Earth Day Giveaway from Babyville Boutique!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

I must say nothing is more adorable than the cute little fluffy butt of a baby in a cloth diaper!  Today being Earth Day I thought it was appropriate to share one of my favorite eco-friendly projects, cloth diapers.  Today’s cloth diapers are can be as easy to use as disposables but with out all the extra waste.

Until recently you either had to buy diapers online if you wanted them to be waterproof, or had to order special PUL fabric online along with the other diaper making supplies like plastic snaps an diaper velcro.  I was so excited a few years ago when the Babyville Boutique line of supplies were released!   Not only are they cute but are sold all over the place including Hobby Lobby & JoAnn’s.

Their fabrics and pattern books are great for lots of eco friendly projects, and now you can sew your own cloth diapers for a fraction of the cost of most diapers on the market.  Even if you don’t want or need to cloth diaper the PUL fabrics and great for many other projects including swim bags, laundry basket liners, seat protectors and more!

Personally I have had the most experience with cloth diapers and the wet bags… The PUL years later after lots of washings it still vibrant unlike a lot of stuff I have seen purchased from online supply shops.  I highly recommend it, especially if you are just getting started with them & want to start small & make sure you like it.  The fit of their diaper patterns is nice, and they have lots of diaper making related tutorials on their site as well. Their products are affordable, have gotten very easy to find and they offer lots of coordinating pieces.

This is the most recent diaper my sister and I for my 2 yr old. It is a pocket diaper made with the BB pattern using BB PUL and EZ Adjust Tape. The inner is crushed panne from JoAnn’s which you can get on sale often, it wicks moisture away, poo is easier to get off it and it comes in SO many colors it’s fun to match up.

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Recently they sent me a box of goodies to test out and play with… I will be honest and say I have helped my sister use them many times before as well as own items made with them and have been very happy with the diapers that years later we still have!  So instead of keeping it all for myself (I did keep a few pieces off PUL for some future projects & tutorials) I have decided to give it away to 1 lucky reader!

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One winner will receive:

1 copy of ‘Baby Essentials Made Easy’ from Babyville Boutique. This is a 60 page book with over 30 projects using all different Babyville supplies as well as techniques and how to instructions with tips for using specialty items like PUL and snap pliers. This does NOT have a diaper pattern.

2 21″ x 24″ cuts of PUL fabric (red and white)

1 roll pink BBoutique Easy Adjust Tape

1 12 set pack of BBoutique EZ Adjust Tabs in boy & gender neutral colors (these are precut so the edges don’t fray as bad as most types of velcro)

1 2ct pack of sew on appliques (roses & pretty girl)

You have 2 chances to win…

1.) Comment on this blog post about what you items from their site you would like to try the most or other items you would love to see with what they currently offer! http://www.babyvilleboutique.com/

2.) Share a link to this blog post on your facebook and leave a 2nd comment after you do that!

Enter now until 11:59pm PST 4/24, limit 2 entries per person.  Winners outside the US must pay for shipping.  I will pay for shipping within the US.  The winner will be drawn using random.org.

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The Perfect Fitted Cap Sleeve Tee from iCandy (link to free pattern/tutorial)

Posted on January 20, 2013 by

Recently on Pinterest I fell in love with ‘The Perfect Fitted Cap Sleeve Tee’ from iCandy. It is a cute simple tee that can easily remain causal, layered or dressed up!   Depending on the colors you use it can be part of your wardrobe year round. Unfortunately it does only comes in womens size M but it would fit many size smalls and should be pretty easy to adjust.

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For my fabric choice I used a nice medium/heavy weight cotton lycra (spandex) blend because even though it looks like it has little shape is is very fitted & stretches a bunch! I sewed it entirely on my sewing machine because I didn’t have the right thread for my serger & honestly it turned out great!

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I changed 2 things, the first was I added 1″ to the length & did only a 1/2″ hem instead of 1″ on the bottom.  I don’t think this is a must by any means, just personal preference, but if you are like me and like longer shirts and or are busty I think it helps.

I also changed up the neckline a bit! I did the neckline according to the method I shared here last week which led to me cutting it just 26″ long not 28.5″. Part of the neck line change also involved quartering it differently. Their tutorial uses the shoulder seams & middle front/back for quarter marks, since the front is lower then the back it means you stretch it more for the front then the back because those ‘quarters’ are bigger then the ones on the back.  This leads to the puckers in the front like in their hanger pic. It looks fine on in their pictures, but they may not smooth out as much on someone with a smaller bust.  Finally I also top stitched it with a straight triple stretch stitch and other then no serging on the neckband, shoulder & side seams I think it has a pretty store bought vibe!  Because of my choice of decorative stretch stitch for the hem I didn’t have to finish the edges either!  I used a wider stitch so it covered the raw edge similar to a cover stitch.

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Overall this pattern went together super easy.  I don’t sew with knits a ton, but it took me less then 30 minutes to assemble and hem.  I even impressed myself with how well my top stitching turned out, it’s been a while! lol

I do recommend the neckline changes, but I plan on making many more of these!!!

 

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Lil Blue Boo’s GoTo Women’s Knit Top

Posted on January 17, 2013 by

I finally made something for ME last month ;) . This is Lil Blue Boo’s GoTo Women’s Knit Top. I have a 41″ bust and made the size L. It is made with a very thing/draping cotton blend knit. It had more then enough stretch for me to cut the stripes on the diagonal instead which I personally find more flattering on a fuller bust or wider mid section. The .PDF pattern for womens sizes S-XL can be found here for $6, it includes the pattern piece you print out, cut out & tape together.

I found it very quick and easy to make. Because the knit I used was so thin I just left the edges raw (just cut clean with rotary cutter) so it took maybe 30 minutes for me to make? I will say make a tester so you can make sure the sizing is right before cutting into the good stuff… because though it is drapey it is more fitted in the mid section. Also I made the 2 neck pieces each .5″ shorter and feel the collar is still a bit big, next time I will make them each 1″ shorter (2 inches smaller total) so the neck actually lays flat. But for $6 for the pattern is great if you like the style.

I think it’s flattering for all different bust sizes which is a big challenge for me with a large chest & otherwise small frame.  Also depending on your fabric choices it can be anything from ultra formal to super casual!

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Upcycling is for Boys too!

Posted on January 17, 2013 by

I know upcycled dresses are all over for girls, but what about those boys?  As a mom of 2 boys it can be hard at times to find cute boy patterns that age appropriate yet school worthy for my 7.5yr old.  Recently a friend asked about boys upcycle patterns & I thought I would share what I have found in my searches!

Below are some simple & practical tops, shorts, pants & even boxer briefs!  Depending the the fabric choices & your little guys age the can be very cute and dare I say even cool?  I do stress with boys fabric choice makes a HUGE difference. I try to stick to a graphic t’s with solids or stripes, especially if they are older then 3or4.  My son isn’t overly picky but he just prefers something a little more basic, many of the boy prints you find in stores & even online are more for the 5 & under crowd.  So that is something to keep in mind.

One last thing is these upcycles are made with knits, if you haven’t sewn with knits before or struggled in the past you might want to take a minute to read my recent post Sewing with Knits 101.

Tops!

Raglan tops are the perfect upcycle top for boys you can use  multiple fabrics with little pattern manipulation.  If you already have a raglan top pattern with a hood or you need one for larger sizes really any will work.

This Lil’ Blue Boo pattern goes up to a size 7 and runs through piecing/upcycling. I own this pattern and have to say I think it runs short… I would measure it before cutting & lengthen if needed.  Recycled T-Shirt Hoodie PDF Pattern and Tutorial – Unisex Sizes 6M to 7 Years

If your little guy is taller then a size 7 the Carla C ALL-THE-RAGE RAGLANS  – 6M-10/12 YRS is similar & goes to a 12.  I find this pattern also runs on the short side & it doesn’t have the upcycle piecing instructions but it is very easy to mix it up a bit!

 

This free tutorial shows you how you can use any t-shirt pattern to make an upcycled scrappy shirt.  This is the art of piecing!

 

Bottoms!

Again it’s about the t-shirts & fabric choice!  These are cute & simple patterns that with the right fabric choice most older boys would happily wear too!

THE JADEN T-SHORTS are for sizes 1-12yr and use 1-4 recycled t-shirts depending on the size & how many colors you want to use.

These pants are a FREE tutorial & I love the look.  Honestly I think most teenage boys & men would wear them if you used the right fabrics. I will say though you will want to use this rise fix when making them.

For upcycled unders you can use any pattern but this free tutorial shows you how and includes a printable size 3/4 childrens pattern.

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Sewing Pattern Storage Solutions

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

I LOVE crafting, but I must say it can be a space hog of a hobby!  Sewing patterns alone are pricey new, so if you are thrifty like me you may stock up at thrift stores or at JoAnns when they are having a .99 sale.  Not only that but thanks to the web I have found a lot of boutique patterns, patterns from Jalie (which I LOVE), pattern magazines & printed .pdf patterns that come in a larger 8.5″ x 11″ size.  For years I have tried to find a good storage solution that would fit both and a few years ago I hit the jackpot and after recent questions from friends I thought I would share!

I purchased 2 of these Sterilite 3-Drawer Wide Carts for someone with less patterns 1 would work & you can always use the other drawers for stuff like yarn & trims.  They are only $22 on Amazon with free prime shipping (or super saver shipping with $25+ I believe) and can also be found at Walmart for $25 most of the year and around $19 for funky colors at back to school time.

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The drawer fronts are clear so I have an idea of what is in the drawer, but they width and height is great as it will accommodate 2 rows of traditional tissue patterns on their sides with a small trench in the middle or 1 row of tissue patterns & a stack of of larger magazine sized patterns.  I will admit they are plastic & not the most durable thing in the world, but they work well for things like patterns & I often store yarn in the extra drawer!  They come on wheels which has been awesome because they are just the right height to store under my desk, so they are easy to roll out when needed.

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This is an old picture… the rare sighting of a CLEAN sewing room, lol.  But you can see where I store them.

I won’t lie, sewing & crafting can get out of control fast, I’m FAR from Martha Stewart!  My sewing room can get just as messy after a crazy month of sewing as anyone else’s as you can see below.  Most of the time it is at more of a middle ground.  BUT having proper homes to store stuff helps a lot!  I love these drawers and they help me keep my patterns organized and make it easier for me to find and use what I need when I have a few unexpected kid free minutes to sew.  Hopefully this will help others out there looking for a good pattern storage solution!

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Kitchen Aid Pizza Dough (Beer Based)

Posted on January 14, 2013 by

I have to say I LOVE my Kitchen Aid stand mixer!  It has so many uses other then making cakes.  One of my favorite things to use it for is kneading bread.  It is almost just as easy as a bread machine but doesn’t take up the extra counter or cabinet space.  This recipe is adapted from this bread machine recipe.

Sorry for the poor pic, my family loves it & I never get a chance to take a picture before it looks like this! lol… maybe sometime soon.

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Supplies:
Kitchen Aid Mixer with dough hook (or mix by hand & hand knead for 8 minutes)
Measuring utensils
Extra bowl, to let rise in
Tea towel or saran wrap to cover with

Ingredients:
12oz Flat Beer (any kind with will work!  lighter beers will leave it with almost no ‘beer’ flavor)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons honey (can substitue white sugar, I prefer honey for flavor & it is less processed)
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 flour
3 1/2 teaspoons active yeast (I buy the jar not the small packets)
on the side also have extra olive oil, flour & corn meal

NOTE:  You can also add herbs & garlic to your dough for added flavor, this is really a base recipe with endless possibilities.

Directions:
Warm beer to about 105 degrees (do not over warm it or it will kill the yeast) and mix in honey & yeast.  Let set while in mixer combining olive oil, flour & salt.  When those are combined on low mix in the beer mixture until combined and a ball is formed by the hook.  If the dough is real sticky slowly add up to 1/4c cup of extra flour.

On low allow the machine to knead the dough for 2 minutes (if making it by hand you would now knead it on a floured surface for 8 minutes)

Remove dough from hook, stick in a warm bowl place covered & allow to rise for 1 hour.

Remove dough from bowl & divide into 3 balls & on floured surface press down & roll flat.  Transfer to a pan sprinkled with corn meal. Brush lightly with olive oil & let sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat over to 400 degrees F

Spread sauce & toppings on dough, bake until crust is lightly brown, about 24 minutes.

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Sewing with Knits 101

Posted on January 13, 2013 by

I have been sewing with knits for a while but as they have become more available more people have started trying them out as well.  Unfortunately they don’t always realize that they sew a bit differently until they finish the first project and it just doesn’t look quite right!  Since I have started sharing more & more knit projects and tutorials I wanted to do a quick post on some of the basics of sewing with knits with your serger OR sewing machine.

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~Pre-Wash your fabric!  Since knits are most often used for garments this is pretty important for sizing in general, but also just like wovens different fabrics shrink at different rates & at times only in 1 direction.  I have had 1 yard of cotton knit shrink almost 6″ before (that is NOT the norm, but still!)  There is nothing worst then taking the time to sew up a nice dress or shirt & then have it come out the wash (it’s not just the dryer!) 3″ shorter then it went in.

~Avoid cotton thread!  Yes I know natural is often better… but when it comes down to it cotton simply isn’t as strong as poly thread.  Since knits are often stretched it puts stress on the threads holding the seam together.  Cotton thread is much more likely to break so for construction purposes I recommend poly thread.  Wooly Nylon is also great for rolled hems though it is NOT iron safe.

~What TYPE of knit are you using.  There are not only different contents of knits (I LOVE cotton/lycra (spandex)) but there are 3 main different types to.  You can often mix them together as long as you prewash, but they have their own purposes and it can help to know what you are sewing with because some stretch in 1 direction, others stretch both ways!  This post from Oliver +S has a great explanation with pictures… http://oliverands.com/blog/2010/12/some-knit-fabric-basics.html

~Know your needle. Use a ball point or stretch needle in both regular & serger / overlock machines!!! There are also different sized needles,  a 12 is pretty standard but an 11 or 10 may be better for light weight knits. The reason for the ball point/stretch needle is that it goes between the knit fibers instead of ripping through them like a sharp needle.  Sharp needles will often leave pin holes in the fabric at the seam  with use/wear lead to bigger holes and seams falling apart.

~Stitch choice is IMPORTANT! Use a stretch stitch or long narrow zigzag.  If you don’t your seams won’t have stretch will likely break.  I prefer a stretch stitch over zigzag because it is stronger and will hold up better it also creates a straight seam.  Most machines that offer 10+ stitches should have this and or a triple stretch zig zag.

~Assembly: I recommend assembling garments (and most things honestly!) with a sewing machine & finish the seams with the serger.  Sergers are GREAT for finishing seams & sewing seams with low stress but I find clothing holds up much better if sewn together with a proper stretch stitch on a sewing machine.

~Guide the fabric but DON’T push or pull the fabric!  Let the machine do the work, otherwise it stretches the fabric leaving you with wonky stretched out seams.

This video shows you what it looks like to use the triple stretch stitch… notice that the needle moves fast & the fabric goes back and forth before going forward?  Yet it looks like a straight stitch/line?  That’s what it’s supposed to do!  Also notice how I am simply guiding it with one hand, but letting the machine pull the fabric on it’s own?

Triple Straight Stretch Stitch & Sewing with Knits Video

~ Choose finished or raw edges/hems! You can actually leave knit seams or hems raw/unhemmed because knit fabric doesn’t fray like wovens.  In general I prefer to finish them, you can do with with a serger or a zig zag stitch on your regular machine. Even though they won’t unravel they can show wear with wash… they don’t stay clean cuts.

~ Lettuce Edge… For hems on the girls clothes made of knit I often prefer to do a ‘lettuce edge’ rolled hem on my serger.  This is done by doing a regular rolled hem but since knit is stretchy you pull as you go to make it a wavy ‘lettuce edge’.  You can get a similar effect on a regular sewing machine with a short zig zag stitch & pulling as you go. Here is a great tutorial for doing a lettuce edge/hem on a regular sewing machine. http://fromanigloo.blogspot.com/2011/02/lettuce-edge-with-your-sewing-machine.html  I can’t find a good photo/video tutorial for a serger, but it’s the same idea is the tutorial above in regards to stretching as you serge.  You just want to use the rolled hem feature on your machine & turn your differential (controls the feed dogs) down as low as it will go.

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These are just some of the basics.  with the popularity of upcycling and custom clothing I hope this helps some of those wanting to give it a try.  Also look forward on more tutorials on how to sew upcycles & other knit garments!

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