SNOW DAY

 

 

Okay so I know I am suppose to post something helpful or useful...but today we are calling it a SNOW DAY!! Here in Utah, we have gotten dumped on! It reminds me of the snow I remember as a kid. Tons of it and it's awesome powder! Makes me miss skiing and snowboarding every weekend! If you have snow at your house...go play in it! I think as adults we forget how much fun it can be. :)  Sorry this is the only picture you get...like I said, it's more fun to play in it!!

A Cleaning Tip

So I have a gas stove, it came with the house. I LOVE cooking on a gas stove, but the grease and grime that came with it is not fun. I have lived in my house for 3 years now, and have tried just about everything heard of to try and get it shining again. But nothing has worked, like I want it too.

Which brings me to last month when I had some friends over at my house and one of them who has a cleaning business said she knew all the tricks. So I proceeded to ask about my stove. That's when she told me of the awesomeness that is ZEP.

Zep is a cleaner that can only be purchased at Home Depot. I had never heard of it and since I had tried all the ones I had heard of I though it deserved a try.

When I got to Home Depot and found the cleaning section I was a bit overwhelmed because there are a ton of different ZEP products, one just for bathrooms, one for carpets, etc. I decided to try the all purpose cleaner hoping that even if it didn't work on my stove that it would work on other things around the house.

I got a 2 pack for $2.40!! Seriously for a cleaning product I thought that was a great deal.

I took it home and tried it. I saw a noticeable difference. So then I used it again but with a scrub brush (because putting a little "elbow grease" into it is highly overrated) and WOW! What a huge difference. I could actually see the grease and grime coming off! I can't wait to see what else this stuff can do!! The bathroom is next.....

Until next time....

Tips and Tidbits Part 3

Today’s tidbit has to do with putting in a zipper. I use to be so scared of putting in zippers, but doing it this way was simple, and kind of gave me a bit more sewing confidence. It can be used to put a zipper in just about anything from pillows, to pants, to a dress.

Note: This example is done with a dress. The skirt and bodice have been sewn together leaving just the back open before doing the zipper.

 

First put right sides together, then sew, taking 1/2" to 5/8" seam or larger.

 

With material right side down, open seam.

 

Place zipper face down, right on the seam.

 

Pin in place.

 

Fold top sides of zipper down and pin.

 

Using a zipper foot, stitch starting at the top of one side going down to just before the end of the zipper, or where ever you want the zipper to end.

 

Pivot and stitch back and forth several times at the bottom, then pivot again and start back up to the top of the zipper.

 

Once finished this is what it looks like, but the seam is still closed.

 

Using an unpicker (seam-ripper) whatever you call it, go right down the middle, exposing the zipper.

 

Be careful at the bottom not to undo the stitches.

 

Pull your little threads, and you are finished.

 

Tah-dah!!

 

There are many different and more fancy ways to put in a zipper, but this is a easy way to do it when you are just learning. It will help build your confidence up to try other methods. :)

 

 

Until next time....

 

Tips and tidbits to help you out Part 2

Today I am going to share a simple tip about gathering a really full skirt, or dress!!
There are many different styles of skirts, but a few weeks ago I wanted to make Lucy a REALLY  FULL "princess" dress. (Pictured last in the previous post.)

I used my favorite bodice pattern, then I took 3 widths of my fabric, cut to length and sewed them together. That's like 135" (give or take an inch or two) to go around my little girls 26" waist. The problem with that is getting it to all lay nicely and evenly.

The answer...

 

...it's so simple...

 

 

...doing 2 gathering stitches instead of one.

I like to do my seams 1/2"or 4/8", so I did my gathering stitches at 3/8" and 5/8".

 

 

Then I started pulling my threads until I got to my desired width.

 

It was simple and made it gather very evenly.

 

When I went to sew it to the bodice at 4/8", it was right between the 2 lines of stitches, so it stayed in place nicely with out the curling and catching the gather like with just one stitch.

Although I did have to pull out the one gathering stitch that was below the seam, but it wasn't hard, and didn't take long, so it was worth it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

 

 

Until next time....

 

Tips and tidbits to help you out...

First of all...Happy New Year 2013!! Yea! This year I decided I need to be a little bit more organized here on the blog, so I have decided to try and do at least one post a week. Most likely it will be on Wednesdays. So check back each week!!
So I love getting helpful tips that just make sewing more simple. My Mom took a class when she was in college at Dixie. It was called Speed Sewing. It basically taught you all those little tricks that make sewing easier and more successful. I have taken a few of those "tips and tidbits" that she learned and I am passing them on to you over the next few weeks. Please let me know if you have any questions or sewing items you would like some tips on, I am sure she'll have some, and be happy to share. :)

First tip is to invest in a great dress pattern that you love, and fits your child or yourself nicely. Whether it's one you made up yourself, or one you bought, it's a great thing to have on hand. For me, or rather Lucy, it's a pattern by simplicity 2688.

 

 

And I got it at Walmart for like $3.

 

It is very versatile. It can have sleeves, or be sleeveless. It's easy to adjust the length of the bodice if I chose a empire waist, I simply fold it under, then if I want a lower waist, I add to it. If you like the bodice, you can put any kind of skirt on it, changing the look of the dress entirely.

 

These dresses are all made from the same pattern bodice, but all have different skirts or sleeves.

 

 

 

 

 

Until next time....