Eco-chic Boutonierre How-to

This is an excerpt from an article I wrote for the Storque, Etsy's online newspaper.

Make your own soon-to-be hubby's boutonierre...If you love roses and crafting, create a one-of-a-kind rose ribbon boutonniere. Choose a 1-inch wire-edged ribbon (ideally, recycled) in your color. Pull the wire ends to gather one side of the ribbon. It should make a circular shape. Cut two three inch pieces of floral wire. Roll the ribbon into a rose shape around the top of the wires leaving a wire “stem” and sew in place. Wrap the stem in floral tape then ribbon, and secure with a single pin.

Or, if your honey wants something more masculine, try herbs. An herb garden can render thyme, rosemary, or sage for a simple herb boutonniere. You’ll need three stems, floral wire, green floral tape, and a yard of narrow ribbon. A boutonniere should be about three inches in length. Cut your herbs, then position them in a triad, and wrap the stems in wire, then floral tape. Wind the ribbon over the floral tape and secure with a strait pin.

Thanks to Blake for donning his wedding suit for this photo... what a good husband.

The "it" blogs

I was recently "tagged" by my Etsy buddy Pegasus Soaps
so I'm going to share with you some green facts and some eco-blogs that I have tagged.

Wondering how to spend that chubby (prod the economy) check you'll be getting from the U.S. government? Buy green, of course! To help here are four online sellers of great eco-products and fun facts about them.

Patagonia: Did you know that they have a recycling program for their used clothing? For more information about this, visit here.
EcoEtsySellers: Handmade and Eco-friendly. Can you do both?? YES!
Gaiam: Their organic fireside throw is one of my reasons for living. I couldn't survive the summers in San Francisco without mine. Here's one for you.
Envirosax: Envirosax: You should NOT choose plastic or paper. You should choose reusable canvas (or fancy Envirosax) bags.

Now... for some exciting eco info, visit these blogs!
Everyday Trash News on trash from around the world from Leila Darabi, a Brooklyn-based journalist ... check out her links to all things trashy and green.
It's So Easy Being Green Check out the "Re-purposing Junk Mail" entry.
Veggie Revolution Check out the bike commute info--whoa! Blog by book authors Sadie, Rick and Sally.
The Lazy Vegetarian I had to throw this in there... most of you know that I'm a veggie, but in case you didn't here it is. The best blog for lazy veggies, like me. P.S. veggies save the planet BIG TIME!

If you were tagged, you can write about four fun facts in your next blog, and tag four more blogs that you would like to share.

Pincushion How-to with Leftover Fabrics

I made this pincushion for my Mom with leftover fabric scraps, leftover buttons, and recycled ribbon. It's a great little gift for a seamstress, and it's easy to make--with a few tips.

First, you can use three different fabrics, all the same fabric, or two, like I did. You need two pieces of square fabric five by five inches, or four by four inches. It's easier to work with more fabric than less, but if you're an experienced seanstress, by all means, make a smaller pillow.

Ingredients:

two 5" square fabric pieces (same or different fabric)
one 2" by 10 inch piece of fabric (or several pieces sewn together to make that length)
two yards of narrow ribbon
two buttons (matching, or not)
one large-eyed needle (like a doll-maker's needle)
poly-fil
sewing machine (of course)

This is the important bit: set out your 2 x 10 inch fabric below your 5 x 5 inch square. Mark a dot 1/4 inch in from each corner (evenly) of the square. Then, place your square above the MIDDLE of the 2 x 10 fabric. Now, make dots on the 2 x 10 inch fabric that correlate to the 5 x 5 inch fabric. This will be where the corners come together, so it's important to be accurate. Work from the inside out, matching dots, so that you end up with four matching dots on each side of the long piece. Now, snip into the fabric with sharp scissors from the fabric's edge up to the dot (but not beyond) so that it can create a neat corner.

Once you have your fabric marked, you're half-way there. Sew one square to the side piece making sure to line up your dots, and leave a 1/4 inch seam allowance (or more if you like; just be consistent). Then, sew the top piece to the die, leaving a one-inch opening to turn it inside out and fill it full of poly-fil. Sew closed with a needle and thread in a matching color.

Now, take your ribbon and thread it through your large-eyed needle. Punch it straight through the center of your cushion, and pull it through, leaving a tail of about three inches or so. Now, loop the ribbon up around one side, and send it through again. You'll do this four times. Leave another little tail at the other side of the pillow. Cut your tails down to on-half inch, and fold in half. Sew them to the center of the pillow. Now experiment with a button that will look cute. You can use two different ones, or two of the same. Sew on the button, and look what a cute little pin cushion you made!