Sewing Reveal: Modern Scrappy Baby Quilt & Link to Free Tutorial

Finished this somewhat modern scrappy baby quilt recently from a free tutorial I found via Pinterest (link below).  I even appliqued the baby's name on the back of the quilt - my first time to applique!  And the binding is actually stripes of all the fabrics used on the front.

Sewing DIY: the Perfect Non-Slip, No-Headache, Sweatyband Inspired Headband

If you have a Sweatyband brand headband, you know how terrific they are at staying put all day and not causing headaches. And that they are amazing for athletic activities!  You also know how pricey the little buggers can be, retailing for about $15 each band. I used my best reverse engineering skills to make my own version and wanted to share the "how to steps" because they really turned out to be just as great as the original version.

On the left in the photos below is my version for about $4 and the $15 Sweatyband version on the right.  Twinsies, right?  My favorite glitter ribbon headband only cost about $2 each to make.  What a great gift to slip into someone's stocking this holiday!  And did I mention you can toss them in with your regular wash?

Instructions below the fold.

Sewing: Lined Curtains (Steps 6-10)

Continuing the steps to sew the curtain panels...

Before and after, what a difference!

Previously we
* Determined how much fabric we need
* Completed the sewing steps part one of this post (steps 1-5)

Sewing: Lined Curtains (Steps 1-5)

While it's easy enough to buy curtain panels, they typically only come in standard sizes and windows tend to be anything but standard, which is why you are probably here trying to decide if it's worth making your own.  

If you have a sewing machine (or can borrow one), the answer is YES! Try not to be intimated by the outrageous pricing of custom drapes.  The online quote for drapes in the exact same fabric was $1,992.  Sewing a few straight lines is child's play compared to that sticker shock.  

If you are following along from my last post where we calculated fabric needs, you hopefully have your curtain rod or curtain track hung with the hooks/clips to make measuring easier for the next steps.  If you don't, no worries, I didn't have my curtain track up, so I found its measurements and the measurements of the carriers for my curtain track online to help me plan (carriers are the equivalent of a drapery ring when using curtain tracks).

The steps below assume you have purchased the amount of fabric needed, found in the previous post explaining how to calculate fabric needs.  I've tried to cut down the explanation to make it easier to just follow step by step without getting too lost in the details, but included links to tutorials I found helpful if you need more explanation.  And amazon links are affiliate links.

Next Project: Lined Curtains for Guest Room

Have you ever slept in your guest bedroom?  Not a nap, but a real overnight visit to experience the bedroom from your guests' perspective?  It sounds completely logical, but it never crossed my mind until an article suggested doing just that to help you discover what your guest room might be missing.

While the hubs was out of town, I camped out for a couple nights in the guest bedroom to check it out.  The change of view was pretty fun.  One of the things I noticed was how the sun seemed to arrive slightly earlier and brighter than my own bedroom; despite the existing window shades. Obviously I'm exaggerating, but I thought adding curtains might be a nice touch to soften the look of the room, added functionalality, and it'd be a fun sewing project for me.