Got Ribs? {Father’s Day Apron Tutorial}

father's day sewing tutorials 2BBQ apron tutorialThe BBQ Father’s Day gift theme continues today with this BBQ apron using the Ribs & Bibs fabric line.  BBQ and Ribs are a big part of our family traditions.  I am so excited to give this apron to my dad who prides himself on his slow-cooked ribs.  I’ve cut some corners on this project by ordering solid black chef’s aprons from Amazon – a 2 pack is about $10 and they arrive in 2 days!  Here’s how you can make one:

 

Supplies:

Solid black chef apron

Fat quarter Checker Board Red

Fat quarter Open Pit White

Pig from Dinner for Two

Therm O Web Heat n Bond Lite EZ print sheets

Print the pattern in reverse on the Heat n Bond EZ print lite printer sheets – they make appliquéing letters a snap!

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Iron the letters to the wrong side of the checkerboard fabric.Then cut the letters out with scissors – this part takes a little while.got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_5

 

Iron a piece of the Heat n Bond Lite to the wrong side of the pig.  Cut out the pig leaving a boarder of white.got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_3

 

Peel off the backing paper.  Center the pig and the letters on the top portion of the apron.  Iron in place.  Top stitch around each letter and the pig.  Yes, it’s a little tedious, but think of all the time we saved by not sewing then apron 🙂got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_4

 

Prepare the pocket by cutting a rectangle 15.5″ x 9″

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Press the sides and bottom in 1/4″got ribs fathers day apron tutorial.jpg_6

 

On the top edge of the pocket, sew a 1/4″ hem and then roll it to make a 1/2″ hem.
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Pin the pocket into place and topstitch around the sides and bottom.  Top-stitch again 1/4″ away from the first seam.  This helps prevent fraying inside the pocket where there is a raw edge.

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Finally, find the center of the pocket and sew a straight seam to make 2 sections of pocket.
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I made my husband close his eyes while modeling this apron so he wouldn’t see it – he is getting one for Father’s Day too!!got ribs fathers day apron tutorial_16


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Surf & Turf Towels {Father’s Day Tutorial}

 

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surf and turf bbq towels tutorial

I just can’t get enough of the Bibs & Ribs fabric!  Today’s tutorial goes nicely with yesterday’s napkins.  There are lots and lots of dish towel tutorials out there…..they are all super cute with ruffles, lace, and trim.  That just doesn’t work for the guys.  These towels have no “fluff” and they are very manly.

 

Supplies:

Dish towels, pre washed & dried

fat quarter Lobster Tails

fat quarter Dinner for Two

Therm O Web’s Heat n Bond Lite

Begin by ironing the towels.  As with most store-bought dish towels, they are not perfectly square or rectangle.  Do your best to press the towel so it’s straight on the end.

Cut a strip of lobsters.

Cut an equal sized strip of Heat n Bond Lite.  Fuse it to the wrong side of the lobsters.

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Peel off the backing and iron it along the edge of the towel.  (normally I would cut the fabric and press the seams under, but we are focusing on quick and the Heat n Bond does just the trick!)

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Locate the “Surf and Turf’ words in the fabric.

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Fuse a piece of Heat n Bond to the wrong side.  Cut around it with scissors.  Peel off the back and press into place on the towel.

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Top stitch around the lobster strip and the surf & turf.

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I love that all my Father’s Day gifts will coordinate.  Can’t wait to see what’s for tomorrow’s tutorial!!

 

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The lobsters totally make me smile 🙂

BBQ Napkins {Father’s Day Sewing Tutorial}

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BBQ napkin tutorialI am so in love with this fabric line from Blend designed by Maude Asbury called Ribs and Bibs.  It screams Father’s Day.  I normally don’t sew for the men in my life but this year is totally different because of all the inspiration this fabric has given me!  Don’t you just love it!!  I wish I had yards and yards to make table cloths with!  Every day this week I am sharing a tutorial using this fabric line.

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Of course Father’s Day is in June – during one of the busiest months of the year.  The holiday has to compete with end of the year final projects, class parties, class field trips, graduations, and the list goes on.  The tutorials I am sharing are projects that can be sewn quickly – because who has time in June for anything extra?

 

I am the world’s messiest eater – I really mean it.  When I go out to dinner with my husband, I have a pile of napkins at the end of the dinner and my husband doesn’t even have one (because I used it for myself).  At home I eat with a kitchen towel on my lap – it just saves paper 🙂  When our family gets together to eat ribs or BBQ paper napkins just are not enough – and even cloth napkins leave something to be desired.  That’s when I decided to purchase “Bar Mop” towels and turn them into BBQ napkins.  Bar Mop towels are available at any home store in the kitchen towel department.  They are slightly smaller than  normal kitchen towels, and not a traditional washcloth.  They provide the right amount of absorbency for BBQ sauced fingers!

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Let’s get started….

Supplies:

Bar Mop Towels – pre wash & dry

fat quarter Ribs & Bibs “Open Pit” in brown fabric

fat quarter Ribs & Bibs “Checker Board” in red

Therm O Web Heat n Bond Lite

 

Begin by cutting a piece of the Heat n Bond and ironing it to the back of the Open Pit fabric.
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Cut around each image leaving a little bit of brown boarder.

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Peel off the backing paper and iron it to the corner of the bar mop towel.  Keep in mind the heat n bond won’t permanently adhere to the fuzzy towel so it needs to be sewn on.  The Heat n Bond will hold the image in place temporarily and it will prevent fraying.father's day sewing tutorial napkin_4

Sew around each image with a straight stitch.father's day sewing tutorial napkin_5

Iron another piece of Heat n Bond to the wrong side of the checker board fabric.  (This is a little bit of a “cheater” way to add an accent strip to the towel.)

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Cut strips of the checkerboard 2 squares wide.  Peel off the backing fabric.

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Iron it to the bottom of the towel and top stitch around the strip.  Now make enough for everyone coming to your Father’s Day BBQ!!father's day sewing tutorial napkin

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The Ava Quilt

Ava baby Quilt

I love to  personalize baby quilts when I give them as gifts.  I came up with this quilt for a friend who is expecting a baby girl named Ava.  I choose the colors based on the nursery colors of Red and Pink.  This is a fun, fast quilt to make! and you can create your own pattern based on 3 types of blocks!

All seams are 1/4″

Supplies:

An assortment of coordinating fabrics.  I used about 12 different fabrics.  I think the more the better for this project.  Go ahead, get scrappy!

HeatnBond® Lite
SpraynBond® Basting
Cotton batting

 

Cutting Instructions:  There are 3 componants to this quilt: 4 1/2″ square, 4 patch, and a strip set of 3

STRIP SET measures 4 1/2″ x 8 1/2″

Cut 2 strips 1″3/4″

Cut 1 strip 2″ (this will be the center of the strip)

ava 3 strip sets

Piece the strips together WOF so the 2″ strip is in the center.  Press seems and cut in 8 1/2″ segments.  You will need 10 of these.  I made 2 different versions.  Depending on the width of your fabric, you can get 4 or 5 strip sets out of a WOF.

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4-PATCH

Cut 2 coordinating strips WOF x 2 1/2″.  Sew  the two strips together length wise, then cut in 2 1/2″ segments.  Press seams to one side.  Sew two segments together to form a 4-patch.  Make about (23) 4-Patch blocks from different fabrics.

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4 1/2″ BLOCKS

You need about (54 to 60)  4 1/2″ blocks depending on how you lay out your quilt.

ARRANGE THE QUILT

This is how I arranged my quilt.  You can mix it up how ever you like; that is what’s fun about this pattern.  I did put (1) 3-strip set in each row.  There are 12 rows:   9 blocks across and 12 blocks down.

Ava Quilt layout

 

If you are appliqueing a name or word in your quilt, cut a piece of fabric 12 1/2″ x 8 1/2″.  If your name is larger, you may need to make adjustments.  Remove 6 blocks to make room for the applique piece.

Ava Name Block

Follow these instructions to use Heat N Bond lite to applique the name:

Heat N Bond Instructions

 

I used a straight stitch to applique around the name – I went around each letter twice.

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Once you have appliqued the name, piece the block into the rows:

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Now you are ready to assemble the quilt.  Sew the blocks together row by row.   Then sew the rows together.  Make sure to alternate how you press each row so the seams match up perfectly.  I use pins at all the intersections.

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Quilt as desired!  Finished quilt is 36″ x 43″

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Men’s Shirt Re-Fashion

menshirt

 

I found this pattern for making a girls skirt out of a men’s button front shirt in this book, Never Been Stitched.  The book is full of fun new sew or low sew projects.  Great for involving kids!

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Essentially you get a men’s shirt and cut it up, creating a skirt.  I bought a size XL shirt and it made a size 8 girls skirt.IMG_8390

Sally wasn’t too thrilled about the idea until I made this cute whale shirt to go along with it.  I used some of the left over fabric and used Heat n Bond EZ sheets that you run through the printer.  Click HERE for the whale pattern.
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I even used the existing front pocket from the shirt to be a high side pocket on the skirt.
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Harper Girl: Blogger’s Quilt Festival Entry

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Thanks for stopping by!! This is my second entry in the Spring Blogger’s Quilt Festival at Amy’s Creative Side. Here is my “Harper Girl” quilt. I created it for a dear friend’s new baby, Harper.
AmysCreativeSide.com

I was inspired by this Union Jack Panel from Riley Blake Designs as Harper’s mommy loves all thing British.

The quilt measures 30″x39″. The letters are machine appliquéd and the quilting is by machine as well. To read more about the quilt or instructions on how to make your own, click here.

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Thanks for stopping by!!

Amanda

Bunny Bricks: Bloggers Quilt Festival Entry

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Thanks for stopping by! I am entering this quilt in the Spring Bloggers Quilt Festival over at Amy’s Creative Side. I recently created this quilt called “Bunny Bricks” and it’s one of my favorite. I just can’t get enough of those appliqué bunnies!
AmysCreativeSide.com
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The quilt measures 38″ x 54″. The fabric I adore – It’s called Grace from Anna Griffin. I machine appliquéd the bunnies and machine quilted the quilt.

 

I have it hanging in my family room. I made it for Easter, but I can’t part with it just yet!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!


Amanda

Day #11, Parable of the Ten Virgins

Sorry about the late posting, I selected the wrong time 🙁

Parable of the Ten Virgins, Day 11

To begin the lesson, watch this short video Christ Like Attributes – it’s also found HERE.  It is such a beautiful overview of what we have been learning these last 10 days.

Jesus often taught using familiar objects and situations to teach a spiritual truth; called parables.  The parable of the ten virgins teaches us about the second coming of Jesus Christ and how we can prepare.  
I thought both these lessons were perfect references to teach your children about this parable:
Lesson from Sugardoodle click HERE
Ten Virgins lesson click HERE
Once you’ve gone over the parable, have the family act out the story so it comes to life.  
Now talk about the hidden spiritual truth in this story.  Who are the 10 Virgins?  Who is the Bridegroom?  What is the oil?  What is the marriage?
I liked this music video on youtube depicting people living righteously and putting oil in their lamps.
Have the children cut out the drops of oil and a lamp. (I had to make them colorful, it’s Easter!!)  They can write on each drop of oil what they are doing to prepare for Jesus to come again.  Glue them in your journals.  In the Sugardoodle lesson, there are instructions on how to make this lamp out of a paper plate.

 

Download oil drops

Jesus is the Light of the World

Welcome to the first day of our 14 Day Walk with Christ.  I hope you and your family enjoy these lessons and take time to Come unto Christ as we anticipate the wonderful celebration of Easter.

Day #1 – Jesus is the Light of the World
Lesson Printable:  Download PDF, Download JPEG
This lesson is a little backwards as we are doing the activity/craft first.  We are making lanterns to be used in the lesson.
 
Activity: Mason Jar Lanterns
Supplies: Mod Podge, Mason Jars, Tissue Paper, Wire. Paper Punch, colored tissue paper, tea light
I used a hexagon shape paper punch, you can use any shape to cut the colored tissue.  Mod Podge the tissue paper shapes to the outside of the jar.  Let dry.  Wrap wire around the mouth of the jar to secure and form a handle.  Place a tea light in the jar.

Have everyone design their own pattern – you can’t mess them up!  They all turn out cute!!

Lesson:
Begin the lesson by turing off all the lights, or going into a dark room.  Have a discussion about light and darkness.  What types of physical light do we need in our life (sun, flashlight, light bulbs, candles, headlights, night light, moon, etc.) ?  How do you feel in the dark?  Do you remember a time you were afraid of the dark?  
One by one, light the tea lights in each person’s lantern and notice how the light gets brighter with each light.

Light always dispels darkness, it can never be the other way around.
Sing: Teach me to Walk in the Light of His Love
Scripture:  John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
 
 He also declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He is the way and He is the light because His teachings light our path in mortal life and show us the way back to the Father.
 
What does “the path” refer to?
How can we feel spiritual darkness?
How can Jesus light your path?
 
As we keep the Lord’s commandments, we see his light ever brighter on our path and we realize the fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise, “And the Lord shall guide thee continually” (Isa. 58:11).
 
And so we see that Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because his teachings and his example illuminate our path, and because his power persuades us to do good.” – Dallin H Oaks
 
Sometimes the path is hard
Jesus taught that “there will be times when you will walk a path strewn with thorns and marked by struggle. There may be times when you feel detached—even isolated—from the Giver of every good gift.” For these times, he reminded us that “we were not placed on this earth to walk alone. … He will be there for us to provide help if we but ask.  Two ways we can find comfort: as we remember prayer and take time to turn to the scriptures, our lives will be infinitely more blessed and our burdens will be made lighter.” Thomas S. Monson
Journal time:
What is “the path” and where is my path leading?
How can Jesus light your way?  What can we do to see the light?
How have you felt Him light your path?

If you have little ones who have a hard time writing in a journal, they might enjoy coloring this picture:

Bunny Love Pillow

I guess there is no stopping the bunny projects!  Meet my newest bunny creation – Bunny Love pillow! This is a fast and easy project that will add a Folk Art Easter feel to your home.

Supplies:
Backing fabric, 3/4 yard
Scraps of fabric for appliqué – I used Anna Griffin’s Grace line
Pom Pom trim
22″ zipper
Pillow form or fiber fill
Heat n Bond lite

Begin by cutting the pillow front 20″ x 12″
Iron the Heat n Bond lite to the back of your appliqué fabric.  I used the Sizzix bunny die for the bunnies.  The folk art tulip pattern can be downloaded here.

Once you have cut out your appliqué pieces, center them on the pillow front.  Iron to set in place and stitch around each piece twice with black thread.

Cut the pom poms the width of the pillow and baste them into place.

For the pillow back…..
There are a few options to finish the pillow:
1.  You can cut the back piece the same size as the front, sew it, turn it, stuff with fiber fill and hand stitch the opening closed.
2.  I used a pillow form and put an invisible zipper in the bottom portion of the back.  I cut 2 pieces for the back:  20″ x 2″ and 20″ x 2.  Set the invisible zipper joining the two pieces.  For invisible zipper tutorial, click HERE.
Pin the back to the front with right sides together, making sure zipper is open.  My back was a touch larger then the front, so I just trimmed off the excess.  Make sure to tuck those pom pons in so they don’t get caught in the seam.
Sew all the way around the pillow using 1/2″ seam.  Turn and insert pillow form.
OK, now this is my favorite thing in my house 🙂

Amanda