Dressing Up a Fleece Blanket

     This is a little fleece blanket with the edges already finished with a blanket stitch. I picked it up as impulse at Old Navy. I like having little blankets around the house. I put them down for Lala to play on or snuggle on the couch with. I keep one at work because Corporate America if for the warm blooded. They are just good to have around and I wanted to add a bit to it.

     There are tons of things you can do with a plain fleece blanket. After the holidays, these last minute gifts are on sale for next to nothing. You can always use the fleece to make little stuffed toys or little projects for the kiddos. What I did here is added a little embellishment to the blanket.

     I hooped the corner of the blanket and used my embroidery machine to stitch my little "Snuggle Bug." Then, I used a fuchsia embroidery thread that would contrast with the dark purple in the blanket and match the yarn I planned for the edging. Looking at it now I do wish I had chosen a larger more bold font.

     My mother in law who has make a ton of cute little crochet projects. She was finishing the edges of little snowman blankets and they turned out really cute. I chose to do a little scalloped edge that I modified to fit the existing blanket stitch. It was a little rough in spots but I was able to make it work.

     The real test came that evening when I was giving Lala her supper and she fell asleep all cuddled in the blanket on my lap. I always find things that I would change but I had fun working on my little project. For yours, the sky is the limit so have fun with it.

     

Do More With Diapers

 

     I know a lot of moms that use cloth diapers. They are a great choice for their most obvious use but their absorbency is fantastic. I have made bibs, burp cloths, and cloths for general clean up which have become my absolute favorites. You can use the pre-folded diapers but for these I like to use the flat diapers and fold them myself.

      With mine, I take a cute little fabric piece for one side and sew it to a flat diaper which has been folded in half. This is a great way to use up larger scraps left over from other projects. If there are no scraps to use, fat quarters provide an excellent size when cut in half. 9x24 is the size that I try to use most. Make sure to pre-wash the fabric and the diapers to shrink them before sewing. To assemble the burp cloths, pin the fabric to the cloth diaper which has been folded in half. Make sure that you pin the right side (the side you want to show) facing in toward the diaper.

     Sew with 1/2" seam allowance around the edges of the project. Leave a 3" opening to turn the burp cloth right side out. Once the cloth is turned you can tuck in the raw edges of the opening and top stitch around 1/2" the edge.

     Congratulations! You have now made one of my favorite burp cloths.


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Sewing Fun!

     So, I have been making burp cloths and toys for my new shop. It will be opening soon meaning I have been really busy on my days off from my full time job. Lala has been out of daycare and has been a great "help". From supervising the work flow to testing the product, she keeps Mommy on track and moving. She is now getting big enough to become bored. To fix this, I set her up a little command center.

Looks like hank is about to lose another leg.

     She sat and played in her little saucer and listened to me squawk Disney songs while I finished up a stuffed lamb. We had a great time putting him together, turning him right side out, stuffing him, and sewing him up. My explanation of what I was doing and why was apparently hilarious. Start them young I say. 

      I know It's difficult to get things done with the little ones and nap times are only so long. A good command center is essential for the parent that needs to get so work done. This isn't just a great idea for your sewing room or home office either. I will be setting one up in the living room for when I need to do my chores during the day since her swing is no longer cutting it. 

Happy crafting! 

Welcome 2017!

Happy New Year!

There are so many exciting things in store for this year. Amazing opportunities and new beginnings are right around the corner. I am writing this with the best part of 2016 sleeping peacefully on my chest. Last year kept us on our toes. This year will be full of life, love, and tons of fun crafts to make. 

Thank you for stopping by and I hope your year is absolutely magical.