Cute and Handy Clothespin Holder

I love to hang my clothes out on the line to dry.  Most days are still, but on the days when I deal with a lot of wind, clothespins are a must.  

Yesterday I whipped up this handy clothespin holder using a pattern I found on youcanmakethis.com.

Very easy design!  I had it cut out and sewn in under a couple of hours.  I used a decorator weight cotton for the main part of the bag, and then made my own bias tape from a quilter's cotton.  I figured it needed some fancying up, so I added the ruffle.  Anything to make wash day more fun, huh?

It should hold about 100 clothespins.  I may need two bags...

Easy Peasy T-Shirt Dress Tutorial

I have made several of these t-shirt dresses for my girls.  They are the best play outside dresses!  Put some leggings underneath, and there is a lot of room to run and play, climb trees, turn cartwheels, chase chickens...

Supplies Needed:

A T-shirt in your child's size

Fabric of choice ( 1/2 yard for 12-24 months & up, 1 yard for 2T and up)

Coordinating thread

Scissors

Rotary cutter, rotary cutting pad, ruler (optional)

Begin with a t-shirt in your child's size.  For an infant/toddler, I measure 1.5" down from the armpit of the shirt on each side, and cut straight across.  For 3T and up, I measure 2" down from each armpit.  You can use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut, OR you can simply mark a straight line from one end to the other and then cut with scissors.  Your shirt will look like the above picture.

For your bottom piece, you want to measure the circumference of the bottom of your shirt.  Then double that.  This will be how wide you want to cut your fabric.  For instance, if the circumference of your shirt is 24", you will cut your fabric 48" wide.  If you want it more gathered, you can measure the circumference of your shirt and multiply times 2.5.  You may need to cut two separate pieces for a size 2T and up.  

As for the length, I put the half shirt on my child, and measure from the bottom of the shirt to the length I prefer.  When you get that measurement, add 1" to it.  This will give you a 1/2" seam allowance.

Now you want to sew up your short edge(s).  You may have one edge to sew up if you are making this dress for a little one, but you will most likely have two pieces for an older child.  Sew each short side together and serge if you prefer.

For the top part of your skirt which will attach to the bodice of your shirt, you will need to gather.  I gathered mine on my serger, if you don't have a serger, you will need to run two basting stitches around the circumference of the top of your skirt, and then pull the stitches creating a loose gather all the way around.  Don't gather too much, you will need to adjust the gathers to fit your shirt in the next step.  You can find a tutorial here.

Then you place your shirt RIGHT SIDE OUT inside the skirt piece.  Your skirt piece will be inside out, and your shirt will be right side out, therefore you will sew right sides together.  You need to pin the shirt and skirt together at each end on the seams.  Then adjust your gathers to fit the base of your shirt.  

Be very careful not to pull the shirt, knit is pretty easy to stretch when your working with it. You may want to add some extra pins to pin your skirt to shirt so it won't shift while sewing together.

Next, sew the bodice and skirt pieces together (1/2" seam allowance) being careful not to pull the shirt as you sew.  If you ran basting stitches to gather your skirt, you will need to pull those completely out once you've finished sewing the two pieces together.  

Your dress should look like this so far.

The last step is hemming your dress.  If you have a serger, serge around the edge, then turn up 1/2" and sew the hem down.  If you don't have a serger, turn your hem up 1/4" iron down, and then turn it up 1/4" again, and iron down.  Then you can sew the hem down all the way around.

My daughter wanted to add lace to this one, so after she turned up her hem, she sewed the lace onto the hem at the same time securing/stitching the hem.  Be sure to sew your lace to the inside of your dress hem.  

Five Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts: Fragrant Sachets

My first sewing tutorial.  Actually, I think this is my first ever tutorial.  I kept it very simple and basic.  Mostly for my benefit...

Sachets are used to keep linen closets, undergarment and sock drawers, closets, and bedding smelling fresh.  Did you also know that the fragrance placed inside the sachet can help keep moths, silverfish, and other critters out of your clothing?  Lavender, rosemary, lemongrass, and cloves are all good at repelling bugs.  Also, a sachet of lavender placed between your pillow and pillowcase can help you sleep more restfully.

You'll need

a printed or solid cotton fabric, or muslin

wool or flannel batting

lavender buds, dried rosemary, cloves, dried lemongrass, or a dried herb of your choice

Cut two pieces of cotton fabric 8" x 8", and one piece of batting 7.5" x 7.5".  You can make your sachet any size you wish, just make sure you cut the batting 1/2" smaller than your outer fabric.

Place your two pieces of fabric right sides together.  You will need to sew 1/4" from the edge, a 1/4" seam allowance.  Begin sewing about 1.5" in on one side.  (You will be starting 1.5" away from your nearest corner.)  Stop, turn the corner, sew on three sides, and when you get to the side where you began, only sew in 1.5".  

 

You will have three complete sides sewn and one side will have an opening in the middle of about 5".

Before you turn your fabric right side out, clip the edges close to the seam, but be careful NOT to clip the stitches.  I learned that one the hard way...

Turn your sachet right side out, you may have to poke the corners carefully with a pencil or knitting needle, to be sure you get a sharper corner.

Place your batting inside the sachet through the opening, straighten it out on the inside.  It should reach edge to edge and the batting will fill the entire space on the inside.  If it's too large, just take it out and trim the batting up a small bit.  You want it to lie flat and smooth.

Once you have your batting straightened out, you can then pour in your petals, buds, or herbs.  I put in about a tablespoon of lavender buds.

Next, you need to sew up the opening.  Turn in your edges 1/4 of an inch and sandwich it between your fingers.

This may be hard for me to 'splain, so let me sum up.....start your first stitch on the inside of one edge, push the needle through and then whip it around and begin whip stitching near the edge through BOTH edges of your opening.

Continue stitching the entire opening closed and then knot your thread off.  

Finished!

We have added ribbon, lace, hand embroidery designs, and ric rac to decorate our sachets.  

Reusable Cloth Feminine Liners

Before you get all weirded out on me...

This post has been a long time coming.  I struggled with writing on a subject so personal for some time.  However, after having been asked what I use for my "personals" by a few people, I decided the blogged information, no matter how intimate, may be of good use. 

I began using washable liners about 10 months ago.  

They are soft, comfortable, and absorbent.  Not to mention economical.

My reasoning for switching to cloth was I one day became aware of chemicals (including bleach) present in disposable pads.  Just like disposable diapers, there have been skin sensitivity issues and long-term concerns regarding feminine products.  And my daughter and I were having problems with rashes from store-bought pads.  I couldn't afford organic liners, and I like the "waste-not" idea of reusable products.  So, I got online in search of a good pattern.

Patterns

You can purchase feminine products like these online, but I made mine.  They were very easy, the pattern was simple to follow, or if you don't want to purchase a pattern, you can easily make your own from a disposable pad.  

Supplies

All you need is flannel, fleece, and PUL fabrics.  The fleece sits against your skin, the flannel is in between layers for absorption, and the PUL is on the outside keeping moisture from seeping out.

I suggest you look for your fabric through sources other than the major fabric stores.  A good place to go is fabric.com, and etsy.com.  If you do happen to find yourself inside a big-name fabric store, check out the remnants section for the above supplies. 

I have little wear on my liners, they work very well, I rarely have leaks, I love they way they close up into a small package (above picture), and I plan to make several more.  The only thing I would do differently is use a snap closure instead of the velcro.  The velcro tends to wear over washings and doesn't adhere as well. 

Forgive my post for its lack of discretion, but I do hope the information proves itself useful for those questioning the switch from disposable to washable. 

Edited to add:

Wash and Care:
I treat my cloth liners just like my cloth diapers.

http://ahomesteadjourney.blogspot.com/2011/09/on-cloth-diapering.html

I wash them on a hot rinse cycle first, then I wash them on a regular warm water cycle with my cloth diaper detergent.  You don't want to use any detergents other than those specially made for cloth diapers as regular laundry detergent can create a buildup on the liners resulting in their inability to absorb moisture.

Also, steer clear of essential oils as they may oppose moisture.

I only hang the liners up to dry.  I do my best to hang them in an inconspicuous place, but that's hard in a household of 11 people.  :)  If you do dry them in your dryer, adjust the setting to a delicate or low heat cycle.

Modest Leggings

If you have toddlers and young daughters, you might find the need for undergarments to help with modesty.  Bloomers are adorable when they're babies, but at some point, they outgrow the bloomer stage and need something a little more "grown-up" to help keep them covered.

I have the perfect pattern for making leggings.

Knit Leggings

This is an e-pattern, but it's super simple, perfect for a beginner!  The pattern has one piece, from which you cut two pieces of fabric for your leggings.  The instructions include varying lengths of pant.  You can make them short, or ankle length, or some length in between!

They're just what I need for under the twin's dresses!

E-Patterns

For those who sew, have you ever tried e-patterns?  If not, you really should!  I love to sew, but I hate to cut out patterns, for some reason the tissue paper mixed with the incessant need for a fan can cause quite a ruckus in my craft room. 

E-patterns are downloadable patterns you can purchase on the internet from many different companies.  You save them to your computer and then print them off when you are ready to cut and sew!  One of the benefits is you always have the pattern saved on your hard drive, or you can copy to a disk, leaving the need for bulky patterns out of your sewing closet.  Or, if you're like me, you can't ever figure out how to fold the tissue pattern pieces back up and get them into their envelope, so you eventually end up with a wad of paper crammed into a pattern sleeve.  Nice.  I do like having the option to pull up a pattern and print off any number of pieces I may need.  Cuz, you know, I've probably lost one or two from one outfit to the next.......

One of the companies I have bought from in the past has a great variety of CUTE girly patterns and today only they are having a sale!  Buy one e-pattern, get two FREE!  Yes, please!

Check out Ginger and Louise Pattern Company on Facebook, and take a look at their adorable patterns and sale.

I also find my patterns at www.youcanmakethis.com. 

Happy sewing!

Family Pictures

We're going to have family pictures made soon, and the amazing Sara at Sara Jane Photography, and I were discussing a themed session.  I think I've decided on an English time period theme.  ( too much Jane Austen)  Sooooo, I need your opinions!  I found a few patterns for the older girls that I love:

Check out the white dress with the blue sash

The shorter sleeved style

This white one with a bit higher neckline

Or this one

Or maybe a combination of two or three?  Should I use the same style fabric with different patterns and variations, or should I use the same pattern with variations in fabric?  I can't make up my mind!!!

Share your opinions in the comment section!  Thanks!!!

Also, I will have a contest up and running early this week, stay tuned!

Sweet Petticoat Slip Dress | Featured Products | YouCanMakeThis.com

Sweet Petticoat Slip Dress YouCanMakeThis.com

This pattern has to be one of my favorites! I love how simple it is, yet so girly and feminine. I have made the twins a couple of dresses, and  a nightgown for each. Quite a versatile pattern and it is SUPER easy to make!  The only thing I changed on it was the ruffle.  In the instructions, you are supposed to fold the ruffle in half, long ways, and then sew to the bottom of the dress.  I didn't fold it in half, but left it wider, which gave the dress a long ruffle and lengthened it all around.  OK, back to sewing......!

Busy Little Sewing Bees

Bailey and Reagan were busy making skirts this afternoon.

Bailey made hers mostly on her own, with only a few verbal instructions from me.  I'm so proud of her!

Reagan needed some help, but she was able to do quite a bit on her own.

Now I can't wait to teach them to quilt!  :D