Too Cute Tuesday: Little Dresses For Africa

November 28, 2010 Nicole Ouellette

Every Tuesday it’s a craft, a cocktail and friends. Love being crafty? Join us on Facebook or check out our archives, like our ‘recycle’ crafts.

You know it’s been a busy week when you are writing a Tuesday blog post on a weekend!

This week though, we did craft on Tuesday following the suggestion of TCTer Meg to make dresses out of pillowcases as part of the Little Dresses for Africa program.

Sam and Dorrie were back to craft and Sue and Dan were also excited to sew. It was nice to have a crowd of people and dogs again!

Even with us having to hand sew, the crafting only took us an hour. And for five dresses we can send to Africa, that’s a pretty productive way to spend a social fall evening.

A fun craft for a good cause? We’re totally there.

Materials:
Pillow case
Scissors
Needle and thread (sewing machine would have been way faster)
Ribbon and/or Elastic

Cocktail of the Night: Moscat wine from the grocery store whose bottle I accidentally got rid of before writing down the name

1. Take pillow cases and fold down the middle lengthwise. Cut the arm holes 2-4 inches down from the top.

2. Fold the top down to where the sleeves start. Sew the bottom down to create a little pocket to thread the ribbon through.

3. Put ribbon through. Tie. Try it on if you are bold like Dorrie.

And if these instructions are too vague, there are two patters on this site: http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/

Too Cute Tuesday: Popcorn Balls

October 20, 2010 Nicole Ouellette

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Too Cute Tuesday

Too Cute Tuesday is a weekly event involving a craft, a cocktail, and friends. To get crafty, check out the Too Cute Tuesday archives, follow Too Cute Tuesday on Facebook, or contact Nicole about crafting (we have a chapter in Saint Louis for example– wohoo!).

Jessica demonstrates the ease at which popcorn balls are created. Remember, pink sprinkles make everything more fun.

With Halloween coming up, I’ve been having cravings for Halloween-y things, among them popcorn balls which my mom sends me every year. This year, upon getting my care package, I thought, “Hey, I can make that!”

Materials
A huge bowl of popcorn
1/4 c. corn syrup
1 tbsp cold water
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1 c. marshmellows
wax paper
extra butter for hand sculpting
pink sprinkles, optional

(This recipe, basically halved: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-ever-popcorn-balls/)

Cocktail of the Night: Il Bastardo red wine, because as Jessica says, “It has antioxidants”

1. After a conversation with sometimes Too Cute Tuesdayer Jessica over the weekend, decide to incorporate a clothing swap into the night’s craft, which happens to be popcorn balls.

2. See that Too Cute Tuesday Saint Louis has already found a rockin popcorn ball recipe.

3. Clean out closet, resolving to get rid of at least 25 articles of clothing. Get rid of more, cleaning is fun!

4. Open wine, have Jessica arrive at Craft Central. Where is everyone? Oh well, here’s us starting…

The final products, and in the corner this week’s impulse purchase of People magazine. A good night indeed since it also involved a Snuggie.

5. Melt syrup, water, sugar, butter and marshmallows over medium heat.

6. Once melted, stir into popcorn, coating all kernels. Cover hands in butter, because it’s fun, and shape into balls. Wrap in waxed paper. “It needs something.” Jessica says. Add pink sprinkles because “Why not?” Jessica is a pretty quotable crafter!

7. Drink more red wine (antioxidants!) and try on each other’s crazy clothes. Jessica loves Nicole’s leopard print snuggie and Nicole love’s Jessica’s ridiculous tank top. Everyone goes home with a few new things and the rest will go to charity later this week.

Seriously, these popcorn balls are fan-tastic. Seriously, way better than I expected. And so easy!

Aren’t we crafty, and just a bit silly?

Marketing Monday: Weardrobe.com

April 5, 2010 Nicole Ouellette

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Marketing Monday

On Mondays, I explore individuals, companies, and websites that are using the internet in cool new ways. If you have an idea, contact me. I love feedback/inspiration!

A few weeks ago, my friend Annie posted this video, a girl who has written her own rap about H & M, a discount clothing store. (I’d embed the video if I could but do click the link. This gal is impressive!)

They sure don’t make 12 year olds like they used to. How cool that this girl expresses herself on her own Vimeo channel!

I started looking through her other videos when I found an interview Tavi G did with Rich at Weardrobe.com.

Weardrobe.com is not just what you wear but how you wear it. Real people submit photos of their outfits for voting on the site. The winner every month (the photo with the most ‘hearts’) wins a gift card. On the site are also blogs about style.

Also, they are very interested in promoting the work of other bloggers even off of their own website. They have a huge blogroll (list of links) and interviews with fashion/style bloggers.

You can connect to Weardrobe with the usual social media methods. Enthusiastic supporters can even display badges. on their sites (Want to make people want to link back to you? Give them something pretty like a badge to put on their website!)

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Too Cute Tuesday: Batik T-shirts

August 5, 2009 Nicole Ouellette

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Too Cute Tuesday

What do you get when you mix tea dying with wax? Apparently batik.

Dorrie did some batik-ing back in her elementary days. “We made purses.” she said.

“What did the boys make?” I asked, since I am always that difficult friend.

“Man purses.” she said. After a pause, “Well, they gave it to their moms or whatever!”

Had those poor boys known that can batik any fabric they want, we may have more enthusiastic male fabric printers in this world. You know, or not.

This is what happens when you tell batiking girls to look cute mid-soak.

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Too Cute Tuesday: No Sew Bag Reprise

July 28, 2009 Nicole Ouellette

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Too Cute Tuesday

Sam used some cool fabric she got at a yard sale, and now for a few dollars, has yet another method to hold onto Spaz. This week is another special Too Cute Tuesday. Both Sarah and Sue has visiting mothers who joined us in the fun. Kristy, who is Sarah’s replacement at her job, also came and hopefully will be a regular.

Tonight is Sarah’s last Tuesday, but we do hope she’ll Skype with us from Saint Louis! We thought a good note to go out on was a craft that Dorrie and I only did a long time ago, back when Too Cute Tuesday was gradually becoming a group event.

Materials:
Fabric
Interface (iron on stuff that makes fabric stiff)
Iron
Scissors
Staples
Duct tape
Ribbon (go thick), for strap material (optional, you can also use additional fabric for this)

Cocktail of the Night: Box o White Wine (at $2.67 a quart, it is certainly economical!)

If you need actual directions, here is the original link.

1. Buy the box of wine at the grocery store. Have an exchange with your usual check out guy about being a classy lady. Stop at your local fabric store and buy facing/interface. Drop supplies off at Craft Central.

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Too Cute Tuesday: Embroidery with Tattoo Your Towels

January 6, 2009 Nicole Ouellette

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Too Cute Tuesday

I started TCT on Monday, thinking this project may take a little longer then one night. Then life threw a wrench in my plans.

It's been a busy week (and will only get busier) so I decided to rely on a kit I've been meaning to use for awhile.

Materials
Fabric, in my case four identical squares to serve as napkins one day
Tattoo Your Towels kit from Sublime stitching (less then $4 on their website)
Embroidery floss (raid your old friendship bracelet kit, or I found a pack of 104 colors for less then $10 online)
Needle
Iron
Embroidery hoop (optional)

Cocktail of the Day: Whiskey and Hot Chocolate, my winter standby

1. Cut your fabric into equal squares. (A napkin set with a different design in matching colors on each one? what a cute gift!) Hint: A full size dinner napkin is 20". Oddly some people can't sleep at night when they ask themselves these burning questions. Think that some people are weird. Have the thought that you are probably weird too.

2. Plug in iron and put on hottest setting. Heat up hot chocolate while iron heats.

3. Cut out the design you want from your kit and position on fabric (I put mine near a corner so you can see it when the napkin is folded). Iron (do not use steam!). Move iron gently so as not to move around the design.

4. Lift paper gently. See how cute the transfer is. Get excited.

5. Cue up "Lipstick Jungle" on Hulu.com and get out your embroidering supplies. You are going to have a relaxing evening of embroidery followed by blogging.

6. When your computer dies, stress out. Kick yourself for not blogging earlier. Call mom to calm you down. Realize your new computer is only coming in on Thursday. Panic some more.

7. Decide this is the universe's way of telling you to relax. Hook up your headset to your cell phone and call a friend.

8. Put fabric in embroidery hoop. If you aren't using one, just be careful not to sew two sides of your fabric together. Follow the lines of the transfer using a straight stitch, periodically switching colors. (Tip: Since this is a napkin, keep your stitching in the back as clean as it is on the front.)

8a.Talk to friend on phone. Talk and laugh and realize not blogging for a couple days is not a big deal and that you can post during your lunch break.

9. Sip hot chocolate when embroidery is mostly done. Realize the combination of whiskey and talking to friends and family have completely relaxed you. Too Cute Tuesday on Monday can be fun!

Image: Do you see the little birdy? He's almost done… A photo of the finished product will be posted soon!

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