The Baby Bib

I don't know about you, but I feel like everyone and their sister is having a baby!  I have been seeing so, so many adorable photos of babies on Facebook lately, I'm not sure what to do.

I do know that I've been invited to a lot of baby showers, and when I do, I love to throw in a little handmade gift with the obligatory wipes and dipes. Lately, I've been making what I like to call "Aunt Darlene's spaqhetti bibs," because I made the bib pattern from a bib my Aunt Darlene gave me for my first daughter.

This bib was awesome.  It was big, so it covered everything; it was double-layered, so it didn't soak through; I could easily throw it in the washer and it would come out clean; and it rolled up small so that I could take it with us wherever we went!   It was PERFECT!

Here's my little M with the perfect bib!

Since then, I've been making copies of that bib with PUL and flannel.  I've given them away to anyone who would take them because I love them so much! 

My well-worn template.

And because there are soo, sooo many different kinds of flannel and patterned PUL out there, the possibilities of cute baby bibs are endless! And yes, it's a big bib. But if you've ever had a baby, you know that as they get bigger, they make bigger and bigger messes!

So, I guess what I want to say is, "Thanks Aunt Darlene." That bib was awesome, and a lot of other moms have enjoyed having one too.   If you want me to send you one, leave a comment and we'll be in touch! 

Recent bibs! 

Most of the time I head to JoAnn's and get my flannel and PUL there (with a coupon or 2), but it's also fun to look at Amazon and see what kinds of new things are popping up.  Riley Blake has some awesome designs, like this adorable flowered one, or this basic black polka dots (which would be great at hiding stains), or with this 3 pack of Babyville PUL (you could get 3 adorable bibs out of this!).

So thanks Aunt Darlene, you've helped keep my kids cleaner and made my baby presents just a little bit cuter. :)  Later this week I'll be posting about another easy baby toy I make as a present too. 

-Patricia

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Thanks! <3
-Patricia

Cloth wipes-easy DIY!

A while back I was invited to a baby shower and when I found out the mama-to-be was going to be doing cloth diapering, I just knew I had to sew up a few of these awesome cloth wipes!  They are super handy, have so many uses and are a cinch to make!

They are basically 9 in squares with a "decorative" top-stitch. My sewing machine is from the '80s, so it doesn't have any cool stitches. Correction: it has cool stitches, but I don't have the discs to make them. Boo!

Anyways, I just did a bigger zig-zag top-stitch to finish them. And then ironed them, because it made them look so much better! I tied them with a pretty bow, and popped them in my gift bag, along with this cute monogrammed baby gift. 

I've got to make some more for myself now!

Although I didn't get to plan this baby shower, it brought me back to this one that I did get to plan!  Check it out for some great game and prize ideas. Pin the Sperm on the Egg, anyone? Gotta love it. 

~patricia

DIY Plastic Grocery Bag Holder

Want a simple easy, project that leaves you feeling like you've accomplished something?

Of course! Enter the easy DIY Plastic Grocery Bag Holder. This project took me maybe 15 minutes to complete, and it's so useful, I felt really good about myself afterwards. And that's really the reason that I love to get crafty and sew.

Basically, you sew a dish towel into a tube, put elastic at one end, and a piece of twill tape at the other end so that you can hang it up. And it's kinda fun to stuff it full of plastic bags too. Bonus!!

I used a scrap piece of flannel that I had in my scrap pile, but how cute would it be to use a coordinating dish towel in your kitchen to tidy up all those unruly bags? Love it!  I also made another one from a leg of a pair of pajama pants I shortened!

What are you waiting for? Get sewing!

~ patricia

American Girl Sleeping bag Tutorial

A few weeks ago we got my oldest daughter an American Girl doll. She was so excited!  (And I have to admit that I was a little excited too!) The only problem is that the only accessory we got was a hairbrush, and my daughter has been asking (her "asking" borderlines on demanding/begging) for us to get her a bed. At first she wanted a wheelchair. Or some crutches. I talked her into a bed. 

And of course I then realized what I'd gotten myself into! American Girl dolls and accessories are expensive. Mostly because there are so many, many, many options. Do you want your doll to be a ballerina? Going swimming with her? How about ride horses? Get her a cool outfit? How about six outfits? And one for your daughter too! And what about a pet? Your pet needs a home! And on and on and on..... it's exhausting to think of all the stuff I could buy her for her doll. My wallet (let's be honest here, my husband's wallet) is exhausted just thinking about it!

So what's a crafty mama to do? Make a sleeping bag. Yup, a sleeping bag with a pillow. You could not believe how excited my daughter was this morning. I may have to get her (or craft her) a bed yet. Apparently sleeping bags are just for camping!

Do you want to make your very own American Girl doll sleeping bag?

Let's begin!

Note: American Girl dolls are 18", so this would work for any 18" doll. The general concept will work for any type of doll/toy your child loves. 

18" American Girl doll Sleeping Bag

Materials Needed:

4 pieces of fabric - cut to 12" x 16.5"  I used some cotton fabric that I had lying around, other good choices might be a silky polyester or a cozy flannel, or a combination of fabrics. It's helpful to wash/dry your fabric so that if you end up needing to wash it later, it won't shrink.

2 pieces of batting - cut to 12" x 16.5"

This is the brand of batting I used, but any will do.

1/4" elastic - cut to 9"

Ric Rac or other embellishments (12")

Sewing machine, coordinating thread

Directions: 

Wash and dry your fabrics. Iron if needed. Cut to size: 12" x 16.5"

Place all the fabric / batting together like this to create 2 sets: 

1. Right side

2. Batting

3. Wrong side

Here is half of the sleeping bag. You should have 2 sets of these.

Pin the sides of each set together. 

Sew, using a 1/2" seam allowance, around the edges of each set of fabric.

Take one of the sets of fabric.  You can embellish it! You'll be turning down the top 5" of the set, so dazzle it up.  I just did ric rac over the top seam, but you could do a bunch of different things, maybe even applique the doll's name. Get creative!

Then you'll want to sew it all together.  Take the two sets of fabric and put the embellished side inside the fabric "sandwich".  

Pin the bottoms together.

Fold down the embellished set 5" and pin down. 

Take your 9" of 1/4" elastic and fold in half.

Place 1" of the elastic inside the fabric "sandwich" about 2.5" in from the bottom of one of the long edges. 

Sew all the way around to secure the 2 sets together. You could use a decorative stitch or a regular straight or zig zag stitch.  

Note: I left my edges raw, because I liked the look of it, but you could definitely finish these sides with some coordinating bias tape.

I even made a cute pillow to match!

And you're finished!  I'm pretty sure it took me longer to write this post than it did to make the sleeping bag. :)  It even rolls up! 

Perfect for on the go!

Doesn't she look cozy? :)

I'd love to see what YOU come up with!  

Please share and link back to this post on your own blog. Let me know in the comments how your sleeping bag turned out!  

P.S. I'll have more on the cute little pillow soon!  Happy Crafting!

~Patricia

DIY Custom Tablecloth Tutorial

Think making a custom tablecloth is hard? It's not!  Let me show you how!

DIY Custom Tablecloth Tutorial

Materials needed:

• Table you wish to cover
• Tablecloth OR Fabric to cover (see TIPS)
• Marker
• 1/4in braided elastic
• Sewing Machine
• Thread
• Scissor

TIPS: 

• Make sure that the tablecloth/material is large enough to cover the table and extends at least 5 inches outward
• A table with legs that are not flush with the edges works best
• I used a cheap flannel-backed tablecloth that I bought on clearance, but any fabric would work, maybe something from the outdoor section at the fabric store
• I used 1/4 in braided elastic, but anything similar would work fine, thin elastic is the key

Let's get started! 

Step 1: Lay the tablecloth upside-down on the table you wish to cover.

Step 2: Trace the edge of the table on your tablecloth

Step 3: Using a sewing machine, sew the elastic approx. 5-6 inches from the line you traced.
This may change, depending on the depth of your table, but the idea is that you're creating a pocket for the table.
Be sure to stretch out the elastic as you sew.
Note: It'll be under the table, so it doesn't have to be perfect! 

Step 4. Cut of the excess tablecloth, about 1-2 inches from your sewn elastic.
Again, this will be under the table, so it doesn't have to be perfect. 

Step 5: Put on your table and enjoy! 

And there you have it!  An easy, fun way to dress-up your table for the holidays, birthdays, whatever your celebration might be!  And once you're done with it (or your kids have poked holes in it and spilled nail polish all over it), you can just toss it and start again. 

Happy sewing!

~Patricia~

Serge on!

Recently I have been

feeling the "baby itch." Maybe because I'm having one of my own, or maybe it's because there are just so many awesome things to create for little ones! So when a close friend off mine said that she needed some more receiving blankets, I jumped at the chance to finally get out my serger and create some for her! I was able to make three for her just today and I am so excited about making more! Enjoy the sneak peek!

Pinning it Down #2: Unpaper Towels!

For my second try at Pinning it Down" I decided to make some "unpaper" towels. What exactly are "unpaper" towels, you ask? Well, they are re-usable towels that have flannel on one side and terry cloth on another. They are super absorbent and perfect for cleaning up those everyday messes. And then you just throw them in the wash and start again!

They were super easy to make using this tutorial. (Correction: They were super easy when my sewing machine was working properly!) I didn't do the snaps shown in the tutorials (just going to fold them up in my napkin basket), used a zig-zag stitch, and I only made four, because that was all I could make from the old towel and old receiving blanket that I decided to cut up and use. (My girls never really took to those cheeky dinosaurs.) So this project cost me nada! Bonus!

I am going to make a few more, but this is a nice start, and I already used them tonight to clean up the table. The girls had fun washing their play table and the windows too, but I think that it was actually the spray bottle of vinegar/water that they liked using the most. But, hey, I got to make supper in peace, so it turned out to be a beautiful day!

Check out my link-up as well as others on Pam's blog here!

Happy pinning and doing!