I actually shared this tutorial about a year ago, but I had to redo it. The photos were absolutely terrible, and I couldn’t stand to see them!  But don’t let the “reversible” scare you off, this skirt is so easy.

 

This is my go-to baby gift for baby girls. The new mama gets two skirts for the sewing work of one!

What you need:
2 corresponding fat quarters
Basic sewing supplies
1 pkg extra-wide double-fold bias tape
About 13” of 3/4”  Elastic
Measuring tape
Fabric pencil
Large safety pin

First, hop over to Dana Made It, and grab her pattern for a simple baby circle skirt. So awesome of her to share it with us for free!

Then, fold both your fat quarters in half twice to make a square. Line up the fold corners, and put the inside rounded edge of the pattern in the corner. (cut both of your fabric pieces at the same time) Cut about 2 inches out from the pattern’s outside edge to make the skirt longer.

Next, unfold your fabric and pin around the inside, right sides together.

Sew where you pinned and turn your skirt inside-out. To do this, push one side of the skirt through the hole, and iron around the hole to make a nice crease. Using a measuring tape and a fabric pencil, make a few marks around the hole about 3/4″ from the edge to use as a guide.

Sew around the edge, but leave a 2″ opening so you can put the elastic in the waist.

Put a safety pin at the top of your elastic and push in through the opening, between your two pieces of fabric, until it comes back out. Sew the ends of your elastic together with a zig-zag. Go back and forth to make sure it’s secure. Then, sew across the 2″ opening in the skirt.

To finishe the edge, pin your bias tape on the edge ( be careful to catch both pieces of fabric) and sew it in place.

Done!

What did I tell you? so, sew easy! I just wish I had a baby girl to put this on :)

Happy sewing!

For a while now, I have been keeping The Boy’s foam blocks in the vinyl bag they came in; the zipper had broken a while ago, and it was kind of a pain. When my friend gave me this awesome helicopter fabric, I knew just what to do with it!

I made a very simple duffle bag for his blocks. It’s so easy, I didn’t even use a pattern.

First, figure out how big you want the bottom of your bag to be. I used a large mixing bowl and traced around it. Then, to cut the side, you need to figure out the circumference. There is an easy way to find the circumference: diameter x Pi.

 After you find the width of your bag, then simply make it as tall as you need it to be. Make sure to leave a seam allowance.

Start by folding under the top of your bag twice, hiding the raw edge. Iron it in place, but don’t sew it.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Jo-ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

In celebration of Waverly’s 90th anniversary AND September as National Sewing Month, I was given an ah-mazing opportunity to work with some Waverly fabric from Jo-Ann.  This stuff is so cute! I love the vintage look it has, and it’s thick and sturdy, so it works for a variety of projects.  Right when I saw  it, I knew what I was going to make: a new camera bag!

 

I have held on to my crib bumpers for a while, but I didn’t know what to do with them. I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. And I am glad I didn’t because they worked out perfectly for this project. As I have mentioned before, I am not an amazing sewer. This bag is so easy, I feel like anyone can do it. I didn’t use a pattern, but I made a diagram of what my my cut fabric looked like.

uh, not to scale!

Once you have your piece cut, fold right sides together and begin sew the sides together, like you have two bags, connected by one side. Since the diagram looks like a flattened box, take the side pieces and fold them up and create the box shape. Your “two bags” should look like this:

Also, leave your  corners unsewn until you get all the sides sewn. I think there is an easier way to do corners, I am just not sure how to do it.

Once you have that sewn, sew the top flap sides, and across the top corners. Be careful to leave a big gap at the very top of the flap.

Once this is finished, turn your entire piece inside-out, and tuck one bag into the other. You now have a lined bag!

Make sure to sew up the unsewn edge of the flap.

I sewed all around the top to give it a finished look. I also made a strip of fabric for the handle, but you could buy a piece of belting for a stronger strap.

From here, I got my crib bumpers out and ready to go.

Oops! I made my bag too small to fit them the way they were. I had to cut them down bit.

Clearly not concerned

To get my bumpers to bend easier, I sewed a straight light across it. It kind of cuts through the batting inside, and makes it more manageable.  The left edge and middle are separate pieces that I ended up hot glueing in place. I couldn’t figure out a good way to sew it, but the glue has held quite well, and was very easy. Then, I just bought some chunky buttons and sewed two button holes. You could use Velcro or attach ties instead.

I hope it keeps my camera safe! I am known to be a bit irresponsible with my expensive things..
Happy sewing!

I have been meaning to make one of these for while. I have been using a handkerchief, and I usually take about 5 minutes finagling it with my teeth and other hand.

Well, no more!