THE DOMESTIC DIVA’S DISASTERS™

Every once in a while, I get crafty…

A dear friend asked me to embellish a pink leather photo album for their friend who just opened up a new dance studio.

This was something that was given to me about a week ago…but like everything, I put it off as I was trying to come up with something nifty.  Well, the truth is as much as I love doing hand Calligraphy, I always worry that I’ll ruin the item!

For many years, brides and those throwing big parties paid me to do their handmade invitations each addressed in Calligraphy.  Those were the days when Calligraphy was the special touch than made their invitations shine.  But I gave it up as I was just too critical of my Calligraphy…never feeling it was perfect enough.  I’d spend hours mixing the right paints and inks…making sure my dip pen nibs were just right (which came from England as I needed a special left-handed nib).

Well, I couldn’t put off the pink leather photo album any longer.  I had to get it done…

I bought some different scrapbooking embellishments for the front cover.  I also did some calligraphy in metallic silver ink.

I added a bunch of different pink and brown ribbon and glued some crocheted flowers on the ends.

I did a bunch of calligraphy tags and placed them throughout the album.

I even added some hot fix crystals to give it some bling.

The front of the album has 3D embellishments…satin ballet shoes, beaded tiara and scepter, fabric tutu and even a paper program.

It was a hit!  My friend loved it…so much so that she asked if I could do a few more albums for her…ummm, NO!  LOL!

SEWING ROOM ORGANIZATION CHALLENGE
PART 3 – NEEDLES, PINS AND STABILIZERS

OK girls…time to move onto Part 3…
NEEDLES, PINS and STABILIZERS!

NEEDLES
Divide and store your machine sewing needles by size and/or type. In the past, I have used clear divided Tupperware™ storage wedges for my needle storage and labeled the different plastic wedged-shaped containers as follows:

• 70/10
• 80/12
• 90/14
• 100/16
• Specialty – metallic, topstitching, twin needles, etc.

However, since I now buy my needles wholesale by the dozens, I had to get something larger for my needles. I found this larger storage carousel at Staples:

Here’s a great article from HGTV on the different types of sewing machine needles.

There are many different clear divided storage containers available to store your new needles:

12 compartment Carousel Storage Wheel

Tupperware 6 wedge Carousel

17 Compartment Storage Box

Plastic Storage Bin Container Tray

Clear Plastic Storage Boxes

Plastic Storage Case

6 Slot Locking Storage Box

Craft Mates Locking Storage Box

Another great idea for new needle storage is to use a small photo album with clear divided pages. You could also use clear trading card dividers and put them in a binder. You could easily find a photo brag book in the Dollar Store!

Check out this Diva one!

Princess Brag Book

Here’s a cute Leather brag book:

Leather Photo Album

Trading card sleeves:

Trading Card Sleeves

More Trading Card Sleeves

USED NEEDLES / NEEDLES IN USE

Use an old-fashioned tomato pin cushion to temporary distinguish the current needle in your machine and your slightly used needles. Using a black marker to divide and mark your tomato into sections:

• E for Embroidery Needles
• F for Fine Machine Needles
• S70, S80, S90 according to the standard sizes you used most often
• T for Topstitching Needles
• M for Metallic Needles

Put a bright colored pin in the appropriate space on your tomato pin cushion to hold the place of the current needle in your machine.

Pick up one of these pin cushions at your local craft store or on eBay:

Simplicity Tomato Pin Cushion

Even better yet, Dritz now has a Dresden pincushion!

Here’s a similar one available online:

Dritz Tomato Pin Cushion

Also check out this GRABBIT Needle Organizer. Just slide a needle into the loop strip next to the appropriate spaces and it stays put. You can also label the blank spaces. It also has an “IN USE” pin marker to easily identify the needle which is currently in your machine:

Grabbit Machine Needle Organizer

You might even like this nifty NEEDLETRAK™ by the Quilted Ribbon. You can easily keep track of your needle in your machine by moving the arrow indicators to appropriate needle style and size. It also attaches to your machine:

And if you don’t want to spend the $6 - $10 on the above Needletrak, you can make your own. I found this neat idea from the Moonlight Quilters Organization:

To make a needle case similar to the one pictured above:

• Cut 8” squares of Muslim, Batting AND printed cotton fabric. You should have 3 squares.
• Use a permanent pen to write the types and sizes of needles you use on the Muslim. (You could also draw your lines on a piece of tear away stabilizer and then just tear it away when you’re finished.)
• Use black thread to stitch the continuous grid you see in the picture. (Note: I’d cheat by making up a simple embroidery design file in my embroidery customizing program so I can stitch these out for my friends).
• Stitch a small piece of Velcro to the right side of the printed fabric. (Moonlight Quilter’s directions state to add a small piece of ribbon to sides, but I think the Velcro is a better idea as you don’t have to fuss with the ribbon ties…you just stick it to your machine with the coordinating Velcro piece.)
• Place the printed fabric and batting right sides together on top of the muslim.
• Stitch around all sides leaving a 2” space for turning.
• Clip your corners to reduce bulk prior to turning.
• Topstitch around all sides.

Presto…you have a neat handmade needle case! However, if you are really lazy, you could always use Velcro dots. Just stick a Velcro dot to the needle case of the needle you have in your sewing machine. It doesn’t get simpler than that!

Here’s something for your HAND NEEDLES…The Colonial NEEDLEPACK:

This compact hand needle organizer with pocket guide for selecting the right needle and thread for your project comes with Colonial English-made hand needles. It has 5 pockets for storing new needles and clear-view slots for separating used needles or for setting up multiple needles for projects. Also includes a set of printed labels included.

Lastly, Fons & Porter now have these needle disposal cases for sale:

Is it me or are those totally useless? Why would you spend money of those when you could easily use an empty needle case or a film container? JMHO…

PINS

There are lots of ways to hold your sewing pins.  Try one of these:

Grabbit Magnetic Pincushion

A Magnetic Paper Clip Holder is perfect for holding your regular pins.

Wrist Grabbit Wearable Magnetic Pincushion

Collins Wrist Pin Cushion

Magnetic Bowl

Sew Wanderful Magnetic Pin Holder

You can make your own pincushion to match your sewing room.  Here’s a list of tons of pincushion tutorials:

Diva’s List of Pincushion Tutorials

However, if you don’t feel like making own yourself, check out all the handmade pincushions on Etsy.com.

STABILIZERS AND INTERFACINGS

It is very easy to become confused with all the different stabilizers and interfacings available to the home sewer. When I purchase them on small rolls, I mark the cardboard roll and stick the original plastic packaging inside the roll (the instructions are then easy to find). If I purchase stabilizers or interfacings from a bolt, I wrap it with its original instructions.

All stabilizers and interfacings can be stored in a large clear rolling bin (clearly labeled, of course). However, I recently came up with a much better solution….why not use a soda bottle holder or wine rack? Since I gave up soda a few months ago, I was about to throw out my 2 liter soda bottle holder…yet now it holds my stabilizers on a shelf! I wish I had thought of that sooner! No more digging in the big stabilizer box. I still will use the box for large “yardage” of interfacings on bolts. Here’s a photo of my soda/stabilizer holder…

There are many useful ones available on eBay:

Wooden Wine Rack

Metal Wine Rack

Another Wine Rack

and yet another Wine Rack…LOL

and another

last one

You could even use a Plastic Wrap Organizer and mount it to the wall:

Rubbermaid Kitchen Wrap Organizer

Wire Kitchen Wrap Organizer

Think you can handle this challenge? You have 72 hours! Please post your BEFORE and AFTER pictures as soon as you’re finished!

Good luck!

whoops…forgot to post the Friend SWAP I sent to Julie Bow Ho™…

Julie picked Pink and Green as her colors…

F is for FUNKY FRAME…Lime Green Leather…LOL

R is for REALLY YUMMY STUFF…some Paula Deen HOE Cake Mix and fancy lemonade

I is for INTENSE POLKA DOT STASH…a nifty coupon holder filled with polka dot ribbon and trims

E is for ENDLESS CANDY…a Lime Green leather box with some of my favorite sweets

N is for NYC MOB AUDIO BOOK…Julie is a big true crime lover, so figured she’d get a kick out of this…

D is for DIVA ACCESSORIES…a Green and Pink Toile fabric box filled with Diva Spa things, notecards, a candle and of course, HO HO Lip balm…

I made appliqued polka dot Letter tags on my embroidery machine…

That was so much fun!  Our next SWAP is a SWEET TREATS one…we send something edible which our hometown is famous for…this is when being a NYer rocks!  We certainly have the best pizza, bread, cannolis and street pretzels!

My latest little project…I was cleaning out my daughter’s old American Girl doll clothes collection and what do I find…2 mini doll dressers…but they were White..

 So I painted them PINK!  They are actually a great size…14″ x 16″ and 7″ deep!

These 18 dresser drawers are now filled with glue sticks, bowmaking supplies, my custom clothing labels and garment size labels.  I’ll have to label each drawer or I will never remember what is in each one!  Which brings me to my next dilemma…where is my label maker?  It’s hiding on me as it knows I’m going to be abusing it…LOL.

Onto my next project…here’s a vintage-looking dress form I found in HomeGoods last year for a mere $30…only problem is it doesn’t perfectly match my sewing studio…so I decided I’m going to try my hand at fabric decopauge this weekend using a few of my pink and black fabrics…then if she’s good, I’ll make her a pink fluffy tutu!

Off to finish up Part III of the Sewing Room Organization Challenge - Needles and Stabilizers!

PART II – THREAD ORGANIZATION

Okay girls! Time to move on to NOTION COMMOTION!!! We will start by organizing your mess of threads and bobbins!  Here goes…

THREAD
The most basic “notion” would have to be thread. I divide my thread “collections” by type. Consider wooden thread racks which can be wall mounted or placed in a top drawer, clear thread and cone cases, or even Matchbox™ Car plastic storage containers which perfectly fit most embroidery threads. Here’s how I contain my ever-expanding thread collection:

- Regular Sewing Thread: clear thread cases on rolling cart

- Embroidery Thread: clear thread cases on rolling cart
- Serger Thread: clear cone thread cases on rolling cart

Here’s my two rolling carts of clear thread storage…All threads are arranged within their type in color order. It makes finding the right thread for your project a breeze! Be sure to put your thread away in its proper container when you take it out of your machine.

Here’s my friend’s Thread Wall… 

The June Tailor Thread Racks come in several different sizes (33, 66 and 120).  You can get them with (for placing on a table) or without legs (for wall mounting):

Here’s a neat Matchbox type case:

BOBBINS
I keep my different types of bobbins in separate clear bobbin holders (cases). There are also great bobbin wheels available at your local sewing store.

CLEAR BOBBIN HOLDERS

BOBBIN WHEEL

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280132213617&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores&refitem=8273750465&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget 

FOAM BOBBIN HOLDER

MAGNETIC BOBBIN HOLDER

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230134975584&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=8266555246&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget

Check out these cool bobbin holders that attach to the top of your thread spool:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Singer-Featherweight-Bobbin-Holder-Handi-Bobs-25_W0QQitemZ130132318938QQihZ003QQcategoryZ41243QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem  

Here’s the answer to unraveling bobbins:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bobbin-Protection-and-Thread-Holders_W0QQitemZ280130580250QQihZ018QQcategoryZ4836QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem  

Check out Hugo’s Amazing Tape

The best Thread Saver! Keeps embroidery thread and sewing threads from tangling.   Also great for bobbins!

Another TIP:  I use a waterproof black marker to differentiate the types of bobbin thread. All regular bobbins are not marked, however, I put an “F” on the bobbins used for fine (thin) thread, an “E” for embroidery bobbin thread and an “S” for silk thread.

So girls…you have 72 hours (3 days) to complete this challenge! Please post your BEFORE pictures now and then your AFTER pictures of your newly organized thread storage as soon as you’re done!

Good Luck!

Well…let me just say JEN (aka little red wagon) ROCKS BIG TIME!!!  I love EVERYTHING!!!

Here goes…

“F is for FABRIC.  Because you can truly never have too much!”  What DIVA doesn’t love POLKA DOTS?

“R is for RECYCLED READ.  This fun read was in my sewing library, hope you don’t already have it.”  OMG…Jen, were you checking my bidding history lately?  This was the issue I was looking for!!!!  I’m so STOKED!

“I is for IRON.  A treasure for your Garden.”  You remembered how I love RUSTED IRON…you so ROCK!

“E is for ESPRESSO.  Hope this brightens your morning!”  Beat you didn’t know we are serious coffee/espresso drinkers…recently spent more on a grinder/coffee/espresso combo maker than we did on my car payment…LOL

“N is for NAPKINS and a pretty NEW BOOKMARK.”  These napkins are too funny…they read, “I love being married.  It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.”  ROTFLMAO!!!  and ooooooooooooh…the TATTED BOOKMARK…although I’m sure you all know I LOVE TATTING…did you know I’ve been collecting these tatted bookmarks for 3 years now?  YIPPEE!!!

“D is for DIVA’S BBQ BASH!  Don’t feel you have to wear it, just having fun.  This is your crafted gift.”  Jen, I am SO wearing this all summer!!!  I love it!!!  How creative!!!

I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter gifter gal!  Not only did she sent me all these goodies, but Jen also send my little guy a cool Matchbox truck and a cute book!

Thanks so much!  You made my WEEK!

With friendship,
Lisa

Busy today working on my ”FRIEND SWAP” which needs to be sent out later.  Basically your recipient picks their two favorite colors and you spell out the word FRIEND and send it to them.   I’d post pics, but it’s a surprise…don’t want to let the cat out of the bag…KWIM?

Thought I’d share pics of the SPRING FLING SWAP I received last month from my dear buddy, MIA Mary™.  She is the absolute BOMB!!! I was so impressed! I absolutely loved EVERYTHING she surprised me with…now for the pics…

S is for SEW DIVINE…I almost had an orgasm when I came upon this!

P is for PHOTOS…WOW!!!! First of all, it’s too funny how I mentioned I love PINK BOXES after Mary had already bought this awesome one for me. There’s also a beautiful handmade brag book from Roxanne’s Rags and a cute pink pleather photo album…

R is for READ & RELAX…a nice trashy novel about a rich housewife who’s DH leaves her one day and she fixes him (guess Mary is preparing me for a worst-case scenario), a cool hot pink book light (I can really use this!!!), a beautiful beaded charm bookmark and some yummy bath products.
I is for INITIALLY YOURS…Mary handmade this gorgeous plate…I love it!
N is for NOTECARDS…I’ve been jonesing for some of Kacey’s custom notecards and now I have them…WOO HOO!!!
and finally G is for GOURMET GOODIES!!! Sweet jellybeans…I’ve already dug into them!
Mary totally outdid herself!!! Thank you sweetie…YOU’RE THE BEST!

With friendship,
Lisa

I have this terrible habit of buying ANYTHING which can be used to organize and/or store things.  One day it’s vintage sewing boxes, the next leather covered hat boxes.  oh and let’s not forget all the cool retro magnetic boards which are in a corner not being utilized.

It’s really gotten out of hand…so bad that I have dozens and dozens of EMPTY storage things and cannot decide on exactly what their use should be.

 Now my compulsion gets stronger if it is PINK…and a double bonus if it can be used in my sewing studio!

Not a week goes buy where I don’t come across an awesome find…earlier this month I found these hot PINK covered aluminum cans (why did I need to buy 8 of them in various sizes?). 

Then there was the vintage shiny pink thread holder (as if I’m lacking in thread storage…NOT.  Loved it so much I found another one today on eBay).

Oh and let’s not forget the nifty sewing pin dispenser I found…of course when I noticed it was PINK, I just couldn’t stop myself.

Then I stopped at Target and they were having a sale on fabric storage boxes…yes, I bought 12 PINK ones.

Off to HomeGoods I go where I discover these neat black and white magnetic storage thingeys…only bought 2 sets of white ones and 2 sets of black.

And that brings me to my latest “score”…little pink plastic boxes.  Now, please don’t ask me what I was thinking I’d actually use them for…the seller was getting rid of an entire crate…so now I’m the proud owner of 240 little pink boxes.

 So…I was thinking, heck…maybe I’ll get ambitious and make 150 candy filled little pink box favors for my BBQ guests…it’s not like I don’t have a million things to do in preparation for the big day…LOL. 

I really should stop while I’m ahead…

With friendship,

Lisa