Coming Soon: April 2012 Edition

April 4, 2012: Big Girl Clothes!!! 

April 18, 2012: Strappy Bottle Holder Tutorial (the picture is not of the finished product)

Cutie Pie Burp Cloths Tutorial (and packaging idea)

I have so many friends having babies lately, it's crazy! The good news? I get to make baby items that my son doesn't need anymore, but that I still want to try my hand at. This go-round I've made burp cloths for a friend (I'm making something else for her too, but that's another tutorial/shout-out). Please note that if you don't want the curved burp cloth here, just cut rectangles and follow the other steps. I just like the look of the curvy ones better.
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Cutie Pie Burp Cloths

Supplies: 

• 3/8 yard of 4 snuggly flannels (or any material you choose, I just like the flannels for this)
• 12-pack of cloth diapers (I got these from Babies 'R' Us for about $12)*
• Rotary Cutter and Mat 
• Fabric Scissors
• Pattern. Click on the link below for the PDF pattern.

                   Cutie Pie Burp Cloth PDF

* Get the 3-ply diapers, not 6 ply. You DO NOT want the extra thick section in the middle of the diaper, it makes it way too hard, trust me. I originally bought the 6-ply and once cut realized they wouldn't work.

Construction:

Step 1: Cut your materials. Each section of fabric into 13" X 11" pieces (you should have to cut each 3/8 yard into approximately 3 equal pieces). Cut out your pattern.

Step 2: Fold each diaper in half. Pin 1 section of fabric, right side down, to the each folded diaper. (so that print faces burp cloth. Fold entire pinned bundle in half once, so that it measures 6.5" X 11". Repeat with each section of fabric and cloth diaper.(or you can cut each separately, so each diaper will be folded in half twice {you want 2 layers of diaper on the finished burp cloth so that it is super absorbent} and the flannel/fleece folded in half once). If this step is confusing let me know, and I will try to help you out.*
      *I originally had this as a bigger pattern, but quickly realized that it wouldn't achieve what I wanted it to. That's why my flannel is already cut in the picture, but I ended up cutting it down a little more to get the double layer of diaper that I wanted.

Step 3: Cut out your pieces. Line up the edge of the pattern along the fold of your bundle. Cut along the line using rotary cutter or fabric scissors. Repeat with each bundle. You will end up with 12 fabric sections and 12 cut cloth diapers. When unfolded they should each look like a fat figure 8 (relatively).

Step 4: Make sure your fabric and diapers are still pinned together and unfold so that you see the entire figure 8. Sew along edges using 1/2" seam allowance. Make sure to leave an open section for turning (2-3inches wide should do it). Repeat with remaining fabric and cloth diapers. You will end up with 12 pieces.

Step 5: Clip into seam allowance around curves (so all the way around) being careful not to clip your stitching. Turn. Repeat with remaining 11 pieces.

Step 6: Turn the edges of your opening under 1/2" and pin in place. Top stitch around entire burp cloth, as close to the edge as possible (I like to try to make it between 1/8" and 1/4" from edge.

There, burp cloths done! You have the absorbancy of a cloth diaper, but the cute pattern and snuggly feel of the flannel. If you are using these for yourself, you're done! If these are a gift, see below for a cute packaging idea. I will say some of mine are a little wonky, just because I was in a rush. Had I taken 5 more minutes to really slow down and concentrate they would look much better!

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This is an idea I took from the blog Small Fry & Co. I loved the idea so much, I am using it to give the above burp cloths to a friend. Please note, if you are using the above burp cloths, you WILL have to fold them more than she did. These make for BIG cupcakes!

Here is the original Burp Cloth Cupcakes Tutorial. I have re-written it below for use with the burp cloths we just made.

Supplies:

• Printer
• Paper
• Ribbon (optional)
• Tape
• Scissors
• Toppers of choice (optional)

Construction:

Step 1: Download the Cupcake Wrapper Template from skiptomylou.org.

Step 2: If you don't like any of her patterns (I love them, but needed something slightly different) use a program like Photoshop to alter the pattern/color. I made mine solid navy.

Step 3: Cut the liners out. STOP! You need to prepare your burp cloths now.

Step 4: Place your burp cloth right side down. Fold the 2 long edges (the super curvy ones) into the center.

 Step 5: Fold in half, so that you no longer see the curvy edges.

Step 6: Roll your burp cloth.

Step 7: Place your rolled burp cloth on one end of one of your cut out cupcake liners.

Step 8: Roll your burp cloth along the length of the liner, making sure you are rolling the liner with it so that it fits the burp cloth.

Step 9: Tape the edge of the liner to hold it in place.

Step 10 (OPTIONAL): Embellish your finished cupcake with ribbon, ric rac, or a topper, if you so choose.

I finished packaging mine by placing them in a plain box that looked like a bakery box and using scrapbooking stickers to write a cute message on it. Again, can you tell I was pressed for time? I didn't really think out the spacing of my letters before I stuck them on, which I did about 5 minutes before running out the door to the baby shower!

Crochet Football Beanie

My first official Etsy order (well, official in the sense that it's from someone I don't know. I have had friends, etc order directly from me after looking on Etsy, but this one was legit!) was for 2 of my Football Beanie. Great! I started on them right away, and I think they turned out pretty well.

The tutorial I started with is at Mommies Crochet. After working the pattern the first time (not for this order, the first one was for my son), however, I noticed that the beanie turned out a little short. So I started adapting the crochet pattern to meet the measurements I listed in my Sizing Hats post. This time they definitely ended up longer, and (as a result) I'm sure they will fit and look much better. Thanks so much to April for the initial pattern! I have posted results for comparison below.

This was made from the original pattern

And this was after I added a couple rows to the middle. I think I would even
add at least one more row to the bottom.

Coming Soon: March 2012 Edition

March 7, 2012: Crocheted Football Beanie

March 21, 2012: Cutie Pie Burp Cloths Tutorial (yes, they're a little misshapen, it's part of the charm. Oh, and I was in a rush and not paying close enough attention :P)

Coming back (with fewer posts)

Well, we've completed our move and are *almost* completely moved in...give me another week.

I've decided that the projects need to slow down a bit, mainly because I'm hoping to start working in the near future, but also because the closest craft store is over an hour away...not exactly fuel for the project train!

So, starting in March, I will post once every 2 weeks with the projects I have already completed. After that, the posts will come as I make things.

I may not have many followers, but I appreciate each and every one, and hope that you enjoy what I make! Thanks!

The Beast is Done!

I'm so excited. The quilt I started for my son when I was pregnant is finally finished! It's his early first birthday present. I did block out his name for safety, but you get the gist...his full name is above the birth date.

Since we are moving at the end of the week (yikes!) the hubby wanted something to hold his iPad in the car so that the baby could watch cartoons on the road. Here's what I came up with:

To make this, I just modified the Kindle Fire Cover to fit the iPad, and added a strap with velcro and a strap with a hook. You basically just make the case for the iPad with the corner tabs to hold it. When you lay out your pieces, make a 3.5" strap that will go in the center of one long edge. Also make 2 8" straps, one for the center of each short edge. Place them all, between the two rectangular pieces of fabric (along with your corner pieces) raw edges matched, and sew around. Leave a space for turning on the edge without a strap. Turn right side out and top stitch around the entire thing, skipping the corners where your corner pieces are. Then add a clip/hook to the short strap and velcro to the 2 long straps. That way it hooks onto the mirror!

You can see the strap that goes around the back of the
mirror (velcros in place) and the hook that attaches to the D-ring on the mirror

Side view to see how it sits in relation to the car seat.

The Situation Necessitates...

That I take a break for a while. I'll probably still post tutorials that I find and want to try, or things that I've done, but who knows. I have been promising myself that I would finish my son's birth quilt. I started it when I was about 7 months pregnant, and he's now 11 months old and it's still not *quite* finished. I keep getting distracted by other crafts, and I really want to have it done by the time he's born, he's 6 months old, Christmas, the New Year, his first birthday.

So I need to focus on that. Not to mention, we're moving later this month. Not across the street moving either. It's more like across the country moving. Then we're going to go visit family who haven't seen the baby since he was 5 months old...he'll be 1 by the time we get there. I have no idea when we'll get our household goods (with the military it can sometimes take a month before you get them) or even when we'll get a house.

On top of all of that, I have a dear friend who is having a baby soon, so I need to crank out her baby gift. And I'm hoping to go back to work after the move (if I can find anything).

Once we're all moved in, there is another problem. The closest town to the military installation where we will be living is 45 minutes away, and the closest craft store is an hour away. So I'll have to have a detailed list and a good budget in order to make the trip. That means that, no matter how large my list of crafts that I want to do is, I probably won't be doing as many as I am here.

It makes me sad to say that I have to slow down, but with the baby getting bigger and more active, and our lives changing significantly, it has to happen. I will still be selling what I can on the Etsy site, and I am DETERMINED to keep this blog alive, I just can't keep up the pace that I have had going.

See you all after our lives have settled down a bit, and I will post pictures of the quilt as soon as I have it done...it's been over a year in the making!