My Popcorn Tote Is featured!

Just got the word. My little popcorn tote made an etsy treasury. I'm tickled pink!



http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=78692


MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Tiny Tiger Toes (Geaux Tigers!)

If there's one thing I'm learning, it's never underestimate what people are looking for...




A while back I had digitized some tiny pawprints for Plano Senior High (Wildcats) ribbon. WHo knew others would be looking?



These tiny pawprints look great walking up a ribbon, accenting a bib, or on the bottom of a tiny shoe!

Each pawprint measures only .5" across, and the design also comes with a single.

http://keepsmeinstitches.com/




MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Tutorial - Recycling Hawaiian Pants, Repurposing clothes

Hmmm... I wasn't really sure what to call this one.

I bought a pair of Hawaiian pants - pretty wild Hawaiian pants. Let's just say a print that large doesn't look great on a derriere this wide-- capeesh? Well skinny pants really loved them. So...1. Remove the waistband. I did this with a seam ripper.
2. Take out the crotch seam first. I was able to cut mine out, since the size difference was fairly large.
3. Remove the inner leg seam. (Why inner? - In this case it was out of a desire to not have to resew the zipper!)
4. Lay out the legs, and draw a new crotch seam. (I used a current pair of pants to estimate this.)
You can see where her crotch seam doesn't even make it past the leg on the original leg!

5. Cut straight down from crotch seam, narrowing legs. (We can't have clown pants!)

6. Resew the inner leg seam. Turn one leg inside out. Put the right side out leg INSIDE the inside out leg, then sew the crotch seam.

7. I add to resew a new button hole, but if you use the correct end of your waistband, you wouldn't even have to do that!)
8. Rehem.
This post will have additional pics, as soon as I can get her in 'em.

Mary Kay

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Letter D available today - come n get it!

Thank you guys, for being patient during my absence. I was saying goodbye to a family member who will be missed and remembered.

FREE Letter D is available today on the site.

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Giraffe Monogram letters

Looks like I need to be away from the computer to tend to some family matters. I don't want my regulars to be disappointed, so I'll go ahead and put up the letters for the next 3 days, all at once. A 3-fer!

So download 'em now while they are free. I'll return to your regularly scheduled 1 a day on Tuesday. Thanks!

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Along came a spider...

A new spider !

Applique for the 5 x 7 hoop. Cut as you go in the hoop.

http://keepsmeinstitches.com


MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Letter E is up!

Okay giraffe font followers, letter E went up just after midnight. (What on earth was I doing up at that hour????)

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Letter N Free today

Letter N of the Giraffe Monogram Embroidery font is available now until midnight. Get it now while it's FREE!

One letter is released each day (free for one day) then the whole set will be available at a discount. Miss one? The newsletter sign up coupon is good until 8/20 and will get you one additional letter free.

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

You say Cheyenne, and I say Chey-Annes!

I've been working with the Chey-Anne booster club on some spirit wear for the Chey-Annes parents, and in particular their logo. The Chey-Annes are the high kicking award winning drill team for Williams High School in Plano Texas.
It's Plano's oldest high school so they've had their logo a while. Last year, their spirit shirts showed the traditional logo of the Chey-Anne puffy sleeve girl.
The puffy shirt figure has been around for a while as a silhouette, so I wanted to see if we could leave the outline, but make her uniform look more like the girls current uniforms, shown here:













Never mess with tradition, right? So, treading lightly... I came up with the following:

It's a subtle change, but it shows the new gauntlets, while keeping the shape and similar outline.

They are off for approval, so we'll see. Too far?
Let me know what you think!


MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Looking for L?

I was a little late getting the FREEBIE up today, but it's there now. If you want to follow the facebook page (left of this post) I'll post when the new freebies go up. Or, if you're a twitter-er, follow me on Twitter, and I'll tweet when they're up. You can be the first to know!

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Wylie East Super E!

I am working on some new spirt wear for Wylie Eat High School. (Isn't there something about spirit wear that just makes you get all excited about school starting??)

I love their new "Super E" logo. So bold and modern looking.

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Whimsical Sleeping Eye Mask Tutorial

Want to know how to make a simple spa mask? I got a request for making an eye mask for, well, the BEST BOYFRIEND EVER. Now, before my poor dh and all my friends have a heart attack, you should know it's not my bf.

But with an introduction like that, how can a girl help but smile???

Seems she's up late studying and his smaller eyemask isn't blocking enough light. Enter request. One green diagonal striped fabric eye mask with elastic back and "I am sleeping" in a specific font. I love bizarre requests. They bring out the doldrums and force the creative back in gear.

Now- part 1: bigger than normal for better coverage. The first step here was to draw a mask on a sheet of paper.

Why just draw 1/2? To make sure the sides are even, of course! Next, this shape is cut out, adjusted, redrawn, adjusted redrawn (repeat say 40 times....) then cut the final design out a second time, but with seam allowance around it.

You should also cut this shape of an inner lining fabric (I used a cotton interlock which is super soft) and an interior fabric (this should ideally be satin, microfiber, or in this case- a super soft bamboo terry in black. Make a sandwich of the fabrics like this:

First layer is the lining fabric, then the front fabric, pretty side up. Lastly the backing fabric, pretty side down.

Part 2: Measure your head with 1 1/2 inch elastic. As you sew, you'll want to attach the elastic as a layer of the sandwich, betweem the front and back layer.

Part 3: Stitch / Serge. Leave a 2 inch hole opening in the top for turning.

Part 4: Turn and press. Topstitch from the outside, catching edges inside.

Aaaahhhh... a good night's rest. From a seriously cute, sweet, and possibly THE BEST EVER girlfriend.

Think I'll make some up for the next slumber party... or better yet, do you feel an "in-the-hoop" project coming???

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Next Free Font Letter posted

For those of you playing along, the letter T from the Giraffe monogram collection is FREE today.

These letters are machine embroidery files (not computer keyboard fonts, as one reader thought yesterday). They are only good for those using embroidery sewing machines. Thanks!

Measures 3.75" tall and available in most formats.

Here 's the link.

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Free Monogram Giraffe Font

Today's free letter is A!

One letter a day will be offered FREE, before you can buy the whole set. Visit each day, and you can have the whole set FREE!

Letters are 3.75" tall and in fill pattern of giraffe spots with outline.

http://keepsmeinstitches.com/

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Free Giraffe Font Alpha Monogram

I'm working on a new giraffe monogram set, and I'm offering them free! One letter will be offered each day, for 26 days.

Fill stitch motif with outline, these are not intended to be made into words. They are great for a monogrammed towel, bag or other project requiring a single large letter. Each measures 3.75" tall and will fit in most small hoops (4x4) Available in most formats- if you don't see what you are looking for, please ask!


Today's letter is K, don't miss it! Once all 26 have been given away, the set will be available at regular price only.

Check the store KeepsMeInStitches.com for the link to download your letter. You will need to add it to your cart, but since it is FREE, no shipping information is required.

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Monday morning mending- Tutorial on v-neck dress alteration

Okay, it's really Sunday. ... too bad.

I have a couple of dresses (poly/spandex ) from one of the big box warehouse stores. I really like them, but they never fit quite right. I've lived with them because they have no separate sleeve pieces, so taking them up at the shoulder meant the arm hole would get smaller-- and area where honestly I need MORE room.

Then it occured to me, (ta da! ) that I didn't have to keep the line of the dress exactly the same. I could alter the neckline shape and take height out of the shoulder, without sacrificing arm space.

In case you have a similar dress-- this might help someone.

Here's the dress in question: Notice that the top is a little loose, caused by being to short!

Here's the dress laying flat.

The idea was to take up the neckline, without altering the armhole. The red line indicates the alteration. This leaves all the arm space, while helping the front and back fit better.

Before makeing the new seam, I needed to remove the "finished" hem from the arm and neck opening, where the new seam would meet. I did this using a needle, then a seam ripper. The edges were just a coverstitch with folded under and stitched, I did not remove the coverstitching.

Now, I took more fabric from the front than the back. After playing around with different pinnings, this provided the best option.

Then I took the seam up on each side. My serger happens to be under the weather, so I used a stretch zig zag, trimmed that close, and did another row of stretch straigh stitching. Then I restitched the hem edge back using brown top thread.

A quick, needed improvement which makes the dress a better wear for church and work.

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.

Girls Rule - ?

Someone was looking for this design, so I digitized it as pre-work. Hmmm... wonder what it's going on???

MaryKay is slowly trying to dig herself out from under a mountain if fabric, one tutorial at a time.