Bethany Sew-and-Sew

How to make Lined, Insulated Oven Mitts

2012-01-23T20:15:00.000-06:00

Making oven mitts is pretty darn easy, and it's a good way to ensure you have some cute ones in your kitchen! As you can see from this picture, my old pink one was looking pretty sad. I've even caught it on fire a couple times. But an old oven mitt that fits well is the best place to start when cutting out a new one.

1. Lay your old oven mitt on your fabric and cut around it (making two pieces), remembering to allow for your seam.

2. Use this as the template to cut out your lining fabric (cut two).

3. Now use your cut out fabric to cut out your insulation. I used a product called "Insul-Bright" that is designed with a shiny layer to reflect heat, as well as a couple layers of cotton batting for extra insulation.

4. Sandwich each half of your oven mitt with the batting you cut out, and quilt your fabric to it. My picture here shows that I quilted my mitts by top-stitching around the various shapes in the fabric's design. Once they are quilted you should have two opposite halves like in this picture.

5. Put the two layers together (right-sides together) and stitch around the them, leaving the wrist edge open. Trim edges and clip curves. Do the same thing with your lining pieces.

6. Turn your lining right-side-out and insert it into your quilted mitt (which should be inside-out) as in the picture.

7. Stitch the lining to the mitt around the wrist perimeter, leaving a small gap to turn it right-side-out.

8. Turn your mitt out and top-stitch around the wrist, closing the gap you turned it through. Yay! I made a dinosaur one for my nerdy husband too.

Queen Bee Apron!

2012-01-18T12:18:00.001-06:00

I know I haven't posted in a long time, but that doesn't mean I haven't been crafting away. After making tons of projects for Christmas, including a quilt(!), I've gotten back to apron work. This is an entirely new concept for me--not really a specific character, but an abstract idea of "Queen Bee." The owner of this apron wisely suggested thick stripes, so I actually pieced the fabric together using French seams. She also liked the sash on the Phoenix apron, which really did add some royal flair to this bee, with a nice rich purple. It wraps around the back and actually ties on the hip. I used the same purple for the straps and to line the inside of the matching oven mitts.

The crown applique on the chest is lined in the back with black to give it a little definition against the yellow stripe. I debated putting a black stripe on top, but that made the apron's bottom stripe yellow and for whatever reason, it needed a black stripe on the bottom to "ground" it. My OCD demanded this be so. There are two pockets on the skirt that are camoflauged. The sash itself can be functional for carrying items, or drying hands on since the entire thing is 100% cotton and machine washable, and although super cute, is allowed to get messy.

Oven Mitts! These things are fantastic. They are lined on the palm side with "Insul-Bright", which is a batting that has a shiny layer in it that reflects heat, and have regular cotton batting on both sides, making them heat resistant, and I'll be honest, really cozy. I plan on wearing mine around the house to keep my poorly circulated fingers warm. These mitts were pieced together black and yellow and quilted along the stripes, and then lined with matching purple.

Here's my original sketch ideas. I thought wings on the back would be cool, although not particularly practical. I'm such a good artist, no?...

The Purple Tuxedo Chef Apron

2011-12-01T09:18:00.001-06:00

This is the first apron I've done with a faux tuxedo style. The colors were selected via a custom request and I think the finished product is really fun! The apron has a lapel with a flower, as well as a faux shirt front with buttons and a faux vest, also with a matching button. All of this is topped off with a large comical green bow tie. The neckstraps and waist ties are green to contrast with the purple. The "jacket" has tails that hang loosely in the back, which I really love. Since this apron has a clownish appearance, I put a picture of my other clownish apron below, which I am calling "the Court-Jester." That one is just for the ladies :-) (and don't make fun of my pajamas...I couldn't put the project down and it was late and that is really how my hair looks most of the time!)

Crochet Hook Storage Problem--Make a Roll!

2011-11-07T12:06:00.001-06:00

I recently accepted that I had a crochet hook problem. I kept losing them and was tired of trying to keep them organized. If you have the same problem with knitting needles or paintbrushes or anything else long and skinny, this crochet-hook-roll tutorial would work well for those too! See the finished product all rolled up below.

1. Cut out two rectangles (a front and back) wide enough on the short sides for all your hooks. I put two pockets on mine, one on top of the other, so this kept it from getting too wide. The height should be about 150 - 175% of the length of your tallest hook. (Mine is approx. 16" x 13.5") Cut out your pockets, the same width as your rectangle. The height of your back pocket should come up about 3/4 the length of your longer hooks (keep in mind you will hem the top and need seam allowance on the bottom, mine was 5.5") and the smaller top pocket about 1/2 the length of your shorter hooks (mine was 3"), if you want to add this pocket at all. You will also need a strap to tie your roll together once it's finished.

2. Hem the tops of both pockets, then use your hooks to figure out how wide you want your slots to be on the smaller pocket (approx. 1") and pin there. Sew the top pocket on to the back pocket along these lines. The plaid helped me keep my lines really straight.

3. Place the joined pockets onto your larger rectangle front, lining up the bottoms. (Ignore the excess plaid at the bottom because I decided my back pocket was too tall, 5.5" is what I cut it too). Sew down the same lines you sewed for the short pocket to attach the back pocket. In some places I skipped a line to make some bigger slots in the back pocket (2") for my big crochet hooks. I also left space at the ends, as shown in this picture by the folded back piece, for bigger things like rulers or scissors.

4. Make a strap or find an existing strap to tie your crochet hook roll together and attach it on the lower left-hand side of the large rectangle back piece. The exact measurements for where to put this depend on how large the roll is, but about 4" in from the long side and 4" up from the bottom worked for me. My strap is just under 2' long, but if you want to tie a bow, you'll need to make it longer.

5. Place your back rectangle onto your front rectangle, right sides together, lining up edges and making sure your strap is tucked inside so you won't sew over it. Sew around the edges leaving a 3" gap on one side to turn it out.

6. Top stitch around the edges to close the gap and make it look nice and neat. Now you can put your hooks in it!

7. If you were wondering why it was so tall, that's so you can fold over the top before you roll it up. This keeps your hooks from falling out if you turn it upside down or throw it in a bag when crafting on the go!

8. Roll it up and tie it! Now you have a cute, functional way to keep track of your crochet hooks!

How to Make a Fleece Viking Hat

2011-10-26T13:42:00.001-05:00

So you want to make a Fleece Viking Hat for your little barbarians? I posted an entry about doing this a year ago, but I never really showed how I did it, so here's my best attempt at doing so. All images can be seen larger by clicking on them.

First, make a hat dome!!! This tutorial is using the dome top of a basic fleece hat. I wrote a tutorial on how to make it here. This pattern does something different with the hat band though.

1. The Hat Band and Center Strip: Cut out a band the circumference of your child's head by 4", and a matching strip that is the length of your hat from the back center to the front center (going up over the crown of the head) by 2". Also cut out a total of 9 (or however many you want) 1.5" circles that will become the rivets on your hat. The number of circles really doesn't matter. If you want one in the center front, make sure to line one up in the dead center of your hat band.

2. The Rivets:
Sew 4 circles to your top strip, evenly spaced, about 3/4 of the way around. This opening will be where you put a pinch of stuffing into the circle. You don't really need much stuffing to make them look 3-D. After each circle is stuffed, sew closed the gap. Do the same thing for the hat band except that since the hat band will be folded in half, sew your circles to top (or bottom) 2" of the band only. I spaced my rivets so that one would be placed on the back center seam of the hat band once it was sewn together. Sew the two short ends of the band together and (if necessary) sew your last circle on top of the seam and stuff. You can now fold your band in half. You should have one side with rivets and one side without.

3. The Horns:
Cut out 4 horn pieces (2 for each horn) the size and shape you want. Don't make them too long or they won't stand up very well. Cut out 2 circles (1 for each horn) that will be the base for the horns. These circles need to be about an 1" bigger around than the base of your stuffed horns. Sew two horn pieces together, leaving the bottom open, and stuff. There are a few ways to sew these to the circles. I demonstrated one in this graphic. Another way, for a cleaner finish, would be tuck in the bottom of the horn and hand sew it to the circles.

4: Final Assembly

Now that you have all the parts made, sew your top strip over the center seam of your hat dome. Sew the circle bases of your horns to each side of the hat, centering them over the seams on the sides. (the circles help support the weight of the horns more than sewing the horns directly to the hat). Lastly attach your folded hat band to the base of your hat dome. I show how this is done in my basic fleece hat tutorial.

Here are some photos--more can be seen in my original blog post here.

These hats vary slightly because I was experimenting with the design and construction when I made them.

Basic Fleece Hat Tutorial plus Flower Embellishment

2011-10-21T13:34:00.001-05:00

This is the same basic fleece hat I used to make my Viking Hats, which now belong to my friend's son and my nephew. I decided that I too needed a warm fleece hat but I wanted mine to be a bit more girly. This project can be done with scraps, but if you buy fleece, you'll just need about 12".

1. Cut out 4 pieces for the top with the dimensions written on my super high-tech graphic, plus one long strip to be the band. The band will be folded over so keep that in mind when deciding your heigth. My head is 23" so I divided that by 4 and got 5.75" for the base of each top piece. I rounded this to 6 for seam allowance. I made my band piece 4" tall for a finished band of about 2".

2. Sew two of your top pieces together along one of the curved edges. Do the same to the other two pieces. You should now have two "half-domes" as I'm calling them.

3. Pin the two halves of your hat together and sew around the entire length of the curve. Line up your seams in the middle.

This is what you should now have (it's still turned inside out in this picture)

4. Sew your band together along the two short ends and flip right-side out.

5. Fold this in half length-ways like in this picture, encasing your seam inside. This is the hat band.

6. Pin your hat band to the dome of your hat, right-sides together...technically there is no wrong side to your folded hat band, just make sure you pin it to the right-side of your hat. I put my hat band's seam in the center of one of the top pieces instead of lining it up with a seam because I didn't want a seam running down the middle of the front of the hat. That is up to you.

7. Sew around the hat attaching the band to the dome. Turn right-side out and there you have it. A simple fleece hat.

Okay, so if that isn't enough for you, here's how to make a simple fleece flower.

1. Cut some circles the size you want your flower to be. The more circles the fluffier the flower. I used 4 bigger ones with one smaller one on top (the little one isn't in this picture)

2. Sew them together in the center and fluff up the edges. A button works nicely. Or you can sew a bead or something.

3. Put it on your hat. You're done. Yep, that's all there is to it.

My bambino wearing mommy's hat.

How to Quickly Crochet a Clutch or Wristlet Purse

2011-10-17T14:40:00.002-05:00

Here are my two finished purses. I crocheted both of these pretty quickly. The clutch is for my daughter and the wristlet is mine! I love the vintage look of it.

First, how to crochet a quick clutch purse:

1. Crochet a rectangle that is about twice as long as you want your finished purse to be (because you will fold it in half) and as wide as you want it. I think smaller ones are better since they aren't super stable. I use Double or Single Crochet because this purse isn't lined and I didn't want big gaps in it. Once you reach they height you need, it's time to make the flap. There is no need to cut off your yarn.

2. To make the flap, with your working yarn, make a row of single or double crochet (whatever you're using) in the BACK LOOPS across your rectangle, then proceed to make single crochet rows (or decorative stitching) once again in the front loops for your subsequent rows until the flap is as long as you want it. There should just be one row of crochet in the back loops. This will make a crease that lets it fold over nicely.

3. Fold up the bottom of your rectangle having the edge sitting just about an inch or two below your back loop row (the beginning of your flap). Whip stitch the sides together.

4. (Optional) You can add a decorative edge to the top of your folded over piece to make it look prettier. You can also add decorative stitches or a fun edge to the flap. I put a button that my daughter picked out on mine to hold it closed.

The Granny Square Wristlet:

This project will be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. You don't even have to use granny squares. The picture to the left is a mirror image because I took it on my webcam :-)

1. Make two rectangles of equal size for the walls of your purse. If you want to use granny squares like I did, make your two granny squares (one for each side) the same size then add rows on either side to make it a rectangle. I used a different granny square on each side. One has a 3-D flower on it. The pattern for this 3-D flower square can be found here. I added another row around mine in the dark blue because I wanted it a bit bigger. On the other side I wanted another flower but I wanted it flat. I made a "daisy" square. You can find the pattern for the Daisy square here. I used a "crossed double crochet" for the rows on the sides of my squares because I like the texture.

2. Whip stitch or crochet your two rectangles together on the two short sides and one long side.

3. Attach a wrist strap to one of the top (open) corners. I don't like to use just a chain because it stretches too much so I made my strap about an inch think and used both of my colors on it.

4. Make a zippered pouch. This is a really good tutorial on how to make a zippered pouch. This can be tricky even if you know how to sew, but zippers are so convenient! If you don't like to sew you can buy a pouch to put in it or make an open pouch that can be closed with snaps, magnets, buttons....whatever. Granny squares tend to have lots of holes in them so for functional purposes this bag needs a liner.

5. Place your pouch in the purse and sew around the top to secure the two together. I also sewed the bottom corners of my pouch to the corners of my crocheted purse so that the lining is more stabilized.

How to make your Child a Simple Tunic for the Renaissance Festival!

2011-10-06T11:04:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I showed how to make a Renaissance style "flat cap" so today I'm showing how to make a really simple tunic to go with it!

1. Take your folded fabric and fold it in half. (You should have 4 layers with the folded edge on top as pictured on the left.

2. Take a shirt or, in this case, jammies, that fits your child and lay them folded in half along the fold in your fabric.

3. Cut around them. I made the sleeves wider at the end and the base of the tunic wider as well. I wanted this tunic to go to my son's feet since he's a baby and wouldn't be walking in it, which is why I used footie pajamas as a guide.

4. Unfold your now cut fabric and using the neckhole on your child's shirt, cut a neckhole in the top of your tunic. I didn't make mine very big because the next step will make it slip over your child's head easily.

5. Cut a "V" in the front of the neck. It's up to you how to finished your seams. I decided to hem the sleeves and bottom and do a blanket stitch around the "V" to make it look a little more finished but still homespun.

6. Poke 3 holes on either side of the "V" to thread a lace through. I used some scrap suede I cut into a strip. You can use whatever you want! This little lacing detail makes it look less like a nightgown and more like Renaissance garb in my opinion.

And you're done! See my other tutorial for how to make the hat you see my son is wearing!

How to make your Child a Hat for the Renaissance Festival

2011-10-05T11:05:00.001-05:00

This year my family went to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. I wanted to dress my children in costume, but since I was short on time, it had to be pretty simple. I decided to start with a hat for my son. This is my rendition of a period "flat cap," such as that worn by Henry VIII. This tutorial isn't really how to make a professional/traditional/period one, but it looks good :-)

1. Measure your child's head and using that dimension, figure out the radius needed for a circle that size. Yes, this is math, and I apologize about that :-) Here's the formula using 17" for the head circumference (sub in your child's measurement where you see 17):

17 ÷ 3.14 = the diameter, so the diameter of this hat is approx. 5.5".
The radius of a circle = diameter ÷ 2, so 5.5" ÷ 2 means the radius = 2.25"

2. Draw a circle on the material you are using for your brim, such as cardboard, stiff interfacing, a cereal box, plastic...whatever you want. I used a manila folder! Use a compass to draw your circle, setting it to the radius of your circle + approx 1" for ease so the hat fits comfortably. Add more if you want it looser and less if you want it tight (in this case 2.25" + 1" = 3.25"). This is the center hole for your hat (I didn't add that extra inch the first time I made one and it was too small). Extend your compass 2" or however wide you want your brim to be, and draw another circle. This is the outside edge of your brim.

3. Use this piece you just cut out as a pattern for cutting out two donuts of the fabric you've chosen for your hat. I chose a blue suede. Cut loosely around your brim piece so that you leave about a half inch seam allowance on the outer edge and the inner edge.

4. Right sides together, sew around the outer edge of the two fabric donuts you just cut out and turn them right side out as pictured here.

5. Slide your brim piece into the fabric O you've just made. It's okay if it fits loosely, because you can pull the fabric tight to the inside when you finish it if you want a more fitted brim. I didn't mind it being loose personally.

6. Cut out another larger circle of fabric, this time with no hole in the middle! You can use your compass again and add about 5-6" more inches to the measurement for the outside of your brim, or be like me and just lay that brim piece on your fabric and cut around it not caring if it is perfect :-) The larger you make it, the floppier the hat will be, so if you want it to hang over the edges of the brim, you should cut it even larger. I'll be honest, I just guessed on this part and didn't measure it too accurately, but it worked out okay.

7. Gather up the outer edge of the large circle you just cut.

8. Pin the gather edge into the center hole of your hat and sew it in place. I hand-sewed this because it was just easier than trying to get my sewing machine into this tight space.

9. Attach feathers, plumes, or whatever decorations you might like to your hat!

10. (Optional) You can finish the inside edge of your hat with bias tape or some other edging. I didn't do this since you can't see the inside and this is for a 5 month old.

Here are the two I made:

Me and my son at the festival! He is wearing a simple tunic I made and there will be a tutorial for that soon to follow!

I made my daughter's dress as well, but that one was assembled too hodge-podge for a good tutorial!

The Easiest Crocheted Baby Hat Ever Tutorial

2011-09-30T09:36:00.001-05:00

Don't tell me you can't make your baby silly hats. As a matter of fact, this is the easiest baby hat I have ever crocheted. Of course I made it more difficult than I had to by mixing up the stripes, but you don't have to do that. This hat is just a crocheted rectangle.

1. Crochet a rectangle that measures the length from one temple to the other around your child's head. Make it as tall as the length from your child's chin to the crown of their head. You can use any crochet stitch you like, any hook, any guage...that's up to you. (I bet you could make this out of fleece too if you aren't much of a yarn person)

2. Fold it in half as pictured.

3. Sew the top seam closed. You can crochet it closed as well, but I prefer to whip stitch.

4. Add a decorative stitch to the front edge (if you want) and add the ties to go under the chin. I attach my yarn at the corner then chain down the length I want them to be and then single crochet back up to the hat to make them a little thicker.

5. Try it on your child and take pictures. I love the point in the back on this one!

Link and Princess Zelda

2011-09-27T17:50:00.000-05:00

These are my last two brand new designs for a while. I have been asked to make Link and Zelda aprons more than any other character, so I'm glad to finally have them completed. Zelda is made using 100% cotton, a gold polyester fabric, purple satin, and a sheer chiffon that has a color fade in it of both blue and purple. I used this because the decorative element on Zelda's dress fades/changes color a bit and I wanted to create that effect. I had to leave out a lot of the detail on her dress for practicality, but I tried to keep the general look of it and of course the tri-force. This apron is machine washable, warm, on the delicate cycle. There is a pocket behind the hanging decorative element. It is hidden, but is accessible through the gap between the belt and the top of hanging piece in case you want to hide away any rupees.

I put this apron on the floor because the chef style men's aprons just don't look right on my petite hour glass lady mannequin. Link was harder to give a distinct look since his usual garb is pretty simple. I copied the general idea, but put a tri-force on his pouch to set this apart from Robin Hood or Peter Pan. The belt, straps, and pouch (which is lined) are all made from suede and have a leathery look. The gold is polyester and the top is made from 100% cotton. I put an additional piece of suede by each appliqued buckle to give the illusion of a functional belt, with the flaps hanging out a bit. The green fabric is twill, which is a light canvas like material. This apron needs to be cold washed and line dried.

Fleece Baby Bunting Sewing Tutorial

2011-09-26T10:13:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I've had time to do a project for my kids, so I'm really excited to post this tutorial! This is a fairly easy project, although I put a zipper in it, which might be a little tricky for beginners. I have an alternative to putting a zipper in though if that scares you!

1. Get an outfit out that fits your child loosely. It needs to be longsleeved and have legs on it. Lay this on your fleece (double thickness so you'll be cutting out two) and cut around it. Make it quite a bit longer than where the legs of your outfit actually end because you want a lot of kicking and wiggling room for your little one's feet. It should look something like this picture on the right.

2. Cut a slit down the middle of the front piece the same length (or a little shorter) than your zipper, and then sew in your zipper. Zippers are not my favorite thing but they are really convenient! Here is a a good zipper tutorial. I didn't "hide" my zipper like in this tutorial because I liked the red contrast. My alternative to using a zipper is to leave the bottom of your bunting open, in essence making a gown that you can slip on over your child's head. You can add a drawstring or elastic to the bottom to close it up after you put it on your child (or snap closures or buttons...you get the idea).

3. Once your zipper is installed, pin the two pieces right sides together and sew from the neck down the top edge of the sleeve on both sides. Then sew from the bottom edge of one sleeve all the way to the bottom, curve it around and back up the other side to the bottom edge of the other sleeve in one continuous line (where the red lines are in my awesome graphic!). After this you can fold back and hem the cuffs of your sleeves.

4. For the hood, use an existing hood that fits your child (or guess...which is a method I use quite a bit!) and cut around it to get the basic shape. Measure this against the size of your neckhole and make sure the bottom will fit nicely into your bunting. Put your two pieces right sides together and sew around the curved edge to form the hood, then fold over and hem the front opening.

5. Lastly, attach your hood to the inside of your neck hole...and there you have it! (Here is a tutorial for this process if you want some more detail about how to get the hood in there)

6. Put your baby in it and take cute pictures!

Apron Orders

2011-09-10T09:34:00.000-05:00

Hello, just a quick post to say that I'm currently not taking any more custom orders. I'm going to be working on Halloween costumes and then creating all sorts of random things with the insanely large stash of fabric I've accumulated over the years. I've been dying to carve out some time to use it up, and to do some cross-stitch and crochet and other things like making more kilts or kids' viking hats...I wanna learn how to make rugs, and do some more quilting...and you get the idea. I'll be putting some of these projects up on Etsy, but won't be doing much custom stuff for people in the mean time. I will be posting more tutorials and pictures of different projects here though because I love to share what I'm doing and any cool tricks I learn along the way. Crafting is only as hard as you make it, so I try to make it as easy as possible!

The Tiger Apron with Claws

2011-08-29T10:59:00.002-05:00

I am calling this apron "The Tiger." Technically it wasn't finished when I took these pictures because it is missing its belt buckle, but other than that, this is the finished product. I put the belt buckle on after I took the pictures. This apron features some super cool pockets with claws, which is why I love it very very much. I didn't even want to make it without incorporating claws on it, and the only place to logically do that was on the pockets. It is made from twill and canvas, and virtually all the details on it are appliqued. This project was time-consuming, but seeing the finished product was totally worth it. And now I can grill shish-kabobs without bringing along extra skewers.

Baby Peachy Princess Apron

2011-08-20T16:51:00.003-05:00

I'm a little bit too excited about this apron because it's adorable factor is sky high. This is for a 1 year old for Halloween, so it measures only 15" high from the top of the bib to the bottom of the skirt. The light blue and white apron it is hanging by is for a 4-5 year old girl. This one is just so cute! I want to see a toddling child wearing it!! I just don't have one handy at the moment :-)

This project has inspired me in such a way that I now want to make baby versions of all my aprons. It was so much fun!

Easy Tiered Skirt Tutorial for your Little Princess

2011-08-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

My daughter is a girly girl, so for her birthday, besides her annual birthday t-shirt, I thought she needed a fun tiered skirt. This is a really easy project. If you can sew a straight line, you can do this!

1. First, cut your three layers of fabric. These are going to be 3 rectangles. The length and width is up to you and varies on the size of your child, but I generally use 3 times the waist measurement to get it to gather up nicely, with the length of the longest tier being the distance from her waist to her knee.

2. Next you will sew each rectangle into a loop by attaching the ends together, and then will hem the bottom of each one.

3. Layer your 3 loops onto each other with the shortest loop being on the outside and the longest one on the inside. Stitch around the top to hold the three layers together.

4. Fold over the top edge (turning it to the inside) and sew it down to make a channel for your elastic (leave an opening to put your elastic in!). Measure the elastic on your child's waist. Threading elastic is easy if you put a safety pin on one edge and then push the safety pin through.

5. Sew your elastic together (sew it well! You don't want it snap apart!), then sew the opening closed. Ta-da! You have a cute skirt.

Okay, so I also made her a dinosaur birthday cake. Cake decorating is not my expertise (even though I used to do it at a bakery back in college!) but I tried my best. My daughter seemed pleased.

My Enormous Beach Bag

2011-08-08T21:48:00.001-05:00

Okay, so this is a picture of me with my enormous tote bag. I don't think this picture does justice to how enormous it is since I can fit both of my children inside it! I made it with a Little Mermaid bed sheet I found at the thrift store. My daughter loves Ariel so I decided to use it to make a beach bag. The enormity of the bag came about after going to the beach with my daughter and my new baby. I had to carry all the baby gear, a beach umbrella, towels, a beach blanket to sit on, toys, life jacket, a book to read, something to drink, my purse...you get the idea. I decided I needed a bag big enough to carry all of it. This tote bag is made just like any other, only it is super-sized. Here's a tutorial on how to make a lined tote bag. My pink fabric wasn't actually big enough to match up with the outside, so I sewed a strip of scrap purple gingham to the top to lengthen it. I'll admit that these colors aren't the most awesome I've put together, but it was all scrap and I knew it would just get wet and sandy eventually anyways. My diaper bag fits in the bag, as well as a couple beach towels and everything else I listed above. I put one large pocket inside, perfect for a book or magazine, and a couple other odd shaped pockets on the other side with some scrap fabric, one of which holds a drink, and the other just the right size for a bottle of sun screen. This bag is lined in a heavy canvas and the straps are super durable. See my straps tutorial for how to make really good purse and bag straps. Now if only I didn't have to carry the baby around, I could have a free hand for batting away rogue beach balls!

Mommy Apron in Gingham and Strawberries

2011-08-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

I have finally finished the "mommy" version of the last apron I posted. This one was made using the same fabric but I changed the design a bit. I decided to go with a sweetheart neckline, and instead of bordering the skirt with a continuous ruffle, I added 3 rows of ruffles to the bottom only, alternating the patterns. Once again I used a solid red for accents to break up the patterns. This one used the black and white gingham for the main fabric instead of the strawberries used in the child's version, which I think lends itself well to a cute, but more adult, apron (as does the sweetheart neckline I think).

Here is the child's version posted earlier so you can see them as a set. I have the child's one on my adult mannequin, which is why it looks short with an almost empire waist :-)

Child's Strawberry and Gingham Apron

2011-07-20T11:23:00.001-05:00

I made this apron for a little cousin of mine who is around the age of my daughter (don't you love my cardboard girl!). Her mother selected the fabric and for the most part gave me free reign to create.

Since this one was for a child, I made it a bit more cutesy, focusing on the strawberries fabric and using the black gingham for accents. I decided to add some solid red just to help break up the patterns a bit and add a pop of color to it.

The bib and skirt have ruffles around all three sides and the skirt pockets are sitting on top of red appliqued pieces to set them off some. The girl who is getting this apron should be able to wear it for a long time.
I included a couple in progress shots as well as several finished ones. I had lots of fun making this apron because there weren't any "rules" like there are when trying to replicate icons or completing custom projects that are specifically laid out.

At first I was a little intimidated by the fabric, because it took me a while to figure out what I thought would look best with these colors and still be fun and girly/age appropriate. All my worrying seems silly now because I'm really happy with the finished product. I just hope her Mommy likes it too!

The Annual Birthday T-Shirt...This Year is #4!!!

2011-07-07T13:51:00.001-05:00

This is what has now become an annual tradition: the Birthday T-Shirt! This year my baby turns 4, so a number 4 it is! Just like previous years, I started with a sketch (which is awesome because I can't draw despite being married to a professional artist), and then I create my vision out of felt. This past year my daughter was taken over by princess-mania, so I thought a princess theme would be appropriate.

1. I started with a simple t-shirt and cut out the basic elements of my design, zig-zag stitching them into place. I used contrasting thread colors.

2. I then decided I wanted to add a few more frills to dress it up. I made an overskirt out of a glittery sheer pink fabric by simply hemming a rectangle and gathering it at the top. I then stitched this on, sewing down both sides and across the top, leaving the bottom open.

3. After this I added even more embellishments! Buttons for the eyes (I put a black button over a brown one to give it a pupil. My daughter has big brown eyes, so a brown-eyed princess is a must!) I also sewed some ribbon streamers from the top of her hat, and used an old applique I've had laying around forever to finish the bottom of the hat and the top of the skirt. You could also use ribbon or beads or buttons...you get the idea :-) Then I tried it on my princess! I still think this princess looks a little mean...maybe some eyelashes will fix that. Craft projects are never truly done!

Here are her previous t-shirts:

This is a blog entry I wrote when making Birthday shirt #3! It is written in a "how to" style, although I think this is a pretty simple project!

Happy Birthday Lee!

2011-07-02T11:23:00.000-05:00

Today is the birthday of the one and only Lee Leslie, creator and artist of Rigby the Barbarian, and the artist of the now sold out Screamland. So if you're wondering, yes, a love of all things nerdy is indeed a family affair! Creativity takes a front seat around here. My entry back into the world of sewing has been brutally slow for my tastes, but new babies have a way of monopolizing your time, don't they? This is the birthday card my daughter made for her daddy today. I love how she drew the mouth and teeth and put nail polish on the frog's toes!

Zelda's Dungeon and a Goomba

2011-06-26T15:32:00.000-05:00

If you are like me, and a bit of a nerd, you might appreciate my friend's awesome oil paintings. He has both of these for sale in his Etsy shop right now. They are super cool. I'm trying to figure out what I can make for him as a trade to get him to paint a Princess Peach for my daughter's bedroom!

For my Father on Father's Day

2011-06-17T14:28:00.001-05:00

My father was exceptional when it came to showing his children this country. I've realized this as an adult when chatting with people and reminiscing about family vacations. Our times traveling together make up many of my most fond memories of my father. He loves to get out there and see things and this love has taken me to:

The Rocky Mountains
The Smokey Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
Big hills that aren't really mountains, but he likes them anyways
Little Big Horn
Jamestown
Gettysburg (twice, once on the 125th anniversary), Pea Ridge, Shiloh...you name it
Mt. Rushmore
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Museums and more Museums
Anything to do with Dinosaur bones
The Great Lakes
Washington D.C.
Myrtle Beach
O Canada!
Amusement Parks...Disney World, Busch Gardens, Six Flags...
Street Festivals (he loves a good street festival)
Historical Reenactments
The Gulf of Mexico
Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations
Zoos, Aquariums, and every historical plaque put up on the side of the road
Mt. Vernon
The USS Alabama
Mackinak Island
So many Interstates
National Parks and State Parks galore
Places that are so beautiful you want to cry and places so sad you want to cry
Places with audio tours that tell you when to start and stop the tape but they always get off somehow and no one can ever get the tour to line up with the location we're at
Weird motels in towns you've never heard of
The Austin Bean Eatin!
Statues of people that were important once
Presidential Libraries
The State Fair. Every year.
Places like "The Biggest Natural Land Bridge in Arkansas" and "The Home of the Purple Martin"
Waterfalls
Places that sell collectible spoons, moccasins, and keychains with your name on them
Places with taxidermied animals and reconstructed Indian encampments
Dodge City
Albuquerque
The Petrified Forest
Devil's Tower, the Badlands, The Corn Palace, and the other wonders of South Dakota
The place where I saw the Hawaii license plate and finally got to finish one of those license plate books
State Capitols
Places you don't want your car to break down. Like seriously, can we get back to civilization?
Mesa Verde and other Indian ruins that make your jaw drop
Nature trails and other places to get poison ivy
Water Parks and other places to get really bad sunburns
Camping and other places where you get bit by mosquitoes
Branson
Osceola Cheese Factory
Flea Markets and Antique Malls
Places where I wore sunglasses and was thereby cooler than when at other places
Places where I was so bored I just sat on one of the cannons outside and waited
Places you have to drive 2 hours off the highway to see and they are kind of okay, but you pretend they're fascinating because you drove so far to get there
Rest stops and anywhere else that has picnic tables
Grocery stores across America where I whined about not wanting to get bologna this time
Kansas in July with no air-conditioning
Breakfast buffets, but only on the last day of vacation and we had to order water
Florida, Utah, Texas, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and everywhere in between.

He gave me a love of travel, a respect for history, and a sense of national pride, all while having no fear of doing the quirky. Yes we have a family photo of us taken in an ol' timey photo booth, but we never panned for gold because that's expensive and a racket.

Love you Dad!

T-Shirt Reconstruction: Tank Top into Girl's Dress

2011-06-07T16:39:00.000-05:00

Don't ask me why I uploaded this picture sideways...but you get the idea...it's a tank top. A tank top that is waaaay too small for me anymore (thank you baby #2), but I love superheroes and I wanted to do something with it. I decided my daughter needed a Super Girl dress. This tutorial can be done with a tank top or shirt that already fits your child as well.

Step 1: I took two adult t-shirts (one a Medium and one a XL) and cut the bottoms off of them so that I had two tubes of fabric. One tube is noticeably smaller than the other one. This is intentional. If your t-shirts are the same size, cut one and sew it back up smaller so that you have about the ratio you see here. The combined length of these two tubes should be however long you want the skirt part of your dress.

Step 2: Try the tank top on your child and cut it off just below the chest. Step 2.5: If it is too big for your child, like this one was for my daughter, cut it in the middle of the back and bring it in.

Step 3: Gather up the top of the smaller tube of fabric until it is the same size as the bottom of your cut tank top and then sew them together. You can stop here if you want to make a simple dress or cute top but if you want a tiered dress, continue. Step 4: Do the same thing to the larger tube of fabric and attach that to the bottom of the smaller one. I didn't have to hem this because I left the factory-finished hem on the bottom of the t-shirt.

Step 5: Adjust the straps to fit your child. I left the straps how they were after bringing in the back of the tank top. I liked the "V" it made. You can also cut them off and attach them at the sides like a traditional tank top. Whatever you want!

I'll admit I did some other tailoring to this one to get the tank top to fit my daughter better (there are some darts in the chest) but you don't have to do that, especially if you start using one of your child's tank tops.

Screamland and Rigby the Barbarian

2011-05-19T14:05:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before that I have reasons to take a personal interest in the newest issue of Screamland volume 2, which came out recently, so here's an interview with the writers and the artist (okay, okay, the artist is my husband...) This interview is by BD Horror Comic News.

Also, here's a review of the other comic that gets me excited, Rigby the Barbarian. This review is part of the "month of webcomics" on Comic Book Resources. Rigby is awesome.