Scraps

Bare walls drive me nuts. However, I am not really great with home decor. I tend to find all of our furniture from craigslist, family members, or the side of the road (seriously, drives my husband nuts). Everything hanging on our walls is either art from my kids, my very talented friends, or family photos. My house will never be in Better Homes and Gardens.

So we have a dining room. I love having a dining room, we found an guy through friends that makes tables and benches out of scrap wood leftover from building homes, a china cabinet for almost nothing, and chairs from Goodwill. It is big enough for our whole family even when extended family visits. It is also where my amazing Girl Scout troop meets, the kids do art projects and general mayhem happens. The walls in the dining room are still bare. Like totally neekid.

At first I thought I would put a dry erase board in there, or cork squares to change things up, but I didn't want it to be too classroom like. So a few months ago my friend Dorothy gave me a bunch of really cool vintage embroidery hoops. All sizes. I knew they had to be in my house somewhere.

So today the kids and I went through my fabric scraps and started loading up the hoops. To keep the edges down, we used Elmer's school glue, just in case we wanted to take the fabric out and use it in another project. If you want yours to be permanent, you can use a glue gun or staples.

This project took us about an hour from hooping to hanging!

I think it fits our dining room really well, and the fabrics remind us of past sewing projects! Bonus, it was FREE.

I know a lot of us don't have the hoops hanging around, but they can often be found in thrift stores or grandma's attic!

little gift

I am always looking for teacher appreciation gift ideas, and make things year round so I am ready for Christmas and end of year! This pencil/supplies container is perfect for any classroom. This size can fit a whole pack of sharpies, and you can still put the lid on!

My 8 year old and I were spending time in the sewing room yesterday, and she came up with this idea for her teacher! We are all about recycling and using up scrap fabric, so this is perfect for us! She was able to do all the stitching, this is that easy to make! We used applique because my daughter loves to applique, but any teacher would love to have their name embroidered on one!

The base is just an empty large Strawberry Quik container.

Measure the height, in this case it was 5.75 inches from base to top. So, I cut a strip from scrap 6.75 inches by the width of fabric, which was 22 inches. All we are worried about to start is the height.

Now, fold in the top and bottom 1/2 inch each and press. You don't need to double fold, as this side will be glued to the container.

Next, take to the sewing machine and add a decorative stitch to the top and bottom. Rena chose this pretty snowflake stitch, because everything in our house is still all about Frozen. 

Next we will add the applique. I printed out a block letter A. Don't forget to print your letter in reverse so when you trace it with wonderunder then cut it out of fabric all is facing the right way!

Use fusible interfacing for the applique. If you are new to applique, fusible interfacing is really easy to use, and keeps everything in place and makes it really easy to sew! Stitch around your applique. 

Position so your applique is center front. Then, grab your glue gun! Glue the front down first, getting the edges really well.

Flip around to the back. Take the right side and trip so it is about in the middle of the container. Glue that side down, getting the edges really well.

Bring the other side around, trim so it is about an inch over the first side, then fold over about 1/2 inch. Glue fabric fold first, then glue down.

Ta-da! How easy was that? Now to find more containers to recover....

Easy scrap baby quilt

If you are like me, you keep leftover fabric from each project. I take my scraps and cut them into 2.5 inch strips and 6.5 inch squares, since I use those most in kid quilts. Yesterday I grabbed a bunch of the strips and about an hour later I had one of these baby quilts (36 by 36).

It was super easy. I just randomly took 3 strips and sewed them together. After I had 8 sets of 3 I trimmed them to 6.5 inch squares. I took those squares and placed them in a rail fence pattern, putting them together to make 2 sets of 12.5 inch blocks. If you look close, there are 2 types of blocks. I layer these out in 3 rows of 3 alternating blocks. Easy Peasy!

 

Happy sewing!

 

Daddy Diaper Bag Tutorial!

Sew... This is the Daddy Diaper Bag!

It's a big boat tote with lots of pockets, usually made out of sports fabrics. Hey, if it gets Dads to start carrying the 20 pounds of stuff needed for an outing with a baby, then it is worth it!

I usually buy 1 yard each of 3 fabrics. Lets say fabric 1 is the square gators, fabric 2 is the blue at the bottom (and lining) and fabric 3 is the orange. I buy extra to make accessories. ALL SEAMS ARE 1/4 inch!

Cut
Fabric 1
2 - 10 1/4 high by 21 wide
1 strip 10 1/2 for interior pockets

Fabric 2
2 - 21 wide by 18 high
2- 8 1/4 high by 21 wide

fabric 3
3 strips 4 1/2 inches
1 piece 12 high by 8 wide

Decor Bond fusible interfacing (or craft fuse)
1 inch wide strips for handles
2 - 10 1/4 high by 21 wide
2 - 21 wide by 18 high
2- 8 1/4 high by 21 wide

fuse interfacing to cut pieces. Prepare the handles by sewing the strips together. I do as if I was sewing binding.

After sewing the 3 strips together, take to ironing board and press in half, open, then press again.

place interfacing strip in one of the grooves, press again. Seam up both sides at about 1/8 inch. Then, to make 2 handles, fold in half and cut.

To make lining. Take your 10 1/2 inch strip, fold in half right sides together and seam. Pull right side out, press, and topstitch at the unseamed top. Cut in half, so you will have 2 pieces about 22 inches long each.

Mark a 2 1/2 inch square in the bottom corner. Cut out. Take a long ruler and with your marking tool mark a line 3/4 up from the corner cuts

Pin pocket along bottom line, stitch as close to bottom as you can. Then take your ruler and make pocket lines. I leave the pocket sizes up to you! Just make sure you stitch 1 or 2 stitches over the edge and tack it down really well.

When you are done, put the lining together. LEAVE AN OPENING AT THE BOTTOM TO TURN.  You can add a magnetic clasp if you want.

Fold your front pocket piece in half wrong sides together, and topstitch about 1/8 from top. Now it will be 6 tall by 8 wide. Take your top piece and fold in half, fold the pocket in half and match with the center of top piece, lining up the bottoms. Then take your handle and line up overtop the pocket,so the handle covers half of the pocket. Pin down. Make sure handle is not tangled!

take a ruler and mark the handles 2 inches from top. This will be your crosspoint.

Stitch up over top the handle stitch, cross over at the mark and sew back down the other seam. repeat for other side. reenforce the stitch at the top, since it will bear a lot of weight.

on the top backside, line up the handles to they are the same width apart as the other piece, and assemble in the same manner.

Then sew the bottom and top together. Press towards the bottom and topstitch at 1/8 inch.

Then cut the 2 1/2 inch squares out of the bottom sides. assemble outer bag. Pin bag outer and lining right sides together, turn and topstitch.

Hope this was helpful!

Make a pin cushion cup thingy!!!

I made this pin cushion cup thingy this weekend, it was really easy! First, I found a container...

measured the height

Then around. It was 4.5 inches hight by 12.5 inches around. I cut a piece of heavy fusable interfacing the same size and fused it.

So I cut the interior piece 13 bt 5. I took the lid and added 1/4 inch around for the bottom for the interior bottom...

again, I used heavy interfacing. I assembled these pieces by making the tube, then attaching the bottom. Then I took my measurements from the cup and came up with the "ball" piece pattern. I knew I would have 8 pieces, so 12.5/8 = 1.5 plus .5 for seams, so the TOP has to be 2 inches wide. I wanted the ball to be really fat, so I wanted the center about twice that, and so it would be nice and cushiony it had to be about twice the height. I came up with this piece...

I curved the top edge and cut it on the fold. Cut 8 of these. Then cut fusible interfacing and fuse to pieces. Seem them together like you would a ball, leaving 2 openings to stuff

Now you should have 2 pieces

Pin together and sew!

Then invert and add to your container...

Cut another circle using the lid with about 1/2 inch extra to turn in to seam. press the seam allowance.

I stuffed a little bit from the bottom, then hand stitch the bottom piece on, stuff from the openings to get the shape and density you want, then handstitch those closed, and there you go!

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!