All the Free Stuff!

I'm constantly amazed at things I find Etsy sellers selling.  Last night I was browsing through and found a store where all that is sold are tutorials on how to make fabric flowers.  The crazy think was, she was charging $12 per tutorial! Well, it wouldn't be so crazy I guess if I didn't know I couldn't get the same information for FREE by just doing a simple google search.  I'm not going to call anyone out, but I do want to let you know where to get for free the same info some idiot is trying to sell you!  Please don't be one of the hundreds of other idiots who have bought these tutorials!

Fabric Flowers: K Google and You Tube are really going to be your friends for this one.  There were so many great sites I'm having a hard time picking just one out.  But I've gotta give props to my girls on my SAHM of Etsy team, Jeni from Stitches By Jeni shows how to use a burn technique to make flowers over on her blog.




Crochet: Just about anything: Aside from my own crochet patterns, of course, you can look up a pattern or 100 for pretty much anything you'd ever want to make at www.crochetpatterncentral.com.  A few of my patterns are even featured over there.  I also love Youtube videos! Its a great way to brush up on you crochet skills.

Yoga Pants Tutorial by Samstermommy.blogspot.com

Baby Yoga/Lounge Pants:  OK, so maybe if you're planning on mass producing these adorable pants, you might want to buy a pattern that has multiple sizes (that you're allowed to sell from!), but if you're just going to make them for your own kid, then this is the tutorial for you.  It uses a pair of pants your child already wears as a template! Don't forget to check out the awesome list of tutorials on the left side of the page!

Pettiskirts are VERY in right now, thanks to a huge 80's flash-back we all seem to be having at the moment.  Youcanmakethis.com has an awesome list of free, and paid, tutorials on their site as well.  Check here for a great pettiskirt tutorial! I love that this one has the satin top so It's more modest.





Sewing Patterns! Google is seriously your friend for finding all sorts of great free sewing patterns.  Just do a quick search before you buy one to see if you can't find anything that you like that will work for you.

There are a few places I DO recommend you buy patterns from:

Youcanmakethis.com has a great list to choose from.

RomeoandMae: Great Patterns, and great customer service!

NoodlesandMilk: Patterns give measurements for the pieces, and she includes pattern pieces as needed.  They are REALLY great!

ScientificSeamstress: I have yet to buy a pattern from her, but I've heard rave reviews from very highly trusted sources.

Libby Lu's Boutique: A great Etsy Seller with many amazing patterns!

I'm Hearing Jingle Bells

It's 64 days until Christmas! Woo-hoo! I love the holidays.  There's nothing like getting together with family and friends and celebrating the birth of our savior!

A Christmas tradition I absolutely love was going to my Grandmother's house and making various crafts and cookies and candy.  Every year we would go down too her house and she, my aunt, and my three brothers and I would sit around the dining table creating lots of little Christmas goodies.  Christmas is still synonymous with peanut butter balls for me! I'm so excited that Lilly is now old enough to participate! I'm especially excited that we will be in South Carolina this year for Christmas--at least that's the current plan--so she will get to do it the way I did--around my Grandmother's table!!

This year will be very crafty for me! My business is in full swing this year and I'll be doing my first craft show!  I'm so ready to get started on all of my Christmas crafts for the year!  It's going to be a handmade Christmas this year.  I'll be making or buying handmade gifts for everyone on the list and Etsy is certainly the place to do it!

I'm thinking these great ornaments by The Quilted Turtle done with pictures of Lilly, Steven, and I would make great presents for Lilly's grandparents and great-grandparents.

The Quilted Turtle Photo Ball 

I'm also in love with Glitter Ball ornaments.  And they are SOOO easy to make.  I'm thinking I might do those for the Aunts and Uncles.  GameCocks colors anyone? This you tube video has a great tutorial!  The creator of the ornament pictured has a fantastic tutorial as well using stamp pad re-inkers,  but I love how cheap doing it with pledge is!  I do love the idea of using scrap-booking rub-ons to add an image to the front.  I haven't seen a blog tutorial on how to make them, just videos, so I may make one and try to post next week.  I'm thinking about selling them at my craft show and offering them to be personalized with monograms!

Love this with the rub-on! Stampin it up comes highly recommended! 

I'm definitely going to be posting lots of tutorials (mine and link-loved) and yummy recipes over the next few months! There's no time like the holidays to get Crafty!  Got a tutorial or recipe you'd like featured just let me know or post in the comments section!