Projects Fabric Art & Accents 
Cotton Candy Kitty is asking so nicely, how could you say "no" to her Valentine's request? This is a fast and easy project... even if you've never tried a stuffed animal before. We found the Minky Double-Sided Cuddle Fleece from our friends at Minky Delight surprisingly easy to work with. It's very forgiving, and a third of a yard is enough to make three little kittens. I bet you know at least three folks who could use a Valentine's Day hug from a cute little kitty like this.
We ❤ Valentine's Day at Sew4Home! Secretly, I wish I had a little construction paper mailbox to hang on my desk. Perhaps I might still collect a few crumpled doilies festooned with candy hearts and felt-penned sentiments of love. Are there some sweethearts left on your Valentine's list? One of these Valentine's Day Classic Projects might be just the ticket. They're all fast and easy enough to finish by February 14th... as soon as you complete your paper mailbox!
At just 5" square, our teeny tiny purse might seem like the perfect little girl accessory, and indeed it would be. However, the 2012 fashion runway trends are showing little purses like this on big girls as well. In fact, our 'big girl' model dubbed it the perfect size for a night on the town, just right to hold a bit of make up, cards and cash. We combined three soft peachy-pink prints from two of Cloud9 Fabric's newest Premium Organic Collections: Nursery Basics and Maman. The easy-to-use frame is just like the ones you'd find on a little coin purse.
One of my favorite "new baby traditions" is the practice of bringing the siblings of a new baby little gifts to also make them feel special. That is the idea behind our adorable Big Sister Dolly Quilt. We used the scraps from yesterday's Beautiful Baby Quilt to create a matching 14" x 18" blanket the perfect size for a doll bed. The center patchwork is made up of 2" x 2" squares, which were sized to be a perfect showcase for the pretty little motifs of our Cloud9 Maman fabric.
This handy little fella is modeled after the lanyards you often get at conferences or other events, in fact, you could certainly use it for that or to hold travel documents and ID. But it's also a perfect size to hold credit cards, cash, even your keys... all on a removable lanyard. The secret back pocket is held together with Velcro so nothing will tumble out. This is a great ScrapBusters project; you can mix and match the three fabrics needed to create just the right look. Choose a fabric combo that highlights the recipient's hobby or just his/her favorite colors. If you have an embroidery machine, add a special design or a monogram on the outside. Quick, easy and fun!
We took the idea of a traditional closet/drawer sachet and super-sized it as a Great-4-Guys Valentine's Day gift idea. You can make a simple pillow design or add a ribbon loop or ties so it can stash in the closet on the rod or a hanger. Our Valentine's love letter fabric is another one of the great Japanese Kokka designs, courtesy of Callie at CityCraft. It would be so sweet if you typed up an actual love letter and tucked it in with a box of these sachets! We filled ours with aromatic cedar shavings, which is another reason for the larger size. Plus... cedar is a better choice for most guys over the more common rose or lavender sachet scents.
Jazz up your jammie-time with these adorable sleep shorts. There's one pair for Him with a drawcord and pocket, and one pair for Her with kicky ruffles and a satin bow. We show you how to make a pattern using an existing pair of your favorite shorts. Super easy, super comfy and a super cute idea for Valentine's Day, especially in pretty pinks (remember... real guys can wear pink) and grays. We used a combination of fabrics from both Dena Designs and Robert Kaufman, courtesy of Fat Quarter Shop.
I don't know about you, but I always seem to have a cabinet full of plain glass flower vases. I can never remember exactly where they've all come from, but there they sit. I don't want to throw them out, but they seem to multiply like bunnies. So, here's a great Valentine's Day... or ANY day project to dress up your vases with a pretty fabric skirt. Turn them from kitchen cabinet dust collectors into bright and beautiful flower stem vessels. Our skirts are ruffled and be-ribboned for a pretty and playful feel -- perfect for simple Valentine bouquets of daisys or carnations. But just think of all the other options: satin and lace for roses or silk and voile for giant peony blooms. You could make a whole vase-skirt wardrobe... and empty a cabinet in the process!
Our cute quilted case is sized to hold everything from thin readers to designer sunglasses. Batting makes it soft, and the smooth cotton lining will help keep your lenses scratch-free. We added a perky ruffle to crank up the cute factor. Plus, there's a carabiner key clip so you have all the essentials at hand: glasses and keys; "I can see... I can drive. I'm ready to rumble!" We picked the pretty Oh La La fabric collection by Pillow & Maxfield in Red Petite Fluers and combined that with Dear Stella's J'Adore Stella Pink Sunburst Stripe. Two different designers but both with a French accent! Together they create a wonderful color and print combo for a lovely Valentine's Day gift.
One of our S4H New Year's resolutions is to experiment more with the wonderful variety of fabric types available. Called 'substrates' in the trade, this refers to the base fabric onto which the design is applied. For today's project, we've chosen two of Anna Maria Horner's gorgeous velveteens to create our fabulous scarf. What a great project to chase away the winter blues and still stay toasty warm. Ours is done in rich Valentine's Day colors and would make a lovely gift. No need for wrapping paper; simply tie the scarf itself into a big beautiful bow.
