Baby Log Cabin Variation Quilt Top

These are the 2 quilt tops I made for my new niece and nephew. Very simple to make, you just have to know how to sew a straight line. Yes, it's that easy! I didn't have to buy any fabric to make these, I had everything in my fabric stash! Approx size of finished quilt top is 45"x36".

I went with pinks and purples for Alexa and blues and greens for Braiden. You could make this with 2 different colors, or make each row something different. I am sure there are several different ways to pick a theme.



I am going to use the pink and purple color theme for the tutorial.

Material Needed:

Pinks
2- 4.5 x 4.5 squares
2- 12.5 x 4.5 strips
2- 20.5 x 4.5 strips
2- 28.5 x 4.5 strips
2- 36.5 x 4.5 strips

Purples
1- 4.5 x 4.5 square
2- 12.5 x 4.5 strips
2- 20.5 x 4.5 strips
2- 28.5 x 4.5 strips
2- 36.5 x 4.5 strips

1. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, sew pink squares to purple to form the center of the quilt. Press seams to one side.

2.Sew 12.5 x 4.5 purple strips to center strip.

3. Sew 12.5 x 4.5 pink strips to bottom and top of block.

4. Continue sewing strips in size order, starting with purple until quilt top is finished.

With several distractions, it only took me about 3 hours to cut the pieces and sew them together to make 1 quilt top. They go together pretty fast! This would probably make a easy quilt to finish for the Linus Project!

This up coming week, I will be finishing the quilts and I will post another tutorial on how to finish them.

Meet the Flintstones

As you guessed, we went as the Flintstones for Halloween this year! It was so much fun! We got our pictures taken by a lot of people and tons of wonderful comments on our outfits!!

All of our outfits were homemade by me, saving a ton of money. Wilma's and Fred's outfits are made out of sheets. I just traced tank one of Ryan's tank tops and one of mine to get the outline of the top of the toga and dress. At the bottom of both, I cut triangles out to give them a jagged look. My necklace is made out of small styrofoam balls and the blue tie is just fabric. I cut a stencil of a triangle out of cardboard and used black craft paint to make the triangles on Fred's toga.

Little Miss Pebbles, aka Arya, outfit was the easiest! I just bought a plain green over sized Tshirt and just triangles out of the bottom and arms. I used black paint and painted triangles on the shirt. She wore black pants and a ponytail on the top of her head.

Dino's, aka Jaiden, costume gave me the biggest challenge. I just made a jumpsuit out of purple fleece. I made a simple velcro closure in the back and used black paint for the spots. Her hood was a separate piece made out of fleece with black felt loops of the hair.

My sister, BIL, and nephew also got into the fun by dressing up as Betty, Barney, and Bam Bam!!

(You can click on the pics to make them larger)

Jaiden's Graduation

Jaiden had her preschool graduation last Saturday. It was very nice, but is was so hot! Her school doesn't have air conditioning and when you pack 50 people in a small room, it gets hot! I have been trying to post the video of her graduation but, it is taking forever to upload. I tried putting it on you tube, but it exceeds the 10 minute time limit. I am still trying to figure something out.

I made Jaiden's dress and had to pat myself on the back. I am so happy about how well it turned out! I am working on creating a PDF to share the pattern I made.

Prepackaged Fabric Terms

I knew there was a cut of fabric out there called a fat quarter, but I never knew there were other cuts of fabric being sold. These packaged cuts of fabric are made to aid in the quilt making process, they eliminate most of the time spent cutting out pieces. There are entire books dedicated to making quilts entirely out of these different prepackaged, cuts of fabric. One of these books is, Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts by Pam Lintott. You can find it on Amazon for $16.50.

Here are the different terms:
Fat quarter: 18x22
Fat Eight: 11x18
Jelly Roll: 40- 2.5x42 strips
Charm Pack: 40- 5x5 squares
Dessert Roll: 40- 5x42 strips
Layer Cakes: 40- 10x10 squares
Honey Buns: 40- 1.5x42 strips
Turnovers: 80- triangles that when sewn together form 40-5x5 squares

(picture taken from Amazon.com)

AccuQuilt Go

I found this machine last night while looking for something completely different. Just look at how neat it is:



For the "low" price of $350, this can be yours! I think it is so neat and probably worth the money. I can see myself saving up for something like this! Boy, we've come along way from grandma using scissors to cut out quilts! Click Here to go to the AccuQuilt site to learn more about the machine.

What I've Been Up To

Now that I've had more time, I have reopened my etsy shop. I have been working on several different items to try to get some more money coming into this house to pay bills.

Ryan has even gotten on board and has found beading bookmarks to be very addictive! Just don't tell the "man club" on him for making beaded bookmarks!




Here's the link to my shop if anyone would like to check it. I am very open to comments, opinions, and suggestions about the store items!!
Etsy Shop Link

How to Sew a Zipper

I'm in Love!!!

Simplicity Bias Tape Maker ($79-$99)


Simplicity Rotary Cutter ($55-$70)

Doll Snuggie

There's nothing like waiting until the last minute to finish Christmas gifts, is there? Hot off the sewing machine is this snuggie I made for Jaiden's doll. I have one more to make for Arya's pig. I think the girls will get a kick out of their dolls having snuggies to match theirs.

If you count the 2 doll snuggies, I have made a total of 13! I think the Snuggie company is going to call me and tell me that I need to cut down production because they are losing sales. I never thought I would end up making so many! I had originally thought of making 2, one for Jaiden and one for Arya. Then word got out and several people requested that I make snuggies for their Christmas gifts.

Striped Pillows

This is one of the gifts that I made for my dad for Christmas. Now, if you are wondering why pillows, I will explain. He has what I refer to as a "man cave" My dad build himself a little, white house to retreat to about a hundred yards away from his back door. And, it even has an upstairs to it! He has it all decorated in black, red, and grey, traditional manly colors. He has a plain grey couch out there and my step mom told me he has no pillows on it. You just can't get very comfy laying on a couch watching movies with a pillow, hence the idea for pillows! I think he will really like them! We are going out there tonight to exchange gifts and I cannot wait to see them on the couch!

The pillows were fairly simple to make. I cut 4 strips per each color 2" wide by 18 long. I then sewed all of the strips together, ironing the seams as I went. I cut a piece of black material for the back and sewed it on. I bought two 16" pillow forms and sewed the case shut on the bottom.

Fashion Designer, Jaiden

Last week when Jaiden was sick, I took the opportunity to sneak and make some jammies for a Christmas present. She saw the scraps of material and asked if she could have them to make an outfit. For almost 2 hours, she sat quietly in the other room working on an outfit for Arya's doll. She was so proud of the outfit that she wanted me to take a picture of the doll and her, runny nose and all.

Jaiden just loves fabric scraps! She can play with them forever! She likes to pretend all kinds of things with the pieces. Last year for Christmas, I bought Jaiden her very own sewing machine that actually sews. She wants to be just like me! I am so proud!

Matching Jammies

This is another Christmas present I have made for the girls. I made them each a matching pair of jammies and I even made a set for their dolls! I used fleece for the shirt and flannel for the pants.
I used McCalls Stitch & Save #5735 for the girls and made my own pattern for the doll sizes. I made a few changes on the McCalls pattern. First I cut off about 3-4" off the top of the pants so they wouldn't sit under the girls' arms and a few inches off the length. I also had to make several changes to the shirt. I used the small pattern (size 4) and it was huge! Jaiden just swam in the shirt. I made the neck more narrow and shorter. I also made the shirt body more narrow so it didn't look like she had one of my shirts on. Other than the changes, it was a really easy pattern to follow and I am happy with the end results.

Flannel Sheets for Toddler Beds

We live in an older house, and even with new windows and new siding, our bedrooms are still drafty. I just recently got myself a set of flannel sheets and tried to find the girls a set too.

I just hate that you cannot find "big girl" sheets for toddler beds. All the stores carry baby looking sheets, why even have toddler beds then? And, the stores certainly do not carry flannel sheets for toddler beds, so I am making the girls a set with matching pillow cases for Christmas. The sheet in the pictures is for Ayra, she loves pigs, and I am going to make a penguin sheet for Jaiden.

Supplies:
2 yards cotton or cotton flannel material
2 - 26" pieces of 3/8" elastic
Extras:
8x8" cardboard template

1. Make sure to prewash and dry material (it's very important). Iron if needed.

2. Cut 3" off the length of the material to give you a piece that measures 45"x69".

3. Fold the material into 4ths and lay the template on the bottom corner. Make sure you will not be cutting into any folds.

4. Cut out template to make the corners of your sheet.
It should look like this when it is unfolded:

5. Serge the top and bottom of the sheet, the smaller sides. This will keep it from fraying in the wash. If you do not have a serger, fold under 1/4" and then 1/4" again and sew.

6. To sew the corners: With WRONG sides together, fold the corner onto itself by matching point A to point A. Sew with a 1/8" seam allowance. Do this with all 4 corners.


7. Turn wrong side out and press seams flat. Now, with RIGHT sides together, sew corner seams again using 1/4" seam allowance. This method with keep the seams from fraying when washing. This is what each corner should look like when completed:

8. You need to make some reference points on the corners for the elastic. Using a cutting mat or a ruler, place the corner seam on the 12" point and make a mark. Now on the left, make a mark at the zero. Then to the right, make a mark at the 24" point. Do this to all four corners.

9. On both pieces of elastic make the following reference marks: 6", 12", 14", and 20".

10. Align one piece of elastic with the first mark to the left of the corner at the top of the sheet. Using a long stitch, start sewing in place. Stretch the elastic as much as you can to match the reference marks on the elastic to the ones on the sheet. Do this with the other piece of elastic to the bottom of the sheet.

That's it! It took me less than a hour to make this sheet. They fit pretty well on both girls' mattresses. I cannot wait for them to use them!


My sheet was based upon the instructions I found here.

Homemade Holidays #5

This is post #5 for the Homemade Holiday Series

1. Toddler Belt

2. Clay Pot Bird Bath

3. Wind Chimes

4. Rose Ear Rings

5. Neck Tie Onesies

6. Colored Pencil Roll

7. Beach Glass Necklace

8. Covered Headbands

9. Grill Buddy

10. Princess Pavilion

11. Women's Underwear

12. 6 Pocket Bag

13. Toddler Girl Underwear

14. Bath Toiletry Recipes

15. Christmas Tree Hair Bow

16. Sayings to go with Gifts

17. Quick & Cheap Gifts

18. Stethoscope Cover

Homemade Holidays #4

Here's installment #4 in the Homemade Holiday Series.

1. Snack Bag

2. Shirt Stencils

3. Edible Crayons

4. Fabric Covered Night Lights

5. Red Cordial

6. 2 Hour Tote

7. Tepee

8. Cupcake Bath Bomb

9. Memory Game

10. Headache Band

11. Momma Doll

12. Superhero Cape

13. Mermaid Tail

14. Cloak

15. No Sew Cloak

16. Fabric Doll

17.Bath Mat

Handmade Holidays #3

Here is installment #3 in the Handmade Holidays Series.

1. 52 Apron Patterns

2. Seat belt Sleeves

3. Ribbon Jeans

4. Herringbone Bracelet

5. Basic Baby Bib

6. Trendy Diaper Bag

7. Handmade Napkins

8. Casserole Tote

9. Cat & Dog Toy

10.Grocery Bag Lunch Sack

Homemade Holidays #2

This is installment #2 to help you make your holiday a homemade one!

1. Lip Balm

2. Draft Stopper

3. Marble Magnets

4. Dish Soap Apron

5. Oven Door Dress

6. Miracle Hand Lotion

7. Dog Visors & Bandannas

8. Kitchen Towel Purse

9. Doll Wardrobe Closet

10. T-Shirt Dresses

Fabric Letters

I made these so cute letters for Jaiden for Christmas. I got the idea from
Oh So Happy Together. I did a few things differently, I used the same fabric on the front and back and I also used DLTK Crafts for my letter templates. Another thing I did different, I didn't make all of the letters of the alphabet because Jaiden already knows her ABC's. I am in the process of teaching her to read using word groups (cat, hat, mat, etc..), so I left out letters like Z and Q and I doubled letters like E, O, and L. I thought these letters would be more fun learning how to read instead of using flash cards.

Homemade Holidays #1

If a lot of you are like me and trying do homemade gifts for the holidays this year, here are several links to give you some gift ideas:

1. Fish in a Bag Soap

2. Cookie Tin Purses

3. Crib Sheet Pattern

4. Lip Balm Cozy

5. Fabric Headband

6. Toddler Art Smock

7. Felt Doughnuts

8. Link to Felt Food Tutorials

9. Jewelry Mirror

10. Custom Calendar Using Your Photos

11. More Felt Foods

This is a new series of posts I plan on posting every week until December 21st. So, check back every Tuesday for new links so you can have a Homemade Holiday. Also be sure check out Thursdays for "Handmade Holidays".

Pot Holder Extravaganza

I am making pot holders for some of the women in my family for Christmas and I thought I would share them with you.

Some tips:

1. Always be sure to use 2 layers (or more) of Insul-Bright no matter what the pattern calls for.

2. Always use a 100% cotton batting like Warm and Natural.

3. Always use 100% cotton fabric.

My grandmother bought some "puffy" pot holders at a craft show because she thought they were "nice and thick". When she tried to use them, they were worthless! The lady used a high loft poly blend batting with no Insul-Bright. The might have looked thick, but they did not protect her hands against the hot pan at all! "Puffy" and "thick" doesn't mean they'll hold up to the heat.

Here are some different links for making/using pot holders:

To make the finger oven mitt:The Idea Room

Pot Holder Purse: Sewabration

Vintage Pot Holders: Tip Nut

Pot Holder Pouch: All Free Crafts

Kitten Pot Holder: Craft Town

Crochet Christmas Tree: Craft Bits

Make Up Bag: Craft Blips

Quiet Book: Obsessively Stitching

Denim Pot Holder: My Recycled Bags

Christmas pot Holder: Crafts and Fabrics

Pot Holder w/ Binding: Imagine Fabric

Oven Mitts: Savvy Seams

Another Oven Mitt: Design Sponge Shop

Pot Handle Cover: Blair Peter

Hanging Pot Holder: Fire Flies & Jelly Beans

Crochet Pot Handle Cover: Dish Cloth Diaries