Homemade Christmas #5: Baby Doll Quilts

Did you think I had forgotten about my homemade Christmas series? Never fear, here's another idea for you:



Yesterday I posted about the rag quilt throw I made with these fabrics (upcycled flannel receiving blankets), and I had 12 squares leftover. They were too pretty to just throw in the scrap bin, so I had the idea to make doll quilts with them.



Sure enough, six of these (8") squares sewn together are the perfect size for a baby doll quilt! I gave one to my daughter for Christmas, and the other is going to another girl that loves her dolls, too.

Flannel Receiving Blankets to Rag Quilt

While we were visiting family for Thanksgiving, I stumbled upon a whole collection of pink flannel receiving blankets at Goodwill. I'm not the greatest at mixing and matching patterns, but this was a no-brainer since it was done for me. I was so excited to make this rag quilt!



I used eight receiving blankets and a few scraps of off-white flannel (upcycled sheets) that I had on hand to make this. The squares are 8" before sewing and 7" after sewing (1/2" seams). This way, I was able to get two rag quilt throws out of those eight receiving blankets.

This is one of my favorite rag quilts to date, probably because it's so soft and feminine and full of patterns that somehow work together. :) Enjoy!

Another Rag Quilt Purse

I've had this purse done for awhile now, but I just recently boxed it up to send to my Secret Sister for Christmas - and realized that I hadn't shared it on my blog yet.



Don't you just love the fun fabrics? They are from the Absolutely Cotton line at Hancock's. The lady at the fabric counter said that "everyone" was buying this fabric, so I guess I picked a winner! :)

Masculine Rag Quilt Throw

I've been in the mood to sew (in case you can't tell), and I've been whipping up rag quilt throws about as fast as I can think of them. My plan is to give these as gifts to our nieces and nephews this year, since they all loved the ones they've seen so far.

This particular rag quilt throw is dear to my heart, though, because it's made from 100% reclaimed materials (i.e. materials that would otherwise have been thrown away). Not only that, but it turned out awesome ... and it can be used for a guy (which is terribly difficult for me) ... and it's all cotton.



For this throw, I used clothing that was ripped, stained and headed for the trash can. First I tore off all the buttons and separating zippers, then I cut 5" squares out of the remaining usable fabric. There are cotton canvas, (lightweight) corduroy, flannels and denims in this quilt. Since all the clothes I cut up for it were from guys, I figured it was a likely candidate for a nephew's gift.



I used 1/2" seams on this one, and I doubt I'll be doing anything else from now on. It's the perfect seam, since it's not so big that it blurs the fabrics.

I have enough squares leftover to do another one just like it (or at least similar)! I'll post that one, too, when I do it.

One word of caution: If you intend to try a similar project, keep in mind that denims (and apparently corduroys and flannels) shed like crazy when you wash and dry them. That's great, though, because that was the look I was after.

I cleaned out my lint trap on the dryer halfway through the drying cycle and at the end, and it was completely full each time. This is one that you don't want to just throw in the dryer the first time and walk away for a few hours. (After the first washing, it doesn't shed as bad.)

I've heard of people mentioning this about regular rag quilts, but this is the first one that shed that much for me. I hope that helps someone else!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday surrounded by the people you love most!

I have a few more homemade Christmas gift ideas, but I wanted to wait to share them because my kids know how to access my blog through my computer. They love to scroll through it, and they've already stumbled across a few of their gifts that I posted (accidentally, because I forgot I posted about them).

So, beginning on Monday, I'll share a few more of my homemade Christmas ideas. I know it's a bit late for this year (unless you're doing a gift exchange after Christmas), but it will be a good reference for next year, or even for birthdays throughout the year.

In the meantime, enjoy your holiday weekend!

Homemade Christmas #4: Homemade Sewing Kits

I helped my mom and sister put together some gifts this year, and my niece got several of the homemade things. She's going to love them!

She is nine years old, but she's already wanting to learn to sew and cook and whatnot. To capitalize on that (and make things a little easier for my sister), I decided to put together some sewing kits for gifts.



This first kit is a doll quilt kit. The idea is to learn to hand quilt with this. In the package are a length of quilt-look fabric (no seams), the same size fleece (in place of batting), and the same size muslin (for the backing). I also included a 3x5" card with basic instructions, and there's a nice-sized hand quilting hoop that's going with it. (I got a good deal on four or five of them for $5 at Salvation Army awhile back. I needed the quilting stand, but the other ones were just sitting here as extras.)

My sister quilts, so there are lots of needles and hand quilting thread on hand. If you want to do something similar in a family that doesn't quilt, I would suggest you add a card of hand quilting needles and a spool of hand quilting thread.

She is getting two of these kits - one for her and one to give as a gift to her little sister. This niece loves to give gifts, almost more than she likes to receive them. (Yes, she's a gem!) :)




Here is a fairly simple beginning sewing project - a rag quilt purse kit. I pre-cut all the squares of fabric and fleece. She will follow the instructions I enclosed to sew it all together.

If you're using a strong color, you might consider adding a spool of matching thread to this gift. For the fabrics I chose, white will work just fine, so I didn't bother including any.



Lastly, here is a pillowcase apron kit. All I had to do for this one was print out a tutorial I found online and include a nice, bright pillowcase from my stash. That was easy!

I had a whole file full of ideas for kits to give her, but I ran out of time. Perhaps I'll make them as kits for her birthday or next Christmas.

Homemade Christmas #3: Filling An 18" Doll Suitcase

My niece has two 18" dolls (not American Girl brand, but a good quality and loved nonetheless). Her mother (my sister) tells me that she has to hide the dolls from her youngest brother, who loves to undo their hairdos - and worse. Hopefully this homemade gift will encourage her to get out those dolls and play with them - and then find a good, secure hiding place for them! :)




[Please excuse the crooked iron-on teddy bear applique. It skewed as I flipped it to finish ironing it, and I didn't notice until it was permanently stuck on.]
I ran across some baby long-sleeve t-shirts at Dollar Tree last week, just in time to make this gift for the cousins' gift exchange. I got the smallest size shirts I could find (6-9 months) and altered them to fit the dolls.


Basically, I took it in about 2" total around the neck and hemmed the sleeves and body 2", as well. It fits nicely that way.



I also added a decoration to each of the plain shirts. They were appliques I've had sitting around since my oldest nephew was a baby (and he's now 16). They worked perfectly with these shirts!
Let's face it - these aren't the best quality shirts and wouldn't hold up to a real baby wearing them. But 18" dolls tend to be pretty easy on their clothes, and my niece in particular is very careful with her dolls. They should have a nice, long life at her house.

But that's not the end of my gift ...



I also made a denim skirt (elastic waist) for the same dolls, out of the bottom of one of my husband's old jean legs. Since it's already hemmed at the bottom, all I had to do was cut it to the right length, sew a simple casing, and insert the elastic.

But I'm sure you've noticed the packaging, right?



How's this for a neat package? It doubles as a suitcase for the 18" doll! See how perfect it is size-wise:



(This is my model that I keep on hand to fit clothes to my niece's dolls.)

I got this cute suitcase at Goodwill a few months ago for $0.40. At the time, I didn't know exactly what I would do with it, but I like to collect cute gift containers like this. I always end up using them for something or other.

For some reason, I went looking through my stash of gift packaging and found this. That's when I realized how perfect it was for an 18" doll's suitcase.

Since I have no idea where this originally came from, you can always substitute smallish lunchbox-style tins they sell at Dollar Tree. They're about the same size and would give the same effect, even though they are made of tin.

My total cost for this project: $3.40 (plus a little bit of time and basic sewing supplies).

Homemade Christmas #2: Updated Aprons

Do you remember the red gingham aprons I made from a queen-size bed sheet? I was going to add decorative panels to the bibs before I called them complete. Well, I have two of them all done now, so I thought I'd show them to you.



This first one is going to my mother-in-law for Christmas.



I think the decorative panels add the perfect finishing touch. I liked them before, but I love them now that I've added the panels.



This one is going to my sister-in-law, who has a birthday a few days after the new year. She loves to cook, so I hope she likes her apron. This panel says, "The rooster may crow, but the hen delivers the goods." :)

These aprons cost me less than $1 each to make them, so they're a great gift idea for someone whose finances are tight.

Homemade Christmas #1: Elegant Candleholder

Once again, I'm making a lot of my gifts this year. I've had a lot of help from people online who've figured some of these things out, so I'll link to them as I use their projects.

This first project is one you might recognize:



I made this as a thank you gift for the lady who was my Secret Sister from church. It's pretty tall, about 18". The best part? I paid about $2.25 for everything to make it, except the E6000 glue which goes a very long way. (I had it on hand already.)

I got the base at my favorite thrift store for $0.25, the glass part at a yard sale for $0.50, the candle on clearance at Michaels for $1, and the river rocks at Dollar Tree for $0.50 (I used half a package). I've had the ribbon for awhile now and already used a bunch of it, but I do know that it originally came from Dollar Tree.

The concept is simple: combine a candlestick (or other footed pedestal) with a glass candleholder to make an elegant candlestick/hurricane holder. There is a great video tutorial on Dollar Store Crafts, if you need a visual.

My Big Sheet Project

Here it is:



... my first completed, full-size quilt!

I can't tell you how proud I am of myself to have finally finished a project this big. :) I'm a little too impatient (I'm working on that!), and over the years have started too many "big" projects only to have them fizzle out halfway through because they were so much harder than I thought they were going to be.

I love quilts, but I don't have the patience to hand quilt. It takes too long, and I lose interest over the span of one month on one project. So once I discovered machine quilting (especially rag quilting), I knew I had found something I could enjoy. It's quick and easy, and it involves a sewing machine instead of a thimble. (I've been sewing for years, but I just cannot get used to a thimble, so my fingers get raw when I try to hand quilt.)

Making the leap to a bed-sized quilt was a major one for me, and I researched it thoroughly. I really wanted a pieced quilt, but I wasn't sure if it would work with rag quilting. So I searched all over the Internet and found out that you can rag quilt about anything you want to ... so I did.




The nine-patch design is one of my all-time favorites, even though it's one of the simplest. Each block is 12" before sewing the blocks together, and it took 28 of each square - pieced and regular - for a queen-size quilt.



I pieced and quilted the blocks first, since I knew I could fit a 12" block through my machine without a lot of frustration. (I know you can quilt an entire quilt when it's put together on a machine, but I don't like wrestling with the weight of such a big quilt and having to rearrange it every time you turn around.)



Then I quilted the "plain" blocks. I was pretty proud of how they turned out, too, since I don't have a walking foot for my machine (yet), and those hearts turned out pretty good. :) For my heart pattern, I used my Creative Memories CCS hearts to cut a piece of paper as big as I wanted the hearts. Then I added Aleene's Tack It Over and Over to the back. Once it was dry, I just stuck it down on the block where I wanted it and then stitched around it.

I will be getting a walking foot/even feed foot for my machine, though, as soon as I hear back from the Ebay seller about which one will fit my machine. I ended up with some uneven feeding on the top and bottom, but it all worked out once it was sewn together.

Of course, I sewed the squares together in the rag style, leaving exposed edges on top. It turned out surprisingly well! Not only that, but it was super-easy to clip the seams. It was even easier than the purses I've made, probably because the fabric is a little thinner.

I had another idea in mind for the outside edges of the quilt, but it just didn't look right. When my friend saw it, she suggested I turn it in on itself again to create a traditional-looking binding. What a great idea!! It worked wonderfully.

I don't remember exactly which day last week I started working on this, so I can't say for certain how long it took me. But I do know it was less than five days, from cutting out to washing the completed quilt. That's not bad for a week that was pretty busy for us!

So, how much money is wrapped up in this quilt? How about $9, not including the thread (which was less than $3, since I still have plenty leftover). That's the beauty of using thrifted sheets and a thrifted blanket (in place of batting)!

Thrifted Sheets Project: Aprons #2

Yesterday I showed you the gingham aprons I made from a queen-size bedsheet. Well, today I'm going to show you the really pretty lavender ones I made. This sheet was even softer than the red gingham, and I love the way it drapes!



Here's another view of the back:



I was a little more careful in tying this one, so hopefully you can see the details of how it's tied a little better.

Again, I got three of these out of one queen-size bedsheet. I'm keeping one of these for myself, too, and I think the rest will be going into my gift stash.

Enjoy! :)

Thrifted Sheets Project: Aprons #1

Do you remember the lovely red gingham sheets I found at a thrift store last week? Well, I always think of kitchens and country when I see gingham. I am in love with ginghams! So my first thought was to make an apron with it.

I searched on Etsy to see what kinds of aprons were out there, just to get an idea of how I wanted to make mine ... and I found the exact apron I was looking for. It was even made from a sheet, too!

The only problem was that I didn't have the pattern, and it didn't list one as being used (obviously). So I sat down with a calculator and my brain and figured it out. :)

Here is the finished product:



It's a bib-style apron with a full skirt, pockets, and a tie closure. But take a look at this closure:



Isn't it cool? No D-rings, no bias tape, nothing of the sort. It's 60" long ties that get threaded through loops on the waistband to make it custom-fitted to almost any size.

I say "almost any size" because the size of the waistband does make a difference. I made the first waistband 28", and there was just no adjusting it to my petite figure. It would fit my mother or mother-in-law perfectly, though, so I'm setting that one aside for my mother-in-law for Christmas. On the second apron, I adjusted the waist to 25" (before sewing, so it's smaller than that finished), and it worked perfectly.

All together, I was able to make three of these aprons from one queen-size flat sheet. I was pretty happy!

I have appliques to add to the bibs, but I haven't gotten them added just yet. (I'm knee-deep in another sheet project that I want to make sure gets finished first.) I'll share pictures of the decorated bibs when I finish them!

I hope this has inspired you to take a fresh look at sheets ... and to try your hand at designing a few patterns. If it doesn't have sleeves or armholes, every pattern is just a matter of squares and rectangles and a healthy dose of math. :)

I Challenge You Wednesday: Shaped Cards

This challenge has been a few weeks in the making, thanks to my friend's revival and our vacation, but it was a good one - shaped cards. I always admire shaped cards, but I rarely think to make them.

As soon as she told me the challenge, I started thinking about what I would make. This is the first idea that came to me:



Supplies: paper (GP); ink (BIC Mark-Its); Martha Stewart daisy chipboard coaster; iridescent Stickles; Nestabilities Scallop Circle Large.

This card base uses the largest of the Nestabilities Scallop Circles Large. It comes out around 4" all around.

I've had these chipboard daisy coasters for over a year now. I really love them, but they're pretty big so they don't fit a lot of the projects I make. However, this was the perfect way to show one off. I simply outlined the petal details with my Ultra Fine Yellow Blaze BIC Mark-It and added iridescent Stickles to the center.



To jazz up the inside a little bit, I added a smaller scallop circle in a coordinating yellow. I haven't stamped a sentiment yet, simply because this could be used for a get well, thinking of you, or birthday card. I'll stamp the sentiment when I know what I need it for.



Supplies: paper (ATG print, GP cardstock); Nestabilities Scallop Circle Large; silk flowers.

This one is similar, and I only thought of it because I have the daisy coasters stored with my large silk flowers that I've taken apart for cards.

Again, these large daisies are so large that they don't always work for a lot of my projects. This, however, is a perfect way to showcase those lovely large daisies. I've used components from two different silk flowers on this one - a yellow and a pink.

I added the background print so that the card base didn't look so stark, and I like the fun feel the polka dots give to it.



This one is plain on the inside, but here you can see the shape of the card base. Again, I'll be adding a sentiment when I use the card.

That's all for me this week. Now you can go see what my friend came up with. Enjoy!

Rag Quilt Throws

A friend of ours recently gave me a cute twin-size flannel sheet set of penguins ice skating, skiing and sled riding. Unfortunately, my kids don't like flannel sheets on the bed, though. So I thought up the idea of making two rag quilt throws for them instead. (For some reason, they love blankets to cuddle up with.)

I cut up both the fitted and flat sheet to get enough 6" squares for two of these throws. I also added in a thrifted white flannel sheet set that I got for $4. Once you add in the fleece I used in place of batting, I have around $10 in both of the throws put together. Not bad for really cute throws that my kids love to pieces!

We were on vacation last week, and these were the projects I took along. I love to sew rag quilts, so this was a great vacation project. It was relaxing and fun - and profitable, too!

A few minor details, in case you're wondering ...

The squares were cut at 6". The seams are sewn at 1", making the finished squares 4". It really "cuts into" the finished size of the throw, but those fluffy edges are worth it!

In case you're like me and forget, save yourself a lot of cutting time and simply rip sheets to the desired size. I had a real "duh" moment when I remembered that. Let me tell you, it shortened my cutting time by at least a half hour for the white flannel sheets! All I did was make a small snip every 6". Then I went back and ripped, and it was perfectly sized.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. This was a lot of fun! :)

Black and White Basics Rag Quilt Purse

And here's yet another rag quilt purse I have up in my shop. Obviously, I had a blast making these because I couldn't seem to stop.

I love gingham and thought about pairing this with black, but I chose white for this one instead. Since I have quite a bit of the gingham fabric left, I may just make one with black in the future.



If this looks like your kind of bag, you can buy it from my shop for $15 plus $4.95 Priority Mail shipping, but for today ONLY I'm offering free shipping on this purse only. If the free shipping doesn't show up on your Etsy bill, I'll adjust it. (I'm learning as I go with Etsy, so please bear with me.) :)

If you want to give it as a gift, remember that I am happy to ship directly to the recipient (with a personalized note) to save you extra shipping.

Chocolate and Pink Polka 'n Plaids Rag Quilt Purse

I'll be honest: I've never been a huge fan of brown, so I've always been reluctant to pair pink with it. But when I saw these cotton flannels, I fell in love! You can find this purse in my Etsy shop, too.



Isn't it so fun that we get to pair things like polka dots and plaids on purses when we would never, ever wear them together as an outfit? ;) Have you ever wondered what the difference is? Just something I thought about as I designed a few of these purses ...

Have you noticed the somewhat-shaped edges of the fabrics on these last few purses? I got to wondering if pinking shears would give the same effect as the scalloped square Sizzix die that I can't seem to find anywhere. So I tried it, and it works! You do have to remember to clip the seams, though, since that's what really makes it rag.

To get technical, you probably don't even need shaped edges and it probably won't be noticeable once the bag is washed several times, but it's a neat effect in the meantime. :)

If you'd like this purse, it's available on Etsy for $15 plus $4.95 Priority Mail shipping, but for today ONLY I'm offering free shipping on this purse only.

And as always, I'm happy to ship directly to the recipient (with a personalized note) to save you extra shipping.

Red and Black Houndstooth and Roses Rag Quilt Purse

Have you seen this purse in my Etsy shop? It's one of my personal favorites. I could easily see myself using this one, and to be honest, I was tempted to keep it for myself. But since I really don't need about 20 new purses, I listed it. :)



This one is made from two different 100% cotton fabrics and a black fleece (for the quilted part). As you can see, I made a little change on this one by using black grosgrain ribbon for the closure. I really like how it turned out, and it's so easy to hook around that huge red button. (Don't you just love that button?!?)



Inside, I put another large pocket to help organize your things.



And there are two pockets on the sides (outside) that are great to hold things like cell phones.

Again, this would be a perfect Christmas gift for some lady on your list. The price is right at just $15 plus $4.95 Priority Mail shipping, but for today ONLY I'm offering free shipping on this purse only. If the free shipping doesn't show up on your Etsy bill, I'll adjust it. (I'm learning as I go with Etsy, so please bear with me.) :)

I'm always happy to ship directly to the recipient (with a personalized note) to save you extra shipping.