April 2010 - Posts

• Keeping It Simple - Embroidered Baby T-shirts for Cool Summer Fun

  I am not sure why but many of our favorite shops for infant clothes have gone out of business over the past year or so.  These shops featured handmade items that were unique but really reasonable in price.  In the past, when life was too busy to sew we frequently bought clothes for the girls at these cute little boutiques.  I know there are shops online with cute things that you won't see on every other child and maybe we are nuts but we really like to see and touch what we are buying as often as possible.  Plus with this being the third little girl on its way our daughter wants to use as many things as possible from the two before her.  So, one day she brought over all her old "designer" diapers and we tried to figure out what to do for a July baby (both the others were born in the winter).  After digging in my stash and a quick visit to the fabric store here is what we came up with:      Baby Wrap style T shirts washed, dried and ironed if needed. Two sided fusible interfacing such as Trans-WebTM or HeatnBond® Fabric Square that is larger than the embroidery appliqué shape (I cut mine 5") Soft cut away stabilizer Temporary adhesive spray Large straight sewing pins Embroidery appliqué shape (To download free ones see the link below) Embroidery thread to coordinate   What you do for appliqué T: 1.  Following directions on fusible package fuse the interfacing to back side of the fabric square.  Remove the backing if there is one. (You do not have to use the fusible but since infant items are washed so often I always do.) 2.  Print out a template of the appliqué shape.  Cut it out and pin in place on the T-shirt front. 3.  Hoop 2 layers of the stabilizer.  Spray a little adhesive around the edges of the inside of the hoop.  Gently center the T-shirt with the template and press in place.  Be careful that you do not pull it out of shape.  I put a pin at the top and bottom of the hoop  as extra security.  I also roll up the rest of the T and pin so it will not get caught under the hoop later. 4.  Carefully place the hoop on your machine making sure the template center is lined up with the needle.  Remove the template and embroider the first color.    5.  Place the fabric square in place on top of the T-shirt.  Embroider the second color.  Carefully remove the hoop and place on a flat surface.  Cut around the outside of the embroidered shape close to the sewn line.  6.  Carefully place the hoop back on the machine and embroider the rest of the design.  7. Cut around the stabilizer. Press the appliqué to fuse it to the T-shirt.    Note: These little irons are great for this but you can use your big one if you like.   For T-shirts with embroidery designs that are not appliqué: Baby Wrap style T shirts washed, dried and ironed if needed. Fabric Square that is larger than the embroidery appliqué shape (I cut mine 5") Soft cut away stabilizer Temporary adhesive spray Large straight sewing pins Embroidery design Embroidery thread to coordinate   What you do: 1.  Print out a template of the embroidery design.  Cut it out and pin in place on the T-shirt front. 2.  Hoop 2 layers of the stabilizer.  Spray a little adhesive around the edges of the inside of the hoop.  Gently center the T-shirt with the template and press in place.  Be careful that you do not pull it out of shape.  I put a pin at the top and bottom of the hoop  as extra security.  I also roll up the rest of the T and pin so it will not get caught under the hoop later. 4.  Carefully place the hoop on your machine making sure the template center is lined up with the needle.  Remove the template and embroider the design.  5.  Cut around the stabilizer. Here are some more we embroidered since babies use lots of these:   Here are links to the designs we used: The dragonfly The paisley The Giraffe Click here to download the the flower and heart appliqué shapes. And here is a whole collection of applique frames. I know we look back at the baby pictures of our girls and sometimes have to take them out and look on the back to remember which one it is since they often had on the same outfit.  With these we will surely be able to tell which pictures belong to this special little girl.  And there will be little chance that we will see another child sporting the same outfit this summer.  If you have little boys to sew for here are some design links that could work as well as using the appliqué rectangle.  Kids Toys Nursery Decor Once Upon a Time If you are sewing for infants you might like these blogs as well Designer Infant Gowns Touch and Feel blanket Enjoy the spring but be sure to take time to do what you love. Take care, DB Posted Apr 23 2010, 05:00 PM by db1921 with 6 comment(s) Filed under: the memory book, projects, in the hoop projects, gift ideas, Designs, Quick Projects, Gifts, kids, babies, baby gifts, nursery, blankets, baby gowns, infant gown, baby clothes, t-shirts, handmade, infant shirts, infant t-shirts, baby t-shirts

• Going Green - Reusable Mop Pads

  I am sorry to say that I haven't had time to embroider this week, but I do have a Going Green project to share. Does anyone else have one of those Swiffer® Wetjets?  I got one when they first came out because I hated my old mop and never felt like it was clean when I began to mop.  We had not yet begun to "go green" and I thought this would be more sanitary.  After going green we started making our own cleaner (see below) so we no longer purchased the cleaning solution.  But I still cringed every time we threw out those disposable pads - and they cost a lot too! We now have a solution but we really can't take the credit.  One day, our daughter saw these washable pads that someone had purchased made from microfiber cloth.  Her husband said they had these towels at the local dollar store and suggested she should make her own.  So, off we went to the closest location and here is the result:      These are so easy to make. What you need: Microfiber cloth rectangle approximately 15"x11" (the Dollar Store by me has them for a $1.00) Two strips of Velcro (only the soft side - at our local fabric store I can buy just this side alone) Sewing thread Here is what you do:    Step 1:  Fold the long side in about 1/4" and stitch.  Repeat on the opposite side. Step 2:  Beginning on the short side fold the cloth to make a 5" x 10 1/2" rectangle.  Sew down the open long side to secure the fold.  Sew both ends closed near the edge creating a pad. Step 3:    Position the soft Velcro along the edge and sew in place all the way around the outer edge.  Repeat for the other strip.  Use a disposable pad to check to be sure it fits your Swiffer® Wetjet (since I don't know if there is more than one model) and make 5 or 6 more. You will be amazed at how clean these get the floor.  When you are done just pull off and throw in the wash.   We like the softer orange ones best as they glide so smoothly over the floors but since they are thicker you have to sew slowly and adjust your presser foot pressure.  Or you could try using the serger.  I didn't have any more orange to use in the tutorial pictures so you see the thinner blue ones.  They work Ok too and came two to a pack so they are slightly less expensive.  These came in lime green, yellow, blue, red and household gray as well.  We found the thin ones in the auto care isle and the softer orange ones over by the sponges.  Be sure to use microfiber as it is super absorbent and doesn't scratch. Note:  Do not use fabric softener or bleach and the first time you might want to wash them by themselves to be sure they don't shed on your other laundry even though the package says they are lint free. I know cleaning house in not on the top of our list of fun things to do but the pads were a really quick project.  They cost less than $1.25 each and we will no longer spend money on disposable pads or add them to the trash that goes out. Going Green doesn't have to be hard.  Here are a few other going green or quick projects you might enjoy. Designer Grocery Bags Reuseable Snack Bags Quick Casserole Carrier Time just gets away from me sometimes.  Maybe next week I will have time to do some embroidery. Take care, DB PS.  Here is our recipe for a household cleaner that works great on the kitchen and bathroom floors as well as other things: 2 1/2 cups water 2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar 10 - 20 drops scented essential oil (Andrea likes peppermint, but  I prefer lemon or lavender) Mix all in a big squirt bottle and just squirt in front of your mop as you go along for a clean floor the green way. No rinsing required.   Posted Apr 16 2010, 05:00 PM by db1921 with 6 comment(s) Filed under: the memory book, projects, going green, Quick Projects, household cleaning, resusable Swiffer pads, Swiffer pads, washable mop heads, cleaning pads, green house cleaning

• Keeping It Simple - Water Bottle Carriers From Recycled Jeans

  We have been out and about the last week or so with the grandkids in tow.  They love the park, walks by the lake and riding bikes around the neighborhood.   The weather has been great here (quite unusually so for March).  Of course we have to take along snacks and something to drink.  Somehow though I keep ending up holding all the water bottles and then trying to juggle them and help the toddler at the same time.  Since our youngest daughter is having a more difficult pregnancy it looks like we will have the girls quite a bit until mid-summer.  With this in mind I decided we should do something so that I will not have be the "bottle keeper".  Surely, we could make a water bottle carrier of some kind and have fun doing it.   Since we use refillable water bottles (to support going green) I decided to use old jeans and scraps from other fabric projects.  And of course there had to be embroidery. Here are the ones we have made so far.   Now the girls are little so we picked the design and some fabric and they "helped" with the embroidery and a little sewing.  Most of the construction I did after they went home to bed.  The carrier will hold a 20 oz. Rubbermaid bottle so it should be good for a standard 500ml purchased bottle of water.  The instructions are as follows: What you need for the full size carrier: An old pair of jeans or denim fabric.  From this cut:              a rectangle 10 3/4" wide x 8" tall             a circle 3 3/4" in diameter (my 6oz  custard cups were just right)             two strips for the strap 2 1/2" wide x 25" long Accent and Lining fabric.  From this cut:             a rectangle 10 3/4" wide x 8" tall             a circle 3 3/4" in diameter             a strip for the accent edge if desired 10 3/4" x 2" Embroidery design of your choice             We used:             a bookmark design from Amazing Designs In the Hoop for Home             a butterfly from Morango Heart and Home             a ladybug from an ATG collection that will be coming out soon Stabilizer (cutaway or tear away) Embroidery and sewing threads What you do: 1.  Make the handle.  With right sides together sew the two strips together to make on long strip.  With wrong sides together fold in half lengthwise and press.  Open and place wrong side up on the ironing board.  Fold the sides into the center crease and press.  Fold closed and press again.  It should now be 3/4" wide x 49" long.  Pin and sew just inside open edge all down the strip.  Sew again along the folded side.  Set this aside.   2.  Make the carrier bottom.  With wrong sides together sew across center of the circle.  Rotate 45 degrees and repeat. Now sew between the others creating a pie look.  Zig zag all the way around the outer edge of your circles.  Set this aside. 3.  Add the accent border.  Wrong sides together, press a 1/4" crease on the long edge of the 10 3/4" x 2" strip.  On the denim rectangle measure down 1 3/4" from the top and mark on both sides.  With right sides together align the crease with the marks.  Sew along the crease.  Turn up and press.     4.  Embroider the design.  Mark the center of your design on the denim rectangle.  Hoop your denim rectangle and stabilizer.  (Depending on the design placement and size of your hoop the denim might not hoop at the top and bottom.  You can place a small pin in both places to help hold it or use a little temporary adhesive.  My hoop was tight enough that I did not do either.)  Embroider your design.  Remove the excess stabilizer. 5. Lay the embroidered rectangle face up. Measure and mark 2 3/4" in from each side. Pin the ends of the strap aligning the raw edges with the top of the embroidered rectangle.   Lay the line rectangle face down on top aligning all edges.  Pin across the top and sew 3/8" seam.  Sew along the same line a second time to reinforce the straps.  Press open.   6.  With right sides together fold the whole piece lengthwise.  Pin and sew the long side using 3/8" seam.  Pull the front to the inside so you have a tube that is inside out with the front on the inside and the lining on the outside. 7.  Pin the circle to the bottom of the tube.  Clip the edges of the tube bottom if needed to help fit the circle but not more than 1/4" deep.  Sew the around the circle through all layers using a 3/8" seam. 8.  Turn the carrier right side out.  Embellish with  crystals if desired.  You are ready to go traveling with your water bottle carrier. Note:  I made the straps on the ones for the little girls 40" instead of 50".  Now if I stuff these with some shredded green fabric and a few chocolate eggs I have a useful Easter gift that the kids can use all summer long.  What fun! Take care, DB PS:  Here are the daffodils that so impressed my grandaughter.    "Meese, these are sooo beautiful and glorious!", she said. "Why did God give you so many?" I wonder what she would say if she saw this:   Click here to learn more about this real garden.   Posted Apr 02 2010, 05:00 PM by db1921 with 4 comment(s) Filed under: the memory book, Crafts, embroidery, totes, bags, projects, going green, Designs, Quick Projects, Gifts, kids, crystals, Hot fix crystals, washable bags, fabric bags, water bottle cozy, bottle carrier, bottle tote, recycled jeans