Fabric Blocks for Baby

This is the first fabric toy project I ever made. At the time (2.5 years ago) I knew less than nothing about interfacing or types of stitches or anything like that, so it is grossly unpolished.

The project idea came from a book called "Crafts for Baby" by Alison Jenkins and it was a set of 3 blocks.

Fabric Bracelet

I picked up a book called "Sew Darn Cute" by Jenny Ryan at the Hobby Lobby grand opening in my town recently. It has sewing projects for a variety of skill levels. There are several that seem to be appropriate for the beginner (that's me!) and I can't wait to work my way through the whole book.

For my first attempt, I chose the Snappy Fabric Bracelet. This is a photo from the author's website. I did not make these bracelets. It's just here so you can see what they are SUPPOSED to look like.

I'm pretty sure you'd need to buy the book to get the step-by-step instructions. But I think I can share my experience working through the tutorial.

This is what my bracelet looks like.



The author recommends using snaps for the closure (duh...."snappy" bracelet???) but I didn't have any and decided to improvise with things I had on hand (velcro.) The velcro is on the inside, of course.



You can see that the snaps look much classier and make the bracelets less Wonder Woman-y. And although the velcro makes the bracelet easier to put on with one hand, I will definitely use the snaps for the next one.



Of course there are things I see wrong with my bracelet. Like the *top stitching needs to be cleaner. I imagine I'll get better at that as I practice more. And I will be making more because two people have asked for bracelets.

I'd also like to get the corners more square. I read somewhere that if you clip the fabric at an angle near the corner before turning it right side out, the fabric will be less bulky giving you crisp square corners.

Duly noted.

*Look at me using the cool sewing lingo like I know what I'm doing. Ha!

Stay pretty!

Lamb Pillow....I did it!

This was an easy enough project that I found in Molly's Sketchbook at the Purl Bee. I didn't use the exact same materials called for but the lamb is still soft.

Because I'm lazy normally pressed for time and very efficient, I traced once with the vanishing fabric pen, folded, and cut through two pieces of felt at the same time to get the two face sections. This technique worked well for the ears and leg pieces as well.





I know, I know, my sewing is cringe-worthy. But I'm working on it. Check me in 6 months. I'll be a sewing fool with crazy clean lines.

One thing I didn't pay attention to is making sure my bottom and top thread matched. I forgot that the thread would show on both sides of the lamb. So my lamb has white thread on one side and brown thread on the other.

Oopsies. I broke the crap out of my needle. These are the kinds of things that make a 1 hour job take 2 hours. Now I must take time to go read the manual and figure out how to change the needle. Luckily that was an easy thing to do.

Pieces are all pinned together and ready for stitching, stuffing and finishing off the opening.

I think he turned out really cute. I could have made him fluffier with the stuffing. And next time I might make a larger momma sheep.

Now I'm off to remove something from my To-Do list. I love that.

Stay pretty!

Baby Bootie Bouquet

I saw this in a book and thought it looked easy enough. It was. You just buy a pack of baby socks and roll them starting with the toe, then fold the cuff up a little bit. This secures the rose bud look and gives you something to put over the craft stick that will serve as the stem. A cinch.

Diaper Cake

Okay, so not everyone knows what a diaper cake is. I know this because I told a friend I was bringing one to a baby shower and she innocently asked "How many does it feed?"

This is the only one I've made. They take a bit of time and a crap ton of rubber bands, but once you get going it is pretty easy even for a first timer. I did cheat a little by using a huge bottle of baby wash in the center (meaning I had fewer diapers to roll & secure.)

I used larger sized diapers (size 2 & 3) since I figured the gal would get plenty of the smaller sizes from other guests.

Quick Hostess Gift

I made these last year for my sister since she hosted our family Christmas breakfast. The mop-n-glow technique couldn't possibly be easier and the results are quite stunning.

1. You pour a bit of the mop liquid into the bulb.
2. Cover opening of bulb with saran wrap (to prevent any spills - floor wax is STICKY!)
3. Shake bulb around so that the floor wax completely coats the inside surface of the bulb.
4. Pour out any excess liquid.
5. Pour glitter into bulb.
6. Cover opening with saran wrap again.
7. Shake bulb so that glitter is now covering all of the inside surface of the bulb.
8. Using ribbon of choice, make a bow for hanging bulb in tree.