DIY Curtain Panels

Just popping in with a quick tutorial today!

The other day Months and months ago, I spotted this b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. fabric in a bin at our local thrift shop...

It was actually a shower curtain, the nice heavy fabric kind. We were looking for panels to put in a new washroom at church, and this was just screaming out at me! The walls are blue, so I wasn't looking for more blue in the space, but I just couldn't pass up this huge, good-quality fabric for less than $5. So, we brought it home.

We already had a sheer curtain hanging in the window for privacy, but wanted some color in the space to frame out the window. The two panels will never be drawn together, so I didn't have to worry about how full these were. I just cut this big piece in half to create the two panels.

I pinned the curtain in half to keep things from sliding around:

And then just ran my scissors up the fold to cut in in half. This is easy to do with a sharp pair of scissors!

The exciting thing about using an already existing curtain is that half the hemming is done for me. :) I just had to hem the one side that I cut. I do that by serging the edges, then pressing a 5/8" hem, and sewing!

Pardon the fact that it looks like I'm cramming tons of fabric under the foot...I really wasn't!

If you don't have a serger, a hem is still pretty easy to do. Just fold over a small hem and press {about 1/4 to 1/2 inch} and then fold over another 5/8" and press again. Then sew!

See? Now the raw edge is exposed.

Here are the settings on my sewing machine when I do hems. My stitch length is an 8 on my machine. Since the hem isn't going to take any kind of pressure {not like seams on clothing or anything} the stitches don't need to be too small.

Final step in this easy DIY: making the rod casing and heading!

This is totally a step that depends on your own preference, the size/height of the room, and the size of the rod. I did a 3" heading because the window is quite big, and a 1 1/2" rod casing because that is a comfortable width for a normal rod. High-tech, thats me.

The after pictures were hard to capture because of the widow glare, but the finished product is GORGEOUS in person!

To balance out the height of a built-in on the opposite side of the room, I made these panels as long as I could...but I couldn't get too close to the heat register underneath. I would have loved to go floor length! They also ended up covering a good part of the handrail {which wasn't there when I originally measured} so I might have to shorten them a bit more. #sadface

They are lovely, nonetheless. :) It was an easy project, which is always way more fun with such pretty fabric!

Have you made curtains recently? You know I'm a huge fan...and these are some of the easiest panels to make. What are you DIYing these days?


Linking up with: Pin Me Party, Show and Tell, Friday Frugal Finds, Spotlight Saturday

No Goals, but Many Gifts!

I'm in Maine this week, before going to Oregon for about 10 days. So exciting! I'm thrilled to be taking a little time "off," visiting family, and taking a cross country trip. I just love traveling!

Oh, and when I got to Maine, look what was greeting me...

I shared this on my 1,000 Gifts picture series on Facebook, but I can't resist sharing it here too!

My Grammie told me I could pick some and put them in my room, and boy do they smell lovely! I just adore lilacs, they are my favourite flower, and now when they are just opening up they smell so sweet.

I had an interesting, blessed, hectic weekend. Sounds interesting, right?! I'd love to briefly share it with you, because God did some exciting things!

We were supposed to leave for Moncton, NB on Friday. Supposed to. I woke up Friday morning, preparing to leave, when I was informed we wouldn't be going anywhere...half my family had come down with the flu!!

There was a time when that type of news would have really disappointed me and really messed up my day. But I've learned to have a bit of a different perspective, knowing that God is in control of all of these unforseen events!

So, instead of getting bent out of shape about it...I went shopping. Therapy, right? :) I had a nice relaxing day, just in a different location then I had intended.

I was able to get to New Brunswick the next day, and got to take part in some evangelistic meetings with some friends and mentors of mine. I had a great time. It has been a while since I've been able to attend meetings like this, and it was so nice to just sit and soak in that spiritually encouraging atmosphere! And to listen to someone else play the piano...what a treat! :)

Although I didn't know any of the church people, there were some very exciting spiritual decisions made, including some salvation decisions. That always makes for an exciting day! It is so excited to see our God work!

So that is the update on my weekend...I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks being fun and exciting as well! I'm not setting goals this week, just taking the time to enjoy family and get ready for our trip on Saturday. Fun, fun times! =)

What exciting things are you doing this week? Are you setting goals?

A Cold Remedy that {apparently} Works!

Way back in March, I shared with you some new cold remedies I was implementing...with the plan to experiment and see if these natural remedies kept me from catching a cold every two weeks! And like any good experiment, I'm back to share an update and tell you what did and didn't work for me.

Well I'll cut right to the chase...

Once I started drinking water with lemon all the time, I was not sick at all. Not one little sore throat or anything. 

Until last week.

What happened last week, you ask?

I stopped drinking the lemon water, and within days was down with one of the worst head colds ever.

I wish I was joking. No, I really wish I was joking, because I have really felt miserable this week. (cue violins) I'm getting better now, but I'm here to tell you...the lemon water worked for me!

I didn't realize how much it was working until I stopped taking it. Here are the ways it helped my overall health:

~I didn't get sick while drinking it, and I was around some people with pretty nasty colds and flu without catching anything.

~I had way more energy. I can honestly say that I felt better the last two months than I have felt in years.

~I was drinking waaay more water than normal, which may have contributed to the last point. Something about the lemon flavour, combined with the fact that I have my own pitcher of water handy all day was huge in helping me drink more throughout the day. Since I stopped using the lemon, plain water seems so bland! Drinking more water definitely helped my digestive system (more than you wanted to know, right?) and my overall health.

You might be thinking, well why on earth did you stop?? Trust me, I wish I hadn't stopped so soon! I just knew I was going away on vacation in a matter of days, and I ran out of lemons...so one day I found myself back to plain old water. It won't happen again, you can count on that!

As for how I did it, I mentioned it in the original post, but I'll go over it again here. I just had a glass pitcher of water {maybe 2 liters or so?} and added the juice from half a lemon to it. That normally lasted me about two days. I even found myself taking a big water bottle of the lemon water when I knew I would be gone for the day, and I've never been that dedicated to water consumption in my life! It was just so easy to make it a habit when it was helping me out so much.

There were a few other things I mentioned in the original post that I continue to do from time to time...using honey to curb a cough {not that I've had one until recently} and fresh lemon and honey in my tea, those types of things. I guess my final analysis of all these natural remedies I tried would be that honey works great when you already have a cold - lemon works great to keep you from getting one in the first place!

Now I'd love to hear from you. Have you tried putting lemon in your water? Do you use natural remedies to curb sickness? What other things have you tried that have worked for you? Do you think you'll try the lemon water? I heartily recommend it! =)


Note: I’m certainly no doctor, and I don’t even know much about natural remedies {although I’d love to know more and am trying to learn!} I am just a girl that got tired of barking like a seal all winter and decided to try some things. These remedies are not meant to cure any of your ailments, so don’t bank on my advice. Consult your doctor {or at least someone smarter than I am} to learn what you should do in your situation. 

Linking up with: Womanhood with Purpose, Show and Tell Friday, Pin me party, Spotlight Saturday, Sundae Scoop, From Dream to Reality

Vacation...for my shop and myself!

This is the first time I've ever done this...put my entire shop on vacation! I mentioned Monday that I would be away for a few weeks, so it must be done. But don't you worry, I'll be planning some big new things for the shop while I'm away...and I'm already excited to share them with you when I get back!

Most recent addition... Retro flowers Tablet/eReader sleeve!

You will still be able to browse through So Sew Organized during this time...just not make any purchases. There is plenty of eye candy to be had over there!
 Update: it appears that you can no longer browse a shop while the owner is on vacation, boo! You can browse past and present products here on the blog under the label "Etsy Shop" or on our Facebook page. Hope you'll continue to stay in touch!

This one-way floral design is unique, but so summer-y and fun!

I will also still be interacting with people in the Etsy community and am also looking for improvement that can be made to my shop. Any advice or suggestions?

Love this subtle, yet fun pattern of dots and stripes!

In other shop news, my sister came home from college last week with a report on the tote she has been using. She uses a Large Quilted Tote as a bookbag every day at school, and here is what she had to say..

"I use it every single day, and it has held up really well! I actually didn't expect it to!"

Um...thanks??

I hope you'll still check out the fun products to be had at So Sew Organized, and put an item or two on your wishlist to purchase at a later date...like sometime after June 10th. :) The items at So Sew Organized are reasonable priced...in fact, you could get them for free if you redeem your Swagbucks for paypal cash...so easy and fun all the way around! Oh the possibilities that just opened up, right?

Goals for the Week, May 13, 2013

Happy Monday, everyone! We had a rainy Mother's Day weekend, which was very much needed around here! Things are sprouting in our garden...how exciting!

Speaking of Mother's Day, did you read my post on one very special mother I know? She has just written a book that I know you will LOVE! I did! Check it out here.

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Last week, I set these goals:

Continue reading Tamate: the Life Story of James Chalmers {Richard Lovett}

Swap out some winter clothes for my cute summer clothes - I get so excited to do this each spring!

Work on hemming those 15 pair of pants

Work on one post for another site

Finish birthday thank you cards - didn't get them all done

Make culottes for one sister

Memorize Philippians 3:13-15 

Work on mending


This week begins my "vacation" ...I'm spending the next weekend in Moncton, the next week in Maine, and the next 10 days after that in Oregon! I'm incredibly excited (and can't wait to tell you all about it). So this weeks goals are a bit simple...mostly things I need to get ready before I leave!

Swap winter and summer clothes

Work on one post for another site

Memorize Philippians 3:14-18 

Finish birthday thank you cards

Continue reading Tamate: the Life Story of James Chalmers {Richard Lovett}

Begin one other book

Pack for trip!!


I'd love to hear where you are going on vacation this year - anyone else taking a big cross-country trip? Have you ever been to Oregon? I haven't...I'm so excited to cross this state of my list!

Expecting Grace: A Mother's Day Story

Mother’s Day is just about upon us, and I would be remiss to let it go by without mentioning it. Blog land is full of the stories of amazing mothers these days, along with tons of gift ideas for Sunday. What are you hoping to get or gift?

Today I’d like to introduce to you a mother whose story shows powerfully the love a mother has for her children and family - to the point of nearly giving her life.

It is probably not the mother you’d expect me to talk about today, since she is not any relation to me whatsoever. But after reading her powerful story, I think you’ll agree that this mother is worth mentioning this mother’s day.

This mother’s name is Leah, and during both of her pregnancies she had a rare condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum, or HG for short. In Leah's own words HG is “a life-threatening pregnancy disease characterized by unrelenting nausea, vomiting, and extreme dehydration that often lasts the entire length of the pregnancy. The only known cure is giving birth.” Statistically 1 in every 300 women suffer from this disease, {However, I personally have heard of 2 women who are currently in the midst of an HG pregnancy!}

What did it mean for Leah to find out she had HG?

-It meant constant sickness and nausea. Constant.
-It meant bed sores.
-It meant countless trips to the doctor and many admissions into the hospital.
-It meant dealing with doctors and nurses who didn’t understand.
-It meant being treated as mentaly insane or depressed.
-It meant being pushed to get an abortion.
-It meant being lied to about the medications she was given.
-It meant spending her first Christmas as a wife and mother in the hospital.
-It meant giving up dreams and ideals to give birth to a miracle, a baby who was not expected to live, a son who is a proof of God’s grace.

To me there is no question that this Godly mother deserves to be mentioned this Mother’s Day!!

Her story is one of miracles and God’s grace - a story worth reading. Funny thing about that - now you can. This past week, Leah's eBook was released, a book meant to educate women about this diabilitating disease.

Expecting Grace tells Leah’s story throughout her nine long months of pregnancy. It tells in more detail about each of the instances I mentioned above. It tells of God’s grace through it all, bringing comfort, grace, and miraculous events to the lives of Leah, her husband, and their unborn baby.

Whether you know someone who has HG or not, this book is worth reading. I literally read it in one sitting...I could not put it down. You will be appaled at the apathy of the doctors, the less-than-desireable conditions of the hospital in our Canadian health care system {seriously, you Americans do not want it!} and the insensitivity of the people who could not understand what this disease was like.

It is a book that will help you understand when someone you know experiences HG...or maybe it is you. Perhaps you are looking for answers or support during your own HG pregnancy. This book will show you that you are not alone.

I’d encourage you to pick up your own copy of Expecting Grace right away. You can also read more about what God is doing in Leah’s life on her blog, Embracing Grace. I know you will be blessed and challenged by what you find there!

 Do you know someone with HG? Let them know about this book!

Dresser Vignette

I shared with you yesterday how I decided to be intentional with creating an inspirational, but functional work space. This room is my bedroom, office, shop and sewing room all rolled into one, so it needs to be a space that I want to be in...a lot! Things were starting to feel old and cluttered, so I knew a change was needed.

It has been a few weeks that I have been planning out this dresser vignette. Yesterday’s post showed you some of the inspiration I drew from as I pondered how to put this arrangement together. It was fun - a whole lot of trial and error as I tried different items different ways. I’m in love with the end result!

I took my dresser from this:

To this!

Ok, so one corner has to hold the phone for our upstairs level, so to balance that out I put my candle warmer and candle in the other corner. Not the most beautiful elements of this space, but I tried to work with what I had. So let’s ignore those two items and focus on the lovely vignette!

The focal point is this beautiful art that a friend bought me for my birthday last year. I am thinking this is just the best way to display it!

Flanking that art to the right I stacked up a collection of vintage books that were similar in color. They are kind of drab, but add a certain texture and feel that I love!

The two ceramic bowls were thrift store finds - 25 cents each, I believe. They are just the pop of color that is needed!

I deposit my watch and jewelry into one at the end of the day, and the other is full of hazelnut truffles. {Seriously, who knew they made those things? Uh-mazing}

To finish off this area, I picked up the $3 bud vase at Wally World, and popped in a single daffodil from our yard.

To the left I wanted to continue to use this great vase and stand, but I wasn’t sure what to fill it with...until I discovered this fantastic stuff at the dollar store.

It is the same substance as those foam bricks that are used to make flower arrangements - only this is in a powder form instead of a brick. It came in all kinds of colors, but this deep purple was calling me. I just popped a creamy candle in there, and love it!

Just a note: that foam vase filler is very flammable, so I will not actually be lighting this candle, it is solely for decorative purposes. :) Just a tidbit if you want to use it yourself.

I filled a white ceramic square bowl with small spools of thread {the kind found at the Dollar store for like $1 for 100} and popped a vintage-looking tin from my collection beside it all.

The finished vignette again:

The top of this dresser is rough. It needs to be refinished, and I’d love to tackle that project sometime. But for now, I just decided to let that rough look work with the decor, and I’m pretty pleased with the whole result.

So that is how my dresser vignette evolved from a blank space to a lovely and inspiring space. Drawing from my inspiration pictures, I simply moved things around until they felt right, while layering in different textures and a little bit of color to complete everything. It wasn’t a super technical, fancy process, just a conglomeration of things I loved.

So there it is, a happy area that continues to make me smile as I work! I’m anxious to tackle some other elements of the room throughout the summer, and I’m sure I’ll love those just as much.

Have you intentionally put together vignettes or mantles before? Don’t you just love the process? What are some spaces or items that inspire you?


Linking up with: Young House Love, Sparkle Meets Pop, Bower Power,  Red Bird Blue, Classy Clutter, Serenity You, DIY Dreamer