New Shoes!

I have new shoes and another one of my projects is finally complete!

They aren't really new shoes, they just got a makeover. My old shoes that I wore nearly everyday were getting pretty scuffed up. Since they were not looking there best, but still were good shoes I decided to paint them.

I started by washing them and waiting for them to dry then I coated them in gesso (I ended up doing four layers). I saw a tip awhile ago (not sure where) for painting shoes: if you prime your canvas shoes with gesso you can easily use acrylic paint instead of fabric paint. It really works; even though my shoes weren't canvas it was a great base for the paint. I used just a small amount of light blue to cover the shoes.

Then painted on some clouds and birds:

The best part about using acrylic paint is they are water resistant so I don't have to worry about my birds wiping off. Hurray for my cute new shoes!

Still Knitting

I am still working on the other two projects I shared teaser photos for so nothing to share with you today.

image from LIFE photo archive

This weekend I will be knitting, knot tying, painting, and sewing.
See you on Tuesday!

Fabric Flags

I finished one of the three projects from my teaser photos last week. To make these fun fabric flags I followed this easy flag sculpture tutorial I saw on Oh Happy Day!

My flags seem much more stiff than the ones from the tutorial. This is probably because I doubled the fabric so the pattern was visible on both sides and I made sure there was a lot of glue covering the flags.

This project was super easy, I think it probably took about one hour for cutting and sewing then another thirty minutes for applying the glue mixture. We set the flags out overnight to dry, they were still sticky in the morning, but were dry by noon.

The coffee cozy's new owner is my father!

And here are a few teaser photos of some upcoming projects I have been working on.

Cross Stitch Coaster Tutorial

Here is the tutorial for the cross stitched coasters!

First, gather your materials. You will need:

1. The Cross Stitch Coaster Template

2. Kraft Board (I used the back piece of a notebook)

3. Scissors

4. Tape

5. Small Awl

6. A work surface that can be damaged (I used a cardboard box)

7. Embroidery Thread

8. Needle

Once you have gathered your materials, cut out your coaster template.

Using the template, cut out the coaster from the kraft board.

Securely tape the template to the coaster.

Use the awl to punch the holes in the coaster. Make sure to do this on a work surface that will not be ruined such as a cutting mat or cardboard, the awl will cause damage to most furniture.

Once all the holes are punched, remove the template.

Thread some embroidery thread through your needle and begin stitching your coaster.

Stitch as much or as little as you want.

Here is my finished coaster:

If you make some of these coasters I would love to see pictures of them.

view cross stitch coaster template

download cross stitch coaster template.pdf

Reminder: Today is the last day to enter the Knit Coffee Cozy Giveaway!

The latest coaster project

I have made another coaster! This one is made with kraft board from the back of a notepad and embroidery thread.

It was quite simple to make and next week I will have a tutorial for you all to make some too!

Reminder: Next Tuesday, the 17th is the last day to enter the Knit Coffee Cozy Giveaway!

frozen strawberry lemon sour cake

I tried making a sour lemon cake from a recipe my mom gave me, but I totally screwed it up so I turned it into this frozen strawberry lemon sour cake thing.

Parchment Paper! Parchment Paper! Parchment Paper! I don't know why I don't use it. There is some in my kitchen and my cakes stick to the bottom of their pans since I don't use it. This time, instead of trying to piece the cake back together and pretend nothing was wrong, I chopped it all up and mushed it into the bottom of a spring form pan to use it as a sort of crust for a frozen dessert.

Here is the sort of recipe for this dessert:
Cake Layer - Your favorite white cake recipe (or cake mix) with water/milk/other liquid except egg and oil replaced with lemonade concentrate and a packet of strawberry Kool Aid added.
Strawberry Layer - Sweetened strawberries spread out over the cake.
Top Layer - Whipped Topping with the leftover lemonade concentrate and a packet of strawberry Kool Aid.

It  tastes pretty good, I just wish I would remember to use parchment paper so I don't mess my cakes up in the first place!

Reminder: Next Tuesday, the 17th is the last day to enter the Knit Coffee Cozy Giveaway!

ICE CREAM!

I have had ice cream on the brain, it might be the heat or the fact that I love ice cream. Lately I have been thinking about the homemade ice cream my papa makes and how it has been a few years since I have had homemade ice cream.

image from Muerta In Action

Unfortunately we must have gotten rid of our old hand crank ice cream maker and I don't really want to buy an electric machine so I have been looking into alternatives. Here are some ice cream recipes for those of us without an ice cream maker:

Ice Cream Without the Machine from Serous Eats

How To Make Ice Cream Without a Machine from David Lebovitz

They look easy enough to make, maybe I will make up a batch this weekend to enjoy. Happy ice cream making and eating!

I mentioned before I keep a vintage photo inspiration board on Tumblr called Wink and Curl. I post a few photos every now and then, I should probably update it a little more often though.

Knit Coffee Cozy Giveaway

I am giving away this knit coffee cozy!

This is my first complete knot project and I am very excited about it! The rope is knit from Lion Brand Yarn's Fishermen's Wool in Oak Tweed then tied into a Turk's Head knot.

This handmade coffee sleeve could be yours; here's how to win:

1. Leave a comment below by Tuesday August 17th 11:59pm MDT.
2. Wait. The winner will be picked using a random number generator and will be announced on my Thursday August 19th post.

Note: Anyone can enter, even if they live outside the US.