VERY EASY and low tech Covered Notebooks...

For several years in a row, the Two Peas have crafted trinkets and sold them locally giving the proceeds to our local Children's Hospital.  One of the more popular items we made was covered notebooks.  Super easy to do make, quick and very pretty.  One year they made a huge stack and the notebooks themselves were delivered to 'tween and teen patients at the hospital. Here's what you'll need:

Composition Notebooks like this one (We found these at our local discount store for 50¢ each)

Ribbons Scrap book embellishments Glue - we used Elmers school glue Old paint brush Fabric Scraps

1)  First, cut the fabric for the cover.  Cut your fabric 2" larger than the cover on the top, bottom and side but even with the edge of the black spine.  Clip your corners as needed to get them to lay down nice and smooth.

Once you have cut to proper size, apply your glue on the cover and use your paint brush to spread the glue evenly.  DON'T use too much or your fabric will just be all wet from the glue.  Just use enough to give it a good even coat.  Lay your fabric onto your cover and smooth it.  I used a ruler edge to smooth it and get out any bubbles.  Once you have the front smooth, then open your cover up carefully and apply some glue along the inside cover at the top, bottom and outer edge and wrap your cover fabric around and secure with the glue.

2) Next, cut a piece of fabric for the inside cover.  This piece will be folded under 1/2" on all edges and will fit evenly to the center, covering your raw edges of the fabric from the cover you wrapped around to the inside.  You only need to press under your top, bottom and outer edge.  You can leave the edge along the spine raw.  It will be covered later.

I used my iron to press my edges of the inside fabric under.  You could also stitch the folded edges under with a pretty decorative stitch if you wanted to add some more detail.  Next, apply your glue and using your paint brush, smooth it until it has an even coat.  Secure your inside cover fabric piece in place and smooth.

3)  Add your ribbon.  I used several pieces of ribbon layered together.  First, lay your ribbon on the inside and wrap to the front as pictured.  Determine your length and cut.  I glued the ribbon layers together (you could also sew them) and glued them to the inside spine of my notebook first, covering the raw edge along the spine.

Next, I wrapped my ribbon around to the front, again covering my raw edges along the spine.  I glued the ribbon in place on both ends leaving the center unglued so I could tie it.

4)  Last, I added some of my scrapbook embellishments to the cover.

These are fun for the kids to do because with a little help, they can do most of this project themselves.  It would be a great idea for a child to make as a gift for a grandparent or teacher for the holidays.  If you try this project, add it to my Flickr group and share your works of art!

xoxo,

Trish

Sew? Me? Why yes, yes I do. You?

Some of you sew.  Some of you don't.  But if you don't...is it fair to say you wish you did?

I hear it all the time.  "I wish I knew how to sew!".  Seriously - anyone can sew!  And so, I've been teaching a few classes about once a month on some original and other projects.  Fun for beginners.  Fun for those advanced sewers.

Last week, we had our TOTES! class.  The idea was that I would share how I draft...ha!  How I "draft" a bag pattern.  Um, a tote bag is a rectangle basically.  Add straps.  Boom!  You're done.

With a few patches and a basic pattern, I introduced them to using offset blocks and a little no sew trick.  Two different ways to make the gussets and how to make the straps.  How to create pockets from whatever scraps you have.  How to use interfacing.  How to insert a snap.  I think that about sums it up.  Wanna see what they came up with?

February, we are sewing up some fabulous accessory bags and learning how to make little rolled roses and more to pin on or attach to barrettes.

March, we are getting ready for Spring with some home dec sewing.  Pillow covers and table runners.  I love making the table runners actually into placemats which you can use on an end table too.

April, preparing for Mother's Day we will be making aprons.

May, end of school year so we will be making teacher thank you gifts.  Notebook covers and coffee cup cozies.

June, ready for the summer - we will be making a classic, pillowcase dresses.

Want to join us?  If you sign up for any 3 classes and pay in advance, you'll receive a $20 discount.  If you've taken a class with me - I'd love to hear what you think and share with everyone.  I love seeing what you all create!  Thanks for sewing with me!

xoxo,

Trish

Day one of my 14 Days of Doing Nothing Before Christmas...

On the 1st day of my 14 Days of Doing Nothing Before Christmas...my true love gave to me...a plate of chicken and stuffing. Ok, not what you were expecting.  But my hubby did make dinner last night and it was pretty good.  And if you recall, he asked me to try and not do "anything" for 14 days.  He wanted me to just relax with no deadlines or rushing around or delivering orders or whatever...I thought I'd blog about my 14 days to see how good I do.

On day 1:

• Took the kids to school
• Stopped at the coffeehouse where our art guild displays for sale items and set up my display.
• Stopped at Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte - Venti size.  Had to do it.  It fills my tummy with happiness.
• Stopped at McD's for a yogurt parfait and fed it to the baby.
• Took care of business for our rental property.  Of which I wish would be struck by lightening and burn to the ground.  Long story - someday I'll share that "brilliant" business idea of mine of buying this place so I wouldn't have to work full time.  Brilliant...not so much.
• Stopped at thrift store.  Bought 4 sweaters to make this

• Went home.  Ate lunch. Made 12 of these upcycled wrist cuffs / coffeecup cozies.
• Went to work at my "office on campus" for 4 hours.
• Home.  Baby in bath and to bed.
• Made 16 more wrist cuffs / coffeecup cozies.

I think I may have a problem.  That was only day 1.  I mean, there weren't any BIG projects in there.

And I did find this at the thrift store.

This is a Pendleton Vintage wool coat with a real rabbit fur collar.  In the thrift store.  It's in like new condition.  Crazy.  Just beautiful.

I wore it this morning but someone told me they thought it was worth a lot of money.  Is it?  It's really cute.  But I could sure use some Christmas money so I'm going to list it on ebay and see what happens.  I'll keep you posted.

I'll be back with "Day Two" tomorrow.  So far today - I'm doing much better at doing "nothing".  (wink! yeah, right!)

And these little wrist cuffs / coffeecup cozies - these along with a gift card to your local coffeehouse would make a super teacher gift or for a friend, etc.

And I'm going to list some over in my etsy store shortly for $2 plus $1 shipping.  A few more complicated ones will be $3.

DON'T FORGET!!  Go here to the previous post and leave a comment to win this adorable bucket hat from Bows and Blossoms.  AND you can still enter to win a purse, ipod accessory bag, owl pin and pattern from me over at Where Women Create until December 14th.

How's your day going so far?  Hope it's a good one!

xoxo,

Trish

Work hard to play hard...

I'm having one of those months.  One of those months in which I am literally chained to my sewing machine.  I'm not sure I could possibly show you the shear amount of STUFF coming out of the Two Peas studio lately.  It's a lot. Like a bazillion key fobs and wristlets and bags and t-shirts.  Ohhh, t-shirts.  Which is what I really need to be doing right now.  I have 3 shows coming up AND we have some serious fun planned for this weekend.  I have GOT to have everything done and out the door so I can relax a bit.  I can not wait!  Seriously.  Can. Not. Wait.  Somebody.  Unplug.  My.  Iron.  I'm just about done!

I said I shared with you some of the other little outfits I had made for my girls for school and here's a few.

The skirt and pants pattern is Simplicity 4206, Sewing Pattern for Dummies.  And let me tell you, it is seriously extremely easy, very few instructions / steps and really quick.  I think they turned out cute.  I added the ruffle to the bottom of the pants and I added bias tape to the hem of the skirt.  But if you want an easy quick pattern, this is it!  Loved it.

Wish I had more time to share all of the other goodies going on here but I just don't!

I will leave you with a fun quick tutorial though!  I started teaching my series of sewing classes, my very own Two Peas Sewing Bee...and one of the projects we made was a lanyard.

So easy...here's what you need:  key ring and lobster claw clip to hold a key and your id badge.  I found these in the jewelery supply section of JoAnn Fabrics.

Cut one strip of fabric 2" x 32".  Now, if you want it longer - add a few inches to the length, maybe 34" or 36".  Press wrong sides together in half.  Then open it back up.  Press wrong sides together each half to the center creating your own piece of bias tape.  Again, press.  Make sense?

Sew down each side of this strip.  Then add your key ring to one end and your clip to the other end.  You want to make sure your strap is straight and then fold your ends over your hardware towards the center about 1 inch.  Bring your ends together, lining up your raw edges of each end so that they are even.  Your raw edges are now folded to the inside.  Sew, following your side seams, down each seam, across just above your raw edges so that you have sewn a square and completely encased your hardware and hidden your raw edges.  That's it!  That's all there is to making a cute little lanyard!  So easy, start to finish, 15 minutes!

OK...I SO have to get back to my machine and work on shirts!  Have fun making lanyards!

xoxo,

Trish