FYI: Guest Posting for Once Upon a Thread

Katy is doing it again: it's Once Upon a Thread, chapter four! I love following this series because of the amount of creativity it inspires. It's even better participating because it gives me the chance to stitch together so many things I love. You can see what I did this time right here.

P.S. I'm still trying to get in touch with two WINNERS. Are you one of them? Please see my earlier post...

Giveaway Winners: Birch Organic Fabric Potholders and So Pretty! Felt Book

Sorry for the delay in announcing winners for two giveaways: Birch Organic Fabric potholders (sewn by me) and the So Pretty! Felt book by Amy Palanjian. Did you think I forgot? The truth is these past months have been a little sloooow motion in terms of blogginess. I'm hoping I get a break in the real life action soon (though real life is pretty great) so I can get back to some projects. But in the meantime, how about some winners?!

Click  to read more.

FYI: Butterfly Applique Gift Bag Tutorial for Tip Junkie

 

Do you love the fashion trend of photo realistic prints on fabric? I think they are great! while I haven't sewn anything yet with one, I did buy some photo realistic butterfly fabric a few months ago and just used it for an applique fabric gift bag for Tip Junkie.

 

I think these little muslin bags turned out so beautifully! Using a new product called "Phoomph" I was also able to make a few of the butterflies three dimensional. I think they look like they've just touched down for a minute.

 

Making this gift bag requires no sewing or ironing (though I added a few stitches for the 3D butterfly...) so it's really quick and easy to use. A great no-sew project if you don't sew yourself, or if you're looking for something to do with your kids!

 

You can find the full tutorial (and printable instructions) here.

Recipe: Garlicky Green Bean, Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad

It's the time of year when I seem to pick up locally grown corn-on-the-cob every time I go grocery shopping. The kids love it and it is easy! Perfect side for a large gathering too. I usually boil it on the stove with nothing added, and I often have some leftover. So, I decided to use the leftover corn off-the-cob in this salad.

This is one of my favorite combinations: crunchy green beans, sweet corn and tart tomatoes. Just what I want to be eating when it's summer. It would be really good with some fresh avocado too. Or maybe feta. I'll have to experiment some more...

I tossed it in a garlicky lemon dressing with a bit of basil and I think it is my go-to salad for the summer! It would be great next to grilled steak or chicken. I would also like to try it as a pasta salad, or served in romaine leaves. Pretty versatile. We ate it tonight and it elevated low-effort hot dog dinner to something that seemed a bit more premeditated. Nice.

Would it work for you? Click through for the recipe.