Upcycled Flannel Sheet

My latest sewing project was supposed to be done for Christmas presents, but alas life distracted me. On a thrifting trip in November I picked up this super soft and warm flannel flat sheet with a plaid (Tartan?) pattern. It was subdued and would be fine for a boy or a girl. I had planned on making pajama pants that all three kids could wear for Christmas pictures, then when that didn't happen I figured that I could also use it for a Celtic inspired Renfaire costume. Thankfully, I buckled and found my pajama pant pattern. Last year I had cut out each size into muslin so I could keep using them and that plan worked out well since I didn't have to play with the tissue paper pattern again.  I love being able to reuse things that I find at the thrift store. This sheet cost me all of $2 and I made 2.5 pajama bottoms from it. I used a McCall's pattern as the base and ended up cutting out a couple other pairs for the rest of the year, some in flannel for the cold and some in cotton for the summer. The hardest part of pajama pants is threading the elastic through the top hem, other than that, in total I spent two hours making all three. The kids were happy to get new pajamas since last year's were already two or three inches too short! 

On to the next project! 

After making three pairs of pajamas, this was all that was left! Well used piece of fabric to me

to help keep track of which pants are whose, I used fabric paint that I had and white fabric to make tags that I then ironed onto the back seam

Here is the label that was on the sheet. Twin sized, 100% cotton and made in Portugal!

Here are the three pairs of pajama pants. The two bigger sizes, I used the existing hems from the top and the bottom of the sheet. The infant pants were without a pattern and were not as successful, but next time!

Cap and E getting ready for pictures. E loves being a big sister and Cap loves the attention!

Prepping for the group photo that I had to have!

Our group photo of matching pajama pants and lots of Rogers' bellies! Hubby and I love this photo, it is too cute. 

Handmade Holidays: Project 6: Mother-in-Law Scrap Lap Quilt

I had grande plans to make handmade ornaments for the grandparents this year. Tiny handprints on glass ornaments with pictures of the children inside, maybe even a fingerful of fake snow to make it a bit more festive. But alas, I did not plan my time accordingly and did not manage to make the ornaments in time to send them in the mail to Pennsylvania, Albany and Ireland. Instead, I had to come up with a quick-like-a-bunny plan to be able to at least get the Irish present out in time to perhaps make it there by Christmas. Time to get creative!

I found a beautiful vintage-looking sheet at the thrift store with a yellow rose floral design that inspired me with a handful of fabric scraps that I had been hoarding. The patches were all fabrics that, when reorganizing my craft supplies, almost organized themselves in a pile together. I was initally going to do a strip quilt, to make it as quick as possible but the pieces that I had did not quite measure up to make it feasible. So instead five inch by five inch squares with the one fabric that was long enough, making strips to break up the pattern. I wanted to make a single large blanket but again the pieces didn't seem to work, so instead I made up two patterns. A smaller sized lap blanket, about four feet long by two feet wide and a larger couch blanket that is four fee wide but five foot long. I thought I had enough batting scraps to fill in the middle but none of them were big enough either so instead I grabbed some patterened flannel that I had bought on clearance. I had thought to maybe make a couple baby blankets with it, but FYI when you have a baby, you will have too many blankets, so I voted against that plan. Then it was sitting with the rest of my flannels for pajama pants but it was an awful green, brown and ickier green stripe that I had initially thought was masculine but ended up just being ugly. Perfect substitute for batting in a lightweight but still cuddly blanket. 

All in all the cutting both blankets out and sewing together the smaller lap blanket took me half of a day. It was wonderful and quick and homemade, exactly what I like to give for presents. I can't wait for the MIL to get the package. As I was sewing it, I imagined her sitting in her brisk little garden in Ireland having a cuppa and a smoke, slightly stereotypical and true. Exactly what I would love to do when I retire. 

I used to be terrified of the idea of quilting, let alone actually doing it, but last year I made simple blankets of a cotton front and flannel back, no quilting involved, then I made a patchwork wall hanging for my grandmother, not convinced enough of my skills to make a usable quilt, and finally this year I folded and made my little Cap his Harry Potter quilt and now two more quilts, it may very well become one of my things! (Don't tell anyone but I used to think the very idea of buying yards and yards of fabric to cut up into tiny pieces and then sew back together was ridiculous...now it's the best way to use up my fabric and I love it while I am doing it)

patches all squared out

Hubby modeling the finished lap blanket

Handmade Holidays: Project 5: Tissue Holders

For some reason, I am sure that it was a good one, I had bought a 12 pack of tiny pocket tissue packs. I never use these tissues so I am pretty sure I meant to make felt tissues holders originally as well but I never got around to it. As previously mentioned, I have a serious goal of destashing and reorganizing my crafting life this holiday season, so I need to use what I have. I love working with felt, its great for crafting, for kids and its cheap with no fray! For the kids, and potentially for a couple adults, I made/am making some tissue holders. 

Here are a couple that I found on Pinterest, my not-so-secret love affair:

Boogey Monster

Teddy Bear and Kitty Kat

Bunny and Robot

Here are the two that I have finished so far: 

For my niece, a little Monster High-esque maybe with a button closure

For my nephew, I love the tongue!

My nephews present, I have to get a photo in that tiny gingerbread man!!! Don't forget! I also added a tag in case he wanted to attach it to his bookbag

Handmade Holidays: Project 4: Soap and Candles

Another super easy project that I wanted to do this year was to make soap and candles. I do not make soap or candles completely from scratch, at least not yet, but the craft stores have easy and pretty kits that are great for beginners, or for those of us that are making them with an infant attached to the hip. I was going to try and make these with the kids, but at this point in the game, if I have the time, energy, supplies and infant cooperation, I do it. I had made soap last year to presents (and made way too many of them) so I had some left over for this year, which was good considering the 24 people that will be at dinner, plus presents for those that won't be at the meal. I also wanted to de-stash some of my crafting supplies, so I ended up using up all of my candle and soap making supplies, all I have left are some wicks which I am going to hold onto and maybe make crayon candles with the kids this winter. 

I started with herbal soaps, making oatmeal, patchouli and lavender bars for a grown up option. I still had more soap left, as well as coloring and scents that came in the kits that I had bought last year. I made super-saturated colored ones for the teens on my list, in my heart shaped silicone mold. I most definitely recommend using silicone molds for soap and candle making, they say that you can use metal pans but, in my experience, the ease of the silicone molds is incomparable. I let the soaps sit for maybe an hour, in the fridge, and they were completely set and ready for wrapping up. I just wrapped them in cling-wrap, since that is what I had in the house and we never use it for food (I couldn't even figure out why we had bought it in the first place, although I may make sugar cookies later this month and I may use it then). 

my messy workspace, aka my kitchen counter

After making all the soap, which really consists of just melting the soap in the microwave, adding color, scent and pouring it into the mold, I started on the candles. This I had never done before so it was a little bit of trial and error but I think that they turned out nicely.  I didn't use the molds for these because they were all filled with soap, instead I reused jars and glasses from spent candles. I bought white wax, no coloring and no scents. For the first bunch, I coloured them with three green crayons and scented them with the leftover bits of pine scented candles, they smell slightly but not as over-powering as the originals, which I actually ended up liking. I had enough of that to make five of the green and still have a fair amount of wax left. I crushed up dried lavendar and grabbed two purple crayons to color the wax, hoping that they purple overpowered the green, which it did. The second batch made a large candle, a tiny jar candle and three tiny jarred candles from the scents I had used in the soap. I don't know how well any of these will burn, but they look really pretty and I will probably test them out soon. I managed to do this entire project with Steven in his bouncy seat or on my hip, so it wasn't difficult at all and I really enjoyed it. The smells were amazing!

I used chopsticks to keep the wicks centered and upright

My five pine tree scented candles sitting while the lavender wax melted on the stove

this was the final result. 50 soaps and 10 candles (notice the adorable R2D2 soaps? I have a huge Star Wars fan on my list)

My little Holiday Helper! Thanks Granmichelle for the owl pillow!!

Handmade Holidays: Project 3: Birdseed Ornaments

I have been looking for a couple of presents that I can include the kids on so I have been stalking Pinterest (again!) for a couple ideas. I found one, here , but of course I decided that this was the exact project that I wanted to do and then realized that I did not have all the ingredients. So we had to improvise a little and they did not come out as beautiful as the ones in the pictures. But the kids had fun making them, although next time I will use two separate bowls and separate molds so they each can have their own space, sharing became a little bit of a problem. Maybe even invited their cousins over and make a little buffet of different kinds of seeds and mixtures that they can add. We could also collect seeds throughout next summer and fall, throw them in the freezer and use them as well.  

We ended up using raspberry gelatin which turned it red and I have since found a few other recipes that may be a little easier to use. Overall it was fun, it took about forty minutes to make but we let them dry for a whole 24 hours. We may end up making more after the holidays since we have tons of bird seed, lots of hungry birds, and cold weather activities will be in demand. It was fun and will make a cute little present for family and their feathered friends on Christmas day. 

 

bits of bird treats and one to hang on the tree in a little tin foil cookie package 

while Brother and Sister were making bird treats (and let's be honest, squirrel and deer treats) Steven ate some sweet potatoes 

Handmade Holidays: Project 1: Baby Quilt

My first project for Christmas ended up being a complete by chance sort of thing. I have a problem. A problem that I have heard many crafters have, and that there may be support groups for. I collect craft things, tons of craft things. Even before I was working in a craft store, I had tons of bits and bobbles. Then I worked in a fabric chain store for a year and goodness did the collection grow and spawn. It was/is a problem. Hubby gives me the "look" when he glances towards my corner/closet/room/pile of things that will become other things one day. With that look in mind, I am making in a serious focus this month to make as many presents as I can manage, thus eliminating a fair amount out of my stash and saving us money on shopping (kind of, considering I have already spent the money). 

I was in the middle of sewing super hero themed curtains for my nephew (there will be no photos because they were a ton of fabric and by the time I was done sewing, I was soooo done looking at them. Plus, they are wrapped already), and I found a pile of handkerchiefs that I had bought from evil WalMart, probably five years ago. They are the white fabric with gray owls and little stars on them. I imagine, when I bought them that I had a plan. What it was? I have no clue. But they were adorable, I have a thing for owls and considering Baby had a loosely Potter themed nursery, the print was actually kind of perfect. I had matching gray fabric left over from RenFaire costumes, yellow scraps from a box of my mother's fabric, white flannel that I had bought for burpcloths (before realizing that I never use them) and a package of crib sized batting that had been on clearance for 3.97. So I had everything except for binding. Hubby suggested an orange colour to match the little owl beaks, and I agreed.

When I made the two older children blankets last year, I just used sating ribbon folded over as binding so I figured that I would do that again for this blanket. Foolishly, I thought when I couldn't find sating ribbon, that acetate ribbon would work just as well. I was wrong. Very wrong. Don't ever do that! I washed it and it fell apart so horribly that I was very tempted to toss the entire blanket in the garbage. But I had already stitched in Steven's name and the date. So out came the seam ripper and two evenings wasted, then out to buy actual blanket binding and a night to sew that on correctly. Note to self: do it correct the first time, you cheapskate! We also went to the secondhand bookstore to pick up a copy of Harry Potter to go with the blanket for his first reading book. I can't wait to start reading my favorite series to him. I am secretly hoping that the older two kids cuddle up and listen too. So, after using four or five yards of fabric that I had laying about and a slightly stressful binding experience, Steven's first Momma-made blanket is all finished, folded and waiting to be wrapped. 

Piecing together the squares

Finished top

Hand stitched little message for Steven's first baby quilt. Hopefully, we will have many, many nights snuggled underneath, reading together

I also finished a handful of burpcloths, mostly I just use these when feeding Steven to wipe his face and hands. The fabric was a flannel flat sheet from the thrift store for $2 and it made 9 burpcloths. 

Renaissance Faire 2013: Peacock Fairy Fantasy Costume

     So after worrying for the past three weeks about what we are going to do for Renfaire costumes considering my limited amount of time, the kids not being here all the time for me to sew around them and a complete lack of idea on a nursing appropriate costume for me, I finally sat down to start sewing this weekend. The week before we are planning on leaving. Six days before I had to have them done. All five costume. One week.

some inspiration pictures were
found on Pinterest and Google

    After the mental freak out on how I was just starting the costumes now, I was able to finish almost all of E's costume, a peacock fairy, with the exception of sparkling up a pair of sandals to match. 

    We were going for a combination fairy and peacock, mostly since I already had peacock butterfly wings from Halloween clearance last year. I am trying to make a point of not needed to go out and buy anything for costumes this year, my stash is a bit unmanageable at the moment so things need to be used. For the top, since I don't particularly like putting in zippers or buttons, I just reconfigured on of her tshirts, making it into a slight peasant blouse with cap sleeves.

before, just a plain tshirt
(not the one that I actually changed,
I forgot to take before pictures)

gathering that I put in the back to
give the shirt a bit of form

front of blouse, with peasant gathered neckline, cap sleeves and flower embellishment

     The skirt was a bit easier, we were going to do a full tutu, and I am still debating just using up all of the tulle that I have to make the skirt more full. Right now, it is a simple circle skirt with three inch black waistband elastic with a tulle bustle sewn onto the back. We added some ribbon and peacock feathers for embellishment and pre-made fabric flowers that I had for embellishment. On this part, depending on what time I have left, I might make some felt peacock feathers for more oomph, but I do worry about putting so much time into costumes that they only wear once or twice. 

fabric flower embellishment on bottom of skirt

tulle bustle with peacock flowers sewn onto ribbon

     While I want them to look adorable and amaze my husband with my crafty wiles, I have to remind myself that as long as we have fun, it will not matter what they wore. The first five times I went to Renfaire, I went in civilian clothes. Once I found petticoats though, it was on. When all was said and done the costume was pretty cute, Hubby liked it, E liked it and it only took me an afternoon. It was definitely a "while the kids are napping" project (by that I mean, the infant was napping while the other children and Hubby were playing video games). It was nice to get behind the machine again, considering that I haven't done any sewing since before Steven was born. I can still see the pile of un-sewn burpclothes sitting on my dining room hutch, staring at me angrily and stressing me.  

     A full picture of the costume on will come on Saturday with a lovely family shot (hopefully) and my family outing score for the New York Renaissance Faire.