DIY Trellis

Mr. C is totally motivated to get our garden going again. He just got to read his Mother Earth magazine this week and was very excited about the trellis made of sticks from the yard and we definitely have plenty of sticks laying around.

Isn't he just so sexy?! I just love it when he's being green. :-) Working on our garden and doing it with little impact. A man after my own heart.

We had our 2 kids + 3 more this week and Mr. C decided to do it that day, he took all 5 kids on a little hike down our very steep hill and collected all the sticks he needed for the trellis.

Here is the finished trellis. This box will hopefully grow snow peas. We will see in about a month.

Don't you just love all the weeds around the outside. That was my brilliant idea to grow alfalfa as a cover crop. That stuff sure was a pain! Oh well, you live, you learn.

Kristen

Nursing Covers

Here are some of my lovely nursing covers.

Do you remember that lovely fabric I got this weekend? Well, I got right to work making nursing covers and snack packs.

I'm hoping to do a boutique this year. Right now the snack packs are more girly, don't worry I'm making boy ones too. We just only have boy ones in the house so I thought I'd make a bunch of girly ones.

Kristen

Checkers anyone?

I have been trying to spend some one on one time with C each day. I was thinking it was going to be homework during nap, but so far there hasn't been any. So, I thought it would be fun to have some old fashion games.

C really wanted Connect Four, and I wanted Checkers. Well, I went to Target and returned with what C wanted and Guess Who? (The game, I'm not really asking you to guess who.) They were all out of Checkers which turned out to be good because it saved me $13.99. Connect Four has checker pieces and I realized I can just make a board!

64 little squares later I decided it's much better this way, I had the scraps, no spending money, no waisted resources as in packaging and I lowered the carbon foot print, no deliveries. Perfect! Now, I'm sure tons of others have had this brilliant idea, but am just thinking of it now.

Yes, yes, I have said many times, I am not a quilter. Can you see why? This just irritates me so much. The darn squares are never perfect! At least it was only a couple that this happened to.

Also, this isn't a quilt, there was no quilting involved. I just sewed tiny squares together. Actually though, this is the tedious part of quilting to me, I would like the actual quilting part. (What ever it's called.) Yes, I am so technical in my terminology.

I also have to say, yes, I do know a checker board is black and read. BUT I didn't know I had red until I was all done with the top and looking for the bottom fabric. I couldn't find anything I liked until I stumbled upon this perfect red. Oh, well.

Ok, it's really late and I'm really tired. Off to bed and checkers tomorrow.

Reusable Lunch Goodies

Now that school has started I need a new lunch sack and some more snack packs for C. I didn't have a great idea for his lunch/snack sack, but I knew I wanted it insulated. But, have wanted to change up my old snack packs and sandwich wraps.

Here is what I started with.

I needed to make the bag big enough for C's water bottle. It's been hot and we are riding our bikes to school some days. It's a little over a mile so, he needs plenty of water.

I made the new sandwich pack more like a baggie style. I like it much better. The other one was nice because it was like a place mat, but I couldn't make it big enough with the food saver plastic.

My new snack packs have the velcro on the inside and don't have the flap. I'll see how C likes it before I make more this way. It was definitely easy to sew like this.

So, any ideas for price for me if I decide to sale these?

Cloth Diapers - Haiti

These cloth diapers are made for school age children with special needs. They are for the Threads of Love Project.

Supplies:
Fabric - PLU for outside, flannel or preferably micro fleece for the part that touches the bum and flannel, terry cloth or micro fiber for lining.
Elastic - 1/4 inch
Velcro - 1 inch
Size Tag - small square of fabric makes it easy for the workers to find the appropriate size. Colors are as follows: small-yellow, medium-dark blue, large-red, and extra large-dard green

Take your pattern and cut the PLU and the Micro fleece or flannel.

I had 2 yards and cut enough for 6 diapers.

Then cut the inside piece. I tried a terry cloth to see how it would work, it's really soft, but it's a stretch terry. I didn't like sewing with it. Micro fleece is wicking so the kids won't be sitting in wet and it's soft.

Now cut your scraps up for inserts.

I used 1 terry piece, 3 flannel and 1 hemp scrap that I had. Probably 4 - 6 flannel and 1 terry cloth piece would be good.

Next, I piled up my inserts and sewed them down the middle. I did this incase any are a little smaller the others. I didn't want them to move around inside the diaper.

After you sew the line down the middle of the insert, pin it to the wrong side of the inside piece of the diaper and sew all the way around it.

Then put right sides together of both diaper pieces. **We made a change and use the wrong side of the PLU as the right side. It works the same and a little nicer for the kids in Haiti where it is hot and humid. (Insert the size tag here on the top (back) of the diaper and sew all the way around leaving an opening at the bottom (front) of the diaper.

It's hard to see, but transfer your marks for the elastic to the wrong side of the diaper. Starting at 1 mark, stretching the elastic as you go, zig zag it to the other mark.

Your elastic will go on part that goes around the legs and on the back of the diaper.

Now, flip it right size out and top stitch all the way around closing your opening. I forgot a picture of that.

All you have left is the velcro. Sew the soft side onto the front of the diaper and the rough side to the other part with a little soft piece next to it so you can fold it over during washing.

Like this. This will keep your velcro a lot nicer.

All done!

If you have questions, please let me know! kristen081801(at)yahoo(dot)com

Simple Refashion

I found this cute but big dress at the Salvation Army a while back.

I'm so sad, I LOVED the Salvation Army and it was about a mile at the most from my house. But, it burned down. I can't find any information on what happened or if it will be back. I don't think it will. 

Anyway, back to the dress. My husband actually spotted it and liked it. It was about 5 sizes too big, but I loved the light flowy material. So, I decided to get it anyway, it was only $2. I knew I could do something with it. I really liked the dress and didn't want to change it too much so I decided to cut it off where I would want my waist to be, sew a casing and add some elastic. That's it! I made a super cute, light and flowy skirt.

There is me with my belly slipping out. I'm trying to hold it in a bit, but we just had dinner. But, I want to give you the full effect of the skirt.

I really love it, it's so comfy and light weight.

Kristen


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Refashioned T-shirt

A little while back I did Serve Day at my church. I love Serve Day because we are helping people in need locally. Anyway, when you do something like this at church, you usually get a t-shirt for it. I got this large shirt and I don't really wear large unisex t-shirts. This was actually the back of the shirt.

The front had this little tiny graphic near the top.

I thought I could wear it to bed, but that's a bit of a waste too. Naturally, I decided to make a tank out of it. Who couldn't use another cute tank top?


When working on my tank I used the pattern I made for this shirt. After I cut up my main pattern pieces, I used the hem of the t-shirt to finish off the neck.

This is my least favorite part about sewing tanks. The tank top took about 10 minutes to cut, pin and sew. But, I had the neck and arms to finish. It's hard because it's so darn hard to sew a straight line on the very edge of the edge. I have found it helps to sew it on like bias tape. unfold it, pin it to the inside of the shirt open and sew. Then when you fold under, you can't see that stitch. Now when you fold the outside over and sew on the edge, you will have one stitch on both sides. (Yep, that's my label sneaking in the picture.)

This time I did the neck line a little different. I folded the edge over, but didn't fold it under. I left it with the raw edge out and sew just inside of the edge. I like the look for this tank. Then for the arms, I just sewed a strip on the inside of the shirt to reinforce it a bit.

So, there is my new refashioned t-shirt into a tank.

And the cute little graphic on the back.

I made one minor mistake on this. I didn't wash the t-shirt before I sewed it. I have to remember to not dry it and for when I do forget, hope that it doesn't shrink cause it's not super stretchy. Ok, so it's not so minor.


What have you refashioned lately?


Kristen


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Chickens

Well, it turns out 2 of our chickens were roosters. It started last weekend, Mr. C thought he heard the singing of a rooster at 6 am. I slept right through it and couldn't understand how he "thought" it was a rooster. You either hear a bock or a cock-a-doodle-doo. 2 days later I heard it, it was definitely a rooster. Mr. C went out there to see who it was and the little boogers were in the roost. Couldn't see them. Yesterday, I snuck up on them, peaked through the hole at the top and saw 2 singing. BUMMER! We started with 4 and now were down to 1. Our white one got taken away by a Red Tailed Hawk.

I called the very nice lady we got the chickens from and she said to bring them back and get new. Today we went with 2 roosters and came back with 5 more chickens! Don't we have such a pretty flock?

Too bad it wasn't just that easy to get them in the coop. I had the carrier outside the coop waiting for little C to go potty. L comes out and opens the door when my back is turned. I hear, "Mommy, L let the chickens out!" WHAT?! I look and 3 chickens are scattering all over. We not have a nice enclosed small yard. We live on about an acre of land. This was not an easy task getting them back in.

I'm trying to gather them into one area barking orders at the kids to help me and get their dad. Finally they come walking over as I'm yelling, "Did you tell daddy the chickens are out?"
C responds, "Yes."
Me as I've got my arms spread bending over trying to heard in the chickens: "Where is he?"
C says calmly, "Over there."
Me: "Over where? Outside?"
C: "Yes"
Me: "Did you tell him to come?... Then I yell at the top of my longs his name!

So, Mr C comes over asking what happened before he jumps into action. Like we really have time for the discussion of what actually happened! The point is I need help or we are going to loose 3 of our new chickens that don't know where their home is and who are running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

Eventually it becomes me chasing down the chickens. I thought that I could just chase them right into the coop so I asked little C to go to the door and open it. By open it I meant wait there and open when it's time. I guess I should have been a little more clear to a 5 year old because I see Robin running out of the coop! Oh my goodness! Luckily, Robin is our only original chicken left and she knows where her home is. She also knows what corn is when I toss it at her. The new ones just ran further away. We got Robin back in the coop pretty quickly then I was off to capture the others.

Finally, after running all over the place, get to where I can grab one, she is kind of cornered. I step, reach and go tumbling down! I get back up and I'm not sure if she is looking at me because I looked crazy or she is confused by what just happened. But, she is still there a just bit further, so I quickly step a little closer to reach again, but my foot landed on a fallen orange from the tree and slid all the way till I was down in the splits and the chicken was gone. That was this girl that looks like she has a hat.

I did eventually manage to get her. Yes, it was me that grabbed her and all the rest while Mr. C was doing some chasing or blocking and laughing. Little C and Mr. C named her Alice.

This pretty girl, well hopefully girl, is Daisy (my name choice). She is one that got out. I got her just as she ran out from under the trailer. Mr. C scared her out from the other side and I grabbed. She got out of my hands, but I grabbed again. She is a beauty!

This little one here is Snowy. Little C said the white on the tips of her feathers looks like snow so he wanted to call her Snowy.

The last one we caught was Honey II. One of our Roosters we named Honey because of her honey color. She is a honey colored frizzle like the chicken above. I didn't get a good picture of her because she kept hiding behind the others. But she was the most wild. I tried to get her over to the coop in the beginning, but she just ran to the other side of the house on top of the wall that has a huge drop on the other side. I was worried she'd go down there, so I left her alone to calm down. After the first 2 were in, we went and found her at the other side of the house waiting to go in. Mr. C suggested we let her in, then it might be easier to catch her... Yeah, right! and get poop all over my house?! I don't think so.

She was running and flying all around and she flew right in-between our back door and laundry room door. HA! Trapped, cornered. I grabbed and put her in the coop. I was pooped after that. There was my cardio for the day.

Now that we have 6 chickens that are safely in their coop, no broken bones on my end, hopefully we will have some eggs and no roosters. Those chickens are not getting let out for at least a month now.

Kristen

Clothing Labels

Oh no!! I washed my shirts with the labels sewn into them and the ink washed right out. I am so sad. I need to figure out a way to make it permanent. I heard just press it with a very hot iron. That doesn't work. Maybe if I soak it in vinegar.

Well now, I just discovered what can be done with freezer paper. I've seen it all over blogs, things done with it, but I never knew how. I stumbled upon a little youtube video on making home made clothing labels. I have wanted labels for SO long! But they are so expensive that I can't really justify buying them when I sew mainly for my family or gifts. When I saw this video I was so excited, I could hardly wait to get to the store, too bad I saw it at 10 pm last night. But, guess what did first thing this morning...

Yep, I bought my first pack of freezer paper. C was so excited to see what it was as soon as quiet time after school was over, we opened it up and got to work. First, I cut a piece the size of a piece of paper, then cut my fabric that size also.

Here's all my pieces. Now, I only need the freezer paper and the fabric. I ironed the fabric to the shinny side of the paper.

Apparently, I didn't iron it good enough because this is how my first attempt turned out after I yanked it out of the printer.

Lovely! I was so sad thinking it wasn't going to work. Then I decided to try to iron more with a hotter iron and look what I got. :-)

I really couldn't contain my excitement. I had to sew a shirt just so I can put a tag on.

After the labels are printed, just peal it off the freezer paper. C did this part for me.

Here is a sneak peak at what I made. I have to show you the label on something, but I'm not ready to post this top. Tomorrow, after I get a picture wearing it I will post. I just love how the label looks! I love the raw edges and the unbleached muslin I used. It looks very natural. The best part... they don't itch one bit.

Oh, freezer paper, a new found love. Oh the possibilities. I am so excited about this. I know many of you are probably going, duh! Where have you been? That's ok though, I don't mind.

Here is a little green idea for this. You can use scraps of solid fabric to iron on your paper. Something new to do with those odd shape scraps that are not long enough to go into a basket.

Kristen