The Good Morning Robe! With Attached Sash.

Every morning the boys and I have done the same thing for years. Lately, a few things have changed, their demands a bit more specific.

They still want their milk and movie, lately they've been wanting blankets. But they can't wear blankets to the dining table for breakfast. I knew I had to make a morning robe!

Luckily, I already had a pattern! From Wal-Mart.

I changed one thing.

That loose sash that goes through loops? I knew that would be bad news for my son. He gets easily frustrated. For example: if the sash were longer on the one side than the other, he might start screaming or crying. If the sash were to ever get lost, or in the hands of his little brother, he might start screaming or crying. If the sash got caught on something as he walked, or if he tripped on it as he walked, he might start screaming or crying.

I have to be honest, I came up with this idea more for my own sake to avoid the unnecessary potential of screaming and crying.

I took the robe, decided where the sash would be and unstitched the serged hem. Then I cut the sash in half, inserted it and re-serged the hem. (He is pointing to the new inside seam.)

Close up on the outside:

Morning robes are great! A blanket you can walk around in! I love that happy face!

Thanks for stopping by!

xx

Elf Hats for Santa's Workshop

A while ago I was talking to a friend and she told me how she and her kids had gone to a Santa's workshop. They had elves and the kids could help the elves "make" toys and brought one home with them.

I thought that was the cutest idea ever and decided to surprise my kids by turning our dining room into a Santa's workshop!

I measured my four year old's head....

and with scraps I made these hats for them:

1. Cut 2 pieces of 5x4 inches of the cream/white knit fabric. Be sure the stretch of the knit is sideways. Alternatively you could also make one long band but I did 2 pieces.

2. Fold into triangle, 5x12inches, so the base is 10 inches. Again check the stretch of the knit.

3. Just another view.

4. With right sides together, sew the two side seams. Leave the bottom one open.

5. Take the 2 pieces of cream, right sides together and sew the edges together to make one long band.
6. Fold over.
7. Place inside the hat, match the raw edges and pin.
8. Sew.

Some easy tassels for the top point of the hat:

Just cut 8 strips of the same cream/white knit fabric and hand sew on the tip of the hat!

In Santa's workshop they were to paint some toys ($1 at Wal-Mart and the Dollar store), and then after they went to bed, Santa picked up those toys and left a thank you note for helping!

Axel wouldn't keep his hat on so Daddy, the Head Elf, wore it instead :)
The kids favourite part was actually the hot chocolate with marshmallows (which was actually cold!). 

Hope you are enjoying Christmas activities with your kids!

Thanks for stopping by!

xx

Christmas Decorations Box: Advent Calendar Bags

I have been wanting to make an Advent calendar for years and I finally got around to getting it done!

For several weeks I worked on making 25 different drawstring bags.

Note: I did not want to buy new fabrics for this project. I knew I had plenty of fabric to complete the project but I would have to get creative and perhaps even repetitive. Feels good to be frugal and resourceful :)

For the drawstrings I used different ribbons, cotton lace, and also made my own drawstrings using the same fabric as the bag.

Once I started making several bags I began pegging them on the curtain in my sewing room so I could see if I needed more white, more red or more green.

After I sewn and sequenced them, then I was able to number them. I just painted the numbers freehand, but of course you could stencil or stamp.

I did make some extra small bags for a reusable form of gift wrap.

Inside each bag has a treat, but it is not chocolate or candy. I don't think I want them having that everyday! So I put a fun cereal that they rarely get (fruit loops) in small baggies and put them in there.

Hope you are enjoying the beginnings of Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by!

xx

Christmas Decorations Box: Tree Ornaments!

This month, I am adding a set of five Christmas tree ornaments to my decorations box.

Originally, I wanted to stamp white snowflakes on the tea stained muslin with my toddler but that just turned out to be a big mess! Using paints or glueing something on would be fun. I love having a blank canvas to be freely creative with.

I have to admit, these were done in haste, the kids have been sick with croup cough, one night spent in ER for a few hours, last week I wanted to actually start and finish a book before returning it to the library (it has been 4 years since I read one) so I am VERY inconsistent right now. But at least I stop by once in a while and visit my own blog! ;)

These would also make a lovely handmade gift for someone.

Materials used for Tree Ornaments set:

Hemp string

Tea stained muslin

Ribbon

Thread

Stuffing

More lovely ideas for making your own Christmas tree decorations...

From this blog. I love the mixture of nature and words.

Found these here being used as gift tags but I think they'd be so cute on a tree!

Aren't these adorable? Found on Pinterest.

Also found on Pinterest, RED, STRIPES, BELLS on stockings! I'm dying of the cuteness!

From one of my favourite blogs, applesauce ornaments! This is definitely on our Christmas activities list for this year! I LOVE cinnamon! This brilliant girl adds glitter to hers!

Thanks for stopping by! x

Christmas Decorations Box: Burlap Wallhanging

Hello!

Remember my Valentine's Burlap Wallhanging from last week? Here is my Christmas version and it is going into my Christmas decorations box for this month! Yay!

You will notice I made a number of mistakes along the way. I view this project as a symbol of my life. I think I know what I'm doing, I think I am making the right choices, only to kick myself later realising I was rushing. I need to slow down, meditate on life and not always try n rush the clock!

Here is what I did:

Measured and cut how big I wanted the fabric face to be. The Valentine's one is 6inx6in, this one is 8inx8in. Then I marked the halfway points with a pencil.

**MISTAKE!!! Should have used fabric pencil or chalk!

Next, using cream thread on my cream fabric, I matched up the points giving me 4 perfect squares to work with. Change cream threads to green.

Just a quick note, we moved from England to Ohio just two months ago, so this sewing machine is still new to me. My lovely mother in law gave it to me and I LOVE the embroidery features on it!! Using one of my favourite options for the border, I sewed around and through giving me 4 smaller squares.

In the top left hand corner I wanted the word JOY and had used my pencil:

**MISTAKE!!! I should have waited until after I finished my border! Oooops. Live and learn I say! I slowly used the handwheel to do the letters and then hand stitched on the button.

Change threads again! Green to cream.
Using zig zag, I finished the edges and then I threw it in the washing machine hoping the pencil would come out! Another note to self- get a fabric pencil!

The fun part is deciding what goes in the squares! I used what scraps I have (lots of Christmas fabric scraps) cutting out shapes and wanting also to add texture I decided to stamp on a snowflake with some green paint.

After I cut off all those loose threads, I layered the green plaid fabric behind the face, and using a straight stitch sewed those two together.

Change threads again from cream to green and using zigzag, I sewed the green onto the burlap. Changed threads again from green to cream and zig zagged the burlap edges.

To hang it, I used ribbon and sewed it to the edges. I thought I could just hang it on two widely separated nails or hooks, but you see how it's not flat?

There are more options on how to display. When my mom makes wallhangings, she uses these little rings:

One can also fold the top (and maybe bottom too) of the fabric to sew a tunnel and put a stick through, the top with a string, that will keep it flat when it hangs.

Like this:

(yes I was at Joann's!)

Another idea? Put it in a picture frame without the glass! Which I am seriously considering because it sounds the easiest! ;)

Although this project is left a tad incomplete, I am declaring it finished! Please tell me I'm not the only one who does that. I kind of just want to move on to the next thing because there is still so much I want to do and otherwise get done! :)

Thanks for stopping by! x

(PS I REALLY NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR HOW YELLOW SOME OF THESE PHOTOS TURNED OUT. IT WAS A GLOOMY, SUNLESS DAY AND MY INDOOR LIGHT MAKES EVERYTHING YELLOW- SORRY!)

My Christmas Decorations Box

Every Christmas has been significantly different since my husband and I got married. We had our wedding on the 19th of 2007 and a lovely full house Christmas at mom's. 

Our second Christmas, we had our own place and the husband had gotten me a sewing machine! The very next day I fell extremely sick. We found out a week and half later I was pregnant!

Our third Christmas was another lovely full house with the new baby!

(Uncle Ben with baby Ethan)

Christmas number four was spent mainly sick in bed with another pregnancy.

Christmas number five we flew across the ocean and spent Christmas with my husband's family.

This past Christmas we just moved across the ocean, but I did manage to quickly make Axel a Christmas stocking! I was determined to sew one, not buy one!

Christmas of 2013 will finally be a bit more as I had always imagined to be. A house full of homemade decorations. This year I am really planning for Christmas!

To pace myself, I have decided to make ONE thing each month. When December rolls around, everything will be ready and I can focus on baking, cooking, sledding, and having fun with the kids. Christmas crafts that month will be for them.... well this is one of my goals and as most goals it may be subject to change ;)

This month's Christmas item to go into The Box is:

A burlap bunting!

I love burlap. And buntings. Perfect!

I always use plain construction paper for my shape/pattern.

I had cut out these hearts for something else but decided to use them for this.

Five is a good number. Little time, little patience, yep five is good :)

I have been using this glue for a no-sew approach to adding the hearts to all of my recent projects. I think I need to get a bigger bottle soon! lol

My original idea was very different. Just burlap and I would use a snowflake stamp and white paint to decorate it.

Have you ever started something with one idea in mind and then changed it?

Christmas tends to last through January at our house (yes our tree is still up!) and I'll be making this lovely drink today:

Recipe:

1liter cranberry juice

1liter orange juice

1liter pineapple juice

Soooo good! Enjoy! :)

Thanks for stopping by!