Bridesmaids' gowns get a bad rap (see the movie, 27 Dresses 
You Asked 4 It: Mesh Laundry Bags in Two Sizes
If you're a Sew4Home regular, you know we really do listen to suggestions about projects and techniques visitors are interested in seeing and learning about. We have a special list called You Asked 4 It. Today's project is pulled from that list: a mesh laundry bag for fine washables. True, these are readily available and can be pretty inexpensive to purchase. But often they aren't as well-made as you'd like, or you need a teeny-tiny size for baby socks, or you just want a fun color to tempt an otherwise messy teen to pick up his underwear. Time to bust out a few of your own. They are super easy; we made our two samples in nothing flat.
Re-imagine & Renovate - Put A Gift In It: Jumbo Fabric Tub
The Re-imagine & Renovate series is our chance to show you how one project can turn out an unlimited number of ways, depending on the choices you make with fabrics, trims and notions. It opens your eyes to how much fun it is to mix and match colors, patterns and collections to create a new look each and every time. We've made it to the final project is our latest R&R series: Put A Gift In It. Today's super-size round basket is fun to make and fun to use. Some tasks are just big, and so you need a big basket to get the job done. Whether you're doing the laundry, need jumbo storage for knitting or other crafting supplies, or want to put together a king-size gift package - this is the project for you! It's also a great excuse to use a bold geometric print. On some projects, big motifs can seem overwhelming, but on this project - we're happy to be huge!
Re-imagine & Renovate - Put A Gift In It: Fabric Wallets
Sometimes it's fun to not have to worry about learning a whole new project; instead, why not take a fave design and simply give it a whole new look. In other words: Re-imagine & Renovate! Like a fresh coat of paint, brand new fabric makes all the difference. This week's R&R projects have a Put A Gift In It theme: innovative ways to wrap up a special something for a special someone. Today's adorable mini clutches were the #1 project of 2012, so we knew we wanted to R&R them right away. These little guys are fun to make, great to give, and cute as a bucket of kittens! In fact, if you hurry, there's even time to make one today for Valentine's Day tomorrow. Tuck in a gift card or a romantic note along with a special token of your love. One of the things that makes this project so fun is it takes just a little bit of fabric. It's a great way to experiment with coordinating fabrics from a new collection you've been admiring. Test it out with a couple mini cuts, then re-order more for a bigger project.
Re-imagine & Renovate - Put A Gift In It: Fill 'er Up Gift Baskets
At Sew4Home, there's little time for the traditional R&R: rest and relaxation! Instead, we have our own definition; in our studios, R&R stands for: "Re-imagine & Renovate." It's all about putting a new spin on a favorite design, picking new fabrics, trims and notions to create a unique look. This week's Put A Gift In It message is ideal for today's basket pair. Wide and shallow, they are designed to be the perfect, easy-to-fill gift baskets. We provide cutting dimensions for both a small (apx. 8" x 5" x 3") and large (apx. 10" x 6" x 4") basket, which nest together for easy storage. Load one up with scrumptious treats or... pick out a few inexpensive items at the store and build your own custom-themed basket for a baby or wedding shower, birthday or housewarming. Wrapping up everyday items in a handmade basket, especially one the gift recipient can use again and again, turns the ordinary into something super special.
Re-imagine & Renovate - Put A Gift In It: Trendy Weekender Shoulder Bag
Each fabric has its own personality; and just like mixing interesting guests at a dinner party gives you dozens of fascinating conversations - how you combine fabric in a project gives you an unlimited number of beautiful end results. That's the idea behind our R&R series: we Re-imagine and Renovate a classic design to come up with a whole new look. This week we have four wonderful projects under the Put A Gift In It theme: innovative ways to wrap up a special something for a special someone. Today's cute and casual tote is named after my favorite Angela, our oldest daughter. She designed it herself and always gets tons of compliments on it. We recently featured the original bag on our Pinterest boards and immediately got dozens of repins. Seemed like a great time to give it a new look for the new year! This is a super simple project you can easily make in an afternoon. With two inside pockets and its unique tall design, the bag holds a surprising amount of stuff at a finished size of just 12" x 9" x 2" (excluding the cool top waves).
FreeSpirit-Rowan 10&10 Series: Fabric Box-Baskets in Jenean Morrison/In My Room
I think a lot of people in our S4H audience like stuff to put other stuff in. Every time we do any kind of a storage solution here, we get rave reviews. Our structured fabric baskets are at the top of that list. We have a new variation of them today in Jenean Morrison's In My Room collection for FreeSpirit Fabrics. I call them box-baskets. They're created in essentially the same manner as a number of our previous baskets, but we've changed the shape, the height, and the base in order to give them more of the feel of a box. And, we're using a heavy canvas strapping for the easy-to-grab side handle loops. We've worked with Jenean before and just love her. This new collection is wonderfully reminiscent of the playful little patterns of the sixties and seventies, which ties into collection's name; In My Room is also a Beach Boys hit from their 1963 Surfer Girl album.
FreeSpirit-Rowan 10&10 Series: Unisex Urban Shoulder Bag in Tula Pink/Salt Water
To me, Tula Pink is the I Spy of the fabric world. I can stare at her design collections over and over, and every time I find something new: a sailing ship in a courtier's elegant hair style, bumblebees and swallows hiding amongst the berries, a seagull bobbing on the waves. We've loved every one of Tula's collections for FreeSpirit Fabrics, and the brand new Salt Water collection made us fall head over heels again. We were inspired to create a sleek urban shoulder bag. Über trendy with bold graphic motifs and solid accents, anyone would love this handsome, functional bag. There are generous pockets both front and back, an extra zippered pocket in the front for secure storage, an inset zippered closure at the top, and a divided pocket inside the lining. At a finished size of 15" wide x 10" high with a 2" base, it's large enough to fit a standard laptop as well as additional papers, pads and pens. The shoulder strap adjusts to fit any height.
FreeSpirit-Rowan 10&10 Series: Closet Hanger Safe in Tanya Whelan/Petal Sateen
Today in our 10 Designers & 10 Collections series, we step into the romantic world of Tanya Whelan and her Petal Sateen collection for FreeSpirit Fabrics with our now-you-see-it-now-you-don't Closet Hanger Safe. We originally designed this clever little storage solution for the frequent travelers out there. It's perfect to slip onto a hotel hanger, fill with your valuables, then cover up with a hanging garment. But it works equally well in your own closet. It's also a great way - when you're traveling or even just planning your daily work wardrobe - to collect all the accessories that go with a particular outfit. Put lingerie, jewelry, scarves and belts into the zippered and slip-in pockets, then hang up the outfit itself over the Safe. Everything you need for that's day outfit in one handy place! Even with double zippers, clever pockets, ribbon ties and more, the Hanger Safe is surprisingly easy to make.
FreeSpirit-Rowan 10&10 Series: Clasp Clutch in Joel Dewberry/Notting Hill
We all have our favorites: favorite colors, favorite TV shows, favorite foods. But you probably wouldn't go to a restaurant and always order the same dish, as much as you might love it. It's exciting to be adventurous, to look at something new, because variety is the spice of life. This is the underlying theme of a brand new series, starting today with our friends at FreeSpirit and Rowan Fabrics. We've selected 10 Designers and 10 Collections to create a dozen incredible projects, and we've included several how-to tutorials plus an awesome Great Giveaway. So get ready to mix it up for the new year, and make a resolution to try something new for yourself. We start with a bold clutch with a beautiful big ball clasp. Dress it up or dress it down. We made three, using six beautiful fabrics from Joel Dewberry's Notting Hill collection for FreeSpirit Fabrics.
