Exterminate!

I have not screen printed in AGES. But the girls wanted special Doctor Who shirts for their little viewing party tomorrow night, so we worked on Dalek tees. At first, they were suppose to be tardis tees, but we had major issues with the tardis artwork, So we switched to Daleks. We did the cheap easy screen printing, which you can do too!

Materials
Embroidery or quilting hoop (mine was the 8", $2.99 at Hancock Fabrics)
Piece of organza or similar fabric
fabric paint
paint brushes
mod podge
painters tape
saran wrap
tee shirt


1. Put the organza in the hoop. make it tight. place your artwork on the table, tape the saran wrap over it and tape it down. Put your hoop over your artwork, tape that down too.

2. take your mod podge and paint the clear spaces, where you don't want there to be ink. you will need small brushes to get the little bits.

3. Let the mod podge dry. Check for any areas that were missed. Here is your screen!

4. Put the tee shirt on a piece of cardboard so it is flat and stretched. place the screen on top. You can tape it down so it doesn't shift.

5.  put a glob of paint on the screen. I use a paint brush, a hard bristled one, to move the paint around.

6. gently lift the screen up off the tee.

Let dry for about 24 hours. don't wash for about 48. Enjoy!

Yo-Yo's!

I am trying to teach my 7 year old to sew, we have done a few projects from books, and she is getting better each project, but we hadn't tried hand stitching yet! So the other day at Walmart I found a packet of make your own yo-yo's on clearance for $4.50. It was a big piece of fabric with printed circles you cut out and the stitch marks are already there! You cut, press and sew. I think I might go see if they have more. Evie needed practice cutting fabric, so this was perfect. She cut out a few, I pressed them for her and showed her how to stitch along the lines. She was soooo proud of her first we hot glued it to a headband!

She is frantically making yo-yo's, and wants to do hairpieces for her friends and has designed a yo-yo necklace she wants to make too.

I can't wait for my 5 year old to become interested in sewing too. But since she isn't, I can share her latest artwork...

This is me and the children at the grocery store. I am the sad face with curly hair in the middle. Serena is on the left, being crazy. Evie is on the other side yelling at Rena to stop being crazy in the store, and the baby is the little red face at the bottom sitting in the cart flirting with all the ladies in the store. Yup, that sums up mommyhood.

Oh, and here is a tote I finished to maybe use as a diaper bag...

I fell in love with the robot fabric...but it is a little obnoxious for everyday use!

Diaper and Wipes Carrier Free Tutorial!

There are a few places online that sell these great little diaper and wipes carriers, but if you can sew a straight line why not make one? They are so easy and quick to do, I make one to match every bag! They fit the little plastic wipes container (mine is from huggies) and about 4 diapers.
So here is how to whip one up!

Body cut
2 - 7.5 by 10.5

Lining cut
2 - 7.5 by 10.5

Flap cut
2 - 5.5 by 6.5

to angle the Flap, take your ruler and see the 45 degree angle line? place that on a side, and inch in from the corner. Trim off the end. Do the other side. The flap should be 6.5 high by 5.5 wide. If you don't want angled sides, use a quarter to round them!

 

Sew around the sides and bottom, trip the corners.

flip and make crisp corners. Press, then edge stitch around. Sew 2 sides and bottom right sides together on the lining and body pieces.

Find center on back side of body, mark. Fold flap in half, find center and mark. place your center marks together and pin. Sew flap on with 1/8th inch  seam.

Then place inside your lining (make sure right sides are together!) and sew, leaving a 3 inch space in the front to turn.

Turn, topstitch 1/8th from the top, so opening is closed. You're all set! Now you just have to add fasteners. I use velcro tabs.

They are sticky, but I add a little fabric glue to be extra sure. Place them where you want them (center close to edge) and go!

Tutorial, Giant Messanger purse with Zip front pocket

This bag is huge, but easy and fun to make. I didn't take a lot of pictures in process, so I hope the directions are really clear!

Cut
Body
2 - 20.5 by 20.5
2 - 30.5 inch strips (sides and bottom)

Lining
2 0 20.5 by 20.5
2 - 30.5 inch strips

Flap

to make a pieced flap, cut the following 20.5 by
6, 3.5, 12
1 20.5 by 20.5 piece for lining

Straps
2 - 4 inch strips
1 inch strips of craft fuse

Front Pocket
20.5 by 12

cut fusible fleece for all exterior pieces
cut fusible interfacing for interior pieces (not too heavy, so it moves) also for pocket pieces.

also need
22 inch zipper
magnetic snaps
1 inch or 1 1/4 inch square ring
1 or 1 1/4 inch buckle

1/4 inch seam allowance.

1. assemble the flap pieces. Sew the side pieces together to make 1 large strip for exterior and 1 for lining.

2. iron on fusible to everything but the straps.

3. Use a cup to make the bottom corners only of the body, flap, and lining pieces rounded.

4. pin the flap front to flap lining right sides together , sew sides and bottom, clip edges, press so right sides are out, topstitch.

5. Fold in half, mark center. then mark 5 inches from center on each side, 2 inches up from bottom of flap. this is for your snap placements. put top snaps here.

6. take zipper and 2 20.5 by 12 inch pieces for your zipper pocket. pin to one side of the zipper, right sides together to make a zipper sandwich.

7. This is tricky. Make sure the open edge of the zipper is at the end of the fabric, so the little metal stop won't be in your seam. Then you have a little bit at the end that will be over so the heavy metal stop will be cut off after sewn. Sew together, flip and press.

8. topstitch.

9. Fold this pocket in half, mark center. measure 5 inches out each side of center, 4 inches up. Mark, then place your bottom snaps here. test before actually putting them in to make sure they match up with the flap ones! only go through the top layer of fabric with snaps.

10. pin pocket to front exterior piece, matching sides and bottom. trim the corners of the pocket. Stitch the top part of the zipper down close to the edge, then go around the sides and bottom.

11. Take  the long strip for sides and bottom, match up center seam to your center mark on the pocket, pin right sides together. Your strip might be a wee bit longer than the bag body, that's OK, you can trip that later. stitch.

12. Take bag body back, fold and mark center. Line up center with seam on sides and bottom, pin in place right sides together then stitch.

13. Repeat with lining, leaving a 5 inch opening in the bottom of one side to turn.

14. take flap, mark center on flap where it will attach to body. mark center top of bag back, line up and sew in place at 1/8 inch.

15. sew the 2 4 inch strips together at an angle if you can. Press seam open.

16. Press in half. Then fold ends in so you have a 1 inch strip.

17. Cut off an 8 inch piece.This is for your ring. stitch 1/8 inch on both sides then fold in half, place ring in loop and use your zipper foot to stitch close to ring. Then, measure 2 inches from bottom and mark. This is where you line up to attach to bag body at sides, centering it up. After you topstitch the bag, make a square to anchor this part of the strap.

18. the strap left, take one end and fold it down so there is no raw eddge. then add the 1 inch strips of fusible interfacing. edge stitch 1/8 inch on both sides. at raw end, measure 2 inches from edge, then line that mark with bag body at side, stitch down at 1/8 inch.

19. Attach body and lining, turn, press, topstitch. anchor the straps. Put your buckle on your long strap, then take that through the ring front side to back side. Bring the strap to the buckle center, attach it using your zipper foot. Take it slow here, and make sure it is tacked down well. Pin first to make sure everything is correct and not twisted.

20. Slipstitch opening in lining closed and there you go!

Library Book

I took The Glass Castle out of the Library a few days ago, and got a surprise discussion along with my read.

Someone who had read it before me left little post it notes with their thoughts on them. That struck me as odd. I like to discuss books with others, but usually don't. I do still read a bit, I have to read before I go to sleep, always have. So now I am not only enjoying the book, but wondering who left the post its...

Speaking of Libraries, if you are in Hernando, our Quilt Guild president Teresa just put up a display about Vintage Sewing in the front display cases.

I am heading out there tomorrow, when the girls are in school. I have to return a few things and have a few things on hold, and next week I will start taking Bubba to storytime there. What would we do without good libraries!

Bags!

Sew, I have been busy these past few weeks. Well, not quite. I have been trying to squeeze in some sewing. I did manage to do a few bags. The first is the June Messenger.

 

It is HUGE. 20 by 20, created for a friend. It has an adjustable strap, and a pieced flap. This is the front.

I did a zippered front pocket instead of just opened pockets under the flap. The inner compartment is HUGE, and I added a row of pockets to the back so she could find things easier. I also did a little cell phone pocket on the side.

I also completed the Studio Kat Designs Quattro Bag. I fell in love with the pattern after reading about it on LGD's Blog.

The pattern is written more like a dressmakers pattern than a quilters, but it was actually easier to follow than I thought, and I am pretty pleased with the results. I can't use it as a diaper bag, it's a little too small, but it is my new go to purse when I get to go somewhere by myself! The pockets are awesome. Seriously, the zipper front fits all the makeup and first aid stuff I carry, the sides fit keys and cell, and the front pouch is great for quick grabs. the interior is really roomy too.

I am trying to decide which Studio Kat Designs pattern to try next!I have a few things lined up as next projects. The girls go back to school on Thursday, so next week I should be able to sew during Bubba's naps!