Toddler Travel Pillow Tutorial

Try to say that 10 times fast!

Aaanyway...we're going to be taking off to California for Christmas soon and I decided to make my kids some travel neck pillows to help keep them comfortable for the loooong car ride. Yes. We're driving. I know, we must be nuts. Please say a prayer for us.

 yes, she's still in pajamas. That's how we roll around here!

I had a hard time finding a good tutorial online, so I thought I would walk you through how I made mine. It's a very straight forward pattern and took maybe 30 minutes to make, with the most time consuming parts being cutting and stuffing (and of course pinning - I hate pinning!)

Materials needed:
- Fabric of your choice. I used quilting cotton on top and minkee on the bottom - hence the pinning.
- polyfil - or stuffing of your choice
- pins
- thread
- scissors
- needle for hand sewing opening shut
- sewing machine
- chopstick or knitting needle for stuffing and poking

Here's how I made my pattern. I made the back part thinner so it wouldn't push my kids heads forward.

After you make your pattern and cut it out, cut two pieces from your fabric.

 Pin your two pieces together all the way around, right sides facing. Be sure to leave a gap for turning on one of the straight ends. I like to mark the opening with two pins on either side so I don't forget as I'm sewing along.

Sew your pieces together with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, making sure to remove the pins as you go. I like to sew the outside edge first, then the inside circle and finish with the straight ends.

Once you've sewn all the way around, trim your corners and seam allowances to reduce bulk. Also, snip the inside circle and notch the outside to make everything lay nice and flat without puckering.  Be careful not to snip through your stitches. That would be bad. I may or may not speak from experience.

After you're done snipping, it's time to turn it right side out through the opening that you left.

Gently poke out your corners with a chopstick or knitting needle.

 Here's what we have so far - an empty shell all ready to be stuffed.

Ok, time to stuff it! You'll want to use small pieces of stuffing to keep it from getting lumpy. Use your chopstick or the back end of your knitting needle to cram it all the way down into the corners. Stuff it nice and firm so it really provides good support for your precious child's neck.

Once you have it nice and firm, hand stitch it closed with your preferred stitch. I like to use a  ladder stitch for a nice clean finish. I'm a bad blogger and forgot to take a photo of this step. Shame shame!

Look at that! You're done. Sit back and admire your handy work. :)

Finished dimensions - 9 x 9 with 3.5 inch diameter neck opening.

Let me know if you try this pattern and how it turns out! Also, be sure to let me know if you have any questions or if anything is unclear. Happy Sewing! :)

Oh yeah, and apologies for the different fabrics used. I forgot to take some photos along the way and filled in with the second one I made. :)

ETA: I feel the need to add that this pattern is for personal use only and is not to be sold or used to make things to be sold. Thank you for respecting that. :) 

T Shirt to Shirred Dress

Gosh, I feel like it's been ages since I've posted a sewing project. I think I lost my mojo for a bit, but I think it's making a come back. More on that later though.

I recently came across this tutorial from Obsessively Stitching and knew right away what I would do. I have a few tee shirts from my pre-baby days that I have no business wearing anymore, so I turned one of them into a dress. I'm not convinced that it's really long enough to be a dress, so I might have to add some lace trim at the bottom or something, but I'm really loving the way it turned out so far!

I think the whole thing took me about ten minutes, and the hardest part was winding the bobbin! That's my kind of project! Especially with two little ones under foot.

Anyway, apologies for the headless model. My daughter has severe reactions to mosquito bites and the poor thing looks like she has mumps right now her face is so swollen - from one measly mosquito. :(

On a brighter note, I hope you're all staying cool and enjoying your summer! Have a great weekend!

A Little Something for Myself

I don't use pins very often when I sew - yeah, I'm daring like that. So, I keep my pincushion up high on a shelf to keep it out of reach of curious little hands. Since those little hands are generally very close by while I'm sewing, I just reach up to grab a pin or two when I need them.

After today, I'll reach no more. I whipped up a cute little flower pin cushion with the help of this tutorial to keep just a few pins nearby. I added a ribbon so I can hang it on my spool rack, so it's still out of reach for my kids but very accessible to me. Yay!

DIY Bird Bath

I've wanted a bird bath for my yard for as long as I can remember, but could never bring myself to spend the kind of money that retailers want for them. Have you seen how expensive a nice birth bath can be? So, I set out to make one of my own. On a Budget. My frugal side and creative side compliment each other well.

After seeing all of the cute tea cup feeders out there, the light bulb went on and I devised my plan.  And, I couldn't very well keep this idea to myself, so I took some photos and put together a tutorial so you can pamper your little birdie friends as well.

Materials:
Serving bowl/platter (round bowls with flat bottoms works best)
1/2 inch threaded cast iron pipe 4ft long
1/2 inch cast iron flange
gorilla glue
scrap wood
rubber mallot (not pictured)
water
Spray paint (optional)

Gather up your materials and prep your work space. I didn't put anything down to protect my cutting mat, but I recommend laying some news paper down just in case.

Following the directions on the Gorilla glue, lightly wet the bottom of your bowl and apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the flange. I used a bit too much glue and it oozed up through all of the holes because it expands. A lot. Making sure to center your flange, press it onto the bottom of your bowl.

Place a heavy object (or a few) on top of the flange to "clamp" it for 1-2 hours.

While you're waiting for your glue to cure, spray paint your pipe taking care not to paint the threads. Of course, you can choose to leave your pipe as is, but mine was a bit chewed up so I used some brown spray paint that I already had to pretty it up a bit.

 Once everything has dried/cured for the directed amount of time, it's time to put everything together. After finding a suitable spot for your bird bath, place your scrap wood on top of your pipe (to protect the threads) and pound it into the ground about one foot, making sure it's plum.

Thread your bowl with attached flange onto the pipe, tighten down, fill with water and sit back to enjoy your handy work.

 

If your bowl is particularly deep, make sure to only put a small amount of water in the bottom so the birds can stand up in it. They won't bathe if they can't touch the bottom. Alternatively you could place a flat rock in the bottom for them to stand on.

The total cost of this project? Approximately $22. You can make it even more budget friendly by finding your bowl at the thrift store, but I fell in love with this one from Target for $12.99. Let me know if you decide to try this or come up with any variations. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Birthday Shirt Tutorial

I've made it a tradition to make a numbered birthday shirt like this one for my daughter each year. With her birthday fast approaching this Sunday, I thought it was high time I got my butt in gear and make one for her third birthday. While I was at it, I figured I would snap some pictures and put together a quick tutorial for those of you who might be interested in making one too.

Materials:
Blank T-Shirt
Coordinating fabric
Matching thread
Double Sided Fusible Web
Marker
Scotch Tape
Scissors
Iron
Sewing Machine

Once you have all of your materials, find a suitable font on your word processor with the number of your choice. Enlarge the font on the screen to the desired size. The font I used was Hobo set at 600, which measured approximately 3 inches across by 5 1/2 inches tall.

Take a sheet of your doubled sized fusible web and scotch tape it right to your computer screen. With a steady hand, trace your number right onto the fusible web's transfer paper. I find this method much easier than printing a gazillion copies to obtain the desired size and it also saves on paper. Go Green!

After tracing your number, rough cut the fusible web around your number. Do not cut on your trace lines like I did! It's much easier to cut both fabric and fusible web at the same time than to cut the fabric after you've already cut your web.  Remove the top layer of transfer paper and lay your number backwards on the wrong side of your fabric and iron according to manufacturer instructions. 

Now you can cut your number out on your trace lines and you will end up with a nice iron on applique that looks something like this:

Remove the transfer paper, position your applique on your t-shirt and iron into place according to manufacturer instructions.

Now head on over to your machine and set it to a appealing zig-zag stitch. I think mine was set at 3.5 stitch length and 1.0 spacing. Being very careful not to stretch your shirt as you sew, zig-zag close to the edge all the way around your number.

Remember to secure your stitches at the beginning and end. Snip your loose threads and you're done!

Whip up a cute little flower embellishment, hand sew in place and bribe cute little three year old to stand still long enough to take pictures.

Let me know if anything is unclear and I'll do my best to help. If you decide to try this for yourself, I'd love to see photos - just include the link in your comment. Happy Sewing everyone! :)

Fit for a Gnome - How to Make a Moss Terrarium

Moss terrariums have been popping up all over the place lately and it was love at first site for me. I've been admiring them from a distance since I first noticed them, and finally decided to make one for myself over the weekend.


This was a super cheap project, since I had all of the materials on hand. I have a gorgeous rock in my yard covered in lush green moss, some sweet vintage apothecary jars that we inherited with our first home, and of course rocks and dirt. Here's how I made my little terrarium:

First I gently peeled some moss from my rock and gathered a few stones for decoration.


Then I laid down a layer of small rocks for drainage


Then some potting soil - not soil from where I got the moss in case there were little bugs in it.


And finally, I arranged my moss in billowy little clumps with a few accent rocks, sprinkled in some water and put on the lid.


Here it is all finished and looking pretty doin' what it does. I could get lost in this little mossy place. Now I just need to add some little mushrooms and it will be fit for even the pickiest of little gnomes!


The whole thing took about 15 minutes to make from the time I gathered my supplies to putting the lid on. So what are you waiting for? Hunting for moss for your terrarium is a great excuse to go for a walk in the woods. I would love to see what you come up with if you decide to make one for yourself. I promise you'll be in love, and if your anything like me you'll instantly be scouring etsy for the perfect decorations.

Update: A few things I forgot to mention in my excitement - the best way to water your terrarium is with a fine mist from a spray bottle. You only need to water it about every 2-3 weeks or when the condensation goes away. If you over water by accident just leave the lid off for a little bit to dry up some of the extra moisture.

Diapers on the Clothesline

Seeing as I'm only two weeks (give or take) away from meeting my little boy, a lot of my sewing/crafting time has been dedicated to baby things. And though I feel like I've gotten a lot done, time is ticking away faster than I can handle at the moment. Who ever heard of a pregnant woman hoping that the baby would take its time being born?

I've gotten about 7 diapers sewn and am hoping to knock out 5 more before he gets here, but I still have to make all of the soakers for them and my serger is in the shop - great timing, eh?


I also crocheted a cute little hat from this tutorial to keep him cozy on cool summer nights.


Still on my to do list are a diaper bag that could pass as a handbag and a gender neutral nursing cover since I will be nursing both my son and daughter. Anyone interested in taking a poll to bet on whether I'll get everything finished in time all while trying to stock my new shop?

Adding to the list...

As if I don't have enough on my plate with my grand opening coming up and only 9 weeks until my son is expected to arrive, I've found one more thing to add to my craft list. I stumbled on this fantastic tutorial tonight for a reusable crocheted "swiffer sock." After looking at the pattern, it looks pretty simple, but I imagine it might take quite a bit of time to complete. I think it would be worth its weight in gold, though with all of the money it would save, not to mention the fact that there's nothing to throw away. What's even better is that it's reversible so you can use it to both sweep and mop!

My next project...

...After I get all of my baby sewing done, that is! I stumbled on this really cute tutorial for a toy storage hammock, or as I called them when I was a kid, a "pet net." Since we will be moving the changing table out of my daughter's room and into the new baby's room, we will need a place to store her stuffed animals. They currently reside on a shelf on the table and I thought this would make a great new home for them. It seems like a pretty quick and easy project, and can be made to any size that you need. Perfect!

A few things I've been working on

I've been sewing my fingers to the bone lately making these cute little travel tissue cozies and key fobs. I plan on offering both of these as free gifts with purchases for my grand opening sale in my new shop, which will hopefully take place sometime this spring. In the meantime, if you're interested in making a tissue cozy of your own, check out this tutorial. Mine are a tad bit different though, as there are no raw edges or loose flaps anywhere. I can't give away all of my secrets! :)