A New Direction at Sew Gracious

Things are changing around here!  After many years of offering reversible organizer bins, holiday baskets & wallets, Sew Gracious is heading in an exciting, new direction; offering home decor items.
The brand new line of Sew Gracious Pillow Covers was launched on Etsy yesterday!  Here is a sampling of the new pillows.  You'll notice lots of your favorite fabrics as well as some new favorites.  More covers are in production now.  On trend colors & patterns will be the focus.

Here is a quick overview of what you will love about Sew Gracious Pillow Covers:

Front & Back of the cover are made from the same decorator weight fabric. Some pillow covers offered on Etsy, and elsewhere, are made using the decorative fabric only on the front. The backs are made from less expensive, solid cotton. The bottom line will result in a less expensive cover, but isn't it worth a few extra dollars to have a completely finished Sew Gracious cover that you are proud to display in your home?

Inside seams are serged to prevent fraying & insure durability of the cover

Envelope closure in back, with a generous overlap to prevent gapping . The envelope closure allows for an easy switch when you decide to change your decor or use new covers as the seasons change. All SG covers have a generous overlap so that your pillow doesn't gape open in the back.

Pillow forms are NOT INCLUDED but are readily available at fabric, craft & discount stores in standard sizes {18 x 18, 16 x 16, 12 x 16 an others}. Forms are inexpensive and you can save even more by using store coupons. I get my forms at Hobby Lobby using their 40% off coupon which offered most every week. You can print it directly off their website or even get it on your smartphone. By using the coupon, you can get forms for around $5 depending on the size.

Care instructions according to the fabric manufacturer: Use cold water & mild detergent such as Woolite. Air Dry Only. Do Not Dry Clean. Press with a warm iron to remove any wrinkles. Handwashing is best and will help retain the shape of your covers.

Most pillow covers are ready to ship!

Lanyards and keyfobs will still be available in the Etsy shop, as always.  New fabrics will be appearing in those categories as well!

Alive & Kickin'

Hey Y'all!  I'm still here!  I haven't skipped the country, joined the foreign legion or otherwise disappeared from the face of the earth.  Did ya miss me? ;)

For the past 2 weeks, our house has been the mayhem know as "installing tile flooring in the kitchen & laundry room".  Yes, I decided that dust was an instrument of the Devil as I tried to keep things clean during the 2 week assault on our home.  I finally gave up, got in a funk and just decided to ride it out.  Let's just say I couldn't find my happy place during those last few days.  It was a struggle, but I kept looking for the light at the end of the tunnel; praying it wasn't a train headed right for me.

The work was finished the middle of last week, but only over the weekend did I finally find my happy place.  Sew Daddy was THE MAN on Saturday.  He helped me do some major spring cleaning!  There is no more dust, no more dirt, no more evidence of the craziness that happened.  We are left with a clean home and a beautiful new floor.  To finish the day off, he even helped me hang new drapes in the bedroom.  Yes, he's a good man . . . a mighty, mighty good man!

This floor job was a "have to" job thanks to a faulty dryer vent.  We've been through this once in the past 7 years when our dishwasher leaked.  We replaced vinyl with vinyl that time.  Five short years later I declared that if we have to do this again, it will be done with tile.  So, we have tile.  The sub-floor is incredibly sturdy and this floor is permanent.  I'm happy.

During the renovation period, things were torn out to the point that I could see the ground below my kitchen floor while standing in the kitchen.  Sub-floor came out, right down to the floor joists.  Oh happy day!   I tried not to go to the disaster area  kitchen often because it was just depressing.  I knew it would all be worth it, but that was a LOOOONG 2 weeks.   Our work crew was great.  Headed by a friend from church, we were blessed with working appliances {washer, dryer & stove} almost everyday.  He knew how hard it would be without those things working so he moved things around, but hooked them back up at the end of each work day.  NICE!  We did do without a stove last weekend, but that was ok to.  No stove = no cooking.   Ah, the silver lining!

If you've followed this saga on Facebook, you know some folks have asked for pictures.  I haven't taken pics of the finished kitchen.  After the cleaning marathon yesterday, it was late and I was tired.  I also plan to repaint the kitchen so I may way to share the complete unveil at that time; however I will share a few to represent the bliss of the past 2 weeks.

BEFORE:  Not so bad, but it is vinyl

FLOOR JOISTS:  Yes, that black plastic is what covers the ground under the house. 

New, Sturdy Sub-Floor! No more squeaks, no more problems!

Concrete Board Base and NEW TILE!

A little bonus; just in case you like Simple Minds. ;)

Sew Gracious Christmas Decorating

Decorating for Christmas!  It's something some people love, something some people do early, something that can really make your home a welcome place for the holidays.

This is our foyer.  The ornaments scattered on the table are vintage Shiny Brites; from my parents original collection.   The cross stitch picture on the stand in the floor is from my cross stitch days.  Some of you may know that I owned a cross stitch and custom framing shop back in the day.  This is one of my favorite pieces and we did a special matting that makes is just perfect.  The graph is by Shepherd's Bush.  I wish I could remember the name.  We hand cut and hand painted the mat.  I always enjoy displaying this during the holidays.

I ADORE vintage Shiny Brite Christmas ornaments.  These are all from my parents original collection.  They were married in December of 1957 and had these on their tree for many years.  I remember them from my childhood, but had no idea how much I would treasure them when I grew up.  The accent of fresh holly is the perfect accent.  

This is at our back entrance.  You can see lots more evidence of my cross stitch days.  I made so many pillows and framed several little pictures.  I love displaying so many items in a small area.   It's a nice "welcome home".

Have you done your holiday decorating?  What's your favorite way to decorate?

Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights again!

Sometimes, something is so good, you just have to share with friends. This, my friends, is one of those things.

Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights

We are talking GOOD and yes, they are delightful! We look forward to them every year. You see, they are only available in the fall; usually September & October. They just TASTE like autumn! I was so excited to find them on my grocery shopping excursion this week so I bought 2 boxes. It's a Mom Thing, I suppose!

I left some for you, I promise. No, Little Debbie hasn't compensated me for my post, but if they'd like to send some Little Debbie goodies this way . . . . I'm just sayin' ;-)

If you are ready for cooler weather, crisp breezes and falling leaves, a Pumpkin Delight will bring the taste of the season to you. What a great snack or lunchbox surprise for the little ones {or your husband!}

This was originally posted 9.3.09 but Pumpkin Delights are good enough to talk about again!

Sew Gracious featured at Nikki's Nacs

Big thanks to Nikki for including a Sew Gracious Organizer Bin in her Etsy Love post today!  The theme is teal home and Nikki chose some beautiful items!  Visit her blog to see all the goodies she picked today!

Nikki also has some great decorating ideas, recipes and more on her blog!

Thanks again, Nikki!  I appreciate the feature! :)

Pink Punch . Paris :: New Pretties

It's been busy in the studio lately and I love it!
I've been enjoying working with some new fabric like this one.  I call it Pink Punch because it reminds me of a Vera Bradley print.  This isn't Vera, but I still love the colors & design.

This is one of the newest organizer bins, but I've always used Pink Punch for lots of other favorite accessories in the shop.

Some fabrics are just timeless.
This is Springtime in Paris by Michael Miller
So fresh, so pretty, so feminine!

When you think of Paris, you think of the Eiffel Tower.

More new fabrics & new accessories are in the shop now!
It's still wintertime, but catch your first breath of spring with visions of Paris
Pink Punch or Posh & Preppy pretties. :)

New Organizer Bins Ready to Ship

Reversible Organizer Bins are a HUGE HIT this year!

Customers love them!

Just listed, 4 new ready-to-ship Christmas organizer baskets. Order today and it ships within 24 hours; still plenty of time to use for your holiday decorating & gift giving. Click each picture to go directly to that listing or just click here to go to the Etsy shop to everything.

Thanks so much to my customers who have made Sew Gracious Reversible Organizer Bins so popular this year. People are noticing . . . there are lots of look-a-likes popping up on Etsy, but you will only get original Sew Gracious Organizer Bins here. :) Love ya!

Get ORGANIZED!

Who doesn't need a little more organization in their lives; especially during this busy time of year. Now you can organize in style with Sew Gracious REVERSIBLE Fabric Storage Bins. Yes, REVERSIBLE! 2 baskets in 1. Click here to see all of the new baskets in the Etsy shop.


• The "every room" basket! Perfect for the family room, bedroom, media room, bathroom , childrens room . . . every room!

• Use it in the media room or family room to hold CDs or DVDs. Holds 16 standard size CDs or up to 10 DVDs depending on how you load the basket

• Great for the kids' rooms : holds video games, small toys, hair accessories

• Add some flair to your powder room. Holds 2 rolls of toilet tissue or add a tissue box

• A fun little fabric basket perfect for home decor . gift basket . centerpiece . Christmas candy

These and lots more goodies are available in the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop. For the holiday season, enjoy FREE SHIPPING on US orders over $50, or 1/2 International shipping for orders over $50.

Old School Jack

If you've read my blog for the past few years, you know that our family always carves a pumpkin or 2. It's never anything elaborate like some you see on TV or in magazines, but it's good family time anyway. In the past, I've gotten free templates from the web or drawn out my own designs for carving.

This year, I decided to completely wing it. No pattern, no transfer; strictly free-hand. Old School Jack is the result. He turned out pretty cute, didn't he? Did you notice . . . I didn't even have to carve a nose thanks to the natural little "dimple" on our gourd this year.

Jack-in-the-Dark

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For pumpkin carving posts from years past, click here
For all Halloween posts, click here

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p.s. Happy Birthday, Sew Daddy! Love you!

Select HALLOWEEN Items ON SALE

The clock is ticking and HALLOWEEN is a little less than 3 weeks away. It's time to shop, people! ;-) The bonus is that this great tote and a select group of Trick or Treat totes have been reduced to sell now!

All sale items are ready to ship. Buy now, pay now and your order will ship the same day or next day.

Super Cute Halloween Patchwork Bag
ready to ship and only $24

These are just 2 of the special group of Trick or Treat baskets that are
ready to ship and only $12 each!
Visit the Etsy Shop to see all Halloween Baskets

Trick or Treat!

I know . . . it's not even Labor Day yet, but Halloween will be here soon. Trick or Treat baskets are back in the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop this year. Get yours while the selection is good. You'll also find some other cute Halloween accessories in the shop. Trick or Treat!

Vinyl Wall Art Giveaway!

You may remember that I love vinyl wall art. It's a great inexpensive way to spruce up your home.

Inexpensive is nice, but how much better can it get?
FREE IS GOOD!

My friend Sally, at Polka Dot Mom, is hosting a giveaway featuring vinyl wall art by >Quote The Walls. I'd rather you not go to Sally's blog to get the details because I'd really like to win this giveaway myself, but now that I've let the cat out of the bag, I guess you'll be throwing your hat in the ring too. Talk about good karma on my part! ;)

So, visit Sally to see what you need to do to enter. Good Luck & let me know if you win! ;-)

Demolition Man

Meet Demolition Man, aka SewDaddy

Yes, friends we are still working on getting hardwood flooring put into our house. To save some coin, we are doing the prep work ourselves. Let's face it, our labor is cheaper than the floor dudes. We are taking out baseboards and replacing the subflooring ourselves. I should really say "he". I'm a DIY kind of girl and can paint with the best of 'em, but SewDaddy is much better with sledgehammers and saws so he did the lion's share of this job.

Demolition Man's Best Friend . . . Spartacus the 36" Crow Bar

Sick of sawdust, dust in general and the mess. My mantra "it will be worth it when this job is done". ;-) Looking forward to the Floor Dude's appearance this week! :-)

A Busy Week

WOW! It's been a busy week!

So sorry I've neglected my blog, but apparently 24 hours in a day just aren't enough. It seems that my days of late have been filled with sewing for custom orders, preparing for a student council election, getting a go-go girl costume together, a trip to urgent care, dealing with a house in shambles due to installation of hardwood flooring {still not done, so the house is still not in order; but it will be SO worth it when this job is done}.

Those are just the extras that have come along on top of the usual laundry, ironing, making dinner, etc. of every day life.

But, I'm not complaining. I am SO blessed to be a wife, be a mom, work from home, have a home that we can make improvements to. Life is Good!

Not Your Average Easter Basket

Who says an Easter basket has to be pink & yellow with chicks & bunnies? How about a little zing in the spring holiday?

I give you . . . Easter Monkeys! Ok, I know monkeys aren't associated with Easter, but this is THE CUTEST fabric in sweet preppy shades of pink & green. It might be the perfect basket for YOUR Little Monkey!

This one certainly falls under the non-traditional category. :) After seeing the Zebra print Wristlet Key Fob, a sweet customer contacted me to ask if I could create a custom Easter basket in the same colors. Here it is! How cute is this! Traditional Hot Pink & Black for your stylish girl!

Visit the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop for these and lots more fabric Easter Baskets!

More BOY BASKETS are coming soon!

The Last Princess

If you've visited The Shop lately, you've seen my fabric baskets. This little fabric basket is the last one I will make from this fabric. { :( I know }

I used the very last piece of this long out-of-print fabric by Michael Miller to make this cute basket. It is the ultimate girly-princess-fairy tale-pink & purple-silvery fabric ever. It's been in my stash for several years and I pulled it out last year to make some baskets. They were a huge hit with customers so I decided to finish the fabric by making a customer favorite. What's not to love?

So, fair warning . . . here she is. If you love, get her now.

The Last Princess

A Tisket, A Tasket : 2 New Baskets

Fabric baskets have quickly become a customer favorite. They are perfect little Easter baskets, but can also be used for home decor. Cute for candy, sweet for soap or towels in the bathroom or a nice gift for a friend. Fill it with flavor coffee, teas or CHOCOLATE! ;)

Just listing; 2 new baskets for Spring. The first features multi-colored flowers on a crisp white background. Sweet . simple. fun.

The 2nd is perfect for a little boy's Easter basket or a room with nautical decor. The fabric is a quality woven cotton plaid in shades of blue & green. The fabric tie is easily removeable, if you wish.

Click the pics to go to each listing or visit the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop to see the full line of fabric baskets as well as lots more goodies.

Bon Appetit!

Remember my recent post about vinyl wall decals? Well . . .

Here is the first decal I'm using in my redecorating endeavor. Don't you LOVE it? It is matte black and looks as if it were professionally painted. It was SO easy to apply too. The hardest part was deciding exactly where in my kitchen I wanted to put it. I opted for this wall, a short pass through from the family room into the kitchen. It's just perfect; especially with my prints.

I got this decal from Inspire Your Walls. Hollie was so great to work with and shipped the order super fast. She has a great website and a wonderful Etsy shop full of cool designs for family, tweens, kids; inspired quotes and more. She offers tons of colors & fonts too.

I just loved the way this turned out so I had to share. This is my first decal, but won't be my last. Happy Decorating!

Baskets are BACK, Baby!

You love them

You asked for them

BASKETS are BACK!

Just in time for Valentines Day & Easter, a brand new series of bags are available in the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop. Each one is ready to ship, so if you are gift-giving for February 14; I've got ya covered.

Perfect for Valentines candy, Easter Egg hunts, candy basket, home decor, a gift for your secret pal, office mate or child's teacher. Don't wait . . .limited quantites available, but combined shipping is always available. :)

Click the pics to go to each listing or just visit the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop to see all of the new goodies!