Sewing

A couple of months ago we were contacted by Rhythm of the Home and asked to submit a project for their Autumn Edition. We were very excited to participate since we so enjoy the publication. If you are not familiar with Rhythm of the Home, here is a description from their website:

"Rhythm of the Home is a quarterly online magazine. Our focus is to unite a readership which is interested in Waldorf or Montessori education, or simply living intentionally and hoping to incorporate a rhythm and reverence for the natural world in the lives of their children. Each edition will publish seasonally, with articles and projects dedicated to incorporating the upcoming season into the family’s rhythm."

The hard part was trying to decide what to make. We decided to share something that anyone could use to celebrate the season. Michelle and I love to use wreathes in our decorating. The wreath, a symbol of eternity, reminds us of the circle of life; of how one season flows into another, only to return again and again. So, we designed the Autumn Oak Leaf Wreath, combining sewing and stenciling. To get directions for this wreath visit Rhythm of the Home.

And while you are there, pay a visit to their blog. As an extra bonus, they are hosting a giveaway featuring handmade goodies from some of this edition's contributors. They asked for a giveaway that directly related to the submitted project, so we created two over-sized Maple Leaf Potholders, using the same fabrics and stenciling techniques as our wreath. You can sign up to win our potholders or any of the other giveaway items being offered from Rhythm of the Home blog.

It has been a lot of fun crafting and contributing to another publication. You can now visit Rhythm of the Home to find our tutorial for the Autumn Oak Leaf Wreath and check out all the other wonderful crafts being shared to help us celebrate this beautiful season!

Lately, the girls can't seem to log enough Mommy hours. Although they have always enjoyed their dolls... they are currently playing Mommy in a very realistic way. They feed and clean their babies, put them to bed and take them for outings in the stroller or shopping cart. Their dollies of choice... their Bitty Babies. Although they sleep with their Waldorf dolls at night... when it comes to playing house, they reach for their Bitty Babies. After I watched Pixie take off and put on the same diaper countless times I decided she needed a new stack of dolly 'fluff.' For those of you who cloth diaper... I know you can relate to the zen like feeling when you have a clean, fresh stack of diapers ready to go for the next change. The girls shared this joy. So here is a super simple Dolly Diaper that was made to fit the Bitty Baby but can easily be adjusted to fit your child's doll of choice.

Print out the pattern.
Cut out your fabric... one piece per diaper. (Make sure to place the pattern on a fold!)
I used cotton flannel and serged the edges. If you do not have a serger you can use a fabric that won't unravel at the edges like fleece or felt. Or you could cut out 2 pieces of flannel BUT be sure to add an extra 1/2" seam allowance. Then, place the two pieces with right sides together, sew around the edges leaving a 3" gap, turn the diaper right side out, press and sew up the hole.
Attach 3/4" squares of Velcro as shown on the pattern. And, tah-dah... a stash of cloth diapers.

BTW... For some super quick wipies... serge 4" squares of flannel.

EDIT: Whenever somebody works with any materials long enough, they come up with shortcuts and techniques that save time and give better results. Last year I shared a tutorial on how to cut out felt. I got so many "thank yous" from people that followed the instructions and got the results they were looking for. I later realized there was something else I do, that I didn't consider sharing. When cutting out 2 pieces of felt, I often staple the pattern and felt pieces together. The staples lay flatter than pins, which is why I tape, and the staples can be removed (I have broken more than 1 nail doing this, however :) and most felts will be left without a trace. (Always test on your felt first to make sure it doesn't snag of leave marks.) I will often staple pieces together with I am sewing. This prevents the pieces from sliding and keeps your work much flatter than pins. As a bonus, your thread isn't constantly getting tangled in your straight pins.  I am reposting the blog on Cutting Out Felt with the revisions in red. Hope the new techniques work for you.

 One of the most common questions I get is "How do you cut your felt so straight and even?" I must admit I've developed a technique that works well for me that I'll be happy to share. There may be better ways of doing it, this is just how I do it. So here goes! 

One of the biggest secrets to great looking felt projects is to have clean cut edges. I have a couple of tricks I use. FIRST, and I can't stress this enough, get yourself very sharp scissors. I use Fiskars Razor Edged Scissors. If you go to the Tabs at the very top of the page and click on the "TOOL" tab, I list a few of the tools I use all the time or click HERE. The gray handled Fiskar scissors are at my side ALWAYS! I also own the Fiskar Sharpener, also on that page, and sharpen the scissors regularly. They give a straight and very fine cut.

Then, when I'm cutting out felt, I use wide packing tape. NOTE: The packing tape can pull and stretch the felt if you are not careful. Before you use tape on your felt test it on a small piece. This technique does not work well on craft felt. The fibers are too loose and the tape will distort the felt. But it works well on high quality, dense, smooth felt. Experiment for yourself.

How To Cut Out Felt Pieces: 

1] Cut out a paper pattern rather close to the cutting edge.

2] When cutting a single layer of felt, place the pattern on top of the felt and tape all the edges of the felt down. Then, when you cut, nothing slides. If you pin your pattern on, the edges can be slightly distorted and the pattern can slip along the edges. When you are cutting only 1 layer of felt, this is a wonderful technique. The tape will never touch the finished piece of felt since it is under the pattern piece. (Note: When cutting out a single layer of felt, the tape does not need to overhang the sides, it just needs to extend beyond the pattern piece by at least 1/4". In the picture below, I show the tape overhanging the felt. This was only done so you could actually see the tape!

3] If you need to cut out 2 pieces of felt that will be sewn on top of one another, cut them out together so they are EXACTLY the same size. There are two ways that you can do this. For the first method, start by cutting out the 2 pieces of felt about 1/2" - 1" larger than the pattern. Then cut out the pattern as explained above and tape it on the front piece BUT this time, make sure your tape overhangs the top piece of felt by 2 or 3 inches.

4] Now, flip over the pattern and 2 pieces of felt. Using the extending tape, tape the back piece of felt. REMEMBER: The tape can pull and slightly stretch felt.  Use only enough tape to hold the pieces together. Do not press the tape down hard. And make sure there is always a part of the felt not taped on the back piece. This will be the spot you will use to help remove the tape.

5] To cut the felt, hold the felt tightly in one hand while cutting with the other. Hold the felt together close to the edge you are cutting.

6] Turn the piece over and gently remove any tape remaining on the back piece. Use a technique of removing the tape with one hand while the other slides under the tape, holding down the felt, preventing stretching.

7] You should now have 2 pieces of felt, exactly the same size, with clean, evenly cut edges.

8] The other method to cut out 2 pieces of felt at the same time is to staple the pieces together. IMPORTANT: Before stapling the felt for a finished piece, try it on an edge. This method works fine with most felt, but you want to make sure it doesn't leave marks in the felt. Begin by taping the pattern to the top piece of felt as described above. Place a second piece of felt under it.

9] Staple the 2 pieces together near the edge. Make sure you keep the 2 pieces of felt flat and smooth. You don't need lots of staples, just enough to keep it from slipping.

10] Cut out the felt.

11] Turn the felt over, loosen the staples, and remove.

12] In the finished piece you should not be able to see the staple holes. It really is no different than pinning the felt together, this just lays flat.

NOTE: You may also staple felt pieces together for stitching. Remember, always check on a scrap to make sure your particular felt won't snag or show the staple marks.

Rice bags are a wonderful little item used to relieve headaches, sinus pressure, and muscle and joint aches. When flowers and herbs are added to the bag, they can be used for stress relief and aroma therapy. They take literally minutes to make and can provide years of relief!

Warm Compress Rice Blog

Materials:
10" square of soft, tightly woven fabric (I love using flannel)
1 1/2 - 2 cups rice (do not use dehydrated rice, like Minute Rice)
Optional: 1 - 2 tablespoons dried herbs or flowers. (Note: avoid using herbs or flowers that have a high oil content. These can become rancid, or if using it near your eyes, can be an irritant.)

1] Cut a 10" square.

2] Fold in half with right sides together. Pin.

3] Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew around the 3 pinned sides, leaving a 3 inch opening in the center of one end. Trim corner seams to reduce bulk.

4] Turn right side out and iron.

5] Fill with rice. You may chose to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of herbs or dried flowers.

6] Slip stitch opening closed.

To use:
1] Microwave for 30 - 60 seconds. Start with a shorter time and test. The rice should be warm... not hot. WARNING: Do not overheat. It could cause serious burns!

2] Place on desired location. Remember... it should be warm, not hot!

Note: Always heat in a clean microwave. If your microwave is less than clean, like mine can be, place you rice bag on a plate or dishtowel. You cannot wash the rice bag, so once it gets dirty you need to throw it out.

OUR "DISCLAIMER"! We are sharing patterns we have designed and made for our own children, families and friends. Every effort is made to share information in a clear and accurate manner. DUH, right? But we are only human, although I often long for superhuman powers, and as humans, mistakes will be made. We offer preemptive apologies for any aforementioned mistakes. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave you scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible! Before beginning any of our patterns, think of yourself as a Beta Tester. We do not have a staff, editors or even volunteers that are crafting our projects before we share them. YOU are the first to have a go at them. As such, other than a heartfelt apology, we accept no responsibility for mistakes made, or in an extreme circumstance, for time or supplies wasted. Please tackle our projects in the same manner that we are sharing them, with a spirit of goodwill and global friendship!

THIS should be a testament to how much I love you guys... I am sharing some of the most unattractive pics of myself ever! So... this is what I've looked like the past couple of days. There are only 2 photo ops of me this week... nose running or blowing nose. Okay, on second thought, I could have shared a more unattractive picture of myself... sans Kleenex! Anyway, I'm at the beginning of a cold... you know when everything aches, liquid comes out your nose as quickly as you can take it in, and you find yourself cursing the cold virus for its evolutionary ability to mutate!

So far, everything is in my head. This morning I went on a quest to find this wonderful little rice bag my equally wonderful SIL made for me several years ago. The more I looked, the more my head hurt. Finally, I decided it would be just as easy to make a new one as it was to continue this grueling quest!

So, in my weakened condition, I climbed the stairs (of course with camera thumping on my chest) and in 15 minutes, I was heating my new rice bag in the microwave, then sitting back and enjoying the warmth on my abused sinuses!

For those of you that have yet to discover the joys of a rice bag, it is simply a cloth bag, filled with rice, that you warm up in the microwave. (Some people simply put rice in a sock and tie it off.) The rice conforms to the area of your body you put it on, in my case it's usually my sinuses, but can also be used on muscles and joints. When the bag cools off, simply nuke it again, and it's good to go. (Note to self: store the rice bag in the cabinet above the microwave so I don't misplace it again!) 

These would make great spur of the moment gifts to have tucked away somewhere... who couldn't use a little extra pampering now and then? You can also put dried herbs and flowers in the bag for additional comfort and aroma therapy. They make great stress relievers. I so wanted to add some lavender to the rice, but I used the last of my supply over the holidays. I resigned myself to filling my bag with just rice, but given the relief it has brought, I'm not complaining.

If you you would like the embarrassingly simple directions for making your own Rice Bag, they can be found HERE, or with our FREE Patterns. BTW... for future reference... what is your favorite aroma therapy herb or flower to add to sachets? 

FYI... if you've ever tried to take a self portrait, you know how difficult it can be. Try doing it blindfolded! Thank goodness I have a digital camera because I have about 50 unusable pics of various parts of my body and the room!)

Last year the kids and I made these Felt and Stuffed Star Ornaments for the little tree in our family room. What I loved about this project is that each generation took a different approach to the same theme. The kids had a blast decorating their felt stars with glitter glue and sequins. I went with a more folksy Christmas in a Cabin look with my red ticking fabric. Then Gammy took the same idea and made her amazingly embroidered Trailing Vine Star.

Click here or in the Kid Crafts for the kids' and my Stuffed Star Ornament directions. Click here for Kimara's Trailing Vine Star Pattern or look for it in the Free Patterns.

(Orginally published on 11/2/08 NaturesWayLearning.com/WeeFolkActivities.com).

This week we used a broad interpretation of the Unplugged Challenge theme FLAG... and went more Stars and Stripes as inspiration for these Star Ornaments. We had so much fun that even Gammy joined in and made her own. You can visit WeeFolkArt.com for her pattern.

Kids' - Mom's - Gammy's

Kids' Stars

For the kids' version, I made up a quick star template with rounded corners (here is my pdf). Or large cookie cutters work well for making ornament templates. I cut out two piece of felt at the same time to make sure they completely matched. Then the kids went to town decorating the right sides with glitter glue and sequins.

Once dry, I blanket stitched the edges wrong sides together, leaving about a 1" hole to stuff. The kids stuffed their own stars (I helped get it in the points) and then I finished the blanket stitch and added a loop of embroidery floss for hanging.

Mom's Stars

For my version, I used the same template to cut out stars from red and white ticking fabric... using an extra 1/2" seam allowance. I placed the pieces right sides together and pinned.

I cut out about a 7" piece of grosgrain ribbon and folded it in half. I slid the loop side down in between the right sides of fabric and pinned it so that about 1/2" of ribbon stuck out the end of one star point. I machine stitched around the whole star leaving a 1" hole to stuff (I back stitched once over the ribbon). I made a snip from the edge of the fabric to the seam in the concave points of the star (so it would lay smooth when flipped). I flipped the star right side out and pushed out the points all the way.

Then the kids and I stuffed the star. Once stuffed, I hand stitched the opening closed.

Click here for Gammy's pattern.

One of the nicest things about our ever growing data base of patterns and appliques, is the ability to mix and match projects, or to repurpose projects for different needs. For example, take the pattern for our Nubbie Doll, make it in a beautiful Christmas flannel, and you have an absolutely perfect stocking stuffer for the wee ones on your list! Think of all the gorgeous flannels out there today. The possibilities are endless!

We have baskets of Nubbie Dolls in our house, and even as the grandbabies get older, they still play with them. But wouldn't this be PERFECT for Baby's First Christmas? The pattern for Nubbie Dolls can be found HERE or with our FREE Patterns. And frantic moms... if you have all the materials on hand, you really can make one of these during naptime! Enjoy!

I threw together a tutorial on How To Cut Out Felt. That may sound a little silly, but the difference between a quality felt piece is as much about neat cutting as it is neat stitching. Fair warning... this was not on my plate for today, so I did rush through this a bit. Let me know if you encounter any problems. Also, I seldom look at other people's techniques... it's the explorer in me that wants to make my own discoveries! There may be many other techniques out there that work as well or perhaps better. This is just the way I do it. Hope it proves helpful. The directions for How To Cut Out Felt can be found HERE or with our FREE Patterns.   

This Tea Wallet Pattern combines our Perky Note Card Holder with the smallest birdie from our Stacked Birdies Block with minor adjustments.

In addition to the materials required for the Perky Note Card Holder you will also need a piece of 5 1/2" X 7" fusible interfacing to give the wallet more structure. And if you would like to use the birdie template as I have, click here to download the Tea Wallet Placement Pattern.

Follow the basic directions from the Perky Note Card Holder, with a few minor changes. After Step 2 line up the inside pockets on the inside Wallet piece of felt. I held my pieces in place with packaging tape. Then mark the center line on the pockets with a vanishing marker and sew a running stitch on the center line on the pockets. This will give you four individual pockets when your wallet is complete.

While completing Step 8 sandwich the inside and outside pieces together with the fusible interfacing in the middle. Be sure to keep interfacing centered so that you have a 1/4" border around the interfacing (this will make your blanket stitch much easier). Press with a warm iron just enough to get it to stick.

Instead of adding the 3x5 cards in Step 10, add four of your favorite individually wrapped tea bags. Now you can carry your favorite teas with you.

(PS - this is my stitching not my mother's... sigh someday maybe my stitches will be as even as hers. LOL!)