Boutique inspired "Baby Hooded Towel"

I've been promising to post this creative project for a while.  Its actually been finished for several weeks, but because it was surprise gift for my sister in law, who is expecting the first girl in our family, I didn't want to ruin the surprise.  Who knows, maybe she actually reads my blog.  I wish I would have had more inspiration when I was expecting my 3 boys.  I would love to have something now that I actually made for them, like a blanket, or towel.  I don't know about you, but when I was pregnant, the creative juices were non-existent.  I have only recently felt them come back to me full force, and my youngest is 3.  However, I now get why little old ladies knit blankets for babies.  It is so heart warming to know that a baby will have something that you poured your heart and time into.  That is the way I felt while making this towel.  The baby's name will be "Bliss."  Isn't that beautiful?  I am sorry that I didn't include any actual photos of the making of the towel.  I got in a sewing mode and didn't dare stop to take even a photo, for fear I wouldn't be able to get back into the groove.

I started with a regular size bath towel and a wash cloth of same color.  I found some girly pink fabric at Hobby Lobby and decided to add it to the back of the towel.  Let me now say that I don't consider myself a sewer at all.  I happen to have a sewing machine, and I took a 2 week sewing class at a local fabric store one summer when I was 17.  I looked up several different methods for making hooded bath towels.  The method I chose made the most sense to me.

I measured out the fabric to cover the towel and wash cloth.  Then I sewed the fabric onto towel inside out around 3.5 sides, just like you would a pillow.  Then I turned it right side out and finished the rest of the last side by hand.  For those of you that don't know how to do this stitch, you must learn.  Once you do, you will want to take on more projects.  I have wowed my kids by performing "surgery" on their favorite stuffed animals with this stitch.  No more sloppy home made looking sewing projects either.  To learn this simple stitch go here.  I actually have found hand sewing to be really therapeutic.  It relaxes me to just sit and sew.  It didn't used to, trust me.

So once both pieces were covered, I found the middle of the towel, and the middle of the washcloth, and pinned them together.  Then I sewed the two pieces together by hand, because it was too thick to do it with my machine.  Then I took the top of the washcloth and folded the two ends together and sewed it shut by hand, as well.  This is what makes the "hood."  The hooded towel is technically done now, but I wanted to add the baby's name to it.  I used iron on letters.  Isn't it so cute?

Again, I apologize that my pics are already completed pics (and not very good ones, at that).  I will do better at documenting the next project.  I still haven't figured out how to get a good picture with my camera.  The lighting is never quite right.  Would love some tips for that.

I am linking up to Get Your Craft On!

 

and also to I made it without my Hubby

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The EVER changing pillows

I was going to wait until both pillows were complete, but I can't wait to show you this.  I was totally inspired by this pillow from Ballards:

I "KNEW" I could duplicate my own version.  Although I love pink, I didn't really want it in my living room.  I decided to just use scraps I already had.  This time I tried to take pictures as I went.

First, I cut the old cover off.  Remember these beauties?

At first, I was going to do coffee dyed canvas like materials as the base for the pillow.  However, after dying the material in the coffee water and then washing them, I was left with a frayed mess.  Remember, i am new to the "Crafty" world.  So, I didn't have enough white fabric to cover 2 pillows.  I decided to use the white fabric for the stem.

I drew out the stem and leaves, and then cut it out as one solid piece.

Can I interject...Does anyone else's "Work" area ever look like this or is it just mine?

Then I hot glued the stem/leaves thingy on the pillow.  The peacock blue cover that is already on the pillow is what was under the felt pillow.  It used to be cuter with a red tufted button in the middle.  I put that fabric on a long time ago, but the boys popped off the cute button (hence the need for the felt cover at Christmas).

Then I started on the flower, itself.  I traced different sized circles out of all my blueish scrap fabric.  This one was a scrap from what was covering entire pillow.  Most scraps that I used were free sample pieces taken from actual fabric bolts. Some of those samples were fairly big.

I then layered them like this, sewed them together, and added a button.

Then I took the needle through entire pillow to the back of it and gently pulled it tight until it looked "tufted" (not sure if I'm using this term correctly or not).  Next time I will use dental floss, because I was on the brink of breaking that delicate sewing thread too many times.  I'm not sure how long this one will hold and may have to redo with the floss sooner than later.  It worked for now, and the result was awesome.

At this point, I just needed to finish the edges of the stem and leaves.  I bought some brown decorative trim at HL for $1.00 and just hot glued it a couple of times around stem and leaves.  I am not great with the glue gun yet and had a lot of strings and goops.  I found that if I put a clean cloth over bad areas and pressed with an iron, I could smooth out most of the mistakes.

Here is a close up of the flower:

and here is the result

Once I get the other pillow done, I'll show you how they look on my couch.  What do you think?

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Cheap Felt Pillow Covers

I know the holidays are over, but I wanted to show you another little project I did.  I have some down filled pillows on the couch that needed to be recovered.  I didn't have time to visit a lot of fabric shops or sew, for that matter, 2 pillows.  My solution was to go to Hobby Lobby, buy $5.00 worth of felt (both brown and baby blue) and get to work.  For the first pillow I used Stitch Witch to put the pillow cover together.  That was a mess, and it didn't work too well.  I actually melted the felt to my iron, at one point.  I salvaged it enough to pass it off as done, but the second pillow got hot glued.  The hot glue worked like a charm.  I cut the poinsettia petals out by hand.  I just did 6 big and 6 medium size.  I had 2 left over buttons from previous pillows that I used for the center.  I hot glued the petals on too.  The button was the only thing I sewed on.

I know, I know, I sound like a "Master Crafter" already, huh?  (insert sarcasm)  Well, I must confess what really happened when I started this project.  I couldn't wait to actually jump in and make the pillows, so after kids were in bed and house was picked up, I sat on the living room floor with all of my materials and jumped in.  Dh was also in living room as we were catching up on one of our favorite shows, "Finge."  An hour and a half later, not only was my pillow not done, but my floor looked like a felt monster had vomited all over the place.  Dh, not used to this new "crafty" side of me, looked at me and said, "What on earth are you trying to do?"  I just kept going and repeated out loud, as to assure myself, "I am a crafter, and I can do this!!!"  I took a 2 day break between pillows, just to gather back my patience.

Next project I will try to take pictures as I am working, so it makes more sense.  The felt worked out great, and I don't even mind tearing it off and tossing it this year.  Felt doesn't last forever with 3 boys and 2 adults romping on it all the time, but it worked for me over the holiday season.  What do you think?

Thrifty "Expression" picture frame

So my sister over at ABODE turned me into a "Blog Lurker."  I actually had a blog running before she did, but let it go when life got too busy.  Then my sister started telling me about all of these wonderful blogs that she had been reading that were inspiring her to let her creative side be free.  I listened but thought, "I don't have the energy for all of that."  Then I started to see her blossom.  She started doing all of these cool projects for next to no money.  On top of that she was having fun, and her family was benefitting from it.  That is when the "lurking" began.  I feel like I know a lot of  you, personally, even if you've never heard from me yet.  I have started building up my craft closet and my garage is filling up (much to dh's disapproval) with thrift store jewels just waiting to be "Cutiefied."

One of my biggest issues is just jumping in.  My house is fairly bare because I am afraid that I will make a mistake.  I don't like that side of me.  I haven't always been so unsure, so I'M BREAKING FREE!  I am going to show you my first little project since I've been introduced to all of you creative angels.  The Bible says not to despise small beginnings, so I won't.  I have lots of ideas for future projects that I hope to share with you really soon.  I could use some advice on when is the appropriate time to do projects, read blogs, and then create blogs, when I homeschool and 3 boys under 9 at home?  I could easily neglect them all day with this new "find."  I won't do that, which is the reason for the slow start.  However, that is a subject for another blog.  Back to my first project:

I just love those cute 'Expression" frames that are everywhere from Hobby Lobby to Hallmark.

 I have been wanting one for a while now.  However, the price always stops me.  Even at 50% off, I always think it is too much of a splurge.  So, I went about trying to make a thrifty version of one.  Here is what I came up with.   I started with a frame and autograph mat both from the Dollar Tree (Love the DT).

Then I spray painted both black.  It took several coats to get a smooth surface.  I learned that cheap black spray paint leaves a nasty black dust behind.  Next time I will probably just use real paint.  Then I had dh apply some stickers that I already had to the picture.  He has a degree in graphic design and even worked at a decal shop for a while.  He has a very creative and steady hand.  Then I did 2 coats of Mod Podge.  I thought some texture might be nice so then I did some swirlies with the Mod Podge.  It also covered up any streaks left behind from my inexperienced "crafting" hands.  I think it turned out great.  Seeing that I already had the paint and stickers, this project cost me only $2.00.  What do you think?

(yes it laying on my carpet.  I kept getting weird glares when I took a picture of it on my wall.)

(Here is a shot that shows the swirly texture. Too much?  I never know when to stop.)  If you have any ideas for any other embellishments that can be "stuck on" let me know.  I don't trust my free hand abilities yet.  Hop on over to todays creative blog to see other inspirations of "Get Your Craft On."