Clementine Crate Doll Bed - TUTORIAL

This time of year, we eat a lot of clementines.  As a result, we end up with a lot of clementine crates.  I can't stand the thought of throwing them away, so they end up kind of piling up.  So, I decided to make a few into some play doll (or in our case stuffed animal) beds.  Neither of my kids really care for dolls, but they love to play school and sleepover with their stuffed animals.

This was a fun project to do with my son on a rainy day.  First we sanded some of the rough spots and tried to smooth out some spots with leftover glue from the labels.  Then we painted.  I used a primer/paint/sealer in one that we had from a previous project.

After a couple coats, the previous print is pretty well covered.

I cut some 3/4 inch thick foam to fit in the bottom and made a cover.

I cut the same shape as the foam, with a 1/2 inch seam allowance added.  For the back side, I cut 2 pieces a bit longer than 1/2 width so I could overlap them and have an opening, in case I needed to wash the cover.

For each of the shorter, back pieces, fold the long edge over 1/2 inch and topstitch.

With right sides together, pin the 2 back pieces to the front, overlapping.  Sew around all sides with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Turn to the right side, iron, and work the foam into place.

I added a little pillow and blanket.

The kids added the stuffed animals.

These came out so cute, I'm going to be pushing the clementines even more, just to get the crates!

Race Tee Refashion

Yesterday I ran a road race.  I don't run a lot of races, but enough to end up with a drawer full of cotton race tees that I almost never wear.  They are usually too big and boxy for my taste.  As we're driving back from the race my husband says "I bet you could fix up your shirt".  Huh, why didn't I ever think of that before?

I'll apologize in advance, these photos were an afterthought, so they're not my best.

So I sat down and experimented.  First, I deconstructed my shirt. 

 Then I used a pattern I traced from a favorite tee I have, and re-cut the shirt.

 I reassembled the shirt with a new trim around the neck and sleeves.  Now I have a tee I'll actually wear! I did the yellow one first and had some technical difficulties.  I had to redo the neck a few times and ended up cutting into the printed part.

I also learned you should not iron over the print.  It will melt and stick to your iron and make a big mess.

 

I dug out one of my older race shirts and this time, took my time, rather than racing through it, so to speak.  Much better the second time.

 Often times my sewing, like my running is less than perfect.  But, I find if I take my time and try not focus so much on the finish line, I end up with a result I'm happy with.

Here's to being less than perfect, but perfectly happy nonetheless. 

A Vest for the Boy

The fall weather is in full swing and the kids and I have been decked out in our vests. My son has been wearing this old vest that is a hand-me-down from his sister and really starting to be too small......but I LOVE it!


So, since the vest I made for my daughter was such a success, I decided to try my hand at a boy's vest. This posed a challenge since the one thing I avoid like the plague is sewing zippers.

I had this old blanket I'd found when cleaning out a closet. Yes, we had a Patriots blanket for our babies.....yes, we love football.....


And here's what it became....


I don't love the way this came out, it's okay. It's been worn and it's functional, but not exactly what I was going for. Oh well....sewing for boys is sometimes harder than it should be.