Summer towel tote

So, as usual, I get this great idea, start working on it and then JUST before I am finished I see it posted all over Pinterest.  I decided this time I was just going to post mine anyway!  So here it is.  The towel tote I started working on a few weeks ago.

I don't really have a tutorial for it but it really is easy.  (Read, I winged this) 

The Towel: Take any towel you like.  In my case I love targets RE brand quick dry towels because they are on sale a lot and SUPER soft!  For this shape I actually cut the towel in thirds but make it whatever you want!

Mine is folded along the side and sewn on the bottom and the other side.  I chose this because that left the nice manufactured towel edge on top.  I don't own a serger so when sewing sides that have been cut I use a medium zigzag stitch to make sure the seam holds. However, if a serger is available, I highly recommend serging any unfinished edges.  Less mess and looks better.

Handles: I made mine with some scrap fabric I had laying around.  I simple cut the length I wanted and double the width (don't forget to add in a seam allowance). Mine are about 30in long and 4in wide before being sewn.  

Fold in half, sew together, then turn.

Attaching the handles is easy.  I folded about 1/4th of an inch under and pinned down.  I then sewed a square and an x across the square to ensure it was sturdy.

Embellishment: If you own an embroidery machine you can find the pattern I used here: http://www.emblibrary.com/el/Products.aspx?Catalog=Emblibrary&ProductID=y3331

If you don't, try doing a simple flower like a hibiscus or something with floss maybe?  Or maybe stitch on some of the cute fabric flowers all over Pinterest?

Anyway, what I love about a towel tote is that you can toss wet pool toys or swimsuits in it without having to worry too much about finding a plastic bag.  Also, it is certainly washable.  The most important of all though is....

It's so soft and fluffy!! 

Make the most of your can of WD-40

I ran across this on Facebook.  I haven't tried even one of these I don't suspect but man, I had to find a better place to put this that was well, more share-able than Facebook.  Now all I need is a list for duct tape right?

One to make note of for anyone who lives in the southern states.... fire ant bites?!  This one I'm sure I will have to try after I work in my yard this year.

WD-40 Uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floor that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps the flies off of Cows, Horses, and other Farm Critters, as well. (Ya gotta love this one!!!)
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic / terracotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on both home and vehicles doors.
18. It removes that nasty tar and scuff marks from the kitchen flooring.
It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.
Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Remove those nasty Bug guts that will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gearshift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22. Rids kids rocking chair and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes grease splatters from stovetops.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York, it protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.
Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. It is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray it on the marks and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you spray it inside a wet distributor cap, it will displace the moisture, allowing the engine to start.

Felt Tooth Fairy Pouches

Remember when loosing a tooth was exciting?  Man do I miss those days.  My friend's 6 year old, who has been the innocent victim of my crafting for a number of years now, has his first loose tooth.  He's excited and therefor so am I even if my own memories of loose teeth aren't exactly pleasant.  After the methods I saw to pulling the loose teeth, I was more than willing to keep my mouth shut (pun fully intended on that one) when it came to my own loose teeth.  So to kick off B's tooth fairy dreams right, I made him a cute little tooth fairy pouch I found off nowhere else than Pinterest.

The Purl Bee has this stinking cute tutorial for these little puppies.

Tooth Fair Pouch from Purl Bee

They take no time at all to make.  I sewed part of mine and only hand stitching the tooth on.  I wasn't brave enough to try and machine sew that part.

Sorry for the bad cell phone photo here.  I will get good photos of these eventually.

I didn't have the nice white yarn so I went with matching ribbon I did have as well.

Purl Bee sells all the supplies to make these from there website.  I don't have the same colors they have but you can buy the felt from my Etsy shop, StitchinCute, for a fraction of the price.  I bought the spool of ribbon at Walmart for 50 cents and used two strands of a white tone DMC embroidery floss for the tooth.

Super simple and super cute!

Pretty Felt! From Me to You!

So here we go, felt.  I have loved making my felt flowers but I got frustrated with the quality and colors.  

My favorite felt flower to date

I wanted all the pretty colors I saw everywhere but every fabric store I run into has these craft felt colors that just don't work for me.  I looked into buying sheets of felt and about fell over at the prices.  So here you are.  I'm going to try my hand at selling these wonderful colors of felt that I've seen with the quality of having actual wool included in the blend.  On top of that, since this is not an attempt at making an income to support myself on, I'm willing to, quite frankly, not make much off of it.  As with everything else I do, it doesn't happen all that quickly.  Here are two of my first packs of felt to offer you.  I have a listing for both a set of 8 sheets and a set of 16.  Eventually, I hope to have some fun stuff for you to make with these.  That's the plan at least.

Sweetheart Valentines Wool Felt Pack

Rustic Christmas Wool Felt Pack

Oh yeah, the best part of all. The felt is made 100% in the USA. It sure means something to me to be able to support my own country. Details of the wool blend can be found on the Etsy listing. I have plenty more to go so stay tuned.

Brainstorming

I realized as I went to type this up just how descriptive the term brainstorming is. I sure feel like my brain has been a storm of ideas the last week. I seem to alway find half my brain on what I wish I could be making in my craft room at home. Well, anyway, from all the storming that has been going on this week I am heavily considering expanding my little adventure here. I have fallen in love with felt. Trust me, I NEVER thought I would say that. But the stuff really is so versatile. I am waiting for some quotes and these are what determine the fate of this idea. Cross your fingers for me. If anyone wants to share some felt wholesale vendors they know, I would greatly appreciate it.

Soooo many ideas and not near enough time.

Rusty HTML

After spending the last hour hacking the etsy mini "widget" onto the side of the blog, I'm realizing just how rusty my html and css skills are at this point.  I sure "relearned" a lot.  I can't control the background color it seems.  Sorry all, I know its kinda ew.

Anyway, now that its nearly 10pm for me, I think I better go get some dinner.  You think?

New ideas

Well, as my dad would say, this is the engineer in me. I have been working on new ideas. Posting some pictures of the makings. Have enjoyed every minute.