Super Bowl Party 2012

This year's Super Bowl Party was great....I didn't watch any of it! I ate, talked with some great friends, monitored our playing children and got to host a little party. My husband is part of a fantasy football team with his law school buddies so we invited them all over. Then he performed the unveiling of their official trophy. He had it custom made. Each year that their fantasy football wins, they get their own name and team name put on a little plaque and attached to the side of the trophy. Then, as we are all moving onto our separate ways after graduation this spring, the winner this year will be responsible for mailing it to the next winner next year and so on for many years to come.

Chalkboard play chart thingy. I am not sure what the official name is. I just googled it and copied their layout. It's a chalkboard written on with a chalk marker. 

It was a potluck dinner party. You can see my Super Bowl Pinterest board for my inspiration and more ideas. Tyler and I made Bobby Flay's pulled pork and coleslaw. We still have leftovers!

I had seen this "doughnut on a thread spool stand" at Celebrations at Home and thought it was so clever. I thought they would work well for this sports themed party.  So I did a play on that. I used two small thread holders and used them as stadium stands. The doughnuts are the fans, if you couldn't tell. White jerseys on one side and blue on the other. The little Hostess powdered sugar doughnuts fit perfectly over the hooks. I worried the doughnuts would gunk it up (because I use mine for thread) but it didn't. I just brushed off any crumbs and rinsed off any icing.

For the tablecloth I made a 50 cent football field. I saw this online too for the idea. But instead of using paper numbers I used a chalk marker (white out would work great too). I bought a 50 cent plastic disposable tablecloth at the grocery store, glued on white crepe paper (with a glue stick) and labeled the lines! Easy and just toss away when the party is over.

I labeled each cup ahead of time. I know it's kind of tacky, but it's football! Plus, with the amount of children (10) and adults getting drinks, I didn't want a bunch of cups floating around the living room. It's just easier. 

Happy Footballing!

Felt Valentine Envelopes

I've seen a few version of felt envelopes floating around blogland so I thought I'd try to make my own. Jocelyn's preschool group was at our home today just in time for Valentine's Day. I made these felt envelopes for each girl  (there are only 4) in about 1 1/2 hours. Complete with their name and a stamp! These are a simple, inexpensive way to show your love. And they last a while and can be used again each year, or throughout the year!

Felt Valentine Envelope 

Here is a simple tutorial for you so you can make your own! Actually, this makes two envelopes!

First gather your materials. For TWO envelopes you'll need:
*1--9"x12" piece of felt
*1--9"x12" coordinating piece of cotton fabric
*1--9"x12" piece of fusible adhesive (double sided)
*6--2"x2" pieces of felt, of another color
*2--2"x2" piece of same coordinating fabric
* 2 1" piece of strong velcro
*pinking shears

Start by cutting out your materials. Because of the size of felt, you can make two envelopes. You can either just purchase a 9"x12" piece of felt or cut it from a bigger piece. Cut the fusible adhesive and cotton according to same size. If you need help purchasing fusible adhesive check out this blog for help in differentiating. Most helpful!

Cut 4 pieces of felt, and two pieces of  fusible adhesive, all 2"x2" pieces

Cut 2 pieces of felt, 2 pieces of cotton, 2 pieces of fusible adhesive, all 2"x2" pieces. (the fusible adhesive is already adhered to the felt, so not shown). 

Let's make the heart closure for the back of the envelope. Iron fusible adhesive to one side of  the first piece of felt, according to directions on package. Peel paper backing off. Set aside. Then hold the 2nd piece on top of the 1st and cut a heart out. (not pictured) I just eye balled it. If you'd like, or are not a very good heart cutter (I did cut a few wonky ones that had to be thrown out), use a stencil or draw a heart on the felt with a pen (you'll cut around it anyway). Repeat for the second felt clasp for second envelope. 

Once the hearts are cut out, sew the hook side (the female, or fuzzy side) of the velcro onto the first piece of felt to the opposite side with the fusible webbing (so not the side with the fusing). Sew velcro onto heart, on all four sides of velrco, be sure to backstich well at each end. 

For the second heart, or the stamp, you'll need to fuse the fabric to the cotton, just like the previous step. So it'll be three layers--felt--fusible adhesive--cotton. Then cut  into a heart. Repeat with the for second envelopes stamp. 

Now move onto the envelope. Fuse the felt and fabric together. It'll look like this. 

Cut this piece, using pinking shears, into two pieces. Lay the piece down, lengthwise. Cut at the 6" mark. So each piece should end up 6" x 9". I then cut around each piece so it's pinked all around. 

Now take the first heart, with the velcro adhered. Sew it onto one of short ends, on the right side of the envelope (or the felted side). Just center it, and sew it so the velcro piece is left peeking above the flap. Pin.

 It should look like this when finished. 

 This is the right side of the envelope with the heart closure.

Next  sew on the stamp. First I fold the envelope to get an idea of where to place it. Fold up from the bottom, 3". Then fold the top over about 2", leaving a 1" head space between the flap and the bottom part of the envelope. Once you've figured out how it will all be folded, sew the heart stamp on in the right hand upper corner. 

Then if you'd like to add text do that next. You can embroider a name. I was low on time so I machine stitched the girls names. Or you can leave it blank or add squiggles as seen in this envelope. 

Once the stamp, clasp and name are on move to the bottom of the envelope. Sew on the other piece of velcro.  About 1 1/2" from the bottom. But you may want to fold it all up again, with the clasp down, to make sure the clasp lays on top of the velcro in the right way.

Then sew it all up. Fold the envelope up, leaving the flap open. With the inside of the flap facing up, sew, starting on the right hand corner of the envelope. Backstitch right away then continue sewing. When you get to where the pocket and flap meet, backstitch again, to make sure it stays secure when little hands are putting Valentine's in and out. Continue sewing and stop when you get to the heart clasp. As pictured. Stop, backstitch and pick up the foot and move it past the heart (so you don't sew through it). Replace the foot on the other side of the heart and sew a bit. Backstitch. 

It will look like this. 

 Then continue sewing until you reach the pocket again. Backstitch like before. Then continue sewing until you get to the bottom. Backstitch. It should be sewn on all three sides (not the bottom). Trim all threads and press and you're finished!!

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Renaissance Collared Shirt Tutorial

I saw this shirt on Say Yes to Hoboken over a year ago and have wanted to make it since. I finally got around to it and I'm please with how it turned out. I opted for the more inexpensive route of using ruffle trim instead of ribbon. And I sewed mine inside the shirt instead of directly on top.

 

It's not really a pilgrim's collar. It's a tight ruffle. But I liked the tea-dyed nature combined with brown and the fact that I made it around Thanksgiving time that it reminded me of a pilgirm. And it's so simplisitc. A simple way to dress up a plain shirt. But in reality it's more like a Renaissance collar. And I certainly like my Shakespeare. So it's the renaissance collar shirt.

 And I kind of feel like I'm wearing my daughter's Snow White collared dress with the way it stands up in the back.

Here is a back shot with my brown boots. I bought those 5 years ago when the said daughter with the dress was born! It's so fresh because her birthday is two days after Christmas, poor child.

Here's to the usual  lose weight New Year's resolution!

Alright, now for the tutorial.

Renaissance Collar V-Neck tutorial
What you'll need:
--V-neck T-shirt
--Tea, to dye your ruffle, optional
--Cotton Ruffle trim. Measure the length of your neck opening and buy 1" more. (around 1/2 a yard). I found this in the ribbon and trim aisle at any craft store, buy by the yard.
--Thread and sewing machine

First, you buy or find a V-neck T-shirt. Pre-wash it.

Second, buy ruffle trim. I found mine at Hobby Lobby for about $2/half yard. It only came in white and maybe pink. I didn't want plain white so I tea-dyed it. If you want to learn how to tea-dye I used these tutorials here and here. I used this Tiger thai chi tea (celestial seasonings) that we did not like to drink but it made for a nice rich reddish brownish collar and still smells great when I wear it!

Next, fold the ruffle in half. Center the ruffle with the back of the shirt and pin to the inside or wrong side of the shirt. Pin into place all the way down until the ruffles meet in the front.

Then, turn shirt inside out, and sew. Starting at one end of the ruffle working around. I first sewed right along the existing seam of the shirt and it laid nice and flat (like in the tutorial) but it left a little "flap" on the top that I was worried I'd have to iron closed after each wash so I decided to sew over it again (see photo above) but it made it ruffle or wave out a bit. So if you prefer it to rest more flat, then sew on the lower line. If you like the way mine flares out a bit, then sew on the above line. (like in photo below).

I am not an amazing seamstress with clothing. I mainly like to re-purpose clothing. So if you have any questions or comments, please let me know. You don't really have to be a seamstress to make this!