Boogie Board Writing Tablet Cover

 

 Have you seen these Boogie Boards?   They are LCD writing tablets.  I think they are pretty cool.  They are perfect for jotting down math problems or just doodling.  I kind of want one for myself. : )We got one for my niece for her birthday.  It seemed kind of boring on its own, so I decided to make a case for it.  I used an old hard back book and covered it with fabric.  I did take photos so if anyone is interested just leave a comment and I will get a tutorial together.

 

Here's the front. 

 

and the back.
 

Anyone else been up to anything crafty?

Chevron Maxi Skirt

 

I made this skirt several weeks ago, but never could find the time to photograph it.  Well, I had a nice post planned for today so that you guys wouldn't think that I had given up on blogging.  Then at the last minute it fell through.  I am still hoping to have it up in the next few weeks, but we will see.   I decided to wear the skirt this morning and have some quick photos snapped, so that I would have something to share here.  Miller took these photos for me and I didn't realize I looked so mad until I uploaded them onto the computer. 

 

Anyways, back to the skirt.  I have had this fabric in my stash for at least 2 years maybe even longer.  I finally decided it was time to use it.  I followed this tutorial and had the skirt finished in an evening.  I didn't have quite enough fabric to make an extra wide waistband.  I might end up adding some elastic to the waistband because it is starts getting droopy by the end of the day. 
 

We have been working on the former TV room.  We decided to make it into a playroom for the kids.  We painted the walls, trim, and ceiling last weekend.  So now we just need to get a rug and some window treatments.  Then decide which furniture is staying and what is going.  The plan is to have a garage sale this weekend.  If we can get rid of some of the stuff cluttering up my house maybe I can FINALLY have my house looking half way put together. 

RH Baby and Child Inspired Tie Quilt

One of my friends is having a baby in a couple of months.  She is registered and Restoration Hardware Baby and Child.  After taking a peak at her registry, I knew I wanted to make her a blanket that matches the items she registered for at RH Baby and Child.  I was inspired by this quilt.

 

This blanket was so easy to make.  I used 1.5 yards of each fabric, so I didn't have to cut the fabric at all.  The top is kona cotton and the backing is a blue and off white striped ticking. I used a high loft batting, which makes the blanket really fluffy.

I marked where I wanted to tie with safety pins.  Then tied it off using these instructions. The finished blanket measures 42" x 52".

I love the simplicity of the quilt.  I kind of want one for myself now.

 

Reusable Lunch Tote

I was in desperate need of a new lunch bag to bring to work.  I have been looking for months and just couldn't find anything that I thought would fit my needs.  So I decided to make myself a lunch tote.  Now I can fit everything that I need and more into my lunch bag.

I used my Easy Teacher Tote Tutorial, but increased the size of the bag to make it roomier.

Here are the measurements I used:

4 Pocket Pieces-  8" x  9"

2 Exterior Pieces (home dec fabric)- 18" x 13.5"

2 Bottom Pieces (canvas)- 18" x 6"

2 Lining Pieces (canvas)- 18" x 19"

2 Pieces of Insul-Bright- 18" x 19"

I added a loop of elastic and button to keep everything inside cold and secure. When I boxed the corners, I measured in 4 inches instead of 2 inches to make the bag wider at the bottom.

Next time I might add a zipper and make the straps longer, but overall I am happy with the way it turned out.

 

 

Ric Rac Baby Blanket

I actually did a tiny bit of sewing this weekend.  I made a baby blanket for a friend. I used this tutorial, but I used cotton and minky for the back.

The minky I bought is SO soft.  Both of my kids had a fit over this blanket.

It is a really simple blanket and came together really quickly.

I would say I spent a total of one hour start to finish.  That's my kind of project!!  I think the rounded corners and ric rac add a nice touch.

It was nice to finish something, since it seems like our home projects are never ending right now.  I am not going to have a kitchen update this week.  I think I am going to hold off until it is complete, since we are just putting the finishing touches on.

Brownie Stitch It Patch Sewing Kit

I did something crafty last week.  Woohoo.  Last week I helped Harper's Brownie troop with a sewing project.  They are working on their Stitch It Patch, so I came up with the idea to have the girls sew a simple bag on the sewing machine.  The bag then could be used to hold sewing supplies.  At the end of the meeting each girl would leave with a sewing kit. 

I was a little nervous about teaching them to sew on the sewing machine, but they all did great.  I cut all the fabric and twill tape ahead of time to make it easier.

 

I just used supplies I already had at home, except for the scissors.  I also brought my sizzix and a bunch of felt so that they could cut out shapes to make flowers.  They loved cutting all the felt pieces.  It also put a good dent in my felt stash, which was nice.

All the little items fit perfectly in this little altoid tin.

My mom had a stash of them and she was nice enough to donate them for the project.

I let them pick some buttons and pins from my stash along with some needles and safety pins.

Everything fit neatly into their bag.  I think the girls enjoyed the project.  It did get a little chaotic, but overall I would call it a success.

One of the little girls used the felt to make a flower and sewed it to the front of the bag.  It was very sweet.  Hopefully some of them will be inspired to create some more wonderful things.

 

Happy Valentine's Day

We got the idea here for Harper's valentine.  I uploaded the photo to picnik and let Harper make the decisions on the processing.  She loved how it turned out.

We used this tutorial for the Angry birds.  These things took forever to put together, but as you can see from the photo Miller did most of the work.

This owl has nothing to do with Valentine's Day.  I made her last week to go with the baby quilt.  I took photos so I can provide a tutorial.  I just need to scan and upload the pattern pieces.  Hopefully I will have something up in the next few days.  

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Christmas Craftiness

I kept it very low key this year for Christmas, but I did manage to sew this Super Hero Cape for my nephew.  It is reversible.  The other side is Batman.   I did not get any photos before I wrapped it up, so here are a few action shots.

 

 

I also put together a doctor's kit for my niece.  I made the casts using felt.  Then I purchased a bunch of medical supplies.  I found a real stethoscope on Amazon.com for $5.  I also printed off some x-rays.  I had fun putting it all together.

 

 

I also managed to make Miller the Angry Birds game.  Mitch and I painted all the rocks and then paired them with a slingshot.  He loved them.

 

 

Here's an action shot.

That was all the craftiness I could muster this year. 

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!!

Super Easy Reusable Snack Bag Tutorial

My snack bag tutorial shows you how to make a reusuable snack bag using one piece of fabric. 

Here's what you will need:

scrap fabric- 6.5" x 28 inches or 26" x 7" (depending on what size scrap you have)

velcro

sewing machine

Here is the piece that is 6.5" x 28"

 

This piece is 7" x 26"

Once you have your piece cut out, fold it in half with right sides facing.

 

 

Sew around the edges leaving a hole for turning.

 

Turn right side out.  Topstitch the side to close the opening.

 

Cut a piece of velcro 6 inches long.  Place one side of the velcro at the top of one side and the other piece on the other side.  Like the photo below.  Pin and sew in place.

 

This is what it will look like if you use a 7" x 26" piece.

 

Place the velcro pieces together.

 

 

Then topstitch the sides and bottom.

 

That's it.  You are done. 

 

I have been using the bags to send snacks to school for the kids.  You can just turn them inside out to brush off the crumbs or throw it in the wash.  Now I just need to make more in various sizes

If you decide to make a snack bag using my tutorial, make sure to add a photo to my flickr pool.