CSS Favorites: Borders

I'm back today with another project featuring the Favorites collection from Clear and Simple Stamps!  Today they are focusing on the new border dies and stripes set.

Now for a story....
2 weeks ago I was getting ready to meet Dave in Boston for dinner (Ruth's Chris Steak House...yum!) and felt like I needed a bracelet to go with my outfit.  Using the eyelet die, some pleather scraps, grey fabric, my sewing machine, and some sew-on snaps I was able to whip one up...in only about 20 minutes!

Here are the steps (I wish I took pics along the way, but I was in a rush!):

• Die cut the pleather.  At first I was upset that the center circles of the die didn't cut all the way through, but when I looked at it again, I thought it was really cool! Also, the piece ended up being the PERFECT length to fit around my wrist!
• Cut a rectangle of grey fabric a little more than twice as wide as I wanted the finished bracelet, and slightly longer.
• Fold the grey fabric in half, lining up the long edges.  Sew along this edge to create a tube, then turn inside out.
• Fold in the two short sides at either end of the tube, then top-stitch closed.
• Here's the fun part! Lay the leather die cut over the bracelet, and top-stitch back and forth over the whole thing with imprecise, wiggly stitches.  
• The longest part of the whole process was sewing the snaps, about 10 minutes.  That's because I had to hand-sew them

You can see that the bracelet is a little wiggly and uneven on the top and bottom- that's because my tube wasn't perfect.  I didn't pin or measure anything as I went along, because I didn't want to be late for dinner!  If I were to do this project again, I'd probably take a few extra minutes to get it perfect!

Dave was nice enough to take some pictures of me having fun at the Boston Common in my new accessory :)

 I couldn't stop there, so I made a card inspired by the bracelet when I got home!

CSS and Laura are also posting today.  I have my fingers crossed that Laura made something amazing (plaid maybe?) with the stripes.  Either way, it's sure to be awesome- make sure to check them both out!

CSS Cardstock- A Blanc Check	CSS Cardstock Kraft Like a Rockstar	CSS I Steel Got It Cardstock	CSS Cardstock - Perfect Little Black Dress
CSS Critter Sentiments	CSS Alpha Shadow	CSS Ink- Perfect Little Black Dress	CSS Border Eyelet Die
Studio Calico Mister Huey's Color Mist, Clay

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My Utility Belt (tools I use often!)

Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer (12")	Martha Stewart Scoring Board, Mini	ATG Kit, Advanced Tape Glider	3-D Foam Squares, Mixed
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue, .88 oz	Honey Bee Non Stick Scissors	Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper Tool	EK Success Powder Tool

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