Many sewing machines come with a cover; some are hard plastic, some are soft vinyl... none are particularly pretty. Since I believe all my sewing machines have their own personalities, I think they deserve their own personalized covers to keep them protected from dust and sun exposure when not in use. Besides, these hard-working machines make so much stuff for us, the least we can do is make a little outfit for them! For our Moda Fabrics Half Moon Modern Sewing Room series, we created a cover for my Janome Memory Craft 5200, a very standard-sized machine. This Janome is my mid-range model and is a real sweetie-pie. She deserved a cover with a kicky bottom ruffle, ribbon and bow accent, and the cheery red and white brights of Half Moon Modern .

Red Leather. Read that out loud three times fast. (Go ahead... I'll wait) Hard to do isn't it? Now try Red Faux Leather. Much easier, isn't it? Not only is it easier to say, faux leather is much easier to sew with than the real thing. We really enjoyed designing and creating this elegant handbag project out of the faux leather provided by our friends at Fabric.com. It's part of our Lush & Plush Series sponsored by Fabric.com, which ran all last week and is continuing this week, giving you tips, projects and product reviews surrounding the lush-est, plushest, trendiest fabrics or Fall and Winter. Our Red Calf Faux Leather bag is a perfect crossover tote. It's clean and casual enough for the office, but still posh and pretty, and in a manageable size, so it works perfectly for a night on the town.

Sure... you can get fabric shopping bags from the store, but they aren't super strong or roomy and are less-than-lovely. Plus, some recent research shows they can become a breeding ground for bacteria if not washed regularly. I tried washing the ones I got at my market and they fell apart. Great. Then, another news story pops up that shows many of these store-provided bags are coming from overseas and contain potentially unsafe levels of lead. Great x2. Time to make your own: prettier, safer, sturdier. 

Read me a story! Read it AGAIN!! Keep all your favorite bedtime books handy with our cute caddy tutorial. You'll notice our sample includes some well-worn classics from our own libraries... the ones read over and over, bringing delighted smiles each time. The caddy slips between mattress and box spring, held in place by the mattresses themselves as well as some gripper fabric. Two generous pockets are wide and deep enough to hold plenty of lil' literature. This is just one of the eight projects in our new Storybook Lil' Boy's Room Series sponsored by Moda Fabrics and featuring the nostalgic Lil' Rascals collection by  Chloe's Closet.