Monster or witch repellent

It seems every kid goes through a stage where suddenly their imagination turns to the dark side and in addition to imagining Santa and Easter bunnies, tooth fairies and pirate adventures, witches and other unsavory characters start creeping into their dreams. Sometimes it is not enough to simply tell your child that there's no such thing as monsters. It helps, but they're still skeptical of us grownups who make them eat green things. So it helps to have some magic in your bag of tricks.

Here is a special product that I had to "custom order" for my daughter. She's not afraid of monsters (thank you Monsters, Inc!) and is not afraid of ghosts or vampires but ever since her Girl Scout troop sang carols in an old folks home, she has had reoccurring nightmares about a witch in a wheelchair. I told her that I knew of someone who made a special potion that you spray around your bedroom at night to repel witches. She asked if it worked. I told her it was 100% guaranteed to work or we'd get our money back and that it was just like a bug repellent but made just for witches, who have special big noses. Then I got to work fulfilling the order.

Materials:

• spray bottle
• labels you can custom print on
• water
• few drops of essential oil such as lavender (optional)

I chose to fill the spray bottle with filtered water and a few drops of lavender essential oil. The lavender gives just enough scent to make it smell authentic without ruining rugs or furniture. Lavender is valued in aromatherapy as a relaxant even for children, so it's suitable for bedtime, but any herbal, floral or fruity scent that you can stand could work.

I packaged it and "mailed" it to my daughter because she likes the idea of special ordering it and it appears more authentic to her. Another option is to present this to your child as a printed recipe or potion and ask your child to help you make it in the kitchen. The instructions for use are printed on the back (mine say to spray once in the doorway and once near the bed) and the bottle sprays a very fine mist so we're not soaking the floors, rugs or bedding. So far, we have one happy little girl who fully believes in the power of her "Witch B-Gone" and sleeps much easier now at night, which means I can sleep easier at night, ahh!

Moms and dads, please feel free to copy this or make up your own version if your child has a monster under her bed or a witch in his wardrobe. I hope it leads to more sweet dreams in your household as well!

Reupholstering dining room chairs tutorial

The wooden frames of chairs, if well made, can far outlast the fabric that covers their cushions. It can be so expensive to hire a professional to reupholster them for you and your choice of fabrics will be limited by the company or contractor you choose. For $40.00 (there was a 50% fabric sale) and 2-3 hours of my time I reupholstered six dining room chairs. Here's how.


Supplies needed:

• Staple gun with upholstery-appropriate staples (generally the proper size staple for upholstery is 5/16" or 8mm but I also like to have on hand the next size up or 3/8" (10mm) in case longer staples are needed)
• Screw drivers - Phillips and flat head
• Fabric scissors
• Upholstery fabric

Supplies that may be helpful:

• cambric (the thin nylon fabric that is used to cover the bottom of upholstered chairs to give a professional look, prevent staples
• from damaging the wood frame and keep stuffing from falling out - you only see it when you turn a chair upside down)
• glasshead quilting or sewing pins
• pliers (for removing staples if you are removing the existing fabric or if you make a mistake)
• an extra set of hands

1. Bring home upholstery fabric samples from your local fabric store to place in the room and compare to rugs, furniture, wall color, etc. The fabric should have little give when pulled end to end or side to side (don't bother pulling on the bias or diagonally). Appropriate fabrics include canvas, velvet, twill, thick upholstery-weight cottons, microsuedes, and flax/linen blends.

Here were the final candidates for my project - two are velvet, one is a thick twill blend.

2. Once you've selected your fabric, calculate how much you'll need and purchase it. (I like to measure the longest length and widest width of the chair then add 6-8" to each to giving 3-4"extra per side to staple or wrap around the underside of the chair. Depending on the height and size of your cushion, you may need more than the 6-8".)


3. Flip your chair over and determine how the cushion is attached. There are usually four long wood screws that extend into the cushion base. Loosen each screw, then remove the bottom ones, and the top two last.

There are four long wood screws extending into the base of the seat cushion that hold it in place. If you unscrew the top first, the top will flip over while you're working on the bottom screws and possibly rip a hole in the chair or cushion in the screw hole. Notice how in this picture the staples keep the cambric attached to the bottom of the chair and they don't touch the wood frame of the chair.

4. You have two options from here - use your new fabric on top of the old fabric (you can do this once) or remove the old fabric carefully by first removing the staples, then removing the fabric, evaluating the quality of the muslin beneath it and replacing it with your new fabric. (Muslin has tight weave and protects the foam or batting beneath it from stains.) Since my fabric is thin enough and in excellent condition overall, I'm using the new fabric on top of the old fabric (but next time I'll have to go the more complicated route).

5. Lay your fabric out with the right side facing down, then place the old cushion on top of your fabric from front to back (make sure the grain or pattern of the fabric is the way you want it!).

Before making any cuts, pull the fabric up around the sides to be sure you'll have enough to work with. Peak beneath the cambric to see where the original fabric was stapled and how often it was stapled. You can also see how the fabric was folded around the corners. Be sure to follow this as your model!

6. I like to begin stapling at the back of the chair first in the middle, pulling the fabric tightly as I go. It's best to start in the middle and staple out towards the sides since your corners will be finished last. I place my staples diagonally about every 1/2 to 3/4 inch. After stapling fabric to the middle of the back, staple to the middle of the front, pulling the fabric as tightly as you can as you go, then turn and staple the sides, from the middle out towards the corners.

7. Using the existing cushion cover as your model, fold the corners in tightly before stapling in place. If you need to trim extra fabric for the corners, do so before stapling and try not to conceal the existing holes for the screws.

8. Holding the corner in place before stapling. You could also use fabric pins to help you keep the folds in place but I find it unnecessary.

Place extra staples in the corner to hold the fabric stretched and folded in place.

This is what the underside should look like once you've finished. From here you can choose to add cambric or not. Since I'm covering over the existing fabric this time, I'm not using cambric but was careful to place my staples where they won't rub on the chair frame.

9. Replace the newly covered cushion in the frame and screw each screw in half way before tightening fully. You may want to hold the back of the cushion as you do this.

Before and after versions of the chair.

Supereasy and soft fleece baby blanket tutorial

One of the things I've made for Savannah that has gotten the most use over the years is a double-sided fleece blanket (okay she has at least four of them). When she was little, it protected her from hard surfaces for tummy play and protected my carpets from baby drool. Later they were used in the car to keep her warm before the car warmed up. Then they were used to soften the wagon ride, to snuggle in the jogger on cold days, for tea parties, to tuck her dolls in, and larger sizes are used outside (or inside) for picnics and for forts. So to us, they are indispensable (not to mention machine-washable, soft, and durable).

1. Cut two same-size pieces of fleece (we usually coordinate one solid with one color) in the size you prefer, or about 30" x 36".

2. Place them right sides together (or wrong sides out).

3. Using your favorite seam length from 3/8" to 5/8", sew around the perimeter of the blanket leaving a 5-6" opening in the middle of one end. If any of your seams are uneven or larger than 1/2", simply trim away the excess fabric. If perfection is your thing, you can pin and use a walking foot rather than a regular foot.

4. Using the opening, pull the right sides out being sure to pinch the corners so they turn sharply. You can also shape these after the blanket is turned right side out.

5. Once you're satisfied, topstitch around the perimeter (I usually topstitch in contrasting colors and about 1.5"-2" inside the seam).

Here I am topstitching with my walking foot and I have a line drawn on my machine so I can sew a relatively even seam. I used a water-soluble fabric marker for the line - it washes off the machine very easily and if any rubs on the fabric, it comes right off in water.

6. Next sew up the opening by hand using matching or invisible thread. Voila, a super-soft fleece baby blanket.

This one is for my friend Melissa whose baby's sex is a surprise. I thought the bright colors and navy backing were neutral enough for any kiddo plus, babies love the contrasting stripes, even before their eyes can see colors. I might make one just like this for myself as well.

This one is for a high school friend in NY who is having a baby boy with a sailboat themed room. Something about these blue stripes said French Navy to me.

A day for crafting

Savannah woke up today with the idea of making a bracelet for her cousin Abby, probably because she rediscovered the bracelet Abby made for her in New York. Savannah wanted to cut out a butterfly and put it on a pipecleaner for a bracelet. We make bracelets like this sometimes at home and sometimes at the Butterfly Pavilion's storytime, BUT I tried to convince her that we should try some other materials since the paper might rip in the mail and the metal in the pipe cleaners sometimes poke. So, one trip to the craft store later we'd returned with all sorts of beads she'd picked out to make bracelets for everyone! She had lots of fun stringing them on in different patterns. I'm not usually interested in jewelry-making, or in jewelry that much, but I even made one for myself and for $1 in beads, it turned out pretty well.

Savannah's bracelets, one in yellow with sparkly beads and another in purples.

Her bracelets to her cousins, all wrapped up in origami paper.

While Savannah was busy stringing together her bracelets, I decided to make a zafu pillow for myself. It's a meditation pillow so while you're sitting and breathing, your butt doesn't get too sore (and of course, it aligns the spine and helps open the chest for better breathing). I found a great tutorial for it online but I decided to add one extra feature, a handle. I've been waiting to find a project for my Amy Butler lotus fabric (yellow lotus pond) and this seemed the perfect use for it. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out but I wish I had stuffed it slightly less. I'm used to the zafus that you sort of squish into and mine's a little more firm. Maybe I'll have to break it in, which is really the point afterall. I didn't have barley or buckwheat hulls to fill it with and rather than taking the time to order the proper filling, I made do with a combination of shredded bamboo that I had leftover from another project and the polybeads that are used to fill bean bags. Those polybeads were a nightmare to clean up and as Savannah said, "Well, Mom, I guess you learned your lesson about that!"

My first zafu pillow.

The handle I added for function.

Isn't it a beauty?

Handbag tutorial

This is my first tutorial for an easy handbag or purse. I hope I give clear instructions! I’m really more of an intermediate sew-er, not advanced, but if I forget something, just ask and I’ll answer by updating the tutorial.

These bags were made in small sizes for my daughter and nieces but are also a great size for an evening out when lined with a smooth, slippery fabric like satin. My daughter uses hers to hold her tap dance and ballet shoes so we don't lose them. As a variation they can be made much larger, just increase the size of the handles, or rounder by using a larger diameter circle.

1. Cut four rectangular pieces of fabric, all the same dimensions. Two pieces are for the lining of the bag, and the other two are for the finished outside of the bag. For the bags in my pictures, the dimensions of the rectangles are approximately 10.5 x 15 inches, but the size can be varied as you like.

2. Place one piece of lining fabric and one piece of exterior fabric rectangles right sides together.
3. Press the fabric if you haven't already. Using a pin or chalk, measure and mark halfway (the middle) along both of the short sides. This is 5.25 inches in my case.

4. Next sew with your favorite seam length (1/4 inch, 3/8 inch or 1/2 inch are all fine, just be consistent) from one pin to the corner, then down the long side and to the second pin. Repeat for the other lining/exterior rectangles. Now you have two sides that look like half pockets.

5. Now comes the tricky part! Place one side down on a flat surface and fold back the half of fabric that is loose. Place the other side on top of it, lining up the exterior side and the lining and the pins/chalk marks in the center. You will have something that looks like this. My lining fabric is on the right side (blue polka dots) lined up together and pinned halfway through.

6. Use a plate or something else round to make the corners. I used a 6" plate for these. Trace the plate with chalk or a fabric pen. Since this is the lining side of my bag, I will leave 2-4" open in the center so I can eventually turn the bag right side out through the lining. Do remember to leave that opening or you'll have to undo the stitches in the center to make a hole like I had to do when making this tutorial!




7. Trim away the excess fabric to reveal your lovely curved corners. Then flip the top and bottom flaps of the bag over to make the curved corners on the other side.

8. Line up the center again with a pin or chalk and trace the same size curved corners on this side of the fabric. This time, sew all the way around (no need to leave an opening on this side of the fabric) then trim away the extra fabric.

9. Now for the fun part! Using the hole you've left open in the center of the lining, turn the bag right side out. Use whatever you like to smooth the seams open all the way. I sometimes use my fingers and sometimes I press a chopstick along the insdie fo the seams. Press the fabric to keep those seams looking nice.
10. Fold in the edges of the open fabric and sew this closed with an 1/8 inch seam using thread that is invisible or the same color as the fabric. You could also do this by hand, but I'm far too lazy for that.


11. Poke the lining back down inside the bag. Now you have something that looks like this below:

12. Almost done! Fold down one top flap of the bag so that it will fit over the handle with some extra room and use chalk or pins to manke this line. Make a similar line on the other side of the bag. Now you have a choice - sew the handles in by hand or use your machine. I always use my machine because I like fast and easy. Using one handle, begin to fold the fabric over it so the fabric reaches the line you marked. Sew the handle in slowly, adjusting the fabric and flattening in out as needed to make it match the line you've marked. I like to stitch forward and backward near the edges to make them extra strong.

When you're done with one handle, you'll have this. Then repeat on the other side, pushing the extra fabric and handle out of the way. Just a note: if you find that you have slightly more fabric on the top seam when you near the end of the handle, simple fold it under so they are even. No one will notice since the fabric is all bunched up around the handle anyway. This is a very forgiving bag, which is why it's so perfect for me!

Snip those loose threads and you're done with your super-cute handbag!









Unless, of course, you want to make a matching tissue holder...in which case you might want to visit this tutorial.

Tissue holders - getting sick in style

My babysitter has strep throat on top of allergies. She's not contagious anymore so we've stocked the kitchen full of tea, chicken soup and popsicles for her. Since I already had the fabric out from yesterday, I decided to try this fabulous tutorial from stardustshoes for making a pocket or purse sized tissue cover. It was very easy and Savannah liked the idea so much she thought we should make one for everyone. (Everyone!?) So watch in the mail if you get sick! I thought I'd use up some of my Kaffe Fassett scraps and give Destiny a choice. Turns out she liked the first one I made for her the best, the one with cupcakes! We made four in under an hour. Fun! Someday I'll make matching zip-up pouches as well.

Destiny's favorite tissue holder - and she's already making good use of it! We want to make her a cool back to school bag or purse as well for September and who knows, maybe she'll get matchy, matchy gifts for her senior year.

Tissue holders made from the Kaffe Fassett fabric - possibly my favorite fabric designer.