Love is in the air. I can feel it, and I can smell the chocolate. Now, I know Valentine's Day isn't for everyone. But it's for me! Is it for you, too? Pulling out the pink and red decorations is the highlight of my February. Or, sometimes late January. I love DIYing the next few holidays that are coming up too. I'm excited for Easter, St. Paddy's Day, and even 4th of July. 

Valentine's Day is all about hearts, hearts, hearts. But, you don't necessarily need heart themed fabric to sew Valentine's projects. You'll see some heart fabrics were used in these projects, but anything red or pink will do just fine. Sift through your stash and scrap bin to give those red and pink fabrics some new life.

If you have little ones, they can help with decorating the house and making their Valentine's gifts too. I wanted to share some quick and easy things that you can sew for Valentine's Day, that shouldn't take a whole day. A few of these were made in previous years, and some were made this year.
Let's get our love on! 

Sew up some cute gift card holders for teachers, neighbors, or friends. We know everyone could use a little extra love these days. Grab a $10 coffee, fast food, or bookstore gift card and slip one inside.

​If you have kids, stick a fro-yo, makeup store, online gaming, or other gift card inside. 

The gift card holder isn't my pattern. It's by Anne at OrangeBettie.com, and I found it here. Print the free sewing pattern and follow her directions on how to make your own. I skipped the snaps because I was lazy. But, add the snaps or a button or not. Make it your own. 

​Make a simple fabric basket as part of the gift. Fill it with candy, bath salts and a candle, toy cars, a small lego set, some tiny dolls, a plant, or something else. These really make your gift extra special when paired with something.

This fabric basket is super simple. It doesn't require interfacing, only two layers of fabric. If you'd like something a little more stable, grab my tutorial here. But, if you just want a quick basket, keep reading.

The basket takes about 30 min from start to finish. Less if you're a speedy sewer. Gather your pink and red fabrics. 

• 2 Fat Quarters of non-directional fabric
• Ruler and air/water soluble marker 
• Thread and other sewing notions
• Sewing machine

Cut your fabric into one long rectangle, the length, and width you want. I folded a piece of fabric I had in half and trued up the sides. Don't overthink this, it's supposed to be quick and easy. Read: last minute gift ;)

For example, I cut mine about 16" long by 9" wide.

The leaves are starting to fall, the mornings are crisp, and evenings are getting chilly. It's almost sweater weather! If you love fall, I bet you're dreaming of warm mugs filled with cocoa, hot tea, fancy coffees, or hot toddies. I know I am. Cue the cat mat, rug mug, or coffee coaster; you decide the name of it. I want to share a cute kitty mug rug pattern with you all. Here is an easy, beginner friendly sewing project that you can whip up in an hour. Its a great for scrap buster project too.

A mug rug will help protect your kitchen table from the heat of a hot beverage. With the holidays approaching, these would even make perfect gifts. Neighbors, moms, uncles, friends, and teachers will love them. They can also be great for kids. Add a hot cocoa packet inside a cute mug for an easy holiday gift.

I kept this post simple and short. Less time reading, more time for sewing. Let's go!

• Large scraps of cotton fabric, or 2 fat quarters
• Batting. You can use quilting batting, Insul-Bright, Wrap N Zap, or fusible fleece
• Clips or pins
• Cat Mug Rug pattern 
• Sewing machine
• Air soluble pen
• Scissors
• Thread, ruler, etc.
• Cup of something hot to place onto the mug after it's sewn :)

The finished size is approximately 6.5" wide by 6.25" tall. 

1. Print and cut out the PDF pattern with non-fabric scissors. 
2. Place the pattern onto the fabric and trace with an air soluble pen or other marking tool. Transfer the markings onto your fabric. Trace and cut 2 pieces of fabric. 
3. Cut out a piece of batting. (I prefer to cut it larger than the fabric because it will shift during sewing). 

Place the batting onto the table. Then, place the wrong side of fabric onto the batting. Take the second fabric and place it right side facing down. You'll have a fabric sandwich now. The 2 pieces of cotton will be facing right sides together. Pin or clip the 3 layers together.

​Batting, fabric, fabric.

A note on batting: if you use Insul-bright or fleece, do not put your mug rug in the microwave. Fleece is polyester and will melt. Insul-bright has metal and will spark. If you plan on putting your coaster in the microwave, use cotton quilting batting or Wrap n Zap only.

You'll sew the mug rug using a 1/4" seam allowance. Start sewing at one of the marked spots on the bottom, don't forget to backstitch. Sew all the way around. Go slow around the cat ears, it can get tight. Backstitch when you get to the other marking. You should have a small opening for turning out.
Clip your threads.

1. Trim away the excess batting.
2. Clip the curves and trim the corners. Clip the sides and top of the cat head. Cut tiny triangles into the inner curved areas near the ears. This makes them turn out nicely without any bunching.
3. Grab a chopstick or blunt pencil to poke out corners and seams. Press nice and flat.

Tip: Use the chopstick in one hand to push the seam out, while using the iron in the other hand to press. This is the same pressing method I use to make my wide Rockabilly headbands. 

Give the whole mat a good press. Top stitch the opening closed, be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. Or, you can top stitch around the whole coaster. Stitch using 1/8"- 1/4" from the edge.

You're all done! Now go brew a cup of something warm and tasty, and sip in style. Make one for each holiday or day of the week. 

• Make a few different sets of these to give as a gifts. Wrap them with themed ribbon or twine. Add a fun, informative tag to let the recipient know what they are. Using themed fabric can make it extra personal. If your sister in law is a nurse, use medical fabric. If someone is a book lover, use licensed movie or comic book fabrics. 
• Add some rick rack to the front or seam for added color. 
• Piece together and quilt to use up tiny fabric scraps. 
• Add piping to the outside. Go slow around the cat ears because it can get really tight on the inside corners. 
• Use 2 different fabrics to make it reversible.

A word of caution, these mats are made for beverages that are usually dark in color and can stain. I wouldn't recommend using white or really light colored fabrics. Fabrics that are dark or heavily patterned work the best. Think of fabrics that will hide stains easily. 

Wash your cat coasters with cool water, gentle cycle, tumble dry low or air dry. Give them a good press if needed. I keep one near the coffee pot as a spoon rest, too.

Enjoy the pattern! And, enjoy sipping a cup of something delicious while you use this cute cat mug rug on your desk or table.

As always, thanks for stopping by and happy sewing! 

Annette

Is your sewing machine looking a tad boring? If it's a newer sewing machine, the answer is probably yes. The newer ones lack style and color. If it's a vintage machine, the answer is probably no. It's already gorgeous and full of vintage flair! Either way, let's add some new life to your machine with a dust cover. They're easy to sew and you can make one for all of your machines.

Back in the early pandemic days, mask-making was a big thing in this house and my husband bought himself a Singer machine. I'm a Brother fan through and through but, he liked the Singer's grey color. Of course, it's been sitting for over a year, untouched, and needs a little makeover. It's going to get a new fabric cover! 

Let's make an easy sewing machine cover. You'll learn how to get the measurements and sew one up in an hour. Covers add fun to your sewing space and they keep your machine protected as well. Dust be gone! Speaking of dust begone, we just changed our AC filters. YIKES! They were long overdue. This is a friendly reminder to change your filters if you have an AC. ;) Go now, I'll wait. 

• 1/2 yard of fabric. Cotton, vinyl, canvas, denim, use whatever you want here.
• Matching thread
• Sewing notions: scissors, a marking tool, pins, etc.
• Ruler
• Serger for raw edges, or use a zigzag stitch if your machine has it
• Sewing machine

Grab some paper, a pen, and a ruler. You can use a tape measure but, the hard ruler makes it a little easier to get an exact measurement. 
​
​Measure all the sides of your machine. 

If you need a break from difficult sewing projects, I encourage you to grab the Butterick 6453 dress pattern. It was a easy and fun to sew! The only timely adjustment I needed to make was an FBA. After that was sorted out, it was all downhill.

This dress is fluffy and full, no need for a crinoline underneath. The princess seams are flattering. The straps are perfectly positioned. And, the back zip is a cinch. What are you waiting for? Grab the pattern and let's get started! 

1. A whole lotta fabric, this dress is a fabric hog. 4-5 yards is needed
2. Interfacing
3. Matching or contrasting thread
4. Sewing machine and notions
5. Serger, pinking shears, or a zigzag machine to finish the raw edges
6. 16" or longer zipper
7. Seam ripper because... sewing
8. Rings and sliders for adjustable straps

• This dress is super easy and only has 10 pattern pieces! This was wonderful news because I made the Hooded Princess Coat before this dress and that was a beast. Read the post if you've always wanted to make your own raincoat. Gertie did a wonderful job with the pattern.
• I chose double-faced linen. It was a little heavy for this exact dress but, I love it nonetheless. It'll be warm enough to wear in the fall paired with tights and a sweater. I suggest using regular linen, cotton, gingham, etc. Check the pattern envelope for fabric options.
• Shorten or lengthen to fit your torso. I shortened the bodice pieces by 1.5" because I have a short torso. I could have gone a little shorter.
• Size down 1-2 sizes at least. I sized down but, in the end, the dress was still too big. Four inches on each side, too big! I have to take in everything. Ugh. Honestly, I threw on a little belt and it was fine to wear. But, I plan on taking in the side seams, princess seams, waist, etc. Cue the tears.
• Widen the straps if you wear larger bras. Us gals with bigger cup sizes know the wide bra strap game all too well. I made my dress straps 1" wide and they cover my bra straps perfectly.

Spruce up your dingy ironing board, it's simple and quick. There's one thing almost every sewist says, "I only iron when I sew." That rings true for me 95% of the time. I'm not a big fan of wrinkles so, I do iron the occasional laundry basket of clothes. However, my ironing board lives in my sewing space. Unless we have people over, it hangs out in sewing land.

There's nothing fun about pressing open seams on a musty crusty ironing board, amiright? I've bought countless pads for my board over the years. They've worked fine enough until they flatten and get ugly. It was time to make my own cover.

After going down the rabbit hole that is Google, I discovered people using felt blankets on their boards or Insul-Bright. You're going to use both for your new cover! No more wimpy covers that leaves board indents on your project or, dare I say, laundry. 

Your new board will be thick and lofty, oh and it'll look cute too. Yay for pretty things. :D 
Are you ready to re-cover your ironing board? Let's do this.

1. 2 yards of pretty cotton fabric, you may end up with some leftover 
2. 2 1/2 yards of elastic, 1/2" wide at least 
3. 1 wool blanket (buy it new, thrifted, from a military surplus store, or an old one in the closet)
4. 2 yards Insul-Bright
5. Thread
6. Sewing Machine
7. Pins or clips
8. Iron and ironing board, of course 

Ironing boards come in all shapes and sizes. 2 yards for the fabrics should be more than enough. Measure your board length to be sure, don't forget you'll need extra for the seam allowances.

This whole project takes about an hour. You'll be pressing those seams open on a pretty new cover in no time. 

Start by removing your old cover and after you've washed it, stuff it inside this floor pillow. ;)
​Use the thin foam piece as a cutting guide for the wool and Insul-Bright layers. If you don't have one, just eyeball it. This is an easy project, and it's all about winging it here.

• Cut 2 layers from your wool blanket
• Cut 1 layer of Insul-Bright batting

I cut the wool and Insul-Bright pieces one inch larger around. Set aside.