Archive for February, 2008
From Old To New
By Milton
Every time I go shopping for something new, it becomes my favorite piece of clothing and I want to wear it over and over. Of course that only last until I go shopping again and I find something else. Then they all end up piling up in my closet and I forget about them.
With time I have discovered that with simple changes I can bring those forgotten pieces back to life and make them my favorites again. I’m sure this happens to many of you, and that’s why every week I’ll give you ideas on how to transform pieces that you already have and make them new again.
For my first blog I’ll show you one of my favorite technique to adding iron-on appliqués to my clothes. They are so simple to apply; it takes less than 5 minutes to transform any piece of garment. The first one I did for myself was a studs eagle appliqué on top of a gray t-shirt. Everyone loved it and asked me where I bough it from. I always get compliments about it.
I’m not a rhinestone person, but recently we had a shipment of new styles of iron-on appliqués and one of them was an all crystal dragon. It is really hot and the first thing I thought was it would look perfect on my black blazer. So I added it to my blazer and I love the way it looks. With over 200 styles of rhinestone & studded iron-on appliqué on our website, I’ve been redesigning a lot of my clothes. If you have good drawing skills you could also make your own design and then fill it with rhinestones and studs.
Textile Transformation
By Eleah
If your home needs to be updated and you either don’t have the time or budget to do a full make-over, try changing some of the smaller elements of your space. Interior accessories can be created easily and make all the difference if done right. Playing with colors, textures and patterns within a space can be a fun way to change the atmosphere of a room. It is important to enjoy the surroundings that you come home to.
For my opening blog I will lead you through the steps and material requirements to create a professionally finished pillow complete with piping. I suggest the timeless and non-evasive trellis pattern that evokes sophistication while still retaining a sense of comfort. Before you gather your materials you will need to take a look at the color palette of the room the pillow is for. I suggest selecting colors within the room that already have been repeated within the space. If there is a piece of décor in the room that you want to be highlighted, use a color or two from it and if possible, bring it to the fabric/trim store for an accurate match. Try to stick with either all cool shades or all warm shades. It is also a good idea to mix dark and light so the pattern does not get lost.
I chose a warm chocolate brown cotton linen fabric for the front, lighter kaki/off white blend cotton linen for the back, harvest gold twill tape ribbon for the pattern and a natural white 28mm cordege for the piping. You can see in the images that mixing light and dark really makes the pattern pop. For the green people out there, you will be happy to know that cotton linen and cotton twill tape are both all-natural earth friendly materials.
You will need:
- ½ yard of cotton linen fabric (all the same color or ¼ yd of two different colors)
- 150 inches of 1-inch twill tape
- 62 inches of 28mm twill tape cordege
- Sharp scissors
- Ruler/straight edge and fabric marking chalk
- Straight pins
- 1 16-20 ounce bag of stuffing
- Sewing machine, needle and thread to match the twill tape ribbon
Making the Pillow:
- Measure out two 17×17 inch squares of cotton linen (remember to iron your fabric before you cut to ensure a more perfect square)
- Cut strips of twill tape ribbon in the following sizes: two 23-inch strips, four 17-inch strips, and four 9-inch strips.
- Lay out the fabric that will be the front of the pillow.
- Lay the longest pieces of twill tape ribbon from corner to corner across the fabric. They should form an X.
- Lay out the four 17-inch pieces parallel and 3 inches from the longest strips and repeat with the 9-inch strips another 3 inches. Now that the pattern is arranged you can choose to do some minor adjusting and make it so the ribbons weave over and under each other (optional). Just be sure to keep them straight.
- Once you are satisfied pin the ribbon onto the fabric with straight pins to secure the design.
- Sew along every edge of ribbon, going over the criss-crosses as they come. This is the trickiest part since you need to keep your hem about a centimeter from the edge of the ribbon. Don’t get frustrated if this is difficult. If your thread matches the twill tape it won’t be too noticeable. Also twill tape is a more forgiving material to stitch through than some other ribbon material so if you need to redo any of the hems the holes from the needle will be fairly self-healing.
- Once you have finished with the twill tape, quickly trim off any extra lengths that go beyond the boundary of your square of fabric. Now it is time to begin pinning down the cordege. You will be sewing this on to the front piece first and then sewing the back onto that. It’s much easier to break this in to stages rather than pinning and sewing all three layers.
- Lay twill tape embellished layer design side up on a table. Pin down your cordege along the edge of the pillow. You will want the tape edge (not the puffy tube) to line up with the edge of the pillow. The two ends will need to overlap a little as you can see in the image.
- Set your sewing machine needle to be at the far left position and sew the cordege onto the front piece. Try to trace the inner seam that is already a part of the cordege, it serves as a pretty good guide. Sew completely around and remember to back stitch at the end.
- Lay the back piece of the pillow on top so that both sides of the pillow are outside facing in. Pin the back piece on, sandwiching the cordege inside. When you hem this together have the front piece facing up so that you can trace the hem you already created. Otherwise you are only making things hard for yourself.
- Start your stitch just past the overlapped cordege. Once you come around stop just before it. You should be leaving yourself a gap, which should be about six or seven inches wide. This will allow you to turn the pillow right side out and later serve as an entrance for stuffing.
- Turn the pillow right side out and begin stuffing. Take extra care on the corners so that the full form of the pillow is expanded. Once you are satisfied with the fullness of the pillow pin the opening shut and do a quick hand stitch to seal it.
- And Serve!
Wedding Favors
By Kristin
Picking out your wedding favors is one of the many exciting part of planning your wedding. I think using some handmade favor boxes is a great way to give your guest a special little “Thank you”.
A fun idea for using favor boxes is setting up a bar filled with your favorite candies and confections. You can pick candies that coordinate with your wedding colors or ones that remind you of your childhood. Place the candies in pretty jars, vases or bowls and have the boxes on the side for your guests to fill at their leisure.
You can also use the boxes as seating cards. Write your guest’s name and table number on a little card and tuck or tie it on top of the favor box. The boxes can be placed on tables and your guest will be sure to enjoy opening up their little gift from you.
The favor boxes are very easy to make and can be personalized in a variety of ways. Stamp your monogram on the side, glue on a photo or tie them with a coordinating ribbon, topped with a cute button or flower.
You can fill the boxes with anything you like such as candies, cookies or candle. I find edible favors to be the most popular and most enjoyed by guests.
Meet the Authors
Milton: Fashion Blog
Milton plays an important role at M&J Trimming. As the Creative
Director, he accomplished many tasks over the past seven years. From
window displays to walls of artistic designs, customers who visit the
store can view his creative work. Today, Milton continues to stay
active in the creative department as well as keeping his eyes
open for new trends and fashion design.
Kristin: Wedding Blog
Full of spirit and smiles, Kristin is a very enthusiastic person. Especially when it comes to projects and designs related to weddings. In 2007, Kristin made one of the most important decisions in her life. She decided to get married and designed her very own wedding. It was an amazingly memorable day from start to finish. She created her beautiful bouquet, embellished her gown and shoes and developed the layout of her perfect wedding. Today, she takes pride in advising all brides-to-be how to also create an unforgettable wedding day.
Eleah: Home Décor Blog
As a former student at Massachusetts College of Art, Eleah has eyes and
mind for designing Home Décor. Through her years of experience in
interior and exterior living space photography, she knows the demands
for a trendy home. Eleah will take you behind the scene of home design
as well as guide you through the steps to creating a trendy yet
comfortable home atmosphere.
Dara: Crafts Blog
Southwestern gal, Dara has worked on various keepsake crafts. Many of
her crafts were used in the Southwest district competition. She has
worked on projects such as scrapbooks, key chains with a stamp
dispenser, miniature dollhouse crafts and more. Dara also enjoys
creating keepsakes for family and friends because she believes that the
best joy is seeing someone receive a gift that simply says, “I thought
of you while I was making this”.
Welcome To M&J’s Blog Spot
Hello and welcome to M&J’s new blog spot. You’re probably wondering why on earth would a trimming & notions company decide to start a blog. Well, the answer is simple.
Our purpose of launching an M&J blog is to involve our customers in what we do and what steps we take in making your experience at M&J memorable. We’ll keep you updated weekly on topics such as the latest fashion trends, the most current Bridal styles, classic interior design and fun DIY projects. Please feel free to express your thoughts and questions as we take you behind the world of trimming and notions. All comments, opinions and questions are greatly appreciated.
Spring Wedding
By Kristin
While planning my wedding for spring of 2007, I was in a tizzy trying to get everything done and come up with ideas while keeping it cool with my soon to be in-laws. Floral arrangements, menu options, favors, gifts and attire were keeping me busy just about 24/7!
However, M&J made my life a bit easier since they provided such a wide variety in one place. The gorgeous silk ribbons and Swarovski rhinestones were just what I was looking for to add a little something extra special to my wedding day. I was able to glue rhinestones to all my accessories, but I had to stop short of bedazzling my cat in the excitement of it all.
I remember carefully arranging the rose stems and crystal sprays for my bouquet (while getting my hair done. Wrapping the stems with silk satin ribbon in ivory to match my dress. The result was just the way I wanted. It was a great feeling to tell my friends that I made the bouquet when they asked about it. However, I wish I had thought of using silk roses like my friend did for her bouquet. My poor bouquet that I had made is now all dried out and sad looking. Silk roses would have still looked fresh and new everyday as my husband and I grow old and wrinkled together.
Now that I work at M&J, it has been really fun and exciting for me to help soon-to-be-brides make their big day special. I’m able to lend advice on what I learned from planning my wedding and giving options on the choices they make. I look forward to making this blog helpful for all brides-to-be.
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