Monthly Archives: February 2015

Boy’s Hooded Sweatshirt by Shwin and Shwin

Posted in Sewing by

boys hoodie

The weather outside is currently a balmy 0 degrees, so it’s the perfect time to stay inside and sew. I ran across this fantastic tutorial at http://shwinandshwin.com/2014/09/boys-hooded-sweatshirt-free-pdf-pattern for a boy or girls hooded sweatshirt in a size 8 which works for both my boys. I sometimes struggle to find fun clothes patterns for boys. I can only make them so many pillowcases and jammie pants.

back to back

This was a great tutorial and the pattern was very easy to follow. The sweatshirts went together really fast. The only thing that I will do different when I make this pattern again for my oldest son who is a size 8,  is add a couple of inches to the bottom and about an 1 inch or so on the sleeves.brayden

I love that my boys still get excited about things I make for them.

-Mandy

Valentines Day Love Pillow Tutorial

Posted in Tutorials by

love no frame

Valentines Day is only a couple days away so I thought I should get with the program and finally get my Valentines stuff out. The boys are getting excited for their school parties this week. Oh what a joy it was to have each of them write 25-30 Valentines Day cards for their friends, I find this a little stressful when a 4 year old that has to write his name 25 times.

Heres a tutorial on the envelope pillow (no zippers needed)  I made, I love how it turned out.

IMG_7784

Supplies:

  • 16″x16″ Pillow Form
  • 1/2 Yard Fabric ( I used Enchant Bird in Pink- Riley Blake which can be purchased www.etsy.com/shop/SewOnTheEdge)
  • 1 3/4 Yard Ric Rac
  • Coordinating Thread
  • Pins
  • Marking Pen
  • Scissors/Rotary Cutter

IMG_7770

Cut your fabric

1 –  17″x17″

2 – 11.5″x17″

back

Take your 11.5″x17″ pieces and fold in 1/2 ” on the each of the 17″sides and press.  Makes sure that if your pattern is directional that you do opposite sides so they line up like above. Then fold over again 1/2″ and press to hide your edges.

IMG_7781    back sew

Top stitch using a 3/8 seam allowance on both sides.

love word

Using your disappearing ink marking pen,write the word Love across the pillow. Make sure that your start and finish is 2″ away from your edges.

img_7790     love allpin

Start your ric rac by folding over the edge at the start of your word. Then follow your ink line with the ric rac pining as you go. When you get to the end, fold over the edge.

IMG_7795     IMG_7797

Slowly sew your ric rac in the middle,  making sure to back stitch at the start and finish.

IMG_7798    img_7800

Lay your 17″x17″ square with the word Love facing up. Take one of your back pieces and line it up with the side of pillow as show in above photo. Take your other back piece and lay it over the first back piece so that your finished seams overlap. Pin all the way around pillow.

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Sew around the pillow using a 3/8″ seam. I like to curve my corners but you don’t have to.

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Clip the corners.

love no frame

Turn right side out and press. Then put it over your pillow form and enjoy.

Think of all the pillows you could make,  yours kids name,  a wedding gift with the last name of the bride and groom, or the word Lucky for St. Patricks Day!

Hope you have a great Valentines Day.

-Mandy

Grandmas Aprons

Posted in Family, Sewing by

My grandma recently went into an assisted living facility, at the time she was still living on the family farm at 91. However, she needs more help through-out her day, and the assisted living facility has been great with her care and also for her social life. Prior to her going into the living facility my mom and aunt went through her cupboards with her. This has resulted in several tables full of treasures that she wanted us grandchildren to go through and take what we wanted. Ok, lets be real honest there were some things on that table that should have been thrown away in the 70’s. But, I did manage to find a few real treasures.  I found a silver cake stand that someone had giving my grandparents on their wedding day and another silver plate that someone had given my great-grandparents on their 25th anniversary. Both were covered in tarnish, but nothing that a little time on Pinterest could not help me with.

Grandparents Silver Cake Stand

Grandparents Silver Cake Stand

But, what I was most excited about was a bag full of aprons. Aprons were stored in an old bread bag..my grandma was thrifty and eco-friendly before it was the cool thing to do.

When I got home and had time to really look at the aprons,  I was blown away at the precision and details that she had when making these aprons. I can just picture her wearing these with the ladies from church serving one of the many dinners after the church service.  Growing up, I can hardly ever remember her wearing something that she did not make. She had the mentality if she wanted something new to wear, she made it and her sewing skills are proof of that.

Looking at the aprons takes me back to days when I would go to her house to make a sewing project for 4-H. At the time, it was more of a chore and I am sure that I was not the best student. I was to busy with my friends to want to sew. Now that I am older,  I can look back and appreciate the sewing skills that she taught me. There are days when I sit down at my sewing machine and think about her and some of the projects that we made. Those are memories that I will forever cherish, and I hope that someday I can have a fraction of the skills she had with a needle and thread.

After much thought to what I was going to do with the aprons, I finally decided that that they would look great over my kitchen sink as my new curtains. Right now I have them on a tension rod, I am trying to not make to many holes in the walls since we are going to put our house up for sale this spring/summer. I love that I get to see them every time I walk into the kitchen.

Grandma's Aprons

Do you have sewing memories for your mom or grandma?Or special things they have sewn for you?

-Mandy