Vintage Melmac + Fabric = CUTE!

I hit upon a cute and simple project this week. Eureka! I had some vintage Melmac cups around the house from my obsessive trips to the thrift stores during my maternity leave. I decided they needed to be "upcycled" into something useful, as our house simply doesn't need any more teacups.

To make these adorable pincushions, simply cut a circle out of fabric roughly the size of a dinner plate. Sew around the outer edge of the circle to gather it up. Stuff the inside with some batting and pull your stitch tight, sewing up the hole so your batting doesn't escape. It doesn't need to be pretty because it won't show. Then get some heavy duty craft glue and paint the inside of your cup with glue. Smoosh your little puffball cushion inside and wait. I glued my adornments on, but if you wanted to sew on vintage buttons or ribbons, just do so while you still have a nice, flat round piece of fabric (before you sew around the perimeter).

I think these will make fun little throw-ins at Christmas this year. I can't wait to whip up a whole bunch for my friends and my Etsy shop! Now to find the time...!

Easy Peasy Felted Christmas Tree Garland

Okay kids. Here's a holiday decorating idea that couldn't be much easier. In fact, the hardest part is to keep it from getting tangled up after you're done! It's a beautiful felted garland for your Christmas tree. All you need is a sewing machine, thread and some different colors of craft felt (or felted sweaters).

First, use something small and round (bottom of a spool of thread?) to make yourself a circle template. Then, cut out as many little circles out of felt as you think you'll want for your garland. I think I cut out 40 or so for mine. Then, sit down at the sewing machine with a coordinating thread color in your machine. Start sewing with nothing for a few inches, pulling out the top and bobbin threads gently. Then, slowly and carefully feed in your first circle, sewing right through the middle of the circle. Sew for a few inches and then add another circle. Continue in this fashion until you've used up all the circles you cut. Leave yourself a little tail on the end and that's it! You can hang it on the tree!

As a little tip -- if you want to reuse this year to year, make yourself a handy cardboard storage tool by cutting a rectangle out and making some little grooves in the short end to slide the thread into. This will prevent it from being a tangled mess when it comes time to re-hanging it next year!

Enjoy!

Secret Keeping and Gift Making

My two-year-old is a genius. It's true. Yes, I know, all us mothers say that about our children. But this time I really mean it. My toddler has learned to pin and iron and sew. Carefully, carefully supervised, of course, but nonetheless, he made his daddy's birthday present, then helped me wrap it up. And the best news -- he loved every minute. In fact, now he sometimes puts down the Thomas the Tank Engine and says he wants to do some "ironuning" and pinning. Here's some suggestions for including your toddler in your crafting projects.

My first word of advice is to choose a project that's small and has lots of short steps -- sitting around pinning for 10 minutes is really just going to end up with someone getting a pin stuck in their foot, or nose, or whatever. Then, get some sort of kid-proof container for the pins. I liked the fact that the pins were not being opened and closed (and landing on the carpet, only to be found again by bare feet) without me controlling it. Again, who wants a pin in their eye? I also recommend not involving the toddler in the cutting at all. Unless you have some child's safety scissors, I just don't think you, your project, or your child's clothes/appendages will survive it.

With the ironing, I suppose it depends on how well your toddler understands hot and don't touch. As I mentioned previously, my son is a genius, so he understands them perfectly. Ahem. Almost. What I did was set the iron on the lowest heat I could to make it work. Then, I explained in as graphic a detail I could that, if he touched the hot part, he would get a really, really bad owie. Here is where you can call on your long-suppressed desire to be an actress and mock-touch the hot part of the iron and recoil in horror. I also adjusted the ironing board so it was at the perfect toddler hight. Then, I showed him how to take the handle and run it up and down the ironing board. He did manage to touch the hot part of the iron for a split second, and more so for dramatic effect than anything else, I then rushed him downstairs to put ice on it. He then definitely got the message that the hot part is hot, and not to touch it!

For sewing, I set the little guy on my lap while I sewed. I also explained that he must not put his fingers by the needle or move any buttons (which, of course, was not a direction that was completely followed). I did give him two "jobs," which seemed to be enough to keep his interest. As a side note, if you have not yet started giving your tot jobs, try it. Our kid thinks it's the coolest thing ever if it's called a job. His jobs were to remove the pins as I sewed and put them back in the box and, upon command, push the reverse button to double back on the stiches.

When the project was done, I let him wrap it and choose a bow. He's been carrying the present around from room to room since yesterday when we finished it. Obviously he's extremely proud of his work, and cannot possibly wait two weeks until daddy's birthday.

Next up: toddlers learn needle felting. AHhhhhhhh...maybe I'll hold off on that.

Know any other great projects for kids?

Easy Project: Recycled Laptop Cover

I love projects that I can complete in an hour or so. I'm big on instant gratification. That's why I've never gotten good at knitting -- it just takes too much time. I love the feeling of taking an idea and turning it into something useful and tangible. I don't want to go to bed wondering whether my idea was ridiculous or as brilliant as Spanx (and will result in me becoming as rich and famous like the woman who invented Spanx). That's also why I love Project Runway. I get to see the results in one episode.

This project is so easy almost anyone can do it!

1. First, I measured my laptop. Mine is 14.5" x 10".
2. Then, I measured two pieces of fabric that were roughly twice the long side x the short side, adding an inch or so for stitching (Just about 31 X 11).
3. Next, I stitched them up on the long side, creating two identical sleeves or pockets (you could test putting your laptop inside now, just to be sure it fits). Press both pocket so the seams lay flat and trim the corners.
4. Then, cut the end off of an old tie. Or, if you want to use a ribbon closure, cut two lengths of ribbon.
5. If you are using ribbon, sew the ribbon to the outside of the pocket that will form the outside of your cover
6. Turn the pocket that will form the outside of your cover outside in (so that the seam is on the inside).
7. Place this pocket (with seams still facing in) inside the other pocket with the seams facing out; the finished seams should face each other. Tuck the tie or ribbon into the "sandwich" lined up with the center of the cover (midway between the side seams). Pin in place.
8. Now sew all the way around the top of the cover, leaving a few inches to turn inside out.
9. Turn the project inside out so that the seams are enclosed.
10. Press around the top; topstitch around the top enclosing the section left open for turning.

Note: I sewed velcro on the back of my tie and onto the front of my cover; however, you could do a button and buttonhole, ribbons, just about anything to close the cover up. If you do use velcro, add it to the front cover in step 5 instead of adding ribbon.

The best part of this project is that I totally screwed it up, but was able to salvage it. My sewing machine, bless it, SUCKS as the automatic buttonhole feature. In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it does not work. Therefore, I tried at first to create a button and buttonhole closure and ended up totally ruining the front of this tie, which I love. To cover up the goof, I ended up making a yo-yo and stitching that on -- it also covers up the addition of velcro!

I hope my new little friend loves her new fall apparel. I sure think she's going to be well-dressed!

Seeing Green

Don't know about you, but I've had about enough of winter. My skin itches. My hands are always cold. The snow isn't white anymore, it's gray. It matches the sky. Indoors is starting to feel like an ever-shrinking cage. What's left to do but start coaxing spring by bringing the gardening indoors.

Last weekend we went to our local garden shop and picked up a little "pick me up" that I think is working. It was really inspired by our wee one's desire to help water all of our plants. I showed him how to do this last week by putting just a bit of water into the watering can and setting the plant on the floor. He does a pretty good job of carrying the can all the way across the house from the sink to the pot on the floor, but at that point he pretty much ends up watering the floor. It could be worse, though. And it's only water.

The first purchase at the garden store was a microgreen planter and some arugula microgreens. Totally fun and totally edible. Yum! I'm hoping wee one gets a kick out of eating what we planted together. Currently he's getting a kick out of using the sprayer to water them each day. I just learned that you can also just throw microgreens in a mason jar with a cup of water and rubber band some cheesecloth on top. After 24 hours, pour out all the water and the little things grow (I guess!). If you try that method, please share results! I paid for the little grower but I'm sure there's a DIY method.


Then, we bought rosemary and basil to plant in pots. Tonight wee one "helped" me repot them. Strangely, he was afraid of the paper bag I tore up to put under the pots. It wasn't until I threw that away that he would come and water the plants. He also wanted nothing to do with the replanting, but that may have been due to the "paper bag monster" that crinkled and made weird noises.

It's looking so green around here, now! If only it wasn't going to be a good three months before we see any green OUTside. Boo hoo!

Make It Yourself: Grilling Rubs to Give Away

I always love to make some edible gifts around the holidays. It gives me a nice break from sewing and knitting and such, and it's also a great option for the men on your list who really don't want another hat or scarf. My dad specifically asked for grill rubs this year, and I happily obliged. It's a really simple, but totally fun homemade gift you can make on a fairly small budget.

Here's what you'll need:
--Herbs and spices of various types from World Market/grocery store/etc.
--Spice jars with shaker/measurer lids (mine are from Ikea)
--Some kitchen twine
--Cardstock to print the labels
--Recipes; I made Dry Chimichurri Rub, Basic Barbeque Rub and Brisket Rub but there are tons of options out there
--A funnel is really helpful, but not required

I didn't find it too difficult to find most of these ingredients, but then again I wasn't super picky. I didn't have hickory smoked salt or savory, so I just made do with what I did have. I did use whole pepper and ground it in my coffee grinder. I also did use coarse sea salt and I think that will make a difference. After you mix the ingredients in a bowl, use a funnel to get them into the jars. Make sure you wash your mixing bowl after each recipe!

At first I tried to use stick on labels, but I hated that they didn't exactly form to the curvature of the jars. I realize that these round tags are probably a bit over the top size-wise, but I still think they look cute. If you'd like to use my designs, feel free to download the images here.
Just cut around the circles and hole punch them, and done! Instant handmade holiday gifts!

What handmade stuff are you making this year?

Pleated T-Shirt Shoulder Bag Tutorial

A while back, I wrote about a bag I reconstructed out of an old Phillies tee shirt. I promised I'd do a tutorial. Well, I haven't gotten around to it until now. Better late than never, right? I love this project because I have a lot of tee shirts that are beginning to take out their own personals ads: "I'm a little on the large size, but there's so much more to love. I've seen a lot of livin' but I think there's a lot more livin' to do! Let's start a new life together!"

I'm happy I found a way to repurpose them. The bag is made up of three components: the main section, the top band and the strap. The photos are not the greatest, but I think you probably get the idea. Here are the steps for making your own Milli Vanilli tee shirt bag:

Step 1: Cut out the pieces
a. First, cut off the bottom 5" of the shirt
b. Then, remove the hem from the bottom of the shirt
c. Cut off the sleeves and neck


Step 2: Create the pleats on top
a. Fold over an inch or so from each side of what's now the top of the bag to form a pleat
b. Do the same on the back, but rather than fold over, fold under
c. Pin in place and sew




Step 3: Sew up the main section of the bag
a. turn the tee shirt inside out
b. Pin along the bottom of the shirt/bag
c. Pin along the sleeve edge
d. Stitch across bottom and sleeve edges, forming the main section of the bag


Step 4: Create the diagonal corners for the bag bottom
a. With the bag still inside out, measure up from the bottom of the bag three inches and mark with a fabric pencil
b. Do the same for the side by measuring in 3 inches from the side of the bag and marking
c. Sew a straight line between your two marks
d. Trim off excess fabric triangle



Step 5: Create the top band
a. Using the bottom edge of the tee shirt that you removed in step 1, cut a length that measures roughly double the width of the top opening (mine ended up about 5" X 18")
b. Fold in half so that you can pin and sew along the short side
c. Fold the piece in half so that the seam you just sewed is on the inside
d. Sew band


Step 6: Attach band to top of bag
a. Pin the band to the top of the bag on the right side
b. Sew all the way around the top of the bag
c. Flip band up and press seam toward bag


Step 7: Cut out and sew the strap
a. From the remaining portion of the bottom of the tee shirt, cut a piece that measures 5" by 27"
b. Fold the piece in half the long way; pin and sew along long edge
c. Turn the strap outside in and press so that the seam is centered



Step 8: Attach the strap
a. Pin the strap, seam side facing in to either side of the bag, centering
b. Sew in place by sewing a rectangle 1/4" from the top of the band


And there you have it! It's a project that will probably take you an hour to make, but can be a very simple and fashionable market bag or tote for you to use for many more years to come!

Holiday Crafting Has BEGUN!

It's official! The holiday crafting has begun. Lately I've been loving the silhouette trend. Actually I've loved it for a LONG time. My parents had silhouette portraits of both my sister and I and I always thought they were cool (albeit a little cheesy). When I found a really great profile shot of one of my nieces (real name changed to protect the innocent), I knew it was my opportunity.

This project has been blogged in many varieties and mediums and final outcomes. I love this one from Inhabitots on making a custom silhouette tee of your kids. Also great is this one on Design*Sponge for making framed versions of custom silhouette art of your kids. I guess I'm a little late on my trendspotting, because back in 2007 Cookie Magazine had a write up about the silhouette trend and featured some awesome artists who will do the work for you (dog? cat? kid? couple? YES!). If you use Illustrator, you can even find a YouTube video on how to make a silhouette like in the iPod commercials. Wow.

I'm pretty lo-fi with my technology, so I used my old school Microsoft program to create a "cutout" of the image of my niece, then I selected a fill color (pink). Then I added an oval shape in the background and some text and done. Simple, but I think it turned out cute and my niece will think it's cool. I hope! Only 527 more gifts to go!

De-Stash...and I Don't Mean "Dustache"

I don't have nearly as much of a stash as some folks, but I have collected my fair share of fabrics over the years. Most of them are great, but they do seem to take up a lot of space. And I guess what really bothers me is that they are great, and they do deserve a great purpose in life. So tonight I decided to start setting them free by making this onesie.

This is a really easy project to pull off.

1. Take an embroidery hoop and use a fabric pencil to trace it's shape around something cool on a piece of fabric (I used the strawberry)
2. Then, trace the same hoop on a piece of fusible interfacing
3. Cut out the shapes (cut the interfacing a little smaller so that it doesn't hang outside the edges of the fabric at all
4. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric
5. Peel the backing off the interfacing
6. Iron your fabric onto your tee shirt/onesie/whatever you want
7. Use a zigzag stitch to sew right around the outside of your circle
8. You could even add an embellishment over the top of this, like a button or some rick rack if it needed "sprucing" (Just don't use buttons if you're making this for a baby because they can get pulled off, choked on, etc.)

Have fun!

Using up Scraps: Fabric Hair Pins

Vintage Fabric Hair Pins
Originally uploaded by truckertracy

Looking for a really simple way to use up every last scrap of fabric? Make some fabric covered buttons, and turn them into bobby pins, magnets, push pins, any number of great uses (besides the obvious use as a button!).

I purchased a kit from Tobysmom on Etsy that helps push the fabric onto the button nicely. You can do it by hand but it isn't as easy or as clean looking. Here are the easy steps to making your own:
1. To cut out the perfect fabric circles, I used the lid of a baby food jar.
2. Then, using a needle-nose pliers, I pulled the little loop off the button back (don't do this if you plan to use the button as a button!)
3. Next, I covered the button with the fabric circle.
4. Finally, I used Gorilla Glue to glue the fabric covered button onto a nice sturdy bobby pin, which I also purchased on Etsy, from KikisKlippies.

To complete the etsy circle, I'm now selling these on etsy. My primary motivator to make these, though, is that I HATE throwing away fabric scraps, no matter how small. I also wanted to have some fun things ready for No Coast Craft-o-rama this winter. I'm also going to make some smaller bobbies, so stay tuned for that.

What other cool things can you do with these fabric buttons? The possibilities seem endless!

I Made Some Thingamajigs! For Thread Organization!

Well, to be perfectly honest, my husband made most of it. I just came up with the concept and did the painting. But here's what you need to make your own:

--1 box of big nails with small heads (I'm sure there's a technical term, but I don't know it)
--1 one-by-one inch board, about 36 inches in length
--some paint and a paint brush
--screws to attach it to the wall

From there, I'm sure you can figure it out. After I painted the boards, we nailed in about 18 nails per board, and angled them upwards slightly. Then, we screwed it into the wall, and done! Unfortunately, as with my ribbon organization project, I underestimated how much I had. I guess I'll need to make a few more of these for the rest of it!

If you're more inclined to buy a thread organizer, I've seen some of these around or on ebay, or if you're really lucky you'll find one like this shaped like a sewing machine. I saw a slight variation of what I came up with on Monica Andrade's blog here.

We finally got our carpeting installed, so I'll be slowly re-establishing the craft room. It already feels so spacious without the guest bed. I can't hardly wait to fill it with stuff!