Ideas & Inspiration

Several of you have e-mailed me with questions and I thought I'd just post them (the ideas) on the blog to share with everybody. (Valerie, I promise I'm going to do the onesie dress tutorial you asked about, I just can't get to it tonight...but is IS coming, I promise!) :)

Ok, first topic up for discussion is appliques. Emily left a comment asking me where to find cute ideas for appliques. They are easy to do, but sometimes hard to come up with a cute idea on your own.

Before I share the places I usually use for inspiration, please remember NEVER to copy anybody's idea for profit. I personally don't think it is wrong to try to duplicate something you see online for your own child, but I do think it is wrong to see somebody's idea and try to reproduce it to sell.

Things I Use for Inspiration:

-Etsy (search children applique)

-Tiny Prints (or any stationary website)

- Pottery Barn Kids catalog

-Flickr

-Gift bags

-Coloring books

-Recreating something you see in a store (like Target)

and yes, I have been known to whip out my camera phone to take a picture of something I see while we are out shopping to help me remember!

Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about:

This image from Tiny Prints...

translated to this applique:

This image that I found on Etsy...

translated to this cupcake onesie:

I can't find the picture I used as inspiration for this shirt, but it was from artwork in a little boy's nursery...

And these last two were from some bedding from Pottery Barn Kids...

You just have to keep your eyes peeled and look in some unexpected places for some cute ideas. And the simpler the image, the easier the applique is going to be to make.

*************

Ok, now moving on to Anne's question about bulletin board ideas. Before she asked me this question, I had already been collecting images for ideas to use in our office/sewing room that I'm working on decorating. That being said, I only saved images and not the sources because I didn't realize I'd be posting them to share. If you know where a photo comes from, please let me know so I can give them credit!

Martha Stewart (?)

This is a cookie sheet that was covered in pretty paper, but if you wanted to create it on a larger scale, you could use the same idea, but with a piece of metal sheeting from your local hardware store - instant magnetic board!

Martha Stewart (again...I think?)

Cute idea to attach shutters to the outside to close the bulletin board up to hide the messiness when not in use. I know they sell used shutters like this at the Re-Store for a couple of dollars a pair.

I like the idea of adding envelopes at the bottom of the board and dividing it up into different sections. Would help keep your thoughts and ideas easily organized!

This is a cute idea to cover a embroidery hoop with some fun fabric. You can pick them up at any craft store, but I don't think I would find such a small board very helpful.

Cute DIY project found here. Just cover an board you already have in burlap and decorate with tacks.

Or, you could repurpose a board you already have with this tutorial from Little Green Notebook. Simple and easy!

********

And one more thought on organizing ideas and inspirational photos...

open up a tumblr account!

Any time I find an idea, recipe, or project I want to remember, I post it to my tumblr blog. I can flip through my pictures at any time and they are linked to the blog/site where I found them. You can also write little notes to yourself about each posting. I find it very helpful in keeping track of ideas I find online.

:)