Category Archives: sewing

Cloth counting/quiet book for a mystery baby!

Within the span of about an hour on Friday night I went from having an idea for a cloth counting book to sketching out a plan and cutting the fabric.    So here’s a peek at the finished product.  I’m so hyped!!! I can’t believe how well it turned out.  Or how sad I am that I made it as a gift and have to give it away!!  Now I’ve started to work on one for my son so I can keep it around.  I personalized the cover so had to hide the name so the wonderful mom who reads my blog doesn’t discover what I’ve made her child for Christmas.

So mysterious.  Embroidered cover.  I added a loop to attach links for the stroller etc.

Embroidered cover.

This was my first attempt so there’s some things to iron out but I’m totally impressed with how it turned out!! Plus, in my opinion, the little things that make it imperfect are just fun details that come from a totally handmade gift crafted with love!  I added a loop to attach some links for the stroller etc.

Here’s a glimpse at what I put on each page.

Page 1 and 2.

Page 1 and 2.

I only bought one thing and that was yellow thread so I could machine sew the sun.  Other than that, I made the entire project out of things I already had on hand, which I thought was pretty frugal and resourceful, but my husband said it means I have way to much stuff.

Pages 3 and 4.

Pages 3 and 4.

I started with 3 little mice and then realised how cute it would be to tie in some fairy tale reference, so there it is.  Their tails are yarn and freely flop around.  the tail on the kite is thick pink rick rack.  The mice and the number 4 are made out of super soft minky fabric.

I fused the handprint on, cut from pink flannel.  The flowers are scrapbooking supplies, with button centers and embroidered stems.

Pages 5 and 6.

I used Steam a Seam and fused the handprint on, cut from pink flannel. The flowers are from my scrapbooking supplies, with button centres and embroidered stems.

Pages 7 and 8.

Pages 7 and 8.

This page was a bit finicky.  I used ribbon, again what I had on hand, for the rainbow.  For my next book I think I’ll purchase thick ribbon for this page, it was a bit tricky to work with the thin ribbons.  However, the lumps and bumps here and there in the rainbow give it character!  I was a but stumped for page 8 and was going to use butterflies when I thought of stamping instead.  I was trying to vary the textures and colours in the book so this was a good opportunity to use something different.

Pages 9 and 10.

Pages 9 and 10.

This is the super 3D double spread!  The buttons were a piece of cake.  The bows were a little more involved, tying them was one adventure and then sewing them on to make sure they weren’t going to undo was another!  I wish I had made the number 10 a little bit bigger but oh well.

Backcover with my label.

Backcover with my label.

My labels, which I finally got around to making, which I suppose is another post.  This book was great fun to make and I made it in a about 3 sessions at the machine, started Friday night done Sunday noonish.  Working on a tutorial to post soon.

Juice pouch tote? Check!

I finally had time to run to the sewing machine and finish off my juice pouch tote attempt #1.  I’m really happy with it.  It took 17 pouches to make, 4 on each side, 5 to go around the sides and 1 for each handle.  I sewed it all together with a zigzag stitch and attached the handles with just a straight stitch.

Recycled fun!

I’m going to get to work planning a messenger bag or something for my laptop.

Recycled view number 2.

Circle storage for my squares.

I’ve been having fun making squares for my little square scarf, but I’ve also been having trouble storing them, and I’m nowhere near done!

Snazzy storage.

Snazzy storage.

So I came up with the idea to make myself a little storage bucket thingie.  I toyed with embroidering it with some complicated paisley pattern, copying the fabric, but whimped out for a faster and wittier approach.  Here’s how I went about it . . . ish.

Fabric selection.  I used some black felt to save on interfacing.

Fabric selection. I used some black felt to save on interfacing.

The professional and highly technical template.

The professional and highly technical template.

The trickiest part, pinning and sewing on a curve.

The trickiest part, pinning and sewing on a curve. The hand of my little helper.

Witty caption.

Witty caption.

10 minute project.

I whipped this up so fast! I cut the fabric on my way downstairs to sew the last few stitches on the construction playmat. Then I went and finished the top stitching on the playmat, and zipped up the back for the pillow and right sides together, zip around, zig zag around for reinforcement, turn and voila pillow case!

This time I learned that the back pocket part of the pillow needs to overlap quite a bit. It’s too easy for the back to gape open and show the white of the pillow.

Treating myself.

Since I won a $25 mall gift card for my Tooth Fairy costume, I decided to treat myself to some books.  I also had a ‘save $10 if you spend over $40’.  So I picked up Sewing Green by Betz White and Bend the Rules with Fabric by Amy Karol.  Both for about $15!  Being a Mom is a funny thing sometimes, I had a really hard time spending the money on myself.  Even while walking around with the 2 books in my hand I would see a touchy feely book, or something with Thomas the Tank Engine, and start to wonder if I really needed to buy myself something.  In the end I did, but not without feeling weird about it.  Now to make a tea and sit and enjoy them!

Fun books

May I present my new invention – the Playcosie!

Looks like the car cosie you say? Ohhhhhh scroll down my friend.

Looks like the car cosie you say? Ohhhhhh scroll down my friend.

When I gave Wesley his car cosie he thought it was pretty cool.   However, he looked up at me after a few minutes and said, “Where’s the rest of the road?”.  So I thought of making him a playmat, he has mats with roads on them already, but I thought one from me would be neat.  Then today I noticed he had all construction vehicles parked on his cosie and thought I’d make him a construction site playmat instead.  I even have the perfect fabric (which is also part of my work in progress car cosie for Nate).

And so once again here I find myself creating from scratch.  Not using my grid paper this time, but I will jot down the measurements of what I’m doing and make a template later.  BUT I asked myself, why make it just a play mat? what about the vehicles? does he have to carry his car cosie as well?  So I had the idea to incorporate the car cosie pocket idea into a parking lot and then the vehicles are stored easily and the playmat could fold and roll up just like a larger version of the car cosie!!  I’m getting pretty brave for a ‘sometime’ sewer.  Here’s how I’m doing it.

1. I have a construction themed fabric for the backing (18 x 22, from Walmart’s craft section), black for the road and parking lot, yellow for the lines, green for grass, brown for the dirt and a patterned stone print for here and there.  I may have to break out the Steam a Seam again for the appliqué, we’ll see.

Fabric selection

Fabric selection

2.  I cut a piece of black fabric to be the pocket (10 x 22), fold in half and iron. I sewed it to piece of black fabric to be a road in front of the parking spaces ( 8 x 22, just because). I suppose you could just cut this all as one piece and press twice to be pockets and a road but I wasn’t being that logical. Attach the pocket piece to the road piece by sewing along the raw edges.

3. Pin it at about 3 inch intervals, leaving 1/4 for seams. This 3 inch part was a bit ‘ishy’, I eyeballed it after I didn’t like the 3 inch spaces. Sew along those lines over the edge of the fold a little bit. One tutorial I read said to be sure to backstitch as those pockets are going to get a lot of use from little hands.Then I got out my new love, Steam a Seam and cut out little yellow lines which I ironed on over the pocket stitching. I recommend not sliding the iron around the fabric but rather use a lift and press technique as those little yellow lines might jump onto your iron and get all sticky and messy. Just saying, it could happen.

Parking lot in progress

Parking lot in progress

Voila, a pocket.

Voila, a pocket.

4. Decide how big you want your construction site.  If you attach the pocket piece at the edge of your outside material your mat will be around 18 x 22 inches total.  Depending on your needs and the child that might be big enough.  OR if you want more play for your buck you can slide the parking lot up a bit, cut a ‘filler’ piece of fabric for the outside, some nice co-ordinating print perhaps and have a bigger mat.  I had a scrap of black so I added a couple of inches to mine, making is almost square, 21 1/2 x 22.

Wrong side with strip I added for more space.

Wrong side with strip I added for more space.

5.   Now it’s time to get wild and crazy!  I didn’t want to use interfacing but wanted to add some weight to the project, so I cut a piece of white lining to fit the entire area.  Then I marked off where my pocket/road section would end.  Then it’s time for a bit of freestyling to fill up the construction site!  Lots of mud?  dirt? a puddle of water? some grass? pile of wood? pilons? whatever!  Fill  up the remaining space either quilt style or appliqué with scraps or prints picked special for this purpose.

Decisions, decisions.

Decisions, decisions.

Rough plan (sorry for the sun)

Rough plan (sorry for the sun)

6. Once you have that all worked out sew it to the lining. First I went all around the perimetre with a straight stitch. Then I used a zigzag stitch and just went around everything with black thread. I figured it’s a construction site it can look a bit rough. I also hope it stops fraying and secures the pieces down from my 2 little munchkins.

Look close for zig zags.  Wesley was waiting at the machine and ran off with this to play.  So no detail picture.

Look close for zig zags. Wesley was waiting at the machine and ran off with this to play. So no detail picture.

7. Now we got my trusty friend Steam a Seam out again and placed some mud puddles here and there. This part was fun because Wesley could help me do it and it can hide any stitching or spaces you just don’t want anyone to see.

Wesley wanted to put them all in the big mud area in the middle.  I stiffled his creativity and moved them around a bit to where I wanted them.

Wesley wanted to put them all in the big mud area in the middle. I stifled his creativity and moved them around a bit to where I wanted them.

8.  Now put things right side together, sew all around, remember to place an elastic for the button and leave an opening to turn. I put the elastic loop in and sewed all around leaving the space across from the loop open to turn. Then I came upstairs and put some cars and trucks into the parking spots, rolled it up and got a feel for where a button should go. Then I reached into the hole and attached the button.

10.  Time for some top stitching fun!!  Turn the project right side out and press to get a nice crisp fold. Top stitch all around the edges of the project.  If you’re a quilter you can even get fancy and do some stitching around the playmat (not on the parking lot!).

I'm sure I have these all set up wrong, Wesley will fix it in the morning.

I'm sure I have these all set up wrong, Wesley will fix it in the morning.

11. Ta da!

All rolled up and ready to go!

All rolled up and ready to go!

Things I learned:

– I should make my patterns and do my thinking during the day so I just have to follow steps at night when the kids are in bed and I try to sew.

– Lots of black scraps, left over from mistakes, isn’t so bad.  It can be parking lots on some other playmat.

– Having yellow thread on hand would have saved me a step.

– I need a bigger cutting mat.

– Don’t tell your child what you’re doing when making them something cool they will really like. It makes things go slower.

Totes in waiting.

I’ve grouped these fabrics together to create  . . . . something . . .  somday.

Currently I’m in the middle of a really neat project and while I’m tempted to blog what I’ve got done so far I’m forcing myself to wait until it’s all finished.  Plus that way the tutorial will make more sense!

I’m also dying to try this Christmas Stocking project.  However, since we’ll be travelling this year, and I’d have to be cutting and piecing pretty much right at this moment it might have to wait.  January clearance Christmas fabric here I come!

Found treasure.

I took the kids for a big walk the other day, it was so nice and unseasonably warm.  It was recycling day and we passed a pile at the curb and Wesley noticed a Little Tykes easel sitting there.  Nothing was wrong with it, other than being covered with paint and crayons, and he started talking about it and walked over to it, and of course he asked if he could have it.  He was so excited about it I figured why not.  I wonder how much useful stuff ends up in landfills? I knocked on the door to ask the people if I could leave it in their driveway and come back for it with the van but no one was home.  So there I was walking home carrying a big bright coloured easel under my arm while pushing a sit and stand stroller with 2 kids in it!

I got it home and cleaned it up and was inspired to make Wesley a smock for all the dirty painting and colouring he’s going to do.  Essentially it’s just a big bib.  However, I did add the challenge of making it reversible (although my husband said if it’s for painting why would you want to reverse it)  and I decided to add an appliqué design.  Here’s the sort of tutorial.

Things I learned:
– Bias on very curvy bits is not fun. In future I’ll just sew right sides together, turn and top stitch. While it looks really nice it cost more and was finicky.
– I should have sewn the ‘back’ pieces to the front piece a the beginning. I did them separately and then had to worry about the bias and edges lining up properly. I also had to cover the hem on the inside.
– The patterned side is already pretty busy. Next time the appliqué should go on the solid side to dress it up a bit.
– Despite all that, I’m pretty awesome.

Foray into appliqué

I’ve wanted to make my kids some T-shirts for a while. While on a Joann’s shopping trip I found some really cute iron ons and was eager to try them. I had two plain 3T shirts and used one of the iron ons. It worked really nicely, went on well, however, my son wore it once, I hand washed it (as directed) and noticed the lines breaking and I have little faith that the design is going to last. So, going with, ‘if you want something done right do it yourself’, I’ve decided to create them myself.

I kept it simple the first time, I’ve never done appliqué, so I went with an easy simple shape and put a bright tie on the shirt. I used Steam a Seam and it worked like magic! I’m glad I explained to the lady at Fabricland what I intended to do, otherwise I would have bought the wrong thing entirely. It was really simple to work with and even requires no sewing, if you feel so inclined, apparently edges will not fray or separate. I did stitch around the tie for some extra detail.

Car cosie.

I came across this tutorial the other day and had to try it. So I gathered some car themed fabric and set to work. The tutorial was easy to follow and I even made a change and added a elastic and button closure rather than a ribbon.

Now I have to set to work making another one for little brother. There’s already been some scuffles. Luckily I found some perfect fabric today so I’m excited to get to work. Oh, and luckily Nate’s only 10 months old so I can probably finish some other projects first!