Scrap Buster Project: DIY Fabric Brooches

Got some pretty fabric scraps that are too small for most projects?  Or want to highlight a fabric's fun print on a small scale?  Then this project is for you!  Make pin-on brooches in minutes & add to any outfit or bag for some extra fabric fabulousness.  

I literally whipped this project up an hour before going to a craft event.  I wanted to be able to wear something crafty, that I'd made, and this worked out perfectly.  It's also a great way to feature a design or character from a busy fabric as well.

Materials:
- Scrap of quilting cotton (the fabric I used is Rain Basic in Aqua by Timeless Treasures)
- Scrap of felt
- Small piece of ultra firm stabilizer
- Safety Pin
- Sewing notions (disappearing marker, shears/scissors, iron)

Optional: paper-backed fusible web, button/embellishment, pinking shears, embroidery floss, hand sewing needle.  The "Handmade" wood embellishment I used can be found here. 

Start by cutting your desired shape from your fabric, felt and stabilizers.  Since I was going to add a rectangular embellishment on top, I echoed that shape, but made it about an inch wider and higher all the way around.

Next iron on some paper backed fusible to the wrong side of the fabric, peel aways the paper and then fuse to the ultra firm stabilizer.  Using paper backed fusible isn't required, but it will keep things from shifting while you sew, so it's a sanity saver.

Use disappearing marker to draw the outline of any embellishment if that will be the shape you want to sew around. This makes sure things centered & gives a guide to sew around to make sure the topstitching will be even and straight.

Lay the safety pin on the felt and center.  I used disappearing marker to draw the outline of my wood again to make sure I had things perfectly centered.  Make two small marks as shown:

Snip the two marking points to about 1/4 inch high and slip safety pin in to make sure it fits. Slip back out and add after brooch is complete.

Place felt behind the fabric "sandwich" you've made and pin layers together:

Topstitch all the way around. I did about 1/4 inch away from the outline of my wood piece. Trim just outside the stitching.  I used pinking shears for some extra decorative detail and to prevent fraying.  If using regular shears, add a little Fray Check around the raw edges to seal them.

If you're using an embellishment or decorative button(s) like I did, hand sew them on.  I used bright pink embroidery floss for some extra color.  Slip safety pin through slits in the back. Now the button is done and ready to wear!

I'm also sharing this project with my FAVE LINK PARTIES.

Click HERE to check them out!

Come Link Up! It's The Craftastic Monday Link Party

Welcome to a new Craftastic Monday link party!  I want to start by saying there have been some fabulous projects linked lately.  Unfortunately, I've noticed a lot of the projects I want to feature don't have the party button or a link in their "Where I party" sections:(  I share each feature at the party as well as on Twitter and Pinterest so it's a lot of bonus exposure for your hard work so don't miss out on your chance to be featured!

I also want to say thanks for all the wonderful feedback on my Small Space Dream Craft Room Tour.  After working so hard to get my room set up, it's such a thrill to hear how many other people like it too!

Now for some Craftastic picks..

Bad with plants?  Or just want to word's easiest garden?  Check out these felt succulents at The Pin Junkie:

We loved the Lego Movie and, of course, all things Lego-related.  If you do too, you can make some fantastic thanks to these free pillow templates from Artbella:

As someone who loves lime anything, I can't wait to try this lime sherbet float from The First Year Blog:

I love this idea from Running With A Glue Gun - wall art made with coloring book pages:

Check out these cute Despicable Me minion shirts from Somewhere in the Middle:

I'm always trying to find tasty ways to get veggies into meals and this zucchini rice recipe from The Diary of a Real Housewife sounds like a great ideas:

If you're one of this week's features, be sure to grab my Featured On button over on theButtons Page to let everyone know.  I also feature these projects & more party favorites on the Sew Can Do's Craftastic Picks board on Pinterest AND I share each of them on Twitter too.  Follow me there to see more great projects (and see if yours is one of them)!   

  

Ready to link up your crafty creations?

 

Party rules are simple:

• As long as it's crafty, and made by you, it's Craftastic (no links to giveaways, shops, link parties or other people's work).  Add the link to your specific post (not the main page of your blog).
• Grab my party button & put it on your post or blog somewhere.  The code's on the sidebar -> 
• Check out some of the other fabulous links and share some crafty comment love.  We all love getting comments!!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

What You Need In A Dress Form: A PGM Dress Form Review

Earlier this week I shared my new craft room tour and showed a quick pic of one of its recent additions: a proper dress form.  Now it's time to share more about this lovely lady:

I sew a lot of children's clothing, but haven't really done as much apparel for myself despite that being the thing I wanted to do most when I learned to sew.  Being on the petite side, but having curves at the hips & back, it's tough for me to find clothing or patterns that fit well.  It's also hard to do alterations when you're standing in front of a mirror & trying to pin something you're wearing, so a dress form is a tool worth having.

When PGM contacted me and asked if I'd like to review one of their dress forms, I was thrilled.  PGM makes the forms that fashion schools, clothing manufacturers and designers use.  They also been used on Project Runway. They offered me the Industry Pro 601 Ladies Dress Form model and I paid the shipping cost.  I selected a size 6 after following their directions to determine size needed. It took a little time to measure all over, but it was worth it so I could get as close a match to my real measurements.  They do offer custom sized forms as well and colored options like these.  Super pretty, aren't they:

I'd gotten an inexpensive plastic dress form a while ago, but it was designed more for display use than dressmaking, so I didn't really use it apart from photographing finished items on and I never pieced things together on it because it was only vaguely close to my size.  This one was very different.  The contours of this form are more realistic than most dress forms - the bust and backside have definition like a real body for a more accurate.  Yes, it's cheeky around the back, which I love;)

It also helps that there are ridged "bump out" side seams so you can easily find them when altering to line your garment up just right.   

There are also handy seams for piecing and determining marking points which is very helpful too, especially for designing your own items:

The height can be easily adjusted thanks to a foot pedal.  This is really valuable to me since it means I can actually have it at my real height, unlike my old form on a wooden base.

I can even bring it up high enough to hem skirts while standing.  And speaking of hemming, it's a lot easier to get a uniform hem and precisely measure with by using the cage section at the bottom

The part I like best about it is that it is pinnable.  This doesn't mean you can just stab into it, but pins go in nicely at an angle so doing on-the-form draping and designing is a possibility. 

There's also a handy collapsible shoulder feature to make it easier to get clothing on and off. 

It's on the heavy side, but the iron base has wheels to make it easy to move around.  The form I'd had before was hollowed out plastic and so light it was a bit tippy by comparison. And decor-wise it's got a fun vintage look with the linen outer & metal finial, so it looks nice sitting out.

I'm really looking forward to styling some custom clothing for myself using the draping method, since the form is the exact size I need:

Price wise this form is a bit more than a lot of the adjustable plastic versions or shop display forms out there, but it's the real deal.  The key features above make it worth the extra cost in my mind and they do offer discounts for students and have special deals and sales announced on their Facebook page. One thing I've learned in sewing is that good tools are an investment - cutting corners to save a few bucks usually costs extra time and effort and is the difference between a homemade and custom made look for clothing.  I'd much rather people ask if I made what I'm wearing because it's a great fit, rather than because it looks "not quite right" so it couldn't have been bought in a store!



I was not financially compensated for this post .  I received the PGM Dress Form shown, to review & use as I desired. The opinions are completely my own based on my experiences.  

Making A Dream Craft Room In A Small Space

Do you ever look at those amazing craft room tours, the ones with a room the size of a garage, custom built work spaces, and stunning decor, and think "I wish I had that", followed by:

I'll admit I did.  With 3 kids, a mortgage and real life stuff popping up at every turn, kitting out a fancy craft room hadn't been a priority.  And even if it had been, I'd have to evict a kid or two for some extra square footage.  I've been lucky enough to have half of a former laundry room/galley kitchenette to call my craft room.  It even looked pretty cute in my last tour a couple years ago, but since then the repurposed furniture, plastic bins & makeshift containers just weren't working anymore.

My problem was that I was outgrowing my space but had nowhere to go.  As I learned to craft more, I accumulated more supplies.  Things were getting jammed into any nook or cranny available, which meant I was never really sure where things were or what I had.  I'd tried reorganizing & purging, but the bottom line was I'd reached the point where it wasn't working anymore.  There was more stuff than places to put it and a larger space wasn't an option.  This was not a good look:

My Craft Room Mess

I remembered I'd seen some crafter-specific furniture from The Original Scrapbox in a big blog's craft room reveal a while ago, but hadn't thought it would work for me.  For one, my space is basically one side of a galley kitchen, not a lot of configuration options for furniture or storage. Secondly, I'm a regular person with a real world budget.  I'm also a super cheapskate - the thought of spending more than $20 on a single item for my craft space gave me palpitations. But as I searched for an ideal solution, I kept coming back to their EZ View Desk.  It was the same width as the crappy drop leaf counter I was using, but could hold a lot more. I told myself if I wanted it enough, it would be worth working towards.

So I started saving.  Making a few hats, selling a few patterns, doing some freelance projects, I kept setting it aside for several months until I had enough.  And I timed it just right with Black Friday so I could get a sale price too.  It was totally worth it.  I now have a dream craft room:

I feel like a kid in a candy store when I look at my stash of supplies now!  Come have a peek...

I've stocked these shallow partitioned drawers with my various craft paints and inks.  Now I can find things at a glance instead of sifting through bins or drawers where I may have put them.  And to add some personal style (and protect my drawers in case of any spills), I fitted them with drawer liners I cut from some laminate cotton fabric:

I keep my tools, washi tapes & glass vials on this side.  The partitions are totally removable so I can change the size of the sections if I end up getting more stuff or change what I put in them.

I bought the add-on extension drawers for this desk which make it several inches taller and added some extra deep pull out storage for my big tape rolls on this side:

And my hot glue goodies, scale and barrette making supplies on this side.  This stuff was all too tall or wide to put anywhere else, but now it's easy to access:

I also sprang for the additional LED light option.  Not only does it look cool, but it's totally handy for tracing so I don't need a separate, bulky light box.  

It also makes an awesome catwalk for toy fashion shows.  Work it ponies!

The cool thing is you can choose your own bases on these desks, so I went with the side tote option on this side.  The totes are clear so I used some double sided tape & scrapbook paper to give them a custom look and keep things looking neat too.  Now I've got distinct, easy access spaces for my card stock, Mod Podge, glues, brushes and all the other things that used it get the "throw it all in a bin" treatment.

The door front houses zip-up pouches that can stick anywhere inside it thanks to a velcro wall.  I used the space under the desk to store my tackle box organizers.  

Those box organizers were way overstuffed before this desk, but look at the difference now that I can spread my stuff out thanks to all the extra compartments:

I went with the shelf cabinet on the other side to hold all my ironing stuff, laminator and cutting machines.  My Cricut & Silhouette always sat out getting dusty & taking up valuable space on my old counter, but now they're hidden, but still easy to pull out.  I've even got all my extra blades, pens and manuals right there in the zip pouches too instead of buried in the back of a drawer on the other side of the room.  

Above my EZ View Desk, is this cute storage shelf I found at staples.com of all places.  It's got the same bead board finish as my desk doors so it's a perfect wall complement.  I keep my small spools of ribbon and beads on it.  It looks pretty, but it's also helpful to quickly see what I've got. I slipped coordinating scrapbook paper into the drawer fronts to match my other accents:

Now let's head over to my sewing nook, since that's where most of the magic happens. This had been an ultra deep closet (it originally held a refrigerator).  We had removed the louvered doors and added a small table so I could use it as a sewing area, but I couldn't really store much in this spot.  When Black Friday hit and I was about to order my EZ View Desk, they announced the new Helen Sewing Desk and that it would be introduced at a special discounted price.  I jumped in and got both.

This desk has the benefits of the EZ View but has sewing-specific features like a center drop-in section for sewing machines.

The coolest bits are the custom clear panel that was cut to fit around my exact machine and the stacking rubber mats to adjust the height.  I  just sent them a tracing outline and they made a panel that fits my Janome HD1000 exactly and is easy to remove when I want to free arm sew.  I've also notice it is a heck of a lot quieter when I sew thanks to those rubber mats. It also came with a solid panel I can swap in if I want to remove my machine and use it as a regular desk.

Behind it is another deep section with a removable panel where I keep random sewing stuff like ribbons and trim:

There's a pull out drawer on one side to use for my design journal & notions:

And another for all my cutting tools on the right.  I keep all my extra needles & machine accessories in some recycled wet wipes containers in there.  The clear desk top makes it easy to find things and keeps me from getting to sloppy because I can always see my stuff. Very motivating for lazy people like myself.

I went with the side tote option on the left base again and use those to store all my patterns by size and style.  I printed some labels in a fun font to put on each of the totes.  

I keep my marking tools, specialty threads & fold over elastic in the door pouches:

The other base for this desk actually comes with a spool rack in the door, so I keep my extra thread and attachments for my sewing machines on it.  When we were putting it together I was worried about how the door would open (since I wanted the desk side to be against the wall), but the bases can be flipped to open to the right or left, so it was no problem.  I also got a Ribbon Box to keep all my favorite ribbons organized and ready to just pull & cut.   

Above my desk is a shelf from Pottery Barn I'd originally had in a bathroom.  I've repurposed it to hold my sewing knick-knacks like mini-figure of Lemon Meringue with her sewing machine, My Little Pony's Rarity (the sewing maven) and the high fashion ponies Hoity Toity & Photo Finish.  And yes there's also Skipper & a coconut tree from Gilligan's Island, who is not related to fashion or sewing, but has been a bit of a good luck charm for me for years. My Brother SE 400 machine stays out of the way up top.  I've hung some metal pails from Ikea from the towel bar for quick places to stash current projects.

And in the corner is my lovely dress form.  She's a new addition that I'll be sharing more about in an upcoming review, but I can already say that she's been helping to hone my apparel making skills.

The other side of my room is still the original built-in cabinets, mostly filled with non-craft stuff, plus a stove. 

I made a less-than-useful sink into extra counter space by removing the faucet and cutting a piece of MDF to fit.  By upholstering it with Insul-Bright™ and a layer of cute flannel fabric on top it's become a big ironing surface.  Since it rests in the lip all the way around the sink it's perfectly lined up with the counter for extra workspace.

I carved out this one upper section of cabinet for my treat making/party goodies.  Some canvas bins from Ikea house my molds, pans & other bigger stuff, while the bottom shelf is devoted to my edible decorations, and organized using mason jars and berry boxes:

And I've sprinkled my room with things I've made and little decor finds, mostly from the dollar section of Michaels.  As you can see I've got a sassy, vintage vibe going on in here:

My husband got me this fabulous sewing machine tape dispenser for Christmas last year. Perfect craft room decor AND it's useful! 

And thanks to all my new "on the floor" storage space, my teeny curved side closet isn't so stuffed it's about to avalanche anymore:

The changes really have made a huge difference despite my space itself not really changing. I feel organized, my room stays cleaner and it makes working in it more enjoyable and less claustrophobic.  It just took a little patience and some saving, but I can honestly say my craft room has become my dream space come true.

I'm also sharing this project with my FAVE LINK PARTIES.

Click HERE to check them out!