Scarves!

So the ever popular accessory the scarf! I have to admit I am a bit smitten myself. I have been making several and find it is best to use stretchy and thin weight material otherwise you end up with bulky heavy scarf and who wants that in this lovely spring time weather?
So I am loving tee shirt material it is a versatile fabric with so many uses! For this project I used black tee shirt material $5.99/yrd at JoAnns used a 40% off coupon for this and a  filigree designed tee shirt material found on a clearance isle at Walmart for $1.88/yrd. I had two yrds of each material and cut it vertically to utilize the length of the scarf and to get the double sided look I wanted.
So once I had my pieces trimmed. I placed the fabric with front sides together and pinned all the way around the material. I sewed  three sides together completely with about 1/8 of a inch of material as my seam. Once I had three sides sewn I worked on the third I stopped about 3/4 of the way down the third side leaving an opening for me to turn the scarf right side out.

So I started with the corners and a closed lid ink pen to push the corners out. Since the fabric is stretchy this part was a breeze! Once the scarf was turned out correctly I sewed my opening shut. This is the final result. Still needs some ironing.

There you have it another successful accessory on a budget! For one scarf cost is $5.47!

DIY Dog bed cover on a budget

Ok sometimes we need to treat out fur babies too... I finally got around to making my pooch a new bed cover. It is amazing what you will find at thrift stores. A few of my favorites are local to the area, (Valley Thrift) and national such as (Salvation Army). There is something to be said about a good day of thrifting. I always look in a few specific areas, one is books there is a never ending supply of good reading in thrift stores and I have found several new releases for less than a $1! Which if you are a reader this is a steal! As well baby blankets, bedding and other tapestries, and the glass/container isle
So for this project I used the following items:
1. Thrifted white sweatshirt material baby blanket $1
2. pink light weight sweatshirt material found in all places Walmart reduced isle! 99 cents a yard!
3. one zipper I used a 26 in. which is what might be used for a sleeping bag. $3.74
4. Pins

Ok So I started with the shape of the bed I wanted to cover and when I found the white blanket I realized it was close to perfect fit. Since my material had white sparkly polka dots it was perfect to use as a trim around the bed and also helped hide the zipper!

So I lined up my design fabric with the blanket edge leaving enough to use edge of blanket as a trim, I pinned then sewed three sides leaving the third side open for my zipper.

This is the completed edge. It is not perfect but I love the way the trim turned out.

Once all three sides were sewn I set out to add my zipper. This was my first time working with a zipper and its not as bad as I expected. I sewed one side with zipper intact then sewed the other side zipping it up as I went.
The finished product was a perfect fit for the bed and for my budget! Total spent $6.74 and my Shumby girl approves!

My newest craft obsession LACE!

After joining Pinterest I of course decided that most things can be created DIY style.

After seeing a gorgeous lace tipped scarf I set out to do my own version. I came up with two styles and tons of ideas on what to do with the left over lace!
this is the original concept a scarf worth $1100! http://www.brownsfashion.com/home/women.aspx

This is my version. I used 2 yards of jersey tee shirt material and 1 yard each of black and white lace trim. Thanks to JoAnns coupons all three materials cost a whopping $11.65 for two scarves! I'll take it!

Material:

1 yrd gray jersey tee shirt material

1 yrd white lace

So we will start with tipped scarf. I used one yard gray tee shirt material. I sewed this into a tube which is not a necessity but I wanted it to feel thicker like there is more substance. So I folded the material and pinned with straight pins. Sew the edges until you have a tube with an opening at each end.
Adding the lace:
I pinned the lace along the edge deciding how much trim I wanted. This should be adjusted based on the lace you choose and the length of the scarf. I then used a zig zag stitch (on the front side of the scarf)to stitch lace onto tee shirt material. Zig zag provides a stronger hold and blends well into the lace. On the opposite side I used a regular stitch. For this scarf sewing the ends was not necessary, adding the lace took care of that.

Materials:

1 yrd  gray jersey tee shirt material

1 yrd black lace trim

For the second scarf I created an infinity loop. This was more challenging and I would suggest using a longer piece of fabric for the scarf possibly 1.5 yrds.
I started with the tee shirt material and I stitched the side like the previous scarf. I then stitched the ends closed to created just a plain double sided scarf. Adding the lace to connect the pieces I pinned the lace to one end first and adjust the trim. I then used the zig zag stitch to stitch the lace on bot sides. Once one side was attached I did the same to the other creating a loop. I love the finished product but again would like it to be a little bigger.