More Pillowcase Dresses

May 4, 2013 by

Pillow case Dresses1

Sharing four more pillowcase dresses I made for a cause.

You can read about the Pillowcase Dress Drive here

and about the extraordinary young leader who initiated it here.

It’s not too late to start sewing!

All you need is twenty minutes (or less) and one yard of fabric (or less).

Here’s how to make a pillowcase dress – my version

Or check out my Pinterest Pillowcase Dress Board for more inspiration and tutorials.

Send completed dresses to: Mallory Fundora, Project Yesu, 1178 Willow Bend Drive, Clarksville, TN 37043

before May 28.

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Pillowcase Dresses for a cause

April 18, 2013 by

Pillowcase Dresses for a cause

In 2011,  Mallory set down to write her Christmas list.  Looking around her room, she realized she had what she needed. There wasn’t really anything more she wanted.   She remembered the amazing kids from the Ungandan Orphan Children’s Choir  who had sung at her church the year before.  Those kids had almost nothing.  Mallory Fundora’s Christmas list that year had just one request – to help Africa.  With her parents’ help and support, Mallory founded Project Yesu with the goal of helping kids in Africa.  She has partnered with three other organizations to provide goods and services to kids in Uganda.  You can read her story here  and here.

Today Mallory is a middle school student, planning her second trip to Uganda in June of this year.   She asks our help with donations of pillow case dresses to take with her for the girls touched by Project Yesu.    How many dresses can you make for girls who may have only one or two pieces of clothing to call their own?   Pillowcase dresses are so easy that they are the perfect beginner project.  There are other ways to help too.   

 I contacted Mallory to find out more information.  Here is what she said in response to my questions (with a couple of notes added):

Why did you decide to do the Pillowcase Dresses? I decided to do the dresses because they are really cute, and really easy to make, so anyone can make one. I feel that receiving a dress will make the girls so happy. They don’t have a lot of clothes, some kids only have one set of clothes, so they get really dirty, worn out and sometimes don’t fit very well.

What are some other ways people can help with the Pillowcase Dress project?  We are also collecting supplies to bring to the teams on the ground in Uganda. We are collecting adult diapers, baby formula, medical supplies, work gloves, and of course money. I have a challenge to raise $1,000 in 100 days! That’s just one person to donate $10 a day.   (You can send Mallory gift cards or checks made out to Project Yesu in addition to the ways mentioned on her website.  100% of all donations go to Ugandan children.  Project Yesu is a non-profit organization.)

When someone sponsors a kid from Uganda, what does the money pay for?   The money goes to pay their school fees, and also provides meals and medical care for them.  (The sponsorship is coordinated through Project Have Hope.   More information is available on the Project Yesu website along with a link to the Project Have Hope website.)  

What would you tell other people – not just kids – who have ideas about doing something like this?   I would say “Go for it!” One thing I try to do is encourage people, especially kids, that they can make a difference. It doesn’t have to be something huge, or on the other side of the world, it can be in their community, school, neighborhood, anywhere!
 
What is the most fun thing for you in starting and working with Project Yesu? The best part is getting to be in Uganda and spending time with the kids! I love to be with them, play with them and love on them.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about Mallory?  A lot of people think that I am special, but I am just an ordinary teenager who has a big dream. I am goofy, silly, I act crazy with my friends, I am normal, I am an ordinary girl who serves an EXTRAORDINARY God!

Dresses can be sent to:  Mallory Fundora, Project Yesu, 1178 Willow Bend Drive, Clarksville, TN 37043

 Include a note to say you read about Project Yesu on A Pinch of Joy.  Ask to be added to her mailing list for updates, if you wish!  And pass the word!!  I found out when Danielle at My Life Adventures linked her list of 14 Pinterest Challenges before 2014 to the Busy Monday link party. Her list led me to Ladybird Lane and to One Artsy Mama.   And now you know too.   Thanks, Danielle!

The deadline to have completed dresses in Mallory’s hands is May 28.  There is plenty of time to make one or a dozen.  All you need is a yard (or less)  of a sturdy, washable fabric, 2.5 five yards of washable ribbon (grosgrain is good!)  and twenty minutes for each dress.   When you make the second, the time will be less than twenty minutes :-)   Make the dresses plain or fancy.  Here is my tutorial on how to make a pillowcase dress.  Also check out my Pinterest Pillowcase Dresses board for other tutorials and inspiration.  If you have a tutorial or inspiration to add to the board, leave a comment or email me with the URL and I will add it. 

We can make a difference in the life of one child and change the world! 

projectyesu3

  

 

Mallory

with one of her Ugandan friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Make a Pillowcase Dress

April 17, 2013 by

A Pinch of Joy: How to Make a Pillowcase Dress

Pillowcase dresses are so quick and easy to make!      They are cool and comfortable, perfect for warm weather!    You can make them from . . . tah dah. . . an actual pillowcase.  Or find  cute and colorful fabric and create a dress to match a personality.    Pillowcase dresses are so easy a beginner can make one.   

You will need approximately one yard of 42″ – 45″ sturdy fabric, and 2.5 yards of 1″ wide grosgrain ribbon for each dress you plan to make.  All dresses are made from the full width of the fabric.  Only the length will vary.    If the child for whom you are making the dress is available, measure from the base of the neck down to the point on the leg where you want the dress to end.  Add 5 inches *  to that number to allow for casing and hem folds.  That is the length you will need.  Or you can check the size chart here to determine the length of the fabric you will need.  

Disclaimer:  I recently made several of these dresses in one sitting so don’t let the different fabrics throw you.  I don’t think I remembered to take pictures of all the steps for any one dress!  Sorry – -

Preparing the fabric

Prepare the fabric.  This cotton fabric had a crooked end.  To straighten it, make a cut about  into the fabric about 1 inch from the edge.  Firmly grasp the fabric in both hands and rip it straight across.  The rip will follow the threads and create a straight line. You can use the same method on the other end only make the cut at the point that is the correct length for your dress.    Beginner note:  The white in the picture above is called a selvage (from “self edge”).  The weaving process creates a tight edge on the sides of the fabric that will not fray. (Not all selvages are white.)   Match the selvages together so the fabric lies smooth and the right sides are together.  

Ironing the seamStitch along the selvage, making a seam about 1/4 inch wide.  You will end up with a fabric tube with the right side of the fabric inside.    Press the seam to one side.  It will be in the center back of the finished dress.   You can press it down with your fingers, but an iron makes a sharper crease that will stay.  

cut armholePlace the seam you just sewed on the center crease of the fabric.  Beginner note: The center crease is the one that shows from when the fabric was on the bolt. If it doesn’t show, lay the fabric on your table to the stitched end lays flat and is on one side.  The fold  created on the other side will fall on the center.  Mark the fold with a pin or a light pencil mark. Place the seam at that point.  Keep the right sides of the fabric together.  Fold the fabric in half with the seam to the inside.  The armholes are cut on the side with TWO folds.  Mark a point two inches in from the two folds on the end of the fabric.  Measure 5 inches down and mark on the fold.  Connect the two points with a “J” curve as shown in the picture.  Cut the armholes. 

Press hems

  If you are making more than one dress, take thirty seconds to make a template for the casing and the hem.  The measurements for the casing and the hem are the same on every size dress.  Having a template will save you tons of time!   I used the back of an instant oatmeal box to make mine.    On one side, measure down one inch on the two ends.  Mark those two points and draw a line connecting them.   On the other side, make your line one and a half inches from the edge.  I recommend using an iron and doing these next steps on your ironing board or padded surface.  Pressing in the creases you need before sewing is another big time saver for all your projects. 

With the wrong side of the fabric still on the outside, place it on your work surface.  On the end between the armholes, use the one inch template.  Place it on the fabric near the edge.  Fold the fabric over and adjust the template and fabric until the fabric lies smooth.  The edge of the template should be in the fabric fold and the edge of the fabric should be on the one inch line.  Press the fold with an iron on medium heat.  Set aside the template and make a second fold toward the the center of your garment.  This fold is right at the cut edge of the first fold.  Press that to make a double fold.  This forms the casing for your ribbon.

Repeat this procedure at the bottom of the dress, using the one and a half inch template.  This becomes the hem of the dress. 

A note about hem widths:  I made my finished hems one and a half inches wide.  Many instructions only call for a one inch hem.  You can make hems as small as one fourth inch wide.   (*Note: adjusting the hem will change the amount of fabric required.  The five inches added to find the length of fabric above will become 2 inches for the casing folds PLUS double the width of the hem.  For example, if you make the hem one half inch wide, you would add three inches to your child’s measurement instead.)

If you are making just one dress, you can skip making the template.  Just measure the casing and the hem directly on the fabric, pinning it into place.  Pressing the folds before sewing will still give you a crisper, more professional finished look.

Phew!!!  That took way longer to explain than it will take you to actually do it!

Finish armholes

There are two ways to finish the armholes.  Some people prefer to use bias tape.  I just put in a quarter inch hem.  Beginner note: While the fabric is still on the work surface, fold over 1/4 inch of fabric all the way around the armhole.  If fabric does not lie flat, use the point of your scissors to snip from the edge to the fold.  This will open the curve and flatten the fabric.   Repeat the quarter inch fold to make a double fold.  Pin if needed to hold fabric in place.  Press and then stitch hem in place.

Stitch hem and casing

Stitch hem near open edge.   Stitch each casing between the armholes in the same way.   Beginner note: At the end of each casing reverse the stitch without cutting the thread.  This means you will stitch backward for a few stitches.  Release the reverse button and stitch forward again until your needle is off the fabric.  The triple stitching that you create this way, makes the end of the stitching stronger.  It will be better able to resist tearing out if the ribbon is pulled too hard.  

Insert ribbon

Cut two pieces of ribbon, each 45 inches long.  Fasten a safety pin on one end of a ribbon and begin to work it through the casing.  

Scrunch ribbon

Push and scrunch the pin through the fabric, smoothing out gathers along the ribbon.  When pin and ribbon emerge on the other side, pull the ribbon through so that an equal amount is on either side.  Pull the second ribbon through the second casing and adjust ribbons if needed.  Find the center of each casing (measure or eyeball, either one).  Stitch from the edge of the dress to the line of stitching, reverse to the edge of the dress and come forward to the line of stitching again.  This creates a strong line of triple stitching to hold the ribbon in place so it does not come out when laundered. 

Done

 

D O N E !!!

Shown are three of the nine dresses I made in the last couple of days for a special donation.  Please join me in sewing for a cause.

Details are here.

You can leave your Pillowcase Dress plain as I did or your can add pockets, ties, ruffles and so much more.   Check out my Pillowcase Dress Board on Pinterest here for inspiration!

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Party Dress for 18 inch Doll

February 14, 2013 by

Party Dress for 18 inch Doll: A Pinch of Joy

This gorgeous party dress was intended for Samantha who was retired from the American Girl lineup several years ago.  Samantha is a dead ringer for a little one I know and I was thrilled to find a Samantha doll in excellent condition for the little sweetie pie a couple of years ago.    The dress is true to the turn of the century historical period Samantha depicted — but it is classic style that any modern doll mama would love her 18 inch doll to have!       The original source of this pattern is the delightful AGPlaythings.   In addition to this and other clothes for Samantha there are a number of free pdf patterns for other retired dolls on this site.  If you or someone you know loves AG — check it out!

I followed the pattern, but made some changes in the directions.  Some sewing methods have changed since the patterns were issued.  And you know me — always tweaking to make things faster and easier.   Here’s the way I constructed the Party Dress:

Bodice Construction for 18 inch doll dress

I wanted to make the dress with material I had on hand.  Rather than buying flat lace I used a ruffled lace from my stash and pleated it around the neck opening on the front bodice.

Sew Shoulders together

I made two dresses — one right after the other –and photographed both so let’s hope we don’t cause confusion with the pictures.  Don’t ask me why this one has pins around the neckline at this stage!   What I wanted to show you was the way the lace was trimmed to fit the armhole and then captured in the shoulder seam when the back and front of the bodice were stitched together.  I finished all the seams with an overcast machine stitch.

collar

Next apply the collar.  Use a smaller ruffled lace to sew at the bottom of the collar front.  Follow the pattern directions to attach the collar and finish the inside by hand.  Attach a hook and eye or snap fastener on the collar.  Smaller girls may ignore these fasteners, but the older girls will use them if they are easy to manipulate.

sleeve lace

I had some of this ribbon in my stash.  It has a white satin ribbon stitched along the gathered edge to help the lace stand away from the fabric to which it is applied.  Perfect for the sleeve lace because it creates the puffy stand up look for the lace. I turned the lace under on the ends but did not stitch them as this was intended as a play dress.  For a collector’s dress, you would want to hand finish with a small rolled hem.

You can see that the sleeve cap has a single gathering thread.  In a full size pattern for child or adult there would be two lines of stitching, but for the small doll patterns I only use one.  It is adequate for the job and more likely to be fully covered in the finished seam than two lines.  If you are worried about pulling the gathering thread through, tie a knot in one end ,but  I  just gather from both ends until the sleeve matches the armhole.  Once the sleeve is sized add the lace with the ribbon next to the right side of the sleeve.  Set the sleeve in the sleeve opening.

Sew in sleeve The bodice and sleeve will have right sides together with the lace sandwiched in the middle. Note that the sleeve is set in before the side seams are sewn.  It’s much easier to handle the smaller pieces that way.  Imagine fitting that small sleeve into the small armhole – especially with slippery fabric!   Finish the edges with an overcast stitch.

Cuffed sleeveThe pattern calls for a cuffed sleeve which provides a clean polished look and is historically accurate. I made one dress this way.

Elastic sleeve

For the second dress, I hemmed the sleeve and stitched elastic across the sleeve to gather the fabric.  It saved quite a bit of time, but also is easier for a younger child to put on the doll.  Whether you use the cuff or the elastic the next step is to sew the side seam.  Put right sides together, matching armhole seams and stitch the entire length from bottom of the bodice to the end of the sleeve.  Use an overcast stitch to finish the seam.

Finish the bodice construction by adding the velcro fastener along the entire length of the bodice.    Sewing the full length of the garment helps keep things neater looking, I think, and it is easier for the child to use.   It is also more durable for long term use.

Skirt

Hem the skirt first.  Backwards to usual garment construction I know, but so much faster.  I used a decorative stitch in a contrasting color to hem.  Also finish the center seam.  I chose NOT to stitch the skirt together in the back and just hemmed each side making a double turned hem as wide as the hook and loop fastener that I planned to use.  After the skirt is attached to the bodice add hook and loop fastener the entire length of the skirt.  The single line of straight stitching across the top of the skirt in the photo is the gathering thread.

Completed hem

Pull the gathering thread from both ends, gathering the fabric evenly, until it is the same size as the bottom of the bodice.   Stitch the skirt to the bodice and finish the seam with an overcast stitch.  This is the point at which the hook and loop fastener is added  the full length of the skirt as mentioned above.

Party Dress for 18 inch Doll: A Pinch of Joy

Embellish the neckline with a coordinating ribbon cut twice the width of the lace.  Fold in half and stitch at neckline.  Add tiny silk flower.  You can add a sash to the dress as well.   Samantha and Robin and your doll family will wear with pride!

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Gathered Sleeveless Dress for 18″ Doll with pattern

August 30, 2012 by

Gathered Dress for American Girl Doll

When I saw these colorful napkins on the clearance shelf of the grocery store, I also heard them calling out to become dresses for 18″ dolls, like the American Girl dolls!  Fifty cents each.  Twenty minutes each.  Small investment for cute dresses for Molly, Samantha and Robin!   Creating the pattern took a bit more time — but you can save that time and get yours  from this link: Sleeveless Gathered Dress.  You can also use bandannas or any other fabric that is already hemmed. Here’s how to make them:

 

That’s it!   All done! 

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New cushions in five easy steps

June 22, 2012 by

5 easy steps to make cushions for outdoor chairs

 

Boring beige. Tired and sad looking.  The cushions came with the chairs when they were brand new six years ago and had served well – but time for buh-bye! We eat almost every meal outdoors on the deck when the weather is nice.  We needed something a livelier than beige and a bit of pattern to contrast with the dark furniture.  A trip to the fabric store turned up the perfect pattern with soothing colors in an outdoor fabric.  Here’s how to make new cushions for your outdoor chairs in five easy steps!

1. Measure your chairs.  Choose a pillow form that most closely matches the size of your chair. Mine was 20 inches by 20 inches and each chair required 2 forms – one for the seat and one for the back.   I determined how much fabric to buy by measuring the circumference to get 40 inches plus the inch of ease for 41 inches.  Then adding ¾ inch for a hem on each end plus two and 1/2 inch overlap (you’ll see what this means further down) for a total of 45 inches.  The width I needed was the pillow size plus an inch of ease AND two seam allowances – about 22 and a half inches.  Fabric comes in different widths, but the outdoor fabric I chose was 60 inches wide. Each cut measured 45 inches by 22 ½ inches.   No matter how I placed my cuts I needed 45 inches wide and 45 inches deep for two cushions.  Every two cushions meant I needed one and a fourth yards and would have a 15inch x 45 inch piece left.

2. Cut your fabric according to the measurements and plan you made in determining how much fabric to buy.

3. Hem the narrow ends of each piece, using  ¾ hem allowance.

4. Lay the fabric on a table right side up.  Fold one end toward the center approximately  one third of the finished size of the pillow – in this case about 8 inches.  Fold the other end toward the center, overlapping the first end by about 2 and one half inches. Right sides are folded in and what you see is the wrong side of the fabric.  Measure from fold to fold.  The measurement should be the same as the pillow form plus the amount you allowed for ease. Pin the open edges together on one side and then the other.

5.  Stitch the open edges together using the seam allowance you determined in step one.  I double stitched mine, but you don’t have to do that.  Trim the corners by nipping off a triangle from finished seam to outside.  This reduces fabric bulk in the corner.  Turn right side out, pushing corners out with point of scissors as needed.  Insert pillow form into the larger part and then fold the smaller part over so it lays smoothly.  Smile happily!!

The smaller back roll cushions were made from the 15 inch leftovers.  I just folded a 21 inch piece of fabric in half, right side in and stitched them together leaving a narrow end open.  Added handfuls of stuffing material (also available at the fabric store in the same area you find pillow forms).  When I had enough stuffing to suit, I folded in the raw edges of the opening and machine stitched them closed. The finished size is 7 inches by 20 inches.  Easy peasey!!

A custom, one of a kind look for less!

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18″ Doll Sleeping Bag

February 21, 2012 by

Sleeping bag and pillow for 18" AG Doll

With Valentine’s Day and birthdays this month, I am still in doll mode.  All three dolls need sleeping bags.   Well– more like I bought a new sewing machine and  needed to do some straight stitch practice.  And what better way to practice than by making sleeping bags?

First to determine the size of said sleeping bags.  This is an admittedly arbitrary process, at least the way I did it. But I’ll tell you the thought process so you can change if needed – or you can skip right down to How to. . . ..  Either way, you will save you a lot of time.  I figured an 18” doll would need a couple of inches on either end  or 22 inches.   And, more importantly,  my fabric happened to be just that measurement!   How wide to make the sleeping bag?  Hmmm  — dolly’s body is about 7 inches across so multiply that by two for top and bottom – that’s 14”.  She’ll need “uppage” too – add another 7 inches for dolly thickness.  I know she’s not that thick, but it’s a nice round number.  And another few inches for wiggle room.  Hey!  The fabric piece I had in my hand measured 54 inches wide and half of 54 is 27 inches.  I can make two sleeping bags from one 22 inch by 54 inch piece of fabric!  I cut the third bag using different fabric with the same dimensions.

Batting would give it a more realistic look – but make it harder to handle when tucking Molly (or Samantha or Robin) in.  So I decided to use batting only in the lower section.  The top could be folded back to keep the doll’s face uncovered. A pillow would compensate for lacking of padding under the head.  Again the measurement was arbitrary – based totally on the dimension of the fabric I wanted to use for the inside.  It was also 54 inches so it matched that of the outer layer and both were cut in half  – but the other dimension was 18 inches so that became the length of my inside layer and the batting.

How to make sleeping bag:

  • Each sleeping bag outer layer is 27 x 22inches before stitching.
  • Each inside layer was 27 inches by 18 inches before stitching.
  • Batting dimensions equal that of inside layer – 27 inches by 18 inches

Making 18" doll sleeping bag

Making the sleeping bag was much simpler than figuring the dimensions.  Since grain doesn’t matter in this project, lay the 27 x 22 inch fabric out on the table.  Pin the 27 inch side of the inside fabric and batting to the 27 inch end of the outer fabric, right sides together.  Using a one fourth inch seam allowance, stitch together.

Keeping right sides together, fold the entire piece in half.  Pin and stitch both sides, again using one fourth inch seam allowance.

For the bottom straps  Cut dollar store elastic headbands in two equal pieces,  make a loop and place it between the two right sides with the loop upward, before stitching.  I also notched the batting around the ends of the loop so the layers were not so thick.  (I swear I took pictures of that but Yahooti ate them – nowhere to be found!)  You can use grosgrain ribbon to tie or Velcro or omit this altogether, if you like

At the bottom on the side where the straps are located,  stitch halfway across.  Leave the other half open.

Trim corners across on an angle to reduce amount of fabric in corners. Turn so the right side is outward.  Pin the opening closed and top stitch.

18" AG Doll sleeping bags with pillow

Fold the sleeping bag in half.  The dimensions of the folded bag will be approximately 22 inches high and 13 inches wide.

Pin bottom together, right sides facing outward.  Pin sides together, beginning at the bottom corner, about halfway to two thirds of the length of the bag.  Push fabric back toward the bag center to keep seams tight and as thin as possible.  Place pins fairly close together to keep the layers from slipping.  Top stitch, beginning at the fold on the bottom and ending at the opening near the top of the bag.     Done!

Sleeping Bags for 18" AG Dolls with pillow

How to make pillow:

  • Cut one piece of fabric to 8.5 inches by 10 inches.
  • Fold right sides together to form 8.5 by 5 inch rectangle.
  • Stitch one short end and the long end closed.

  • Turn so right sides are out.
  • Cut three layers of batting 8 inches by 5 inches.   More layers = fatter pillow.  Stack layers and slide into pillow case.
  • Fold open edges into pillow and top stitch closed.  I used different decorative stitches on the two pillowcases going to the same household, so they would know which is whose.

 

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Have a joyful day!

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American Girl 18″ Doll Clothes with pattern and tutorial

February 6, 2012 by

18" Doll Clothes from Dollar Store Items -- pattern and tutorial

I walked into the Dollar Store to pick up sandwich  bags.  As I passed a rack of scarves and hats, this teal and lavendar color combination caught my eye.  Hmmmm . . . I also had doll clothes on my mind as there are three little girls on my list that absolutely adore their American Girl and My Generation dolls!  I picked up the bags and returned to the rack of hats and scarves.   An idea had begun to blossom and as I sorted through the offerings, it began to take shape.  A ribbed hat that was pretty stretchy, a big scarf as wide as the doll body and a striped kid’s scarf to tie the colors together.  For only a $3 investment, I decided to see what that nubbin of an idea would turn into!

HAT:  Sorry –I got so wrapped up in making things happen, I forgot to take a picture of it before cutting.  But you get the idea of what it looked like.  The 18 inch dolls have a head that is 12 inches around.   This hat would stretch that far folded flat which meant it was 24 inches around so I knew it would make two hats.  I cut the top of the hat off as shown above, using about 5 and a quarter inches from bottom of hat to make the doll hat.

Knit cap cut to make doll hat

 For the individual hat, I folded the piece in half as shown and then cut the excess off the bottom side so both sides matched.  Then I stitched around the open sides with a straight stitch as a way of basting them together.  This knit was a double layer so I had to be sure I caught all the edges.  Then I zigzagged over the cut edges so the knit would not ravel.  And all done!

SCARF:  From the striped scarf that measured 22 inches by 5 inches, I made two doll scarves.  Fold it half, cut in the middle so you have two 11 inch long pieces, trim the cut ends to match the scarf’s ready made ends and zig zag.  Done in one sentence.

JACKET – CUTTING:    Making the jacket was a little trickier.  The scarf was 8 inches by 54 inches.   I wanted to use the finished edge as the edge of my garment.  I didn’t have a long sleeved jacket in my pattern stash,   but I found a couple of patterns I could alter and mash together.  And then to figure out how to maximize the finished edge.   I began by using the ends and side to form the front of the jacket.

Front of doll jacket made from scarf

Fold the scarf in half, taking care to match the corners (or rounded corner) exactly.   I matched the front edge of the pattern with the long edge of the scarf and the bottom edge of the pattern with the end of the scarf.  Cut out the other two sides — around the neck and shoulders and around the sleeve and side.  Do not cut anything on the bottom or  front of the jacket.

Front of doll jacket

This is what the finished cut will look like.  Note the finished edges do not match the square bottom of the pattern.

 

Fold the scarf as shown and place the back pattern on the fold with the bottom edge on the finished edge of the scarf.

The cut out piece will look like this — note the finished edge on what will become the jacket bottom.

 

Fold scarf again so you can cut two sleeves.  Place pattern so bottom of sleeve is on finished edge of scarf.

JACKET ASSEMBLY:  Match front shoulder seam to back and stitch. Repeat for other side.  Match notches on sleeve to notches on armhole in jacket, placing right sides together.  Gently ease fabric around curve. Repeat for other side.  Beginning at bottom of jacket, place right sides together and stitch a continuous seam to bottom of sleeve.  Repeat for other side.  Turn jacket right side out.  Finish neck by running a zig zag stitch on the edge.

Done.  I cut both jackets out at once — but if you want to be really accurate or don’t want to handle  that many thicknesses at once, you can cut the first and then cut the second one from the second half of the scarf,  following the same sequence as above.  Repeat assembly directions for second jacket.

Two outfits, two hours and three dollars.

Jacket, scarf and hat for any 18″ doll.

Download jacket pattern here.

Have fun — you know the little one who receives this cute outfit will!

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Heated rice bags

January 10, 2012 by

Now that everyone has been gifted their rice bag for Christmas, I can share three more.  A pair of hearts and two others for pure coziness.   Plus a quick how to so you can make as many as you want or need.  I used scraps leftover from other projects and making the two pictured above took less than two hours, including going through the fabric stash, cutting the right size pattern, and making everything.  You can probably do it in less – depending on how often you get side tracked in the fabric stash.  Or am I the only one?

The hearts are  a play on the old saying “cold hands, warm heart.”  I made round hearts to fit in a pocket.  Twenty seconds in the microwave and they hold heat for an hour or more.  Long enough to walk to the bus stop and wait for the bus.  Or to warm up hands that just scraped a windshield while the defroster works on the inside.   Or you can go the opposite direction and keep one in a zip locked sandwich bag in the freezer. It’s the perfect size to mold around little ones for minor bumps and booboos.

Making a rice bag heart   To make:  Cut four hearts and stitch about one fourth inch from the edge around the heart, leaving a one inch opening (where the scissors are in the photo).  Clip all threads and the curved edges as shown to reduce bulk.  Turn so the seam is inside by pulling the fabric through the opening.  Use a rounded blunt edge, like a table knife, to shape the heart from the inside, pushing all seams out.  Press.

 

To fill, make a funnel from a cone of paper and insert into opening.  Filling a rice bag with riceCarefully pour rice in until half full.  The size heart I used took about between half and three quarter cup of uncooked white rice – the cheapest on the store shelf.  You want something that will fit around the contours of your pocket and hand so the rice needs “room to move”.   Slip stitch the opening closed by hand for a finished gift look.

 

The longer one is designed to lie flat while going over both shoulders behind the neck to soothe chronic muscle aches. I chose a tightly woven medium/heavy cotton fabric. I cut it six inches wide — because that was the width of my scrap.  I would not recommend any smaller!   The length was determined by laying a tape measure along the line I wanted the finished rice bag to follow.  Came out to 23 inches so I cut it 24 , because you’ll need a half inch seam allowance for this larger, heavier rice bag.   Place right sides together and sew, using half in seam allowance, around three edges.  Leave one of the short edges open.

How to make a rice bag

Clip corners and turn so the right side of the fabric is now on the outside. Press.  Determine middle of closed narrow end and sew a straight line from there, right down the middle for the full length of the tube.  Stop about one inch from the open end.  Use your paper funnel to add rice to each channel.  I used between one and one and a half cups of rice to fill each channel just over half full.  Holding the open end closed, check to make sure the amount you use will allow the rice bag to mold around the neck and shoulders.   To finish fold the fabric in about half an inch on the open end, pinning to hold it in place.  Sew across the end. About 2 minutes in the microwave for soothing warmth. Optional:    I wanted the rice to be evenly distributed for each use without having to shove it in place.  So I pushed about half the rice in each channel to each end and stitched through the middle the short way as well.  You can see this in the photo at the top. Works great!

Extra Large rice bag with fasteners

Big wrap around is designed to fasten on an arm or a leg – or to make a muff to warm cold hands!   When open flat, it’s heavy enough to  stay in place and warm if laid  across the lap under a blanket or coat — say for football game or other chilly activity.

This one has four channels.  Three are full of rice.  The fourth smaller channel is designed to overlap the first channel, keeping the heat in and providing a sturdy place for tugging to open the hook and loop fasteners.  I used a fat quarter  — 18″ x 21″.  Sew two loop portions of fasteners on one 18″ end, referring to photo for placement.  Fold in half the long way, right sides together.  Stitch the two shorter open ends with a half inch seam allowance and turn.  Fold fabric in quarters and mark the fold with a pin on the closed length.  Reopen and stitch at the quarter mark from long fold to open end, forming the channels that will hold the rice.  Stop about an inch from the open end.  Fill three pockets, including the one on which the loop fastener is stitched, just over half full with rice.  Tuck open ends in and stitch closed.  Add hook portion of fasteners to unfilled channel, again referring to photo for placement and making sure to align with loop fasteners already sew in place.  Done!  Start with 2 minutes in the microwave and adjust time from there, if necessary to achieve coziness.

If you’d like to see another version with accompanying fleece cover, here is the one I made for my sister (and that inspired these!)  These ought to get us through a cold winter!

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Christmas Gifts for kids – DIY

December 5, 2011 by

Great companion activity to The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle!    Create items from felt for each thing the very hungry caterpillar ate,  sew buttons on either end of a ribbon, cut a slit in each of the foods so kids can link all the foods together on the ribbon.   Homemade This and That has a tutorial with easy to follow pictures!

Cute bacon and eggs — can almost smell that bacon!  Made from felt for little ones — and not so little ones too!  Printable patterns are included.  Created by Tonia, you can find it at The Gunny Sack!  For a complete breakfast, Tonia also has a tutorial for pancakes  here.

I know some little boys that are really, really into snakes.  Who knows why kids develop such interests???  They would love getting one of these.  Find a  patterned tie in dad’s closet or the thrift store and make some slithering buddies!  You can find the tutorial at Make and Takes.

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