I've got a big project in the works!

 

So…. I have been working on this big project the last few months…..

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I’m pregnant and due March 19! (so I am currently 15 weeks)  At first, I felt sick… and now I'm just tired.  That, mixed with working full time, taking on more responsibilities at work, and finishing my masters has left me with zero time… and when I do have time… zero energy.  That hasn’t stopped me from dreaming though.  I recently discovered pintrest, and it is a new love.  I have pinned tons of crafts that I will one day have time for.

So, this is me now…. didn’t stop eating breakfast for the picture, and there is a stain on my belly.  Just keeping it real.  I think the horizontal stripes makes me look like I have more of a bump than I do… but hey… better than just looking fat.

The other day I couldn’t take it any more, shirked off my responsibilities, and made myself a nursing cover with some fabric that I fell in love with a while back.

When I was making this one, I decided to look back at my old tutorial for the dimensions, (hey, no use reinventing the wheel when you don’t have to) I realized that I left out a bunch of steps.  Oops.  Well considering most of my friends are also pregnant, I will be making a lot more of these in the near future and will make a more complete tutorial.  I tend to be slow at sewing, and this only took me like 30-45 min.  If you are quick, you could probably do it in 20, once you got the hang of it. 

Hooter Hider (nursing cover)

One of my friends is having a baby shower this weekend, so I finally got my butt into gear and started making her some presents. I decided that I would try my hand in making a Hooter Hider (nursing cover).  She isn’t super girly, so I chose a fabric that reminded me of her… and bonus… it was on sale.  This project was easy and fun, I will definitely be making more for other soon to be mommies that I know.

1 yard fabric

3/4 or 1in D-rings

12in boning

 

I pre-washed my fabric and it shrunk by about an inch… so always remember to re-wash.  I left the 35 inches to be the top/bottom of my cover and then cut the fabric to 30 inches in length.  The left over fabric, I cut out a four inch strip along the long side.

I took the 4in strip and folded it length wise pretty sides together.  I did a straight stitch and then a zig zag stitch so that it wouldn’t fray.  at one of the ends, I then made a diagonal stitch so that the strap will have a point for threading through the D-rings.  I forgot to, but I would recommend cutting off the extra fabric so that you will get a crisper point.

I cut the strip so that the end that had the point was 27 in and the other end was 8 in.  I turned both pieces right side out and then did a straight stitch along the sides. 

I folded over about 1/4 in and stitched, threaded the D-rings and then folded the end over again and sewed it closed.  I took the main piece of fabric and sewed the sides and bottoms with a nice seam, but left the top undone.

The next part was a little bit more tricky, but not too bad.  I laid the boning in the middle of the top of the cover and then put the straps at the very end of the boning.  I fold everything over once, and then I fold it all over again.  I sewed a line near the top and bottom of the hem, being sure to get close to the hard part of the boning and getting the fabric part.  This will endure that it doesn’t move around.  Also be sure to sew where the strap and the boning meet so that it keeps the boning in place.  Putting the straps a little bit over the boning adds more fabric so that the hard parts are less likely to poke out.

Here I am modeling it and then with it just hung up.  The boning helps it stick out so that if you are nursing, you have a view of the baby, but no one else has a view of YOU. 

I hope she likes it :)

Receiving blankets

One of my best friend’s sister is having twins! A boy and a girl. For her baby shower I knew I wanted to make her something special, but I didn’t have a ton of time. So decided to make some simple receiving blankets and burp cloths.

To make the blankets, first, I squared up the fabric and put the back and front pieces of fabric pretty sides together and pinned.

I sewed all of the way round the blanket but left a small opening so that I would be able to turn it right side out. Then I went around and did a zig zag stitch around the edges so that they wouldn’t unravel.

I turned them right side out, ironed, and then did a straight stitch all the way round, using the edge of the foot as my guide. Then I did another line around the blanket, an inch in, using the guide on my sewing machine.

Since I dind’t want the blankets to get all wonkey in the wash (since the two fabric pieces weren’t attached in the middle) I measured six inches in all around and sewed a line, then I did another square 9 inches in.

In all I made a blanket and two burp cloths for each baby, as well as threw in two books… I have to… I am a teacher :) You can find a tutorial for the burp cloths here.

note: these burp cloths are awesome… my godson spits up and drools like non other, and even though he is a year, she is still asking for more because they are super absorbent.

Everyone was impressed…. if only they knew how easy they were to make :)

see my list to the right to see who I am linking up with

Sock Monkey

Oh Sock Monkeys. How I love thee. I found the tiny military sock monkey (my Godson’s dad is in the Air force) in Solvang, and decided to try and make a large one to go with it. I had gotten this sock monkey kit at a garage sale… but these kids are available online, or you can just buy the socks and look up directions online. They are everywhere including here or here.

I am a visual person… I I mainly went off of the pictures shown below and winged it. You cut along the dotted lines and sew along the solid lines double stitching where you see the dots.

Sometimes when I sew… it turnes out like this… all knotted (look close at all fo that white thread in the big mess below). I think it is funny when people are amazed that I sew. Oh if they only knew… well now I guess they do

Well I sewed the arms and legs… and they should look like they do below (arms left, legs right)

Then I stuffed the legs, body, and arms.In order to stuff the arms, I kept them inside out, then slowly turned them right side out as I stuffed it. That way it got stuffed evenly and easily.

When you sew the ears, you end up closing them. Take a pair of siccors and cut along the fold. Turn inside out and stuff.

You sew the arms, mouth, and ears on using a whip stitch. (sorry, no picture)

Then you add eyes, and perhaps some personality accessories

I am now super excited to make some sock monkeys with some fun and crazy socks.

Easiest Baby Blanket

So… like six months ago my mom asked me to make a baby blanket out of this material so it would match this pillow that she bought for my nephew.  This was long before Noah was born…. now months later, I finally got around to it.

I bought one yard of the fabric fleece.  First, I used a bowl as a template to round the corners off.

Then I simply sewed the front and back pieces together.

In lieu of an actual baby to demonstrate, I used the sock monkey that I made as a Christmas present for my Godson.   A tutorial on the sock monkey will be coming :)

Reusable Swiffer Cloths

I saw this tutorial online about making reusable Swiffer cloths. I got really excited about it… not only is it better for our environment than throwing cloths away every time you use them, but it would also save money. So, I printed out the tutorial to make at a later time. It was this little sock looking thing that you sew together. I keep thinking about it and promising myself that it will be my next project… then I had a stroke of genius this weekend. Why not just cut the piece of fabric the same size as an actual Swiffer cloth and shove it through the holes… just like an actual Swiffer cloth. I know what you are thinking…. Genius!

This whole time I was making this way too complicated. Why sew a Swiffer sock when I can just cut the right kind of cloth and call it a day. Now don’t shake your head at me thinking I am stupid…I have had a lot on my mind. So, with my project dramatically simplified, I finally did it. I took this pair of fuzzy P.J.s that I have never warn …because, well they are ugly…. and cut them to the right length. Then I proceeded to Swiffer everything!

These cloths work absolutely amazingly and they didn’t cost me a penny. I personally think they work better than an actual Swiffer cloth. When I was done I shook them out in the trash and then threw (or will wash them later when I get around to it) them in the wash. I have been walking on my floors barefoot for the last four days and they are still clean :) Just look at all the dirt I swiffered up…and I haven’t even lived here that long!

Trash Bag Holders

I was at my friend's house the other day and she was talking about how she has so many plastic grocery bags and needed to find something to keep them all in. We were celebrating her birthday a few days later so I got busy :) I can now post the tutorial since I have delivered the gift.

First I cut out a piece of fabric. I want to guess it was about 14x16" (I didn't measure)

Then I cut out another piece that would serve as my strap to hang it by. This was about 3x15"
I took the large piece, but right sides together and did a zig zag stitch down one side to make a tube
then I took each end, folded it down 1/4 inch and sewed a zig zag stitch.

I folded it again about 1/2 an inch. This time I used a straight stitch since it would show on the pretty side and i left about 1" not sewn so that I could thread the elastic through. To thread the elastic through the tube I just made, I attached a large safety pin to one side and used it to guide the fabric in. It was actually really easy.

Once the elastic was out the other side, I pulled it until the opening to my trash bag holder was all gathered up to the size that I wanted. Then I sewed the two ends of the elastic together. Then finished closing up around the elastic. (do this on both sides)


Now for the strap. I put right sides together and did a zig zag stitch down. then I used a safety pin on one end to help feed the tube right side out.

Attach the straps and..... trash bag holders! the other one I did was a little longer and I think turned out a little better. But hey, it all depends on how big you want it :)