Handmade Burp Cloths

Now when my children were babies we had some items that were handmade, but not many.  The "designer baby" trend had not become popular yet.  I love to look at Pinterest and the many blogs to see what new moms are coming up with for their babies.  I wish I had been that creative when my children were small.

Since I am now at the age where my friends are becoming grandparents I am once again going to baby showers.  They are always fun and exciting but for different reasons.  I am glad my kids are practically grown and now I can enjoy small ones in a new way.  In an earlier post series I showed you the baby quilt and various other gifts I made for one of our dearest friends first grandchild.  It is the series No Scraps Left Behind.  That gift was the beginning of a new journey into seeking out what was popular now for newborns.

I found many different ideas and have started a Things to Make list.  One of the first ones I have tried was burp cloths. Previously I had only embellished the traditional cotton burp cloths.  That was fun but you are limited to only the ends of the cloth having color.  So, I made up a pattern for burp cloths that were one fabric in the center with coordinating fabric on the ends.  I also used another coordinating fabric on the back so they are reversible.  I layered cotton batting in the middle so they are absorbent.  I used cotton fabric and did a detail stitching on the seam where the fabrics meet.  This was a great way to practice some of the fancy stitches on my machine and use different threads.

Here are some samples of what I made:

I made three of each combination because I thought that made a nice gift.  I usually roll them and tie them up with a piece of fabric.  Then I package them with some other small items such as shampoo, powder, wipes etc.  This makes a nice gift and a useful one.  Since the cloths are made out of cotton they can easily go through the washer and dryer. 

So the next time you have a baby shower to attend pull out your larger scraps and make a unique gift for the new mom and baby. 

 

Danna

Maze Quilt

When I quilt rarely do I follow a pattern exactly.  I usually see a picture of a quilt and then decide on some slight modifications.  Then I draw out the new pattern with my dimensions on graph paper.  This maze quilt is one that I used this process to complete.

I found the original pattern in an old quilting magazine.  I could not find the magazine but it was from the late 1990's.  It was only a picture of the quilt no pattern or instructions.  I thought it was really unique and decided to give it a try.  I drew out my version making the quilt approximately 35" x 42".
The white blocks become the maze path. The beginning and ending are in opposite corners.  I did not want to add anything to draw attention to the start and finish to allow the child to explore different routes on the quilt. 

Being the frugal crafter and quilter that I am whenever I finish a project I take all of the scraps and cut them up into usable size squares.  I even save the smallest bits for other crafting projects, but that is a post for another day.  Therefore when I decided to make the maze quilt I pulled out my box of 2 inch squares and started laying out my pattern.  Now I am not sure what prompted me to lay out each row and attach the blocks one by one.  When I was about half way through making the quilt top it struck me that I could have used the quilting grid interfacing and this whole project would have been done in a matter of a few hours.  Instead, my brain freeze cost me about half a day just to piece the top together. When I make another one I will definitely use the grid interfacing.  I think my brain freeze was more of a brain fry because when I pieced the quilt it was 110 degrees outside.

I did a simple diagonal quilting pattern going only one direction.  This creates a diagonal movement in the quilt that would otherwise be very blocky.  The black border adds a nice outline for the maze.  When I was done I showed it to my family and my son said it would be great to drive hotwheel cars on the maze.  Guess what, he was right the white path is the perfect size for a hotwheel car.  Of course when he said that even being a teenager he had to try it out.

I used all different kinds of fabric on mine to create a very scrappy look and use up a small portion of my 2 inch square stash.  I think using only a coordinated selection of fabrics would change the look and feel but work well also. 

I hope this inspires you to try a pattern you like and make your own modifications.

Danna

Washi Tape

I have seen many projects on Pinterest and blogs that used Washi Tape.  I wasn't sure I would be able to incorporate it into my projects.  But one day I found several rolls on clearance (remember I am a frugal crafter), so I purchased them.  I brought them home and used them on the traditional paper projects - cards, gift tags, bags etc.  Then one day I was working on a project to "spruce" up some items for my desk.  I have a small tape dispenser that is the perfect size for my desk, but like most tape dispensers it is boring black.  My first thought was to glue ribbon around the edge to add some detail.  Then it hit me -- why not use the Washi tape.  Here is how it looks now. 

 

I didn't want to add color as much as I did detail.  This is for my crafting desk at home.  My color scheme is black and pink with a hint of green.  The pink and green tape I have did not coordinate well so I chose to use this simple lace pattern.  I think it turned out rather nice.

After that I kind of went "crazy".  I was in the process of gathering things for my classroom at school and wanted to "spruce" up some items.  I purchased this bulletin board at a garage sale for $1.00.  It had your basic metal gray frame, well that was not going to look very nice. So, I added washi tape to the edge.  It was the perfect width and when I want to change the color scheme of my classroom I can just remove the tape and put on a different color.

After the bulletin board I moved to my desk items.  I added two rows of tape to my paper clip dispenser.  And look I even found matching paper clips.  I also added some to my tape dispenser at school.  It looks like the one above just different colored tape.

 

 

One of the last projects I did was this "W".  I found it on clearance at Michael's for 30 cents.  It was a pale pink and not very exciting.  I added rows of the washi tape on the diagonal.  After the tape was secure I brushed on a couple of layers of Mod Podge to make it more durable.  I have not found a place to hang this in my classroom yet.  One thought I had was to glue it to the end of a cut off door hanger and then let the "W" become the hook.  

 



I think I may have found another crafting addition.  This might not be a good thing.  But at least I am having a great time!

Danna

Peel Away Sticky Stabilizer - WOW

After using the embroidery sewing machine several times I went to my local sewing machine center to ask some questions. My sister-in-laws machine is not the most expensive one but it is a nice version. The man at the sewing center showed me some stick on stabilizer. WOW – this really made a difference. Instead of fighting to get a piece of fabric into the hoop, I can now just peel away the top paper on the stabilizer and stick the fabric down. Another tip the salesman gave me was to only peel away what I needed for that project, leave the stabilizer in the hoop, peel another section off and do a second or third project before removing the stabilizer from the hoop. Now it takes less time to get something ready to embroider. So far I have done dishtowels and fabric pieces for my mug rugs with the peel away stabilizer. I bought a roll that was 2 yards long. I believe you might be able to buy it in precut sheets also.

I also learned that if you want to embroider terry cloth towels you would need to add a water soluble stabilizer on top of the towel. This does not allow the stitches to sink into the terry cloth. I have not tried this yet but the samples at the store looked nice. I found some YouTube videos that gave me some more tips.  Just search machine embroidery.

I look forward to trying many more projects. As with all my other creative passions this could quickly become an obsession. Next on the list to research is the card reader adapter so I can download embroidery patterns from the Internet.

As always please share your projects, tips and ideas.

Danna

Machine Embroidery

About a year ago my sister-in-law let me borrow her sewing machine that does embroidery. I haven’t figured out all the features yet but it has been fun to play around with the different options. Every time I use it for a project it sparks about a thousand different ideas.

One of the first projects I embroidered was the band of a chef’s hat I made. My sister-in-law has a great nephew that loves to help his grandmother and mother cook. So instead of practicing on a scrap piece of fabric I decided to use the band of the hat. It turned out really cute. I would have put his name but I wasn’t sure what spelling he used. And since I do most of my sewing after 10 pm I wasn’t able to call and get the correct spelling. So I put the word “Cook”. My sister-in-law appreciated the fact that someone was using the machine (since it had been gathering dust in the closet) and was excited to give her nephew the hat.

 

Another project that turned out much better than anticipated was some shoe bags. A friend had given me the bags from some twin size sheets she had purchased. When she gave them to me she said “I know you will come up with something to do with these.” I wasn’t sure what to do with them so I put them away for a later time. My friend travels fairly often with her husband and had mentioned one time that her shoes were always a problem in the suitcase. She did not like having them next to her clothes but hated to carry a separate suitcase for them. So I embroidered the word “Shoes” on the sheet bags and put a nice frilly design below. They are the perfect size for dress shoes, flats, flip flops etc. I don’t think they would hold tennis shoes but they might. When I returned the bags to her she was thrilled. Every time she travels she says “I always remember to put my shoes in the bags”. I recently found some bags I had stuffed in the back of my closet, so maybe I will make her some spare shoe bags.

Please share some of your machine embroidery ideas. I am always on the lookout for something new and different.
Danna

Wrap it Up

Wrapping a gift is just as fun to me as selecting the perfect gift. I enjoy creating a distinctive gift bag and card. Taking the time to prepare a beautifully wrapped gift is an expression of love.

I also love to use gift bags. This way I can create a beautiful bag in advance and when I am in a hurry (which is usually the case) I still have that expression of love. I buy solid colored gift bags in all sizes and then use a variety of scrapbooking and craft materials to create a unique look.

Many times this can give the simplest of gifts more impact (i.e. a gift card). I have several family members who truly want just a gift card or cash for an occasion. It is hard to “dress up” these items. I use a decorated gift bag and put in the gift card/cash and something small like a piece of candy, a candle, etc. inside. When I have done this in the past I get more compliments about the gift bag than I do the gift. But I know both are appreciated.

Here are some gift bags I have created. I don’t put any limits on what I use other than it has to be glued onto the bag.

 

One these bags I used paper flowers, a fun foam glittered flower and chipboard shapes.

The large notes in the center were actually the front of a thank you card.  The birds are chipboard cutout I painted and distressed.  The flowers are paper scrapbooking flowers with brads in the center.

The flower on the pink bag is made from a coffee filter with a silk flower in the center.  The flower on the blue bag is made from pages of a book cut into the flower shape and then curled around a pencil and stacked.  The paper behind the the chipboard bird is a page of an old dictionary.  I love the half circle cut outs on the edge of the page.

The striped bag has stacked fun foam flowers just glued to the front.  The heart on the other bag is the front of an old card with torn edges.

The red bag on the left has simple squares of paper glued on point with a chipboard cutout painted and distressed.  The other bag has a collage of papers, cutouts and a button.

So let your “Pink Lemonade Ideas” run free and see what wonderful creations you can make. I would love to hear your ideas and/or comments.
Danna

Pillows with a Message

 In my world there is nothing better than merging my love for technology with my creative passion.  Printing on fabric has always fascinated me.  I did some research and found several ways to accomplish this task.  For several years I used the ink jet setting solution and rinse.  In this method you treat your own fabric with the setting solution and iron it onto freezer paper and then print.  Once printed you have to use the rinsing solution to set the ink. I used this method to make graduation quilts with printed pictures, dates, school names etc. 

Recently, I bought the pre-treated fabric sheets and tried them.  They work just as well as the solution and take less time to prepare.  The only difference I really found was that the fabric is slightly stiffer in the pre-treated sheets.  The stiffness worked well on these pillows.

I selected several quotes and printed them in different fonts and sizes.  I based the size of my pillow on the size of the quote.  On some I added a small embelishment to the design.

 I like this quote.  It is a good reminder that it is sometimes the simple things in life that make it worth living

 

This quote is a good encouragement for both the young and the old.

 

 

 

This is only a small sample of the pillows I made.  They make great gifts for friends and family.  You could make one with a quote that has special meaning to the recipient, or a family saying.  I have one on my bed that has a scripture passage that reminds me that God has a plan for my life.  Each day when I make my bed it is a beautiful way to plant that scripture in my thoughts. 

 

Have fun selecting your quote or thought to share with the ones you love.

 

Danna