World traveler shoe bag

Earth Day is coming up on Friday. I know Earth Day is about recycling and such, but this blog really is not. So I did the next best thing. I used it as an excuse to sew something with this really neat map fabric. This is a simple drawstring bag to use for travel. You can stow shoes inside to keep your garments clean, or you can use it for laundry. Either way, it’s reusable, and that’s all Earthy and green, right? You can make this bag any size you want. This particular one is a little big for one…

Mysterious baby grab ball

Below, I have a picture of a baby grab ball that I’ve had since I was little. It’s resurfaced now that I have a little guy of my own, and I have found myself a lot more interested in it than he has. I decided I had to figure out how to make one of these suckers, and I’d like to share my method with you. I’ve selected a bright, fun fabric that babies will enjoy. This would make a lovely gift. My mom tossed most of my baby stuff, but the grab ball stuck around for decades.

Stemware coasters

I loved the ideas of stemware coasters that I found at Sew4Home.com. It’s great how they stay on as you carry your glass around. I did make a little modification to their process, which I’ll demonstrate here. But if you’d like, you can skip straight to their version.

Serged baby bib

This is a quick and easy baby bib that just takes a moment of cutting, some basic quilting and a quick run with the serger. No turning, no binding, no hemming. Use colored thread to make it even cuter.

Draft dodgers

I was trying to think what these would be called. I did a Google picture search for “draft dodgers.” Sure enough, these came up. But so did a picture of a hippie, which made me laugh. Well, we don’t need to have a discussion about war, but chilly houses? Maybe so. My first draft dodgers I purchased online, I guess before I could sew. Now I feel like a fool, because they are really easy to do. I filled mine with cedar because it’s supposed to be a bug repellent. In order to be able to change the cedar or…

Adding bias-tape trim

One way to finish edges and avoid bulk is to encase them in bias tape. But sewing this entirely by machine can be tricky if you want nice results. Why? Because although sewing the front on is easy, you then turn the rest to the back and stitch in the ditch on the front, hoping to grab the back in the stitching as you go. Usually, the parts you capture in back are uneven or you miss altogether, since you can’t see what you’re doing. Often, I prefer to just stitch by hand in the back, but there are a…

Sweet little finger mitts

Since it’s just about Valentine’s Day, I thought it was the perfect time to feature this sweet fabric with hearts. Then I ran into a problem: Since most home sewers are probably women, what in the world would you make a man with this fabric that he would actually want or use? It is a little, well, feminine. So I thought you could make yourself some sweet little mitts to use when you bake something sweet for your truest sweetie. I’ve been wanting some finger mitts to use to remove hot dishes from the microwave. I wanted something that’s not…

How to do a French seam

French seams are a way to have a garment that’s lovely inside and out. The basic idea is to encase the raw edge of the seam allowance. It’s not hard, and it adds a really nice touch. It’s especially nice on a sheer fabric where you can see the seam from the outside. I initially used a piece of silk for this demo, but after viewing the photos, I realized it was a bit hard to see what I’m talking about. So I redid the tutorial with a piece of sheer fabric I dug out of my stash. I have…

Soft and squishy doggie bed

I don’t have a dog. Truth be told, I was looking for an excuse to make something out of this cute doggie fabric. I paired the dog fabric with some polka dots and houndstooth (houndstooth, get it!?). It’s an easy project and can save you tons over buying a bed at the store. This one will find a home with my niece-doggie Lipcee, but I had no opportunity to show her in action, or lack of action, while using it.

Plastic bag dispenser

I don’t really know how to tell this story delicately. Suffice it to say that my son has started producing diapers that could make a diaper pail wilt. Diapers that need to leave the house immediately. I needed a way to keep plastic grocery bags handy for those particular diapers without the room looking sloppy or the bags posing a risk to my wee son. I whipped up one of those simple plastic bag holders. It’s really, really easy, but I thought I’d show you all anyway. I used fabrics that I already had on hand from when I made…