Reversible Placemats: Christmas + Winter

For Christmas I decided to make a few of the presents this year.  It's only appropriate since I received my sewing machine last Christmas :).

Materials:

Light-weight iron on interfacing

Quilt batting

two types of fabric

I used some placemats I had on hand as a guide for the size of all interfacing and quilting which I ironed together.  For the rest of the fabrics, they are much wider than the interfacing-quilting pieces as shown below.

The first fabric is sewed to the interfacing-quilting piece.

Trim a bit of the fabric.

Sew the other fabric clipped to the other side with the edges folded in.

Voila! Quick and simple :).  I think this will be really nice through winter with the plaid side perfect for the holidays.

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Staying comfortable through a cold

Staying comfortable through a cold by Feier 

I've been feeling a bit poorly for a few days and am very glad that I took today off. I realize that is a luxury to be able to take days off here and there so I took advantage of the day to take care of myself.

These are the items that have made the few days much more tolerable. I've been drinking a lot of Ginger tea, consuming a lot of chicken noodle soup and vitamins... And winding down with a shower that clears me up. This shower gel by kiss my face for cold and flu is awesome, it feels luxurious, refreshing, and helps clear up my sinuses without resulting me in walking around smelling too much like Christmas peppermint.

I think my body is telling me that I need to be less stressed, take better care of myself, and just chill. 

I'll get back to my hobbies asap! The past few weeks have been a bit stressful and the next few will be as well with a good deal of traveling so I won't be around to sew and craft, sigh. 

Anyway, hope all is well with the world and that everybody is healthy! If you're sick, maybe some of these items will make it more comfortable and maybe enjoyable! 

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Quick and easy plastic bag holder

I haven't sewn anything in quite some time... Pretty much since I sewed my thumb by accident (it's all better now!).

As of late I've been thinking about how there are a lot of things I used to do that I don't really do anymore and it is making me feel less lively and a bit blah. I find that when I am a little down or unmotivated that doing something quick and easy makes me feel more positive about everything. I have a collection of plastic bags from grocery shopping (I should remember to bring my own bags) and I've been meaning to make a plastic bag holder. This took maybe half an hour and I think it's very pleasant to look at. It is super easy to make as it is just a tube with one end scrunched up with elastic and a handle on the other end.

Little things make the day a lot better :)

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Lay-N-Go Cosmo: Travel Make-Up Organizer

I travel a lot.  That's not saying I'm taking vacations or anything, but I do live what feels like a double life going back and forth between Ohio and Kentucky.  Josh and I take turns doing the weekend drive back and forth, with the dog living in two states.

Maybe I carry more products than I should with me, but I do like to be prepared to look nice.  It is a bit of a hassle to keep things tidy, to pack things in a pack... unpack, re-pack... then there's the fear of make-up falling rolling all over the place and onto the floor.

I first came upon this product a few years ago, but originally I saw the Lay-n-Go Activity Mat for kids and their toys. 

Then I discovered the same concept for make-up and purchased the Lay-n-Go Cosmo Bag to accompany me on the many weekend trips (and hopefully an actual vaca soon?).

I keep my favorite make-up essentials in it, as well as some jewelry.  It is incredibly convenient, cute, and keeps everything nice and tidy.  It just takes 1-second to cinch it up and be on my way! Perfect for on the go.

The bag cinches up and has a little handle to carry it around with.

The bag even has a front little pocket! I'm not sure what it is for, so far I just put the little pouch the mat came with in it.

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Seersucker Blouse & A Precautionary Tale

Finally got around to sewing this shirt (and sewing in general).  I used a Deer & Doe pattern, the same pattern that I used to sew a previous blouse (that included a collar!).

I really like this lightweight seersucker fabric that I bought for my birthday with a fabric.com gift card that I received.  This fabric is just right for a summer workday because it is hot and humid outside the building but very cold in the office.  This is a good transitional temperature shirt with it being cute and comfortable to boot!

Blood and sweat literally went into this blouse.  It is not a difficult blouse to sew actually but I did have my first sewing injury the evening I started sewing this.

I had finished the bodice and was on to sew the sleeves onto the shirt.  I was not being as careful as I should be and was trying to sew closer to the edge.... then the machine ate my thumb.

My thumb was obviously too close because before long I had a broken sewing machine needle in completely through the top of my thumb.  I swiftly got it out, cleaned up and rested.  I'll spare you the details but I got paranoid that I didn't get it all out as it had broken in half so I went to the urgent care to get it x-rayed to make sure.  Thankfully, I had an hour before the urgent care closed... also thankful that I have health insurance.

As I left, the receptionist was funny and called out "now you can get back to sewing!" to which I responded.... "maybe not today"

I did get back to it the next evening to finish the shirt though then wore it to work the next day.  Thumb is still a little sore, but it's healing really well.  I'm very fortunate it wasn't worse, which is why I urge you all to be very careful.  Sewing can be very dangerous! There are a lot of sharp objects involved in this art.

Was the shirt worth it? I think it was certainly worth the lesson to be extra careful, and it turned out nice :)

Be safe and be happy, everybody!

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Purse Essentials June 2014

Purse essentials June 2014 by Feier featuring a satchel purse

I like to be prepared wherever I go yet I also don't like to carry large purses.  Those are two conflicting wants in life so over time I've limited myself to a handful of items to keep in my purse.  For my medium-sized purses I'll put a lot of these items (+ some other personal items) in a small pouch to keep my purse organized.

I recently purchased this Mini Satchel Bag with Scallop Bar Detail purse from ASOS.com and I'm quite fond of it! It's not real leather but it has a nice feel to it, is not expensive, and is just darling.

Considering that I use my phone a lot for texting, browsing, calling, listening to music... my iPhone works pretty hard and sometimes runs out of juice.  There are a lot of battery boosters out there available for our electronics, but I'm a big fan of how sleek and small this Ultra Compact Portable Charger Lipstick Size by Anker (in pink!) is!

Also, being that it is summer right now my face gets oily quicker and I don't want my make-up to be running off my face.  I like to have oil blotting sheets with me like this Boscia one.  To freshen up on the go I like having this Instant Body Smoother by LA Fresh handy.

I wash my hands a lot, or use hand sanitizer (one of my essentials!) if necessary.  Washing my hands a lot results in some dry hands, dry cuticles... I really like having Rosebud Salve with me because it is good for moisturizing my skin, my nails, and work like a lip balm!  Speaking to dry cuticles and such, my nails have been getting hang nails and chipping more recently lately so I like to have mini nail clipper/file/poker with me at all times as well! It is really miserable for hang nails to be pulled out by accident by being caught on things like clothes.  I'm a big fan of the Tweezerman Nail Rescue Kit because it really does rescue my hands!

Band-aids & Re-wetting drops because I'm a contact lens wearer is always helpful as well! My shoes tend to rub on the backs of my heels so I like to have band-aids handy to protect my feet.  Re-wetting drops for contact lenses is a no brainer for me, because my vision is so horrible.  If I got stranded somewhere with no contacts or glasses I don't even think I could get myself home.  I like to minimize that likelihood by keeping my contacts moist and I keep extra pair of glasses in the glovebox of my car.

You never know what happens when you're out and about... enjoy lunch but splatter some sauce on yourself? Spill coffee? ... I have a lot of clothes that happen to be white/light colored so having Shout Wipes with me is so practical not only for myself but other people I'm around (accidents apparently don't only happen to me ;-)). I actually like them a lot more than tide pens even though each wipe doesn't go nearly as far.  Even so, I find them to do a much cleaner job which is the point of having touch up cleaning on the go.

Last two items: Stationary.

I Love Collecting Stationary. I Love Colored Pens.  I have multiple sets of colored pens.  My favorite is actually the Paper Mate's Inkjoys + Staedtler Fineliner Pens because they both write so smooth.  As much as I love those pens, they are rather large.  For my purses, when I feel like carrying stationary with me I like to have these  mini Stabilo's with me along with a small notebook.

Yes, all of these things are teeny and purse friendly!  There's something so satisfying with being prepared for the day, especially when the items are so cute and small.

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Closet Oranization June 2014

Closet organization 2014 by feieron Polyvore

My closet is starting to get out of control and I have no good excuse for it. It's a very large walk in closet and I just shove everything in there even if they're not clothes/accessories. There are things hanging on the back of the door, bags piled on each other, shoes still in boxes taking up room unworn because I don't notice them in their box... 

It really is not making good use of space.

It is really the multi-purpose closet because the coat closet is so tiny it barely fits my vacuum and a few jackets. I want to de clutter my apartment better. Just because things fit in the closet does not mean they should look like that in there, hah.

I bought thin hangers in the past but I still have a lot of thicker plastic ones which would be better served playing role of impromptu drying racks. I'm also accumulating skirts and like them to be hung up because I won't notice them to wear them otherwise... Same goes to pants hence I have extra pant hangers on my list for organizing my closet.

I'm curious about how the purse/shoe hanger will actually work out on my closet because I'm worried it will squash purses too much or shoes won't fit in it right.

One of my favorites on this list that I have yet to purchase is the hanging coupler thing that allows me to hang two sets of clothes in the same space.

I missed the wagon for spring cleaning but it's never too late!

Happy summer!

Time to make room for the summer wardrobe :)

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June 2014 Everyday Favorites

June 2014 Everyday Favorites by Feier featuring Soap & Glory

There are so many skincare and beauty products out there and although there seems to be an endless list of recommendations out on the internet, the reality is that everybody's skin is different as well as their preferences.  Over the years I've tried a bunch of products and as soon as I've figured out a slimmed down list of products I love, either my skin or style changes.  Sometimes, that also changes with the season given the humidity, heat, allergens, level of activity... etc.

These are my current favorites for the days of sun, heat, and humidity!

Diorskin Nude BB Cream -- A few months back I was at Sephora and attained many small sample sizes of foundation products.  I wanted something that looked natural, worked with my skin, and gave me some SPF protection... Essentially the point of a BB Cream.  This is not the same as original BB Creams out of Asia as this BB cream (and most in the United States) is more like a nice tinted moisturizer.  I love how it looks on my face and how nicely it blends in.  It's a bit on the pricy side so maybe next time I'll try out a Jouer tinted moisturizer as I have heard lots of good things about it.

Ole Henriksen Blue Black Berry Enzyme Facial Mask -- This humidity has not been particularly kind to my skin which is not intuitive to me at all.  One would think that because the air is not dry that the skin would not be flakey.  This weather has been making my skin more unpredictable and prone to break-outs and in combination with make-up, my skin has not been nearly as smooth.  This Enzyme Facial mask is great! It doesn't look crazy on my face because it is clear, it's not abrasive, and it makes my skin feel wonderful and new.

NARS Foreplay blush/highlighter palette -- I just love the colors in this palette and it is perfect for on the go! It makes it easy to change up looks without having to pull out a bunch of blushes.  Also, the color is very pigmented with good staying power which is especially good in the summer when it feels like makeup is prone to just melting off.

Lioele Artist Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Gray -- Most eyebrow pencils I find in any store just don't really go with my eyebrows.  I have black hair and typically eyebrow products are either for blondes or brunettes.  A lot of the other more black/gray products I've found in stores have been too dramatic/startling on my face.  This product is buildable and looks super natural on me.  This pencil also comes in other colors!

Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara -- This mascara works so well and is so waterproof! Eye makeup tends to run on me even if it is labeled waterproof but this mascara is great.  It also looks very natural, has good curling power, really lengthens my lashes and opens up my eyes!

Chubby Stick Intense in Heftiest Hibiscus -- I am such a fan of bright colors!  This is as bold as I feel comfortable with for wearing to work as well as out and about.  It's bold red with a hint of orange to give it some real warmth.  This is so hydrating and fun!

L'Oreal Clean Artiste Makeup Corrector Pen -- As I alluded to above, my eye makeup tends to run on me, especially eyeliner.  To combat with this problem on the go, I really love this makeup correcter/remover pen to clean up my makeup! It's like tide pen but safe for my face :).

Urban Decay All Nighter in Perversion -- I love this waterproof eyeliner because it doesn't need to be sharpened, glides on so velvety, and has such an intense color.

Real Technique Expert Face Brush & Blush Brush -- I love how airbrushed my makeup looks with these brushes AND I love their price! Each is under $10 and I like it much more than my other much more expensive brushes right now.

Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix -- So I got a tiny sample size version of this with my Sephora VIB points.  I had a few large spots on my chin (from the heat/makeup/stress?) that were bothering me and I dabbed some on... in a few hours they were smaller and by the next day they were gone! Definitely keeping this around.

Soap and Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel & The Righteous Butter Lotion -- I am such a fan of this line of products because I'm not sensitive to it, it smells amazing, and my skin feels so luxurious afterwards.  It makes showering feel like a pamper evening, every day.  Sometimes I think maybe I'm living in the wrong country because I am drawn to so many products and fashion out of the UK.

ASOS.COM is going to be the end of me...

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Aiming for Mint Green Skirt (Chardon Pattern)

So I've been away from my sewing machine for much too long! May was much more busy than I would have expected.  This project took longer than expected... not because it was difficult because I could have completed it in two evenings... but I did appropriately complete it this past Friday which was National Sewing Machine day! my Juki and I bonded.

I love that my friends know me so well! So the fabric from this skirt was purchased with a fabric.com gift card I received from one of my friends.  

Twill Premier Prints Arrow Twill

This dress is sewn with a Deer&Doe pattern for the Chardon skirt.  I made this previously and blogged about it in a previous post which features some tutorial-photos <here>.

I am quite happy with how this turned out! If I had thought of it, I would have taken photos while I was wearing this out and about at a local winery... maybe next time... I at least took a selfie at home though, but by then it was dark outside.

What should I work on next? oh the options...

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First Kentucky Derby

One of my besties drove down from Columbus to spend the weekend with me and we had quite a blast!

She drove in on Friday night and our first Derby-related excursion was to go check out the garland that is made by the florists at one of our local Krogers.

It's amazing, they hand pick every single rose, and then hand sew every rose onto the fabric that has preservative water in between.  There are 540 roses in the garland and my friend and I got little keepsakes of rose petals from these roses.  We got to take a little bit of derby home with us on Friday.

The Paddocks:

These drinks are delicious, Lily's are the official Oaks (Friday before Derby) drinks and they are just... yes, too good.  They also come with keepsake glasses each time, so we accumulated a few glasses during the day.

One of the fun hats at derby... flamingos.  There were just so many fun hats that range from really elaborate to absolutely absurd/zany.

These are photos before the first race of the day (Derby was Race 11 so no way were we able to find room to be able to see them come out with the crowds in the way).

 Then we moved on to the Infield.  The morning was very nice and peaceful with plenty of space to breathe in.  By the time afternoon came along it was just insane with broken glass on the ground, trash strewn everywhere, crazy people running around... quite a show.  The picture below shows what it was before any of that set in.

Mint Julep + Pretzel

I got a mint julep (not from here) and spotted this mint julep mascot.  Really excited about this.

This is the crowd leaving Derby...

We ventured to a different part of the Paddocks, to take photos with the horse statue.  I really enjoy this photo because it looks like we've been photobombed.

This weekend has been absolutely amazing and just what I needed.  Spending some fun girl-time at the tracks is a great way to kick off this month of May.  I just wish I could wear big hats and dresses all the time!

Dress: Nikola Dress from Anthropologie (On sale Right Now)

Although this dress is not brightly colored, I went with something that was more appropriate for the infield where I would occasionally have to sit on the ground and such.  Next year we're thinking of getting actual seats and bringing the guys with us. Derby is a worthy experience and I can't wait to do it again! I didn't win any of my wages, but I definitely win in good company and sunshine.

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Dressing for Dawn at the Downs

Welcome to Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby!

Our department had a fun off-site event this morning to head over to Churchill Downs for breakfast: Dawn at the Downs.  What a beautiful day!

It was a lot of fun planning my outfit for this outing because it offered up an opportunity to sew! (Not that I need any excuses).  I realized that my closet had very few work-appropriate dresses because I knew that as soon as breakfast was over it was back to work!

The dress I chose to make was based on the Mint and Tiffany Style dress I made in a previous post.  The original dress pattern calls for knit fabric but it's hard for me to find knit fabric that I like, much more difficult than woven fabric.  I used fabric that I bought before spring as I was planning for spring fabric projects.  The only real change is that instead of a dress that slips on, I modified it with an invisible zipper in the back.  It fits well and I am pleased with how it turned out.  I sewed this earlier this week, just in time for breakfast at the tracks!

Now, on to photos of Churchill Downs on this beautiful and sunny day!

Out at the paddocks.

Blown glass model of Churchill Downs.

View from Millionaires Row.  It was still pretty exciting at the tracks because the horses were out in the early morning practicing.  Without the noise from the crowds, we could actually hear the horses heave as they pounded around the tracks.  They are such beautiful creatures and I'm looking forward to this Saturday as I'll be headed to the Kentucky Derby!  My friend and I are spending it in the infield so it's not as "fancy" as the grandstands or other seats but it'll save money for the tracks!  The day should be great fun as I have heard that the infield is like a giant party!

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April Blog Swap

This treasure arrived on a beautiful spring saturday.  The day was sunny, bright, warm and everything just fell together wonderfully.  This blogger swap gift was like the icing on the cake.

I was paired with Kristy of Lemonade Runway and I must say... she has quite an eye for treasure.

As soon as I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised over the abundance of sparkly, purple fun filling the box.  Kristy is so vibrant and thoughtful.

Beautiful Packaging  // Decorative paper for crafts

... would be great for cards too!  //  Really cute little wallet from from Target

Antique teacup with Lilacs (her home state flower!)  //  Yummy, Yummy Cookies

Thrifted fabric that suits my tastes perfectly, quite excited to work with this!  //  Tea time? :)

THANK YOU KRISTY!

Go and check out everybody from the blog swap too!

Western New Yorker and Almost a Hippy

A Bunch of Radness and Spoolish

Dash of Rose and Lemonade Runway

Buttons and Birdcages and Confessions of a Refashionista

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Spring throw pillows: birch ruffles

I was going back and forth about what to do with the birch and woodpecker fabric that I have.  I only bought a yard of it because although I loved the pattern, I had no real idea as to what I was going to do with it.  As I was standing in my living room and looking at the couch I realized that as much as I love my bow and fox throw pillows (post and tutorial here), the material and colors were too fall and winter... Looks like I found a purpose for the birch fabric! It is great for spring with its light and airy colors.  It is also relatively smooth to the touch so much more practical as a pillow cover.

Here's a break down of the general steps I took to create the slipcover (It's got a zipper!)

Top Left: Gather the materials you need! For each pillow, cut 2 squares that is about an inch wider and longer than the pillows.  For the ruffles, it will be folded long-ways in half so have the folded width to be about half an inch wider than the desired width for the ruffles.  Length of the ruffle fabric was about 2.5 the perimeter of the pillows.  It really depends on how much gathering (how tight the ruffles) you prefer.  You could always go with a longer length and shorten it later.

Top Right:  The fabric I have was not nearly long enough to have the ruffle fabric length I needed the first go around so I sewed strips of them together.

Bottom Left: Fold the ruffle fabric long-ways and baste through the fabric to form gatherings to the tightness you like.

Bottom Right:  Pin the ruffles on the right side of the fabric facing towards the middle.  Sew around the edges but make sure you are careful to not accidentally overlap the ruffles too much as you sew.

Top Left:  This is what the ruffles will look like when you turn it right side out.

Top Right:  Sew the zipper along one side over the ruffle.  Right side of the zipper laying on the ruffle.

Bottom Left: Sew the other side of the zipper to the other square (Note, if you have a patterned fabric that has a distinct direction, make sure you are having it face the right way).

Bottom Right: Unzip the zipper

Pin the squares together with the ruffles in between them facing the center.  Make sure the ruffles are as far away from where you are going to sew as possible, you want to make sure the ruffles still exist when you turn it right side out.  Sew around the perimeter of the pillow carefully (remember, there are ruffles to consider).  Turn it right side out and you've got a ruffled pillow that can zip up!

I went back and hand sewed parts of the zipper to make sure it was laying right and completely done.

It's convenient I had zippers that were pretty similar to the color of my fabric.  The zipper on the left REALLY blends in beautifully, it's like an extra birch tree!

Hope everybody is having beautiful spring sunshine!

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