Author Archives: Lindsay

Now it’s time to say goodbye…

Posted in Disney by

Some years ago, my mom and I took a trip to Walt Disney World. While standing in front of Minnie Mouse’s house, in awe even at the age of 19, I said, “Someday I’m going to live there.” My mom offhandedly replied, “Okay,” and I repeated, with insistence, “No, I love that house. Someday I’m going to live there.”

Minnie Mouse's House in Toontown

Years later, after graduating from college and following a multitude of dreams, I don’t actually LIVE in Minnie Mouse’s house – after all, it’s still Minnie’s house – but I do find myself visiting Magic Kingdom Park quite often. More often than I ever could have imagined back when I was 19.

Minnie Mouse's House in Toontown

Today was the last day of operation for Mickey’s Toontown Fair, where Minnie Mouse’s house resides. Toontown is closing to make way for many exciting changes as a part of the Fantasyland Expansion. I’m giddy about the future of Magic Kingdom, but I can’t help but feel a pang in my heart and my stomach knowing that I’ll no longer be able to take a stroll through Minnie’s house.

dsc_0673

And believe it or not, Minnie Mouse has a sewing machine. As if she weren’t already my idol!

Minnie Mouse's House in Toontown

Helping Minnie Mouse with a quilt at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2010 (dressed as Boo from Monsters, Inc.)

As Seen on TV: Style Snaps (Stink)

Posted in Sewing by

I’ve been seeing a commercial lately for a product called Style Snaps. The first time it came on, I was immediately drawn to it, wondering what kind of sewing-related product would be exciting enough for an “As-Seen-on-TV!” style commercial. Within seconds I was less than sold. Watch for yourself:

I just don’t get why these Style Snap things are supposed to be so amazing. The “finished product” – or faux hemmed pants – LOOK like a faux hem. They don’t look nice at all. It LOOKS like the pants are folded under, which is exactly what I’m trying to avoid when I hem my pants.

One more thing – what is up with the borderline-provocative visual right around 0:59-0:60? “Sexy and tight for a look that’s DEFINITELY right!” Ugh, I’m sorry, I thought I was watching a commercial about HEMS.

Of course, I had to look up the reviews for these things, and they are terrible! Not only are oodles of reviewers complaining about being scammed as far as the shipping and handling costs go, but the product isn’t even working well as advertised. The snaps have a sticky backing that either don’t stick to the fabric at all, or leave sticky adhesive behind when they do.

Beware Style Snaps! (But if you MUST try them even after reading this post, get them from eBay or Amazon and steer clear of the “official” site, BuyStyleSnaps.com – that is where most reviewers are getting scammed with misleading shipping costs)

Could you see yourself trying Style Snaps?

Sewing represent!

Posted in Holidays, Uncategorized by

While browsing the internet for either sewing or Valentine’s Day (which are obviously two of my very favorite things) I stumbled across these incredibly fun printable Valentines on the crafty style crush blog. I was pretty excited to see a whole Valentine themed to sewing (Sew in Love!)… plus the rest of ’em are pretty neat, too! Who doesn’t love mac and cheese?

So if you’re in need of a quick and easy Valentine fix, throw some cardstock in the printer and give these a whirl. Click here to go to the style crush blog and download the high resolution PDF!

Peptogirl Valentines

The Friday Five: 5 reasons why sewing is like planning a trip to Walt Disney World

Posted in Friday Five, Sewing by

Disney Postcard

This week’s Friday Five comes to you after a week of massive snowstorms all across the country… in every state except Florida. Vacation on your mind? Here’s a few reasons why SEWING is like planning a trip to Walt Disney World…

1. There’s a perception that you have to be a certain age to enjoy it: Walt Disney World is for kids, and sewing is for senior citizens… NOT! I’m an almost-27-year-old who enjoys both immensely. Anyone who is familiar with the Disney theme parks or can foresee creative sewing possibilities knows that both sewing and Disney are for everybody!

2. It’s worth the wait! You may have to wait an hour to meet Tinker Bell, and it may take weeks or months to complete an extensive sewing project. But the end results are priceless: a meet and greet with a magical, famous fairy, or a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted item created by you. I’ll take all of the above, please!

3. Preparation (and anticipation) are key. Know how much time I spend roaming fabric stores? A lot. Know how much time I spend Googling sewing questions? A lot more. Do you know how crazy a person would be to visit a Disney theme park without preparing ahead of time? Very.

4. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Most families only get the chance to visit a Disney theme park once in their lives – if that. And while there seems to be a big network of sewers all over internet message boards, it’s more common to run into someone who says, “Oh, I sewed a ____________ once.” Fill in the blank with the appropriate common once-in-a-lifetime sewing experience: Halloween costume, button-on-a-shirt, project in home ec class.

5. Both Disney and sewing are good, clean fun. In my teenage and young(er) adult years, I may have been more hesitant to admit that I preferred good ‘ole family-friendly fun over whatever inappropriate/undignified trendy activity my peers were partaking in. These days? Please. Every morning, my toaster burns Mickey Mouse’s face into my toast. I write a sewing blog. I like good, clean fun, and I’m not ashamed to admit it! 🙂

The Friday Five: 5 steps to a no-sew wreath

Posted in Friday Five, Holidays, Tutorials, Uncategorized by

This week’s Friday Five is both a list AND a tutorial wrapped up into one post! Wahoo!

When I was little, I remember my beloved Aunt Corlyne (who was always bursting with enthusiasm about the latest and greatest craft trends) bringing over bags of supplies to make these easy fabric wreaths. This no-sew craft gives everybody an excuse to shop in the fabric aisle, regardless of whether they know how to sew or not. It is a fun project for kids who are old enough to be trusted with a pointy pencil, although grown-ups may have to take care of the pinking shears portion.

1. Gather: You’ll need…

  • A few yards of fabric in coordinating colors
  • A styrofoam wreath (usually available in the floral section of craft stores)
  • Pinking shears (a.k.a zig-zag scissors)
  • A pointy object such as a screwdriver, skewer, pencil, etc.

2. Cut: Use the pinking shears to cut out a pile of fabric squares. The exact size doesn’t matter and the shape can be rough, but the size should be approximately 3×3 inches.

Fabric Squares

I used a bunch of Valentine fabric leftover from a quilt my mom made me in college!

3. Stab: Wrap a fabric square around the pointy object, then stab the whole contraption anywhere on the styrofoam wreath. When you pull the pointy object out, the fabric should stay wedged in the styrofoam.

Pointy Object

Wrap the fabric around the object right-side-up.

4. Fill: Continue with step #3, filling in the entire front side of the wreath. You’ll probably find yourself having to revert back to step #2 and cut out more squares as the project progresses. It only took me one viewing of Eat, Pray, Love and one episode of How I Met Your Mother to complete my heart wreath from start to finish!

Keep going until the entire wreath looks like this!

5. Hang: Now that your wreath is complete, hang it from a nail or use thumbtacks to secure a ribbon on the back!

Heart Wreath

The Friday 5: Five sewing goals for the new year

Posted in Friday Five, Holidays, Uncategorized by

2011 Sewing

1) Create something wearable. No more fears about making items that are poorly fitted! I will make it happen this year.

2) Adequately prepare for next year’s holiday season and make as many Christmas gifts as possible. This year I didn’t get to sew a single gift. I know… excuses, excuses… but really, working two jobs and being new to sewing didn’t blend well when it came to Christmas gifts.

3) As much as possible, use fabric/notions that I already have on hand and avoid those tempting trips to the fabric store! Those trips add up, and plus, sometimes I think I get more creative when I’m forced to do amazing things with what I have on hand.

4) Create and sell some items in my etsy shop (that is currently collecting virtual dust).

5) Blog more often, including more completed projects and maybe even some of my own tutorials!

What are your goals for 2011?

The Friday Five: 5 sewing fears

Posted in Friday Five, Uncategorized by

1. My biggest sewing fear is ruining fabric. I measure, re-measure, stare for awhile, empty the dishwasher and watch an episode of Hannah Montana before finally making a cut. After spending so much time searching for the perfect fabric combinations, the last thing I want to do is wreck what I’ve got.

2. Making ugly things. I want to take pride in my handmade items, not be ashamed to show them to my friends!

3. Making things that don’t fit. I haven’t really broken into the world of wearable items yet for this very reason. You know how sizes can vary from one shirt to another? The same goes for patterns, apparently. Hence the fear of creating an item that does not fit and cannot be fixed, thus ruining the fabric. See fear #1 listed above.

4. Breaking the sewing machine. After so much research, and the final investment in what is essentially a household appliance that I’d like to keep for some time, the last thing I want to do is break it by using it incorrectly. Since I’m still learning, this is a very real possibility, so I am thankful for all of the machine’s features that are in place to avoid as many beginner’s catastrophes as possible. However, it is still a lingering fear.

5. Accidentally putting my finger under the pulsating needle. Again, I think the machine has specific safety features to avoid such an incident. But one look at that needle stabbing the air with lightning speed keeps the fear alive.

But despite all of these fears, I will continue to sew. 😉

Disney VoluntEARS Create a “Beary” Christmas for Children in Need

Posted in Disney, Holidays, Uncategorized by

I love this article! Yet another way to put creative sewing skills (and fabric scraps) to good use for the community around the holidays.

Disney VoluntEARS Create a “Beary” Christmas for Children in Need

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Dec. 17, 2010 – A teddy bear is special gift. In an instant, it can become a child’s best friend. Partnering with the Salvation Army of Central Florida, Disney VoluntEARS dressed more than 2,000 bears during this year’s Dress-A-Bear program.


Walt Disney World cast members have been participating in the Dress-A-Bear program for the past 14 years.  Janice Jones, Walt Disney World Costumer and Workroom Manager, has coordinated Creative Costuming’s Dress-A-Bear efforts since the program’s beginning.

“It’s a creative outlet for cast members and it provides something special for children,” said Jones.

Many of the bears receive one-of-a-kind outfits, handmade with great care by cast members on their own personal time. Using scraps of fabric and creativity, VoluntEARS craft cuddly ensembles from firemen to princesses. Buzz Lightyear, Rapunzel and the Mad Hatter were fashionable this year.  All of these efforts are done in hopes of connecting with a child in need.


“To be able to share our talents with children, and to make one of kind unique clothes, is a labor of love,” said Elizabeth Lau, Creative Costuming Workroom Manager.

The special bears, along with 393 filled stockings, will be distributed by the Salvation Army of Central Florida to local children who are in need of holiday gifts.

(Source)