the object project

Prepare to Cozy...

Thanks so much to everyone for sharing their fun summer reads and fall project ideas! I know alot of you said you were planning on making the pillow from the last tutorial- when you get one completed, please email me pics!

Okay, now for the important news! The randomly generated winner of the fabulous throw from CSN Mattress chosen by RANDOM.ORG is...

Sandra! she says...

"I most definitely would love to win that throw! It's gorgeous. And thanks for the cute pillow idea. My favorite light-hearted summer read was Love the One You're With. Thanks!"

Prepare to get cozy Sandra- and thanks for the comment!

A Novel Pillow Plus a Giveaway!

Today I'll help you wrap up your summer reading season and help you prepare a chair for cozy fall crafting all in the same post!

We'll get to the pillow in a second, but first I want to thank the very generous folks at CSN Mattress for agreeing to giveaway this fabulous handkitted Koka throw (a retail value of $225!) to a very lucky Object Project reader!

 You can visit here to see available colors and browse their huge selection of products- so much more than just mattresses! Stay tuned to the end of this post to find out how to enter!

You'll want a pillow to cuddle up with along with your throw, so lets get started!

I do alot of reading- mostly craft, business, or design books, but this summer I took a "brain break" with the Shopoholic series by Shophie Kinsella. Here's a quick pillow I made using one of the novels (and my coffee cup, of course!) as a template!

I used these prints from Tina Givens. Take a look here to see Tina talk about her inspiration for this collection!

1. Trace 6 rectangles onto your chosen fabrics using the novel as a template. You can stack your fabrics, trace and cut once to save time, but I like to do them individually to insure that I get exactly the portion of the print that I want.

2. Lay them in 2 rows of 3 in an arrangement that you like, then sew them in 2 rows of 3 rectangles, then sew the rows together. This forms the patchworked front of the pillow.

3. I then traced the bottom of my coffee cup in several places on the pillow front, which I did some hand stitching over. This step is optional, but I think it added a fun touch to the pillow!

4. Cut a portion of backing fabric the same size as the front piece.

5. Place the pillow back and the pillow front right-sides-facing and pin. Using a 3/8" seam, sew around the pillow, leaving about a 4" space for turning.

6. Trim the corners diagonally and turn the pillow right-side-out.

7. Stuff the pillow to your liking and handstitch the opening closed!

Okay... I know you're itching to know how to win the throw, so here's how it will work. All you need to do is comment on this post! Share your favorite summer reads, upcoming fall craft projects, or just say, I WANT THAT THROW! As a bonus, you can let your blog readers know about this giveaway and then come back here and comment with that link to be entered again!

You'll have till Sunday to enter, I'll choose a winner at random and announce the lucky reader on Monday!

I'll let you go now, I know your fingers are itchin' for some stitchin'!

Good luck everyone!

~Leigh Ann~

Where Have You Been Young Lady?!

Okay, okay. So I deserve a little hand smack for not checking in here in so long! But I have a very good reason, and I intend to reveal it to you in this poorly lit, incredibly grainy and intentionally obstructed photo:

For the past month, I've been working terribly studiously at finishing up the designs for my own fabric line! Now, don't get excited just yet! I still have to find a company out there that will love these fun little designs as much as I do! Nevertheless... they are finished and tomorrow will find their way off in the mail to a few dream companies that were kind enough to send submission guidelines.

Have you ever just known you were made to do something? Maybe it's teaching children, maybe it's playing piano, or maybe you just know how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie? Well... I'll be turning 30 (argh!) this December and I finally know what I want to be when I grow up! I feel that so many things in my life have led me to the doorstep of fabric design and I've decided to give a big old knock and wait for someone to say "Come on in!"

In the meantime, as a BIG thank you for your patience with my lack of posting, I have a very fun project planned for Monday as well as an UNBELIEVABLE giveaway! Let's just say, a very generous company will be sending a very lucky Object Project reader something to keep you luxuriously snuggly and warm this fall!

Stay tuned till Monday for the project and giveaway!

And if there's anyone in the textile industry that hears my knocking, and you'd like to invite me in for tea (or, you know, a meeting...) please shoot me an email! leighanntennant@comcast.net

Happy Sewing!

~Leigh Ann~

Cool Etsy Objects

There's a tiny bit of a chill in the air today and it has me longing for nubby sweaters, cozy socks, and a steaming cup full of cider! Here are some fun mugs I found on Etsy today that I'm thinking I might need before cider season hits!

You can find all of these mugs, along with other cool ceramic finds over in CircaCeramics shop!

Happy Sipping!

~Leigh Ann~

Artists on Things

"A great pen is a small oasis of analog in a digital world."

    Marisa Acocella Marchetto, cartoonist for The New Yorker

    via a very old issue of Domino Mag (so sorry it's gone!)

Semi-Homemade Sewing

You may have seen Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade show on the Food Network where she makes a meal with a little help from some pre-made things from the market. Here's a little "Semi-Homemade" sewing I did over the weekend, using an existing camera strap to fashion a cuter version for our friend Mary, who's husband just gave her a fabulous new camera! You could use the same method to jazz up your own camera strap, tote bag straps, or anything else of a strappy nature!

I measured the strap and then cut a rectangle of home decor weight fabric that was the same length, but twice the width (plus seam allowance). This gave me a rectangle that was 4" by 26".

I then cut a rectangle of the same dimensions from fusible fleece and using my iron, fused it to the wrong side of my fabric.

Then I folded the fabric in half, right sides facing, and pinned it. I used the existing strap to trace the oval outline onto the fabric to use as a stitching guide.

I clipped the attatching straps from the existing strap and placed them in between my layers of fabric.

Then, beginning in the middle of the long side, I sewed down the edge, using a 3/8" seam allowance. Once this was done, I reached inside the turning space and turned the strap right side out, pressed, and quilted the new strap!

So this is what the new strap looks like! Re-fashioned, up-cycled!

I'm sure some of you have a few "semi-homemade" sewing ideas! Leave a comment, share, and lets try to make each other's lives a little easier!

As Sandra Lee says, "Keep it fun. Keep it simple. And always keep it Semi-Homemade!"

~Leigh Ann~

Upcycled Bra Strap Headband

Please excuse the goofy look on my face, as it is hard to take a picture of one's self and even harder to do so with a straight face!

Several months back, I began admiring those thin, layerable headbands that look like bra straps. I thought about getting a few to maintain my ever-hard-to-manage mane when I remembered: why buy what you can make? And from things you already have laying around the house, no less!

I have a few lovely pre-nursing bras laying around the house. I say laying because, unfortunately they don't fit any longer! Somehow, I have found myself plumper in places I wish I wasn't and small in places where I'd plead for plump! A little TMI?...well....some of you moms out there know where I'm coming from! Anyway...

Here's a little project to make good use of those bras you have in your drawer that no longer fit, but are just to nice to toss!

1. Start by clipping off the bra straps, being sure to cut them off below where the adjustment part is. This bra had a fancy little loop on the strap, so I removed this to include in the headband as well.

2. Wrap the strap around your head to make sure that it is long enough. If not, you can remove the part in the back where the bra clips and sew this onto the strap to lengthen it.

3. Then all you have to do is sew the 2 ends together! You can repeat with the other strap to create that layered look- or sew the straps together, end to end, and correct the fit with the slide adjustment.

After you've finished the headband, you can add whatever embellishment you like! Here, I've sewn on a couple of vintage buttons that I found at a thrift store.

To this band, I added a little satin flower! Click here to get the tutorial to create this flower!

Well, the appointment with my stylist has been made for Thursday. The jury is still out on the cut. This long hair and the heat don't mix, though I've enjoyed tying my hair back in these headbands! You'll have to stay tuned to see if the hair stays or goes!

Now, go raid your lingerie drawer.

Never thought I'd close a post with that line!

~Leigh Ann~

The Beginnings of a Bag

Yesterday, I was able to draft a pattern (yes, I still occasionally do this!) and cut out the pieces for a new diaper/tote bag that I designed for my friend Tiffany. This sketch will give you a general idea of what the bag will look like when it's finished:

Tiffany chose these prints from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern collection.

Alot of you had such great ideas for additions to this bag that would help make a mommy/baby outing a little easier! I'm going to try to incorporate as many of them as I can into this bag! Click here to read these ideas and to see some pictures of bags I've done in the past.

Some of you have been asking if I have a pattern available for the bag I have currently up for auction for the Alzheimer's Association (only 4 for days left to place your bid!). I made this bag a year ago when I was EXTREMELY with child and was racing to get it done before little Ian showed up, so I did not take the time to document the process properly for a pattern.

But good news! This time around I am not in a hurry (and most certainly not with child!) so I am planning on having a pattern for Tiffany's bag available in my Etsy shop as soon as the bag is finished! Until then you can check out my Ebook, sewExpecting, for 20 other baby projects!

Now I must go give these pieces a good quilting!

~Leigh Ann~

A Brownie Date

On Saturday, amazingly, I was able to find a yummy brownie recipe, bake them up, and devour a couple with my daughter, all before little Ian woke up from his nap! Audrey called this a "brownie date" and we're thinking of making it a regular thing!

Really, you must whip up some of these brownies- they're heavenly! Although, full disclosure, I did split open a vanilla bean and added its decadent contents, as if I were on some Food Network show! Yes, I felt quite the Barefoot Contessa!

Vanilla bean or not, you can dress up your brownies with powdered sugar and berries (raspberries for me, blueberries for Audrey) and present them in trimmed coffee filters- great for catching any stray berries that may stumble from the carton! Our serving dish was a cream and sugar tray: creamer and sugar bowl removed, brownies added.

This made for a sweet moment with my daughter and quite possibly the beginning of a tradition!

Now, go bake some brownies! They're fat-free!

(fingers crossed)

~Leigh Ann~

"Wright Minds" Alzheimer's Association Auction

Some of you may remember, a few months back I was fortunate enough to win Living Creatively's tote bag design competition for this bag I made last year when my son, Ian, was born:

Surprisingly, it's still in great condition! I've decided to auction this most-beloved bag and donate the TOTAL proceeds to the Alzheimer's Association in honor of my grandfather, Herman Wright, who is suffering from this horrible disease. I thought maybe letting go of something that holds a few memories for me might help, someday, find a way for my grandfather and others hold on to a few more memories of their own!

My lovely cousin, Carol (pictured below), is organizing a team for the annual Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk in Charleston, WV on October 31. Since 1989, the Memory Walk has raised more than $260 million for the cause.

Our grandfather used to be a member of the Kiwana's and every year they'd organize a giant Easter Egg hunt. A big plus for us, because Carol and I got to go early and help hide the eggs! So you could say we had a bit of an advantage when it came time to find them! He loved grilling out at picnics and helping us decorate their Christmas tree when we were little.

These are all memories we want to keep for the rest of our lives! This is why we want to, as Carol says, "nip this thing in the bud" before we reach the age of risk!

So, if you'd like to know more about this bag, you can click here to be taken to the Ebay auction page. The auction will run through Sunday afternoon. This is a great way to donate to this worthwhile cause, plus get to have a little piece of my work, too!

If you'd like to donate directly to our "Wright Minds" Alzheimer's Walk team, or just make a general donation, you can click here.

If you'll be in the Charleston, WV area on October 31 and are interested in the walk, please email Carol at teamwrightminds@yahoo.com .

It would be great if all you bloggers could spread the word about this auction and this cause!

Now, go make a memory today!

~Leigh Ann~