Directions Not Included

DIY and craft adventures of two humans, three dogs and two cats.

feeling domesticated

9 Comments

When she was alive my maternal grandmother used to tell me I wasn’t marriage material. I didn’t know how to cook and I didn’t sew. She was sure no man wanted me. I rebelled against that for many years because…well, I’m the workaholic business-type not the sewing and cooking type. The thing is in reality I am both. I have the big corporate job for a global company and I’m working on my MBA but I am a pretty damn good cook and just learned how to sew. Maybe I am more domesticated than I thought 😉
I’ve stuck to paper crafts or ceramics for most of my adulthood. Sewing seemed too scary. Strange considering I grew up playing with my maternal grandmother’s fabric stash and my paternal grandmother’s empty spools. JandJHome, do you remember playing with those spools that looked like this:

Via Diary of a Quilter

My best friend, S, essentially taught herself to sew and got me hooked with her projects. For Christmas this past year she made me a great book of sewing tutorials. It was a great gift but I was too scared to tackle them until recently. One of the tutorials was this easy pillow one from Sparkle Power. Check it out if you are not a sewer. It doesn’t look too hard, right? That is because it isn’t! I’m not talented enough to attempt to give a real tutorial so check out Sparkle Power’s for a reference. She goes step by step with images like these so it makes it super easy:

Via Sparkle Power

Via Sparkle Power

And now after 5 months living in this house, my couches no longer have uncovered pillow inserts on display on the couch. I started with solid fabric since I was unsure of my fabric cutting abilities. These pillows are a great start but now I’m ready to get creative with patterned fabric, combining fabrics or embellishments on the pillow cases themselves. Just what I needed, another craft I like. 😉

Pillows with our model Lemur

And that adorable little girl in the picture is Lemur, our current house guest we are testing out for full adoption. She’s one of S’s rescues we fell for. So far so good. For now her favorite hobby is to sit on my craft table and keep me company while I sew or interrupt my sewing…

I also tried my hand on those tag blankets that seem to be pretty popular for baby gifts. I used instructions from this great book by Lotta Jansdotter called Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers

I made two medium sized ones and then a tiny one with some scraps I had. Such an easy project and great to have on hand for baby gifts. It was also a great excuse for me to stock on up on ribbon in all sorts of fun colors.

Sewing may be a new addiction. Up next on my sewing escapes – curtain for my craft room closet, cat bed, cushion for bench I’m making and some embellished t-shirts for the little girls in my life. 

Join the Mix and Mingle Party over at the Mustard Ceiling.

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About Anna@DirectionsNotIncluded

Hi there! I'm Anna, the voice behind Directions Not Included. I'm a marketer, crafter, DIYer and lover of all things home related. You can usually find me covered in paint, cuddled with one of my pets or in front of a computer or other digital device. Thanks for reading Directions Not Included. I hope you stick around.

Comments

  5. Elizabeth@themustardceiling says

    Thanks for linking up today and for posting a button :). I have to admit I was scared of sewing for the longest time…I started in January, and I really enjoy it. I love your minky blankets with the tags, so cute!

    Reply

  7. EAKaHouse says

    What an adorable model! You and I are in the same boat house wise, can’t wait to see what you do!

    Reply

  9. Shannon says

    Lems is a very crafty cat!!
    And I’m so glad to finally have a sewing bff! Or should I say “sew glad”… oh yeah, I took it there:)

    Reply

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about

Directions Not Included follows the DIY and craft adventures of two humans, three dogs and two cats as they take one old Florida home and make it theirs.

This blog will feature DIY tips, before and after photos, craft tutorials, home decor trends, and gratuitous pictures of our five rescued furry children.

Copyright 2010 - 2014. Directions Not Included - Anna Cruz-Morales.

The contents of this blog, including text, original photos and ideas are the sole property of the author. If you intend to use my text or images, please link back to my site and credit given to Directions Not Included. Please share only one image and direct readers to my site. A notification email would be greatly appreciated.

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