Silverlinings Originals

Photography Light Box DIY I posted on a few of my social medias my DIY Light Box that I made.  I had a lot of interest on how to make it and was asked to make a tutorial.  I thought about a YouTube video tutorial, but I am "video shy".  LOL So I took pics on how to make it instead.  It's easier to print as well if you wanted.  Please contact me if you have any questions. What you need: Three foam boards size 20 x 30 x 3/16 inches 1-2 Poster boards Rulers Wax paper or tissue paper Pencil, pen or marker Clear tape Masking tape or duct tape Razor blade Measure up 20 inches and make a line across.  (You don't have to measure 20 inches. You can measure as high as you like to make it as tall as you like.) I chose 20 inches.  Cut the board at the line you made. Do step 1 and 2 for the other foam board as well. This will be the sides of the box. Cut your 3rd board to be 22 inches wide (or wider if you like) and 20 inc...

How to Clean a Filthy Iron!! This is what my iron looked like after many interfacing needed projects. When it was time to iron garments, there was no way I was putting this on the fabric! I decided to go to the store and see what I could find to clean the iron instead of buying a new one. I found this in the household section of Walmart for less than 2 bucks.  I know there are a lot of people out there that try to find alternatives to cleaning in homes without using chemicals. But they way I see it, if my grandma did these things and she living past 91 it won't kill me either! LOL I grabbed an old white washcloth that no one uses. One capsule is all you need to clean the iron one time. Make sure you dump all the water out of your iron so the steam is not in use. Rub the iron over and over the spot. Even getting the sides of the iron that you have no idea how cakes on guck gets on the edges. You can wipe the excess off on other corners of th...

Girl's Weekend Getaway Bag The Weekend Duffel So I decided to step away from making garments and try my hand at making a bag.  I didn't want to make just any type of hand bag, but some thing that would be useful on my weekend trips.  When it gets warm again this bag will be used regularly!!  I bought the Weekend Duffel class from Craftsy.com over the Christmas Holiday when they were having a sale.  I finally got to dig in. There was a crazy amount of template measurements cut out of poster board.  I used the long bag measurements which were 23¼" x 10¼" x 8¼".  If I was going to make the regular size bag the measurements would be 19¼" x 10 ¼" x 8 ¼". The fabric I used was purchased from Fabric.com .   The main fabric is ( HERE ) ,   The accent fabric is (HERE)   and the lining is (HERE) . I also purchased fusible fleece and interfacing from Joann Fabrics.    I bought all the fabric in 2 yards to leave ...

New Year Sewing Budget So again, I really didn't plan on having any resolutions because I would have a hard time keeping them.  I know last year a lot of people participated in the Sewing Diet in which they did not buy any unnecessary RTW (ready to wear) clothing and either sewed or upcycled their clothing. That challenge didn't do much for me because I only shop about a few times a year and not for expensive things.  I have some jeans, shirts, sweaters and scrubs that I have been wearing for 6+ years and still look good and in style.  What I did notice last year is that I spent lots of $$$$$$$ on fabric and tools of the trade.  Like any hobby it can get a little pricey just with fabric alone!!  Now in my defense for last year, I spent a lot of money basically for start up.  Having to buy a new reliable sewing machine that can grow with me as I hone my sewing skills can break the bank itself let alone buy all the supplies that you need. (Pa...

This post is about my little splurge on buying lots of classes that I bought from Craftsy.com. Now to find the time to sew all the projects that I bought! I am a visual learner. Not to say that I can't read patterns and come out with something that is ready to wear. Just sometimes I need to see it done with my own eyes. Maybe even rewind it a few times until I get the concept.  I also can say....if I'm going to spend good money on good fabric, I want to sew along with someone and get it right so it doesn't end up in a bag that I have of sewing projects that have met their True Death!! (Paying homage to a once great show True Blood) Now the Sewing with Knits class was the first class on my wish list to buy. Yes, I have sewn with knits before and have had good and bad expirences with it. So...I figured buying this class may help me with things I haven't learned by trial and error yet. I bought Making Leather Bags with the hope that I c...