Tote Bag Sewing Kit

My eldest niece got her first sewing machine for Christmas this past year, so when thinking up ideas for her next birthday gift, I thought it would be fun to make her a sewing kit. 

Along with fabric, I included a spool of thread, pins, chalk, a button, and needle and thread for sewing on the button. All the fabric pieces were precut, and the straps and button hole presewn.

Cute thread card found here

I also made a mason jar pincushion to hold all the supplies, following this tutorial.

Happy sewing birthday girl!

Pleated Zipper Pouch

I like to travel light, but know with baby on the way I'll be toting a lot more around, including a diaper bag.  To keep my personal items (the things I would usually carry in my purse) organized and easy to find, I made a zippered pouch to go inside the diaper bag. It keeps everything in one place and can be easily removed if I need to hand over the diaper bag to Zach.

I followed Skip to my Lou's Pleated Pouch Tutorial, enlarging the pattern to 150% since I needed my bag to be a bit larger (Finished size is approx 11" x 8.5"). I used leftover upholstery fabric from the nursery for the bag exterior and a cotton print for the lining. 

Crib Skirt

I just checked off the last big sewing project on my nursery to do list, with only a few weeks to spare!

No detailed tutorial for this project, but the concept is fairly simple. First, I started by measuring the metal frame that holds the crib mattress, which came out to 51" x 26". The mattress is at the highest position now, but I wanted the skirt to just skim the floor when the mattress was at the lowest setting, a distance of about 10".

I cut out four panels for the sides of the skirt and one large panel for the top, adding a couple extra inches to my original measurements for seam allowances:

Two 53" x 11.5" panels for the long sides

Two 28" x 11.5" panels for the short sides

One 52" x 27" panel for the top

I hemmed the sides and bottom edges of the side panels and serged them onto the top panel. Then I sewed pom pom trim onto the bottom of each side panel.

DIY Sewing Weights

For each weight you will need 4 large washers, ribbon, and a hot glue gun. Glue together four washers and wrap with ribbon, securing the beginning and end of the ribbon to the washers with hot glue.

Credit for this idea goes to SugarTart Crafts. View her sewing weights here.

Baby Mobile

I used an oval picture frame, an old necklace, a curtain ring clip, and a few needle felted animals to create a special mobile for our little girl.

Frame and necklace before

I removed the clip from a curtain ring clip and wrapped the ring in fabric, similar to what I did for the closet dividers. (It's the same fabric I used for the curtains.)

I also added green pom pom trim to the inside lip of the frame, to give baby something extra to look at from below.

Free Printable: Thank You Postcards

We've received so many baby gifts from our generous family and friends. Instead of purchasing a box of thank you cards, I created postcards and printed them out at home on card stock. Postcards are great because they save paper and postage. (The same reasons we opted to send Christmas postcards a couple years ago). Download a free printable pdf here!

Felt Corsage Tutorial

Supplies and Materials

Cut the following pieces out of your main felt color:

Corsage ruffle- One 3" x 9" strip
Ribbons- Two 1 1/2" x 6" strips
Corsage backing- One 3" diameter circle

Cut the following pieces out of your accent felt:

Ribbon accents: Two 1" x 6" strips
Corsage face: One 2 3/4" diameter circle

You will also need:

6 1/2" piece of pom pom trim
1 medium sized safety pin
Coordinating thread
Scissors/rotary cutter
Chalk or marking pen
Ruler
Embroidery needle and floss/sewing machine with embroidery function

Directions

1. Embroider the message of your choice onto your corsage face, either by hand or using your sewing machine.

2. Pin the pom pom trim onto the wrong side of the face, near the edge.

3. Temporarily sew in place with a basting stitch. Remove the pins and set aside.
4. Fold the corsage ruffle in half, lengthwise. If necessary, pin to hold in place. Mark off 1" increments at the top of the folded edge. Using scissors, cut 1" notches at each 1" mark.

5. Pin the ribbon accent to the ribbons, lining them up down the middle. fold in half lengthwise and make a mark 1/2" up the folded edge. Cut a v-shaped notch in the bottom, up to the 1/2" mark, through both the accent and main ribbon.

6. Topstitch the ribbon accent onto the ribbon. Match your bobbin thread to your main felt color.
7. Pin the ruffle to the outside edge of the corsage backing. Line it up so the bottom of the ruffle
notches are just inside the edge of the backing. Sandwich the ribbons in between the backing and  the ruffle, overlapping the tops of the ribbons slightly (you may need to remove a few pins, but I found it easier to pin the ruffle first, then add the ribbons).

8. Next, sew a safety pin to the back of the corsage. I placed a small piece of felt on the inside for reinforcement. You can do this by hand or with your sewing machine. I used my machine and sewed one stitch forward one stitch backward, multiple times, at three different spots along the safety pin.

9. Sew along the edge of the backing circle.
10. Pin the face to the front of the corsage, centering it within the ruffle. Stitch around the edge with a zig-zag stitch. Match your bobbin thread to your main felt color. (You could also use a straight stitch but I wanted to make sure I caught the pom pom trim in my stitch.)

11. Remove the basting stitches from the face.

I made two of these for the grandmas to be at my baby shower, but they would also be great as name tags at a party or for birthdays or bachelorette parties.

You can purchase your own custom corsage in my etsy shop!