Confessions of a Tie-Making Seamstress

Before leaving to fly to my daughter's home for Thanksgiving, I had one more project I convinced myself I had to tackle. A while back I made cute, green skirts for my granddaughters, and I wanted my grandson's to have ties that coordinated with those skirts.  So, Monday night I set to work cutting the ties out of the same green fabric I used to make the skirts.  After cutting them out, I decided the fabric would not work-- it was just too thin to make nice ties (as a side note, my husband would tell you that there aren't any fabrics that make nice ties because ties are not nice to wear. But that's a man's perspective. I happen to think ties look so cute on little boys when they are all dressed-up.). The next morning, before I left for work, I found some new, thicker fabric that had just the right tiny print. So, I set to work once again to cut out the ties. Suddenly I had the brilliant idea (or so I thought) to use the green fabric I had cut out the night before to line the ties. Surely, this would save me time, right? What a mistake!  

Last night, I sewed up the first tie, ironed it and realized that the green is absolutely terrible as a lining for a red tie. The green shows through just enough on the other side that it makes the red look... BLAH!  I started thinking about the color wheel and realized red and green are contrasting colors which make them look great next to each other, but definitely not on top of one another as a lining!  See what I mean (though the photo really doesn't do it justice):  

So, what's a girl to do?  My short cut didn't work, so I had to take the route I should have taken in the first place. Repenting of my ways, I sewed the second tie with an off-white fabric instead. And look how much better it looks!

A little annoyed at myself, I pulled out the seam ripper and took that first tie apart to remove the green lining, and re-sewed it. Now I think these will look quite dapper on my grandsons (despite what my husband thinks). I'll take photos of the children wearing them once I get to my final destination in Tennessee.  So, check back if you'd like to see the final results as I madly sew for my posterity.

What are you doing to celebrate Thanksgiving?  Whatever you do, enjoy it!
xoxo Grandma

Converting Socks into Doll Mittens & Hat

Still searching for a fun, easy gift to make for your little one and her doll? A super easy gift to make is doll mittens. All the best dressed dolls have them as part of their winter attire, right? So here’s what I did, I took a sock from my pile of "missing socks" (because we all know everyone has plenty of those laying around) and I cut it off right below the heel.  

Use the lower part of the sock to make your hat. After I figured out how to make the doll hats, I found youtube tutorials online, made by little girls.  Finding these was pretty funny especially when I thought I was being so uniquely creative!  A few little girls beat me by showing on youtube how to make a hat for an 18" doll but I couldn't find any information on using the other part of the sock to make mittens, so this part was all my own creative doing:

-Trace your doll's hand onto a piece of paper, 

-Draw your line into a mitten shape, adding about 1/2" extra width for a seam. 

-Lay your pattern onto the toe part of your sock.

-Cut  out two fronts and two backs. 

-Sew the seams closed with a serger or tight edge stitch. 

-Hand stitch a hem around that little cuff opening. 

-Turn your mittens right side out.

-Turn under the cuff of the mitten & hand stitched around them.  A super easy step because there's only about 2" on each mitten to stitch.

And there you have it, another simple gift idea that shouldn't cost you anything because you've used a sock from your laundry that didn't have a mate. I know you were wondering what to do with all those socks anyway!

Happy creating!

xoxo Grandma

Link parties: Diana Rambles

Lace Hankie into a Doll Top

Here's a super easy doll top to make and if you have your own lace edge hankie, it won't even cost you a dime.  The top should fit an 18" doll. Let's begin:

Materials needed

• 1 large woman's lace edge Lace Edge Hankie.
• Thread
• White bias tape - double fold
• The pattern below. Depending on the size of your hankie, you may need to adjust this pattern.  Make sure you do not adjust the width of the arm holes.
  

For the pattern click here.  Print the pattern at full image. Making sure the "shrink to fit" is not checked.

Instructions:

Cut out the front & back bodice on the fold of the hankie. Cut the sleeve pattern leaving the lace along the straight edge (the bottom of the sleeve). Cut off the lace edges not needed. Tip: I like to make the sleeves as wide as possible so they go over the doll's arms easily.

          

Sew the shoulder seams - this will take less than a minute.

To finish the neck of the top, add white bias tape.

To finish your doll top, add seam binding to the neck. This pretty doll top is such a quick project. From start to finish, it should take 30 minutes or less to create. What little girl wouldn't love this lace edged top as a gift for her doll? And cardigans like this are always in-style!  Happy sewing! - xoxo Grandma

You might also like these doll projects:  Doll Clip Boards, Backpack Fit for a Doll, Valentines Day Doll Dress, Super Simple Doll Purse, Six Gifts to Make Using a Sock

As seen on The Sewing Craft Gossip

Don't have a hankie?  For a little over a dollar a piece here's a 12 pack from Amazon:

OOPS! Personalized Name Change

What do you do when you find the cutest gift in a store for a fabulous price but it's personalized with the wrong name?  No need to pass up the good deal.  I'll tell you what I do - I buy it and get creative with my name changing skills. Here's a few tips to purchasing "wrong name items." 

• Look for the shortest name.
• Look for a name that has the most correct letters and in the same order as the name desired.
• Think of the shape of letters and what they can turn into as an example, an "I" can easily turn into a "D, J, or K."  

Here are a few examples of personalized items and how I've changed them into another name: 

• Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair Cover -   Regular retail: $99.  My chair cover was $1.00.  My daughter found the chair for $30 on Craigslist, embroidered letter 50 cents...our total cost for this chair = $31.50.

Before with the partially unpicked "O" & the airplane.

• Star Wars Roller Suitcase - since this is a gift which hasn't been given, I wouldn't share   the cost...but I will tell you, it was a great deal! The name on this suitcase was "Ian" but I need it to read "James".  
  
   I made the "I" into a "J" and then with a running stitch, 
  outlining the "N" into an "M" and added an "E, J" and "S" per the photo below. 

Using the same embroidery floss, I filled in the letters.

• Pottery Barn Lunch Bag - on sale $15 -$24.50.  My price = $2.50  Remember when I turned this into storage for doll clothes?

If you're wondering where I find these bargains, you can check out Down East Home and Clothing and no, they did not pay me to tell you that (sure wish they did though).

Happy bargain hunting & name changing!

xoxo Grandma

Cute Burp Cloths

Every mother needs burp cloths for all those fun moments when babies do their thing.  I like soft, flannel burp cloths for babies, but one of my daughters prefers how the cloth-diaper burp cloths better absorb all that fun baby slobber. 

While shopping, I found a package of baby washcloths for 25 cents. I love a bargain and I purchased them. Since they are so, so soft and designed to absorb liquid, I decided to try adding them into my burp cloths to help with the absorbency issue. On one burp cloth, I added the washcloth fabric to the decoration and to the middle of the cloth.  I designed another wash cloth onto the back of the design.  As you may remember, my daughter's baby's room theme is Teddy Bears Picnic so I tried to design images that went along with that theme...teddy bears and picnic baskets.

It will be interesting to see what kind of reflexes this newest grand baby has. Just a couple of weeks now and she'll hopefully make her appearance, then we'll know for sure. 

What kind of burp cloths do you like best?
For more fun ideas go to The Dedicated House
xoxo Grandma

The Blues Apron

I found this vintage 1960's apron pattern, Simplicity 3702.  I thought it would be fun to make myself a pretty apron. The fabric used as inspiration for this project was an "interior fabric swatch" - you know, the kind that you look at to decide if you want to have drapes or furniture made out of it, but instead ultimately decide on an apron.

Here's my blues apron: 

This is the third vintage pattern I've used this year. Just like the previous patterns used, the instructions lacked a few steps. When that happens, I think things like, "most women sewed back then and I guess they knew how to do that step".  I'm also flooded with memories from my youth. Where I grew-up, sewing classes started in 8th grade and were part of our "Home Ec" education. We were required to purchase a pattern and fabric and then cut it out and sew it in class.  I have horrible memories of a few things I chose to sew.  (Wish I had a photo to show. I'm sure you'd laugh at my fashion sense (or lack thereof) from back then!)  

During the 1960's my mom's aprons would hang behind our kitchen door on the door jam.  An apron was a must-have for housewives back then because she needed to keep her house dress clean.  Aren't you glad we don't wear house dresses anymore?

What memories do you have of aprons or sewing classes? Would love to hear!
xoxo Grandma

Shared at the following parties:  All Things Pretty and The Dedicated House.

Cork Snowmen

Aren't these the cutest little cork snowman ornaments ready for winter, dressed in blue scarves and red ear muffs?  

On Saturday, I made a thirteen of these...some for the grandchildren and some for a charity fund raiser.  

Supplies Needed:

• Corks
• Colored Toothpicks
• Wire
• Pliers
• Glue
• Black Marker
• White Paint

Snowman Marking Directions:

1. Slice one cork into three pieces (These pieces will become their heads.)
2. Sand the cut cork edges.
3. Cut a rounded toothpick into 3/4" length (about 1/2 a toothpick).
4. Dip both ends of the toothpick in glue.
5. Poke the toothpick into the center of the head piece and the other end into a whole cork. Leave about 1/8" space between the head and the body (you'll tie the scarf on between that space).
6. Paint the snowmen/cork white. (I used leftover white wall paint - most people have leftover paint, so why buy anything else when this will work.)
7. Let the paint dry.
8. With a permanent marker, draw onto the painted snowman, eyes, a dotted smile and buttons.
   
9. Cut yarn or a pipe cleaner into 1" pieces (this will be used for the earmuffs).
10. Glue the yarn or pipe cleaner onto the head.
11. Glue on 1/2" pom poms on top of the ends of the yarn or pipe cleaners. Your earmuffs are now done!
12. With a nail or tack, poke a hole where you want the nose to go.
13. Cut an orange toothpick to about 1/3".
14. Dip the cut end in a bit of glue and with needle nose pliers,  push the toothpick into the hole you poked in the cork.
    
15. Tie onto your snowmen bits of leftover ribbon or pieces of fabric cut to about 1" x 4".
    
16. With about 1 1/4" of wire, using needle nose pliers, twist the ends, leaving a loop in the middle.
17. Dip the twisted end into glue and poke the wire into the top of the head.

Once the glue is dry, hang these on a Christmas tree.

Have fun making your own snowmen ornaments! xoxo Grandma

This project was featured on The Dedicated House.