Category Archives: sewing

Pocketed pillow, mark it with a C!

More Style School inspiration, well actually the bonus project this time. Decided to make it a gift for my soon to be married friend. Luckily both their last names start with a C so the pillow works now and after the happy day!

pocketed pillow

I used Leaves Vine Stripe, from the Apple fabric by Alice Kennedy.  It’s available from Timeless Treasures.   Or, be like me and get yours on Etsy.  The back panel and the pocket are just dark chocolately brown cotton fabric.  I got the doily from the thrift store and I had the cute little button kicking around.

Christmas tree action shot, and a match for baby bro.

Managed to get Wesley to sit still long enough to take a picture of his shirt.  He thought I was taking a picture of the front end loader and dump truck he parked in front of the Christmas tree.  I did take a picture of them but I moved slightly to include Wesley in the shot.  Once the flash went off he realised what I had done and said ‘No! Not me! The trucks!!’

tree shirt

Then I got ambitious and made a matching onesie for Baby Nate.

onesie

Wheeeee fabric delivery!

Got this in the mail yesterday.  I was out when it arrived and I’m so happy the postal dude left it inside the screen door.  I hate having to wait and go back for your package.

fabric

It’s 15 fat quarters of Christmas fabric!!!  I got it from here. I was online looking for some things from Moda Bakeshop because I’m dying to make this. I hate ebay, when I really want something I can’t actually win it, so I’ve started to just go with the ‘Buy it now!’ stuff because it’s safer. My husband is the ebay auction winner in the house, so I used his tactic, stumbled upon an auction that was near ending and I won! I debated a way to get out of paying, to get my table runner supplies instead, but figured I could find a use for some cute Christmas fabric.

closeup 1

close up 2

First birthday shirt.

Tomorrow we’re having Baby Nate’s first birthday party, it is a bit early but with the trip we have to push things up.  Tonight I whipped up this shirt for him to wear.  I really wanted to make one, I got the idea somewhere of a number one appliqued over a star.  Since his party is all about Pixar’s Cars I used my checked flag material.

number 1 racing fan

A friend had given me a bag of hand me down baby clothes and there were some onesies in there that would be too short for Nate.  I cut them right at the bottom to make them into little t-shirts. I used Steam-A-Seam to stick the number 1 on.  But I was still worried it would be a bit short and wanted to add some length so I made my own bias tape to add to the bottom of the shirt.  Can’t wait to see him in it tomorrow!

Place setting stockings.

The other day while looking through the flyers I found this neat idea, for $13.99.   Of course I instantly figured I could make something similar quite easily.  And so I did!

ad

I started with our old stocking.  I believe I got them at the dollar store years ago, and they say our names and I figure we should be Mom and Dad now so it was time for new stockings anyway.  So I disassembled them to re-use the fabric.

old stockings

With the help of my friend google, I searched for an image of a stocking and sized it to a size I liked and began cutting!
you get the idea

whee!

I recovered enough fabric to make 6 stockings.  We’re travelling at Christmas this year and won’t need our stockings and so I have a whole year to make us something snazzy and neat.

table setting

I don’t have any wonderful dishes but you get the idea.

table setting friends

Here are the other stocking friends.  They could also be used as place holders if you stitched names on the stockings.  Perhaps I’ll get to that for next year.

Ribbon Christmas tree t-shirt.

Made this today for my big little guy. I didn’t take an action shot for fear he’d get something on it and I hoped he can wear it out tomorrow.

christmas tree t

I picked the red and green design just to make it look a little boyish. i didn’t have a star button for the top, and I was eager to finish it so it’s a circle, I’m sure he’ll cope. I cut the ribbons and planned them out based on the sayings. Then I stuck them to my new friend, Steam-A-Seam and ironed away. Once again, I am impressed.

I came across the idea online in the last few days but can’t find exactly where. Today when I searched in google I found some other tutorials on it as well. So while I can’t claim I invented this craft I also can’t really know who did. But I do know it’s neat, easy and I like it!

Reading material!

one yard wonders

Ordered two books and I’m so excited about them.  One Yard Wonders is amazing!  I can’t decide where to start!! Bend the Rules with Sewing, I suppose the book I should have gotten first, is really neat too. I’m such a sucker for bags and totes and between these 2 books there are so many to choose from.

bend the rules

I also managed to sneak out to the thrift store on the weekend and found that neat little pineapple napkin holder. I thought it might hold some of my newly acquired craft and sewing books nicely. Seems it’s a perfect fit for my Amy Karol collection.

Oh right, the gift reveal.

Now that my recipient has their gift I can show you the full cover of my soft counting book I made.  I still have to make my son one, I’ve been consumed by other crafts.  My gift was ever so graciously received.  I was happy to make it and give it.  I hope it bring years of enjoyment and stands up to the test of time!

for cassie

Crayon cozy – attempt #1.

Thanks to this tutorial I was inspired to try a crayon cozy.   It was fun and I only  made one ‘oops’.

crayon cozy

I even got fancy and added my own little lable to it.  I did however make a mistake when cutting the pieces and for some reason it’s about an inch too short.  The result is it only holds 15 crayons rather than the 16 it should.  So out you go Red-Orange, who needs you anyway when there’s Orange and Yellow-Orange!?

Unrolled

I got a little bit inventive and added a button and elastic closure.  I’m a pro at that after my car cozy and playmat.

rolled up

Soft book tutorial.

I tried to make notes as I went along, and take pictures, but it’s hard enough creating something from nothing and then to document it as well!! But here it goes.  Using some advice from Bella Dia, and what I think is my own good sense here are the steps I used in making my fabric counting book.  Hopefully it’s enough information to help you create one too.

Soft book.

1. Plan – First, because I was lounging at the TV when I was struck with this idea, I sketched out my plan for each page. Knowing what materials I had on hand helped me decide on the page designs.   I made the pages like this:  1 sun, 2 cherries, 3 blind mice, 4 triangles on a kite, 5 fingers on a hand,  6 flowers, 7 colours in a rainbow, 8 fall shapes, 9 buttons and 10 bows.

Sketch.

2.  Cut – I cut 10 pieces of fabric, 6 1/2 by 6 1/2 square. I was going to make the cover out of some other material but I decided in the end to use the same fabric and cut 2 more pieces. So you’ll need 12 altogether, split if you want to vary your prints.

The cover I didn't use and the fabric for the inside pages.

3.  Create (I know it’s a vague step) – Based on your ideas for each page just go to work creating them on each of the 10 squares. I used a variety of methods to put my pages together.  Here’s a layout of all the pages before some finished touches and before they were assembled.

Group shot,

I used Steam-A-Seam, applique, yarn, rick rack, buttons, embrodery, ribbon, rubber stamps and paint to complete all 10 pages.  See my previous post for close up shots of each page.

4.  Page assembly – Pin pages 2 and 3, right sides together, here’s where it takes some thinking, leave the side that will go in the ‘binding’ of the book open for turning.  It’s going to covered by the printed fabric so it doesn’t matter about finishing that edge.   Since I placed all my numbers in the top left corner it was a bit easier to remember what side to leave open.  Turn and Press.  Repeat for pages 4 and 5, 6 and 7, then 8 and 9.  Sew, turn, press.

Sewn pages.

5.  Cover creation – Since I decided not to use my original cover pieces I went back and cut some from my linen.  But my supply was running low and I had to cut 6 1/2 by about 6, leaving me a bit short.  So I cut a piece of printed fabric to use as a ‘spine’ for the book.  I accidentally put my fabric where my cold drink of water had been and it got a bit wet, ignore the spots.  I zigzagged stitched the spine to the front cover and back cover of the book.

Covers and spine.

6.  Personalize – Attach any sort of label/saying you want on the back page of the book.  Fabric stores have those cute, ‘Made by Mommy’ or ‘For Someone Special’ labels that would work well here.

IMG_2944 [1024x768]

7.  More Personalizing – Decorate the front cover, I personalized mine and embroidered it.  You could appliqué it, or sew some 3D embellishments on.  Then when finished, sew page 1 to the spine, leaving the binding side open for turning.  (Name blocked out for gift surprise protection)

Cover

8.   Cover assembly – Sew page 10 to the back cover, right sides together, sew on the top, right and bottom leaving the left side open for turning.  Then sew page 1 to the front cover , sew on the top, left and bottom, leaving the right side open for turning.

Page 10 attachement.

9.  Loop – I also attached a little loop piece of fabric, it was about 2 1/2 by 3 and I just folded it right sides together, sewed along the long side, turned it and pinned it to the top of the binding.  Sorry for the busy pattern of my ironing board.

Cover assembly.

10.  Top stitching – Top stitch around the edges of all the pages, as close as possible.  I used a brown thread so it showed on all my pages.  You could get fancy and change threads but at this point I was excited to get finished, hence the lack of photos.  Lay the book cover/page 1 and page 10/back cover page flat.   Fold over and press the book spine part to make a little hem.  Top stitch all around that piece.

11.  Inserting the pages – Once I finished all my top stitching I carefully set the pages inside the book making sure to line all the edges up along the inside at page 1 and 10.  Then I realized just how thick my book was and wondered how on earth I was going to get it under the sewing machine foot!!  I’m relatively new to sewing, and mostly I learn just by trying stuff out so here’s what I did in this situation.  I put the pages in, secured with some pins, folded the cover over the book and then slid it under the machine foot in the middle of the spine where it was thinest.  Then I sewed down to the bottom of the book and backstitched.  Turned the book over, inserted it where my stitching started and went in the other direction to the top of the book.

Page 3 and 4.