cool, and with the uneven straight-line quilting, it kind of pulls together.

The Good Folks Block
I didn't realize I had so many small bits of Anna Maria Horner Good Folks fabrics. I thought I really only had 3, but as you can see, I have more than 3 different fabrics. I quilted a huge zinnia flower on this block.

The Soul Blossoms Block
I have been using Soul Blossoms in tons of stuff lately (this quilt and this quilt and this unfinished quilt and this dress). This is the last of the Soul Blossoms. What can I say? The fabrics are just so wonderful.

The Black and White Block
Nicole made this block. Would you believe that this is her first quilt block ever?? What a great choice using the black fabric with the hint of red. It makes a great center for the quilt. And she did a great job of quilting it, too! She needs to make a quilt, don't you think? :-)

The Mendocino Block
These fabrics are all from Kim, so I know she will recognize them. Kim is not really into pink, but I couldn't resist the mermaids...hopefully the brown and orange off-sets all the pinkness. I quilted some little fishies onto this block.

The Flea Market Fancy Block
Kim also sent me these fabric scraps...she has THE BEST stash. It's like a candy store. This was the first block that I made for this quilt, and it really got me on a roll. I was slightly addicted after making them, they come together so nicely and it's such a joyful process, the strips just go together like melted taffy. lol.

Here's a close-up of the quilted flower on the Flea Market Fancy block. I just couldn't resist.

The Love Block
Amy Butler love...again, what a great collection. That girl really knows how to pair fabric designs and colors together. I love the dark, rich colors. This one is quilted with some curlicues.

Amy Lou Who made this block. I really love the blue Park Slope fabric in the center, I always have my eye on that. I love the soft, pretty colors of this block, and I'm glad she did her block less-wonky because it helps off-set my crazy Echino block. I also love the pink in the center and the pink fabric on the outer border.

This was the first quilt that I finished that was made in the 'quilt-as-you-go' fashion (you quilt sections or blocks to batting, as opposed to finishing the entire quilt top and then securing it to the batting and quilt backing via the quilt sandwich). At first I was worried that I could see and feel the seams through the backing, but I used a thick/wide decorative stitch on my machine, and it really covered up the seam and flattened it out. I feel like it was successful, at least in my opinion. Also, I'm not sure if yellow was the right choice, but I had already spray basted it when I began to have doubts. I wrapped the backing around to make the binding, which is my new favorite thing.

I hope Kim loves her birthday quilt...I wrote on the box for her daughter to take a picture of her opening up the package, so hopefully I can wrestle some photos away from her. Heehee.

The Colette Diaries - Ginger {Week 1}

This post is part of my Colette Diaries series. Feel free to check out my original Colette Diaries post for schedule and previous posts!

The day has finally arrived! I am beginning work on the Ginger skirt by Colette patterns. I'm sewing these patterns in order from easiest to most difficult. I almost can't believe that this is the easiest one; I mean, look how cute it is!!

In case you're following along at home, feel free to check out the Ginger pattern for yourself at this sweet discount (discount code is now expired).

The nice thing about this skirt is that you have several different options. Option 1 has that pointed waistband, Option 2 has that curved band (I have seen a lot of Ginger skirts out there in blogland done up with the curved band), and Option 3 has the straight waistband and can also be done up with stripes, for a chevron skirt.

I decided to be conservative and go with Option 3. I do really love that curved band, but I was a little nervous about how it would look on my body. I am looking forward to making another version when I find a nice striped fabric, for the chevron skirt.

The pattern instructions suggest using medium-weight fabrics such as poplin, twill, silk dupioni, wool challis, gabardine, suiting, or crepe. I decided to try using a decor-weight fabric from Anna Maria Horner, Pressed Flowers in teal. I wanted to use something from my stash, and I had 1 yard of this 60" wide fabric, which was enough to make this skirt in my size. The huge graphic print of this one should make for an eye-popping skirt (hopefully).

I used this tutorial from the Colette blog to cut my fabric. Although my fabric is not striped, I didn't want the large prints to get cut off at that front seam on the skirt. I tried to account for the seam allowance when I cut the fabric for the back of the skirt, since the zipper is going back there.

That's all for this week, be sure to check back in the next 5 weeks as I complete the Ginger skirt!

Rainbow Dear Jane Quilt

::sigh:: Isn't this quilt so beautiful? I've had this on my Pinterest. I'm participating in the Rainbow Charm Swap on Ellison Lane Quilts and was wondering what to do with all my rainbow-colored charm squares.

From what I understand, you pair this book with the instructions on this blog (right-hand sidebar) to make the quilt. The finished blocks are 4-1/2". It sounds like a great scrap-buster. 225 blocks. The quilt in the above picture took almost a year and a half to make.

I printed out this nifty graphic for my wall.

My wonderful husband just let me buy the book with some of his Amazon credits (I don't think he realized what he was doing, and then he saw my little print-out...oopsy), and it sounds like a lovely (slow) project to (slowly) learn how to make some beautiful (slowly-made) blocks.