Recycled Wool Longies and Slippers

I came into a few great old wool sweaters recently that were unwearable because they had already been partially felted in the wash.  So I set about to do something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time- I made some wool longies for Jude!

I also decided to make some warm wool slippers to match the first pair of woolies.  I used the Stardust Shoes pattern that I linked to a long time ago.  Man, they sure are warm with two layers of wool all over!  I also used white puff paint to make them non-slip on the bottom.

I still have a lot of leftover wool… what else can I make?

Clothespin Apron

Electric clothes dryers here (in Moldova) are almost unheard of.  They are very hard to find, and very expensive.  So we figured that we would live like Moldovans and hang our clothes to dry on a line just like everyone else.  It only took me a day or two of doing that to realize that a clothespin apron is a very handy thing to have.  So I made one:

The orange part and pink fringe are from an old tablecloth, and the patterned part is an old pillowcase (we have a big supply of scrap material here at camp).  I didn’t use a pattern, I just looked at pictures of clothespin aprons online and sketched mine out similarly.  I really love it and it makes doing laundry so much easier and more fun!

Crazy Chicken Apron with Hand Embroidery

I found an old, hand-sewn apron a while back at a flea market and have been dying for a long time to use it as a pattern for a new one.  I finally got around to sewing it up at the end of the summer, and not long ago finished the hand embroidery.

I have to say that I am extremely proud of and surprised by this apron.  It was a lot more difficult to sew than I had planned for, and with the way I sew (no pattern, cutting jagged lines with huge, uneven seam allowances, winging it every step of the way), it’s a miracle that it turned out so well.  I really love the ruching at the bust.

The crazy chicken design that I used can be found… well poot, I forgot where I found that and can’t find it again!  I just free-handed the swirls.  This was my first attempt at hand embroidery and I really, really enjoyed doing it.

My First Time Sewing a Fitted Diaper

I realized last week that I may or may not get a sewing machine when we first get to Moldova, and even if I do, I will not have nearly as much time to sew over there.  So all of the projects I’ve been wanting to do all summer are getting done in the next couple of weeks.

First up was a fitted diaper for J made out of old t-shirts and some strips of terry cloth.  I wore that tie-dyed shirt in the opening number of a state beauty contest when I was 16, but we don’t have to tell him that. 

It’s still a little big, but that is better than being too small because he can grow into it.    I’m so proud!

Owen the Zebra

I made my first toy for baby J!  I was DYING to sew, and Tia had some leftover fuzzy zebra print fabric, so I sketched out a pattern and went to work.  I am SOOO proud!  We named him Owen because his stature is adorably similar to a good friend of mine’s sweet baby. 

A close-up of his hooves, of which I am especially proud:

And a good look at his ears.  Somehow one is twice the size of the other, but I think it adds to his charm:

Cathedral Window Quilt Tutorial

Hi there!  This blog (and,therefore, this post) has recently moved to http://mymessymanger.blogspot.com.

Click here to read all about how to sew your own cathedral window quilt.

Have a great day!

 

My Own Summer Slippers

It’s been forever since I’ve sewn anything, and I’ve been itching to get out my machine for a while now.  With the weather warming up, my usual houseshoes have had my hot-natured self sweating to death. Going without houseshoes is not an option because we have all hardwood floors (and I confess that we do not sweep as often as we should).

I posted not too long ago about a tutorial for some summer slippers by Lady Harvatine, and I knew that a pair of those was just what I needed.

So I decided that the housework was just going to have to wait and I was going to make a pair.

I’m so proud of them!  They came together really quickly too, it just took a bit of time with J in the Moby, him taking one short nap, and then Hubs playing with him for about 20 minutes. Of course, they wouldn’t be *mine* if they were perfect, but they serve their purpose remarkably well and are so cute and make me so happy to have on my feet.  And after all, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Summer Slippers

I haven’t been doing much crafting lately (a new baby will do that to ya, but I’m perfectly okay with that), but I just stumbled upon a tutorial for some wonderful summer slippers on a new-to-me blog, Lady Harvatine.

I’m so excited about these because we have all hardwood floors in our apartment and socks or slippers really do get too hot in the summer, but I still prefer to have something soft between my bare feet and the floor.  So in walks Liz Harvatine with the perfect solution:

Find her easy-to-follow tutorial here.

Homemade Baby Wrap

I am so excited about the wrap that I made!!  Here I am trying to model it with a stuffed bear as my baby.  It looks a little funny because of my big ‘ole pregnant belly, but you get the idea:

And then I think this is a real back carry… I was just playing with ways to tie it:

Here is an up-close of the center fabric:

It was so easy!  I just bought 5 yards of chocolate cotton fabric, and then a yard of the center fabric (I totally didn’t need a whole yard, but would rather have too much than not enough).  I cut the chocolate fabric in half and double hemmed the edges.  I also rounded the ends for a little bit more finished look, and hemmed those too, of course.  I sewed the bottom edge of the chinese fabric on as I was hemming the bottom of the chocolate, and then went back and fixed up the sides and top of the chinese fabric last.

Total cost was about $12 (that’s only counting half of the price of the 5 yards of chocolate fabric, since I can make another wrap out of the other half).  Not bad considering that most wraps like that sell for $40-$80!

I can’t wait for Baby Hutch to get here so I can carry him everywhere in it!!

French Press Cozy

Hi there!  This blog (and,therefore, this post) has recently moved to http://mymessymanger.blogspot.com.

Click here to read all about the awesome french press cozy I made.

Have a great day!