Tool Time Tuesday...Spray Bottle Cover

Do you know that if you roam around the hardware store, you can find simple things you need and they are cheap! I love to iron with steam, so this spray bottle works great and it was only 96 cents. The only problem is...who wants to look at the store label. Below is a tutorial for a little cover. I know there must be dozens of ways to make a cover for these, but I just made this one up.


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Isn't she cute?!! (minus the black thread I used for the tutorial)
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All bottle sizes are different, so adjust to your bottle.
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First, trace the bottom of the bottle onto fabric.

Trim with 1/4" seam allowance.

Measure how high you want the fabric to be on the neck of the bottle. I wanted mine to be about 7 1/2". Add 1/4" for the bottom seam allowance and 1" for the top. I also had a picture of the measurement around the bottle, but it's not here. I didn't want to add it, because I'm sure you all have had that experience when you add a picture later, it messes everything else up.

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Well, any way... the measurements of my bottle were 7 1/2" high x 10 1/2" around. Add 1 1/4" to the height and 1/2" to the circumference.

My piece of fabric measured 8 3/4" x 11".

You will also need a piece of narrow ribbon about 20"-22" long with a safety pin to thread it through.

Take the rectangle piece of fabric with the long sides on the bottom. Fold over the short side, left to right. Mark down 1 1/4" from the top.

Sew with a 1/4" seam allowance from the mark down to the bottom.

At the top where it isn't sewn, fold over the 1/4" seam allowance.

Then fold over 1/4" on the top. I just pinned it so you can see without my finger being in the way.

Fold over again until it meets the original side seam. This will be the pocket where the ribbon will go through.

Sew close to edge. I used black thread so you can see the stitching.

Now for the bottom. Take the circle...

fold in half and iron.

The fold in half again and iron.

These creases will just help you center the circle inside the bottom tube.

Take the body of the fabric and make a crease across from the seam.

Open it up and match the seam to that crease you just ironed and iron the other two creases. Yikes...does that make sense. You'll get it when you're actually doing it.

Set both sides with the iron.

If you open it up, you will see the creases that will match the four creases in the circle.

Match and pin.

Pin in between to secure all around.

Sew with a 1/4" seam allowance. I used my needle down feature and you may need to lift the presser foot as you are making your way around the circle.

Turn bag right side out and thread ribbon through pocket at the top.

and there you have it...a hardware store bottle made over into a cute little addition to your sewing room. (I really need to redo that black thread)

I usually do my TTT post late on Monday and they post a little after midnight on Tuesday, but I'm on vacation this week from work and we were gone all day yesterday with the kids. We are having a big party here on the 4th of July, so lots of project to finish up around the house. My theory is...if you want to finish up projects, have a party, because it forces you to get them done.

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Have a great Tuesday. We finally have some sun here. I think it may be one of only a few days we've had in all of June.

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~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Oven Rack Gadget

Back to the paint store again for more FREE paint sticks...maybe we should buy some paint at some point. Actually, I did buy paint this time for a project in the kitchen. However, I took 2 sticks for one quart of paint...just don't tell.
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Have you ever seen these? They are oven rack push pulls. My mom bought this one in a very expensive kitchen shop years ago and I still use it. You can check the Internet here for a look at different ones and check out the prices.
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Well, who wants to buy one when we can make one for free. I used a black sharpie so you can see the lines, but a pencil is better for the finished product. Just draw a "V" on the top edge and a funny looking number 7 on the left hand side.

I took a picture of a tin snip cutter and a little saw, but I found that the snips caused the soft Balsa wood to snap. (Make sure you have extra sticks) The little saw worked better. Having your husband, boyfriend or significant other cut it for you is even better. The wood is soft, so it's not too difficult.

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sand the edges down to remove the pencil marks.

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Mark a little dot on the other end of the handle.

With a small drill bit, drill the hole for a ribbon so you can hang it up.

You can skip this step if you aren't going to hang it up.

See...now you can pull out the oven rack with the number 7 notch, and

you can push it back in with the "V" notch. My dad lives with us and has his own kitchen. I used his oven to take these pictures. Yikes, my ovens were not blog worthy. I have apple pie spillage all over the bottom of mine. See, now I know we're close friends, because I just confessed that!!

This is my first TTT with a disclaimer. I know this is obvious, but be careful with the wood near the heating element. The last 2 pictures look like the wood is near the heating element, but it was far away, 3 levels up. They work great just for the racks.
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I hope you liked the week's TTT. It's not quilty, but eating is my second favorite hobby!!!

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Have a great Tuesday,

~Karen~

Guess What...

I SEWED...I SEWED...I SEWED!!!
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I had some 30's repro fabric that was already cut into 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles left over from another project. I used the rectangle for the center and cut some remaining strips into 2 1/2" square and sewed them onto white rectangles. Here are just a few of the Spool blocks that I've made.

close up of some of the fabric.

aren't those kitties cute?!

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this one is a Michael Miller fabric...love the circles.

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this is a close up of the step that I always do if I'm sewing a snowball block, flying geese or corner squares like this one. I sew the square on the diagonal from corner to corner. Then I sew again 1/2" away from the original seam. That blue tape peeking out of the bottom of my fabric is my permanent guide. (the yellow was for something else, but I can't remember)

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cut between each stitching line and you will have a bucket of half square triangle waiting to be squared up.

These will square up at 1 1/2". Great for pinwheels or for the border. Maybe just a little mini!!


Here is the pile of the 3 pieces for each block just waiting to be sewn together.

I'll show more when I get the rest done and square up the half square triangles.

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Quick question: do you like the setting in the first picture with alternating spools or the second picture with the spools all standing up?? (oops, now you have to scroll back up...sorry)

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See you in a few hours for TTT,

~Karen~

I Went on a Trip...

UP THE STAIRS!!! My flip flop tripped me when I was jogging up the stairs. I tried to brace myself, but the only thing that hit the corner of the moulding was my middle finger. All of my weight on that one finger. Well, I about dropped to my knees. It's bruised and even my arm and shoulder ache, because of how fast I was going. I bought one of these little braces just to keep it from bending to much. This happened on Wednesday and it's getting much better.
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The reason why I'm blogging about this is because I am a "Glass is Always Half Full" type of person. Always look for the positive in something. Well look at these next few pictures...
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Ok, this first one is not so great...makes my hand look funny!


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But this picture is a different story. Is this a Tool Time Tuesday or what?!?! That blue foam cushion is perfect for a pincushion. Just be careful when you replace the pins and needles back in there. At first I was joking about this with my husband, but then I got to thinking...
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This is how I hold my hexagons when I'm sewing them together, not using that middle finger anyway. So why not have a pincushion there!!! You may think this one is crazy, but you know me, always thinking out of the box. Maybe I hit my head when I tripped and didn't know it!!!

This is Annie our yellow lab wondering why I'm taking a picture of my finger outside!! This picture looks cloudy, because we've had rain and gray skies here in the northeast for weeks. Heavy rain tonight and rain all the way into next Thursday. We need summer.

Have a great day...hope you have a little sun where you are.

~Karen~