Easy. Cute. Presents.

So I like to make stuff. I love to find new patterns, create my own projects and just dream of all the things I would like to sew, crochet, mod podge, cut, hang, embellish (you get where I'm going with this?) Anyway, the problem is that usually, I find so many things I want to do that the "looking" and "thinking" takes up the time of the "doing." Well with a couple birthdays coming up (two being today; Happy Birthday Kerri and Claire) I had a great excuse to make some stuff.

I have a braided fabric headband that I love, and as I was reading through a few blogs that I like and I found this tutorial to make my own. Super easy. Super fast. The only advice would be to cut your fabric strips bigger than you may think. The first time I made it (yeah, I know I said it was super easy, I just like to make life harder) I cut my strips too small and my braids were tiny and just weren't the look I was going for. So the next time, I cut my fabric a few inches wide and it turned out a lot better (this is one of two that I am sending to my sister's- in- law; they have the same birthday.)

I had been looking for a good kid pattern for a brimmed hat (I already have an adult) and I found one here. But this pattern was made for a 7-8 year old, and I needed it to fit a (soon to be) 1 year old, so I simply used a G hook instead of a J. I tried it on Luke (who is also 1) and it's a little big, but he kinda has a peanut head, so...

The hat is for a our good friend Hudson (he's Luke's BFF), Hudson's dad, Nick, is doing an Army Residency in DC (which means Jeff and I are far away from OUR friends...single tear!), so I cut out his last name in camo letters and then glued (and stitched the corners) down. I think it's cute and I am planning on making Luke one and then when Luke and Hudson are reunited they can wear their hats together (because that's what BFF's do people.)

Chubby Little Legwarmers

OK first of all let me say before I start this that I got this tutorial from Samstermommy.blogspot.com and you should really consider just pressing on the link and learning how to make these cute little legwarmers from her. However, if you're choosing to stay then here we go.

Materials needed:

A pair of women's (or men's) socks

Rotary cutters or scissors

Pins

Sewing machine

Step 1. Lay out your socks (I got these beauties from Target for $2!)Step 2. Make 3 cuts. You want to cut the toe off and the heel off.Step 3. You should now be left with two pieces. The main sock piece and the part of the foot that was neither the heel or the toe (see I told you just should've gone to samestermommy.blogspot.com) You want to take the foot piece and fold it in half.Step 4. Place the folded piece around the main sock and pin.Step 5. Sew. Be careful not to pull your fabric.Ta-dah! Little legwarmers for the chubby little legs in your life.My Chubby Little Legwarmer model.

Snow Day Projects With No Snow!

The snow has almost melted so I figured it was time to get my butt in gear and finish my "Snow Day Projects." I spent most of last evening sewing in my lining; I have the needle pricked fingers to prove it!
View of the inside.
Snap closure. When working into late hours of the night, be sure to double check your work before you do anything you will have to rip out. The first time I sewed in the snap I sewed the back side up. Needless to say, it had to be redone.

Snow day projects

Today was a wonderful day for crafting due to the fact that it was 16 degrees and snowy! I had some lingering projects to work on, like my Heart Purse, which I had crocheted but I hadn't completed the liner, (which is still not finished, but in progress.) Next comes the arduous task of hand sewing the lining into the purse. (For a great tutorial on sewing lining into a crocheted bag check out the Future Girl link.)

Avoiding the lining I turned to crocheting a new bag. I found a great pattern on Marlo's Crochet Corner (which was maybe meant to be since Marlo is my middle name!) I liked how the bag turned out, and I already had some great fabric for the liner!