Thursday, June 20, 2013

FYI: Guest Posting for Once Upon a Thread


Katy is doing it again: it's Once Upon a Thread, chapter four! I love following this series because of the amount of creativity it inspires. It's even better participating because it gives me the chance to stitch together so many things I love. You can see what I did this time right here.

P.S. I'm still trying to get in touch with two WINNERS. Are you one of them? Please see my earlier post...

Friday, June 14, 2013

Giveaway Winners: Birch Organic Fabric Potholders and So Pretty! Felt Book


Sorry for the delay in announcing winners for two giveaways: Birch Organic Fabric potholders (sewn by me) and the So Pretty! Felt book by Amy Palanjian. Did you think I forgot? The truth is these past months have been a little sloooow motion in terms of blogginess. I'm hoping I get a break in the real life action soon (though real life is pretty great) so I can get back to some projects. But in the meantime, how about some winners?!

Click  to read more.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

FYI: Butterfly Applique Gift Bag Tutorial for Tip Junkie

 
Do you love the fashion trend of photo realistic prints on fabric? I think they are great! while I haven't sewn anything yet with one, I did buy some photo realistic butterfly fabric a few months ago and just used it for an applique fabric gift bag for Tip Junkie.
 
I think these little muslin bags turned out so beautifully! Using a new product called "Phoomph" I was also able to make a few of the butterflies three dimensional. I think they look like they've just touched down for a minute.
 
Making this gift bag requires no sewing or ironing (though I added a few stitches for the 3D butterfly...) so it's really quick and easy to use. A great no-sew project if you don't sew yourself, or if you're looking for something to do with your kids!

 
You can find the full tutorial (and printable instructions) here.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Recipe: Garlicky Green Bean, Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad


It's the time of year when I seem to pick up locally grown corn-on-the-cob every time I go grocery shopping. The kids love it and it is easy! Perfect side for a large gathering too. I usually boil it on the stove with nothing added, and I often have some leftover. So, I decided to use the leftover corn off-the-cob in this salad.

This is one of my favorite combinations: crunchy green beans, sweet corn and tart tomatoes. Just what I want to be eating when it's summer. It would be really good with some fresh avocado too. Or maybe feta. I'll have to experiment some more...


I tossed it in a garlicky lemon dressing with a bit of basil and I think it is my go-to salad for the summer! It would be great next to grilled steak or chicken. I would also like to try it as a pasta salad, or served in romaine leaves. Pretty versatile. We ate it tonight and it elevated low-effort hot dog dinner to something that seemed a bit more premeditated. Nice.

Would it work for you? Click through for the recipe.