Here’s a back-to-school word problem for you:  If you have two children who each take their lunch in a paper sack every day for the next 175 days of schoo, how many paper sacks have you contributed to the local…

Lindsey from liliash made this adorable dress for her daughter from an adult-sized dress shirt that she no longer wore.  I love the shirring detail above the pockets!  Go to the tutorial.

[photo from liliash]

[via Grosgrain]

Technorati Tags: sewing, tutorial, shirred, shirt, dress, refashion,…

Betz White, author of Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects and Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Recycled & Organic Materials, shares a tutorial on Craftzine showing how to make this patchwork and ric rac tablerunner.  The project features her line of…

Jen from Just another day in the lives of… shows the diaper clutch and changing pad that she made from a placemat.  A placemat, elastic, and a button are all you need to make one.  There’s not a tutorial, but it’s a…

Bubble Jet set and iron-on transfers are two common ways of printing your own fabric at home.  But which one is best?  It turns out that it depends on your project.  Maitreya from craftlog.org gives a side-by-side comparison of the strengths…

CraftStylish shows how to make this cool interlocking scallop detailing for a skirt front.  The success of the project hinges on sewing accurate curves, so this is probably best suited for someone with more advanced sewing skills.  Go to the tutorial.

[photo…

You can make this “Baking Day” apron with a tutorial from Disney at Ruffles and Stuff.  Make one to wear the next time you’re baking up a mess of goodies in the kitchen.  Or, make one to hang in the…

Ruth from Adventures with a Sewing Machine made this hoodie for her son out of one of his old fleece baby blankets.  (The fleece baby blankets do tend to multiply, don’t they?)  She wrote up a tutorial showing how she did it.  If…

Sheri Howard shares a tutorial on Moda Bakeshop for these vintage-inspired ric rac tea towels.  Doesn’t this just make you want to don the high heels and bake a cherry pie?  Get the how-to.

[photo from Moda Bakeshop]

Technorati Tags: sewing, tutorial, vintage, ric…

Dorinda from Flower Girl Designs has just added the pattern for this oilcloth portfolio to her Etsy shop.  This baby sports a pocket that holds a legal pad, several large pockets where you  can slide in a notebook, as well as…

Marisa from The Mama Dramalogues shares a tutorial for making an easy two-tier skirt for little girls.  The skirts can be made in 20 minutes, which makes this a great rainy day activity.  Let your child pick out her own fabric, as Marisa…

Jenny from The Kerr Family Blog shows what can be done with an 80’s style child’s dress when the fabric is lovely but the dress is… not.  She turned a fashion villian into this Little Hardy Heroine jacket.  Brilliant!!  Read all…

Julie-k created this pretty skirt for her daughter out of a beloved, but outgrown, dress.  By cutting it in two and turning it into a twirly skirt, she was able to extend the life of the garment.  This refashioning method…

HomeSpun Threads shows how to turn a tea candle holder into a lovely little footed pincushion.  Get the how-to.

[photo from HomeSpun Threads]

Technorati Tags: sewing, tutorial, tea, candle, light, holder, pincushion

Cloud9 Fabrics is having a giveaway to celebrate the release of their premier fabric line, My Happy Garden.  Not only are their designs so delicious I could eat them up, Cloud9 fabric is printed on 100% certified organic cotton printed.  Get the…

Kristin from Lu Bird Baby shows how to make this cool shrug from a t-shirt.  It’s easier than you think.  One cut and two seams is all it takes.  Find out how from Lu Bird Baby.

[photo from Lu Bird Baby]

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Just in time for back-to-school, Instructables user the casbah shows how to make a pencil pouch from an old pair of jeans.  I like how the original hem is incorporated on to the edge of the flap.  Go to the tutorial.

[photo from…

Jessie from MessyJesse shares a tutorial for making this sweet little needle book with a cupcake applique on front.  I know what I’m going to  be sewing today!  Go to the tutorial.

[via 30Days]

Technorati Tags: sewing, tutorial, needle, case, book, felt, cupcake

Care from Obsessively Stitching shows how she makes dolly blankets.  They look like quilts, but they’re constructed more like pillows.  The simple constructions means you can put one together quickly and with little fuss.  Go to the tutorial.

[photo from Obsessively Stitching]

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Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of CraftSanity demonstrates a couple of cool techniques for making custom designs on your fabrics.  In the first, she uses colored sharpies to dye a piece of muslin.  In the second, she uses dish detergent (with bleach) to create…