A Scrappy Garland

My weekend was spent trying to figure out decorations for a 7 ft tall tree with the not a whole lot of stuff that I have from previous years of decorating much teenier trees.  The garland had me stumped, and to be honest I was having a hard time committing to one enough to actually make it or (Gasp!) buy it.  We were on the verge of having a paper chain or some such other disposableness when it dawned on me that I have a huge bucket-o-scraps and some less than loved yarn to work with.  So, off to the scrap bucket with me...

It should now be obvious to y'all that I am a pack rat of the worst sort.  I mean do you see the tiny bits of fabric that I just can't part with?  Because, you know, I really might need them some day...like yesterday!  So, I dove in and chopped up anything that wasn't already small enough.  If your kids are hanging around they would have fun with this part too...

Then I cut a length of yarn.  (Keep the length manageable.  You can always make multiples.)  I plopped down my first scrap and started stitching.  If you're interested in the more exacts...the widest zig-zag setting was used to ensure that I caught my yarn.  I placed the scraps at random along the yarn leaving gaps in between and made sure to keep my yarn heading towards the center of my sewing foot.  I also back stitched a few times on the first and last scrap to secure.

This was seriously easy peasy lemon squeezy kind of stuff.

And I love the results.

As I was stitching these I played with overlapping scraps which produces a fun layered look.  And, if you've got metallic thread lying around, that would make a pretty addition.  However, I just used white thread and was super pleased.

If all goes as planned today, we'll be sipping hot chocolate, listening to Christmas carols, and decorating the tree!  Can't wait! 

Does your family have any favorite Christmas tunes? 

He Cooks With Felt

I  started making felt food a couple of months ago.  I was going to make something here and there until I had a little collection put together as a surprise for Levi.  Wedding plans got in the way, so I set aside the two eggs and almost finished orange slice.  Of course, I thought I set them aside where little munchkin hands wouldn't find them....ha ha....

Levi totally doesn't give a rip that the orange slice isn't finished.  In fact I think he might have lost it already.  The eggs were definitely his favorites.

The eggs are really so stinkin' easy to make:

~Fold a piece of white felt in half.  Cut out an amoeba like shape (if you aren't confident in your amoeba cutting skills then just go for a circle or oval).  You should have two matching pieces.

~Now cut a smallish, orange felt circle for the yolk.  You want it to be in proportion to your egg whites.
~Blanket stitch the orange circle to one of the white felt pieces using yellow or orange embroidery thread.  Leave a small opening and lightly stuff with cotton.  Finish blanket stitching until closed.
~Now sandwich the two egg white pieces together yolk facing outwards.  Blanket stitch all the way around with white embroidery thread.
~Voila!  Your little chef is ready to cook up some eggs...

A Barefoot Tutorial...Game Bag

*This tutorial was featured on Craft Gossip and One Pretty Thing*

As an Epiphany present I made this game bag for Levi.  On one side is a matching game and on the other is tic-tac-toe.  The bag holds all of the pieces, so it's handy for on the go play.

Supplies:

2--12 x 12 in pieces of felt for the bag body

1--20 x 2 in piece of felt for the handle

2--9 in pieces of felt for the gameboards

Felt scraps for the shapes (I also used some fleece scraps)

Embroidery floss (if you don't like to hand sew this could be entirely machine stitched)

Needle

Step one: Cut out all of your pieces.  For the bag and game board see the sizes in the "Supplies" section.  For the matching game I used 9 shapes: a square (which Levi calls a helicopter...go figure), a triangle, a doughnut (also called punkin' pie around here...he's still not over his October pumpkin obsession), a star (Levi's favorite shape in the universe), a flower, a kidney bean, a circle, two parallel rectangles (I call this one shape even though technically it's two), and a single rectangle.  For the matching game shapes you'll need to cut three of each.  For tic-tac-toe I simplified things by using blue squares and yellow circles.  You'll need 10 squares and 10 circles.  My largest shape for either game was 2 1/4 in squared.

The below picture shows the matching game pieces after they've been cut.

 

Step 2: With contrasting thread, sew an even grid onto the two game board squares.  The grid lines should be spaced 3 inches apart creating 9 squares.  This can be either machine or hand done.

Step 3:  Pin one of each of the matching game pieces to the center of each grid square on the matching game board.  Applique in place.  I used a blanket stitch for this.

Step 4:  Using a blanket stitch sew together the remaining shapes for both the matching game and the tic-tac-toe games.  Before finishing off each of the shapes, stuff lightly with fiber fill.  You should end up with 9 stuffed shapes for the matching game and 10 for Tic-Tac-Toe,

 

 

Step 5:  Center each game board onto the 12 x 12 pieces for the bag body.  Pin in place. Blanket stitch the game boards to the bag pieces.

 

Step 6: Place the bag pieces wrong sides together (game board sides facing outwards).  Pin.  Blanket stitch along the two side edges and the bottom of the bag, leaving the top open.

Step 7: Fold the handle piece in half lengthwise so it becomes 1 in. wide instead of 2.  Pin in place.  Blanket stitch along the raw edges (one long side and two short sides).

Step 8:  When sewing the handle to the bag you want to make sure that the bag will lie flat in order to function as a game board.  Sandwich one end of the handle between the two layers of the bag body close to the blanket stitched edge of the bag.  Stitch all three layers together.  I did two rows of stitching to reinforce the handle.  Repeat on the other side making sure that the handle is free of unwanted twists before you stitch the other side down.

 

Step 9: Fill the bag with the game pieces.  Since Levi is only 2, I left the tic-tac-toe pieces out.  I figure the bag can grow with him, and when he's ready for tic-tac-toe then I'll hand over the corresponding pieces.

This bag has turned out to be a hit.  Levi often requests to "make it" which I suppose is his way of saying "match it".

He also just loves to carry the shapes around.  Apparently, a furrowed brow is necessary for this job...

If you make one of your own, I'd love to hear about it. 

An Easy Peasy Hat

I have a new favorite way to make hats...
These are seriously easy. Step 1: Felt a very large, thrifted wool sweater (wash on hot and dry). Step 2: Cut the arm off of the sweater. Cut along the edge of the armhole. Step 3: Tie a knot at the end of the sleeve--towards the wrist. All done!
I wish I knew where I found this idea. I can't for the life of me remember! I made one in green, too. Levi looks like a little elf when he wears it.
This kid has a ridiculously large hat collection. I generally knit and crochet them, but this was too easy and fun not to try. So, do you have any favorite super easy crafts?

Jambies

I made Levi a new pair of "jambie" bottoms...that's Levi speak for pajamas.
They were incredibly easy. I found a pair of men's flannel pajama pants at a thrift store. After washing them...of course...I laid a pair of Levi's jambie bottoms on top of the thrifted pair making sure to line up the crotches. I cut the new pair a little bigger to leave room for the two side seams, leg hems, and the elastic band at the top. The top needs the most wiggle room to accommodate the elastic. All that requires though is a couple of extra inches at the top and then making a straight cut up the sides instead of tapering. Then I turned them inside out, pinned them together and sewed up the sides. After that I ironed and pinned the hems just to make sure they sat at the same level, and then I sewed them up. Last, I topped it off with an elastic waistband. I'm not going to attempt to describe that one because in reality I have no idea how to sew in a waistband. I just took some elastic and did whatever looked right. I'm sure though that if you have more patience than I do (which doesn't take much) then you could find a good tutorial via the great Google. The nice part is that since these were men's pajamas there's plenty of fabric leftover for other projects...all for a whopping $2.
Levi loves his new jambies, and I must say I'm pretty smitten with them too! Hmmm...now I'm eyeing some of my maternity jambies. Bet some of the less girly ones would do nicely for this little project.

You See A Skirt--I See A Potholder

I think the Easter Bunny stole my potholders. Seriously, they are nowhere to be found. As I was searching high and low for them, I spotted this skirt in the giveaway pile . . . .
And, I had a light bulb moment. The colors totally match my kitchen, and since the Easter Bunny (or more likely Levi) has absconded with my potholders, this little skirt would certainly make some mighty cute replacements. So, here's the story of how I turned that into these...
What you'll need:
A skirt (or any old piece of fabric)
batting
6 inch ribbon
coordinating thread
*Note: do make sure that you aren't using materials that are prone to melting. Stick with natural fibers.

What to do:
Cut an 8 inch square out of a piece of paper. This will be your pattern. Draw your pattern onto your fabric. I can never find my washable fabric pencils, so I just use a ball point pen. I know...how terrible of me! You'll need to cut two squares of fabric. I cut one from the top of the skirt and one from the skirt's lining which was blue. You'll also need two squares of batting.
Once everything is cut out...
Place your fabric right sides together. Then sandwich the fabric between the two pieces of batting. So, you'll have batting, fabric, fabric, batting. Fold your ribbon in half. Place it in between the two pieces of fabric at one corner. Like so:
Pin everything together.
Sew around the edges leaving an opening for turning. Trim and turn:
Iron everything flat, making sure that your opening edges are neatly tucked in.
Top stitch around the edge. This will close your opening.
To finish, machine quilt. I just quickly outlined some of the major shapes. You could do a simple grid or even just a few straight lines. Voila!
I also whipped up a couple of smaller ones for Levi. Same idea as above except with only a 6 inch square of fabric and only one layer of batting. Please excuse the backdrop. Levi's kitchen is in serious need of some tlc. I found it on the side of the road and have been meaning to fix it up.
These are seriously easy to make and can be done during nap time. I'm thinking a couple of these little kiddo potholders and an apron or a chef's hat would make a terribly cute gift. Hmmm...now I'm going to need to figure out how to make a chef's hat. Oh, wouldn't Levi just look too cute for words?!!

All Tied Up: A Little Munchkin Tie Tutorial

Easter has snuck up on me. It generally does. I always manage to think I have a week or two extra, and then, oops, it's THIS weekend. The big question of course is what to wear...not so much for me as for the little fella'. I checked out the consignment store racks only to be left thinking, "The 'nice' clothes are still too expensive second hand, and he's so going to outgrow this stuff in like a week." So, I pulled out the old thinking cap, and decided on making a tie. It seemed fairly simple and like a nice wardrobe update that might actually last a little while.
Please excuse the over sized model:
Two tries later, and I finally have something that I'm quite pleased with. Being my slightly crazy self, I opted out of using a pattern because a) I didn't have one and b) I almost never use them anyway, so why start now? Here's an attempt at a tutorial describing how I went about this little adventure in tie-land.
First, I decided to take a cue from Bek and put some elastic at the neck. Because of this, I drew the pattern in two pieces. It's pretty simple you just tape a row of paper together, fold it in half, and draw half a tie shape, then cut. My dimensions were: Piece 1 (the actual tie looking one) 25" long, 1 3/8" wide at the narrowest point, 4" at the widest. You want to begin a fairly sharp taper at the point at which you anticipate placing the knot. In my case that was about 9" from the bottom point. Piece 2 (the short, skinny one) 15 1/2" by 1 3/8"
Pick out your main fabric as well as a liner fabric (I lined mine with a piece of an old white bed sheet). Cut your fabric. You'll need one of each shape from the main and liner fabrics. Pin pieces right sides together. Sew reinforcing your corners and leaving a space for turning. I only used about an 1/8" seam to avoid excessive trimming. Trim where necessary. Turn. Iron from the top side, so you can make sure it looks good. Neatly tuck and iron the space left from turning. Top stitching will take care of closing it. Now, top stitch both of your pieces. Cut a length of elastic. Mine was about 4 inches. Sew your elastic to the appropriate ends of your tie pieces. You now have a tie. I tied a half Windsor knot: tutorial here. Come Sunday, I can slip it over Levi's head and call it an Easter outfit.
Hope y'all are having a happy (or should I say "hoppy") week!!