me and my girl

two small squares is all you need...

...to make a bean bag, doll pillow, sachet or a pin-cushion!  This little project is perfect for a brand-new sew-er, or for anyone who likes to combine fabrics and have fun with color.  (See the variations at the end of the post.)

Supplies needed:
Two 5" squares of fabric
Cotton or polyester stuffing
Needle and thread
A 16" length of ribbon
Sewing Machine

***For the sake of the photographs, I am using bright red thread on this project.  Normally I would be using white or a color that doesn't show up as much.

With right sides of the fabric together, sew a 1/4" seam around the square, leaving a 2" opening for turning:

Clip the corners of the square close to the stitching (but not close enough to cut the thread!) so that when you turn your piece right-side out, the corners will be nice and pointed:

Turn your square right side out using a crochet hook to push out the corners:

Stuff the square firmly and then stitch it closed:

Now you simply tie on the ribbon to make it pretty:

 

Variations:

***Instead of stuffing, fill the square with beans or rice to make a bean-bag.   You will only need to fill it 3/4 full.  Make a bunch of these to create a fun game!

***While you are adding the stuffing, pour in 1 tablespoon of dried lavender flowers or cloves to make a sachet.  These make great gifts!

***You may use your ribbon-tied square as a pin-cushion.  All sew-ers need a place to stash their pins!  These also make great gifts.

Happy sewing!

practice makes perfect

Before setting your girls free on the sewing machine, there are a couple of practice techniques that you can use to teach them to sew straight lines.  Once they have mastered a semi-straight line they are ready to start their first project.  Only time and lots of practice will fully straighten their lines.

***Adult supervision is required!

First, you can take a sheet of notebook paper and simply have your girl sew straight lines of stitches up and down the lines of the paper.  (There is a straight line of stitches in the picture below to the left of the zigzag line.)  Encourage them to sew slowly and to stay in control of the paper and the stitching line.  Be sure to let them know that if they go too fast they may sew over their fingers, which is something they will want to avoid!

You can also practice zigzag stitches with this same sheet of paper, although the straight stitches are the most important and will be the ones they use the most.

Another helpful hint is to lay a piece of clear tape over your needle plate (the metal square in the picture) vertically.  (If you look closely you will see the tape in the picture).  Now take a Sharpie marker (make sure you use something permanent so that it won't bleed onto fabric) and draw lines at the 3/8" mark and the 5/8" mark.  This will give your girl a dark, solid line to follow with her fabric:

3/8" line:

5/8" line:

Practice is the key at this point.  At first when your girl starts veering off the line, she may find herself making things worse by trying to fix it herself.  You can encourage her to stop if she starts slipping away from the line, and that way you can help her back to the right spot.  Once she gets the hang of it, she will be able to steer herself in the right direction.

Happy sewing!

a special bag for a special someone

My girl is a gift-giver.  When she knows that someone's birthday is coming up, you will find her feverishly working at coloring, stapling and creating.  When I discovered that we could take a piece of fabric and color on it using crayons, and then iron the design into the fabric, I knew that this craft was for us!

Here is how to do it: 

First, take a piece of cotton fabric and have your child color a picture on it.  I suggested to Aubry that she use bright colors and try her best to fill the center of the fabric piece, as opposed to the edges.  It is also a good idea to press hard with the crayons to get the best color.

After the picture is complete you will take a piece of blank newsprint paper and lay it on your ironing board.  Then lay your fabric piece face-down on the newsprint.  Lay a damp towel on top of this and add one more layer of blank newsprint on top to complete the stack.  Iron on medium-high heat until the crayons appear to melt into the fabric and the colors are set.  (I found the technique in this book.)

After I ironed the picture into the fabric, I trimmed the piece into a 12-1/2" by 15-1/2" rectangle and then I sewed a 4" by 15-1/2" piece of fabric to the top edge of her picture so that the finished bag front would equal 15-1/2" by 15-1/2".

After I squared up the bag front to 15-1/2" by 15-1/2 inches, I pretty much followed this technique to finish the bag.  The only differences are the measurements and the fact that I didn't use any oilcloth to make the bag or bias-tape on the straps.  I also used fusible interfacing on the bag and the straps for sturdiness.

This bag was easy and fun to make.  Aubry chose to draw a picture of Grandpa, Grandma, Great-Grandma and herself, and she decided that this bag will be going to Grandma Alice.  The best part is Aubry's happiness over the finished product and her idea that Grandma Alice might use it to tote books home from the library!

Happy crafting!

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting my new blog! 

I am starting this venture as a way to encourage moms in their desire to teach and train their daughters.  Mainly I will be concentrating on the crafty side of things, but I am sure that more important and eternal matters will make their way onto my blog's pages, since they are the starting point of all things.

Teaching my girls to craft and create has been one of the most bonding experiences for us.  Taking the time to design, make, and troubleshoot are all skills that will be used in all areas of life, and doing this together is a perfect way to walk your girls through some great learning experiences.

Whether you are a crafter or not, I hope to post projects and ideas that will appeal to all skill levels.  If you are a beginner yourself, just remember that many a project has to be tossed in the trash before a great one makes its appearance.  I know this from experience!  You do not need to be an expert in an area in order to teach a child, there simply needs to be a willingness to learn something new.

I hope you will check back soon!