Fabric Growth Chart Tutorial

Fabric Growth Chart

 Supplies:

Muslin

Ribbon

Yarn

Letter/Number Stamp Set

Versa Craft Ink Pad

Wood Buttons

Bamboo Reed or Wooden Dowel

Jute Twine

Burlap

Heat n Bond

* I used the kind that comes in sheet form for the numbers and tree.

There is another kind, that is used for seams. 

It's about 1" wide and it's on a roll.

I used it for the ribbon.

Step One:

Tear your Muslin to Apx 14" wide x 50" High

Fold over the top of your fabric piece and sew a pocket for the Bamboo hanger.

Hot glue a button to one end of the Bamboo.

Wait to hot glue the other button.

You wont put your Growth Chart on the hanger until the very end.

Step Two:

Lay your yarn out on the fabric to decide on the design you want.

Pin it in place.

Choose the zig zag stitch on your sewing machine 

and set the stitch width and length the the largest setting.

(Note: I used a fluffy yarn and didn't want the yarn to look to flat. 

If you use a regular type of yarn you might not need to set the stitch extra wide.)

Step Three:

Stamp the words "Watch Me Grow"

Iron to set the ink.

 Step Four:

Sew on the Buttons

 Step Five:

*Use the Heat n Bond that is 1" wide 

and comes on a roll for this portion of the project. 

It does not have a backing. 

So place the heat n bond on the muslin first 

and lay the ribbon over top and iron to affix*

Cut your ribbon the length of the fabric.

Cut four more 4" pieces of ribbon.

Mark every 12".

Iron the short pieces of ribbon, first.

Then iron on the long piece of ribbon.

Step Six:

 Iron a small pice of Burlap to the heat and bond.

Leave the backing paper on and trace the Tree and numbers.

Cut them out.

Pull off the backing paper.

Iron in place.

Step Seven:

Use the "I" from your stamp set.

Stamp the "I" side ways every inch.

Step Eight:

Slide the Growth Chart on to the Bamboo hanger.

Hot glue the other button on the end.

Tie with Jute twine.

And your done!

Have a great weekend!

Be sure to stop by my blog for more crafty ideas!

Living A Radical Life

Ruffle Fabric Apron

I have fallen in LOVE with ruffle fabric.

Have you heard of it?

It's awesome!

Check it out RuffleFabric.com.

You are going to love it too.

Ruffle Fabric Apron Tutorial:

1 Yard of ruffle fabric

1 Package of Bias Tape

I used one of my other aprons as my guide.

The ruffle fabric is great to work with but it is also kind of tricky.

It doesn't require seams or even a serge stitch. 

It doesn't unravel.

Awesome right!

To cut the fabric:

Lift the ruffle up and cut just under it: 17" x  25".

Make sure when you cut the length of the fabric

to be sure all the ruffles are facing the same way.

Cut the Bias tape: 58"

Fold the tape over and iron.

Like so.

On each end iron and fold into a point.

Like so.

To attach the bias tape to the bottom skirt I used fusible webbing.

Like I said its kind of tricky to work with.

It stretches and the ruffles sometimes like to get in your way.

Using the webbing just made it easier so I didn't have to pin it in a hundred places.

Here is a close up.

You can see the raw edge of the ruffle skirt.

Open up the bias tape,

lay the fusible webbing inside,

and sandwich the raw skirt edge between the fold of the bias tape.

Now iron it together.

This is what it will look like after you iron it.

Stitch 1/4" from the edge,

from one end of the bias tape to the other.

Cut your top piece: 15" x 12".

Again using the fusible webbing,

iron the top piece to the bottom piece.

I did this just to hold it in place

until it could be sewn.

Sew two stitches - one on the top and one on the bottom.

The fabric is thin, I thought it needed a little reinforcement.

Roll the top edge of the top piece and stitch using a gathering stitch.

Don't back stitch.

Pull the thread so the fabric gathers.

Once you have the top gathered as you like it,

stitch in place with a zigzag stitch.

Here is a close up of what the finished top looks like.

Using the last of the bias tape (apx 29"), cut it in half.

This will become the two pieces (each 14.5") that you will tie around your neck.

Using the same technique as before iron and stitch them to the top piece.

I could't resist making a flower for my apron.

I used Satin and burned/melted the edges.

 Added the feathers.

I made it into a pin so I could easily remove it so I can wash the apron.

There you have it.

  A Ruffle Fabric Apron.

Doesn't it just make you want to cook or clean something!

Sewing Quickie: Church T-Shirt Totes

I made these Church totes, last week. Miss Priss already has a Church tote, which she carries her crayons and coloring books in. These are to be used during sacrament meeting at church. My son had one too, but doesn't know where it is. After having to cart around his stuff myself, I knew I needed to come up with something else.

I went through his closet and found a shirt, which didn't fit him any more.

I cut two big squares out of the shirt. One for the front of my bag, the other for the back of my bag.

I used some grosgrain ribbon for the handles.

I put right sides together and sewed around the outside of the bag, with a zig zag stitch. I then did a straight stitch across the top. It is cotton, so it shouldn't fray. I sewed it just for looks.

I then added my two straps and then I was done. My Bubba now has a fun church tote, to carry all his coloring stuff in. I also took a little piece of fabric from another shirt, sewed around the edges, added Velcro, and made a crayon pocket.

While sewing, I decided to make me a simple little bag to carry my scriptures in.

I took a pant leg off a pair of pants I cropped. Sewed the bottom, to create a bag. Used the other pant leg to make my strap and the flower. Added velcro, and a button to the flower. Then I was done.

For more sewing tutorials and ideas click HERE.

I figure these are two VERY simple projects, which don't really need tutorials. If you do have any questions on what I did, let me know. Hope you have a wonderful day and Happy Sewing!

-Danielle

Blissful and Domestic

Blissful & Domestic: The YoYo Purse

This week I have another purse tutorial for you. This one is fun and is a great way to recycle. I took Miss Priss's Skirt and made it into a purse. Wondering how? Let me show you.

I took an old (size 3T) corduroy skirt and a leather belt of mine and decided to put them to some good use.

I sewed the bottom of the skirt together. It already had a pretty ruffle embellishment on the bottom, so I kept that intact and sewed right above that. Meaning I did not do this purse pillow case style, where you sew it inside out. I just sewed a straight stitch above the ruffle trim. I then added a little bit of Velcro for closure (this is where the original waist band is). I added the belt as the strap and some fun yoyo's made from scrap fabric. This was a fun new twist to re-purposing.

See such a simple purse, which only takes a few minutes to make. Hope you all like them and I will see you next week with a fun new tutorial.

Blissful & Domestic

Back to School {Snack Sacks}

We are in full Back to School mode around here.

Our daughter is heading off to 1st grade!

And now that she is all grown up...

and will be eating lunch at school

all. by. herself.

We had to address the issue of: 

what is she going to eat 

and what will we put it all in?

Now, I know the Snack Sack is not a new idea...

But I put together a little tutorial to show you just how easy

they are to make yourself.

An let's face it, 

your kid is going to look pretty cool 

pulling one of these out of their lunch bag 

when their neighbor has, dare I say it, a ziplock baggie!

Seriously though,

what a genius idea!

Who doesn't need these?

Supply List:

Fat Quarter of fabric

Some type of washable vinyl

Velcro

How to make the tabs:

First cut two pieces of fabric 3" long

I experimented with the width and made one 1", 1.5" & 2" wide

( I think I prefer the 1.5" myself)

Fold in half and iron.

Open up and fold to the center and iron again.

Fold over again and iron.

Cut your vinyl 6.5" square

Cut your fabric 6.5" square

Face the right sides of the fabric together.

Stitch around three sides leaving the top open.

Inside out the vinyl.

Slide the vinyl inside the fabric cover.

Like so.

Insert your tabs upside down and in between the two layers.

Be sure to pin the tabs into place.

Stitch 1/4" from the top all the way around the top of the sack.

Be sure to leave a few inches open.

About this much.

So you can inside out the whole sack.

This is the tricky, hard-to-explain, part.

It works best if you reach in through the hole 

and pull the out side fabric through.

It will look like this.

Stuff the vinyl back inside the sack.

Ta da!

It's like magic.

Stitch all the way around the top of the bag to close up the hole.

This also gives the sack a finished look.

In side out the whole bag.

So that the vinyl is on the outside.

Cut a section of velcro appox 6" wide.

Stitch in a rectangle (through both fabrics).

In other words across the top down the side and back.

Sew the other section of velcro.

Tip: I lined up my velcro with my top stitch.

That way, my Velcro matched up with each other, when I closed the sack.

Here it is inside out and finished.

Last step:

Turn it right side out.

It really is that easy!

You can wipe out the inside of your sack or you can throw it in the wash.

Either way, you have a reusable sack, 

that actually works better than the ziplock you have in your drawer.

Not to mention:

your kid will be the coolest kid in the cafeteria.

Or you will be the coolest mom at your next play date.

No more spilled fish crackers in the bottom of your purse.

Happy Sewing!


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