Wipeable Pocket Bibs

The inspiration for these comes from a) needing pocket bibs to catch all the food that falls into my son's lap b) wanting said bibs to be cute, yet easily wiped down so that I'm not constantly washing bibs and c) Don't want to pay bookoo bucks for one measily bib!

So, here it is. This bib is oversized...9 inches wide and 13 inches long. Great for little ones who (like mine) manage to get food EVERYWHERE!

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Supplies

• Fat quarter (18"x22") of LAMINATED cotton (aka oilcloth)
• Fat quarter coordinating cotton (you can also use more laminated cotton for this step, there will be enough in your initial fat quarter)
• Coordinating double fold bias tape
• Coordinating button (or velcro, if you prefer)
• Buttonhole foot (if using button)
• Blue painter's tape (Not Pictured). You will stick this to your presser foot (and possibly the "table" of your machine)
• Bib Pattern:  Print Pattern Here*

*Note...the pattern SHOULD measure 4.5" X 8" on the first page, and 4.5" X 5"/4"on the second. The top of the bib will be slightly wider (to go over the shoulders).

Please check out these Tips for Working with Laminated Fabric before starting this project!

Construction

1) Cut out your pattern pieces. (sorry about the cruddy curves, I had trouble with those). The main panel of the bib (with the dashed bottom edge) needs to be taped to the bottom of the main panel (with the dashed top edge). The pocket is an entity all it's own!


2) Cut 1 Main Panel from the Laminated Fabric, the Contrast Fabric, and the Batting. Cut 2 Pockets from the Laminated Fabric.*

*Note: if you need to change the size of the neck opening, do so. I have made it to fit my 14-month-old son with a little room to spare, but it is easily customizable!

3) Place your Laminated and Contrast fabric wrong sides together, with the batting in between.*

*If you choose to use laminated fabric on both sides, like I did, lay some blue painter's tape on the floor of your sewing machine and on the bottom of the presser foot. It will help to prevent sticking!)

Example of painter's tape on table of machine

Painter's tape on presser foot

4) Place your two pocket pieces wrong sides together, baste in place

I used bobby pins to hold my pieces together. If you choose to
use traditional pins, do so within the seam allowance (approximately
1/4" from edge) since they will leave visible holes

5) Place a section of bias tape along the top edge of the pocket; sew in place.

6) Now line your pocket up on the bottom of the bib (make sure it is on the laminated fabric, not your contrast. Baste in place along sides and bottom edge of the pocket and around the entire bib.

7) Use Bias Tape to finish all edges around bib.*

*Go SLOWLY with the bias tape, especially if you get the narrowest type like I did. I will be the first to tell you that I SUCK at bias tape, and had more than a few areas that I had to redo so that I caught all of the fabric within the narrow strip! If you don't catch all of the fabric, you will get water inside the bib when you wipe it down (or wash it)...and that will leave a brown mark on the laminated cotton. Ick.

8) On one "tab" that will go behind baby's neck, create a button hole with your button hole foot (or place the "rough" velcro on the laminated fabric, I was going to do a button but got lazy and did velcro instead)

9) On other "tab, sew on your button (or sew on the "soft" side of velcro to the contrast fabric side)

All Done! 

Coming Soon: August 2012 Edition

End of Summer! Here we go...

August 8, 2012: Wipeable Pocket Bibs

Jack & Jill Shortalls

Recently I volunteered as a tester for Amy over at Naptime Crafters. She has a wonderful shop called the Peekaboo Pattern Shop where she sells patterns to make cute outfits and accessories for your baby/toddler/child. She also has a facebook page, through which she asks for testers for her patterns before they go into the shop (a great way to work out the bugs!).

Because she has a daughter, she doesn't do a ton of patterns for boys, so when the Jack & Jill Shortall pattern came up for testing, I jumped all over it! After all, I'm always game to make things for my son, and when I can get the pattern for free, I'll take it! I consider myself to be a good enough sewer that any "problem areas" are usually things I can fix. Granted, I don't make clothing a whole lot, but the only way to get better is to try!!!

So, here are the pictures of my completed shortalls...if you like what you see, check out the Peekaboo Pattern Shop for more great patterns!

Bedazzled Dog "Couch" Tutorial

I've been wanting to make my girls a special bed for a while now. I really wanted them to have a dog "couch," but you have to pay an arm and a leg to buy one, and even then I couldn't find anything that was what I really wanted.

I apologize in advance for the pictures...for some reason I had a lot of trouble with them. Blogger wouldn't let me center them as I wanted to, and it rotated some of them (even though they are not rotated on my computer). Sorry!

As many of you know, a huge trend right now is to make dog beds out of old suitcases. I personally love this idea, and wanted to give it a try! This will work with any hard-sided suitcase, all you need is a little elbow grease (and some true determination at points). This way you get exactly what you want, and if you have some of the materials at home it can be pretty darn cheap...other than the polyfill (because I made my bolsters big) I spent about $35. Here you go!
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Materials Needed

• Old, hard-sided suitcase (I picked up an old Samsonite Suitcase for less than $3 at the local Goodwill)
• Painter's Tape
• Tarp
• Rustoleum Spray Paint for Plastic in color that you want the suitcase to be (only works if you have plastic suitcase, otherwise get the type of paint needed for the material you are working with)
• Drill w/assortment of drill bits
• Piece of scrap wood...I had a 2x2 sheet of 1/2" birch
• Wood screws & coordinating washers in the appropriate size (mine were 1/4" in diameter and the screws were 1" long...total of under $2 for the hardware) (If adding feet)
• Ratchet set or screwdriver (you can also use your drill with a screwdriver bit). These are used to attach the feet.
• Bun Feet...finished or unfinished. (optional, but I think it adds a nice touch. I found mine at This Shop on Etsy for $12 for all 4)
• Hot Glue Gun and Embellishments (optional)
• Home Decor Fabric...I purchased 2 yards
• Coordinating Thread
• Sewing Machine, Rotary Cutter, Mat, etc (Your normal sewing tools)
• Zipper Foot
• Coordinating Zipper that is the approximate width of the suitcase (longer is better than shorter, even though my bed was only 25" wide I got a 30" zipper)
• Polyfill (for the size I made, 44-56oz is plenty)
• Fabric Glue (spray or liquid) (optional)
• 2 layers foam (2" thick) cut to the size of the inside of your suitcase
• Batting cut to same size as foam (optional)...cut as many layers as you want, or skip it altogether!

For the purposes of this tutorial, RST=Right Sides Together and WST=Wrong Sides Together. Right Side refers to the side of the fabric with the print showing, and Wrong Side is the back side of the fabric without the print.

Also, 1/2" seam allowances throughout.

Construction

1. Take apart your suitcase. This varies with the type of fasteners used. Some suitcases simply use pins, others rivets. You'll just have to see what the fastener is and remove accordingly. My Samsonite Suitcase was held together with small rivets, which I drilled out. Here's a How-To
2. Now take your painter's tape and tape off any parts of the suitcase that you do NOT want painted. I chose to keep my metal parts in-tact (at least the ones that would show on the finished product). 
3. In a WELL VENTILATED AREA, spread out your tarp. Lay your suitcase on the tarp, and paint away! Make sure to use even strokes, and let dry approximately 10 minutes in between coats. I used 2 coats, and let dry 24 hours before continuing on to step 4. I also painted my Bun Feet and the inside of my suitcase at the same time.
4. Now it's time to drill some holes! I love drilling. It's therapeutic for me. Because you will be drilling through plastic, you need to be careful, because it can crack. Thanks to my father, I had no trouble! He gave me the following tips: 


• Once you have marked where your holes will be, lay your piece of wood on a firm surface (Think packed dirt, NOT Concrete). 
• On top of the wood, place your suitcase...you want the flat surface directly on the wood, so you will be drilling on the INSIDE of the suitcase. 
• When you know the size bit you need, mark your places and carefully drill through the plastic...the wood is there to stabilize and to "catch" the bit once you break through. I followed those tips and was 100% successful!                                                      
5. Now, if you want to, embellish your feet, the suitcase, whatever! I chose to hot-glue some "bling" to the feet and the handle of the suitcase. 
6. Once the embellishment is done, you can attach your feet. Place the feet where you want them, thread the screw through the washer, then through the suitcase (from the inside) and tighten into the feet. My screws required a ratchet set, but whatever works for you is fine! I also purchased bun feet with pre-drilled holes, so that determined the size of screws and washers I needed as well as how large the holes I drilled in the suitcase were.       
7. On to Sewing!!! For this you will need to cut 14 different pieces: top and bottom, front (think long and skinny), 2 sides, above & below zipper in back (2 pieces), either side of zipper (2 pieces), 2 circles (for ends of the bolster), 2 bolster sides, and one bolster back. My Foam (cut to fit into my suitcase) is 25"x19", so the dimensions I used are:


• Top & Bottom: 2 26"x20"
• Front: 1 5"x26"
• Sides: 2 5"x20"
• Above & Below Zipper: 35"x2 3/4"
• Either Side of Zipper: 2 5"x5"
• Bolster Ends: 2 6"x6" (cut into a 6" diameter circle)
• Bolster Sides: 2 18 7/8"x20"
• Bolster Back: 1 18 7/8"x26"
• You want your pieces for the main portion of the bed to be 1" bigger in each direction than the width/length of the bed itself. For Example: If your bed is going to measure 25X19X4 (as mine will be), then my top and bottom panels should be cut to be 26X20 and my side panels should be 20X5. For the bolster, you want the ends to be 1" Wider than the desired DIAMETER of the bolster, and the sides/back of the bolster should be 1" longer than the side of the bed it is attaching to and 1" wider than the CIRCUMFERENCE of the bolster end. So, if I want my bolster to be 5" in diameter, I should cut the bolster ends to be 6" in diameter, and my bolster sides should be about 18 7/8" wide by 20" long (because that is how long the sides of the bed are +1"). To calculate the width of the bolster sides/back cut, plug in the diameter of your bolster end HERE and it will tell you.
8. Install Zipper: I always do this first because it will help to determine whether or not the side panels need to be shortened (if your zipper is longer than the back). 
• Fold the small pieces of fabric for either end of the zipper in half, RST. Press a crease with your finger.
•  Open them back up, and place the crease as CLOSE as possible to either end of the zipper with the Right Side of the fabric against the zipper (see picture).                       
•  Sew in place along the crease: re-fold. You should now have the right side of the fabric showing on the outside of the zipper (see picture). 
•  Now take the piece that goes above and the zipper and place it, right side down, on top of the zipper, lining up the top edge with the top of the zipper fabric. 
• Using a zipper foot, sew in place, making sure your stitches are as close to the zipper itself as possible. 
• Now fold it so that the right side is showing and you can see the zipper. Topstitch it in place if you wish...but it is not necessary.
• Repeat with the piece that goes below the zipper...Viola! Your zipper is installed.                                                      
9. Now...does your zipper go beyond the ends of your foam? Mine did, because the back of my foam was 25" and my zipper was 30". It's ok, it actually makes inserting the foam easier. Shorten your side panels accordingly so that (after your "ring" is sewn) the total circumference of the ring equals the length of all 4 sides of your foam combined.



Sorry the pic is sideways, I don't know why...

10. With RST, attach the side panels to either end of the installed zipper. Attach the front panel in the same manner; you should now have a "ring" with the zipper along one long edge, with all fabric right sides on the same side.                                                                                                  
11. Now time to attach the BOTTOM panel. With RST, pin the "ring" to the bottom panel and sew in place.                                                      
12. Before attaching the top panel, we need to make the bolster. 
• First, take the bolster sides and pin them, RST, to the bolster back along the short ends (one on either end of the bolster back). The only reason I have these as separate pieces is that I didn't want to have to buy extra yardage to get the full length of the bolster. 
• Stitch in place. 
• Now...RST, pin the bolster ends to the free ends of  the bolster sides, matching raw edges. Stitch in place. You will now have one LONG raw edge still exposed. 
13. Attaching the bolster and top panel to the constructed "couch" bottom. This can get a little tricky.


• First, turn your bolster right side out. Match the long raw edge of the bolster to the raw edge of the constructed bottom, RST (you want the right sides of the bottom on the "inside" of the couch). Make sure the bolster back is on the same edge as the zipper.                                                             
• Now place the top panel on top of all of it, RST (all you will see at this point are the wrong sides of the constructed bottom and the wrong side of the top).                                                           
• On the sides and back of the couch, match ALL raw edges (bolster, bottom, and top). At the front you will match the raw edges of the top and bottom, but not the bolster because it shouldn't be there! 
• Starting in the back, stitch around, leaving a 6" gap open in the back (you will need this to stuff the bolster).                                                   
14. If you would like, top stitch around the end panel of the bolster and along the front (top stitching the top panel and front panel together). This gives it a more "finished" and "couchy" look, but is by no means required!                                                          
15. Now...Turn it Right Side Out through the zipper. Stuff your bolster with Poly Fill to the desired fullness...turn wrong side out again. Pin the opening that you stuffed the bolster through shut and stitch shut.  (I had to hand stitch this because all the stuffing wouldn't allow me to put the bed in the sewing machine...and once I was done I wished I had stuffed it more!
16. IF you choose, use the fabric glue to seal the two pieces of foam together. Top with the layer(s) of batting...you can glue these to the top if you wish.
17. Turn Right Side Out (through the zipper), insert foam into the body of the "couch," and place the couch in your finished suitcase. It should fit snugly. All Done!

Please feel free to message me with any questions. I've done the best I could to add pictures to help, but I know that sometimes the pictures just aren't enough and more explanation is necessary. Thanks!

Coming Soon: July 2012 Edition

I'm kind of liking this twice a month thing. I don't feel so pressured to be cranking out projects all the time, and the ones I do I'm more attached to (and I think they turn out better). For July 2012, we have:

July 11, 2012: Bedazzled Dog "Couch" Tutorial

July 25, 2012: Jack & Jill Shortalls (pattern courtesy of Amy at http://www.naptimecrafters.com/, her shop is http://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/)

Wine Cork Monogram Tutorial

A friend of mine has been collecting corks for YEARS. Friends, family, and others have contributed to her collection (including a vineyard she went to that gave her a bag of about 1,000). Now that she has all of these corks, she wants to find different things to do with them. The first idea she had was to re-purpose an old end table and cover the top of it with corks, but that idea has fallen down the list. The biggest problem is that she is not the craftiest person when it comes to things like this. Other things she's wonderful at, like jewelry making, which is not a talent of mine. For this she asked me to help out. Since a lot of the supplies are things you probably already have, the amount we spent (for the board, craft knife, and hardware) was about $15. The corks...that just takes time. Enjoy!!





Supplies

• Foam Board (I used Elmers Foam board, 16"X20"
• Craft Knife...medium to heavy weight
• Serrated Knife
• Pencil
• Yardstick 
• Hot Glue Gun and a LOT of glue sticks (I think I used 10 or more)
• Mounting Hardware (aka picture hanging hardware, I like the ones that have "teeth" so you use 2 and can hang it straight)
• A LOT of corks...I used 58 for the edges of the D alone

Construction

Step 1: With your pencil, draw out your letter on the foam board. I made the width of each section of the letter 4" wide. Use your yardstick to help keep lines straight and to measure so it is a consistent shape.

Step 2: Use your craft knife to cut out your letter once you are satisfied with it. Use the yardstick to help keep lines straight.

Step 3: Lay out your corks. On outside edges, line them up standing on end. Lay the ones inside on their sides. 

Step 4: LEAVE THE INSIDE CORKS THERE! Take the corks that go around the edges and count them. Divide that number by 2, then cut that number of corks in half using the serrated knife.

Step 5: GLUING TIME! This gets a little sticky. Glue ONE EDGE of upright corks in place. Be sure to glue them to one another as well as to the foam board for extra stability. Then do some of the interior, until you reach another edge. The last step is doing the second edge. 

                         for example: I did the letter D. I did the upright corks on the inside edge first, then all of the corks that lie flat, and finally the outside edge upright corks. This helps to make sure everything is lined up and spaced correctly.

                         Once all corks are glued in place, gently wiggle the corks (especially the ones around the edges). If you feel any give, squirt a little hot glue around the edges into the small gaps for extra stability.

Step 6: Fill in any big gaps. If you are doing a letter with curves, you are going to have a few gaps. I simply cut pieces off of a spare cork and filled in the most noticeable gaps. You will still see a bit of the board, but not enough to worry about.

Step 6: Attach your mounting hardware once the hot glue is dry.Use your yardstick to make sure they are even.

That's it! All done!

Editor's note: After looking at it on the wall when I was at my friend's house recently, I decided it needed a little more "pizazz." Soon we are going to take ribbon of appropriate thickness and hot glue it around the edges to better conceal the foam board behind the corks, as well as to give it a bit more personality!
~Stephanie

DIY Dry Erase Calendar and Weekly Menu

I'll admit it. I LOVE Pinterest. I'm on there every day, getting craft inspiration, looking for decorating ideas, etc.  I am also constantly looking for functional yet cute things for the home...and I really wanted a dry erase calendar. What I didn't want was one of those white monstrosities that never looks good no matter how you try or where you put it. That's when I found This Tutorial on Pinterest and fell in love.

A couple of notes on this:

• if you don't have a printer that can print on 11"X17" paper, no worries. I used regular 8.5"X11" and just made sure that when I created my Excel spreadsheet all of the columns added up to 17" and my rows added up to be 11". It ends up being 4 sheets of paper that you cut and tape together. HERE is my calendar...feel free to print it out. It will save you time. Oh, and HERE is the notes page. 
• Do NOT cut off all edges of your calendar. Only the very bottom edge and the left side. That way you have extra paper on the top and right side to attach other papers to. Same goes for the notes page, but on that one I would only cut off the right edge...leave the rest.
• I didn't put anything on the back of my creation once it was all together. I left the backing that came in the frame separate, that way should I ever want to change the look of the calendar, I have a sizing reference.
• Leave room for overlap on ALL of your pieces...that way they can be taped/glued together
• You can get free photoshop graphics to create your shapes, and if you make a new file in photoshop with a transparent background and save it for the web, you can put it on word, resize as needed, and print onto whatever paper you would like.

This one took me about 2 hours total, and that's only because it took me a few tries to get the sizing of the calendar right. Plus I'm really indecisive about fabric and/or paper combos, so I second-guessed myself a lot. Actual construction time was probably about 20 minutes, but you have to add in measuring and cutting, not to mention designing the different elements.

I also found a weekly dry erase menu on Pinterest. You can find that tutorial HERE. 

Here are my notes on that one:

• I chose not to use canvas, but to line up 2 pieces of scrapbooking paper (cut to size)
• I also put my ribbon in a different place, because I wanted to hide the seam of the paper. :)

This one only took me about 15 minutes to do...and maybe now I stand a chance of NOT hearing "What's for Dinner" every day!