Five Tricks for Making Realistic Silk Floral Arrangements

I love treating myself to real fresh flowers, but sometimes, we all need the low-maintenance burst of color that comes from “silk” flowers. I have a few favorite tips to create arrangements that look almost as good as the real … Continue reading

Quick, Easy, No-Sew(!) Ways to Add Room-Darkening Lining to Your Curtains

I wish I were a better sleeper. Trust me, I really do. I’m sensitive to light when sleeping, so room-darkening window coverings are a must! I’ve found some quick tricks that I’m excited to share for adding lining to existing … Continue reading

Customizing an IKEA Hemnes China Cabinet

You know how much I love a good furniture makeover! Sometimes, it’s about a dramatic transformation, like this mid-century dresser, these stenciled nightstands, or my Thomasville faux bamboo bar cabinet. Other times, you just need a few changes to transform … Continue reading

The Cutest and Handiest Zipper Pouches

YEARS ago, I bought a cute zipper pouch ages ago at a Signatures craft fair in Toronto. The size is perfect for sunglasses, lip gloss, hair ties, ear buds, or other little items you want to corral in your purse. Since I recently conquered my fear of zippers when I made the box cushion covers for my new chairs, I decided to try making some of these little pouches myself. It’s such a fun project to use small scraps of fabric and combine colors and patterns.

I followed the instructions from icansewthis, which lays out the steps very clearly. The dimensions for this pouch use 4.5″x9″ rectangles to make a finished size of approximately 4″ x 8.5″

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2x Outside fabric pieces: 4.5″x9″ each
  • 2x Lining fabric pieces: 4.5″x9″ each
  • 2x zipper tab fabric: 1.5″x2″ each
  • zipper
  • Optional: fusible interfacing for outside pieces, if you are using a lighter weight fabric

I made pouches from vintage kimonos, favorite scraps, and also some of fabrics I designed myself. If you want to check out my fabric collection, here’s my shop on Spoonflower. You can have have fun mixing and matching zipper colors and linings!

Happy sewing !

Julie AKA “Jewels”

DIY Tiered Cake Stands From Vintage Plates

My collection of plates and tea cups started when I threw a tea party baby shower for my friend, Nicola, a whole decade ago! Over the years, I have added more treasures to my collection, and I love the stories … Continue reading

Your Home is Your Canvas – Inspirations for Custom Art

I want each item in my home to be meaningful, and custom canvas art is a wonderful way to personalize a space. I’m sharing four custom canvas ideas that I’ve used in my home. This includes several original projects as … Continue reading

Cheery Warm Dining Room and Pattern Play with “Art Deco Swans” by Kate Rhees

A lot of people groan when they think about moving, and while I plan to stay put for many years to come, I actually love the excitement and challenge of arranging a new space. I’ve had a lot of fun … Continue reading

Dining Chair Makeover – Sewing New Box Cushion Covers

We moved twice in the last two years, and in the process, I gave away a lot of things. I feel like the universe has decided to reward me by sending me two great finds. First, I found this vintage … Continue reading