The Cottage Mama Blog - Sewing. Cooking. Crafting.

Sep

Sew Basics: Prepping Fabric

This past Saturday I found myself with a little time to myself while out running an errand and I decided to pop into my local thrift store to see if I could find any treasure. And sure enough, $8.00 later, I had struck gold (well for someone who loves sewing!). So here's what I found...... I found a set of vintage floral sheets (set included a flat sheet and two standard pillowcases), a couple embroidery hoops (you can never have enough of those), and three large pieces of fabric. One of the fabrics was 1.5 yards of a linen/cotton blend that was sold for … continue reading

Aug

Fabric Giveaway From Me to You

I don't do a whole lot of giveaways here on The Cottage Home. So, today I'm changing it up a bit and I've got a little giveaway from me to you. It's not much, but just a little token of my appreciation to all of The Cottage Home loyal readers. I love your emails, your comments, and you seriously make blogging such an amazing experience for me.So, enough with the touchy-feely stuff and onto the giveaway. Today you have a choice of two 5 yard fabric bundles. You can choose from these two fabric lines Art Gallery "Sugar" or David Walker "Robots". If you are the … continue reading

Aug

Change Up Bag Lunches with Tortilla Roll-ups

My Mom always did a great job packing our lunches while we were in school. And yes, I was one of those kids whose Mom packed their lunch up until their very last day of high school - thanks Mom! As most kids do, I went through phases of liking certain things more than others. Only wanting turkey sandwiches with nothing but turkey and bread (how boring!) and loving peanut butter and jelly (minus the jelly). But I always got excited when my Mom would change it up a bit with something new and Tortilla Roll-ups were definitely a pleasant surprise. Now while I … continue reading

Aug

Sew Basics: Applique

Applique is a great way to add detail to your favorite sewing project. I define applique as a piece of fabric sewn on top of another piece of fabric (though some might consider embroidered patches as applique as well). You can add applique to quilts, shirts, blankets, onesies, bibs, burp clothes and the list goes on and on. Applique is very simple and is a great project for the beginning sewer. Here are the supplies needed for basic applique: Double-Sided Fusible Interfacing (such as Wonder-Under or Steam-A-Seam Lite - these are the two I … continue reading

Aug

DIY Laminated Alphabet Flashcards

My 2.5 year old daughter, Savannah, is really into her alphabet lately. She loves to sing the ABC song and can identify most of her letters (I'll take credit for the song, but I really think Sesame Street has helped her along her way with the letters). I thought I would take advantage of this little ABC phase she is going through and make her some fun little flashcards.Jill from Homemade by Jill posted these adorable Alphabet cards on her blog as a free printable. When I saw this post pop up in my reader, I knew I must do something for Savannah with these cutie … continue reading

Aug

The Cottage Mama’s Favorites: Sewing Books

Sewing books and cook books - two of my most favorite things! It might sound totally dorky, but give me a glass of red wine and a good sewing book to dive into and you've got my idea of a great evening! I will never have too many nor ever get tired of looking at either of these genres of books. They are so incredibly inspiring and constantly compel me to create.Luckily for me, my local library does a great job of keeping up with the newest book releases in sewing and crafting. Sometimes it might take me a few weeks to get my hands on a new release (or a few … continue reading

Aug

The Cottage Mama Studio

I find seeing others creative spaces to be so inspiring, don't you? It's neat to take a peak into someone else's world. Not everyone is able to have a craft room or studio, but it doesn't have to be much, even an armoire or closet that is all your own can do the trick.Lately, I have been very busy with my handmade children's clothing business, The Cottage Mama. I am preparing to launch my fall line as well as a few new items that I think will round-out The Cottage Mama. I feel so blessed to have my own little corner of the cottage and I thought you might like … continue reading

Aug

White Pizza from the Cottage Garden

The tomatoes in our garden have finally started to ripen (yipee!) - it seems like they have taken forever this year! Last night we had three medium-large fresh tomatoes and a bunch of basil ready to use up, so what did I make? White pizza! Basically white pizza is defined as pizza without tomato sauce. Sometimes you will find the tomato sauce substituted with an alfredo sauce or pesto sauce or just with no sauce at all. So here is my easy, white pizza recipe and I have to admit, this was so good. Best to make this recipe when tomatoes are truly in season - it … continue reading

Aug

Gathered Camera Strap Cover Tutorial

First off, I just have to say thank you! Your emails and comments in regards to my camera strap cover "show and tell" post were amazing. I absolutely love hearing from you guys. And because so many of you asked for it, here is a tutorial on how to make your very own, Gathered Camera Strap Cover. Make one for yourself, for a friend, or make multiple to coordinate with every outfit, or how about one for each season or holiday......shoot, the options are endless! Gathered Camera Strap Cover Tutorial Supplies: Two coordinating fabrics (1 for main body and … continue reading

Aug

Maple Pecan Coleslaw

So the title of this recipe may not sound 100% appealing to all of you; however this is one of my favorite coleslaw recipes of all time. Even if you don't like coleslaw, I think you will find this one to be a winner. The following recipe is my adaptation of a Nigella Lawson coleslaw recipe. It's the perfect mix of sweet and savory. A superb accompaniment along-side some smokey barbecue ribs or try it on top of a pulled pork sandwich - deeeeelish!!Maple Pecan ColeslawServes 8-12Ingredients:1 medium-size head of cabbage4 carrots3 stalks celery 6 green onions1.5 … continue reading