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Meet Jill!



Photo by Jenny Evelyn Photography
Hi! I'm Jill Peed. I live in Forsyth with my husband Silas and two little boys, Si and Bo.  I am a Greener Grass graduate! Before Greener Grass, I was scared to death of my sewing machine, but now it brings me so much joy! I am excited to be teaching a class because I am a teacher at heart, and I hope I can help others find joy in sewing like I have found. 
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We are so glad to have Jill join our team! She'll be teaching Sewing 101 starting in February in Macon. Be on the lookout for her event page tomorrow on Facebook. In the meantime, you can show her lots of love in comments. :) We couldn't be happier to have her teach!

DIY Fabric Covered Notebooks

I have a great tutorial for you today! This project is a fun way to use beautiful fabric for those of you who don't sew and a great way for you sewers to use those scraps that you just can't bear to throw away. These fabric covered notebooks are easy and quick to create and make excellent gifts (How many days is it until Christmas?! *wide eyed emoji*



I'm a little obsessed with notebooks. I keep all of my notes and plans in one single notebook. I figure if I have that notebook and my planner, then all of my important information will be in one place. If you looked through that notebook, you might think that I'm a crazy person because it skips from design consultation measurements, to drawings of decorations for a birthday party, to fabric orders, to billing notes, to grocery lists… But for me it helps to know it's all in one place so I'm not constantly looking for little scraps of paper. I think most people have a use for a beautiful journal or notebook, so why not make one for them (or one (or 10) for yourself!).

Supplies:
  • Durable Cover Notebook
  • Fabric
  • HeatnBond Ultrahold (found at fabric stores)
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Iron

For this post, I'm using a spiral notebook and only covering a portion of the front. At the end of the post, you'll see pictures of the same process used on moleskin notebooks in case you'd rather do that. Both really turn out beautifully. Side note: just make sure that if your notebook has a design on it, like mine does here, to pick a fabric that is dark enough so that you won't be able to see through it. If the notebook is solid colored (like the moleskin) this won't matter. 

Ok, these instructions sound a little complicated but I promise it's not AT ALL. You can make these in about 10 minutes. Here we go!


1. Iron your fabric so it's nice and straight and a little easier to work with. 

2. Open up your HeatnBond Ultrahold and lay it on your work surface paper side UP.


3. Trace the cover of your notebook onto the paper side of the HeatnBond with your pencil. 


4. Cut the HeatnBond about two inches outside of the line that you just traced. DO NOT cut on the   line you just traced- cut a larger shape around that line. 


5. Following the directions on the package, iron the HeatnBond (I promise this is not an ad for HeatnBond. It's just really good stuff!) onto the BACK of your fabric. 


6. Now cut the fabric very close to the paper (so that the fabric is the same size). Then you can pull the paper backing away. Your entire piece of fabric should have a layer of plastic-y film on it. 


7. Now position your fabric on the front of your notebook (leaving about two inches hanging off around the sides). Next place your iron CAREFULLY in the middle of the notebook and heat the very center of the fabric until it stick to the front of the notebook. Try really hard not to heat the edges because they are hanging off the notebook and will glue themselves your ironing board!! 


8. When you have the front "tacked down" with the iron, turn your notebook over and fold one flap in and iron down.


9. I like to trim out the corners (see photo below) so that there's not a lot of excess fabric and then fold the other sides in and iron them down too. 


10. Finally I go back and iron the front and flaps again just to make sure they stick really well. Please be careful though, not to burn the paper. You are using an iron on cardboard so exercise caution! lol 


Here's one of the moleskin journals- With these, the only difference is that I didn't use the "flaps." I traced the journal on the the paper side of the HeatnBond and then cut about an inch around my traced shape. I ironed the whole thing to the journal while is was laying flat and then used sharp scissors to cut around the edges really carefully. The HeatnBond (Maybe I should be getting paid for this…) will keep the fabric from fraying, so you don't have to worry about the raw edge. 




There you have it! Beautiful fabric covered notebooks…Perfect for gift giving or for making your everyday organization a little bit happier! 







Store Opening!!

Hooray! My little shop is open!! Opening an online store has been in the works for what feels like a really long time, and I am so excited that we can finally swing the virtual doors open wide and invite you to come in and shop in the Greener Grass Handmade online store




This first line of spring products is full of things that I know you will love!  You'll find bow ties for little boys and coordinating hair bows for little girls, the BEST most snuggly baby blanket that you've ever seen, and of course our adorable teepees and all the matching accessories. Each one is handmade with the utmost care and quality using the cutest designer cotton fabrics; I am absolutely head over heals in love with them all.




The new shop is also making it easier than ever to order one of our custom teepees or purchase a gift for an upcoming baby shower or special event. Yay! We hope you enjoy browsing our through our products and having everything easily accessible in one place. As always, we'd love to hear from you if you're looking for a special custom piece. 

I love making beautiful things, and am grateful to you for being a such a supportive community of friends who are letting me live my dream! Y'all are the best. 

Now, go look around. I hope you find something you love!
Melissa

Fancy and Official- The New Greener Grass Handmade

Um. Y'all. 
I can't even.
I. CAN'T. EVEN.

I am so very excited to share the brand new Greener Grass Handmade website with you! Look around! Stay awhile! It's Ahhhhh-mazing. 

Greener Grass has changed and grown a lot over the last year and we wanted our site to be a better reflection of me and of this little handmade business that we love so much. We also wanted to make it more user friendly and informative for YOU! 



Here are a few new things we're excited about:


We have a new web address and landing page! I feel so fancy and official now because you can find us at www.greenergrasshandmade.com When you go to that address you'll find a link to the blog, a link to information and scheduling details about our upcoming sewing workshops, and a link to the shop. 

Which brings me to the next exciting change: A new Greener Grass Handmade shop is coming soon! We've loved selling a few things here and there on Facebook and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to sew handmade goods that end up in your home. In fact, I love it so much that we're opening a shop to make it easier for you to see all of our products at a glance and find something sweet for your little one. *Yay!* More info coming soon...

Lastly, we're starting a newsletter. If you're interested in upcoming classes, parties, workshops, sales, etc.  then sign up for our brand new Newsletter to have updates and information sent right to your inbox. We've been doing most of our updates via Facebook up until now, but because of some changes to their policies we think a lot of you are not seeing our information. (Boo.) Though we'll still have our Facebook page, signing up for the newsletter is the best way to stay in the loop! (By the way, this will only come about once a month…I pinky promise not to clutter up your inbox!) 



Our logo and website (and lots of fun branding and packaging products that you'll get to see soon!) was designed by the wonderful Heather of Life Made Lovely! She's probably my dream graphic designer and I was so pumped when we were able to get on her calendar. Not only is she amazingly talented and made everything look even better than I had imagined, she's also so sweet and patient! Bless her. 

Can I tell you that I am not a good decision maker? And can I also tell you that I am not a good communicator? But I need to also confess that I have really strong FEEEEELINGS about the way things look. 

Let's just say that I am pretty confident I am designer's nightmare. 

Heather was so wonderful, though. She was kind and always wanted to get everything just right. Just the way I wanted it. 

Heather, you are the best! Thank you for our beautiful design! 

And thank you guys for reading and for encouraging us along the way! 

Love,
mel

How To Decorate Your Christmas Tree Like a Pro: Tips from Roxie of The Southern Mercantile

Y'all! Today we have an awesome and timely guest post from my friend, Roxie. She is the creative genius behind The Shoppes at Fourth and Cherry AND the their new online store, The Southern Mercantile.

Before Thanksgiving, I shared pictures from the beautiful Christmas Open House at the Shoppes and today Roxie is sharing her secret for decorating all of those beautiful Christmas trees in her store. Decorating a Christmas tree can feel a little overwhelming, but whether you're working on a designer style tree with themed color coordinated ornaments or your hanging your kid's popsicle creations on your tree, I think these tips will help you to create a cohesive beautiful look for your tree this Christmas.

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Merry Christmas! I'm Roxie and I have owned a retail store for the past 11 years and Christmas, of course, is our booming time of year! We go all out! This year, my team of elves and I decorated 7 large trees for the store and countless table top trees. Over the years I feel I have perfected my tree decorating methods and wanted to share them with you! I like a Christmas tree to be very full and to have lots of layers. Whether your tree is fresh or faux, follow these simple steps and you’ll have your tree looking as fabulous as the ones you drool over in magazines!

Step 1: Lights 



My Dad (to whom we lovingly refer as "The Wizard") would tell you that this step is the most important one. He has a 10ft tall faux Frasier Fir that he puts over 1100 lights on every year. You have to put your sunglasses on just to enter his home through the front door. I am not as patient as he is, though I do believe you need a well-lit tree. If you have a pre-lit tree, then just plug in and you are ready to roll, unless of course some of your lights won’t come on! If you are putting your own lights on your tree then start at the bottom of the tree at the back and begin to work your way around. You also want to run the lights up and down the branches as you work your way around so that your tree has lights in the center as well as the outer branches. Remember you should have no more than 3 strands of lights connecting to each other. If you have a large tree you may need to run an extension cord up the center of the trunk to start a new strand of lights. If you end up with extra lights at the top of the tree you can run them down the center of the tree to help illuminate it from the inside out.




Step 2: The Topper 

Many would save the topper until last but I like to put it on before I do anything else. If you choose to use a classic simple topper then this will not take you long. If you like to have a bow at the top of your tree, it is good to put it on first so you can place the tails where you want them without having to worry about bumping your ornaments. I like to put unusual things in the tops of my trees. You will see from the sample pictures that the sky is the limit! From wooden reindeer to chandeliers, we are willing to try anything!
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If you choose something like a chandelier that lights up, you will need to run a separate extension cord up the middle of your tree to the top to plug the topper in. Do not plug this item in to your lights! If you choose to use a bird’s nest, or bird cage, wooden cut out, etc. you will need to affix it to the top of the tree with a little floral wire. If you will wrap the wire with floral tape first it will not damage or scrape your decorative items and will be easier to work with. Sometimes I also like to add large branches, or stems of berries in the top of the tree. These will usually secure themselves in the braches but if you have trouble, just grab your trusty floral wire. 

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Step 3: Garland 

If you are using any type garland or ribbon around the tree, now is the time to do it! You want to wrap the tree before you fill it with stems and ornaments. With paper or stiff garland you want to tuck it in at certain points to create a billowy effect. If you are using beaded or glass garland, you want to drape it loosely so it doesn’t look too tightly wound on the tree. 



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Step 4: Stems 

I love to add glittery stems or berries of some sort. I even love to add picks of pine and different greenery. You can see in the sample pictures that I added butterfly picks to the garden tree. This really adds some depth and interest to your tree and helps to create a nice full look. I usually have a higher concentration of picks at the top and then intersperse them through the tree all the way to the bottom.



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Step 5: Large Ornaments

I like to put on all the larger ornaments first. Be sure to work your way from the inside of the tree outward. You don’t want all of your ornaments dangling on the end of the branches and have emptiness in the middle. The larger ornaments are great for filling the spaces between the branches on the inside of the tree. Concentrate most of your large ornaments in the middle and the bottom of the tree. Sometimes they can be a little overwhelming at the top. 




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Step 6: Small Ornaments and Ornament Clips


Finish the tree by decking it out with the rest of your ornaments. If you have any ornaments that clip (i.e. flowers, birds, candles etc.) clip those on the outer tips of the braches very last. Don’t be afraid that you are using too many ornaments. It is my opinion that less is not more when it comes to your Christmas tree! 


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Step 7: Tree Skirt

Last but not least, add the tree skirt. If you have a premade tree skirt that you love, go for it. If not, don’t be afraid to use an old quilt or yardage of fabric that matches your décor. I have even used table cloths before! Just find something that really goes with the personality of your tree and your room.


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I hope this little tutorial was helpful! Try out these tips and post your pics to The Southern Mercantile Facebook page. We’d love to see your handiwork!https://www.facebook.com/thesouthernmercantile

If you like some of the items you have seen in the pictures, head on over to the store page and treat yourself to some new Christmas Décor! http://www.southernmercantile.com/store/c7/Seasonal.html

-Roxie

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