Recently in Holidays Category

With New Year's Eve almost upon us, I realized how tired I was from the holidays and the party yet to come. I wondered how I would recover. With a toddler, down time is a luxury and recovery time is not abundant. So whether you need to recover from an abundance of champagne or from just being out past midnight, my first aid pillow will speed your recovery and get you ready to break all your resolutions (unless you resolve not to make any). The magic is in the rice filling which holds heat and settles to shape to any part that ails you. Be sure and use only natural fibers because poly blends may melt from the heat. I recommend some of our wool suitings for the pillow case and some flannel for the red cross. Here's how to make one or several for you and your pals.

Materials for one First Aid Pillow:

½ yd of medium weight fabric (Wool, Cotton or Linen)

½ yd of flannel (Wool or Cotton or Wool felt)

1-2 lbs of rice

Download your First Aid Pillow Pattern and cut out just the square. Trace 2 squares onto your pillow fabric, cut out squares and set aside. Cut out the red cross and cut out 1 from flannel

Hand stitch or machine stitch your cross centered on your pillow, matching up edges. With right sides facing and using ½ in. seam, sew the front pillow to the back, leaving a 3-4 in. gap for turning and filling. Clip corners and turn.

Use a large funnel to pour the rice inside your pillow, stopping when it is ½ full. Pin and hand sew the gap closed.

Heat your First Aid Pillow for 1 min 30 sec to 2 min and apply.

You can make smaller versions (3-4 in squares) for boo-boo pillows. Make several and keep a few in the freezer for cold applications too.

 

I want any guest to feel comfy and cozy in my home so I try to incorporate items of that nature everywhere in my home. I know that if I feel comfy and cozy that chances are friends and family will as well. This is even more important now with the beginning of the holiday season. Guests will be in and out of your house, some just for the afternoon and some for longer (MUCH, much, much longer). Some sneaky ways to bring a touch of cozy is to put it in unexpected but appreciated places like your bathroom guest towels. One of the first rooms anyone visits is the bathroom and what a way to shake off the road weariness than with a plush and gorgeous cable knit towel. Let this be the first in a long line of luxurious amenities with which you pamper your family and friends. The guest towels are deceivingly fast and simple--your guests need never know.

Materials:

2 skeins of Lion Brand Baby's First Yarn in Pixie Dust

Cable needle

Size US 10.5 needles

4 stitch markers

 

Notes:

PM: place marker

M: Stitch Marker

LC: place 3 sts onto cable needle and hold in front, p3, knit 3 from cable needle

RC: place 3 sts onto cable needle and hold in back, p3, knit 3 from cable needle

 

Instructions:

Cast on 48 sts and work in garter stitch for 1 ½ in.

Row 1 (WS): knit 4, PM, purl 14, PM, k3, p6, k3, PM, p14, PM, k4

Row 2 (RS): k to 2^nd M, p3, k6, p3, k to end

Row 3: k4, p14, k3, p6, k3, p14, k4

Row 4: k to 2^nd M, LC, RC, knit to end

Row 5: k4, p14, p3, k6, p3, p14, k4

Row 6: k to 2^nd marker, k3, p6, k3, k to end

Row 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11: repeat rows 5 & 6

Row 12: k to 2^nd M, RC, LC, knit to end

Row 13: repeat Row 3

Row 14: Repeat Row 2

Row 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19: repeat rows 13 & 14

Continue repeating Row 4- 19 until piece measures 22 in. in length, work in garter stitch for 1 ½ in. and bind off. Weave in ends and block as needed.

The cozy cotton blend knit into a cozy cable knit towel will set the tone for comfort and love that rest of your home will offer to your friends and family this holiday season. Knit some up as gifts as well!  

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! I hope this note finds you well and preparing for a terrific Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.

As I reflect back on all that has transpired this year, I am overwhelmed with a deep feeling of gratitude for the many blessings I have received. I have been blessed with good health in my immediate and extended family. Our "Fabric.com family" here in Marietta has grown beyond my wildest dreams. Today, we are able to provide good and meaningful jobs to almost 200 people! Our larger extended family of customers has also expanded beyond anything I could have ever thought possible. Today, over 150,000 people from all over the world visit each and every week. How could we possibly say "Thank You" enough to all of you for your friendship and support! You are our reason for existing and I hope our commitment to serve you is evident in everything we do.

This Thanksgiving celebration will be particularly meaningful for our immediate family. Our oldest daughter, Alexandra, has gone off to college in Philadelphia, which feels a long, long way from Marietta. We will get to spend 4 days with her, and my wife's extended family, during our annual Thanksgiving visit to Joliet, IL. To say that we are excited to all be together is a huge understatement. It seems like only a year of two ago when I was sharing details with you about her early days as a swimmer in junior high school. The time passes so fast.

On behalf of everyone here at Fabric.com, please accept my warmest personal wishes to you and your entire family for a happy, meaningful, and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

All the best,
Stephen Friedman

This is the first in a new series, where I take inspiration from film and television, and find ways to work silver screen style into my day-to-day wardrobe. I hope we all have fun with it!

 

To kick things off, I'm starting with one of my very favorite movies of all time -- "Mary Poppins." I have had a crush on Dick Van Dyke ever since I first saw this movie as a kid. The DVD is on heavy rotation in my sewing room DVD player. I hum the songs nearly constantly. Hello, my name is Holly, I and I am addicted to "Mary Poppins."

I adore the jacket Bert wears during the Jolly Holiday fantasy sequence. The stripes are so fun, and the look is just joyous. I have been lucky enough to see the original piece -- it's on display in a shop in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Imagine my delight and surprise when I saw that the fabric pattern is actually customized with grosgrain ribbon stitched onto a striped base. Instant inspiration!

I decided to make a jacket for myself based on Bert's finery. I tweaked the colors slightly, thinking that I wanted to end up with something that had a look reminiscent of ribbon candy.

Here's what I used:

-          A blazer pattern I drafted for myself about eight years ago. Almost any pattern you like will work just fine, though I'd recommend one without too many seams. The short style on this Indygo Junction pattern is a good candidate.

-          2 1/2 yards of striped fabric. I used a Premier Prints stripe as my base.

-          10 yards of yellow grosgrain ribbon

-          10 yards of orange striped grosgrain ribbon

-          2 1/2 yards of sunflower china silk lining

I cut all my pieces from my base fabric first, then I stitched down all my ribbon on the cut pieces. This was time consuming, but so totally worth it for a completely custom look. The key here is to mirror the look side to side if you want to achieve a symmetrical look. If you like to shake things up by not worrying about symmetry, that'll give your jacket a totally different edge. It's all about playing!

Once the ribbon was all stitched down (I used every bit of those 10 yards!), I assembled the jacket like normal, and ended up with some serious stripey fun!

Even though the colors on mine are springy, I plan on wearing it through winter while I wait for warmer weather. With the addition of a glittery pink mini poinsettia from the local garden and craft store,  I am ready for holiday cheer! (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the trend in recent years of pastels being holiday colors? LOVE!) It'll be a jolly holiday indeed, and this look will carry me right through spring.

Imagine all the combinations you can use to make your own entirely custom look! I love the idea of making a project like this with my go-to color combo of black, pink and gray. And who says you have to start with a striped base? Applique ribbon stripes over a print base, and you can really create some amazing designs -- all uniquely you!

I have a stash that's quickly verging on a hoarding situation. The big culprit is all my scraps. I feel wasteful tossing away anything that's bigger than a piece of paper. But I am fighting the pile by coming up with projects that make use of those pieces.

These little "shaving kit" style cosmetic bags are so simple and speedy to assemble that you can churn out two or three in an evening. These make great gifts, and gift containers. I often use them in lieu of gift bags. All it takes to put one together is a little bit of fabric, and a 12" zipper.

For your pattern, all you need is a piece of paper. Seriously. A packing invoice from your last fabric.com order will do just fine. 

Using the paper as your guide, cut two pieces from your chosen fabric (I LOVE using quilting prints for these), and two pieces from a coordinating fabric for lining. I like to use a medium-weight twill. Whatever's handy!

A word on interfacing: Feel free to use it. I generally don't for these bags because I like a softer finish -- I find I can cram more things into a less rigid bag.

In addition to your four rectangles, you'll need to cut fabric for a hand strap and pull tab. Cut one piece of your exterior fabric 3" x 20" and a piece of your twill 1" x 20". You can also use a piece of grosgrain ribbon instead of a cut of your secondary fabric. It won't show, so use whatever you've got handy that you want to get rid of.

Fold your exterior strap fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, and lay your reinforcement fabric on top. Make sure the folded edge of your strap fabric extends a little past the edge of the reinforcement piece. This will ensure a smooth, unlumpy fold when you turn the strap.

Stitch down the length of your strap, catching in all three layers of fabric.

Turn your strap and press.

Topstitch down either side of your strap, 1/4" in from the edge.

Set your strap aside for later.

Time to set in the zipper!

Layer one side of your zipper tape between a piece of your exterior fabric and a piece of your lining fabric, right sides together. Make sure that the right side of your zipper is facing the right side of your exterior fabric. Stitch all three layers together.

I don't even bother with a zipper foot here. I just move my needle to its furthest left position, and align the regular foot as tight against the zipper teeth as I can.

Turn the fabric right side out, press, and top stitch.

Repeat all the zipper steps for the other side of the zipper.

You will end up with something that looks like this:

Fold your little concoction in half using the zipper as the fold line. Stitch all four layers together using a 1/4" seam allowance. To finish, you can zig-zag or serge the raw edges.

Next, align your center back seam with your zipper, creating two folds on the sides of the bag.

Remember that strap piece you made? Now is the time for it! Cut it so you have a 14" long piece and a 5" long piece. Remember how I told you to cut it 20" long to begin with? An inch of that is just safety length. 

Fold your longer piece in half, and set it into your bag, in between the zipper and the center back seam. I don't use pins, so I like to stitch the strap to the center back seam, and then stitch down the zipper over it.

If you fold your bag right side out at this point, it looks like this:

Set in the shorter pull tab at the other end of the bag. Be sure to leave the zipper open a bit so you can turn it right side out!

Here's the outside view at this point:

To take your bag to a more three-dimensional shape, you need to add some stitching at the corners. Fold the corners so you create a box shape with your back, and stitch perpendicular to the side end seams. (This is definitely one of those things that makes more sense when you're holding it in your hand.)

I don't even bother to mark my stitch line. I just align the point of my triangle with the edge of my stitching plate.

Repeat the previous step with the remaining three corners. Your bag will look like this:

At this point, you can clip your corners and finish the raw edges, or you can leave the corners as is.

Flip it right side out and you are all finished! Load it up and take it on your travels. The handle strap works great for hanging the bag on doorknobs -- a handy thing if you're sharing space with someone else and bathroom counter space is limited.

For my bag, I used this adorable Tinkerbell print. I love to use machine washables, because it's great to be able to toss a bag in the wash if a lotion or mouthwash leaks while I'm on the road. Just the same, using a home dec fabric can make this project elegant instead of cute, if that's your preference. So whether you've got the perfect thing in your stash or you feel like browsing for a new fabric, you know you'll be ready to hit the road for the holidays, or just organize your home bathroom.

Autumn and the Holidays. I've been seeing lots of wreaths in the stores, but nothing has caught my eye. I thought back to decorations that my mother used at the house or the office and remembered a fabric wreath that she used to make. After a quick call to mom, I was ready to make my own creation.

You will need fabric, a Phillips head screwdriver, a straw wreath (8 inch, 12 inch), a cutting mat and pinking sheers/rotary cutter. You will also need ribbon to tie a loop around the wreath to hang on the wall.

I began by cutting 4-inch by 4-inch squares with my pinking rotary cutter. It's the first time that I have cut fabric this way. For the 12 inch wreath, it took 350 squares and for the 8-inch wreath it took 220 squares. I wanted the wreath to look full. Since this was my first time, it actually took me six hours to cut the squares. After another consultation with Mom, it turns out not every square has to look perfect. With the next two set of squares, I was able to reduce my time significantly. I wished I had a 4-inch pinking block for my Big Shot machine!

Before starting, I added a second layer of plastic wrap to the wreath. This helped hold the fabric in place. I just used ordinary cling wrap from the kitchen. I took my Phillips head screwdriver and pressed the fabric into the straw wreath. This took a little strength in my hand to push it in. I used no glue or hot glue - the fabric will stay in unless you pull it out. I'd advise a Phillips head screwdriver to prevent a tear in the fabric. Anything sharper will cause a rip.

 

I wanted variety so I didn't use any particular pattern in my wreath. I was worried as I was putting it together, but by the end was pleased with the results.

 

Safety first! Pinking rotary blades are extremely sharp! I learned this the hard way - make sure you cut away from your body.

In my research for some pretty cool hostess gifts (we already know that chocolates, wine, and potholders are good standard gifts) I scoured the internet for ideas. Low and behold, apparently mustache appliqué and embossed gifts are very popular. On that note, I wanted to create a hostess gift that was tongue in cheek like the mustache but not beat a dead (or almost) horse. Behold the Necktie Napkins: now you can be fancy for dinner while showing up in t-shirt and jeans. You can wear that tacky Christmas tie that your dear great auntie Muriel gave you without going out of the house. Make your mother happy by both tucking in your napkin and wearing a nice tie to dinner. It is fun and easy to make a set of Necktie Napkins for your favorite hostess. You can choose between the Applique or Embroidery version. I prefer the Applique on our printed O'Tinsel Tree Cotton fabric but love the embroidery on a solid fabric like linen.

To get started you need a picture of a cool-looking tie, I used this one but tweaked it a bit. For the embroidery I traced the tie onto my napkin with a water soluble marker and then embroidered the outline with a back stitch and then added some stripes with a stem stitch in green to create the iconic tacky Christmas tie. For the appliqué, I cut out and traced the tie pieces onto a transfer agent like Heat n Bond. I then cut out the pieces from the Heat n Bond and applied them according to the instructions to the back of some natural colored linen and then affixed those pieces to another napkin. Using a zig zag stitch around the edges of the appliqué to secure it, I added a decorative stitch to some stripes on the tie. It is important that you place the tie about 3-4 in down from one corner of your napkin so when tucked into a shirt, it looks as though the napkin user is wearing the tie. Placement will vary according to the size of your tie and napkin.

To make your napkin you will need 1 yd for 2 napkins. I used O'Tinsel Tree Cotton and cut an 18 in. square for a 16 in. finished napkin.  Use a double folded hem one all sides and topstitch in place. 

Have you ever wondered where you placed that list bill? Or how about that birthday card that just came in the mail? Where are my stamps? I needed something to hang items on to ensure I didn't misplace them at home. This is an idea board for the kitchen, front hall, bedroom... it can hang anywhere!

I located fabric out of my stash, Modge Podge, spongebrush, wood, small clothespins, glue, acrylic paint, paint brush and nails. This project took me several days to ensure that the decoupage dried.

I used the sponge brush to paint the wooden board with decoupage and placed the fabric on top. I smoothed out the fabric with my fingers to avoid any air bubbles. I decoupaged on top of the fabric as well to ensure that the material stuck to the wood. After letting the front dry, I decoupaged the sides and wrapped the fabric around the back of the board, continuing to use decoupage on the fabric, smoothing down the fabric. I put several coats of decoupage on the material.

To decorate the clothespins, I used regular acrylic paint. The lighter colors took several coats. When this is drying, you have to open the clothespins several times to prevent the clothespin from drying together.

I nailed the hanger to the back of the board before adhering the clothespins. I put two on the longer board to hang either way (horizontal or vertical). The green owl fabric that I used for the smaller board wouldn't have warranted turning the board vertically. I would suggest watching out for that when you select your own fabric for your Fabric photo board.

I glued the clothespins to the fabric and was done - make sure that the clothespins are facing outwards - I got comments about putting them on wrong, but you want them to face away from the board so things won't be crammed inward.

I got lots of positive responses at work so have decided to make some of these as holiday gifts for friends and family. Look forward to hearing how things went for you!

Martha Stewart really knows her stuff. Her new line of yarn from Lion Brand is wonderful! The weights, textures and colors are absolutely Martha- and by that, you know I'm indicating that they are awesome. One yarn that caught my eye is this Lofty Wool Yarn. The super bulky weight and essentially single texture with a small fiber ply makes this yarn versatile enough for knitting and crochet projects, as well as crafts.

A great orange color is featured in the collection, "Autumn Leaf".  Immediately I was inspired by a yarn wreath. I have seen these yarn wreaths before but I have never done one myself. They are so easy! I bought a Styrofoam rounded wreath base from the floral craft section at my local craft store. Tightly wrap the yarn all the way around, knot it off to secure and boom, done! I was astounded to find that one ball of Lofty Wool Yarn was EXACTLY enough to wrap a 12'' wreath. I had 4'' of yarn left over...that exact.

For the embellishments, I used a variety of Riley Blake ribbon and trims to make rugged little flowers. No sewing involved! Take a sewing pin and gather the ribbon (click here for video demonstration) and stick it to the wreath. You can use this technique with all kinds of ribbon for all different flower effects- I used pom pom ribbon, lace ribbon, grosgrain and ric rac. Since its Styrofoam, the pins are great because you can rearrange and replace! 

So our costume is complete and a huge hit but it was a tricky week of sewing, readjusting and hiding from curious eyes that once they have spotted a Lion Costume can't wait to wear said lion costume. I made my little girls Kwik Sew Lion Costume from dark and light purple fleece and it is so soft and delicious. The fleece was a pleasure to sew with my walking foot. Of course, I did have to stop every half hour of sewing and de-lint my machine but it was sooo worth it. Now for the breakdown:

The pattern went together very easily for the most part but I did have trouble with the paws. My work around was to trace the paw pattern piece onto another piece of paper and then cut out the paw pieces from the fleece, not using the sew-on method recommended in the pattern. Then cut out the paw pieces from the traced paper and use it as a stencil/placement guide and with fabric glue (or you can use a glue stick), tack down the pattern pieces. Then zig zag around the edges of paw pieces. This eliminated the paper mess with little bits of tear-able paper under every stitch and made it much easier to cut out the paw pieces since you are doing it before hand instead of afterward. I also hemmed the bottom of each leg so I could let them down further down the road instead of the elastic. This also makes it easier for my little one to get into the costume herself. I added a zipper in a contrasting color to make it easier for her to find and zip up. Lastly, I assembled the fringe on the tail and sewed it on after I sewed and turned the tail. The fringe was too bulky using the pattern assembly. I hand sewed it in place which made it much easier, no broken needles and the finish was just as neat as the original. I am going to go back and lightly stuff the tail and add some pipe cleaners so I can shape the tail for Trick or Treating so keep it off the ground and give it some life.

Some other modifications I considered were adding the bow from the bunny variation and some flat piping around the chest piece. The reason I decided against them was that the costume was so stinking cute that I didn't think it needed them and would have been lost on the costume.

Stay tuned for Parts 3 & 4 which will feature easy shoe covers to make your costume flawless and a great Pumpkin Pail Cover to match your costume and complete your Halloween Look. Find Part 1 of our Child Costume series here and check out our great Fleece section for your kid's color combination dreams-come-true!