Saturday, January 17, 2015

Baby Project to sew



With my niece now expecting a baby and future daughter0in0law sister expecting, I am looking for different things to make.  Basically, my normal blankets and crocheting booties.

Sweet Dreams DIY Nursery Door Latch Cover






Materials:  fun printed cotton 2 hair elastics sewing machine and basic supplies (scissors, pins, thread, etc.)
Directions:
Start by cutting two 3″ x 4″ rectangles out of your cotton fabric. Set one rectangle on your table, printed side up. Place one elastic on top of the rectangle so that a bit of it hangs off the short left side of the fabric, and place the other elastic similarly on the right side. Place the other rectangle on top of the elastics, printed side down. Pin the fabric and elastics well, and sew all the way around all four edges with 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving a 2″ hole for turning in one of the long edges. Go back and forth a few times over the elastic to make sure it is secure. Clip the corners and turn the latch cover right side out then top stitch all the way around with 1/8″ seam allowance in order to close the turning hole. And you’re done! Your elastics should be sticking out of either short edge. Make your own nursery door latch cover so you don't wake the baby when you shut the door! Perfect baby shower gift! If you pay attention when cutting your original rectangles of fabric, you can choose which parts of the fabric show in your final latch cover. Just slip the elastic over a doorknob, wrap the cover around the edge of the door, and hook the other elastic over the doorknob on the other side.

Polka Dots Crib Mobile






Materials:  fabric, embroidery hoop without screw, iron on adhesive, pen and circle (lid), iron, ribbon or string, pins, scissors
Directions:
Trace the circles on the paper side of the adhesive. You will need 1 per side of fabric; so, each circle you will need 2 pieces of adhesive for each dot.   Cut each with a square shape will explain later.
Iron each circle on the wrong side of the fabric. Remember to iron on each adhesive.  Cut around each circle. 
Lay your ribbon out and peel backing off the circles.  Sandwich the ribbon in between the circles and iron them together.  Leave enough ribbon to tie to hoop later.
Sew a straight line down the middle each completed circle. No need to sew around each circle.  The glue from the adhesive will hold it. 
The easiest way to paint the hoop and beads is to use spray paint.  To paint the beads, the floral syrofoam (green stuff) and bamboo skewers. Cut skewers to around 4 inches long.  Make sure that beads stay suspended on the skewers and don’t fall all the way to the bottom.  If they do, wrap a layer on masking tape in the middle of the skewer to keep them suspended.
Paint top portion of beads and then when dry, flip the beads over on the skewers and paint the other side.  This can also be hand done with acrylic paints.
Determine where you want the strings to be by using pins.
Hot glue ribbons over the hoop. Trim ends of ribbon and seal with heat or no fray adhesive.
Attach strings or beads in between spaces on hoop.  You can use beading wire and crimp beads to connect together.  Use key rings attach string or wires together hang from hoop at the top.
Use 6 circles for 4 ribbons and 7 circles on the other 4. See picture below:














Super Simple Burp Cloth




Materials: ten-pack of prefold premium 6-ply cloth diapers with absorbent padding, some cotton fat quarters [fat quarters (22″ x 18″)], 7 different fabrics to work with; each fat quarter provides enough fabric for 3 burp cloths.

Directions:
Prewash, iron, and cut your fabric. Put both the cloth diapers and fat quarters in the washer and dryer to remove “road dirt” and to preshrink them.  After ironing, cut your fabric into strips that were 22″ long x 5 and 3/4″ wide.  Don’t stress too much over perfect dimensions.

Press your fabric using a cardboard template.  You can use a cereal box to create a template that was 4 and 3/4″ wide x 17″ long.  The width is the most important dimension.  Using a template instead of a seam gauge will end up saving you loads of time when pressing.  Just place your fabric down wrong side up, pop in your template, and press down 1/2″ on either side quickly and easily.  Leave about 1 and 1/4″ from the top, and don’t worry about the bottom edge for now. 
Simply folded about 1/4″ of fabric underneath, and then pressed the rest of the edge over the top of the template, creating a crisp, clean look.
Pin your fabric to the cloth diaper.  FYI: not all cloth diapers are created equal.  Press edge of your fabric over the middle of the cloth diaper, and center it as best you can the rest of the way down.  Pin the fabric to the cloth diaper in three places on either side. 
Stitch across the top edge.  Carefully turn the cloth to the backside and run a straight stitch across the top edge of the fabric.  Use 2.5 stitch lengths, needle set to the left, and simply lined the left side of my presser foot up with the left side of the fabric and ran the stitch across.  Stitch down the right edge and up the left edge of the fabric.  After flipping the cloth back to the front, use the ever-so-faint center line on the presser foot to line up the right edge of the fabric.  You really want to get pretty close to the edge on this part, pulling out pins as you go.  After back stitching at the bottom of the right edge, start a new stitch up the left side.  You should now have the top, right, and left edges stitched up.
Press the bottom edge.  Cut off the excess fabric at the bottom so you end up with about 1 and 1/4″ remaining.  Press the fabric the same way you did the top edge. 
Stitch across the bottom edge; same as before.  Then, press your seams, and etc.

Share your ideas on this or anything here on the blog either here or e-mail me at stipple@verizon.net.  I look forward to hearing from you!



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