Sock Baby Dolls

My darling 13 year old cleaned out her room awhile back and got rid of an entire grocery sack of socks stuffed full. Some of them she hadn't even worn.  Children of the 21st century.  I feel the need to explain to her that just 100 years ago people were darning their only pair of socks.  Not only their ONLY pair of socks, they were also more than likely hand knitted by their mother and/or sisters.  

I digress.  I've been reading way TOO many dystopian teen novels lately.  

I wasn't going to wear them and neither was anyone else in the house.  I decided it was best to upcycle them into something crafty.  

Luckily for you guys, I happened to remember my phone nearby and took pictures of the process so you too can make these little sock babies.  Here is the tutorial in pictures, pretty self explanatory.  Have fun!

 

 

 

 

This last step I was worried would be hard to understand in just pictures, so here is a little explanation.  After you make the little round arms and legs.  Cut off as much excess of the end of the arm/leg.  Next, place the arm/leg where you are to sew it with raw side facing the body.  Then, squish it into the body (as my finger is doing in the picture) so that you can whip stitch it against the body while hiding the raw edge.  Make sense? I hope so.  I'm not sure how else to explain. 

Done in one episode of Fringe!

I got this idea in my head to make these little dolls. I even added arms and legs.  What does everyone in this house say? They look like snowmen.  No, no, no.  They have arms not made of sticks.  They have legs.  These are not snowmen.  My dear husband says it's the hat.  Did Frosty switch to a ski style hat instead of a black top hat in his last Xmas special?  Whatever.  Enjoy!!

Swaddled Waldorf Babies

These are some of my newest Waldorf inspired dolls, just for toddlers. My 2 year old loves to hold wrapped up babies, and I thought I'd give this idea a try and see how she liked it. She absolutely loved her new baby, so I made a few up for my microboutique.

This is also a tutorial I have mostly completed, but put on the back burner when I got so sick last week and then while I finished up my most recent restocking at my store the last few days. Look for it in a few days.

Babies and Babies and More Babies

Here is my current project -- a basket of babies.  These are tiny pocket-sized Waldorf dolls perfect for toddlers who love to carry tiny things around with them.

A tutorial for these will be up very soon. I don't have the time to put the finishing touches on it just yet because I'm in a frenzy mode for 2 reasons:

#1  My oldest dd's birthday is the first day of school (oh how fun!), and she's having a sleepover Friday night with her two best friends.  I plan to have my awesome jumbo rainbow cupcakes ready for them to frost and my house is currently a mess because my children are part of the best demolition crew known to man.

 #2 I have to finish a few different projects to take to my microboutique this week, and I'm already 1 day late doing it.  I am not a procrastinator, and I hate when I fall past a deadline, even if it's a stupid deadline I set myself.
 

Tippy Toe's Sundress Tutorial

One of my popular tutorials is now an easily downloadable PDF. The Tippy Toe's Sundress. I love this dress because it's so easy to make, yet it comes out looking like you got it at a boutique.

You can literally whip one out in an hour -- complete with ruffled hem!

It's a quick and easy birthday gift.  You could even whip up a patriotic one before the fireworks tomorrow night. 

You can easily make a dress from infant size up to girls size 6 from 1 yd of fabric. For bigger girls up to size 14/16, you will need up to 2 yds of fabric for optimal "twirly-ness."

Just click on the picture to download the pattern.  Enjoy!!

Pill-o-Bow Dress

I have a new pattern available. Only $5!! It's currently only available through Craftsy, but I will soon get it on my website. Just click on the picture and it will take you directly to the pattern. It's a PDF file complete with illustrations and full color pictures. Also included is a chart to easily make your little girl the right size -- from a 6 month old up to size 7/8. Recently, I finished the Hula Hello Kitty dress in the picture for my 2 year old. She LOVES it, especially the ties when they blow in the wind. She twirls and twirls trying to catch her "tail." These are easy to make, and we get so many "oohs" and "aahs" for the big bow hanging down her back.

Source: Pill-o-Bow Dress Sewing Pattern via stephanickety on Craftsy

Look for some adorable little appliques to embellish for your little ones that I'm going to share as printable tutorials later this week.

Decoupaging My Head!

I decoupaged my head!  Hilarious, I know ;)

Actually, I was trying to figure out some way to display my baby headbands at the boutique. I was having quite a fit trying to figure a good way of hanging them up or laying against stuff, and it was not going my way.  Then, after we added new stock to the boutique and ate lunch, my wonderful mother took me to this junkie antique store (the junkier, the better!), where she bought me a child size shabby chic dress form in green in celebration of Mother's Day.  (I love dress forms; they decorate my whole house.)  Isn't she awesome? 

While we were there, I saw someone's booth had glued a styrofoam ball to an empty ribbon spool and spray painted and then used it to display baby head things.  I thought it was a great idea and was going to make a similar thing my self. 

Then, at Hobby Lobby, I saw they had these styrofoam heads, and they were fairly small.  However, I wanted to alter it a bit, so I got some scrapbook paper and ripped it up and decoupaged with glossy Modge Podge. 

I don't think the front view photographed well because you can't really make out the intricacies of it's eyes and nose and mouth.  But, I wanted to share. I do like how it came out.  I think I'm going to embellish it with flowers and/or ribbon to "frou frou" it up a bit in a mixed media/altered art kinda way. 

Sneak Peak - SunKissed Sun Dress & Bloomers Sewing Pattern

I just finished up a new pattern. It's the SunKissed Dress & Bloomer Set. Here is the sneak peak. It will be available in 0-24 months sizes. I'll be digitizing it in the next week, and it should be available by June 1st.

Ribbon Flower Baby Headband Tutorial

I created this little tutorial when I was making a ribbon pin/brooch to complete a little outfit for The TipToe Fairy.  This tutorial shows you how to attach it to a baby headband as well.  You can find the baby headbands at craft stores like Hobby Lobby super cheap.  These ribbon flowers are fun little accents to dress up anything from heads, bags, and clothing.  You can add them to headbands and clothing or even attach them directly to hair clips.  So cute!!

Materials: 

1-4 yds of 1 to 1.5 inch wide ribbon (I prefer grograin, but any will be fine)

needle and thread

sewing machine

small piece of felt

pin back, headband, alligator clip, etc. 

Tutorial:

** For this tutorial I used just 1 yd of ribbon. 

1.  First sew a gathering stitch along the entire length of ribbon, about 1/4 inch from the edge.

2.  Pull the threads to create a gathered ribbon.  It will flip all over it self until you start the flower. 

3.  Prepare your needle and thread. This is a little tricky...while holding the threads taut to keep the gather, fold the raw edge of the ribbon over two times then with a needle and thread sew together those edges near the gathering stitches.  Then, you will slowly wrap the gathered edge if the ribbon into a tight spiral.  Sewing the gathered edge together all around the flower as you go.  

4.   Just as you began folding the raw edge over twice, do the same with the end of the ribbon as well.  Then, when the ribbon is completely wrapped, sew back and forth around the gathered edges to make sure the ribbon flower stays nice and tight.

Here is the finished flower:

5.  Next, cut a circle of felt to cover the gathered edges and whipstitch around the edges.


6.  Optional:  To attach to a baby head band, cut two small slits and slide a length of 1/4 inch elastic through.  Then insert the elastic into the baby headband and tie off.  Cut the loose ends short.
 

And you're done! 

A Baby Turkey Hat

In the spirit of baby hats, I was looking for an idea I had to see if anyone else had attempted.  However, I discovered this one in the process and had to share.  I wish I had found this before Thanksgiving, but alas, it's good for Christmas too, right?  It's from a blog called goingcrafty.com.  Is it not the cutest?  She has the pattern available for PDF download too.  I love it!!

And in looking at her blog, I noticed this interesting patch of a squirrel on fire, which was from This American Life in relation to a story on TAL.  So I had to go check it out.  I'm currently listening to the story as I type this.  If you want to listen, here is the direct link.  

Off to construct my baby hat for a tutorial.  Keep your fingers crossed...baby is sleeping in her crib and I go sew.  You have no idea what a feat this is for any of my children.  We are usually co-sleepers and a lot of times she sleeps attached at the boob in the recliner, but I've been gradually getting her to the crib because she HATES sleeping next to me in the bed.  I think she's a very light sleeper and daddy and mommy bother her too much.  So far, we are up to 4 hours alone in the crib next to the bed.  My secret is an electric blanket to warm up her crib before I put her in it.  It seems to work like a charm. 

Nursing Cover / Apron Tutorial

Here is the big tutorial! You would be surprised how many hits I get for a breastfeeding cover. Hopefully soon I will have modeling pics from my SIL and her baby. Also, I will turn it into a downloadable tutorial over the weekend, but here it is for now. I have a 2-layer version coming very soon.


Nursing Cover/Apron

Materials
1 yd of fabric A
¼ yd of fabric B
½ yd of Rigilene boning
2 D rings


Instructions
1. With fabric A cut:
1 piece 36 x 28 inches
1 strips 2 x 6 inches
1 strips 2 x 20 inches

2. With fabric B cut:
2 strips 2 ¼ x 28 inches - these are strips #1
2 strips 2 ¼ x 37 inches – these are strips #2

3. Press fabric B strips in ½ lengthwise.

4. Line up raw edges of folded strips #1 with raw edges of right side of fabric A large piece. For strips #2, fold in the extra ½ inch on each edge of the 37-inch strips before sewing so there are no raw edges. Then only sew one of strip #2 (this will be the bottom edge).

5. For the second strip #2, fold in and pin the ½ inch at the raw edges. Next, mark the center of the strip and measure out from the center 8 inches and mark these points. Then insert the boning and tack it at the two 8 inch lengths from the center. Then stretch out the strip (because it will want to curl with the boning), and sew right down the middle lengthwise to create a casing for the boning.

6. Now attach this strip #2 to the last raw edge of fabric A.

7. Press all seams toward the inside of the cover, and then topstitch on fabric A all the way around to hold the seams in place.

8. To create the straps – fold the straps lengthwise with right sides together, sew lengthwise and then sew one end closed. Turn straps right side out. If you have a tube turner, use it to flip the straps right side out. If you have a chopstick or a knitting needle, you can do this easily as well.

9. Line raw edge up with seam of the back cover. (It does not matter which side is the shorter one). Pin raw edge of each strip to back of cover at the edges of the boning. Tack at topstitching and at the edge of the cover on both straps.

10. Take short strap and insert it through both D rings, then fold over the edge and tack it.

11. Now insert the larger strap through one D ring and under the second D ring and pull back through the first one (like a belt).

...And you are done!

New tutorial coming tonight - Baby Car Seat Cover

I've got a new tutorial I'm putting up tonight for a baby sewing project. It's a quickie little thing, and it's great for mommies who are due with new little babes in the winter.

I had my little boy was born in the month of January, the day before an ice storm, and blankets were a big PITA to tuck around him and made the handle slick when I carried his car seat. A lot of times I carried him in a sling, but when it was just too freakin' cold, I kept him in his car seat as a new baby until we got inside. So I went to find online to find a pattern to make one of those car seat covers that had a big hole for the head and fit with elastic around the car seat and I couldn't find one, so I made up my own for him, and it worked so great, I've decided to share it.

So I've got to tweak a couple of things and then I'll upload it after dinner tonight.