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Summer Sewing anyone?

buttons

I’ve been spending a lot of time reorganizing my craft room lately, and I’ve come to the conclusion I have way too much stuff. So, I’m destashing some of my supplies. Today I listed four different fabrics that all would be cute for summer, picnic or, if you’re in the USA, July 4th decor.

Let me know if you have any questions, are looking for a particular vintage quilting cotton, or need buttons. I have a lot of quilting cotton, but it’s nothing compared to my button stash. I’ll get them all listed eventually, but if you don’t see what you need, please ask. I just may have it. Especially if it’s buttons. Seriously. I have ALL. THE. BUTTONS.

buttons

That’s just the vintage, multicolor loose buttons, so maybe 1/4 of my button collection. 😀

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How to Prewash Your Fabric for Beautiful Sewing

pile of cloth

In order to have high quality finished products, it’s best to prewash your fabric. Without this step, your finished product can shrink and look uneven or lumpy when it is eventually washed. It’s not a good idea to just toss your fabric into the wash, though, as it comes out a stringy, tangled mess. Luckily, there’s a few different ways to make prewashing your fabric painless.

Overlock the cut edges

If you have a serger or overlock machine, serge the cut edges before washing. You shouldn’t have to worry about the selvedges as they won’t unravel. This is my favorite method. I usually just leave the thread tails long and they don’t unravel enough to be annoying.

close up photo of sewing machine
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Use your Sewing Machine

With a sewing machine, you can sew a quick zig-zag or similar stitch along the cut edges to prevent fraying. Even a straight stitch would probably work, although I haven’t tried it. You will probably need to back-tack or knot the ends to keep it secure through the wash.

Pink the edges for a painless prewash

If you have pinking shears, cut the fabric with the pinking shears along the cut edges. The edges will still get fuzzy, but shouldn’t unravel.

pile of cloth for prewash
Photo by Digital Buggu on Pexels.com

One bonus of using one of these methods is it’s easy to know at a glance which fabric from my stash was prewashed.

I know probably 90% of the people reading this are thinking “Duh!” because it’s such an obvious fix. The other 10% are wondering why they didn’t think of that, much like myself when I first learned the trick.

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New Aromatherapy Wax Melts in the Shop

fresh fruit orange beside porcelain mug

This is just a quick post to let you know about the new aromatherapy wax melt scents available at SubEarthan Cottage. I now offer Lemon Mint, Lavender Rosemary, Patchouli Orange and Lavender essential oil soy wax melts. I also still have Pumpkin Lavender and Frankincense and Myrrh fragrance oil scented soy wax melts for those who love those scents year round. 

fresh fruit orange beside porcelain mug
Photo by Ena Marinkovic on Pexels.com
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Quick Summer Refashion Video Inspiration

spool of purple thread near needle thimble and measuring tape

I’ve been working on some summer sewing and refashions lately. Here’s a quick video showing a few of them. The first is a backless halter top made with quilting cotton and ribbon. The second refashion is a halter tube top with a matching loose kimono/beach coverup. They were made from an old maxi dress that wasn’t getting much love. The beach coverup is my favorite. I love how it turned out, especially the print.

I hope you find these inspiring for your own projects. If you like these kinds of videos, follow me on TikTok. I also post on Instagram and YouTube. I tend to prefer the length options on TikTok, so that’s where most of my complete videos are located.

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It’s my Birthday! Here’s a Coupon and Cake for You!

happy birthday card beside flower thread box and macaroons
Photo by George Dolgikh on Pexels.com

It’s my birthday on Saturday (yes, April Fool’s, I know, lol). If you use coupon code April2023 you’ll get 20% off your entire order at SubEarthan Cottage. Valid on regular and sale-priced items through April 3, 2023.

And, since birthday’s are weird without cake, here’s my favorite allergen-friendly chocolate cake recipe.

Chocolate Cake

This is a simple chocolate cake recipe that is super easy. It is dairy-free, egg-free, and if you swap the wheat flour for a gluten-free flour blend, it's gluten-free, too! To make it gluten free, I like Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free blend because it already contains xanthan gum. If you use a different gluten-free flour without xanthan gum, I would add about 1-1.5 teaspoons of xanthan gum.
To top, make a simple buttercream (with shortening and non-dairy milk to keep it non-dairy) or use your favorite store bought frosting. You could also sprinkle the warm cake with dairy-free chocolate chips, let them melt a little, then spread across the top for a rich, chocolaty treat.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: 9 x 13, cake, chocolate, dairy free, easy, egg free, gluten free, one bowl, simple
Servings: 29 2×2 inch servings

Equipment

  • 9 x 13 rectangle pan

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Flour see recipe summary for gluten-free adjustment
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar white or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil any light flavored liquid vegetable oil is fine
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Grease the 9 x 13 inch pan, either with shortening, butter, or cooking spray
  • Combine the first five (dry) ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until evenly blended. Alternatively, sift them together into the bowl.
  • Add the remaining (wet) ingredients and mix until thoroughly blended. You can use a spoon or an electric mixer.
  • Pour the batter into the greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
  • Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.

Notes

I frosted this cake with buttercream tinted blue, then used gel food coloring to paint the faces. I then piped buttercream for the eyes, facial features, outlines, writing and trim. I clearly am not a trained cake decorator, so I can’t really say which tips I used or any other details.

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Shop Small Saturday

Thank you from SubEarthan Cottage on Shop Small Saturday and Every Day!

I generally try to avoid anything that seems gimmicky. The whole Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, Cyber Monday all seem crafted to make people feel like they must buy all the things NOW. Being a small business owner, though, I wanted to address the “Shop Small” thing.

All those cute memes you see about small business owners doing a happy dance with every purchase, the care that goes into creating and packaging a product just for you, and the direct impact your purchase has on an individual or family? They’re all true, for me at least, and for the other small business owners I know. I celebrate each and every sale. I make sure to package every order with care and a handwritten thank-you. Every sale goes towards helping my family directly.

That’s not to say that big business are bad or don’t help their employees or don’t appreciate our business. Not at all. I’d be lying if I said the big blue Amazon truck never stopped at my house or I never shop at Walmart. They absolutely have their place, too. But, if today or any other day throughout the year you are able to make a purchase from a small business, know that we thank you for your support and are celebrating. Probably with a happy dance, although I refuse to post video evidence.

If you’re not in a position to make a purchase from a small business or what they offer just doesn’t fit your needs, there are other ways to offer support. Sharing their information with others that might like what they have to offer is one way. Letting them know what you like about their products is another.

Spread the Love

If you are a small business owner or know of an awesome one, please leave a comment with the shop’s info so that I and my readers can check them out, whether it’s Shop Small Saturday or some random Tuesday. Artists and authors are welcome, too. I would love to have a list of small business to refer to and to share with my friends and family.

Thank you from SubEarthan Cottage on Shop Small Saturday and Every Day!
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New Snowman Embroidery design

I added a new Snowman Circle machine embroidery design to my shop. I love how it turned out!

Here’s a clip of it being stitched out:

Find my other embroidery design files here: https://subearthancottage.com/product-category/embroidery-files-and-freebies

I’ve been busy working on some new projects lately, but I hope to have a longer tutorial post soon. 🙂