Zipper Pouches

 I LOVE zippers!  Do you?  I spent so much of mu life avoiding zippers, I feel I am making up for it now.  (Like the time in my life I didn’t eat cheese….such a shame!)  I love going to the fabric district in LA and buying my zippers for 25 cents each – any length!!

I just finished these cute pouches.  My girls wanted to give them to their friends & teachers on the last day of school.  We really want to keep them all…..but happy to be giving them away 🙂  I am working on a tutorial so you can make some too!!!

Amanda

Monogram Pillow – Bridal Shower Gift

 I am still not over my throw pillow obsession!!  Lately I have been giving them as bridal shower gifts.  I love making personalize gifts!!  This one was for a friend who loves aqua!!

It turned out cute & she loved it!!

Amanda

Mother’s Day Conversation Jar


 Each year I try and do a Mother’s Day craft in my son’s class.  This year he is in 4th grade.  (Click HERE for last year’s project)   This can be a challenge – something for 28 learners to make in about an hour…..hmmmmm.  I came up with this craft: The Mother’s Day Conversation Jar.  It is a little spin off journal jars.  Here’s how we made them:
 First, I punched out different size circles from tissue paper.  Note: we had to layer a regular piece of paper on the top and bottom of the stack of tissue paper so it wouldn’t rip in the paper punch.  The learners applied Mod Podge to the mason jars, arranged the dots how they wanted and Mod Podged over. 
 
 While the jars were drying, the children cut out conversation starters, folded them and put them in the jars.  Click HERE for the list I put together.  We tied this little tag around the jar:

The idea is that each day, or once a week, or when ever, the child and mother pick a paper out of the jar and have a little conversation about something they might not normally think to talk about – and hopefully learn a little more about each other.  I think it is fun!

When they were all done with the jars, we hot glued a flower to the top of the jar. 


Amanda

Iron-On Image Pillow Tutorial

 
I love these graphic pillows I see everywhere!!  They are super fast and easy to make!  Here is what you do:  The first item of business is to find a graphic you like.  I went to Etsy and typed “pillow download” in the search field.  Literally hundreds of fun images came up to purchase and download.  Most are only $1.00 each! You can use any graphic you have or find.

Next you need to get some kind of fabric transfer.  This is the one I used from Avery:

I would follow the manufacturers instructions.  This is how I did mine:
Ta-Da!!

Pillow #1 – Antique Kitty:
This was the quickest pillow to make.  Two squares 12″ each.  Sew, turn, and stuff with fiber-fill.  Hand stitch opening closed.



 Pillow #2 Huma Huma Antique Tropical Fish Pillow
This was similar to the kitty pillow, only it measures 18″ and I inserted an invisible zipper in the bottom seam to insert the pillow form.  Click HERE for my invisible zipper tutorial.

 Bottom view of pillow – I love the invisible zipper!

 #3 Enjoy The Ride Banner Pillow

I added the text to the bottom of the bike graphic I purchased from Etsy.  I choose to use turquoise linen for this pillow.  Looking back, I should have kept with more neutral tones.  You can kind of see the edge of the iron-on material.  Live and learn!

My pillow form is 16″ so I cut two 17″ squares.  Iron on your graphic.

 Cut little triangles out of Heat N Bond Lite and iron them to the wrong sides of your banner fabrics.  Cut out your triangles, peel off the back, and they are ready to be ironed into place.

 This is how I laid out mine.  I used some crochet lace for the banner.

Remove the lace and iron on the triangles.  Be careful not to move them.

 I used black thread to accent stitch around the triangles.  I stitched them twice so they look “sketchy”.  I didn’t bother stitching the top as the lace will cover them.

 Now pin your lace on and sew along the top and bottom of the lace in matching thread.

 Now it is ready to finish into a pillow!  I used an invisible zipper on the bottom to insert the pillow form.  You can finish the pillow the way you like best.  You can even just sew and stuff it!


#4 Enjoy The Ride Pieced Pillow
This pillow sews up really fast.  Use the following image below as a cutting guide:

Cut the back piece 12″ x 22″ 

Use 1/4″ seams in your piecing.  After you piece the strips on, press the seams to one side.  BE CAREFUL not to touch the iron on your iron-on image – it will melt!!

Sew the front to the back with right sides together.  Leave a small opening in the bottom seam to turn and stuff.  Hand stitch closed.  Done!

The possibilities are endless using iron-on images.  I hope you come up with something fun!!

Amanda

The Covert Robin

 I am participating in “The Covert Robin, a mystery gift exchange.”  It is such a cute idea.  You sign up and then you are assigned a secret exchange person.  You make a handmade item and then send it off to her.  In return a totally different person makes something and sends it to your front door!  So much fun!  I found out about this cute idea because I follow Clover & Violet.  A darling quilting & sewing blog!  I was assigned Melle from Feathered Fuffles.  
Melle and I  have lots in common – she loves sewing and she loves cats!!  Here is what I made her.  Since she has received it,  I can write about it.
Meet my favorite tote bag.  (I, myself, don’t own one because I seem to make them and give them away!!)  The draw-string quilted tote.

  It has darling draw strings which cinch this bag and make it look all ruffly at the top.


 It opens up to be a large tote – big enough for a day at the beach, a day at the park, or a day at your favorite place.  I can just imagine stuffing towels, sweatshirts, and snacks in the bag and cinching it up!

 This bag begins as a quilt.  I pieced it kind of randomly so it would feel bright and colorful.

 
I love that it is quilted because it stands up by itself without being stiff and it feels soft and cuddly….and bonus – super easy to wash!!

 The bag measures 20″ wide by 15″ tall and 7″ deep.

 Melle, I hope you love your bag!!  It was sewn with love 🙂


Amanda

Onsie Dress Tutorial

 My friend mailed me this “blank” onsie for a baby shower.  It’s a cute idea.  Everyone invited to the shower gets a onsie and they have to decorate/embellish it and bring it to the shower.  I think they are having prizes or something.  That’s a lot of pressure, “Here is a plain onsie, you write a craft blog, so this better be amazing!!”  Is how I felt 🙂  So this is what I came up with.  (I am sure there are lots of tutorials out there with the same idea – this is my take on it.)

Part 1 Bib construction

 Draw a “bib” shape on Heat N Bond Lite Fusable Web.  I curved the top of it to match the curve of the onsie neck.  I didn’t include a pattern because each onsie is slightly different.  You can do it – draw your own!!   Iron it on the wrong side of your fabric.  Then cut along your line and peel off the back and iron it right on your onsie.

 Cut your piece of lace and a matching piece of Heat N Bond.  Iron it to the lace.  Then cut the lace so it matches the curve of the bib.  Iron the lace to the bib piece.


Sew the lace down both sides.  Then sew around the bib portion using a straight stitch.
Next, prepare the ruffle.  Cut a strip of fabric 1 3/4″ x 23″. 
I don’t have a serger so I did a rolled hem on the strip of fabric – which is just turning it twice as narrow as you can and sew along the fold. 

 Now, because I am not using a serger, I zigzagged the opposite side of the fabric so it won’t fray.  (above)

Then roll the edges in and hem.

 Now roll your zigzagged edge over and stitch in place.  I used the zigzag because I will be gathering it and I wanted to reduce the bulk.  Sew a gathering stitch along the edge of the zigzag hem and gather.   It should look like this:

Get out your pins and start fussing with the ruffle to get it to fit.  I use a lot of pins in this process so it fits perfectly.  Make adjustments in the ruffle as necessary.

 Sew the ruffle along your gathering stitch.

You could add buttons along the lace – but I was worried about putting buttons on something for a baby.

Part 2 – Skirt Construction

You can tell from the photos it is getting later and later and I am getting tired-er.  My photos aren’t the best.  Essentially you are making a little gathered skirt and sewing it to the onsie.

Cut your skirt fabric 11 1/2″x 34″.
My onsie is size 3 to 9 months.  (That’s a new size to me.  My youngest is 5 and I never had onsies made that size!)  If your onsie is larger I would add a little to both measurements. 

With right sides together, sew the two edges together to form the back seam.  You will have a continuous piece.  Press the seams open or zigzag the edges.  My seam allowance was a generous quarter inch.  It doesn’t really matter on this project.

(Maybe I should iron my fabric!!)  The skirt is top-stitched to the onsie (you could cut the onsie apart and sew it to the shirt portion like a T-shirt dress, but then you wouldn’t have the onsie diaper cover which is what I love about this dress.)  Because it is a top-stitched skirt, you need a rolled hem on the top of the skirt piece so it doesn’t fray.

Now we are ready to gather.  Sew a gathering stitch around your skirt waist about 1/4 inches below your top hem.  Pictured below:

 Gather your skirt and ease it around the waist of the onsie.  You can choose where you want this.  Mine was 2 1/2″ below the armpit.   I drew a light line in pencil so I could see where to pin the skirt.  Pin your ruffled skirt following your line making sure to evenly distribute the ruffles.  When you are happy with how it looks, sew it along your gathering stitch.  I covered my seam by sewing ric rac.  You could sew ribbon or lace or your favorite trim….or not.  It doesn’t look that bad with just the seam.

Dress Hem:  You can hem the dress how ever you like.  I was going to sew a small ruffle along the hem in coordinating fabric but I ran out of time.  So I did a lace hem.  I sewed the lace and pressed it out and top stitched it down.  You could use ric rac, or other decorative trim, or you can sew a regular hem.

Here it is!!  I also sewed a matching flower for the baby’s head – but I finished it on my way out the door to mail it – so no photo 🙁

Amanda

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Its been a crazy month.  February is starting to feel like the new December!  Of course I left making the children’s valentine’s to the night before at 10pm.  Lucky Ginger Snap Crafts posted this idea and it was quick and easy!
 
Here are mine.  I could not find any crazy straws with loop-de-loos – only squiggles.  We added a Hawaiian Punch on the go pouch and tied them all together.  We only had to make 60 of these!!

I found this cute printable from Lizzie Jane Baby and sized it down to use as a tag for my daughter’s Valentines.

 My daughter made the quilted valentine keychains for her friends.  She fussy cut images of birds and fish and owls!  She is the cutest 13 year old ever 🙂

I tied up all my valentine keychains and hopefully I can get them delivered today.

Amanda

Quilted Heart Keychains

Every Valentine’s Day I like to make a little item to give my friends.  And so the Quilted Heart Key chain idea was born 🙂  I love this project because it is a total scrap buster!!  Here is how you can make one:

Supplies:

Scraps of 2 fabrics 
Scraps of cotton batting
Fusible web
Twill tape or ribbon
Small jump ring or key chain
Larger jump ring or zipper pull
Click HERE for the heart pattern

Step 1
Cut your main heart fabric into 2 squares about 4″ each.  Also cut your batting that size – this measurement can be very rough.

Step 2
Layer your items like you would a quilt.  Top piece right side facing out, batting, and back facing opposite.  
 
 Pin your heart to the top of this layering.
Step 3
Sew around the heart following the pattern.

Step 4
Trim close to your sewn edge.


Step 5
Cut 2″ of twill tape and loop it through your small split ring.   Sew the edges down toward the center of the heart.  This will be covered when you add the next fabric heart.


Step 6
Trace your smaller heart onto your fusible web (trace 2).  Iron it to the wrong side of the fabric.

Cut the hearts out on the line and iron them to both sides of the heart trying to center them the best you can.

Step 7
Top stitch around the center heart.  I stitched around it twice.  I like when the stitches kind of follow each other and are not perfect – kind of sketchy like.  
Then add your larger split ring or zipper pull.  Done! 
 

Amanda

Red & Pink Love Baby Quilt

My sister-in-law is here visiting and we are sewing up a storm.  Her friend is having a baby this month and we thought a a Valentine’s inspired quilt would be perfect.  We choose pinks, reds, and whites but nothing with “hearts” or obvious Valentine’s motifs. 
We were both fighting over it by the time it was quilted!  I don’t know if it will make it to her friend!  The binding isn’t finished yet.  My sis was leaving today and going to hand stitch it in the car.  I was sad to see her and the quilt go!

Amanda

Baby Owl Birthday Favors

 We made these little owls for my daughter to bring to her preschool class on her birthday.  Remember when we were little and our mothers would bake cupcakes and bring them to school on our birthday?  Not any more – we can’t bring any treats – even if they are store-bought.  We wanted to bring something cute and fun and that most likely wouldn’t get thrown away. 

 We love these little hooties!  Each one is just a little bit different.

 As she handed them to the children, they were so excited to bring home a new friend!!  (they would also make cute valentines!)

Amanda