football onesie

My nephew plays football, so I thought it would be cute to make my niece a little football onesie (my sister in law made the skirt & headband...but you can find a similar tutorial here). I haven't gotten to see her in it yet, but my father-in-law sent me these cute pictures.

zippered pillow

My husband's cousin, Crystal, and her husband, Justin, recently asked for my help in redecorating their basement after it was destroyed by flooding last September. I gladly accepted and we've been working on making it a fun, inviting space for their family to hang out. One of the projects I'm helping Crystal with is making new pillows for their existing couch. Since they have 2 kiddos, I knew it would be important to make them washable. This is why I chose to do zippered pillows. I was flipping through my sewing machine guide book a few months ago trying to figure out how to use my zipper foot and I came across a tutorial on "how to install a zipper". It is by no means a new method, but it has helped me tremendously, and I'm hoping it will help you too. 

diaper clutch

So I've had another surge of babies in my life...which tends to equal out to a surge of baby projects and gifts. This one is fun, function and easy to make. I've seen some diaper clutches on Pinterest (as well as some for sale on Etsy) and thought that it was something I wanted to give a try. I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm hoping the recipient of this particular clutch will find it pretty and useful.

gift tags ::part 2::

Here we are: part 2 of gift tags (if you missed part 1, check it out here). I was pleasantly surprised with how part 1 gift tags turned out, so I decided to take them to the next level. Fabric tags! I bought a few yards of linen for a future project and stole a few small scraps to make these:

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Here's what you'll need to make your own:

small scraps of linen

gift tag template

letter stencil

fabric marker

scissors

sewing machine (optional)

rubber stamps & ink (optional)

twine

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"wood stump" coasters

Last season, I participated in the Pinterest Challenge hosted by YHL & Bower Power (this time includes Ten June & Centsational Girl too). It's so fun to see everyone's ideas and inspiration come to life, so I decided I'd give it another go. Last time I linked up my It's A Cinch bag... so this time I decided I'd do a smaller scale project. 

Here's what I came up with...

I saw these adorable apple coasters on Pinterest [of course] and loved them so much I decided that I'd make some. However, I began thinking about it and knew that apples probably weren't the best choice of coasters for our house for everyday use... 

I brainstormed a few minutes and landed on the tree stump coaster idea. They definitely are more our "everyday" style and they were fun and easy to make:

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Here's what you'll need to make your own:

felt (in a variety of "tree stump" colors)

my "tree stump coaster" template

coordinating thread (not pictured)

sewing machine or hand needle

scissors

pins

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[1] Start by pinning the "outer tree stump" template to your darkest piece of felt (this will be your "bark"). You will need 1 outer tree stump per coaster.

[2] Repeat this step with the lighter felt and "inner wood stump" template. You will need 1 inner tree stump per coaster.

[3] If you choose to embellish your stumps with a twig and leaves... here was my method:

Using my sewing machine, I chose a stitch that looked the veins and stitched onto a piece of green felt. Keeping the thread tails connected, I cut them into the shape of a leaf. *** Be sure to keep the thread tails connected because you'll use them to attached your leaves ***

[4] Cut a small curved piece of dark felt for your twig. Pin together your outer stump, twig & inner stump and sew together on your sewing machine. I started with the outer edge of the wood grain and circled around to the middle (making sure to capture my twig so it would be secured to the rest of the coaster).

This part is fun because it doesn't have to be perfect - in fact, I tried to make some irregular lines to make the veins look more realistic. 

[5] Finally, hand stitch the leaves to the twigs for the final touch. Repeat steps 3-5 on your remaining coasters... then have a drink! Maybe some mint tea?

baby leggings

Today I'm home from work watching my little niece Sadie while my sister and brother-in-law are at work. For the record: Sadie is MUCH cuter than looking at tile all day.

Last night I decided that I wanted to make something to bring along with me today. This quick and easy project was the perfect thing... Sadie and I got to place dress up:

Isn't she the cutest?

Anyway...

The fun thing about these is......... they started out as a pair of socks!

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Here is what you'll need to make your own:

A pair of socks

A small piece of elastic (enough for the waist band)

note: Vary the size of socks to achieve the legging size you want.

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pin Jar

Yes, I have a tomato pin cushion. Doesn't everyone? [oh wait...they don't? hmmm]

I thought it was time to update my pin cushion situation. I find that my little tomato just wasn't cutting it. It would slide around my sewing table when I tried to put pins in it and it was starting to look a little rough. I saw this idea on pinterest and decided to give it a try...

I didn't read the tutorial on other pin cushions jars before I started because it was one of those "I'm going to do this right now" kind of ideas. Once I was finished, I browsed some other tutorials and found that they went about constructing their pin cushion a little differently. Either way you do it, they turn out cute so you can pick which way works better for you. This is how I made mine...

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Here's what you'll need:

1. Any type of jar (with lid)

2. hot glue gun

3. scrap fabric

4. stuffing

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"it's a cinch" bag

Every once in a while I find something really great on Pinterest that gives me that excited/panicky/flustered feeling of “I have to make this right now!” When I saw this bag, I knew I needed one…like…right away.

When my mom was in town, we took a trip to Joann’s to pick up some fabric and a zipper and we got to work. It took us a few short sewing sessions to finish and I love how it turned out. Plus, it was a nice project to do with my mom because I only had to turn one of the drawstrings inside out after sewing it (she did the other – and believe me…that was the hardest part of this whole bag).

I followed the pattern pretty much step by step. The instructions were clear and helpful. I used a pretty patterned quilt-weight fabric for the exterior (as well as the interior pockets that I added on my own) and a black linen fabric for the straps, draw strings and interior lining.

Find the bag pattern HERE.

Find the zippered lining tutorial HERE.

"whale" onesie

I've been making a lot of baby-related crafts lately because I know a lot of people having babies this year. I love to give handmade gifts. For me, making something allows me to give a gift that is special without going broke - I get into trouble at kid's stores. I end up wanting to buy EVERYTHING.

My latest creations? Appliqued animal onesies...

My parents got me a new contraption for Christmas that has made my onesie-making a lot more fun. They got me a Slice Fabrique - a little contraption that is programmed to cut a bunch of fun designs out of fabric. I've been playing around with it a little and love the endless possibilities. My brothers got me the "Animal Frenzy" design card that I used to make the the whale and penquin appliques.

Since I know not everyone has access to a Slice machine - and many don't have the interest in purchasing one - I decided I'd make a little tutorial on one of the more simple applique patterns that could easily be cut out by hand - A WHALE!

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Here is what you'll need to make your onesie:

a onesie (any size you choose)

Sewing machine (or needle and thread if you choose to sew by hand)

Heat N Bond Lite

iron/ironing board

a small piece of embroidery thread (for the eye)

3-4 coordinating fabrics (small amounts)

WHALE TEMPLATE

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easy peasy hair clip

Like I’ve mentioned before, curly hair can be hard to handle. 

That’s why I’m always looking for a new clip or headband to tame the “sometimes frizzy, always doing whatever IT wants to do” hair of mine. The other day I was board with some of my other hair accessory options and decided to whip up a cute fabric barrette to add to my collection.

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Here is what you’ll need to make your own:

small scrap of pretty fabric

small scrap of felt

needle and thread

button

some sort of barrette

fabric glue

something round to use as a template

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burp cloth

I've been thinking a lot about how burp cloths have to be super easy to make...so I decided to take a stab at it myself. What really prompted me to do so was the fact that I was at a baby shower last weekend and my sister in law received a few cute ones as gifts - one of which was homemade by my husband's aunt (really adorable). Here is my take on the "much needed if you have a baby" burp cloth...

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Here is what you'll need:

2 different pre-washed fabrics (one of mine was a soft terry cloth)

a CD (or something else round)

Fusible web (optional - can't decide if it made my burp cloth too stiff...)

Usual sewing stuff

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paci holder

I have seen these clever inventions before, but I decided to make my own to go along with my sister-in-laws other baby shower gifts. Babies are famous for throwing their pacifier on the ground, so hopefully this cute little holder will save Laura from the “if I drop it I know you’ll pick it up” game…

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Here’s what you’ll need:

small piece of fabric (roughly 3” x 15”)

a suspender/mitten clip

small piece of Velcro

pacifier with a loop

iron

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reversible headband

If you’re anything like me, you can understand the importance of a good headband. My hair has a mind of it’s own and it sometimes takes more than just a little (ok…a lot) of hairspray to tame it. After my mom shipped me a whole box of fabric left over from her quilting projects, I couldn’t wait to make something I could use right away. I had seen some of these fabric headbands on Etsy but couldn’t bring myself to buy something I knew I could make…this little headband is what came from my fabric excitement.

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What you’ll need:

1.     Two different pieces of fabric

2.     Headband template - or make your
own with an existing headband

3.     Small piece of elastic (I used elastic ribbon)

4.     Iron/ironing board

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diaper strap

Last weekend was my sister-in-laws baby shower. Miss Sadie is due in March and we couldn’t be more excited to for her arrival. When I saw this diaper strap on Pinterest, I knew that it would be perfect for a busy mom like Laura. You can wrap up a few diapers and some wipes, toss it in your purse and go. Plus, it’s cute… which is key. 

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Here is what you’ll need:

1.     Two pieces of coordinating fabric

Main fabric: 9”x15”

Accent fabric: 9”x4”

                                               …or you can use a single piece of fabric  (9”x19”)

2.     Piece of muslin: 9"x19"

3.     Small piece of velcro

4.     Coordinating embroidery floss

5.     Coordinating button

6. Liquid Stitch (or other fabric glue)

7.     Iron/ironing board

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little man hat

There isn't much of anything that is cuter than a little guy in a hat. When my aunt asked if I would make a hat for my cousin's soon-to-be 2 year old, I was excited to take a stab at a sewn hat (I've always made her knit hats in the past). I think for my first hat it turned out cute...and I can't wait to see it on his sweet little head this winter.

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Here's what you'll need:

main color fleece

accent color fleece

(amount depends on hat size you’re making)

A small piece of embroidery floss or string 

(to secure your pom on top)

Scissor, cutting mat, rotary cutter, etc.

Pencil or white charcoal to mark fabric

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