Link Love


Make a birthday tree with Jordan Ferney at Oh Happy Day…
Every single piece of art is as amazing as this lion in Kate Endle’s etsy shop…
Always with the great ideas, like making a DIY canopy to create an outdoor room from Sarah at Apartment Therapy…
And sew this one-shoulder ruffle shirt with Erika Domesek at Craft!

And more…
Through some creative googling I found this page that has a chart with size measurements for baby and toddler clothes, handy dandy, from Mississippi State University of all places.  Do you know of more charts like this?  Share the links in the comments.
This is so utterly random, but if you haven’t heard of this site you should bookmark it. Go here and search for a coupon before you buy anything online, they almost always have a working one: Retail Me Not
Been saving this recipe for Sweet Potato Tartin for like a year, maybe I will finally try it this weekend, from Serious Eats
SALE: All Anna Maria Horner Fabrics are 15% off at Fabricworm right now!!
Oh, and if you haven’t done it yet, now is a good time to pre-order my book because it’s on sale on Amazon and the price will go back up before it releases!

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Interview with Anna Maria Horner


We are thrilled to share YOUR interview with Anna Maria Horner today. Anna hand-picked questions that she felt were the most popular. Not surprisingly, they mostly have to do with our wonder and amazement over how she manages to get it all done with 6 children including a toddler at home during the day! I thought I was doing pretty well getting a blog post up here and there (and sometimes getting dressed)… she’s running an empire people! Hmmmn, maybe I just need more kids to make it all happen. Read and learn, and then go pick up a copy of her new book Handmade Beginnings so you can make a pair of these most-adorable booties. They are so cute that I want to bite them, I’m not kidding.

Take it away Anna!
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DIY Oil Cloth Bath Seat


Does your back hurt? Mine does. All the time. Bending over the bathtub doesn’t help. I found this stool at a thrift store for and recovered it with this gorgeous Heather Bailey Nicey Jane oil cloth so now I can sit comfortably (yet water-resistantly) by the bath!

Visit our Refurbished Footstool DIY for the full tutorial (it’s a super easy beginner project) and get thee to a thrift store! Your back will thank you.  And if you have any other back or hip-saving tips, please share them with me, I beg you.

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What do you think?

Dear readers of good taste and sophistication; I need your help.

I’m trying to decide which fabric to use for a new set of cloth napkins. My kitchen is white with hints of yellow, and the bulk of my dishes are red. Mmmmmm, pretty combination, not really. So here are my two options:

A: Anna Maria Horner Small Gathering Citrus

B: Alexander Henry Natura Birdsong Bright

Help me out! Which should I do? Please leave a comment!

Here is the kitchen in question. Note the Halloween candy, indicating the last time it was clean enough to photograph.

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Happy Birthday to ME!


If you are trying to come up with the perfect gift for a crafty pal, may I suggest the gift that Jaime just gave me for my birthday? A glorious assortment of snaps and buttons, elastics, ribbons and various notions. What a treasure! And I’m guessing some pretty fun shopping for the gift giver. Thanks Jaime, you’re the best!

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How to Make Bias Tape

Y’all know how much I love bias tape. I’ve been showing you projects with pre-made bias tape, but we all know it’s so much cuter when you make your own. It seems a little complicated, but do it once and you’ll be hooked. Let’s learn how to make bias tape.

Bias tape is great for two things: stabilizing curves and finishing edges. There are two major steps to making bias tape: Cutting Bias Strips and Ironing it into Bias Tape. Let me show you both step for how to make bias tape…

I’ll give instructions on How to Make Single Fold Bias Tape and Double Fold Bias Tape (and the secrets for doing each step faster than you thought possible) after the jump…
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Giveaway! Sewing Bits & Pieces: 35 Projects Using Fabric Scraps by Sandi Henderson


Eek!  Fresh projects!  To put those fabrics scraps to amazing use!  We are so excited to be giving away a SIGNED copy of Sandi Henderson‘s new book: Sewing Bits and Pieces: 35 Projects Using Fabric Scraps AND the four chunks of her beautifully designed fabric seen below (from her Meadowsweet Collection you can buy here):

We were lucky enough to chat with Sandi at her book launch party at Quilt Market, and we can tell you this is one creative gal. She was even wearing the gorgeous sweater pictured on the cover of her book:

Take a look at her booth from Quilt Market…see all that gorgeous stuff?? So much of it can be made just with fabric scraps!

This book is a delight, with fresh projects and lots of patterns. Can you imagine making yourself some cozy slippers from fabric scraps??

I especially love this dahlia pincushion:

So to enter this giveaway, tell us something that’s in “bits and pieces” in your life. For example, my sanity. No, but seriously, there is a box with 50,000 puzzle pieces taunting me in my living room. Come back everyday for a new entry! Become a follower, share on facebook, or tweet the giveaway, then leave another comment each time letting us know for an additional entry. Entries will close at midnight June 2nd and a winner will be randomly selected.

Now GO GO GO!

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Guest Post: DIY Bulletin Board Alternative

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Julia at I Steal Good Ideas cooked up this alternative to a traditional bulletin board from a flea market frame and some mod podge, and she’s going to show you how to make one too. Here’s the scoop from Julia herself:

I’m a certified idea thief. If I see something I like but know I could make it and get something I LOVE, then the rip off is on. So it goes with this DIY project. My home office is on my sun porch and while I needed a bulletin board to keep up with all of the birth announcements, wedding invites, photos and general merriment that arrives in the mail, I didn’t want one that would block the view or the light. When I saw a chicken-themed note-holder frame on Wisteria, I knew I could make a more elegant version that would be perfect for my cozier-by-the-day home office. With a flea market frame, some spray paint, floral wire, and tacks from a home supply store, it came together in no time flat. But the coupe de grace is the custom decoupaged mini clothespins made especially to fit the look of my new creation. Yes, I said decoupage. I honestly can’t believe I decoupaged either … but I really enjoyed it and I think the Wisteria rip-off was a success. I hope you think so too!

Get the full DIY Bulletin Board Alternative Tutorial at I Steal Good Ideas!

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