Elise looks adorable in hats. I just can’t get enough of them. So I decided to make a sunhat with ruffles to add to her fashion options.

I freehanded this pattern by looking at a couple of Elise’s best fitting hats and then added a ruffle to make it extra cute.

Of course you could leave the ruffle off if you wanted. In hindsight, my brim is a bit asymmetrical but I kind of like it that way – just be sure to follow the cutting instructions below to cut a mirror image.

This free baby sunhat pattern should fit a 6-12 month old; Elise is 10 months old and it’s super cute on her petite-ish noggin. Alternatively, you could easily size this hat up or down on a photocopier.

Free tutorial, baby sunhat pattern and step-by-step instructions are after the jump. Bring on the sunshine!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free pattern, supply list and DIY step-by-step instructions for creating my baby sunhat pattern with ruffles and ties after the jump –>

Supplies:

• Kathy’s free pattern for a baby sunhat with ruffles and ties (PDF – sized for 6-12 months)
• 1/2 yard of fabric
• Rotary fabric cutter, self-healing cutting mat and clear acrylic ruler
• Good fabric scissors
• Good iron (like Rowenta)
• Ironing board
• Thread (I use my thread spool set)
• Pins (I prefer glass head pins)
• Sewing machine

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Cut your pattern pieces
Print my free baby sunhat pattern. It’s sized for 6-12 months so you can scale it up or down as needed. You can use one fabric print or two.

Cut 4 triangles for outside crown
Cut 4 triangles for inside crown lining
Cut 4 brims (2 top, 2 lining) – cut 2 brims right side up, then flip the pattern so that you’re cutting 2 brims wrong side up
Cut 2 strips 16″ x 1″ for the ties
Cut 2 strips 25″ x 2″ for ruffle

For this tutorial you’re going to sew everything at 3/8″ seams. I usually do 1/2″ seams for my tutorials but wanted them to be a bit smaller for Elise’s baby head.

Create the outside crown and crown lining
Take four of your crown pieces. Line up two pieces, right sides together, and sew along the side. Repeat with the other two pieces.

Press seams open; they will be slightly curved.

Pin the two pieces together, right sides together.

Sew. You’ll now have one sewn crown piece. Press the seam open.

Repeat to make the lining crown.

Create the brim
Grab your four cut pieces for your brim. Now because it’s a bit of an asymmetrical brim, be sure to match pieces together so the brim top will match your brim bottom.

Sew two pieces of the brim together to make the outside brim. Press the seams open. Repeat to create inside lining brim.

Create the ruffle
Sew pieces together on the ends, pressing seams flat. It should look like a large circle. Iron the circle in half, wrong sides together. The right side of the fabric will be on top and bottom now, and there’s now a finished edge and a raw edge.

Using a basting stitch, sew two rows of stitching around the raw edge of the circle. I stop at the seams and then start again because I find it’s easier to gather (in the next step).

Match the seams of the ruffle to the seams of the brim. Pin. Pull the gathering threads gently to gather the fabric into ruffles. Pull it until it’s the same size as the outside of the brim. Pin the ruffle onto the edge of the brim, raw edges together.

Sew the ruffle onto the brim.

Place the other brim piece on top of the ruffle piece you just sewed, basically making a ruffle sandwich with the two right sides together. Pin and sew.

Turn right side out and iron. Finished brim is 18 inches circumference.

Topstitch the brim near the ruffle edge.

Sew the brim shut by sewing close to the inside circle edge.

Take out any basting stitches that show (yikes, I had a lot on this one …that’s what I get for sewing fast during naps).

Attach hat crown to the brim
Pin the crown onto the brim, right sides together matching seams. Sew around the crown to attach it to the brim.

On the right side of the hat, iron the seam open so the raw edges are up inside the crown. It’s starting to look like a hat now, yes?

Make and attach ties
Fold ties in half and iron. Fold raw edges into that center crease. Iron again.

On one end, make a triangle with the ends and fold in.

Sew along the open edge of the tie to sew it shut. Repeat for the second tie.

Now you’re going to attach the ties to the hat. Find the two sides of the hat. Pin the raw edge of the tie to the raw edge of the crown at the side seams.

Sew back and forth a bunch of times so it’s secure. Repeat on the other side.

Attach hat lining
Turn lining under 1/2″ along the raw edge and iron.

Turn the lining so the wrong side is on the outside. Pin the lining inside the hat, matching seams. Put your pins on the outside of the hat because you’ll be sewing from that side to make sure it looks nice on the outside.

And here’s what it looks like inside…

Sew it all together, stitching close to the brim, catching the lining underneath as you go. I’m not a huge fan of blind stitching like this but it’s the way I figured out how to do it, so there you go. Suggestions welcome.

Tie that hat on and go outside!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this free pattern and step-by-step tutorial instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Elise is eating solid foods now so I’ve entered the Land of Frozen and Leftover Baby Food. With my brain still set on ‘sleep deprived,’ I put my chalkboard obsession to good use with these recycled, reusable baby food jar lids to help me track it all.

Hooray for re-writable lids and Chalk Ink food-safe non-toxic washable markers! They not only help me remember when I opened or defrosted food like so…

…but also when I made fresh purees like these apricots.

As an aspirational minimalist I feel good about recycling and reusing all those empty baby food jars. I sent a set of chalkboard lids to my friend Liz and baby Kaya, and her boyfriend Jason liked the idea so much he spray painted all the lids in his woodworking studio to keep track of nails and screws and such.

As a bonus to this free DIY craft, I’m passing along a simple, fast method for steaming and pureeing fruits in collaboration with my good friend Heather from YumUniverse – ‘the’ place for plant-based tasty recipes. A raw and vegan food wiz, Heather came over to make baby food with me for Elise.

And if you still have a mountain of jars and lids left, here are more ideas to reuse baby food jars and lids from DIY Guides.

WANNA MAKE IT? Free supply list and DIY step-by-step instructions for creating my chalkboard lids for baby food jars and apricot baby food puree after the jump –>

Supplies for re-writable chalkboard baby food jar lids:

• Chalkboard Spray Paint (in Black)
• Baby food glass jars and lids – recycle those suckers!
• Chalk Ink food-safe non-toxic washable markers
• Double sided tape
• Cardboard box

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Making Chalkboard Baby Food Lids
Cut or rip one side of the box to make a three-sided spraying booth. Put double stick tape on the bottom box and place lids on top – this will keep them from blowing around while using spray paint.

Carefully spray very fine coats of chalkboard spray paint…

…building up layers as you go. Be sure to avoid spraying the *inside* of the lids.

Write on the lids using Chalk Ink food-safe non-toxic washable markers. Hand wash lids using a damp cloth. Now that I’ve been using the lids for a few months, they do chip a bit over time. But the lids are so quick and easy to spray that you could easily add more coats as needed.

Making Apricot Baby Food Puree

Making fresh, healthy, yummy apricot baby food puree is a breeze! Here are the supplies. Hop on over to YumUniverse.com for the full recipe tutorial.

Supplies for steamed apricot baby food puree:

• Fresh, ripe organic apricots
• Good knife
• Food steamer
• Stick hand blender
• Ice cube trays (for freezing)
• Empty baby food jars (for fresh – keep in mind that these are not canned so you need to use any fresh baby food within 1-3 days)

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this idea and project instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Liz! According to Random.org, she is our lucky winner of the box of Velcro. Thanks everyone for entering …and be sure to make your Velcro kid’s blanket!

Did you see the free tutorial for my kid’s travel blanket with Velcro loops, Velcro pockets and ribbon tags? Well, the VELCRO® brand fasteners company did and was generous enough to provide this *huge* box of assorted fasteners for a lucky reader.

And it can be you! Just add a comment on *any post* at MerrimentDesign.com to enter. That’s right, any post – what you think, what you did with it, what you want to do, who you want to share it with. You get one entry for each comment between today and August 16th (my birthday and your lucky day). One comment only per post per person. I’ll announce the randomly-selected winner on August 17th …or perhaps the 18th if my birthday is particularly festive ;)

Oh, and if you follow @merrimentdesign on twitter or RSS or are a Merriment Design Facebook fan just let me know below – you’ll get another entry.

This box valued at approximately $150 includes: two boxes of 5yd x 1.5″ Velcro Brand Sew-On Tape in white and black…

…6 boxes of Fabric Fusion Velcro 4ft x 5/8″ each…

…18 rolls of Sew On Velcro in Black, Beige and Green (I didn’t know it came in green …could be good for holiday)…

The VELCRO® brand fasteners company makes sew-in and adhesive fasteners for crafting, sewing, paper, holiday and everyday. They have lots of innovative products including Velcro Snag Free Sew On Tape, Velcro Fabric Fusion Iron On Tape and Wafer Thin Velcro to inspire.

And be sure to check out my free craft tutorial for making a kid’s travel blanket using Velcro loops, Velcro pockets and ribbon tags to keep toys secure on trips. Good luck!

I made this toy travel blanket for Elise’s first plane flight. We were flying to Maine and I wanted any toys she dropped to stay in our seats rather than fall into the filthy abyss of the airplane floor.

The border perimeter features ribbons and vintage ric rac to keep Elise occupied while confined in her window seat …babies *love* to pick at tags! And I finally got to use this super cute Russian matryoshka dolly fabric that my friend Heather bought me on one of her famous roadtrips.

Check out the Snag Free Velcro loops on the blanket border to attach toys. Instead of using traditional Velcro that comes in two pieces, I used one piece of Velcro Snag Free Sew On Tape.

All you do is close it and it sticks to itself like so…

I recycled one of Elise’s super soft old swaddling blankets for the back…

…and added two pockets for small books and toys using Velcro Fabric Fusion Iron On Tape.

My friend Macki Cayloma West, traveling mom extraordinaire, inspired the kid’s toy travel blanket. Macki created her original toy travel blanket by sewing traditional two-piece Velcro loops on a flannel receiving blanket. Then she Velcro-ed toys onto the blanket like so:

I like the Velcro Snag Free Sew On Tape on the perimeter because the Velcro’s there when you need it and out of the way when you don’t. Snag Free Velcro feels softer and stays clean of threads and other gunk. But you can really use either type of Velcro – placed in the middle or on the border or both – and get a good blanket.

You can also use baby links to attach more toys onto the ribbons themselves. Whether you make a simple travel blanket or more elaborate version, toys you take on trips are more likely to join you on the way back!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free template, supply list and DIY step-by-step instructions for creating a kid’s travel toy blanket with Velcro loops and ribbon tags after the jump –>

Supplies (for finished size blanket 23″ x 29″):

• 1/2 yard patterned fabric (I used Russian dollies)
• Velcro Snag Free Sew On Tape
• Velcro Fabric Fusion Iron On Tape
• Assorted ribbons – I collect ones from gifts, boutique purchases, etc. in my ribbon drawer
• or new ric rac
• An old rectangle swadding blanket – mine was 24×30 (alternatively, 1/2 yard of flannel fabric or polar fleece fabric)
• Good fabric scissors
• Pins
• Thread
• Ironing board
• Good iron (like Rowenta)
• Sewing machine
• Rotary fabric cutter, self-healing cutting mat and clear acrylic ruler

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Create blanket front and pockets
Select an old swaddling blanket that you no longer use. Mine was 24″x30.” If you’re using fleece/flannel, cut one piece 24″x30″.

Cut your patterned fabric the same size as your swaddling blanket using your rotary fabric cutter, self-healing cutting mat and clear acrylic ruler. Again, mine was 24″x30″.

Next, cut your pockets. Elise’s small books are 3.5″ x 3.5″ so I designed these pockets with that in mind. Cut one pocket 6-1/2″ x 14″ and a second pocket 6-1/2″ x 10″. Starting with the 14″ wide pocket, turn down the top edge 1/4″ and press. Turn down again 1/4th” and press. (NOTE: I did 1/4″ because I didn’t want to cut off her eyes; you can turn down 1/2″ and 1/2″ if you’d like.)

Topstitch the top of the pocket down close to the edge.

Turn down the left side and bottom of the pocket and press. Place a pin at 4″. Cut two pieces of Velcro Fabric Fusion Iron On Tape (mine were 2″ and 3″ long).

Follow package directions to adhere the Velcro Fabric Fusion Iron On Tape.

Place the second side of the Velcro Fabric Fusion Iron On Tape on your pocket so you can be sure to place the Velcro in the right place.

Iron following the Velcro Fabric Fusion Iron On Tape packaging directions to adhere.

Pin your pocket in place wherever you want it to be on the blanket, matching patterns. Notice that this pocket is pinned all the way to the seam, which is why you didn’t need to turn down the right side of the pocket. I love pockets that run into seams :)

Sew two rows of stitching, one very close to the edge and one 0.5″ inside. Sew two rows of stitching through the middle of the pocket to create two pockets from the one piece of fabric. Mine was 5-1/2″ from the left side.

Repeat these steps with your other pocket but this time turn down both sides of the pocket. Also, this pocket is smaller so no need to sew down the middle.

I tucked a ribbon loop into the left side seam of the second pocket because I thought it looked cute. Follow the steps above to sew two rows of stitching around the pocket and iron on the Velcro backing.

Create ribbon, ric rac and Velcro border
Collect or buy an assortment of ribbons and ric rac – satin, grosgrain, tulle, metallic, sewn, patterned, go nuts! I hoard ribbons from gifts, shopping, etc. and my friend Susan gave me vintage ric rac so I recycled quite a variety for this blanket.

Here are some current vintage ribbon auctions on ebay:

Cut enough so that you have ribbon, ric rac or Velcro every 3-4 inches. This means for each 24″ side you’ll need 6-8 ribbons/Velcro, and for each 30″ side you’ll need 8-10 ribbons, for a total of about 28-36 ribbons. Cut ribbons into 4″ pieces each.

You’ll notice below that I stacked ribbons and ric rack together in some places to add textural interest, so you should cut even more ribbons if you plan on combining them.

Cut 4-6 pieces of Velcro Snag Free Sew On Tape 6-8″ long each depending on the toy that you want to put on the Velcro. Elise’s are pretty small so 8″ worked, but be sure to adjust for your child’s toys. You can always cut longer and trim down later if needed.

Pin the ribbons, ric rac and Velcro around the blanket around 3-4″ apart. Stack ribbons together where you want to add some interest.

Here’s what it looks like pinned all the way around.

Sew around the blanket 1/4″ to affix the ribbons, ric rac and Velcro. I stitched back and forth when I came to a ribbon to make sure it was sewn on there good.

Your blanket should look like this now…

With right sides together, pin the front fabric to the swaddling blanket, sandwiching the ribbon/Velcro between the layers.

Sew around the blanket using 0.5″ seam, making sure to leave 12″ on the bottom open so that you can turn the blanket right-side-out in a few steps.

Trim your corners up a bit so they’ll lay flatter when turned.

Turn your blanket right-side-out through the bottom hole. Fiddle with the corners until they’re nice and smooth.

Press your blanket perimeter to get it ready for topstitching. This is a good shot of how I stacked vintage red ribbon on top of wide sheer ribbon to add a bit of playfulness.

Turn down the bottom opening so raw edges are inside.

Pin shut. Man, I used a whole lotta pins here. You can use a lot fewer.

Sew around the entire blanket close to the edge. This will topstitch the sides which looks nice and at the same time you’ll be sewing your blanket shut.

Attach toys…

And add books. Happy travels!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this idea and project instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

This original Fourth of July craft was created for Daily Candy Kids. Welcome, Daily Candy readers!

I mourn sparklers. The City of Chicago banned sparklers in 2007 joining most other ousted fireworks.  Yes, I understand that sparklers can be dangerous especially for small children yet my nostalgia for dancing sparks runs deep. What’s a Fourth without them?

In the spirit of all things wavy and shiny here’s a craft for making safer spark-free sparklers personalized for your family’s Fourth of July celebration. And it all starts with an unused pair of wooden chopsticks…

This project can be easily adapted to making fairy and wizard wands, birthday party shakers or pom poms in your school’s colors.

Yankee doodle indeed!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free template, supply list and DIY step-by-step instructions for creating my Sparkless Sparklers for kids for the Fourth of July using chopsticks, ribbon and party garland after the jump –>

Supplies:

• Unused wooden chopsticks – the disposable kind you would break apart if using to eat; alternatively, an unsharpened pencil or a dowel rod
• White 3/4″ electrical tape
• Grosgrain ribbon in various widths (I used 5/8” blue, 3/8” red, 1/4” white and 1/8” tri-stripe royal all by Offray)
• Foil fringe multi-color party garland (mine was 15” x 20 feet at Party City for $6.99)
• Scissors

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Optional supplies to personalize your sparklers:

• 1-1/2” wood letters (comes in packs of 2)
• Colored markers or kid-safe paint
• Strong craft glue like Gorilla Glue

WARNING: This project contains potential choking hazards due to small parts. It is intended for ages 3+ and assumes parental supervision. Please decide if your child is old enough to use scissors; if not, parents should cut all pieces.

1. Cut your sparks.

Cut 10-14 pieces of grosgrain ribbon at varying lengths, snipping 45-degree angles on one end to make them pretty. I used four 8” blue, four 10” red, two 12” white, two 12” tri-stripe and two 8” tri-stripe.

Unroll the foil party garland.

Cut 1-1½ inches of silver, blue and red strips, keeping the connected base intact. Stack them into a pile.

You could substitute anything shiny here – leftover Christmas tinsel, curling giftwrap ribbon. Personally, I like using foil fringe garland because it’s easier and faster to work with and you get a range of colors in one package – red, blue, gold, silver, green and purple – that you could use for fairy and wizard wands or pom pom shakers in your school’s colors.

Be creative! Each child can have their own combination of sparkles and ribbon depending on how shiny or wavy they’d like their sparkler to be.

3. Bundle sparks.

Make two even stacks of ribbons, making sure the ends are even.

Place the foil stack on top of one of the ribbon stacks. The foil base is long so I staggered the pile so that the ribbon started 1/2” below where the fringe begins (or you can cut it but it works fine this way). Place the other ribbon stack on top. Your foil is now in a ribbon sandwich.

3. Attach sparks to your wand.

Unwrap the unused chopstick. Gently slip the ribbon and foil stack between the sticks, making sure to avoid breaking them apart.

Starting at the ribbon end, wrap the electrical tape around the wand.

Wrap the tape around ribbon until secure…

…then go down the stick by overlapping tape a bit on an angle, just like you would change a tennis grip.

Trim the foil pieces to various lengths so they complement rather than overpower the ribbon.

3. Personalize (optional)
Decorate your wooden letter using markers or paint.

Once dry, glue the letter securely to the base and allow to dry completely before using. Happy and safe Fourth of July, everybody!

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this idea and project instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

This craft was originally created for and published by design*sponge. Welcome, design*sponge readers!

I found a pile of buttermilk, chocolate milk and orange juice vintage bottle caps tucked away in a cardboard box in a lovely antique store in Savannah, Georgia. I thought, why not turn them into retro refrigerator magnets to show them off while making them useful once again?

Milk used to be carried and delivered in glass bottles starting in the late 1800s and capped the tops until around the mid 1950s. Dairies printed their names on the top of the cardboard caps to encourage return and reuse.

You can find your own from dairies all over – Indiana, Nebraska, New York, Quebec, California, and more. There you’ll also find cardboard caps for cottage cheese, whipping cream, orange drink, fruit punch and other treats as well as ads for ice cream and other items.

I just love the graphic design and typography on vintage milk and juice bottle caps. Aren’t they fun and full of personality?

My goal is to make things that are simple and useful, playful and clever. I think refrigerator magnets happily showcase these little vintage circles of art.

WANNA MAKE IT? Supply list and DIY step-by-step instructions for creating my refrigerator magnets from vintage milk and juice bottle caps after the jump –>

Supplies:

• (see current eBay auctions below) – I prefer the ones that are fully flat but they are also available raised edges. I have 10 sets of my bottle caps for sale for those who prefer that style. Just email me.
• 3/4-inch round disc magnets
• Glue gun (preferably cordless like this one) and glue sticks

Here are current eBay auctions for vintage milk bottle caps:

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Using a hot glue gun, glue the disc magnet to the center of the cardboard milk cap back.

Press and hold to attach.

Allow to dry thoroughly before using; I waited a couple hours.

Using the Wink iPhone application from Shutterfly I made some super cute photobooth-like strips of Elise – one of her swinging in Wicker Park and another of her playing with her butterfly.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this idea and project instructions for your own personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

My friend K.C. MacQueen asked me to be an artist for the second annual Pritzker School Community Art Project: “Birdhouses.” Artists create a birdhouse for display in local Wicker Park stores. Home Tweet Home graced the front store window at Stitch boutique in Bucktown for two weeks before being auctioned off.

I’m more of a fabric than a hammer type of girl so decided to make a pillow. And you’re going to flip when you see my tissue paper tracing sewing machine embroidery technique. It opens up so many possibilities!

The birdhouse pillow was inspired by a wrinkly 1969 vintage linen calendar from my extensive collection (I’m a junkie).

I traced the birdhouse onto tissue paper, lengthened the pole and pinned it to the front of 100% wool felt.

Then I sewed through the tissue paper onto the wool using colorful teal, light blue and yellow thread …and tore away the tissue paper to reveal the sewn image.

I added a handwritten “tweet” detail in orange using the same technique.

I’m excited about devising this tissue paper technique on my own – even though others may have already uncovered it. I dislike fabric ink pens especially on nice fabric because it never really full disappears. And you have to freehand draw right the first time.

In contrast my tisssue paper method makes it much easier to keep drawing on paper until you get it right …or trace a reference piece like I did for this project …and sew your embroidery just right.

I closed the pillow with turquoise grosgrain ribbon zipper detailing that became a happy accident that I love.

Here it is close up. The pillow insert contains down feathers, naturally :)

Using tissue paper and your sewing machine is a super fun way to adorn pillows, aprons, totes, dresses …you name it. So get out your Sharpies and sewing machines and get to it!

WANNA MAKE IT? Free template, supply list and DIY step-by-step instructions for creating my embroidered birdhouse pillow using tissue paper and sewing machine after the jump –>

Supplies:

• Kathy’s free birdhouse pattern template from a 1969 vintage linen calendar (PDF – I traced the bird too but you can choose to sew just the birdhouse like I did. Cut the tweet out separately and place as in the photo.)
• 1/2 yard outside fabric (I used 100% cream wool felt that I’d been saving)
• 1/2 yard sew-in interfacing
• 1 yard 7/8″ grosgrain ribbon
• Zipper – 14″ or 16″
• Down feather pillow insert – 12″x16″ size
• Tissue paper (1-2 sheets)
• Sharpie ultra-fine-point colored markers
• Pins
• Good iron
• Ironing board
• Sewing machine
• Rotary fabric cutter, self-healing cutting mat and clear acrylic ruler
• Good fabric scissors

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Cut fabric pattern pieces and embroider birdhouse
Cut two wool rectangles 13″ x 17″ each. Also cut two rectangles from the sew-in interfacing 13″ x 17″ each. Sew interfacing onto the wrong side of the wool sewing close to the edges.

Print my free birdhouse pattern template. Remember not to “fit to page” when you print. Place a piece of tissue paper on top of your printout and trace with a colored Sharpie pen that matches the color you’ll be sewing (I didn’t do this; I used black at first. Keep reading below to see how the “tweet” was much easier when I used a colored Sharpie). Test it first to make sure that the pressure you’re using will not bleed onto what you’re tracing.

Pin the tissue paper tracing in place. Remember to leave 1/2″ for your seams when positioning your pattern.

Sew using colored thread using the double stitch setting on your sewing machine. Or if you don’t have a double stitch setting you can stitch once and then stitch again on top of it if you’d like the stitching to be more prominent.

Carefully peel away the tissue paper to reveal the stitching.

Clean up any stubborn tissue bits using a needle. Use a bit of water for stuck pieces. Here’s where in hindsight I recommend using a colored Sharpie that matches the thread color you’ll be using in case you miss any tiny bits.

Embroider the hole in the birdhouse by sewing in a circle using a double stitch until the entire area is filled in with thread.

Add “Tweet”
Cut out the “tweet” template …or do what I did …just write “tweet” on a piece of paper until you like it. Then trace onto tissue paper using a Sharpie pen that’s the same general color as your thread (I learned after using a black marker above that a colored Sharpie will be more forgiving).

Pin the tissue paper “tweet” onto the pillow.

Sew using a double stitch setting on your sewing machine. Sew the longest continuous line possible at at time.

Carefully pull away the tissue paper. See how using a colored Sharpie pen makes this step even easier? And again you can always use a needle and water to get out any stubborn tissue bits.

Your finished “tweet” will look like so:

Add grosgrain ribbon zipper detailing
This started as an idea to bind the pillow with grosgrain ribbon on all four sides. It morphed into something better. Oh, happy accidents!

Cut two pieces of grosgrain ribbon to fit across the width of your pillow. Pin one to the bottom edge of your front piece.

Sew very close to the edge on both sides of the ribbon.

Repeat on the back side with the other cut ribbon.

Put your zipper centered face down on the right side of your pillow back. Line up the outside zipper edge with the pillow edge. Pin.

Sew using a zipper foot very close to the zipper teeth.

Line up and pin the other side of your zipper to the right side of your pillow front.

Sew using your zipper foot close to the zipper teeth.

Attach the front and back
With right sides together line up your pillow front and back. Sew the right side of your grosgrain zipper detailing 2 inches and backstitch; I backstitch here back and forth a lot so the stitches won’t pull when zipping/unzipping. Repeat on the left side.

Unzip your zipper if you haven’t already; otherwise you’ll sew the pillow shut! Continue around the pillow, stitching the side and top seams using 1/2″ seam. Ensure your edges are even; I tend to avoid pins when I can but that’s your call.

Turn the pillow right side out.

Stuff the pillow using a down pillow insert. Zip closed.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this idea and project instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Thein-Kim! According to Random.org she is our lucky winner of 5 cards of her choice, a large journal and a mini-journal. Thanks everyone for entering!

I’m excited to bring you this giveaway from talented handmade paper goods designer Keli Catalano at Colette Paperie! Keli designs lovely cards for all occasions including custom cards…



…side-stitched journals for jotting down inspirations…



…and posh sticky notes for daily reminders.



A fan of MerrimentDesign.com, Keli is generously giving a lucky reader your choice of any large journal, any mini journal, and pack of 5 cards. Woo hoo!

To enter, leave a comment below telling us one of your favorite Collete Paperie cards or journals. Come back everyday for a new entry! Share on facebook or tweet the giveaway, then leave another comment letting us know for each additional entry. Entries close midnight on June 6th and the winner will be randomly selected.

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The pincushion thread catcher that my mom gave me years ago is my sewing table’s best friend. Yeah, I know it seems a little grandma-ish but it’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of things that are both clever and cute.

A pincushion thread catcher is basically a weighted pincushion on top like this…

…that anchors your own little trashcan for stray threads and empty thread spools that you throw in here like so…

Convenient, yes?

I made this red pincushion thread catcher thank you gift for my friend Susan who let me deeply dip into her fabric stash while getting ready for the 2008 Renegade Craft Fair. Yep, I said 2008. That makes this thank you gift 18 months late. Terrible, I know. But better late than never.

I reverse-engineered my mom’s pattern, doubled the pin cushion size, and voila! An easy free tutorial for how to make a pincushion thread catcher.

Step-by-step tutorial instructions and supplies for the pincushion thread catcher after the jump –>

Supplies:

• 1/2 yard outside fabric (Susan’s is red, white and black flowers)
• 1/2 yard lining fabric (Susan’s is black)
• Thread
• Good fabric scissors
• Pillow stuffing
• Two metal door hinges to use as weights (from the hardware store)
• Plastic clothes line to use as boning (optional)
• Wire cutters (if you use the clothes line boning)
• Rotary fabric rotary cutter, self-healing gridded rotary mat and clear fabric ruler
• Good iron
• Ironing board
• Sewing machine

NOTE: All seams are 1/2″.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Cut your pieces
Use your rotary fabric rotary cutter, self-healing gridded rotary mat and clear fabric ruler to cut out the following pieces:

Outside fabric (the red flowers)

• Pincushion: Cut two 9″ x 5″ rectangles
• Straps: Cut two 4″ x 3 1/2″ rectangles
• Bag: Cut one 17 1/2″ x 11″ rectangle

Lining (black)

• Bag: Cut one 17 1/2″ x 11″ rectangle

Make the pincushion
Fold the straps in half and sew a 1/2″ seam.

Maneuver the seam to the center and press the seam open. Turn right side out and ensure the seam is on the back of the strap (rather than on one of the sides or the front).

Put the pincushion piece face up on your table. Place the straps 1.5″ from each side of the pincushion piece on one of the 9″ long sides.

Fold right sides together, sandwiching the two straps inside.

Sew the pincushion shut, leaving about 3″ open on one of the short sides so that you can turn it right side out. Trim the corners a bit but not too close.

Turn the bag right side out through the opening. Press your fingers into the corner.

Press flat and set aside.

Make the bag
Fold the bag in half right sides together. Sew the side seam.

Press the seam open and move it to the center like you did above for the straps. Sew the bottom seam.

Make your thread catcher basket bottom by creating a triangle where the side seam meets the bottom. Your triangle should be 1 1/2″ wide with the seam flattened open. Mark with a pencil and sew across the bottom of the triangle.

Turn the bag right side out to see how it creates a soft bottom.

Make the bag lining
Basically you do the same thing here as the bag outside with one important difference: You leave a hole in the side seam so that you can turn all of this stuff rightside out.

Like the bag outside fold right sides together. But instead of sewing the entire seam, starting from the top, sew 4″ of the side seam. Backstitch.

Then go to the bottom and sew 2″ of the sides seam.

See the hole? This is important later.

Now just repeat what you did for the bag outside to finish off this lining. Sew the bottom seam.

Sew 1 1/2″ triangles on the bottom to create a soft bottom.

Stop here though …leave the lining with the right side in, wrong side out.

Attach the pincushion to the bag
Line up the pincushion straps on the back of the bag. The back of the bag should be facing (touching) the back of the straps (so in other words, the seam-side of the bag and the seam-side of the straps should be touching each other).

Sew the straps to the bag.

Attach the bag outside / pincushion straps to the bag lining
So your bag is right side out and your lining is right side in. This is going to sound weird, but put your bag inside your lining matching up the back seams, and pin. See how the right sides are together? Eventually you’re going to pull this through the lining hole that you made.

Make sure your straps are tucked between the lining outside and lining inside. Sew all the way around to attach the bag outside to its lining.

Pay no attention to my messy sewing table :) Turn the pincushion right side out through the lining hole.

Add in the clothesline boning (optional)
So while this step is optional it helps your thread catcher bag stay open and generally makes the whole thing look nicer.

Cut a 17″ piece of plastic clothes line using wire cutters.

Make a circle with the clothes line and secure raw edges with a piece of tape.

Slip the circle inside the lining hole and work it up to the top of the bag. Secure with pins.

Sew around the bag close to the “boning.”

It looks great like this!

Stuff and weight the pincushion
Now my mom’s pincushion was filled with sand, but I’ve read that sand can dull pins. I picked up a couple door hinges for 89 cents each at the local hardware store to use as weights. Then I secured them together using floral wire.

Slip the hinges into the bottom of the pincushion.

Stuff the pincushion with polyfill, keeping the hinges on the bottom as weights with the polyfill on top and on the sides.

Hand sew the pincushion closed using a slipstitch.

Close the bag
Hand sew the opening inside the bag closed using a slipstitch.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this idea and project instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

My baby Elise is four months old now. She can hold her toys in both hands and sit up assisted. I think this big girl is ready for some colorful jingly oversized 5″ x 5″ baby blocks!

I am really loving the colors that I chose …which sort of was a fluke. I just went through my fabric stash, cut squares and grouped them afterward. And well I think even my graphic designer friends would approve :)

Block 1 – Fresh: Three shades of blue, one shade of green, with yellow and gold on the ends

Block 2 – Warmth: Light pink, hot pink, burgundy and red with tan and black on the ends

WANNA MAKE IT? Free template, supply list and DIY step-by-step instructions for creating my colorful fabric baby stacking blocks after the jump –>

Supplies:

• Six 6″ x 6″ squares of colored fabric for each block
• Six 6″ x 6″ squares of craft weight fusible interfacing for each block (optional but recommended for thin fabric)
• Thread
• Good fabric scissors
• Hand-sewing needle
• Pillow stuffing (you could make these blocks with foam but I had a lot of extra stuffing in my craft closet)
• Jingle bells
• Rotary fabric rotary cutter, self-healing gridded rotary mat and clear fabric ruler
• Good iron
• Ironing board
• Sewing machine

Please post a comment if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

Cut your 6″ x 6″ squares of colored fabric and iron-on interfacing using your rotary fabric rotary cutter, self-healing gridded rotary mat and clear fabric ruler.

Iron your colorful squares to remove all wrinkles. Then iron the interfacing on to the wrong side of the colored fabric. Trim any extra interfacing from the edges as needed.

Take two pieces of colorful fabric and place them right sides together. Sew one side together using a 1/2″ seam. Repeat until you have four squares sewn together in a straight line.

Bend the first square and the fourth square so their right sides are touching. Sew. It will look like a sewn box like this…

Press the seams open.

Now you’re going to put on the two end pieces. Here’s a trick to easily center your pieces. Fold one side of end piece in half; do the same on one side of your sewn box. Now I don’t usually use a lot of pins when I sew but this is one case where you do want to put in a pin here to hold the centers together.

Repeat on the opposite side.

When you have all four sides pinned it will look like this. Notice that I’ve put the pins in from the outside; this is because you’re going to sew the end piece on the bottom as you’ll see shortly.

Flip your box so the end piece is on the bottom. Sew each side from corner to corner, stopping at the seams.

Repeat on the other end piece with one important difference: Leave about a 4″ opening on one of the sides. I mean, sew from the corners about an inch on each side, but then stop and backstitch. Turn the block right-side-out.

Here’s what mine looked like …pay no attention to the fuzz …I rolled that off after stuffing and sewing :)

Stuff the block tightly with pillow stuffing, making sure to really pack it in on the corners. Slip a handful of holiday jingle bellsinside …I had small ones already in the house but with the tight stuffing I would recommend buying larger bells for a louder jingle.

Hand sew the opening shut.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this idea and project instructions for personal use. Contact me for any commercial use – this includes etsy sellers.

Please post a comment below if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!