Back Ice Pack

When I was in Arizona back in August, my grandfather’s lower back was a little sore and he pulled out this crazy-looking ice pack that strapped around his waist.  I noticed that it was starting to come apart, and no wonder – he’s had it for about 15 years!  Since then, he has really done a number on his back, so I thought that making him a new version of his favorite remedy would make the perfect Christmas gift!  It’s a simple design, but definitely useful for anyone who suffers from a sore back.  Also, it’s filled with feed corn, so you can also pop it in the microwave for some heat therapy… I love a multi-tasker!  So read on for how to make your own back ice pack!

Supplies:

• 1/2 yd fabric
• 1/3 yd medium weight interfacing
• 2 12″ strips of 3/4″ Velcro (1″ would also work)
• Coordinating thread
• Feed corn

Measure the waist of your recipient – if you can’t measure it, just give it a good guess; it doesn’t have to be perfect because you’ll add 12″ of Velcro later, giving lots of wiggle room.  The length of each of your straps will be that waist measurement, divided by 2, with an extra inch added; for me, that was 32″ (my Zaidy is ridiculously skinny), divided by 2 to get 16″, and add 1″ to get 17″.  Cut 2 pieces of fabric and 2 pieces of interfacing 10″x13″, and 4 pieces of fabric 4″x(whatever you just calculated).  Following the directions on the interfacing, iron it onto the back of the fabric rectangles.  Press one end of each of the 4″x(calculated) strips in 1/4″.  Then, press each strip in half long-ways, unfold, and press each of the raw sides into the center crease (you know the drill, to make a “strap” that’s 1″ wide).  Line one side of one of the 12″ Velcro pieces up with the turned in end of one of the straps, and stitch in place.  Also, stitch down the sides of the rest of the strap, just to hold it in place.

Two pieces for the corn (with interfacing), and 4 straps

Now it’s time to start assembly.  Start with the two straps with the Velcro hooks.  Place them on the 10″ edge of one of the body pieces, hook side down, about 3/4″ from the top and bottom.  Repeat for the loop sides on the other 10″ side, but make the straps loop side up.  Baste all 4 in place.  That sounds confusing, but check out the photo below to clear it up.

Loop pieces are on the left, loop side up; hook pieces are on the right, hook side down

Now, pin the other 10″x13″ piece right sides together on top, making sure all the straps are contained so they don’t get caught in the seam.  I pinned about 3/4″ from the edge to keep it all under control.  Then sew around the edge with 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving an opening about 4″-5″ for turning.

Pinned and ready to sew! The pins sticking out on the left are to remind me to stop – otherwise I end up closing it all up!

Turn right side out.  Stitch two lines across the middle of the ice pack, each 3″ from the 13″ (now 12″) edge, beginning and ending 2″ from the 10″ (now 9″) edges.  Again, look at the photo below to clear up my wording!  Then fill with corn, and stitch the opening shut.

Those tubes help keep the corn from all sagging at the bottom. It also keeps you from having to use 10 lbs of corn, making the ice pack too heavy!

Unfortunately, the feed corn (whole-kernel type) usually comes in gigantic bags – the minimum I could buy at my local feed store was 50 lbs!  The good new is that it’s cheap… I think I paid $8 for all that.  So use the rest to make some corn hole bags or bean bags.  Or you can make some fun animal ice packs for the kids!  And if you just don’t feel like dealing with it, feed corn makes good bird feed too 🙂

Van Seat Back Organizer

The other day, I was loading up the kids in the van at a friend’s house and she was admiring my van’s seat back organizer.  I didn’t make my own – it’s an Avon product from my grandmother (it looks like a puppy dog).  But she had seen a similar one through thirty-one, which cost $35!  So I knew immediately that I had my next project.  What busy mom on the go couldn’t use a little bit of organization in their mom-mobile?  Especially my friend – she has 3 little ones!  So I got to work, and here’s what I ended up with.

Supplies:

• Fabric – about a yard total (I used coordinating prints, so it was less than a yard of each)
• Batting – 1/2 yard
• 1/4″ elastic – 1-1.5 yards
• 1″ elastic – about a yard
• Coordinating thread

I’m gong to start off with a disclaimer: you don’t have to make yours the way I made mine!  I put extra cup holders because of my friend’s number of kids, and a book holder because her oldest is 6.  At this stage for us, that’s too many cup holders and my kids don’t read yet!  You can also nix the wipes holder if your kids are out of diapers… that’s what is so great about this organizer, is that it’s totally customizable.  So my instructions will show you how to make one identical to mine, but you can make yours perfect for you.

I measured the seats of my own van, since I drive the same kind as my friend, to get the dimensions for my organizer.  I measured the width of my seat to be 18″, the height from the top to where I wanted the elastic to be was 20″, and then I had another 8″ to the floor of the van.  I also measured around the headrest to be about 11″, which should be the same for all cars.  Lastly, measure all the way around the bottom of the seat (I got 45″).  So for my car, I cut 2 pieces of fabric and 1 piece of batting 19″x27″ (so the finished size would be 18″x26″ with 1/2″ seam allowances), 24″ of 1/4″ elastic (45″minus 18″ for the organizer minus 3″ so it will be taught), and a strip of fabric 4″x12″ for the top.

Press the 4″x12″ strip of fabric in half long ways, open up, press each raw edge to the center, and press in half again, making a strip 1″ wide with no raw edges (except the ends), and stitch a scant 1/4″ up both sides to secure.  Place the two large pieces of fabric right sides together, with the batting on top.  Insert the strip you just made at the top, between the fabric layers, with the raw ends each showing about 1/2″ over the top of the fabric (place them about 7″ apart).  Also, place the elastic 20″ from the top on each side, between the two layers of fabric (make sure it’s not twisted if you’re OCD like me!).  Stitch around the edge (1/2″ SA), leaving an opening about 4-5″ long on the bottom for turning.  Turn right side out, turn in the opening, and stitch 1/4″ around the whole edge.  You can keep the top loop out of the stitching, but you’ll have to go over the elastic – that’s ok.  Now you have a blank canvas for adding your pockets to your organizer!

Fold back one of the fabric layers to insert the top loop; do the same at the bottom for the elastic.

I started off with the cup holders.  For a full fabric cup holder, cut a piece of fabric 7″x10″ and one Cup Holder Pattern.  Press the 10″ side down 1/4″, then another 1/2″ and stitch at the bottom of the fold, making a casing for the elastic.  Thread 8″ of elastic through with a safety pin, and stitch in place on the ends.  Then pin the bottom 10″ side right sides together around the curve of the cup holder bottom and stitch in place.  Then press the raw edges in, pin in place on the seat back organizer, and stitch in place.  I made 2 of these (although if you’re using a directional print, pay attention to which way is up so you don’t have flowers growing upside down like I did!).

Left: Pin the rectangle around the cup holder bottom. Center: Press the edges in 1/4″. Right: Pin in place and stitch onto the organizer.

My 3rd cup holder was made with elastic – I thought it would be more useful for a bottle for the baby this way.  It’s also a lot easier!  Cut 3 pieces of 1″ elastic, 2 that are 6″ long and 1 that’s 3″.  Use a zigzag stitch to attach the 3″ piece to the center of one of the 6″ pieces.  Then sew the other end of the 3″ piece (with a straight stitch again) where you want the bottom of the cup holder on the organizer.  Fold the two ends of the attached 6″ piece in 1/4″ and pin in place on the organizer about 4″ apart, as pictured below, and stitch it on.  Fold the ends of the other 6″ piece similarly, and stitch in place about 4-5″ higher to complete the elastic cup holder.

The bottom of the elastic cup holder

I don’t know about any other mom, but I am always looking for a wet wipe, so I wanted to make them easily accessible for my friend (and her little helpers in the car).  I found that using elastic was the easiest and most effective way to hold it on.  I also played around with the measurements, so the directions that follow should hold a brand new pack of wipes and also one that’s almost empty.  Cut two pieces of 1″ elastic 7.5″ long.  Fold the ends over 1/4″ like for the cup holder, and sew onto the organizer 4.5″ apart (width-wise), with the height of the holders 5″ (that means 5″ high for the 7.5″ elastic, so they’ll bubble out).  A package of wipes will insert in there snugly when full, but still securely when almost empty.

Simple but effective wet wipes holder

Next to the wipes spot I had some extra space, so I made a little utility pocket.  It’s pleated at the bottom for more space, and has elastic at the top to keep the contents inside.  If you don’t want a large book pocket like mine, you can add more of these in different sizes – they’re super easy to make and super useful!  For mine, I cut a piece of fabric 6″x9″ and a 7″ piece of 1/4″ elastic.  Press the top 9″ edge in 1/4″, then another 1/2″ and stitch in place to make a tube for the elastic.  Feed the elastic through with a safety pin, and stitch to the ends of the pocket.  Press the other 3 sides of pocket in 1/4″.  Then pin in place on the organizer, creating a pleat on the bottom.  Stitch around the edges and you’re done!

I had OCD making my pleat – this was about the 7th try!

The book pocket was by far the easiest part of the whole organizer.  I cut a large pocket, 12″x17″.  Press the top edge down 1/4″, then another 1/4″, and stitch in place.  Then press the other 3 edges in 1/4″, pin in place on the organizer, and stitch around the 3 sides.

The inside of the book pocket, with all the edges pressed in

One thing to keep in mind when you’re attaching your pockets and elastic to the organizer – these will take a lot of stress, especially at the tops, so be sure to backstitch for security!  They’ll have kids pulling on them for years, so you don’t want it to fall apart!

Once you put it all together, this is what you get!  It’s super handy for all those things that seem to collect in the car.  My favorite is the wet wipes – you can never have too many of those when you’re on the go!

The cup holders are great for bottles, Playtex sippees, Take N Tosses… whatever you use! And I know my friend’s 6-year-old will love having a special place to keep her books safe from her younger siblings.

I hope you find inspiration in this tutorial to create your own car organizer.  It really does help keep the clutter down and the necessities accessible!

Teacher Christmas Gifts

It probably comes as no surprise that  love making Monster’s teachers presents for Christmas.  This year, he is in the bumblebee class at school, and I found the perfect fabric for a bumblebee teacher – it has apples and bees!  I’ve noticed that all of the teachers wear their ID’s on a lanyard around their necks, so I thought it would be nice to make them some to go with their class theme (I blame all the different animal squadrons we’ve been in for making me use a theme in everything!).  I also made them each a clip keychain, because I have one myself and it’s super handy!  And since it’s Christmas time, I wanted to give them each a bumblebee ornament (which Monster got to help me make).  Plus a gift card to Target.  Can you tell we love our teachers??

So without further ado, let me show you how to make some gifts to spoil the teacher (or friend or relative) in your life!

I made the lanyard and the keychain at the same time, since they use basically the same supplies and methods.  To make both, you’ll need:

• 1/4 yd fabric
• 2 1″ swivel clips
• 1.5-2″ Velcro

Cut a strip of fabric 4″x36″ (one yard) for the lanyard.  Save the scrap from the end (since the fabric you bought was 42-45″ long).  Then cut a piece 4″x11″ for the keychain.

Not pictured: the scrap from the lanyard piece that you will use

Press the short ends of the lanyard fabric towards the wrong side, then press in half longways.  Open it up, and press each of the raw edges into the center fold you just made.  Fold it back in half again to make a 1″ strip with no raw edges showing, and stitch a scant 1/8″ around the whole border.  Repeat for the 11″ strip, but don’t press the ends in (the raw edges will be covered later on they keychain).  Repeat one more time for the 4″ wide scrap, again making a 1″ wide strip.

Folding up the lanyard. It’s the same for the keychain and the scraps except for turning in the raw edges at the ends.

1″ strips for lanyard, keychain, and the scrap

For the keychain, loop the 1″ strip you just made onto the swivel clip.  Then use a wide zigzag to make a loop from the raw ends.  Move the zigzag connection down towards the clip, and cover with the scrap that you sewed, trimming and tucking the raw ends between the layers of the keychain.  Stitch around the scrap to secure and complete the keychain.

Left: Zigzag to hold the ends in place. Right: See how the scrap covers the zigzag right next to the clip? And the raw edges are tucked between the layers to be hidden.

To complete the lanyard, slide the 2nd swivel clip onto the 1″ yard-long strip and stitch in place (think about making a V shape that will accommodate the wearer’s neck comfortably).

Pin and stitch the swivel clip in the center, making a V shape

Then, loop the back like a necklace and stitch on the Velcro – I was careful to make the hook side face away from the neck so it won’t be scratchy.  You could just sew it, but many schools require that teacher’s have a “quick release” on their lanyards in case of strangulation (crazy, but we want our teachers to be safe!).

Completed lanyard and keychain!

Last year, Monster was too little to help with making anything for his teachers.  But this year, he is obsessed with painting!  Anytime I ask him what he did at school, that’s the first word out of his mouth.  So I knew when I saw this adorable bumblebee ornament made from a light bulb, it was the perfect craft for us to do together!

I used a box from our favorite “fruit squeezes” to hold the bulbs.  The box comes with one hole which was perfect for the bulb, and I just used scissors to cut out the 2nd.  Then I laid down a paper bag with some paint, handed the toddler a brush, and he went to town painting them!

He did a really excellent job, I only had to touch up a couple of spots later on – and he had a blast!

Once the yellow paint dried, I added black stripes and a black head (where the screw part was inserted into the box – an egg carton comes in handy for drying).  Then I used a glue gun to add googly eyes, pipecleaner wings, stinger, and antennae, and a pipecleaner to hang it by.  And don’t forget to sign your work!  Monster can’t help with that yet, but maybe next year!

I signed Monster’s name and the year on the bee’s butt!

I feel like the ornament will be much more meaningful to his teachers, knowing that he actually contributed to it rather than me doing everything or buying them things.  And I hope that the lanyard and keychain are useful to them!  At the very least, I don’t know that there is a human on this earth who wouldn’t like a Target gift card, and especially a teacher, who I know puts her own money into my child’s schooling.

Feel free to steal my ideas to make your own teachers something nice and useful for Christmas, and let them know how much you appreciate them!

Onesie Quilt

As moms, we get attached to a lot of the things our kids wear.  We’ve made great memories with them in these clothes, and they just look so darn cute in them!  Like most moms, my sister had a stack of onesies that she couldn’t part with, but my niece had long outgrown.  So for Christmas this year, I’m making her a onesie quilt!  Getting one on etsy is super expensive (at least $100 for a small one), but making one isn’t too hard at all!

Just like a standard T-shirt quilt, the first step is to cut your onesies up.  I found that a 7″ square is about the largest I could do, especially when there were 0-3m onesies in the mix.  Keep in mind that you’re going to lose 1/2″ from each side of the square, so if there are some seams in there, they likely won’t show on the finished product.  Once it’s put together, that leaves a 6″ square, which is big enough to see whatever design is on the shirt.  But unlike adult T-shirts, onesies are a lot more varied in their designs, so you have to get a little creative with how you make your blocks!

My niece also lives in Florida, so there were several onesies that were adorable spaghetti straps.  I could have just used the design on the shirt, but the straps are part of it’s appeal, so I didn’t want to just cut them off!  I cut my usual 7″ square, but left the straps long.  Then I measured how far down the arm holes went, and cut a piece of coordinating fabric a little larger.  I ironed that onto my fusible batting (carefully so I wouldn’t get the glue on my iron), then layered the onesie on top and ironed the bottom part on.  But the top of the onesie was still flapping in the breeze, so I cut a small piece of Wonder Web (Heat N Bond would work too) to “glue” the shirt onto the overlapping fabric.  Then I stitched around the neckline and straps of the shirt to complete the square, and trimmed the extra strap length.  This same method can be used for bibs!  (Check out this shirt on the finished quilt below – I love how the frilly straps went over the spaces between the squares!)

Left: 7″x7″ square, but straps left long. Second: Adding the back piece. Third: Shirt has been ironed on the bottom. Right: Adding Wonder Web to attach the top of the shirt.

Another popular onesie design has a faux skirt over the snapped bottom.  In this case, the onesie had a cute design near the bottom of the skirt hem.  So I cut the skirt to be about 6″ long instead of 7″ and used a piece of fabric from the onesie below the skirt to finish off the block.  You can see there is a flap again, but I stitched it in place along the hem of the skirt, so I didn’t need to glue it down.

I used the underside of the onesie below the skirt to layer it and show off what the onesie used to look like

My niece had the cutest outfit for the 4th of July (Peach actually wore it the day Radar left) with a tiered skirt.  I wanted to show off one of the tiers, so I let the ruffles lay naturally when I cut, so it’s a little 3-dimensional.  It gives the square the girly feel of the dress without compromising quality or stability because it was layered in the original garment.

It’s like a skirt still!

Often, the embroidered design on a onesie is right up near the collar; if you were to cut it to exclude the collar, most of the quilt block would be empty space.  Plus, you are cutting off those cute little bows that girls’ onesies often have!  So I used a similar method as I showed above with the spaghetti straps to incorporate a collar into the quilt block.  Measure the width and depth of the opening of the shirt (once your block is cut out) and cut a piece of coordinating fabric to fill the gap.  Iron it on the fusible batting, then layer the shirt on top and iron on.  There should not be so much overlap that Wonder Web is necessary, but you’ll definitely want to stitch along the collar line to keep it in place.

Just a little fabric below the collar, but it shows off the pretty bow and keeps the design from being right at the top of the block

And don’t let zippers or snaps scare you – you can still have them in your quilt!  A zipper won’t come undone once it’s sewn into the quilt, but I would stitch down the sides of the snaps to keep them from coming open.

Zippers are not a problem!

My sister didn’t give me hers, but it would be super cute to include a square with your child’s hospital blanket – I don’t know about you, but I can’t part with them, even though I don’t use them any more!  You could also add hats using the fabric layering method and Wonder Web – the sky is really the limit if you’re creative!  Another great idea to include in a onesie quilt is the cute animal faces they like to put on the little butts of onesies and pants these days – adorable!

To assemble the quilt, I used the same method as I detailed in the T-shirt quilt tutorial, so I’m not going to go into super detail about that and risk being redundant (if you don’t understand the method for putting it together, you can also check out my king size quilt, which uses the same method).  I didn’t actually quilt the individual squares this time, though – they’re only 6″ square finished, so the backing doesn’t really need to be held in place, and the designs on the onesies are so tiny and intricate I felt that quilting would detract from them rather than add.  I just layered the back square pieces with the front of the quilt blocks as I assembled the quilt.

I think it turned out pretty well 🙂

One more super nifty thing about this method is that with a little work, it can be added to!  All you need to do is pull off the binding, and more squares can be added!  I bought too much of the panda fabric on purpose with this in mind, so as my niece continues to outgrow her adorable clothes, the quilt can grow with her!  It’s an easy Christmas gift that keeps on giving!

Pillowcase Dresses

My friend who is expecting a niece next month has a little girl of her own.  She loved the diaper changing kit I made for her to give to her sister so much that she commissioned matching dresses for the cousins!  I’m not an expert by any means with making clothes… the maxi dress was really my first foray into that field, so I was a little nervous at first.  But after some research, I decided to make the girls matching pillowcase dresses.  Turns out, this was the perfect project for someone who doesn’t make clothes very often!  They were pretty easy to make, especially since I used my serger (don’t worry, my tutorial will include directions for a standard sewing machine too!), and they turned out great!  I can’t wait to see photos of the girls wearing them!

I relied very heavily on this blog, whose author obviously knows what she’s doing!  I’m not going to include any measurements, because she put together an excellent table with all the measurements you need!  I have, of course, created my own variations on her pattern, which I will share in my tutorial.  The biggest difference in my own design is that I didn’t use fat quarters to make panels; I just used a piece of fabric in a print my friend liked.  So it’s a little simpler than the original design, but just as cute!

Supplies:

• 1/2 yd to 1 yd of fabric (it will depend on what size you’re making)
• 1/2″-5/8″ ribbon (again, the length will depend on the size; it’s always better to have too much!)
• 1/2″ elastic (optional)
• Coordinating thread

Start off by looking up the sizing guide measurements from the link above.  The length will be whatever is listed on the table (it’s just a reference number so you know how long the finished product will be).  This version of the dress, however, will have no panels, so you’ll need to do a little math to make 4 panels into one piece of fabric.  Take the first number in that column (the smaller one), multiply by 4, and subtract 2″.  My first dress is a 3-6m, so I multiplied 3.75″x4 = 15″, subtract 2″ to get 13″.  Keep the 2nd number for the length; in my case, I needed to cut 2 panels that were 12″x13″.  For the 5T dress, I cut 2 panels that were 22″x22″.  The third column tells you how big to make the bottom panel, which will also act as the hem for your dress.  The first, smaller number is good, but if you cut it 22″ long you will waste fabric for dresses smaller than 5T!  Instead, make this piece the same length as the number you calculated before (in my case, 13″; the 5T will still be 22″).  Be sure to cut 2, one for the front and one for the back.  I know that sounds confusing, but if you cut as you read this, it will make sense, I promise!

Once you have your 2 pieces for the dress (2 larger pieces and 2 bottom panels), you’re ready to get started!  Press the bottom panel pieces in half along the long side (hot dog style) to make the hem of the dress.  Then pin the raw edges to the right side of the bottom of the front piece.  Repeat for the dress’s other side.  Serge (or stitch 1/4″ SA) the pieces together.  Press the seam upwards (away from the hem) and topstitch the seam allowance into place.

Left: Bottom hem pinned, then serged. Right: Hem seam pressed up and topstitched.

Place the front and back of the dress right sides together and create the armholes by cutting the top corners off according to the size (credit: http://www.themotherhuddle.com):

• 3-12 months measure in 3 inches on the top, and down the side 3½ inches
• 18 month-2T measure in 3½ inches on the top, and down the side 4 inches
• 3T-4T measure in 3½ inches on the top, and down the side 4½ inches
• 4T-6T measure in 3½ inches on the top, and down the side 5 inches

Then separate the pieces and press back 1/4″ on each arm hole cut.  It should be easy to curve it a little since it’s on the bias.  Press back another 1/2″ and pin on the right side of the dress.  Stitch in place, and repeat for the other 3 arm holes (you want to stitch on the right side so it looks good – sometimes the bobbin side can get a little wonky).

Right: Cut the armhole triangles out. Left: One side is pinned, the other is already sewn.

Now it’s time to assemble!  Place the pieces right sides together again and line up the bottom of the arm holes, the seam attaching the hem, and the bottom of the dress; pin in place.  Serge (or stitch) up the side of the dress (don’t close up the top or the armholes!), starting with a wider seam allowance (5/8″-3/4″) at the arm holes and decreasing as you get to the bottom (1/4″).  You may have to work with it a little to get the 3 pinned areas to line up, but you definitely want them to!  If you serged the seam, pull the tails back and zigzag stitch in place to keep it from unraveling.  Press the seams to the side and turn right side out.

Left: Where to pin to line up the important things. Center: See how it flares a little at the bottom. Right: Zigzag the serger tails and trim.

I used two different methods for the tops of the dresses.  They started the same: press the top raw edge of the dress 1/4″ then an additional 1/2″ and stitch in place to make a tube (obviously you want this tube on the wrong side of the dress).  For the 5T dress, I used the traditional tie method: use a safety pin to thread your ribbon through the two tubes and tie at the shoulder to complete the dress.  But for the baby’s dress, I knew a ribbon would never stay tied!  The tutorial I linked to above gives directions for using elastic instead, and ribbons that are just decorative.  I adjusted her tutorial a little, though, to minimize seams on the front since I don’t have panel seams to work with.  Cut your elastic according to the directions in the linked tutorial (3.5″ for up to 12 months) and use a safety pin to thread through one of the tubes you sewed.  Pin it in place.  Then cut your arm ribbons to be the same length as the arm holes, and insert one end into the tube on top of the elastic.  Pin in place (you can remove the first elastic pin) and stitch both in place with one seam (go back and forth because you don’t want it to come out!).  Repeat on the other side, but use the other end of the ribbons that are attached to the front – be careful they’re not twisted!

The right side is pinned (elastic is below the ribbon), and the left side is already sewn.

The last step, if you used the elastic method, is to tie a ribbon into a bow and sew it to the dress.  I stitched the back side of the ribbon first to make sure the baby wouldn’t be able to undo it, then attached it to the ribbon shoulder straps.

Those girls are going to be so cute in their pillowcase dresses!

 

The thing I love most about pillowcase dresses is their versatility.  The straps on the baby’s dress can be tacked shorter temporarily until she grows into them, and as the girls grow taller they can keep wearing them as shirts!  Gotta love that!  In fact, one of the reasons I don’t make clothes for my own kids is because I put all that effort in just for them to outgrow it in a few months – but I may be making some for Christmas for Peach and my niece!  You can also put a t-shirt (long or short sleeves) underneath for all-weather wearing.

I hope you find some inspiration in these simple dresses, and realize that making kids clothes can be worth your time!

Easy, Useful Baby Gifts

Usually, half of the squadron gets pregnant within a few months of the husbands getting home.  This deployment, however, has been different – we have 5 wives pregnant now, with due dates ranging from a month before they get home (bummer) to 2 months after they’re back!  So I’ve been busy making baby gifts for a couple of my closer friends.  Joann’s just caught up with the fox trend, which is convenient because they have some super cute fabrics to use now!  This post will include a tutorial for 3 simple baby gifts to make: burp cloths, a crinkly taggie toy, and a pacifier clip.

Supplies for all 3 projects:

• 1/2 yd fabric
• 1/2 yd minky
• Fox Pattern (optional)
• 2 suspender clips
• 2 ponytail holders
• 1/2″x1″ piece of Velcro
• Stiff felt, orange and white
• Black and orange puffy paint
• Heavy duty glue (I used Gorilla Glue Minis)
• Ribbon scraps
• Clean chip bag (I’ll explain later)
• Coordinating thread

The burp cloths are super simple to make, and I’ve never heard a mom complain that she has too many!  Many tutorials I’ve found use the Gerber diapers as a base and add fabric, but I’ve found that they shrink funny when washed, and they’re hard to fold.  I had some deliciously soft minky fabric left from a quilt I made another friend’s baby, and knew this was the perfect application – it’s so cozy as the backside of the burp cloth!

The standard size for the diaper burp cloths is 14″x20″, but you can really make it any size you want.  The minky I had from my other project was already cut into 6″ strips, so I just stitched two together to make an 11.5″ wide piece (seam allowance took 1/2″ away).  I honestly don’t even know how long it was… somewhere in the ballpark of 18-20″.  Cut the front fabric to be the same size.  Place the two right sides together and sew around the edge, leaving an opening about 2-3″ long on one of the sides.  Clip the corners and turn through the opening, then fold the opening edges in and topstitch around the whole edge to seal the opening and give it a finished look.

The minky makes it super easy to turn because it’s so slippery!

The crinkle taggie toy combines two things babies love – noise and texture!  They key to the crinkly sound is a chip bag!  Just be sure to clean it up well before you use it.

Start off just like the burp cloths – cut your minky and front fabric to the same size.  Mine was about 5″x7″, but you can do whatever size you want.  Cut various ribbons into 2.5″ pieces, fold in half, and pin to the front piece of fabric.  Keep the tips of the pins at least 1/4″ from the edge so you don’t hit them with your machine.  Then place the fabric with ribbons right sides together with the minky and stitch 1/4″ around the edges, leaving an opening about 2″ long on one of the sides (between ribbons).  CAREFULLY remove the pins that held the ribbons in place – don’t stick yourself!  Then clip the corners and turn right side out.

Left: Pin the ribbons to the front. Right: Pin to the minky, right sides in, and stitch together.

To get the crinkle, cut your chip bag to be about the same size as your toy.  Roll it into a tube, push it through the opening, and unroll it to fit snugly in the toy.  Then turn the opening’s edges in and topstitch around the edge, closing the opening and holding the chip bag in place.

Left: My favorite chips! Right: Inserting the crinkle.

The last baby gift is the pacifier clip.  I actually call it a leash because it keeps pacis under control!  It is also handy for snack or drink cups, or even toys (for instance, you can loop it through one of the ribbons on the crinkle toy to keep baby from throwing it away in the car).  I made my friend 2, because I know they can be super useful!  In the supplies list above, I linked to my favorite suspender clips to use for these.  They have plastic teeth, so they won’t tear clothes, and they have a large clip surface to add embellishments to – I’ve included a fox pattern here!  Just another way to make it more fun for a kiddo.

For each paci clip, cut a piece of fabric 4″ wide and 8-10″ long.  Don’t go too long, or it poses a strangulation hazard (plus, if it’s longer than baby’s arms, they won’t be able to reach the goody on the end).  Press the short ends 1/4″ on the wrong side.  Then press in half lengthwise, open it up and fold each of the raw edges into the center fold, creating a leash that’s 1″ wide and 4 layers thick.  Stitch around the edge a scant 1/4″.

Left: Ends pressed 1/4″. Right: 2 completed straps.

On one side, insert the suspender clip, fold over the end and stitch in place (go back and forth a couple of times, it will take some stress).  On the other end, stitch the hook side of a 1/2″x1″ piece of Velcro at the very edge, then the loop side about an inch up the strap.  Add a ponytail holder for pacis that won’t fit the Velcro through (like Soothies).

The paci leash is technically complete now, but I wanted to make mine a little extra special!  I included a pattern for a fox face.  Cut the pieces out of the stiff white and orange felt, then layer and stitch around the orange with orange thread.  Add eyes and a nose with black puffy paint, and put some orange paint around the edge of the ears.  Let dry for 24 hours.  Then use heavy duty glue (a glue gun won’t work here, you need something to stick to the metal) to glue the foxes onto the clips – be sure to follow the directions on the package, the kind I used needed water to cure.  Clamp it and let it cure.

Left: Stitch the orange to the white piece. Right: Glue and clamp. Don’t use clamps like I did, they put marks across the fox’s noses! I have to redo a couple of them because they’re so bad.

And there you have it!  A personalized, sweet baby gift that any mom will love!

3 burp cloths, 2 paci clips, and a crinkle taggie toy

What are your favorite baby gifts to give to your friends who are expecting?

Purse Organizer

I’m not a big purse girl – I’m still stuck in the days of diaper bags (although I love my Vera Bradley diaper bag!).  But my mom is the queen of accessorizing, and has a purse to match every outfit!  Unfortunately, moving all her things around every time she switches purses can be quite a chore.  So for her birthday next month, she has asked for a purse organizer to help keep her things in place and make them easy to swap between bags.  My mom found a tutorial (not sure where), but I had some difficulty following it, so I’m hoping that the one below is a little easier!

Supplies:

• 1/2 yard of exterior fabric
• 1/2 yard of interior fabric
• 1 yard light or medium weight interfacing (depending on how stiff you want it to be; I used medium)
• Magnetic snaps
• Swivel clasp
• Coordinating thread

Cut the fabric as follows (attach interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric where directed):

• Exterior fabric:
  • 2 11″x13.5″ pieces, interfaced
  • 2 11″x7.5″ pieces, interfaced
  • 1 4″x4″ piece
• Interior fabric:
  • 2 11″x13.5″ pieces
  • 2 11″x7.5″ pieces, interfaced

That’s some eccentric fabric, isn’t it??

Fold and press the two 11″x13.5″ outer pieces in half, interfaced sides together, along the 11″ side (so the pieces are now 11″x6.75″).  Stitch a scant 1/4″ along the fold to hold it in place.  Then lay each folded pieces on top of one of the 11″x7.5″ interior pieces, lined up to match at the bottom, and stitch a scant 1/4″ around the sides and bottom (keep the seam allowance minimal so the seams don’t show later).

Left: Folded outer fabric. Right: Pocket and wall basted together.

On each piece, stitch a seam 1.25″ from the bottom edge.  Then you’ll add your separations for the pockets.  One one side, I added pockets 4″ in from each side (leaving a 3″ pocket in the center), and on the other I did the same, but added another seam in the middle so that there are pen pockets.  You can adjust the pockets as you wish to accommodate your things, like cell phone, notepad, etc.  Next, place the two pieces right sides together and stitch around the sides and bottom with a 1/4″ seam allowance.  Cut a 1.25″ square from the two bottom corners, open up the corners and stitch 1/4″ seam allowance to make a boxed corner.  Set aside.

Left: Pockets made. Center: Cut the 1.25″ corners out. Right: How to make the boxed corner.

Next, repeat the same process for the remaining pieces, but flipping interior for exterior fabrics: start by pressing the two 11″x13.5″ interior pieces in half and stitch in place, and baste onto the 11″x7.5″ exterior pieces with a scant 1/4″.  Stitch across the pieces 1.25″ from the bottom, and add your pocket seams (this time, I just split each side in half at 5.5″).  Here is where there is a difference: it’s time to add the magnetic closure to the purse organizer.  The magnetic closures come with 4 pieces: the two parts you see when you’re done (male and female magnets), and 2 backing pieces.  Use a backing piece to mark the center and slots in the same location on both sides of the interior of the purse organizer (don’t worry, your marks will be hidden).  Then fold the pieces at the marks and cut a small slit at each of the side slots.  Each of the two magnetic pieces has two arms that you can slip through the slots you just cut.  Then slip the backing piece on the back side, sandwiching the interior fabric between the magnet and backing, and bend the arms outward.  Voila!  You’ve added a magnetic closure to your purse organizer (this was my first time using this “hardware,” but it’s so easy, I’ll definitely be using it again!).

Left: Interior pockets. Second: Marking using the backing piece. Third: Cutting the slits. Right: Add the backing and fold the arms back.

Next, you’ll add a clip to hold your keys.  Press the 4″x4″ piece of exterior fabric in half, then open up and press the two sides into that crease (like we did with the lips pouch strap).  Fold the strip in half and put the swivel clip at the fold; stitch swivel clip in place, then baste the whole thing onto the top of one of the interior pieces with a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.  Now, just like with the exterior, place pieces right sides together and sew 1/4″ around the sides and bottom – but leave an opening 3-4″ long in the bottom.  Cut 1.25″ squares from each of the bottom corners, open, and stitch 1/4″ seam allowances to make box corners.

Magnetic closure and key clip complete

Turn the interior piece right side out and insert into the exterior piece (which is still wrong side out).  Stitch 1/4″ all the way around the top, then turn right side out through the opening you left in the interior.

Left: Sewing the interior and exterior together. Right: Turn right side out, and stitch opening shut.

Stitch the opening closed, keeping the raw edges in.  Push the interior into the exterior, and stitch around the top of the purse organizer to keep it in place.  You can choose to stitch the key hook onto the inside or outside, or exclude it from the top seam so you can choose which side to use it on based on your mood.

Isn’t that nifty? I chose to let the key clip go inside or outside.

This is actually one of the easier projects I’ve done on this blog, and super functional.  It’s all straight lines, nothing too tricky, and very useful!  If you are a purse woman, like my mom, I hope you give it a try!

King Size Quilt

I feel like I just climbed Everest.  No, I haven’t been to the Himalayas, but my journey could have used an oxygen boost!  I just finished my first king-size quilt.  If you’ve ever folded up one of these puppies, you know just how big they are.  But that didn’t stop me when I told Radar that I didn’t like any of the quilts out there, and they were too expensive, so I was going to make one myself.  Pre-deployment me was so naive!  But once I set my mind to it, there was no giving up!  You can’t just take things off your deployment bucket list without trying!

I know I’m being a bit dramatic, but it really is a huge (pun intended) accomplishment.  When I designed the quilt (tutorial to follow), it didn’t occur to me that a quilt made of 12-inch squares that’s 9 wide by 8 long is made of SEVENTY. TWO. SQUARES.  Apparently I missed the multiplication day in engineering school.  It took me about 3 months to complete (with other projects interspersed), but I’m so proud of the results!

Before I even bought anything, I wanted to have an idea of what my quilt would look like.  I actually went through about 5 iterations, varying size, pattern, and order, before I came up with my design.  Here’s my professional drawing of my final design:

Fancy, huh? I went for alternating solid green and blue with a striped square.

I also wanted to use the quilt as you go method, like I used in the T-shirt quilt before.  Because this is such a large project, getting it under the arm of my machine was not an option, and the cost of paying someone to long-arm quilt it was going to be over $200!

To make my design a reality, I needed the following supplies:

• 1 yard each of 5 green fabrics
• 1 yard each of 5 blue fabrics
• 7 yards of fabric for half of the backing, the pieces between the front squares, and the binding (the white background fabric for mine – we’ll call this fabric A)
• 5 yards of fabric for half of the backing and the pieces between the back squares (the navy background fabric for mine – we’ll call this fabric B)
• 8 yards iron-on batting
• Coordinating thread – at least 6 spools! (I used about 2 of green and 4 of blue)

Start out by washing your fabric!  I’d hate to do all this work just to have it go wonky on the first wash.  Then you’ll start cutting out your fabric – a lot of it!

• 36 12″x12″ squares of each of your 2 backing fabrics (total of 72, half fabric A and half B)
• 72 12″x12″ squares of batting – if you can’t make them all whole, it’s ok to piece 2 together when you attach to your backing
• Cut your green and blue fabrics into 2.5″ strips, parallel to the selvedge (keeps it from stretching and looking weird)
• For the front, cut the following from fabric A:
  • 64 3″x12″ pieces
  • 7 3″108″ pieces (sew them together if necessary)
  • Press each of these pieces in half hot dog style, right sides out, so they are 1.5″ wide
• For the back, cut the following from fabric B
  • 64 2″x12″ pieces
  • 7 2″x108″ pieces (sew them together if necessary)
• For the binding, cut 3″-wide strips of fabric A; sew them together until you have about 450″ of length (it’s too much, but it’s better to have excess than not enough!).  Also press this long piece in half, right sides out, so it’s 1.5″ wide.

My green strips… I didn’t take a photo of all my cut fabric!

Now that your cutting hand is blistered, it’s time to iron the batting onto the backing.  Follow the instructions on the batting you purchased to attach the 72 pieces of batting to the 72 pieces of backing (wrong side of fabric to glue, obviously).

That’s what 72 pieces of backing + batting looks like!

And finally, after all that prep work, we can start sewing!  For something as large as a king size quilt, I recommend using a sort of production line system – especially with the blue and green striped squares, since your quilting thread will alternate colors with the strips.  Each square followed the same basic pattern:

Line up a strip of fabric, good side up, along the diagonal of the square, 1/4″ past center (for seam allowance).  Lay a second strip of fabric right side down right on top of it, and stitch along the diagonal of the square.  Fold the fabric back to show the good side, and stitch 1″ from the seam.  If the strip was too long, trim it to line up with the edge of the square.

1. Square, batting side up. 2. Green strip, good side up, 1/4″ to the right of the diagonal of the square. 3. Second green strip, good side down, right on top of the first. 4. Opened up and stitched down; don’t forget to add that stitch 1″ from the seam on the left strip.

Repeat until the square is covered.

Left: Adding the third strip. Center: One side complete. Right: Whole square complete.

Then, trim the edges, and you’ve completed one square!

Front and back of your completed quilt block! The lines are simple, yet beautiful and functional.

Repeat another 71 times 😛  Pay attention to what fabric you have on the back; to get a checkerboard look on the back of my quilt, I used fabric A on the back of the solid colored blocks, and fabric B on the back of the striped blocks.

72 completed quilt blocks – whew!

Now it’s time to put it all together.  I’ll start off by noting that in this quilt, the direction of the stripe matters, so make sure they’re all oriented the way you want as you assemble them!  You’ll get the blocks ready to put together by first putting aside the blocks that are on the right edge of the quilt (in my case, from the drawing above, that was 2 green, 2 blue, and 4 striped).  You’re going to attach strips to the front and back of the right side for each of the remaining blocks.  Layer the pieces as follows: 2″x12″ strip of fabric B (good side up), right side of quilt block (front side up), and folded 1.5″x12″ piece of fabric A, raw edges lined up with right side of quilt block.  Stitch in place with a 1/2″ seam allowance.  Precision is your friend here!  That 1/2″ will be incredibly important later.  Repeat for all the blocks (except the ones put aside).

Left: Front of block with strips attached. Center: Back of block with strips attached. Right: Side view of strips.

Now it’s time to start putting together the strips of blocks.  Take your very first (top left) block and the one to the right of it – this is where a good diagram comes in handy!  You’re going to attach the strip on the back of the left block to the left side of the right block (confused yet?).  Lay the right block back side up, and, keeping the left block front side up, lay the back strip so it lines up with the left side of the right quilt block.  Stitch in place with a precise 1/2″ seam allowance.  See the photos below for what I mean!  It sounds complicated but it’s really not.  Then lay the two blocks flat, and you’ll see on the front side you have a flap that will fold over to cover the raw edges.  Pull it over and sew right on the edge of the pressed fold, being sure to cover the seam.  This is where the 1/2″ seam allowances were important – for it to cover and fit properly, you needed to have the right seams allowances.  Otherwise the pieces will have a gap, or they’ll overlap and be bulky.  They should meet evenly.

Left Top/Bottom: Front and back of 2 blocks attached. Center: How to line up the squares. Right: Attaching the front flap to cover the seam below.

Repeat with each successive block to the right, including the last column that was set aside before.  The do the same thing for each of the rows of the quilt.  At this point, I safety-pinned papers with the row numbers so I could keep them in order and save my sanity!

You’re going to then follow the same principle to attach the rows to one another, using the 108″ long 3″ (folded and pressed to 1.5″) and 2″ pieces.  And, honestly, this is where it starts to get tricky.  Once you’re about halfway through combining the rows, the quilt starts to get a little unwieldy – and heavy!  I actually moved furniture in my craft room to make it a little easier, and I would only attach one row at a time to give my muscles a break.  But take heart – you’re almost done!  Also, try to make the vertical connections line up, or your rows will look funny (think about the columns looking straight).

This is where the 1/2″ seam allowance shows – the batting should meet perfectly, not gap or overlap.

The final step is binding the quilt.  Take the ridiculously long 3″ wide piece (folded to 1.5″ wide), and start pinning it to the back of the quilt, raw edges lined up with the edge of the quilt (start somewhere in the middle of a side, not at a corner).  Don’t pin it all the way around, just enough to get you started.  Then, start stitching about 4″ from the end of the binding (with our best friend, the 1/2″ seam allowance) to attach it to the quilt.  Stop sewing and backstitch 1/2″ from the edge when you get to a corner.  Then fold the binding at a 90 degree angle from the direction it was going, and fold it down to align the raw edge with the next side of the quilt.  Start sewing on the new side of the quilt 1/2″ from the edge (same 1/2″ seam allowance, and backstitch at the start).  Continue around until you’ve done all 4 sides, but stop at least 4″ from the start of the binding where you began.

Making the mitered corner – 3 steps

Trim the extra binding so there’s an inch or two extra, and press the two binding ends back so they meet at the fold.  Then sew them together along that fold, trim the excess, and finish attaching the binding to the back of the quilt.

Left: Final product for binding ends. Right Top: Leave the tails loose. Right Bottom: Press and stitch the ends, then trim.

Last step!  Just like you did on the front, pull the folded edge around the quilt and stitch it in place to hide the seam from attaching it to the back.  At the corner, tuck the excess in to get a mitered look.

Finishing the binding on the front, and my dirty little secret for maintaining a precise 1/2″ seam allowance!

And voila!  You have completed a king sized quilt!!  It’s sort of a big project, but you’ll be so cozy under a quilt you made yourself – way more comfortable than anything you could buy at the store!

It’s a thing of beauty! I folded the top down to show off the back pattern, too.

If you like our custom-made king size bed, Radar actually made an instructable for it!  It has a built-in light with two-way switches, hidden drawers for storage, and even power outlets for each person (because we get sick of fighting over power outlets in every house we move to).  It’s a pretty sweet bed, you should check it out (end shameless plug).

I hope this tutorial has given you the confidence to make your own king sized (or even queen or twin) quilt!  It’s a lot of work, but so nice to have a custom piece to keep you cozy at night!  Stay tuned for tutorials for matching  accessories for the bedroom from extra fabric I bought!

Simple Cinch Sack

As I mentioned in my last post, two of my nieces share my birthday.  I made my middle niece a cute little pouch shaped like lips, and I decided to make the youngest a cinch sack to carry all her things.  I got my inspiration from two places (here and here) and combined their tutorials to make my own design.  I chose to use paracord for the strings because it’s sturdy, you can melt the ends to keep them from fraying, and Walmart has all sorts of colors for a very reasonable price.  I liked the idea of using ribbon to hold the strings at the bottom, since it can be sewn to the bag more easily than the strings – and it’s going to take a lot of stress from the soon-to-be 8-year-old!  It took me less than an hour to put together, so if you’ve never made a bag before, this design is a super simple starting point!

Supplies:

• 2 13″x15″ pieces of fabric (can be the same or different; adjust larger or smaller depending on the size of kid using it)
• About 100″ of paracord
• 6″ of coordinating ribbon
• Coordinating thread

“Ingredients” for this project

Fold the top edge (short edge) of one of the pieces of fabric over 3/8″ onto the wrong side and press; fold again another 3/8″ and press again – this will make the casing for the paracord later.  Repeat on the other piece of fabric, and pin them in place.  Cut the 6″ piece of ribbon in half; fold each piece in half and pin on the good side of one of the pieces of fabric, towards the bottom (think about where you want the bottoms of the straps to sit).  Then place the two pieces of fabric right sides together and sew around the 3 raw edges (1/4″ seam allowance), stopping before you hit the folded upper edge.  If you want, you can backstitch at the ribbons to make them stronger.  At the top, unroll the top edge and press back 1/4″ to match the seam, and stitch in place.  Repeat on all 4 edges.  Then refold the casing and sew across the bottom of the folded section a scant 1/4″ to hold the casing in place.  Don’t forget to backstitch at either end to keep it secure!

Left: Top edges folded and pinned, ribbons inserted towards the bottom, and ready to be stitched around the 3 edges. Center: Fold back 1/4″ to make the end of the casing. Right: Stitch down the casing.

Use a safety pin to thread the paracord through one of the casings, down through the ribbon, back up through the other casing, and down through the 2nd ribbon.  Pull as much as desired, then cut it, melt the ends, and stitch them together to create a continuous loop.

It’s not pretty, but it will get the job done!

And you’re done!  I threaded the cord back through, so the part where I attached the ends is in the middle of the casing so it wouldn’t show.

I love the wavy striped fabric, it’s whimsical without being baby-ish

I think my youngest niece will like this bag, whether it’s for carrying toys or even sports gear to and from the field!

Lips Pouch

When I saw this pouch, I knew it would be the perfect gift for my niece’s birthday.  Crazy as it is, 2 of my nieces have the same birthday – and it’s the same day as mine!  Since I made the oldest a triangle bag for her birthday, I decided to make the two younger girls their own unique bags for their birthdays as well.  The original lips pouch uses a 7-inch zipper and is meant to go inside a purse, but I wanted this to be a more stand-alone bag, since she’s too young to carry a purse yet.  I also thought it would be cute to put words on the inside of the bag instead of just a darker red color, especially since this niece is known for her constant talking!  Also, since the bag is meant to be on its own, I added a strap to carry it.

Supplies:

• Lips Pattern (credit: abeautifulmess.com – enlarged on my printer)
• 1/4 yard pink fabric
• 1/4 yard word fabric (mine was actually Barbie, I just cut around the Barbie logos)
• 9″ white sport zipper
• Interfacing (optional)
• Coordinating thread

My pink fabric was really thin and see-through, so I started by ironing some light-weight interfacing to the back so the words wouldn’t show through the outside; you can skip this step if your fabric is thicker.  Print out the pattern and cut out one of each shape from your outer (pink) fabric and inner (words) fabric.  Also, for the strap, cut a piece of pink fabric 12″x4″.

I flipped one of the pink pieces over to show my interfacing

Attach the zipper to the outer fabric by pinning the split pink lips right side down on the zipper; sew as close to the zipper as possible, then fold back and topstitch in place. Repeat for the other side of the lips, and open halfway.

Top: Pin the lips right side down on the zipper and stitch close to the zipper teeth before folding back and topstitching. Bottom: Be sure to open the zipper halfway before you sew the outer shell together!

Make the strap by ironing the 12″x4″ piece of fabric in half along the 12″ side, then open it up and fold the two edges in, like the photo below.  Stitch close to the edge along both sides to secure.

How the folds should look on the 12″ strap

Fold the strap in half, and line up the raw edges with the edge of the good side of the large pink lip piece.  Pin the large pink lip piece right sides together on the zipper front, and sew around the edges.  Be careful when you go over the zipper – you don’t want to hit that plastic with your machine, or crankiness will ensue!  Lift the needle and the presser foot to move the fabric and continue on the other side of the zipper.  Clip the edges of the lips (careful not to hit the seam you just sewed), and turn right side out through the zipper opening.

This is also a good time to trim the zipper ends

Create the lining of your pouch by first folding back the straight edges of the opening of the lining pieces.  Then pin them to the large lining lips piece, and stitch around the edge.  Clip the edge (not as important as the outer lips, since you won’t be turning it right side out), and insert into the outer shell.  Use a ladder stitch to attach the lining to the outer shell along the zipper; don’t put the lining too close to the zipper or it will catch!

Left: Attaching the lining. Right top: Lining put together. Right bottom: Stitch the edges of the lips back.

And you have completed your super cute lips pouch!  I know my niece will love it, and I’m sure someone you know will too!

Isn’t that just too adorable?? I thought the words coming out of the mouth was just ingenious!