The Paperie Blog Hop: The true love pincushion

I'm so excited to be a part of the Paperie fabric blog hop along with so many other talented makers (To see the list, just visit the NanaCompany blog). Paperie is the first line of fabric from Amy Sinibaldi of NanaCompany and it's adorable! Perfect for just about anything, but I like to keep my projects short and simple, because that's about all I ever have time for! So, if you're making some of the other larger projects with your fabric bits and need something small to use up the leftovers, this is perfect.

To make the linen embellished pincushion you'll just need a few supplies. Linen, iron-in stabilizer, your favorite Paperie print, some matching floss and a little ribbon or lace for embellishment.

Now here are your cuts to get you started:
4" square piece of the iron-in stabilizer
3 3/8" x 3 1/8" hearts (or your choice print) fabric
5" square piece of linen (for the back)
1 1/4" x 3 1/8" strip of linen (x2)
1 1/4" x 5" strip of linen (x2)

To get started, just center your middle fabric and machine stitch each side linen strip down to the stabilizer. After you give it a quick press, attach the top and bottom linen strips. At this point, you're ready to hand embellish your pincushion top.

Once you're happy with your handy work (I did a simple running stitch around the center), you can put the right side of your front and back together, add your ribbon loop facing inside, pin and machine stitch closed following along your stabilizer as a guide. Don't forget to leave an opening on the top or side to allow for turning right side out and stuffing.

Now that you've trimmed the excess, turned your pincushion right side out and given it a quick press with a hot iron, it's time to stuff it and hand sew the opening closed. I prefer to fill my small pincushions with crushes walnut shells which you can find online or at your local pet shop (as reptile bedding). There, you're done!

It's a very easy make, using equally adorable fabric. I hope you guys enjoy making this as much I did. Look for Amy's line Paperie from Art Gallery Fabrics. You won't be disappointed!

Cheers and happy making!
Cheri

The Paperie Blog Hop: Embellished tags for giving or keeping

So, I promised a project for crafters, and a project for sewists. They're both equally cute and useful and each are great ways to bust some scraps and use up every last precious bit of Paperie.

Paperie is the first line of fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics designed by Amy Sinibaldi of NanaCompany and i'm sure it won't be her last. So let's make some gift tags.

If you follow me on Instagram, I gave you guys the heads up to buy some gift tag packs from Targets dollar spot but if you didn't get a chance to, any old chipboard tags will do.

Here's what you'll need to get started:
Chipboard tags
Ribbon or lace
Wood buttons or scrapbook embellishments
Fabric scraps at least larger than your tags
Mod Podge
Foam paintbrush
Scissors
Hot glue gun

Cover about three quarters of your tag with a thin layer of mod podge. Lay a scrap down on the tag and press down flat so no bubbles form, making sure to press firmly near the edges.

Now cut some ribbon or lace bits to length and hot glue them to your tags to hide the raw top edge of the fabric. Once you've finished all your tags, you can start to trim the excess from your edges using a ruler and an exacto knife, rotary tool or scissors.

Now you can start to hot glue on some wood buttons or stars or hearts for the finishing touch. That's it! Just add some twine or ribbon to tie them onto packages and gifts and don't forget to make a million because you'll be sad to see them go!

I hope you guys enjoy this little project and head over to Instagram (I'm tinkerellen) for a fun giveaway (all the supplies to make your own AND some already made tags!) from me and a chance to win a charm pack of Paperie from Amy!

Thanks guys, happy making!
Cheri

DIY Magnetic Pinbowl

Want to make a quick and easy magnetic pinbowl? Of course you do. I needed something very compact for my sewing space and this two dollar dipping bowl from Target was tiny (budget-friendly) and perfect.

To make your own, you'll need a bowl or small plate, preferably something not too deep since you don't want to be reaching your fingers into a bowl full of sharp objects that you can't see. You'll need some extra strong magnets. I found these small silver ones at Home Depot. Also, some E6000 for extra strong staying power.

Now, here's the hard part: Glue the magnets to the bottom of your dish. That's it. Seriously. Once you have the supplies, you'll need about two minutes to complete your bowl. Happy crafting!

Cheers,
Tink

Gluten-free chocolate chip granola

Here's a quick and easy gluten-free granola recipe, in case you don't have a gazillion dollars to buy those little pouches of ready made stuff every week.

4 cups gluten free quick cook oats (I use Bob's Red Mill brand)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 cup shredded coconut
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4-1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients (except the maple syrup) together. Make sure all your ingredients are wet, moist but not sopping. If you need more liquid add the maple syrup. Put a piece of parchment paper on your cookie sheet. Spread the granola mixture onto the cookie sheet, spreading out as much as you can. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until oats and coconut flakes are brown. Let cool for five minutes then mix your granola a little to spread the melted chocolate around. Let it cool fully before placing in a storage container. I'm honestly not sure how long this mixture is good for because it never lasts more than a week around here!

Enjoy from #sonotabaker!

Cheers!
Cheri