I made a happy craft discover the other day, and I’m sharing it with you today! I had made a simple little fabric pumpkin and I needed some leaves to go at the top. I tried just cutting the leaf shapes from upholstery fabric but they didn’t have any oomph. They just kind of drooped. Then, inspiration hit. I pulled out some metal tape and backed the fabric with the tape before cutting the leaf. And guess what? The metal tape kept the edges from fraying, it gave support to the leaf, AND it also allowed me to gently mold the leaf to make … [Read more...]
Linen and flannel pocket pot holder
August 28, 2016 by · Leave a Comment
Follow my blog with Bloglovin I've been on a linen kick lately. I've got a nice long scrap left over from a baby wrap I made for a relative several months ago, and I keep coming back to it. It stays out on my sewing table and calls to me when I'm pulling fabric for a project, "Heyyyy.... how would that look out of LINEN?" Last week I made a pocket pot holder, and of course I had to use the linen. It demanded it, really. The linen coordinated so beautifully with some May Arts printed twill ribbon! I lined it with a bright flannel … [Read more...]
My mom’s birthday gift, and a defense of my fabric hoarding
August 24, 2016 by · 2 Comments
My mother’s birthday was earlier this week. This is a woman who has already has everything she needs and most of everything she wants. I was stumped as to what to get for her, until she let a little hint. Earlier this year, her purse was stolen. It was a huge hassle. They charged up money on her credit cards, she had to open a new bank account, she had to get new ID. AND they took a little checkbook cover I had made her years ago. The checkbook cover was actually designed to be a notepad holder, but she ended up using it hold her … [Read more...]
Snappy Composition Book Cover – FREE PATTERN
August 16, 2016 by · 7 Comments
Is it weird that I get more excited about back-to-school sales than Christmas sales? I get a little giddy piling my shopping cart full of glue sticks and crayons and notebooks. And it’s all for me me ME – I do a separate shopping trip for legit school supplies for my daughter. One of my school supply must-buys is composition books. I found them for 50 cents each this year. So of course I bought a stack of them! The cheapie composition books aren’t the prettiest things (or even the most sturdy), but that’s okay because I made some … [Read more...]
How I organized my interfacing – for less than $5!
August 8, 2016 by · 3 Comments
I’m pretty stingy when it comes to interfacing. Not that I avoid using it, but that I don’t like throwing out m y scraps. Why cut into a big piece of interfacing when a scrap will do? Or a combination of scraps, like this fancy number I pulled recently. Holding on to your scraps means that you need to have a good organizational system. Otherwise, it all end up in a big stack together. Or a big bin, because that’s a little bit neater. This is how I stored my interefacing, in a bin on the shelf. I have some bolts and rolls … [Read more...]
Slouchy Shirt (and a free pattern)
July 12, 2016 by · Leave a Comment
Have you ever actually worn out a shirt? Not just faded, not just stretched a little, not just out of style - but truly worn out. I’ve done it just a few times in my life. Just last week I had to retire a favorite shirt. It’s my Slouchy Shirt. I made it 4 years ago and it’s stayed in heavy rotation the whole time. The fabric around the neck is now threadbare, and now at the waistband I can feel little pills of spandex that have wormed their way out of the fabric. It’s truly worn out. So of course if I had to retire a Slouchy Shirt, … [Read more...]
Leather & Elastic Cuff Bracelets – TUTORIAL
July 4, 2016 by · 2 Comments
I know y’all are thinking, “Does this Orange Bettie lady ever make anything besides bracelets?” I do, I promise. But after I made the scrap fabric bracelets, my mind just wouldn’t let go of the idea. I have some scraps of the softest leather in the world, a gift from a friend of mine at work. It’s so soft and supple, I’ve had a hard time committing to using it. If I use it for a project, then I won’t have it for another project. The crafter’s dilemma. But those fabric bracelets take just the smallest scraps, so I decided I could … [Read more...]
On setting my own pace
June 27, 2016 by · 1 Comment
I took this photo last week while we were on vacation. (I was gone – did you miss me???) We drove up to Ontario, Canada for a week, which was a mighty nice change in weather from the hot Arkansas summer. J I’ll spare you the details but just know that it is absolutely gorgeous there! I’m in love! All the lakes, and the wetlands, and such clear water! But back to my story… We all went out on a hike one day, and as always I was struggling to keep up with my husband and my daughter. It seems I’m always walking behind those two! I … [Read more...]
Embellished scrap fabric bracelets – TUTORIAL
June 7, 2016 by · 2 Comments
I am sooo excited to share this project with you today! That’s because it takes a couple of my favorite things and puts them together. One favorite thing being fold over elastic. It looks like ribbon but it stretches. It’s candy colored magic, I tell ya! Another favorite thing being fabric scraps. Big scraps, small scraps (ohhhh those tiny scraps!), vintage scraps, new scraps. All those colors and textures just waiting to be combined! And I also love quick, simple projects - which this is - so make that three of … [Read more...]
The curbside Singer Fashion Mate 257 lives!
May 31, 2016 by · 1 Comment
Often an old “broken” sewing machine only needs a simple repair or a good cleaning. I once got the cutest vintage Kenmore machine for free from a rummage sale because it was missing a belt. $10 and a quick trip to Target got it all up and running beautifully. This isn’t one of those stories. Several months ago I picked up a Singer Fashion Mate 257. Literally, picked it up because it was just sitting there by the side of the road. There was a note on the top saying “bad worn gear.” The outside of the case was pretty nasty! … [Read more...]
