Homemade Napsack!

So what was supposed to be a Christmas project, turned into a birthday project for my daughter (tell me I am not the only with projects like this!).  I made  a homemade nap sack for my daughters birthday! It turned out pretty cute, it has ties on the side instead of a zipper, and is lined with minky!
Here is a close up view., It was a fairly simple layer quilt.

 I used a pattern from one of my favorite pattern cupcakes, Katie Cupcake!  If you our not familiar with Katie Cupcake go check her out, not only does she have great patterns, she is a GREAT person.  

My daughter loves it, quiet time could not be happier!

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EASY Valentines day treat hangers!

I am recycling this post from last year, I think these are so cute and fun, I wanted to share them again!  I am also going to make a couple more this year for some friends!

Yup, you read it right, this post is for an EASY valentines day treat bag... It may look complicated, but it really is very easy and FUN! I went to a 'Finish your Projects' ladies night at the local fabric store, and they taught us how to make these beauties, and I just had to share!

Isn't it so cute? Here is what you need, this is a great project to use up some of those fabric scraps you have lying around!

Items Needed:

1- 16" by 2" rectangle, for strap
1- 5" by 5" square, for picot
2- 10" by 10" squares cut into half-square triangles, for cone

Step 1: Make Strap

 
a) Press (Iron) the 16" by 2" piece of fabric in half lengthwise, to make a seam.
b) Open up fabric, and fold one edge of the fabric into the seam you created in the first step and press.
c) Fold the other edge of the fabric into the seam, and press.
d) Fold the fabric down the seam you made in the first step with folded edges together.
e) Sew down the sides of the straps about 1/8" in, I used my stitch in the ditch edge foot on my sewing machine because I am lucky enough to have one!
f) This is what your finished strap should look like.

Step 2: Make Picot

Don't you love the word picot, it is so fancy! And I better talk it up because it took me FOREVER, to figure out how to spell it! It might be a fancy word, but they are super easy to make.
a) Take your 5" x 5" square and fold it in half to make a triangle.
b) Picture of square folded in half once.
c) Fold the triangle one more time to make another triangle. All of the raw edges of your fabric should be on one side of the triangle.

Step 3: Put it all together!

a) Line up the center of the long side of one of the half square triangles, to the center of the long side of the picot.
b) Place straps on both sides of the picot. Baste the picot, and the strap onto your half-square triangle with your sewing machine, so you know they will stay put.
c) Place the other half-square triangle on top of the triangle you just basted the picot and strap to. Sew together at the long edge.
d) Your carrier should now look like a square.
e) Fold square together with right sides touching to form a triangle. (see pic)
f) Pin edges, and sew raw edges together leaving a 1 1/2" opening on the fabric you would like to be the inner material of the carrier.
g) Picture of edges sewn together, leaving a small opening in which to turn your fabric. Trim the points of the triangle, to make it easier to turn right-side out.
h) Turn fabric right-side out.
i) Press. Wow, your almost done!
j) Add bling to your picot. I made a heart out of left over material, and used heat and bond to place the heart on the picot. I put a decorative edge around my heart, and hot-glued a bow on to the heart. You can be creative as you want on this part, some of the ladies at the class I went to made yo-yo's which looked adorable as well!

Now all you have to do is fill with some of your favorite treats, and you are finished! What a great fast, fun, and easy project.. I made a few of these to give to the friends I visit teach, and I am also planning on making a couple more for Valentines gifts for my parents and in-laws. Just another way to share the love!

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Easy Christmas Shirts!

I am not a big fan of making Christmas dresses, I don't have the time... But I do love to make a simple Christmas shirt for my kids each year.  This is last years addition, I made a reverse applique Christmas Tree shirt. I did this project BMB (before my blog),  but I was thinking about maybe blogging someday, so I took pictures.  This is a simple shirt that took no time at all to make, I was able to use scraps on hand for the Christmas tree, and that is not to mention how stinkin' cute they turned out!

Items Needed:
Solid color T-shirt
Scrap of fabric for tree
Scrap of fabric for bark
Scrap of interfacing
Buttons/ribbons for embellishment

Directions:

Make your tree pattern, I just cut triangle and rectangle shapes out of newspaper, until I found a good fit.  Trace the pattern on your shirt, I used a white colored pencil.

Turn your shirt inside out.  Place the fabric you want for your Christmas tree, right side down,  then iron interfacing onto the shirt, covering the edges of the fabric to help it stay in place.

 Turn your shirt right side out.  Put some pins in the front layer of the shirt, to help secure the Christmas tree fabric on the inside of this shirt.  Sew a strait stitch were your drew your Christmas tree Pattern.  Remember to use your reverse foot on this project. 

Carefully cut away the T-Shirt material to reveal your Christmas Tree fabric, leaving about a quarter inch around the edges.  Repeat these steps for the tree trunk.

Now decorate your Christmas tree however you would like.  I found some fun glittery star buttons for the top of the tree.  I also put a bow and a button on the tree!

 Now you are ready to party!

 This was my first reverse applique project, it was so simple, I really enjoyed it!

I like to link up at these parties!

Purse Organizer!

Purse Organizer!

Do you find yourself searching the endless abyss of your purse for chapstick?  Do you cringe every time the teller asks for their promotional card?  Don't you wish you had hand sanitizer after using that public restroom with no soap?  Do your kids utilize an overabundance of band aids?  If so; have no fear the purse organizer is here!

 This is a fun, simple  project that will help you use up your scraps, and get your small gadgets organized!  It can be completely customized to fit your needs. You can make it as big or small as you need.  I made a double pocket for band aids, and a pocket for all those pesky promotion cards from stores I visit only occasionally.

 This was so easy,  I am excited to make them for friends and family for Christmas! 

So now that you have seen it, would you like to make one of your own??


It really is not that hard!

Cutting List
Outer fabric 6"x17.5"
Inner Fabric 6"x17.5"
Fusible Fleece (cut 2) 6"x17.5"
Pocket 7.5"x 15" Folded and pressed lengthwise
Rubber Shelf liner  2.5"x15"
Piping Fabric Make 2" bias tape strip about 50"
Piping cord about 50" small cord
Flower 2" strip of fabric about 18-24" folded and pressed length wise.

Step 1: Cutting

Cut list above.  You can change any of the measurements to fit your purse needs!

Iron the fusible fleece to both the inner and outer piece of fabric.

If desired, you can shape one round one end of your purse organizer, to both the inner and outer pieces.  You can use a bowl to do this, I tried to make mine slightly angular, but really after the pipping was sewed on you can not tell.  I made a template out of cardstock.

Step 2: Pockets

Set your outer piece of fabric/fleece aside for now.  On the inner piece you are going to assemble your pocket.  Fold one shorter side under, the side by the snap so you have a finished edge.  Place your pocket on your inner fabric.  With folded side to the top.

This seems like a weird step, but on what will be the inside of your pocket sew in a piece of rubber shelf liner.  I did not do this on my first one, and the things in my organizer tend to slip out.  This will prevent it.  Just sew it to the top edge of the inside of your pocket. When I make more, I will add a picture.

 If you want to make any extra pockets, like my credit card pocket do it now.  I simply made a square of fabric, and finished the edges by sewing right sides together.  Sew the finished square to the pocket, where you would like it.

Think of the stuff you will want to have in this organizer, make vertical lines on your pocket in various widths, to fit the needs of your purse stuff.

Pin the pocket to the inner piece of fabric, and sew on the vertical lines you have created as well as the end of the liner by the snap.  You can also baste in the bottom and side of the pocket if desired. But the seem and cording will finish those seems.


Step 3: Piping

Now all that is left to do is with right sides together combine the two layers.  I used Piping to do this, because I love the sleek professional look.  Make sure you leave an opening to turn the layers right side out.

Okay, here is confession time, this is my first project using piping... ever!  I have been kind of scared of it, but it was a lot of fun.  I don't think I am good enough at it to give an adequate tutorial.  But I will link you to the video tutorial I used from Sugar Tart Crafts... she is amazing, and I followed her tutorial carfully, and watched her video's a couple time each.  I made my own piping, which worked out great! This really is not as hard as it looks, especially with expert help from Toni!

You can find her tutorial HERE.

I love the finished touch the piping gives... If you are really scared of piping, you could put ric rac in between the layers, or with right sides together sew the two pannels together, leaving a hole to turn around.

NOTE:  If you want a magnetic snap, put them in before you top stitch.

Top Stitch your layers to secure the opening you made when turning the organizer right side out. And to give it a great finished look.

Step 4: BLING

To decorate the outside of the organizer I made a ruffle flower.  I made one for a hair thing for my daughter when I made THIS dress.  The pictures are from that project, but it is the same idea!
Cut a strip about 2" by 18"

I folded that strip in half right-sides together and sewed lengthwise, turn right side out, and you should have a tube. Press.  NOTE: you can also just fold it because the raw edges will be covered.. at least that is what I did for the yellow bow.

Sew a gathering stitch to one side of the tube, to make a ruffle.

Cut a circle shape out of felt, or other stiff material, sew ruffle gradually around circle, until the entire circle is filled. Your rosette is now complete!  Hand sew a button into the middle.

One of the best tips I learned at a purse class is safety pin your flowers to your purse (in this case purse organizer) so that you can take it off when you need to wash the purse/purse organizer.  SO that is what I did with this project.


































I just love how it turned out!  Pin the flower on, add the snap, and you are good to go!


















Plenty of room for all my goodies!



I will definitely be making more of these in the future!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me, or leave a comment with a way for me to get back with you!

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What do you do with your Stash?

What do you do with your Stash... of fabrics? Hopefully if you read this blog, you know that I participate and highlight a service project each month, where we Craft for a Cause... I do not have as much money as I would like to give to charity organizations, but I can craft and sew! I have collected quite the 'stash' of fabrics over the years that I love to use for humanitarian projects.

This month I am doing a project in conjunction with Hopeful Threads, we really wanted to do a 'Back to School' project, and Kristy came up with a back to school project I have never considered. Did you know in parts of the world girls can not attend school when they are on their menstrual cycle?
     I was honestly shocked, all at once I felt so spoiled and blessed to live in a place that this was NEVER an issue. I knew that we needed to help. We made it a goal during August through our blogs and wonderful readers to make 250 pads... This past weekend I was able to make 10 shields and liners to donate to the cause.

I used a pattern from Days for Girls, a wonderful organization dedicated to help with this issue. For the complete pattern go HERE. {I used the DFG simplified pattern Time Efficient method}

I thought I would share a couple pictures so you could see how easy it is.

This is what I used for from my stash. Flannel fabric, vinyl tablecloth material I had left over from THIS project, and some sew on velcro I had on hand.

I cut my fabrics out using a rotary cutter. I sandwiched the materials according to the pattern. Vinyl>Flannel Square>Folded Flannel Squares{for pockets}>Flannel Square.

Once the materials are in order, trace your pattern.

Sew around the edges. Leaving a fairly large opening to turn.

Sew on a snap or velcro to the wings... You are done with the shields. Then you need to make liners for each shield, that you place in the pockets, which really could not be easier.

I was able to make ten... I know it is not a lot, but I know that it all helps. Kristy of Hopeful Threads and I set a goal through our blogs to have 250 pads donated in the month of August... We have surpassed that goal with 279 pads and an additional 104 shields to be paired with liners! Thank you everyone!  I am either going to donate these pads to Days for Girls, or to my local humanitarian center so they can send them to girls that need them around the world.  Because really no woman should have to go without.

It is never too late to help out. Go to Days for Girls to learn more about how you can help with this project.

I like to LINK up to these fabulous parties, come join the fun!