closet crafter

Ruffly Birthday Party!! Part One

2011-09-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Pay no attention to the child's arm on the right of this photo as she is trying her darndest to get into this picture. We just celebrated our youngest's first birthday. We had a great time. I thought I would share some of the fun things that we did. Everything we did was on a tiny little budget, and was really easy. I thought they turned out super cute (not to toot my own horn or anything, I got a lot of my ideas from other people.)

Invitation:
Here is our invitation for the party. I know the saying makes it seem like we should have decorated with a balloon theme, but I thought the string globes could pull it off. Whether they did or not, I don't think people really cared since we had food. For the invitation I created the words, banner and little swirls on photoshop, glued on scrapbook paper air balloon pieces, and then sewed the invitation to a scrap of burlap. I think it would have been cute on printed fabric too, but the burlap was super cheap.

Decor:
Next I spent my time working on the decorations. There is a great tutorial outlining how to make these string globes here. The tablecloth was a little more intense than I thought it would be. I estimated that it would be a good afternoon nap or two worth of time, but it ended up taking me a good week's work of afternoon naps and some work at night to finish it. I did alter it so that there were three narrow ruffles instead of the two larger ones on this ruffled tablecloth tutorial, so if you stick with the original instructions it probably won't take nearly as long. I used the ruffled crepe paper tutorial here. They were quick, cheap and easy. I think if I make them again though, I would buy a gathering foot, since keeping my machine on such a tight setting made me feel like I was abusing it.

Sustenance:
What's a party without food right? We served sweets and italian sodas for this party. I wish I would have gotten a closer shot of the cake. Oh, the things you forget when you have a bunch of people over at your house! We made a mini ruffle cake for the birthday girl, and a double layer cake for the party goers. We made a mini banner to go across the larger cake. We got the directions for the ruffle cake off of this awesome video here. It was so easy and it looked really cute.
We also served the oreo truffles from Bakerella . Those are awesome because they can be made about a week in advance. We just dipped them in colored vanilla bark.
Macarons were the trial dessert of the event. I had never made them, and some of the blog posts about them made them seem outright terrifying, but I found this site with a video that I followed to the letter and they turned out great. The filling is awesome, totally worth the extra work. I froze one batch of macaron shells for about a month and filled them the day before, and they still came out great.

I got the italian soda idea from this post . It seemed like something fun, especially in the heat of summer and everyone seemed to really like it. I got this frame from Hobby Lobby for $10 on clearance, it was 24x36 and a rockin' deal! I wanted to make a sign like we used to see at an ice cream shop we liked to go to before we moved. I primed a large piece of cardboard and sketched the italian soda picture with pencil. I then painted the color in with artist acrylics (I'm not sure if the quality would have really mattered.) Lastly, I outlined it and wrote in the ingredients with a Sharpie. I wish I would have used a thicker marker, but that was all that I had on hand. The Sharpie didn't take very well with the primer and I went through two markers.

All in all, things went really well. My two splurges were the table cloth ($15) and the picture frame ($10). I have a tutorial of a great way to use up an empty picture frame coming up soon too!

2011-08-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a little while since I last posted. Life has been slightly busy with going out of town for a few months, having a new little one arrive, getting a new job and relocating. I just didn't have time to post and keep up with the day to day. But I was still crafting and am currently crafting and hope to share a lot of fun new things soon. I understand if you don't forgive me.

Free Printable August 2010 Calendar

2010-08-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Well, this is going to sound really pathetic, but I am just barely looking into getting a 2010 calendar. I had been using a combination of my computer calendar and a mini dayplanner, but I just think I need something I can hang on the wall and there is no ignoring it. I went looking for a calendar this week, and let me tell you it is slim pickin's out there!! I have something against spending $10 when half of the months are already over (isn't that some form of highway robbery??), so I decided to spend hours creating a fun one to print out instead. Sometimes I wonder about my thought processes, anyway I thought I would share just in case someone else out there in the world needed a calendar and also didn't want to spend superfluously. I will work on September-December and post those soon. To download a full sized version go here.

car seat canopy with peek-a-boo tutorial

2010-07-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

Only one more month left before our sweet little baby will be here. I've been super busy trying to get all of the little projects done before life gets even crazier. I have been wanting to make a car seat canopy for a long time, I think it is because I am extra paranoid about taking a little baby out into the world after working at a hospital for many years. People think I'm crazy, but I'm okay with that. Anyway, I think the canopies, tents, whatever you would prefer to call them are an awesome idea to keep whatever it is you want away from your new little one: bugs, the sun, others. And I based mine on this tutorial, but I wanted to make it with a little peek-a-boo so that I could open or close the cover as much I wanted. I couldn't find a tutorial that gave measurements for that type of alteration, so I thought I would write a post just in case there are others out there who would like to make one too. Hope it helps:)

As with all tutorials on my blog, this is for at home use only, so please play nice.

What you need:
1 1/8 yd. lightweight fabric
1 1/8 yd. coordinating lightweight fabric
a little extra fabric or ribbon for handle straps
60" of coordinating ribbon for peek-a-boo closures
velcro

*All seams are 1/4" unless otherwise specified.

These fabric requirements are based on my Chicco car seat, you may want to measure your car seat first to make sure that the cover will be all that you desire and more. My finished cover was about 43" L x33" W. The length running from the front to the rear of the carseat. Also in fair warning, I am over estimating the amount of ribbon for the peek-a-boo closures. Personally I only used about 30", but the ties are much shorter than I would have liked. I was in a very anti-go-to-the-store mood, so I just used what I had on hand. Probably will regret my laziness later, but oh well. With that said...

Cut out your pieces:
Cut out one 35 1/2"x 26 1/2" piece and two 17 1/2"x18" pieces from both yards of fabric. Also cut two 5x9" pieces for the handle straps (I cut four so it could be reversible). You know, so I could coordinate the cover with whatever I am wearing that day, since I am that put together. Right.

Sew on peek-a-boo flaps:
Lay one 35 1/2"x26 1/2" piece of fabric down in front of you right-side up, so the 35 1/2" length is going from left to right. Pin one 18"x17 1/2" piece of the same fabric starting at the bottom left corner of the larger fabric piece. See diagram for details. Sew starting at bottom left corner toward center stopping about 1/4" from center.

Attach second 18"x 17 1/2" piece to opposite end likewise. There should be about 1/4" overlap at the center. Begin sewing from bottom right corner toward the center, again stopping 1/4" from center. Press.

Sew coordinating fabric pieces together in the same fashion.

Attach ribbons for closure:
Really you can use whatever you would like for closures, I'm sure buttons or snaps would work great too. I just had the ribbon on-hand, and I think ribbon is especially cute for little girl things. Anyway, Place ribbon as shown below down the center of both fabric flaps as desired, be careful to align both sides the best you can. Pin in place.

Sew together front and back pieces:
Place coordinating fabric over your fabric with attached ribbons. Sew around all edges, leaving about 3-4" open for turning.

Create rounded edges:
If you would like the edges of your canopy rounded, take a bowl from your kitchen and place at each corner marking the rounded edge. Sew around each corner. You can do this before sewing the pieces front to back, but I think it is easier to keep everything in place if you do it after. Turn cover right-side out and press. Top-stitch around all sides. I actually sewed around it twice just for fun, once closely around the edge and again about 1/4" inch from the edge.

Make straps:
To make straps, place the 5"x9" squares of fabric right-side down if front of you. Bring each edge toward the center 1/2" and press into place. Finally, fold the piece in half width-wise and press. Top stitch around all sides. Test out where you want to place your velcro using your car seat handle. Sew on velcro where desired.

Attach straps to cover:
The final and perhaps most tricky step is to attach straps to the cover. I just measured my car seat and pinned them in place, then I tried it out to see if that was really where I wanted them. When I was happy, I sewed them in place going around it a few times to ensure they were very secure.

Embellish as desired:
Of course, if you would like you can embellish your handiwork a little. I thought mine could use a little festiveness so I just added some fabric flowers.

I feel a little like I have mommy-brain right now, so if there is something I forgot to include or that doesn't make sense leave a comment and I will try my best to clarify. Thanks for stopping by:)

asphalt pie

2010-06-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Whenever we are on the west coast, we like to get this little piece of heaven at Winger's. We love to get this dessert, it is super yummy. That is why I wasn't surprised when my husband requested we have it on Father's Day, and since he was considered King of the Day, I was happy to oblige. It is a fast and easy to make, and everywhere we have take it we have had requests for the recipe. Just be careful because it can be terribly addicting. I just had another piece about an hour ago, and I think it may be calling my name for a second. Don't worry, I just had a little first piece that way I can justify a much larger second piece, right?

Asphalt Pie
1 (18oz) pkg Oreo cookies

1/4 c butter, melted

1 c hot fudge topping

2 qt mint chocolate chip ice cream

1. Crush half of the cookies (about 20) to crumbs. Combine crumbs with melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9" spring-form pan or pie plate. Stand remaining cookies around edge of pan. Spread 3/4c. fudge over crust. Freeze 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, soften ice cream in microwave or on counter top. After crust has chilled, spread softened ice cream over fudge layer, freeze until firm (4hrs-overnight).

To serve, garnish with more hot fudge, whipped topping and cherries.

Cupcake Box Tutorial

2010-06-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a cupcake? I had a friend who liked cupcakes because she didn't have to share, they come individually packaged. Well, whatever your reason may be cupcakes rock!! If you are looking for a fun way to give them to a friend, here is a quick tutorial on the making of a cupcake box. This box will house four lovely cupcakes rather comfortably. Just make sure to use a reasonably heavy paper, something equivalent to the thickness of card stock should work great.

All of the instructions are in the document below, but I thought I would include a picture of attaching the bottom portion to the top as I thought it might be a little confusing. Let me know if you have any questions.

Cupcake Box Tutorial

edgy toddler top tutorial

2010-06-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

My little Sweetie was short on cute tops for summer so I used some scraps from past projects to put this little one together. It was fast and easy, so I decided to put together a little tutorial for ya'll. Wish my little model were up from her nap, I would take a picture with her wearing it, you get the free store hanger instead!

For this project you will need:
   W L
Main Front:    15" x 10 1/2" piece
Main Back:      15" x 8 1/2" piece
Collar Fabric: 15" x 3" pieces(x 2)
Bottom Back:   15" x 3" piece
Bottom Front:   15" x 5" piece

Tie:                  2" x 45" piece (or 2 x the width of your fabric)
Coordinating Bias Tape (about 28")
Matching Thread

My finished shirt ended up being about a 2T. Just keep in mind that I mentioned the width and length above the piece sizes just in case you are working with a directional fabric.

All seams are 1/2" unless otherwise specified.
This pattern is purely for home use only. Please do not take this and make or sell a pattern of it.

Cut out fabric pieces:
Cut out your fabric pieces as indicated above. You should have one of each piece, except for the collar fabric where you should have two pieces.

Create front piece's bottom edge:
This is the trickiest part of the tutorial, and please keep in mind I am not a professional pattern maker. I would definitely brag about it if I was, but sadly I'm not.

Step One:
Hope the glare in this photo doesn't blind ya! I am a mother by day and a crafter by night, so my pics aren't the greatest. Anyway, I about 2" from the bottom edge of the 15" x 10 1/2" cut into the fabric 1/2", cutting out a 1/2" x 2" rectangle of fabric on both sides.

Step Two:
Measure 14 1/2" from the bottom left corner of fabric (starting at your newly made edge), mark fabric lightly on bottom edge. Line up ruler from top corner of newly made left rectangle to the marking, as seen in the photo below. Cut along this line.

Step Three:

Do likewise to the other side by lining ruler up at the top corner of newly made right triangle to the same marking. Cut along this line, giving you a nice corner. Your fabric piece should now look like the photo below.

Step Four:

This part is to make the bottom edging for the front of the shirt. Place 5 x 15" bottom piece of fabric right-side down in front of you. Place front main piece of fabric right-side down on top of bottom fabric piece, so the right and left edges overlap about 1/2". Please see picture for details. Use a fabric pencil (or if your me a regular pencil) and trace along the bottom edge of the front fabric piece.

Step Five:

Make a second line 1/2" above the initial line to create a 1/2" seam line.

Step Six:

Create a third line three inches from top edge, as shown in the picture. Please don't mind the glare from the light, just as I am not a professional pattern maker, I am also not a professional photographer.

Sew together front main and front bottom pieces:

Place main fabric right-side up in front of you. Place bottom piece right-side down, lining up top edge of right side of bottom piece with the right side bottom edge of main fabric piece as shown in photo. Pin in place. Sew from right edge to center.

Starting at center (where you left off stitching) pin bottom and main fabric pieces together making your way to the left edges. Sew seam. Clip corner of bottom fabric at center point as pictured to allow fabric to lay flat. Press.

Sew together back main and back bottom pieces:

Place back main fabric piece right-side before you, place back bottom piece wrong-side up on top of main piece. Line up top of bottom piece with bottom of main piece. Pin and sew.

Sew together main and collar pieces:

Place front main fabric piece in front of you right-side up. Place front collar fabric piece on top of main piece wrong-side up. Pin and sew. Do the same with back main and back collar pieces. Press both sides.

Iron in casing:

Place front main fabric piece wrong-side up in front of you. Fold top edge down 1/2" and press. Then maintaining previous fold, bring folded edge down again 3/4" fold. This should create a small casing. Do not sew casing yet. Do likewise to back main fabric piece.

Create arm holes:

Place front main fabric piece wrong-side up in front of you, keeping casing fold in place. I used a large mat with a ruler for this part, but you could figure it out without one. Place a cd 5" from the top of the folded casing edge and 1 1/2" from left side raw edge, as shown in the picture. Place a ruler 1 1/2" from left raw edge. Using a pencil trace (beginning at top folded edge) along ruler until you meet the curve of the CD, at that point follow the CD to left raw edge. Do the same on right side of front main fabric, and also on left and right sides of back main fabric. Cut along line.

Sew on bias tape:

Unfold casing. Pin on bias tape, and sew on around each armhole. When you are finished your pieces should look like the picture below.

Sew in casing:

Refold casing, press again if needed. Sew seam 3/4" from top fold making sure to catch fabric, creating a 3/4" casing. Sew in both front and back piece casings.

Sew together front and back pieces:

Place main front piece in front of you right-side up. Place main back piece on top of main piece wrong-side up. Starting at the bottom of either sides arm hole, pin down to bottom edge. Sew 1/2" seam. Do the same for the opposite side.

Hem bottom edge:

Fold bottom edge up 1/2", press. Open fold and bring raw edge to center of fold, creating a 1/4" seam. Press, pin and sew.

Create tie:

Fold the 2 x 45" fabric piece in half lengthwise, press. Open fold, bring raw edges to newly created fold, press. Refold and press again. This should yield a 1/2" tube of fabric. Sew a seam to close tube. I didn't finish the ends since I was planning on knotting them. If you would rather have ties on both shoulders, you will probably need two 2 x 45" fabric pieces.

Feed tie through casing:

Starting on the side you would like your bow to be, feed tie through the front casing. When you reach the opposite end, feed tie through back casing so tie ends ends up on the side your bow will be. Adjust as desired, knot the tie ends, and tie a bow. Yay, all done!

I hope this tutorial is clear, please feel free to leave any questions or comments below.

my golly dollies!!

2010-06-01T05:38:00.000-07:00

With another one on the way, I really wanted my little girl to have a baby of her own, but she was afraid of the plastic ones from the store. If I tried to get her to play with one, she would go put it in a corner somewhere. So I decided to make her a dolly out of fabric that she could snuggle with it instead. I found a etsy shop online called emmis cottage that had adorable plush dolls. I wish I could have afforded to by the real deal, but maybe later. They are so adorable. She has a ton of different styles to choose from, and offers custom orders.

My version, not quite as cute but what can you say I'm a rookie:

raggy blanket, burp rags and taggy block tutorial

2010-05-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, vacations over so I guess it's time for that promised tutorial. None of these ideas are new, but I thought it may be helpful to have a all inclusive set of instructions to make this fun baby gift. Sometimes I think the hardest part is figuring out how much material to get, I much prefer the putting everything together part! For this project you will be making 1 Rag blanket, 3 burp rags and 1 taggy block.

For this project I used:

1/3 yd of 5 coordinating fabrics (you should have 1 1/3 yds total)

1 1/3 yds fabric for backing

1 pkg. crib sized cotton quilt batting (enough to cut 49, 5" squares)

1/3 yd terry cloth

Scraps of ribbon

Scrap of heat n' bond

stuffing for taggy block

You can use fewer than 5 fabrics for the front, but I wanted to be sure I didn't have any of the same fabrics adjacent to one another. Be sure to cut out fabric as I will show below to ensure you have enough fabrics for all of the projects.

Cutting your fabric:

Five coordinating front fabrics: From four of the five 1/3 yd fabric pieces cut out a total of ten 6" squares. You will only need nine 6"inch squares from the fifth 1/3 yd fabric piece. From 3 fabrics cut a 7/12" piece for burp rags. From all five fabrics cut a 5" square piece for taggy block.

Fabric for backing: Cut 49, 6" squares from backing material. Also cut one 5" square for taggy block.

Cotton quilt batting: Cut 49, 5" squares for blanket.

Terry Cloth: Cut 3, 12x7" pieces, for burp rag.

Whew, what a work out! When you are all done, your lovely stack of stuff should look like this:

Blanket

Assemble quilt squares:

Next place one 6" backing square wrong-side up in front of you. Carefully place 5" batting piece centered on backing piece, you will have about a half inch of backing poking out of all sides. Next, place a 6" front fabric square right side up directly on top of batting piece. Continue until all of your 49 squares are assembled.

Sew your x's:

Next, sew a diagonal line starting about a half inch from the corner down to about a half inch away from the opposite corner. Sew a second line down opposite ends, leaving you with hopefully a perfect x. You are welcome to measure for exactness, but my patience only let me go as far as to eyeball it and I was still happy with my results.

Sew your squares together:

This part trips me up every time I make one of these blankets. To make that cute little scraggly seam, you will need to sew each square wrong-sides together. Place first square wrong-side up before you, place second square right-side up directly on top. Pin in place, sew a 1/2" seam down side. Sew squares together until you have 7 strips with 7 squares in each strip. Be sure to sew squares in an order that won't have any of the same fabric fabrics touching. I laid out all of my squares on the floor and moved them around until I was happy with were I had placed each of them.

Sew strips together:

After you have conquered sewing your blocks into strips. Place one strip before you wrong-side up and lay the adjacent strip directly on top right-side up, pin in place. Sew 1/2" seam down entire side. Continue with remaining strips until you have a pretty blanket.

Completing the deal:

To finish the outer edge on this blanket, I sewed a 1/2" seam around the perimeter. Next, using the point of your scissors, clip within 1/8" of the the seamline, continue along raw edges clipping about every 1/4"-1/2". Pop in a good movie for this part, it can take a while. I just clipped a few squares every time I got a minute throughout the day. Wash blanket to encourage raggedness.

Taggy Block

For the taggy block feel free to use your imagination for decorating each side. I only added something special to two sides and left the other sides to do their own magic.

Heart square

For one side I appliqued a heart using the scrap of heat n' bond and a scrap of the backing fabric. I used a simple zig zag stitch to reinforce it.

Ruffle square:

For the other side, I added a small ruffle. To make ruffle take a 3"x12" strip of scrap fabric (it doesn't have to be that specific dimension, just kind of close). Fold over long edge toward middle about 1/2", press. Repeat on opposite side. Next, bring raw edge toward fold, press. Repeat on opposite side. This should give you a 1/4" hem on both sides. Sew seam down edge.

Place strip down on desired 5" square. Ruffle as desired. Sew seam down center of ruffle to hold in place.

Assembling block:

Getting started:

Once you have all your blocks ready for assembly. Start by placing one 5" square right-side up before you. pin on ribbon if desired. I folded my ribbon over creating a loop to avoid having raw edges that may ravel. Just place folded ribbon so raw edges of ribbon line up with the raw edge of your square. Your ribbon should be perpendicular to the squares raw edge. (If you would rather not loop your ribbon, you can always use heat to melt a raw ribbon edge, but I wasn't sure if it would hold if a baby sucked on it too much.) Place second square right-side down on top of first square and ribbon. Pin in place on one side. Sew a 1/2" seam down side, open and press flat.

Make circle:

Continue sewing blocks together until you have a strip of 4 blocks. Sew first and last blocks together to form a circle of blocks, see photo for better description.

Top it off:

Sew on top square. Finish by sewing bottom square on leaving about 3" open on one side to pull square right-sides out, and to stuff.

Finish it up:

Stuff block with desired stuffing. Hand stitch opening shut. Yeah!

Burp Rags:

These are fairly self explanatory, but I took a picture just for kicks.

Place 7x12" piece of fabric and matching piece of terry cloth right-sides together, pin in place. Sew a 1/4" seam around perimeter leaving about a 3" opening. Turn burp cloth right sides out. Press so opening edges are nicely tucked inside burp cloth. Sew a finishing seam around perimeter of burp cloth.These take about 5 minutes to make, yeah for quick projects.

This baby gift is so fun to put together! If you have any questions about anything, please leave a comment and I will try my best to describe it better.

yay!! i'm on vacation:)

2010-05-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I have been on vacay and will be for another week. I am super excited to post a new tutorial I have been working on when I get back. Hope everyone is having a nice May!!

dirty diaper baggy holder tutorial

2010-04-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Through experience, I have discovered that diaper changes don't always happen at the most convenient times or places. I have also discovered the usefulness of having a bag to stick that dirty little gem in until I get home. Lets face it, I just don't like having to smell it. When I was making diaper clutches for a few friends having babies, I thought it might be handy to have a matching pouch to put some of those helpful dirty diaper baggies.

I made pouches using the scraps I had left over from the diaper clutch, and it only took me about 15 minutes total to cut it out and sew it together. Yes folks, it's just that easy!! Anyway these little cuties hold about 20 of the bags I found at the dollar store, and I think they are kind of adorable. I actually feel kind of bad that they are being used to hold something like doggy poop bags, but hey what do you do?

To do this project you will need:
Main fabric:
-(1) 5 1/4 x 4 1/2" piece
-(2) 5 1/4 x 3" pieces
-(1) 5 x 2" piece
Light Interfacing:
-(1) 5 1/4 x 4 1/2" piece
-(2) 5 1/4 x 2 1/2" pieces
thread

If you are using a heavier fabric, such as an outdoor upholstery you probably won't need to use the light interfacing. You can use a heavier interfacing, but it will be a lot stiffer, and harder to turn right-side out in the end. I just wanted to use interfacing since my fabric was fairly light, and I wanted it to be able to withstand some wear n' tear.

Cut out fabric and interfacing:
Not much explaining here. 5x2" piece is not shown here, it is used to create the hanging loop.

Iron on interfacing:
The larger square of fabric should line up nicely with the larger square of interfacing. As for the two smaller pieces of fabric (what I will call the front pieces), line the interfacing up to one side of the fabric. To compensate for my lack of descriptive skills, please refer to the very boring picture above.

Create small hem:
On both front pieces, fold over remaining fabric edge and iron in place. Then bring edge to newly created fold and again iron in place, creating a small hem. Again I have included a more descriptive picture that hopefully worth its thousand words.

Create front side:
Place the two finished front pieces wrong-sides together, so that hems meet. Sew a 1/4" seam starting from each end, continue until you have reached 1 1/2" toward the center. This should leave you about a 2" opening. This is where you will be able to pull out those lovely bags. Yes, I know my seams are pretty crooked, but I am happy to say they can still serve their purpose.

Press open:
Press front piece open. I pressed each seam to the opposite direction at either end. That will prevent the seam from folding to one side. Set front piece aside.

Sew strap for loop:
The loop is optional, but honestly I think it looks nice. If you would like to make a strap, take your 5x2" piece of fabric and fold it in half length-wise, press. Open fabric up, and bring both edges to the newly created center fold, press. Sew a top-stitch down edge opposite of fold creating a 5" strap. Fold strap in half, and set aside.

Bring it all together:
Place 5 1/4" x 4 1/2" piece of fabric right-up in front of you. Choose one corner and place folded strap diagonally across large fabric piece. Your straps unfinished ends should slightly extend past the corner of the large fabric piece. Then, place front piece down so the wrong-side is facing you. Pin together. Stitch a 1/2" seam all the way around. Trim edges to about 1/4" and clip corners. Turn right side out.

Hooray, all done!! Now all you need are those dirty diapers:)

a few favorite things...

2010-04-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

First of all, I just want to say thanks for everyone who has stopped by my blog, it is so fun to read all of your comments!

I have another tutorial in the making, but for this post I just wanted to share some of my favorite past projects with you. I love searching for inspiration on blogs, people are so creative out there!!

Heather Bailey's blog always makes me smile with its bright welcoming colors, and when I saw these adorable pinwheels I knew they would bring some sunshine into my little one's room! When I was linking this picture to Heather's blog, I noticed I left out the center part of the pinwheel, oops! I think I will take them apart and add my missing centers:)

Another craft for my little sweetie's room is this flower wreath from Second Sister. I loved the spring colors, and the breath of fresh air it offered. I will say, I would be happy to never paper-craft another flower for the rest of my life after this project. But I always seem to find myself clicking on random paper flower posts so I guess the fetish may not be over!

This purse was one of my first endeavors crafting something besides clothing with my sewing machine. I found detailed directions at this link. The instructions were so clear, it was a cinch to put together. I also felt so professional using magnets and metal rings to make a project:)

all-in-one diaper clutch/changing pad tutorial

2010-04-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I do not like carrying around a diaper bag. Especially when I have my huge mama purse with me too. So, when my baby was born, I made a diaper clutch just like this one, only now it isn't looking quite as fresh. With the clutch and a couple of toys crammed into my purse, I knew I was set to go. Whenever I decided I needed the whole diaper bag to make a trip, I would just put the clutch in there. That way I had all of my changing supplies in the same place. I also liked that I didn't have to put my sweet little baby's tush down on the public changing table that had previously had so many unknown hineys (spelling?) on it. And once again, this pattern is purely for home use only. Please do not take this and make or sell a pattern of it.

What you will need:
1/3 yd. outer fabric
1/3 yd. lining fabric
9"x12"square med weight iron-on interfacing
1/3 yd. clear vinyl (be sure to keep the tissue paper it comes with)
1/3 yd. cotton batting (something comparable to this)
1 magnetic snap (I used a 3/4" silver snap)
3 yds bias tape, about 7/8-1 inch wide

With the outer fabric and lining, I just used a standard 100% medium weight fabric. In the past I have used Home Decor Fabric, and it has worked great as well. Use whichever you would prefer, the Home Decor Fabric holds up to wear and tear a bit better, but the medium weight fabric seems to be a bit sleeker looking. For the vinyl, I just used a light-med weight. I didn't want to be too rough on my machine, and I think it folds better. As for the bias tape, I cheated and used Wrights, Wide Single Fold Bias Tape, but if you want to make your tape match perfectly you can make your own. I have found this tutorial useful for creating quick bias tape.

Cutting everything out:
I like to use my rotary cutter for this part, but good old fashioned scissors will work great too. You will need to cut a 33"x12" square from the following: inner fabric, outer fabric, batting, and vinyl. Cut a 9"x12" square of interfacing. Reserve any scraps of interfacing you may have for later.

Iron on interfacing:
Lay outer fabric right-side down in front of you. Measure 8" from one edge of fabric, place interfacing down on measured edge. (See picture for guidance.) The interfacing will help create a natural fold line, as well as allow for stability for your magnetized snap. Iron on interfacing using manufacturer's instruction.

If you have a scrap of interfacing remaining, lay out your lining fabric right side down. Place scrap of fabric at the center of one end of the fabric. As you can probably tell, I just eyeballed it. This will be for extra reinforcement for the complementary side of the magnetic closure. Iron on interfacing using manufacturer's instruction.

Attach magnets:
You will have two parts to your magnetic snap. You will place what I call the bottom part of the snap (The part that has the small whole for the other snap to fit into) onto the outer layer of fabric. Measure 13" from the same edge you had initially measure for placing the interfacing. Mark interfacing at 13". Then measure from the opposite edge down 6" to make sure you place the snap centered at the 13" mark. Attach magnet using package instructions. When you are finished it should look like this. (Sorry I didn't think about taking this picture until after I was finished with the project, whoops...)

For the top part of the magnet. Measure about 1 inch from the edge of the lining fabric (if you attached interfacing scrap, use that end). Again, measure down 6" from the other edge to make sure your 1" mark is also at the center of width of the fabric. After marking this, I like to pin the vinyl down to the right-side of the lining, taking care to put the pins at the edge. That way you won't have a bunch of pin marks all over your beautiful vinyl. Place vinyl tissue paper to the side at this time. Attach complementary magnet end going through both the vinyl and the lining fabric. Again, refer to the package instructions for installation. When you are finished it should look like this. (Again, this picture was taken at the end of the project, sorry...)

Sew together all the layers:
Place outer fabric down before you, right-side down. Next, place batting on top of outer fabric, followed by the lining fabric right-side up, and the vinyl, and finally the vinyl tissue paper (the lining and vinyl should already be connected due to the magnet snap.) The vinyl tissue paper will help keep the vinyl from sticking to your presser foot. If your vinyl didn't come with tissue paper the gift wrap kind works great too. Pin all layers together, and sew a 1/4" seam. This seam will help keep everything stable for the next few steps.

Create a nice curved edge:
On the edge that you have previously attached the top snap, place a glass at the corner. Trace around cup to create nice curved edge. Cut all layers at curved line. I don't bother sewing a 1/4" seam around the curve since we will be attaching the bias tape soon, which will finish the edge.

Attach bias tape to pocket end:
Attach bias tape to end opposite of the curved edges end. This end will be used to make the pocket. If you are not sure how to sew on bias tape this website may be helpful. Use the directions for packaged bias strips.

Create pocket:
Fold over fabric about 8" so right-sides of lining meet (take care to remove tissue paper up to the top of your pocket so you don't have to fish it out later.) You should be able to feel where your interfacing starts on the outer fabric. Attach remaining binding closing pocket edges, as shown above. The bias tape should go around your curved edges nicely. I use my sewing machine to do the topstitching.

A finished clutch fits one travel wipe container (I buy either Huggies or Pampers since they are fairly flat) and about four diapers. Let me know if you make one, I would love to see what you make!! Please feel free to leave any questions or comments:)

Yay for Easter outfits!!

2010-03-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted a skirt tutorial, but I guess spring puts me in the mood for making fun outfits. Sorry about the sad little picture. My model was napping, and I just couldn't wait to post it. Don't you just love the shoes though? Thanks Grandma, your the best:) Anyway, I made this skirt using the Sydney's skirt tutorial from the Polka Dot Chair, with a couple of modifications. I love this pattern, this is the third skirt I have made using this pattern and I am never disappointed.

I realize these modifications probably don't take an expert seamstress to figure out, but I thought I would post them just in case someone was interested. Sometimes I just like to find a similar similar project another person has made to get a little reassurance that I probably won't end up wasting a bunch of supplies. Anyway, feel free to use this information if you would like.

First, I didn't want this skirt to be quite so ruffly. So, instead of doubling the 'skirt top' pieces, I measured my daughters waist say 18" divided it in half (9") and added them together giving me 27". I followed the tutorials directions for the remainder of the measurements, except for the 4 skirt ruffle pieces. For those, I cut out four 6x44" strips from my tulle. You can cut out more strips of tulle if you would like the bottom ruffle to be more full, but I wouldn't suggest cutting any fewer since I think it would be in danger of coming out kind of skimpy. Also cut a piece of ribbon as long as the length of your waistband strip.

Follow the steps of Melissa's tutorial until you get to the directions regarding sewing the ruffle pieces. Sew all four ruffle pieces so you have one large hoop of tulle. Be careful that all of your seams face the same direction, this can be a little tricky when using tulle. Now, instead of hemming the bottom of the fabric, fold the tulle in half. Sew a basting stitch at about 1/4"-3/8" from the cut edges of your folded tulle. This should create a nice folded edge at the bottom. Gather using the basting stitch so that you have a nice ruffle. Continue with Melissa's tutorial.

When you reach the directions for the waistband, take your waistband strip. Fold it in half lengthwise, right-sides out. Place ribbon down on folded band. Determine where ribbon would look best, keeping in mind that you will need about 1/2" of the bottom edge (away from the fold) to sew waistband to skirt. I ended placing my ribbon about 1" away from the bottom edge. Sew ribbon to waistband piece. Continue with tutorial.

I hope these directions are clear. If you have any questions or a comment, please feel free to share.

A-Line Skirt Pattern & Tutorial, Size 18-24 mo.

2010-03-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to sew are little skirts for my little sweetie! It is so much fun to pick out the fabric, and putting it together is a snap. As I have mentioned before I just adore this Matilda Jane skirt. So, while I can't afford the $40 price tag (maybe someday), with a little sweat I can make this one for around $10. I bought fabric from the Amy Butler Midwest line, it is a little more expensive, but I couldn't resist. This A-Line pattern fits my little girl perfect, and she wears 18-24 month clothes, so I figure that is about what size it is. It does fit her a little big, so it may be closer to a true 24 month size. With an 18 month old always on the move, a rear view is the only picture I could get with the finished project. If I can get another I will post it later.

A couple of disclaimers here. First, this is the first skirt pattern I have drawn up myself and also this is the first full-blown tutorial I have ever written, so please be patient with my inadequacies. Feel free to comment with any questions you may have, and I will be sure to answer them the best I can. Second, this pattern is purely for home use only. Please do not take this and make or sell a pattern of it. Okay, with those things said, lets have some fun!

*If you aren't sure about sizing, cut and sew the lining first. That way if it doesn't fit the way you like, you can make adjustments to the part nobody will see first, and then apply those adjustments to the outside layer. (Saving you $$$$).

Aline Skirt

What you need:
1/2 yd. main fabric
1/4 yd. main fabric for waistband
1/2 yd. lining fabric
1/8 yd. light interfacing
1 small invisible zipper (preferably that matches the main fabric)
matching thread
needle (for hand stitching)

I chose a light cotton for my main fabric, but anything that drapes well should work fine. For the lining, I just got some broadcloth off of the sales rack. You can use your main fabric if you choose, but since no one is going to see it broadcloth or muslin would be fine too. As for the zipper size, you can probably buy any zipper size you want, you only need about 5 inches of it. I just bought the smallest one they had.

One more thing... I made my skirt with an off-setted waist, but it is a little trickier. So if it is something you would rather not do, just use the lining pattern sheets to cut out your main fabric also and throw out the main fabric sheet. You can use the main fabric band pattern pieces to cut out your interfacing.

*All seam allowances are 3/8"

Print and assemble pattern:
While printing, be sure that the Scaling section on your print screen is set to NONE, if not your pattern pieces may print out the wrong size. Each pattern piece, except for the waistband pieces have both an A and a B piece. Line up the lines and tape together.

Cut out your fabric:
Sorry, I was so excited to get going on this project, that I forgot to take a picture of how I placed the pattern on the fabric. Luckily I had some extra to take a pretend picture, then I won't have to try to paint a picture with words, like my English teacher was always trying to get me to do. Line up all of the pieces to the fold, and cut out what it says on the pattern piece. You should have 1 main fabric front, 1 main fabric back, 1 main fabric band front, 1 main fabric band back, 1 lining front, and 1 lining back.

Iron on interfacing:
If you are making the alternate color waist, iron interfacing onto the wrong-side of the fabric of each coordinating front and back main fabric band piece. If you are doing a solid skirt line the interfacing up to the top of the coordinating front or back main fabric piece and iron on. If you are sewing a skirt without the waistband, go ahead and skip to sewing the lining, just use the lining directions for your main skirt fabric (make sure to place the zipper in the main skirt fabric, which is the step before making the lining). If you are braving the waistband please proceed...

Sewing the main fabric pieces...

Sew front main fabric piece to front main fabric band piece:
Place the front main fabric piece right side up onto a flat surface. Widest part should be laying closest to you. Place long straight edge of main fabric band piece right side down on top for front main piece (Darts should be opposite of the main fabric top edge). Line up band piece to the top left corner of the main fabric piece. Pin band piece to main piece starting at the far left, and stopping at the center. You may need to aid the fabric around the curve. Sew as much as you have pinned. Come back to the flat surface, and continue pinning the remainder of the way around the edge. Again aiding the fabric around the curve. Finish sewing along the line. Press the garment so newly sewn seam is nice and flat, if not your darts may look like the 18 month old made them.

Sew in darts:
Using the front and back lining pattern pieces. Mark your darts onto the main fabric pieces you just constructed. Sew in the darts. Sewing in those little triangles will help make the skirt more fitted. Here are some pictures, if you know what you are doing- by all means have at it. If you are a little apprehensive here is a tutorial that will have you going in a flash.

Sew front and back main pieces together:
Once your darts are sewn in, place the front and back main fabric pieces right side together. Pin both side seams. Make sure to leave room on one of the sides for the zipper. Where I placed my zipper is shown on the lining pattern pieces. Sew together front and back main pieces, again making sure to leave room for the zipper on one side. Viola!

Hem main pieces, if ya wanna:
This is where I hemmed my main pieces. I thought it would be easier to do it now before it was connected to the lining. Less fabric to try to handle. If you are a very meticulous person, you can wait to do this until the very end, just in case the lining causes it to sit differently. With my fabric selection, I just bit the bullet and decided to just go for it. I turned the bottom under 1/4" and then again 1/4" and pressed. Then I sewed it down.

Place zipper:
Blah!! This is always the worst part for me, but together we can make it through. Just follow the directions on the package, ha ha I bet you thought I would have more helpful advice. But seriously, zipper making company is much better at explaining things than I am.

Sewing the lining...

If you made it through the main fabric instructions this should be easy.

Sew in the darts:

Sew in the darts for both the front and back pieces. Please see "sew in the darts" section of the main fabric (4 steps back) if you would like more guidance.

Sew front and back lining pieces together:
Just like you did with the main fabric pieces. Place right sides together of you lining pieces. Pin side seams, make sure to leave room for the zipper on the opposite side as you did your main fabric pieces. Sew side seams.

Sew together main fabric and lining skirts:
By this time, you should have two dazzling skirts, as shown in the picture above. Line up the top edge of both the front sides of the skirts, right sides together. Starting from the closed side seam, pin along one side of skirts, pinning them together (ending with zipper opening). It should line up nicely. Sew a 3/8" seam around pinned edge. Starting from center again, pin opposite side down to zipper opening. Sew. Tuck lining skirt, down into main skirt. Press, be sure to press the zipper opening in the lining so the creases are prominent.

Hand stitch the lining zipper opening:
Take a needle and thread, and stitch the edges of the lining's zipper opening to the zipper in the main fabric. It just looks nicer that way.

Top Stitch:
Top Stitch around the skirts waist, just to help keep the waist looking sharp. If you don't, you may have problems with the lining creeping up.

Hem skirt lining:
Turn under twice and press skirt lining bottom edge. Be sure lining is a bit shorter than your main fabric skirt, so you can't see it. Sew around edge.

Whew, all done. All that is left to do is admire your hand-work which honestly is my favorite part.
If you have any questions about this tutorial, please leave a comment. Also, I would love to see pictures of anyone else that makes one. Thanks for taking the time to view this post:)

Welcome if you found your way over from any of these fabulous links:)

Fun Giveaway!!

2010-03-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

I usually don't try for giveaways, but I think these pieces of jewelry are beautiful. Head on over to this link and leave a comment to enter the giveaway. You can't tell me you wouldn't just love to have anyone of these creations by Lisa Leonard, cuz I wouldn't believe ya!

$20 Trip to Hawaii

2010-03-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love Hawaii, I would live there if I could. Palm trees, fresh mangoes, and 80 degree weather practically everyday, who wouldn't love it? It's too bad plane tickets cost more than the $10 I have in my sock drawer. When we found out we were having our first baby, I knew it would be a long time until we could go on a vacation just the two of us. I also knew we didn't have the time or the money to go on a vacation before the little bundle came. So I decided to create Hawaii in our living room. It was much cheaper than flying, and with the lovely invention of the thermostat 80 degrees became a possibility (even though we decided to keep it at the standard 72 degrees.)

Of course you have to have plane tickets to get to Hawaii, so I snuck these into my husband's bag before he left for school. Just to give him something to look forward to when he got home. These were the dark pre-Photoshop days, so I made them in one of the Microsoft Office programs.

I decorated the apartment with all of the Hawaiian beads and paraphernalia we got on a past trip. I also splurged and bought a $3 tabletop tiki torch from Michael's for the table centerpiece. I placed sea shells and tropical fruit (pineapple, mangoes, bananas, etc.) around the torch. Sorry for the lack of pictures, I didn't think about needing them for a blog later on.

Family Fun Version

My Version

I also made these cute flowers from cupcake liners. I got the idea from a family fun magazine, and just kind of changed them a little to make them my own. I actually made a few of both. The flowers from family fun worked well to prop up on objects around our house. They would look cute strung for a lei, or a garland. My version worked well to lay on the tables, couches, etc. I also used them in the centerpiece. They do take some time, so plan ahead. Here is the original flower link Family Fun.

For dinner we had Cafe Rio. If you are from the west coast, or have visited the west coast you may know the restaurant I am referring to. It is awesome!! We love it, and since we don't have one nearby, we miss it. Terribly... So we found various recipes online and make it ourselves. It isn't technically a Hawaiian dish, but it has pork as an ingredient so I let it slide.

Since I don't personally have a good picture, and since there is not a Cafe Rio to be found withing city or state limits I had to borrow a picture. This one is from Favorite Family Recipes, I haven't tried their Cafe Rio recipes, but I did use one of their recipes for dessert. Judging by other recipes I have tried on their site, I'm sure their version of Cafe Rio is delicious.

For dessert we had...

Pineapple Delight!! I just used a little fruit from the centerpiece. This is a more truly Hawaiian dish, it is similar to the awesome tropical fruit ice cream you get at the Polynesian Cultural Center. When we went to the PCC my husband and I both had two each. Hey, it's not everyday you are in Hawaii.

Even though we didn't actually get to go to Hawaii, my husband was still happy to have a night that I had planned especially for him. I would like to do another one for him soon, this time I will be sure to take pictures.

I HEarT cOcoNut CooKieS!!

2010-02-26T08:18:00.000-08:00

I am so sad, I can't find Duncan Hines' Coconut Extreme cake mix anywhere! They used to sell it at our local grocery store, then they stopped carrying it and the only place I could get it was Walmart Supercenter. Now it is nowhere to be found. These cookies are awesome!! I made them once for my husband's bake-sale at school, and a lady came by and bought one. She was a little skeptical at first when he told her they were coconut. She walked away, took a bite, turned right around and bought two more. What a bake-sale success!! I thought I would give out the recipe so others can enjoy them if you can get your hands on one of the coveted cake mixes. If not, this recipe works great with any other type of cake mix, they are so quick and easy to make too!

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

1 pkg. cake mix

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl (either with an electric mixer or by hand). Roll into 1" balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 mins, or until cracks form on top. Frost with desired frosting.

I told ya these babies are easy. I like to make them if we are needing a treat in a hurry. We like to use the pre-made lemon frosting to frost the coconut cookies. Other variations that we have found to be especially delicious are yellow cake mix with strawberry frosting, and devil's food cake mix with cream cheese frosting. This recipe can be used to make homemade oreos by frosting the bottom of one baked cookie with cream cheese frosting, and placing a second cookie so the frosting is sandwiched between the two. Any questions please let me know in the comments. Happy cookie making!!

Sewing 101: Picking the perfect fabric. Natural Fibers

2010-02-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

I love this skirt from Matilda Jane, the colors are so much fun for spring. They have such unique items for girls, it makes me want to start a new sewing project! I was thinking about when I started sewing, and a really sweet lately taught me the basics. Even though she did an awesome job explaining to me, I still made lots of mistakes, and still do. I thought it may be helpful for new sewing people (what is the correct term anyway?? I'm sure I would get into some major pc trouble if I put seamstress!) to have a synopsis of some of the basics, so I thought I would start with picking the perfect fabric.

Probably the most important step in taking on a sewing project is selecting the correct fabric. When I first started sewing I thought all fabrics were basically the same, I mean they all come on bolts right? Wrong, after a few failed attempts to try to make heavy fabric work for a sun dress, just because it had the perfect color scheme proved to me that I must bow down to the fabric. It determines your destiny. So, what is important to consider when searching for that perfect cut of material?

Ask yourself a couple of questions: What am I going to use this garment/item for? What kind of wear and tear is this item going to receive? If I am going to wear it, what time of year am I planning on using this for? If it is something I am going to wear, I would consider other garments I wear that are similar to my anticipated project. Check the labels, a lot of times there is a trend of what type of fabric it is.

There are two main types of fabrics, natural fiber fabrics, and man-made fabrics. Natural fiber fabrics sound like what they are, they occur in nature. These fabrics tend to be more comfortable and they breath while you wear them. They are not as durable as there man-made counterparts. Man-made fabrics are made from chemicals and are usually more durable, but less comfortable. Below is a chart that describes the advantages and disadvantages of natural fibers. I will include one later for man-made material.

Baby Boy Necktie and Bowtie onesies pattern

2010-02-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

I just love these cute little onesies. They are very simple, I just used Heat n' Bond to glue them to the onesie, then used my sewing machine to zig-zag around them. Quick and easy! If you are interested in the pattern, please see below.
Bow Tie

Quiet Book Part II

2010-01-25T11:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a page I actually came up with myself. Malia loves puppies so I thought it was only right to make her a puppy page. She loves fuzzy fabric so I found white faux fur material. I knew I didn't need much so I didn't really want to buy it off the bolt. Luckily I found some over by the finishing accessories sold by the yard. It came in about a 4 in. wide strip. Very nice, much less spendy. The collar came from Target in the animal aisle.

Another page fashioned after Jill, in fact the remaining pages are all ideas from Jill's blog. I just used a little Heat n' Bond to put on the blue water background. I really like how this page turned out so colorful. I had to take the fish away though since my little one isn't old enough not to put them in her mouth. Definitely a choking hazard. We will just have to pull them out when she is a little older.

Space page.

Yes, thank you Mr. Roboto.

If you notice, even my message on the letter is the same as Jill's. What a wonderful mother I am!! I really need to work on my creativity.

Super Cool Quiet Book

2010-01-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

A while back I saw the cutest Quiet Book on Homemade By Jill, I knew I just had to make one for my little Sweetie! So I got my supplies together and started sewing. A month later, I almost have it finished. Trust me when I say this project isn't for the faint of heart. Luckily, Jill's blog was a lot of help, saving lots of time. In fact, most of the pages I did just like her (if it ain't broken, don't fix it).

The adorable back pocket pattern I found on Made by Rae, I thought it added a fancy feminine touch. For the binding, I used Link-a-doos, I figured that way if she chewed on them, which is what I am pretty sure she will do, it would be okay. I also used a toggle from an old sweater for the closure.

If you hopped over to Jill's site this page probably looks familiar. I just thought it was cute!

Same with this one...

This one I actually used a little of my own creativity, but not much though. The barn and the disappearing finger puppets (or maybe I just forgot to take a picture of them) are similar to Jill's. But I added the I Spy Silo. I thought it would be great to keep the little one and the daddy busy for a little while. Besides the little beads are kind of like grain. I'm sure all kinds of silos on farms have rhinos and large gems in them. I would hope mine would anyway.

Okay this is just a few pages, I've got more, but I am getting tired so I will add them soon.