Toddler Undershirts

I did not like the choices the stores offer in undershirts for little girls.  I can find spaghetti strap camisoles very easily but I do not like them because a.) I am not a big fan of spaghetti straps in general and b.) when my step-daughter had those the straps were constantly falling off her shoulder.  I tried to find tank tops with wider straps but I couldn't find them small enough for my two-year old and what I did find were not just plain white; they were pink and purple or had pictures on them.  One day I was over at made-by-rae and I saw a pattern for tank tops for boys from Fishsticks and Fries (this post).  After much study in the use of knits I decided to give it a shot.  I altered the pattern slightly to be a little shorter, have a slight scoop neck, and have cap sleeves.  I also used 100% cotton interlock knit, which was nice because the edges don't curl and it is a little thicker so therefore much easier to work with.  I used a walking foot with my longest stitch length (my walking foot does not work with a zig-zag stitch).  It worked really well.

Here are the steps I took:
1. Right sides together, stitch the shoulders together.
2. Hem the sleeve ends by rolling the fabric under 1/4" and stitching down.  Since knits don't fray I did not roll over to cover the raw edges.  That helps keep down the bulk.
3. Attach elastic to the neck: sew upside-down on the right side, flip inside, topstitch to hold it down.  I used decorative elastic trip so it would be prettier.  The elastic was slightly shorter than the neck opening so I stretched it a little as I was sewing.  The Tank pattern has a great description of how to fit the neck edge on without having some areas too tight and others too loose.
4. Right sides together sew side seams together.  I started at the bottom and went upward toward the sleeve because it seemed easier.
5. Hem the bottom.  I turned the bottom inside approximately 1/2" and then did that again so the raw edges were hidden there.

It was really quick to put them together.  I bought 1 1/2 yards of 60" white interlock fabric (40% off coupon) and 3 yards of decorative elastic trim (20% off) from Fabric Depot here in Portland.  When all was said and done I got 7 undershirts, each costing approximately $1.50.

Butterick B4054

Another Butterick 4054:

Size 2; Quilting Cotton.  I used homemade brown bias tape for the collar.  I like the quilting cotton because it is a little heavier; good for a winter dress and holds up nicely to an active two-year-old.

Explorer Bags

Our family likes to go on hikes and the boys have a tendency to pick up random findings along the way. I have been thinking about making these bags for quite some time so I have had a lot of time to work out the details in my head. I was able to make them using remnants that I just had laying around. Each bag is lined with a lighter material on the inside to hide the seams and brighten up the insides so things can be spotted easily.

The bags are made up of rectangles of 3 different sizes. For the body of the bag cut 10"x7": 2 for the lining and 2 of the outer fabric. For the flap and the front pocket cut 10"x9": 2 of the outer fabric for the flap and 1 of another fabric for the pocket. For the sides and bottom cut a strip 2"x21": 1 for the lining and 1 of outer fabric. I used iron-on interfacing on all of the pieces to give the bag some stability. To attach the straps to the bag I used small pieces of the outer fabric (but I don't know the exact measurements).

Make the pocket first. Fold the piece in half longways so you have a piece that now measures 5"x9". Top stitch along the folded edge with about 1/4" seam allowance. Place on the front piece of outer body fabric. Position, stitch to form desired pockets. Trim the pocket fabric to be even with the outer body fabric. Raw edges will be eliminated in the bag assembly.

To assemble the bags start with sewing the front and back sections of the outer fabric to the side/bottom strip. Be sure to line up the top along the strip so the bag isn't offset. Do the same for the lining but leave a hole in the bottom of part of the lining to flip the bag and conceal the seams when the lining and bag are attached later.

Sew the flap pieces right side together on 3 of the sides (2 long edges and 1 short edge). I opted for curving the flap but it can be left square too. Flip the flap so the right sides are out. Press. Top stitch around the 3 sewn edges.

Sandwich all of the pieces together, right sides together, flap tucked in between the lining and the bag body. Line up the seams. Sew around the opening. Flip through the hole in the lining. Press the mouth of the bag and top stitch. Sew up the hole in the lining.

To attach the straps (I used 1" wide cotton belting, just shy of 2 yards long). The strap hardware I found, after much searching, at Mill End Fabrics in Portland for $0.29 a piece. Use a small piece of coordinating fabric to attach to the bag (I made a tube and folded in raw edges to I don't have stray strings). Thread the strap. I just looked at the strap on my diaper bag to figure it all out. I used a strap adjuster so the kids could use the bags for years to come. The same size strap fits all of my children (19 months to 8 years old).

Baby Pants and Shoes

My friend just had a baby so I made her some newborn pants and shoes. The brown pants are made of a soft, very pliable corduroy that someone gave me a while back. The others are flannel. For both pants I used Made by Rae's Newborn Baby Pants Pattern. The pattern is made for cloth diapered babies so there is extra room in the booty but I know my friend only uses disposable diapers so for the flannel pair I flipped the pattern upside down and made the legs the booty. It ended up being a little lower in the waist than I would have liked but they fit him well.

For the shoes, I used a modified version of the Stardust baby shoes pattern (I feel like the toes of that pattern were a bit too club-footed for my taste). I used the same fabrics as on the pants - corduroy for the outside (even the bottom) and flannel on the lining. These shoes are size 0-6 months. On the bigger shoes I like to use JiffyGrip to provide traction for beginning walkers.

Cutest Dress Ever

Dress and Pinafore made from Butterick B4054. Dress is view A; Pinafore is view H but without the ruffles (I didn't have enough matching fabric for the ruffles). Both are size 1 (12 months) and loosely fit my 13-month old daughter.

The dress was made with a Kona cotton solid (100% cotton) from JoAnn. The pattern was easy to follow and went pretty quickly (I was able to sew it about 2-3 hours a day over 5 days). There were two difficult parts: getting the bias tape onto the collar because there was a lot of bulk from the collar pieces and the bias tape was pretty small AND sewing the sleeves onto the dress because the armholes were so small they wouldn't fit around the arm of my machine so I had to be very careful not to sew them closed. The dress fits loosely and the skirt is fairly long, which I like but could be difficult if she was crawling.

The pinafore was made from a white remnant, most likely 100% cotton. Easy to make and follow the pattern (it was the first time I had ever done gathers and it explained it well). It sat for a little while because there was hand sewing involved on the inside but once I sat down to do it, the hand sewing went quickly.

Fleece Jacket

This jacket is made using McCall's M5538, view C, size small. It is made with charcoal grey fleece (anti-pill). Overall the pattern was fairly easy to read and follow but there were some parts where I didn't understand what they were saying so I had to just wing it:

First, the zipper was a nightmare. I think my biggest trouble came because it was plastic so when the instructions explained how to shorten the zipper, it didn't work on the plastic teeth. I ended up just hiding it in the collar; it was only a few inches.

Second, I don't feel like there were ever instructions on what to do about sewing down the bottom of the collar so when I was finished with the jacket, I just ran my machine across the back collar, hiding the stitches in the seam between the back and collar.

Finally, I omitted the arm pocket. I sewed it like normal but without the pocket.

One note about the pattern overall is that the pockets are located at the side seams, which makes makes it more awkward because it feels a little far back from where you would naturally expect it to be (but the pocket location made it easier to sew than if they were on the front section).

Penguin Costume

Approximately size 3T

For the pants I used New Look 6861. I only needed about 1 yard total. Fleece fabric. I used 1" cotton elastic for the waist. It is important to baste down the seam allowances all around the pants before making the casing and stringing in the elastic to keep the elastic from bunching and getting stuck. I forgot about the seam where I connected the white with the black fabric so the elastic is a little funky now.

For the top I used a jacket he already has that fits well. I traced it leaving a little seam allowance. Instead of dealing with finishing the neck edge I decided to add a hood. I used #20 plastic snaps in white for the front closure.

Lederhosen

For our church talent show my husband and two of his friends preformed "So Long, Farewell" from the Sound of Music. It just wouldn't be right without lederhosen. I used this tutorial to help me know what to do. The first pair took about 2 hours start to finish and the remaining two took a little less time (about 3 hours combined). I just bought dress pants and suspenders from DI (Deseret Industries, a used clothing and other stuff store similar to Goodwill but cheaper).

Baby Shower

On Saturday I went to a friend's baby shower. She is having a boy so I made her a little baby blanket with farm animals on one side and a minty green on the other side as well as a crochet brim hat that [sort of] matches. I used my 3-month old as the hat model. I have to say she did a great job.

Finally

I have been wanting an apron for quite some time now and I finally have one! I saw some really neat looking ice milk aprons and was inspired to make one of my own. It was really easy to make with all of the fabric coming from my [newly cleaned out] fabric stash. After making the apron I tried it on up high with the empire waist look but it didn't suit me so I will wear it on my waist instead. I love that I now have an apron and I can't wait to make more!

Quilt & Guitar

Today was the first time in 7 weeks (since my baby girl was born) that I have been able to craft. It felt so good. This morning in an attempt to stop my 2-year old from playing with the Guitar Hero guitars I decided to make him his own guitar. It was really simple and used things I just had around the house. It took me about 20 minutes start to finish. The neck is made out of two pieces of cardboard taped together (front to back for support) with packing tape; the strings are made out of yarn; the body is made of heavy duty cardboard from an old scrapbooking notebook that I no longer needed. I used a popsicle stick to provide a little more support between the neck and body (that was done after this picture was taken so you can see the bend I fixed). Now it is totally sturdy and ready for a 2-year old to rock out on.

For my 2-year old I also made a quilt. It was meant for his Christmas present but that didn't happen and it got put off until a day when both kids were asleep at the same time for long enough for me to get my sewing machine out and set up. I can't wait for the day when I can have a place where I can leave my sewing machine set up all the time. the front is made out of woven cotton fabrics and the back is made of flannel that I found the day after Thanksgiving (that was the first time I shopped the sales and I just went to JoAnn). I used two layers of cotton batting on the inside so it should be nice and toasty. Overall, it was pretty easy with the only real challenge being the mitered corners. If you are making a quilt and want to miter the corners of the front or back, go here. The pictures are not the greatest but along with the instructions, it is the best I could find. Quite helpful. To quilt it together I stitched in the ditch so the pattern on the top wouldn't get too busy. I used a thread that went well with the flannel on back because that is where you would see it most.

Fit for a Girl!

A good friend of mine made me a quilt for our little girl, who is coming any day now. It is purple (my favorite color) and very cute.

She had a lot of leftover fabric so I have been able to put it to use. First, I made a fitted flannel crib sheet. It was easy. I used this website and Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones as my guides.

I still had enough leftover fabric to make this cute little flannel blanket. She will be so cozy this winter.

I also used some of my flannel from my fabric stash to make her a little brown owl blanket.

These blankets are super easy and just the right size. You get two pieces of flannel, about 44-inches wide by 1 yard long. Sew the pieces together with the right sides together leaving a gap for turning. Turn in right side out and zig-zag around the edges. That's it. Perfect baby gift.

Diaper Covers

I love cloth diapers. I have been using them for a little over a year now. I tried to think about what it was that I liked about using cloth diapers - is it the environmental aspects? money saving? bragging rights? Yes, yes, and yes. But it is more than that. I just like using cloth diapers. I can't say it is fun to clean them, not that it is hard to do but really, who likes to touch things with poop on them? Anyhow, as I was thinking about it I realized that I like it for a lot of reasons, which is probably why I have stuck with it this long and don't foresee myself stopping. I like to think it gives me "Old Lady" clout.

Now that baby number three is on her way I need more diapers and covers - I started with cloth diapers when my son was 7 months old so I am lacking the smaller size. A few friends threw me a baby shower and they were able to get a group of people together to chip in for a snap press. Let me say, it is wonderful. I am able to put industrial plastic snaps on everything. It is so much fun! Last week I went to Mill End Fabrics here in Portland and was able to buy some PUL. I would have preferred white but all they had was navy blue. I decided to get a yard and give it a try. It was really easy - it took only about 45 minutes from start to finish. I used this pattern, also from my baby shower, but instead of using the velcro, I used snaps.

Now, you may be wondering why I am so into snaps. I bought a whole set of diaper covers for my son with velcro and after about seven months the velcro stopped sticking. I was, and still am, ticked off that I paid $11 each for these diaper covers that are supposed to last through "multiple children" and they haven't even lasted for one child. So, that is why I am sold on snaps. I put snaps on all of my son's covers and they work like a charm - and they don't leak, which was a concern that was brought up.

Back to the cover I made, I couldn't find fold over elastic (FOE) here at Mill End and I didn't want to drag a toddler around town looking for something that I wasn't sure I would be able to find so I settled for a 1-inch cotton swimsuit elastic that I just folded in half and sewed on as I would have done with FOE. It is soft and works fine - no wicking. I used two layers of PUL because one side is plastic and one side is polyester. I thought that having the plastic up against his skin would be uncomfortable and I didn't want to use any fabric that would absorb moisture or wick it to the outside. The PUL doesn't slide around or anything. Next time I am going to mark where I want the snaps to go before I sew on the elastic because it was difficult to get them in a straight line once the elastic was attached. Overall, I think they turned out quite well so I am excited to get some white PUL and make a whole set for the baby to use.

Cloth Napkins

Here are some cloth napkins I made for a friend's wedding gift. I picked a main fabric that went well with the hand towels she registered for so I hope she likes them. I made them 2-ply from 100% cotton fabric based on this tutorial from the Purl Bee. To make them 2-ply (2 layers thick) but still easy to work with and durable, I stitched my two squares together (right sides together) leaving a hole for turning, turned them right side out, then used a zig-zag stitch around the edge (the same way I made my cloth wipes). Additionally, after I made the bias tape, I folded it in half lengthwise and pressed it down (to create double-fold bias tape) before pinning it on the squares - I didn't do that on the first napkin and I had to go back and redo a few spots where one side of the bias tape didn't catch.

Just an FYI - If you are going to purchase a bias tape maker, get the Clover brand. I couldn't find the right size when I was at JoAnn so I just bought the cheaper Dritz brand one. It was awful. I couldn't get it to work right at all. I tracked down the clover one and it worked beautifully. I love my bias tape maker!

Abra's Garden Apron

I did a fun post on another one of my blogs (Did you know I have 4 blogs? I have one dedicated to my family - you have to actually know us to read it {if you do know us but haven't been invited to read our blog, feel free to email me}, one dedicated to food, wonderful delicious food; this one dedicated to crafting; and my newest which is all about Thrift and Industry {i.e. saving money and being more self-reliant}. You should check them out!). Anyhow, back to my fun post. It was that the first 5 people who commented would get something homemade by me especially for them. So, for my friend Abra, who loves to garden, I made a Garden Apron. I have always wanted a garden apron so I thought that perhaps Abra would want one too. She loved it! (or so she said) I made 3 pockets for holding things like a trowel and pruners and a little pocket for a key or small iPod. I embellished it with crocheted flowers and old buttons. I can't wait to see it in use!

Summer Hats

As I was looking at some of the blogs I follow I noticed a very cute military-style hat on Design Mom (this post). I decided to try to make it for my boys. My first attempt turned out too small for either boy but my second attempt worked out quite well and fits my 5-year old. He loves it so much that he wears it every day.


For my youngest I crocheted him a brim hat.

So Excited!

I just got this book from my library (I have had it on hold since November). I can't wait to try the patterns!

Chore Chart

What started out as a simple project involving little more than cardstock and contact paper quickly became a much more challenging project involving my sewing machine. I wanted to make a chore chart for my 5-year old. My original idea was to have a table with chores on one side and check marks on the other side. After my son completed a chore, he could stick a check mark next to it. If he got all of the chores checked off (he must complete the task well without whining to get a check mark) he would get a star. Simple enough, right? Apparently that was too simple for me. I got this crazy, hair-brained scheme to sew it using red fabric (his current favorite color) and vinyl. I made pockets to hold the checks and start that were not in use (with little appliques on front to ward off confusion). My friend Abra used her super cool tool to put two little grommets in the corners so I can hang it up (now we are just trying to think of a place where my Alexander can reach it but Elijah the climbing baby can't). It took a few hours longer than the paper one would have but it is totally awesome!

I really like that I can change out the chores. This allows me to do different things each day (as well as some that are the same every day) plus as he gets older, we just have to print out new chores to fit his skills. He really likes it - he had to describe it in great detail to his dad.

What, you may be asking, are his chores? Daily chores include - morning routine (make bed, get dressed, brush teeth...), homework, practice piano (10 minutes per day), clean dinner dishes, evening routine (brush teeth, set out clothes for tomorrow...), and clean his room before bed (all toys need to be put away). Some of the ones that change are - bath (M, W, F, Sat), dusting, laundry (put into drawers), take out recycling (this is when his dad takes out the trash). When he gets all of his jobs checked off he gets a star. When he earns five stars he gets to choose a fun activity or dessert - Zoo trip, 30 minutes of video games, trip to the park... He tends to be pretty reasonable in his requests. For example, when we were living close to family he asked for his activity to be going to the Children's Museum with grandma.

Here are instructions on how to make your own. If you want one but don't want to make one, head on over to my Etsy shop and send me an email so I can custom make you one.

Chore Chart

Finished dimensions: 16" wide by 20" tall (holds up to 8 chores and 5 stars)

Materials Needed:
Outer Fabric - 2 pieces, cut to 18"x22" each
Batting (just thick enough to give it some body) - 1 piece, cut to 18"x22"
Vinyl (to display chores, checks, and stars) - 1 piece, cut to 9"x14.5" and 1 piece, cut to 2.75"x10.5"
Pockets (to hold chores, checks, and stars when not in use) - cut 2 pieces 4"x4" and 1 piece 3.5"x7.5"
1/2" double-fold bias tape - 39.5" total, cut into 2 pieces 14.5" long and 1 piece 10.5"
Matching Thread

Instructions:
1. Baste batting to wrong side of front fabric with a wide zigi-zag stitch.

2. Attach bias tape by sewing to vinyl with a straight stitch on long sides (14.5") or larger piece (9"x14.5") and along one of the long (10.5") sides of the 2.75"x10.5" piece.3. Assemble the pockets. Fold fabric about 1/4" - 1/2" under on all sides and sew down with a straight stitch. On the top of each pocket fold down an additional 1/2" and sew down. Applique or embroider pocket fronts, if desired, now.

4. Now all of the pieces are ready to be attached to the chore chart front.a.) Start with the largest piece of vinyl. First you want to mark where you will sew. The left column (for the chores) is 6.75" wide. Each row is 1.75" tall, which leaves about 1/4" excess at the top and bottom. Once the lines have been marked, lay vinyl in position and sew with straight stitch starting with the long vertical column stitch. For the horizontal rows, start at the top left and sew one row at a time working from the top to the bottom. On the 1/4" excess on top and bottom finish with a zig-zag stitch (be sure not to go below your straight stitching).
b.) Now work with the other piece of vinyl. First put it in place and sew the long (back) edge down. Then sew the horizontal lines starting 1/4" from the top then every 2" from there (you will make five pouches and have 1/4" excess on top and bottom). Sew around top, back, and bottom with zig-zag stitch just like in part a.
c.) Attach the pockets by pinning them where you would like them to be (don't forget to allow clearance to slide the cards in and out easily). Sew around each pocket with a straight stitch (sides and bottom).

5. Now you are ready to put it all together. Lay the other piece of fabric (for the back) on the top of the chore chart with right sides together. Pin. Sew around three sides (leaving bottom open for turning) of the chore chart with about a 1/2" seam allowance (be careful not to go too far in and sew over the vinyl and pockets). Remove pins and turn right side out. Fold bottom seam inside about 3/4", pin, and top stitch all the way around with a 1/4" - 1/2" seam allowance.

6. Prepare for hanging. I used grommets on my chore chart, which gives it a nice finished, professional look. If you don't have grommets or don't desire to use them, I would suggest hand stitching a dowel to the top edge of the chore chart. You can then tie string or yarn or twine to the ends of the dowel and hang it from that. Either will work fine.Voila! Now, you have your very own chore chart. Or do you? This is my first tutorial so I wasn't sure what level of detail was appropriate. Give me feedback so I can do better next time or get sleep knowing that this wasn't just a big disaster. Good Luck! Like I said before, if you want one but don't have that burning desire to make one, go to my shop, email me, and we can get you exactly what you want.

[Nearly] Free Pajamas!

What do you do when you have an abundance of receiving blankets that you never use? What if your 1 year old was in dire need of pajamas? That's exactly what I did - I made pajamas out of flannel receiving blankets. They turned out a bit large but he will grow into them (to my credit, I made size 1 - the smallest size). They were really pretty easy. I used McCall's pattern 5741, 3 receiving blankets (these are, for those of you who may be unsure, the blankets that new mothers get tons of and the ones that hospitals use, made from cotton flannel), 3/4 yard of 3/4" elastic, an old t-shirt, and thread.I didn't have enough blankets to make the whole outfit from the same design so I used one pattern for the pants and another for most of the shirt. To tie the shirt in with the pants, I used some of the pant material to make sleeves for the shirt so it looks like he is just wearing two shirts. For the collar, I used one of my husband's old unused undershirts (I tried to find one that still had some stretch left). The elastic, thread, and pattern are the only things I bought for these PJs.

A Project for Me!

My ironing board cover was in sad shape. I don't know how it got so bad. It had water stains and fusible interfacing on the top and the pad underneath was tearing (partly because it was free to side around and partly because it had a five year-old plucking pieces off) and it had gotten pretty flat. I really wanted a new one but I didn't want to spend $20 or more buying a new one so I found a pattern at The Purl Bee and went to work. I made a few changes to the pattern. First, I don't have pinking shears so when I made the casing for the string (I used acrylic yarn that matches my fabric) I folded the raw edge in so it would be in the casing. Second, I made a little pocket for the pointy part of my ironing board so it would be less likely to slip off when I iron sleeves that fit over the end of the board. Third, I used two layers of interfacing (the fleecy kind) and I zig-zagged them together, then I quilted the top fabric onto the interfacing rather than basting it all together first (I tried basting but had to go through and pull out the stitching because it wouldn't lay flat). I am really happy with the way it turned out! And it only cost me $10 (I had a coupon for 50% off so I splurged on the fabric because I knew I would have enough for another project).