Going green with party signs

I've been working on baby shower party signs, and Happy Birthday signs, too. They are made out of fabric and can be used again and again! How very earth friendly, right? I haven't finished the birthday one yet, but here's a peak at the baby shower one... it's reversible! One side is in pink and brown central park toile, and says "It's A Girl" the other is in blue and brown central park toile, and says "It's A Boy!" - I had to put the exclamation point on the Boy side to have an equal number of flags. I cut the triangles 6" by 6" and then embroidered one letter per flag. Then I connected the two flags together on my serger using a rolled hem with wooly nylon. Then connected each flag together using a pre-made cream double fold binding.



I'm linking this little project to I Made It on Everything Etsy.

Mother's Day pillows

I decided to make embroidered pillows for both my mom and mother-in-law this year for Mother's Day. I recently made Euro Shams to match my ottoman in the living room, and it was the first pillow I'd made in over two decades! (I'll apologize for these pictures now, they were taken on my iphone, and the sun was coming into the room... I'll try to take better ones soon.) It was also the first time ever I made cording too. I'm very proud of them, and think they turned out great!



This was the pillow I made for my mother-in-law. The fabric was actually one I had from recovering my chairs for my dining room/kitchen table. It matches her family room perfectly! The quote on the pillow is "God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers."




This is the one I made for my mom... I couldn't post a picture until today, since it didn't get to her in California until this afternoon. (oops!) Her's says "Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." I've been in love with damask prints for awhile, and when I came across this fabric I HAD to have it! It also will match my sister's bedroom... I think I'll have to come up with something pretty for her, too!




Best part of this project? No CPSIA labeling requirements! HA!

Fabric Covered Button O.B.S.E.S.S.I.O.N

Ever since I turned this white Target coffee table into my beloved covered ottoman, I've been a little obsessed with fabric covered buttons.

**(On a side note, my husband and I bought our home in May of 2008... it was built in 1928. The owners previous to us were not only smokers, but had a dog with full run of the house... and wall to wall carpet, except for the front entryway and kitchen which were a hideous linoleum. We immediately ripped out the carpets, and had the pine floors underneath refinished... but it took us (read : me) awhile to do anything with the kitchen... looking at this photo now, I can barely remember how awful it was!!! But, that is a post, (or several) all in itself!)



After priming, and two coats of paint to match the brown on the walls, I drilled holes where I wanted the buttons to be, then covered the table with foam, then topped it with quilt batting, and then the fabric. My husband was a HUGE help with pulling on the fabric and stapling the undersides while I made sure my corners looked perfect. I think I'm a pretty easy going gal, but can have the occasional OCD tendancies. If you look closely at this picture, you'll notice that the fabric on each button matches {exactly} to the fabric on the ottoman underneath. :)



Which brings me to my most recent project, soon to hit my ETSY store, and craft shows! Fabric covered pushpins! I love them! I've also made magnets and cufflinks.
Here are a few photos of what I've been up to.

Trash to Treasure

Last week when I got home from work I noticed our new neighbor trying to remove this old horse statue from her front yard. It looks like it could be original to the block... our house was built in 1928. She was really struggling trying to get it out of the ground. I gave my husband (who works in the horse racing industry) a call to see if he wanted me to ask her if we could have it. Obviously, he said "Yes"! I headed out to let her know she could stop struggling with it, and he'd get it out when he got home from work. The next day he started working on removing the dirt, peeling paint, and years of exposure to the Long Island elements.





And, after only one coat of paint, here she is! I joke that my husband is my "demo guy" - better at taking things apart than putting them back together, but, clearly he's hiding some DIY talent. I am really proud of him!


Now, we start to hunt for a lawn jockey to fix up!