A maker's scrapbook · since the 1990s

Stitches, Beads & Bobbins

I'm a mom who has been working my way around every aisle of the craft store for decades. These days I'm expanding my crafting skills and passing down the love of crafts to my daughters.

Explore my craft history See what's on the machine

10crafts tried, from latch hook to linen pants

4eras of making, the '90s to today

11of 11 projects finished in Sewing Machine Basics

2home textile projects up next

01 — Craft history

Every aisle of the craft store, one era at a time

Tap any photo to see it up close.

Early childhood

THE 90s

Lots of fun crafting, as my childhood had no smartphones or tablets

Latch hook pillows & rugs

I remember trips to Joann Fabrics to pick out a new latch hook kit. Each one came with all the little pre-cut strings and a dyed canvas to follow. Dive in with the tool, grab the yarn, make a loop, pull it tight. Over and over until a picture appeared.

Latch hook pillow with a blue and green hummingbird on a bright yellow background, edged in blue fabric, on a wooden chair — A hummingbird pillow, still around after all these years

Tools: latch hook · printed canvas · pre-cut yarn

Pony bead animals

As a child of the 90s, pony bead lizards were all the rage. But I didn't stop at lizards. I made snakes, cupcakes, bears, bunnies, and every other animal you can think of. My mom saved them all and recently brought them up in a bag so I could share the fun with my 6-year-old daughter. There were so many! I clearly wanted to turn everything into a beaded keychain buddy.

Pony bead keychains: a red parrot, a green and yellow lizard, a rainbow centipede, a white ghost and a green and black ball — A parrot, a lizard, a rainbow centipede and a ghost

More pony bead animals: a red lizard, Santa, a yellow duck, a blue dragonfly with sparkly wings, a turtle, a brown bear and a pink and white bunny — Santa, a duck, a dragonfly, a bear and a bunny

Tools: pony beads · lacing cord · keyrings

Perler bead creations

Arranging tiny plastic beads on shaped pegboards, then ironing them to fuse together. Endless possibilities. I asked for every shaped board there was, plus the big squares for free-form designs. I made animals and objects, bead stands to display them on, light switch covers, and pieces to hang in the windows.

Three Perler bead Christmas ornaments with pipe cleaner hangers: a JOY sign and two snowmen — Christmas ornaments: JOY and two snowmen

Red and white striped Perler bead candy cane ornament with a red pipe cleaner hanger — A candy cane ornament

A black Perler bead dog with a blue collar and a round blue and green yin yang — A black dog with a blue collar, and a yin yang

Ten Perler bead figures standing on fused bead stands: a palm tree, a teddy bear, an octopus, a giraffe, a dog, a calico cat, a crocodile, a butterfly, a horse and a ship — A whole zoo, each on a stand I made from beads

Perler bead light switch cover showing blue water, green seaweed and yellow sand — An underwater light switch cover

Perler bead light switch cover with a white crescent moon and yellow stars on a deep blue night sky, installed on a wall — A starry night switch cover, still on the wall

Tools: fuse beads · pegboards · iron & ironing paper

Passed down

Woven potholders

Stretching colorful loops across a little square loom, weaving over and under, then finishing the edge to pull it off in one piece. Last Christmas I gave my daughter her own potholder kit, and we wove them together. My mom even brought the potholders I made as a kid so I could show her.

Ten woven loop potholders in bright colors laid out below a pink square loom — The whole stack my mom saved, with the loom

Two faded potholders from my childhood beside a bright new one on a purple loom — Then & now: my childhood potholders beside a new one

Two new woven loop potholders: one in bright rainbow colors, one in coral and cream stripes with a hanging loop — The new generation: two we made together

Hot pink and cream loops being woven on a square loom — Weaving together at the kitchen table

Tools: square potholder loom · cotton loops · weaving hook

High school

HOME EC CLASS

My first quilt and pillowcase, both still with me

Still have it

My first quilt

In my high school home economics class, I made my first and only quilt. I still have it today. Looking back, it was an early sign of the sewing I'd come back to years later, and the strip piecing in my pumpkin placemat and the jelly roll rug I'm sewing now are part of the same family.

Full patchwork quilt of bright squares in purple, pink, teal, lime, coral and rainbow prints with a purple binding, laid on a wood floor — The whole quilt: rows of bright squares with a purple binding

Close-up of the quilt squares with navy yarn ties at each corner — Up close: tied with navy yarn at every corner

How it's made: simple square patchwork · tied with yarn · purple binding

Still have it

Lion pillowcase

In the same home ec class, I sewed this pillowcase from a bold lion and leopard-print fabric, finished with a brown cuff. I still have it too.

Pillowcase in a lion head and leopard print fabric with a solid brown cuff, laid on a wood floor — Lions, leopard spots and a brown cuff

Paint by number, the first time

Sometime in the 2000s, long before my current kits, I painted this celestial scene: a sun with a face, a crescent moon, swirling galaxies, a ringed planet and a rainbow shooting star, all against a pink-to-navy sky. I signed it with my initials in the corner.

Bright paint-by-number of a sun with a face and a crescent moon inside a gold ring, with clouds, stars, a galaxy swirl, a ringed planet and a rainbow shooting star, signed EM — Sun, crescent moon and stars, signed "EM" · 2000s

Tools: fine brushes · numbered paint pots

In my 20s

THE EARLY 2010s

A first sewing machine, two beginner books and a lot of yarn

Cross stitch

I stitched a flower canvas and entered it in the state fair. What I love most, though, is making Christmas ornaments. One year I made a whole batch and gave them to friends and family.

Cross-stitched penguin splashing in a green and blue pool ring, in a small black hoop on mustard fabric — A splashing penguin ornament in a mini hoop

Cross-stitched yellow duckling wearing headphones with blue music notes, in a small black hoop — A duckling with headphones

Cross-stitched prancing reindeer with branching antlers, a red rosy nose and a red saddle blanket with a white star, in a small dark green hoop ornament — A prancing reindeer ornament in a green hoop

Cross-stitched JOY ornament in a red mini hoop hanging on a lit Christmas tree, with green block letters between red, yellow and green borders, signed EM — A JOY ornament I found again, signed "EM" and back on the tree

Tools: aida cloth · embroidery floss · hoop

Learning to sew

I decided I wanted to really learn to sew on my own, with my own machine. So I bought my first one and two beginner books that walked through each project step by step: First Time Sewing: The Absolute Beginner's Guide by the editors of Creative Publishing International, and Sewing Machine Basics by Jane Bolsover. I worked through most of them, then subscribed to the Sew-What-Box, a monthly kit with fabric and YouTube tutorials. I made aprons, skirts, PJ pants, and more.

Where it started

White and blue Brother XL-2600i sewing machine with a spool of white thread and a hand-labeled LENGTH dial — My first machine: a Brother XL-2600i, with my own LENGTH label on the dial

Aprons

Lemon-print apron pieces cut out on a bed beside a package of green bias tape — Lemon apron, cut out with green bias tape

Finished full-length lemon-print apron with green binding and a curved pocket, worn in the kitchen — Finished, with a curved pocket

Gray and yellow floral half apron with black pockets and yellow rickrack, laid flat — Floral half apron with rickrack

The floral half apron worn, with a wooden spoon tucked in one pocket — Gathered waist, spoon-ready pockets

Tops, skirts & pants

Dusty pink V-neck top with a white ginkgo leaf print, worn — Ginkgo print V-neck top

Gray herringbone A-line skirt with an elastic waist, laid flat — Gray herringbone skirt with an elastic waist

Gray and black buffalo plaid flannel pajama pants with a drawstring — Buffalo plaid flannel PJ pants

Natural linen pants with a green drawstring, laid flat — Linen pants with a green drawstring

Close-up of the linen pants showing curved front pockets and green waistband facing — Detail: curved pockets & green facing

Bags, gifts & little useful things

Black polka dot and gray floral zippered wristlet with a matching strap — Polka dot wristlet

Navy fabric notebook cover with polka dot and star panels, lace trim and a wooden button — Notebook cover with lace & a wooden button

Pink tote bag printed with black birds and leaves — Folk bird tote

Curved fabric basket in a purple daisy print with a Handmade label — Daisy fabric basket

Navy floral heating pad with three channels and a black strap — Heating pad with a strap

Gray pine tree print organizer with pockets hanging over a sofa arm — Pine tree armrest caddy

Small orange keychain wallet with a flap and a matching wrist strap — Keychain wallet

Zippered pouch in a snowman print with a red and green polka dot top band and a pleated front — Pleated snowman zipper pouch

Red and black buffalo plaid microwave bowl cozy — Buffalo plaid bowl cozy

Headphone and music note print cord organizer with a zipper pocket and elastic bands holding charging cables — Cord roll with a zipper pocket

Pink and charcoal heart-shaped pot holder with a hanging loop — Pink heart pot holder

Black ribbed knit strips, a zipper and white elastic laid out on a table with sewing clips — Hidden-zipper scrunchie: the pieces

Finished black ribbed scrunchie held in a hand, zipper pull just visible — Finished, with a secret pocket

The black scrunchie worn on a wrist — Wrist-ready

For the home & holidays

Small dining table set with a cream leaf-pattern tablecloth, green placemats and folded napkins — Tablecloth, placemats & napkins

Watercolor floral throw pillow on a gray armchair — Watercolor floral pillow

Gray fleece baby blanket printed with colorful owls, bound in pink satin, draped over a white crib — Owl baby blanket with satin binding

My baby sitting on the owl blanket on the floor, face blurred — Put to good use by my daughter

Sewn fabric Christmas ornament with red and green folded petals and a red button center, hanging on a tree — Sewn Christmas ornament with a button center

Garland of red, pink and white felt hearts stitched together, hanging across a mantel — Felt heart garland for Valentine's Day

Learned from: First Time Sewing · Sewing Machine Basics · the Sew-What-Box

Knitting & crochet

I started with the classics on needles: hats and scarves. Then I discovered loom knitting, which helped my consistency and gauge. I made hats and scarves until I had far too many! A favorite was crocheting little snowmen as Christmas decorations.

Hats, scarves & cowls

Chunky cream yarn being knit on large wooden needles — Chunky cream rib on needles

Black and white marled scarf still on a green rectangular knitting loom — Marled scarf on the long loom

Finished black and white chunky cowl being worn — The finished black & white cowl

Textured teal scarf laid flat on a rug — Textured teal scarf, laid flat

The teal scarf joined into a loop as an infinity scarf — Joined into an infinity scarf

Rainbow variegated yarn hat — Rainbow hat

Fuzzy pink, white and mint green hat — Fuzzy pink & mint hat

Pink ribbed loom-knit hat with a rolled brim and a pom-pom — Pink pom-pom hat

Oatmeal tweed ribbed hat with a rolled brim — Oatmeal tweed hat

Teal crocheted hot pad with tassels at each corner, under a saucepan — Teal hot pad with corner tassels

Green knitted three-leaf shamrock — Knit shamrock

A child with curly hair knitting pink yarn on an orange round loom — The next generation on a round loom

Matching hat & cowl sets

Me smiling in a chunky teal knit hat and matching cowl — Teal set, modeled

Chunky teal yarn in progress on a blue round knitting loom — The teal set, still on the round loom

Me smiling in a red ribbed knit hat and matching infinity cowl — Red set, modeled

Red knit infinity cowl and ribbed hat laid flat — Red hat & cowl, laid flat

My daughter bundled in a pink snowsuit wearing a red knit hat and scarf, face blurred — A mini red set for my daughter's snowy stroller ride

Navy pom-pom hat beside a matching navy infinity cowl — Navy pom-pom hat & cowl

Looms & flowers

Three knitting looms: a long orange one, a green one and a round blue one — My knitting looms: long, short and round

Wreath of loom-made yarn flowers in pastel pink, yellow, blue and lavender on a gold hoop — Pastel loom-flower wreath on a gold hoop

Crocheted white daisy with a yellow center — Crochet daisy

Round crocheted flower in yellow with scalloped light blue petals — Blue and yellow crochet flower

Two scalloped crochet coasters in red and cream, each the reverse colors of the other — A pair of red and cream coasters, colors swapped

Crochet snowmen, start to finish

Crocheted white snowman body with a red scarf, no face or hat yet — Body & scarf

Crocheted snowman wearing a black top hat, ends still loose — Adding the top hat

Finished crocheted snowman with a face, buttons, fringed red scarf and holly on his hat — Finished, with holly on his hat

Tools: needles · knitting looms · crochet hook

Today

BACK AT THE TABLE

Paint by number with a podcast on, and sewing round two

Adult paint by number

I've come back to paint by number with Michael's adult kits, and the spaces get very small! I like painting for about 20 minutes with a podcast on. My first finished piece is a mountain scene. My second is a cute Halloween dog with a pumpkin, split across four mini canvases, and the two right-hand canvases are now fully painted.

Oval mountain paint-by-number canvas, sky and peaks painted and the valley still numbered, beside the reference picture, ten numbered paint pots and an oval frame — Before: sky and peaks done, valley still numbered

Finished mountain painting in purple, pink and gold, set in a cream oval frame — After: finished and framed

Paint-by-number kit box showing a dog in a raincoat beside a jack-o'-lantern, split across four small canvases — Now painting: the Halloween dog, a set of 4 mini canvases

Four small numbered canvases laid together, with the dog's dark ear painted on one — Started: one ear down

Four small paint-by-number canvases laid together on a wood table; the two on the right are fully painted, showing the scruffy dog in a dark rain hat and raincoat against a misty fall background, while the two on the left still show numbered outlines — Mid-November: two canvases of four finished, hat to paws

Nov 11 · Finishing the second canvas

"I wish this only took 45 seconds in real life"

Come along while I finish a section: so many tiny spots on his leg and foot! I usually paint with a podcast on, but honestly I find this so relaxing on its own. By the end, two squares are done and two are left to go.

Tools: fine brushes · numbered paint pots

Sewing, round two

I recently brought my sewing machine back out and started making TikTok videos documenting my work. I'm so excited to keep building my skills.

Fall patchwork pumpkin placemat · October 2026

The whole make in about a minute

Ten fall fabrics, from gingham to tiny florals in rust, peach and mustard, cut into strips, sewn together, pressed, and trimmed into a pumpkin with a green stem. Then I added a backing, turned it right side out, pressed it again, and topstitched it into a finished placemat.

Pattern and project from the Sew-What-Box, the monthly kit I first learned with in my 20s.

Strips of fall print fabrics in orange, peach and cream laid out in a row — Picking the strip order

Trimming the sewn strip set on a cutting mat — Trimming the strip set

Me sewing the strips together at my sewing machine — At the machine

Finished patchwork pumpkin top with a green polka dot stem on a cutting mat — The pumpkin top, ready for backing

Finished patchwork pumpkin placemat with a green polka dot stem — The finished placemat

New tools

New white Brother XM2701 sewing machine with a light blue panel and purple floral design — Brand new: my Brother XM2701, arrived October 2026

White serger threaded with four cream thread cones — My serger, threaded with four cones

On the table: a brand-new Brother XM2701, taking over from my long-time Brother XL2600 · a serger · a bodkin for elastic

Follow along on TikTok · @elisefay1

02 — Featured projectProject 11 of 11 in Sewing Machine BasicsFinished · Nov 8

Long blouse with gathers, tucks & buttons

This is the eleventh and final project in Sewing Machine Basics by Jane Bolsover, a book I started in my 20s where each project teaches a new skill. Finishing it closed a loop that had been open for a while. It brought together several techniques at once:

Gathers
Tucks
Set-in sleeves
Buttons & buttonholes

The hardest part: I ripped out the first sleeve three times. Crisp cotton doesn't ease into an armhole without a fight, but the fourth try went in smooth. Last came the buttons and buttonholes, and now the blouse is done.

TucksRounded collarPoofy sleeves with elastic wristsButtons & buttonholes

The collar, from pattern piece to pressed

Poofy sleeves and elastic wrists

Oct 12 · Collar & sleeves

Cutting out the rounded white collar pieces on a cutting mat — Cutting the collar

Sewing the collar pieces together at the machine — Stitching the collar

Sleeve cap pattern piece with marked dots on the cutting mat — Matching the sleeve cap dots

Sleeve clipped into the armhole with rainbow sewing clips — Sleeve clipped into the armhole

Threading elastic through the wrist casing of the sleeve — Threading the wrist elastic with a bodkin

Oct 17 · Coming together

Pressing a crisp fold along the front edge — Pressing the front edge

The white blouse laid flat with rounded collar and rows of vertical tucks — Collar on, tucks in a row

Trying on the long white blouse in the mirror, showing tucks and gathered cuffs — First try-on in the mirror

Nov 8 · Finished

The finished blouse: started years ago, done at last

Me smiling in the finished long white blouse, showing the rounded collar, white buttons down the front, rows of tucks and gathered elastic cuffs — Finished: collar, tucks and buttons down the front

The back of the finished white blouse, with a rounded collar, a panel of vertical tucks that release into soft pleats, and puffed sleeves — The back: tucks that open into soft pleats

Watch the progress videos on my TikTok: @elisefay1

On the machine

What I'm making right now

A rug, a garland, and a blazer waiting on fabric swatches.

Now sewing

My first jelly roll rug · Day 1

Day 1 · November 14

The first project from my Learning next list is underway. I picked an Amethyst Garden jelly roll because I love all the shades of purple.

Day one was all about joining. I drew a line on every strip so each seam is accurate (eyeballing it would not end well), sewed them end to end, pressed the seams open, and ended up with one long strip of every piece.

Strips joined end to endSeams pressed openWrap batting & stitch the tube

Also on the go

Loom-knit bow tie garland

Red, green and white knit cord bows linked into a garland on a wood table, beside skeins of white, red and green yarn, a purple spool knitter and two lengths of unfinished red and white cord — Five bows linked so far, with more cord on the way

A Christmas garland of linked bows. I knit long cords in red, green and white on a little purple spool loom, then tie each length into a bow and loop it through the last one.

First five bows linkedKnit more red & white cord

Tools: spool knitter · red, green & white yarn

Up next

A blazer

With the blouse done, my next project is a blazer, sewn from Simplicity pattern 1421. Before I buy the full yardage, I ordered two navy wool swatches from Mood Fabrics to compare in person and pick the one that works best.

Swatch No. 1

Italian Midnight Navy Creped Wool Double Cloth

Swatch No. 2

Single Wool Crepe, Navy · Premium Collection

Pattern picked: Simplicity 1421Swatches orderedSwatches arrive & pick a fabric

03 — Learning next

What I'm learning next

Home textiles

BEYOND CLOTHING

With fast fashion, there are already way too many clothes in the world. Next I want to put my sewing skills toward textile projects for the home.

1Simple curtain panelsLong straight seams and double-fold hems
2Rag rug from old clothesA project to share with my daughter

Rugs

BACK TO WHERE IT STARTED

My first craft was latch hook rugs from Joann Fabrics. This time I'd like to make one for a real room.

Rag rug from old clothes

This one fits my reason for moving away from clothes: it turns worn-out t-shirts and fabric scraps into something useful. There are many ways to make one. Two fit me best:

Fabric twine spiral: twist strips into twine, then zigzag it into a spiral mat on the machine
Braided t-shirt rug: no sewing at all, so my daughter can help braid

9 ways to make a rag rug 7 rag rugs from old clothes

Curtains

BIG FABRIC, STRAIGHT SEAMS

I've already sewn a tablecloth, placemats, napkins and a throw pillow, so curtains are the natural next step up.

Simple curtain panels

Unlined panels with double-fold hems all around, hung with ring clips. No pattern is needed. The work is mostly measuring, cutting straight, and pressing.

The fabric math

Width: 1½ to 3 times the rod length, about double
Panels: divide that by 50" (usable width of 54" fabric)
Length: rod to floor + 8" for hems, + 5–10" for shrinkage
Yards: length × panels ÷ 36, rounded up

Example: 107" × 2 panels = 214" ÷ 36 ≈ 6 yards

Steps

Prewash and iron the fabric
Cut panels to rod-to-floor + 8"
Double-fold the sides (¼" then ½") and topstitch
Double-fold the top (½" then 2") and topstitch
Hang with ring clips, mark the floor length, then hem the bottom

Next level: add lining for light blocking, or a rod pocket header

Simple curtain tutorial Hey Let's Make Stuff curtains

Open seat at the craft table

Craft with me

Want to knit, sew, bead or paint together? Tell me a little about you, the crafts you like, and when you're free, and I'll reach out to plan something.

Takes about a minute. Your details come only to me.