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.

Are you a fabric scrap saver? Do you have dreams of using them up for something? Yes, of course you are. Maybe you don't save them all but, you do save pieces big enough to use for something special. My rule is if its big enough to use for a pocket, it gets saved.

I've discovered the best fabric-busting project of all time. It uses all your fabric scraps up. Okay, it doesn't technically "use" them but, it does put them to use. You're going to sew a simple floor cushion and store all your scraps inside! ​

​You'll want to plow through that list of sewing projects so you can cut into fabric and have more scraps to fill the floor cushion. Whew! Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. ;)

The floor cushion itself is not a good scrap buster. You might need to buy fabric to make it. But, it'll free up space in your sewing area, I promise. 

I was lucky enough to have leftover grey chenille from my pop-up trailer makeover, so I used that. You'll want to use an upholstery weight fabric or something similar. This cushion is going to take a beating. 

If you have upholstery thread, you can use it here. If you don't, good ole polyester thread works fine. This whole project takes 2hrs give or take. It's a quick sew and gives a huge reward! 

I have found the holy grail of crossbody bags and I'm shouting it out from the rooftop! Make this cross body bag today, you won't regret it.

This bag is the biggest-little bag I've ever laid eyes on. It's a game-changer for sure and everyone needs to have one or two! It's honestly the best travel bag I've come across! You can fill it with everything except the kitchen sink. This day-use crossbody bag is perfect for walking around museums, theme parks, concerts, national parks, etc.
I'm not getting paid for this post, I am just in love! Haha!

I've always carried my regular handbag whenever we ventured out and after a few hours, my shoulder would hurt something fierce. I eventually bought a tiny crossbody bag from a big box store for $5 because it was $5! Oh, and it was in the shape of cherries. Super cute!!

Well, my newest phone is too big for the cherry purse. So, I searched Pinterest high and low for a crossbody sewing pattern and nothing came up. Is it me or is Pinterest extremely lackluster nowadays?

I wanted pockets and the bag shape to be more horizontal than vertical. My next stop was Etsy. Thank you Etsy, for coming through. I found the best pattern and I'm sharing it with you today. Hold on to your teacup because she's a doozy.

This bag has so. many. pockets! It's comfortable to wear (aren't all crossbody bags?) and will hold allllll of your things. I'm not sharing a step-by-step tutorial in this post because the bag creator has Youtube videos and an extremely detailed PDF that comes with the pattern. This post is more of a pattern review. 

I made this one for myself so, it is full of bright colored fabrics. If you know me, I'm the opposite of a neutral person. Ha! 

Grab the downloadable pattern here. 

Have you ever dreamed of floating around the house in a vintage 70's caftan? What about in your beautiful backyard? I vote yes for both! This Caftan sewing pattern is the only one you need, it's vintage and authentic.

Way back in high school, I borrowed a caftan from my mom's friend to wear to a dance. The 70s wasn't the theme but, I wanted to wear it. It felt so silky and soft while I wore it and danced all night long, with friends. 
When I saw this pattern via an Instagram friend, I knew I had to snag one for myself. She looked so fabulous in hers, and I knew I needed that pattern in my life. I hope you grab the vintage reproduction pattern and make a caftan, too.

I ordered the Simplicity #8505, 1970's caftan pattern from an Etsy shop. And after searching my local sewing shops for the perfect fabric, I decided to order that online too. If you make this, I recommend looking at fabric in person first, to give you ideas. It's fun to feel the drapey fabrics. Who doesn't love touching all the fabric? Are you ready to make the comfiest dress ever?
Let's get started.

Here's what you'll need. I also wanted to share a few tips and ideas for you to try, if you want.

• Simplicity Pattern 8505
• 3.5-6 yards of fabric (depending on your size)
• Interfacing Scrap
• 2 yards of twill tape or ribbon, 1/2" wide
• 1  1/2" button
• Matching thread
• Microtex or Sharps sewing needle
• Sewing machine + all the notions (scissors, clips/pins, rulers, etc.)
• *Optional: Fleetwood Mac playing in the background ;)
• 
  
  
  

This short list is chock full of simple sewing projects. Need to sew something that doesn't take a lot of fabric or pattern pieces? This is the list for you! I've compiled some sewing projects that are easy and great for beginners. These are great for scrap busting and make wonderful gifts, too!

1. Keychain
2. Headband
3. Zipper Bag​
4. Apple Watchband Scrunchie
5. Fabric Basket
6. Pillow
7. Small Purse
8. Advent Calendar
9. Hair Scrunchie