Make a Felt Animal Plushie

I recently discovered the joys of crafting with felt. Craft felt is relatively easy to work with, and so inexpensive! My son received two amazing books from his uncle and auntie for his birthday - How Loud is a Lion? and Hidden Hippo - featuring hand-stitched felt illustrations by Clare Beaton. After reading the stories to him, I found myself flipping through the books with admiration long after he had moved on. I was so inspired by the felt jungle scenes in these books that I began to plan a felt jungle project of my own. At first I envisioned a felt board, but ultimately fell in love with the idea of a collection of plushies for play and bedtime snuggling. I found this felt penguin tutorial and used it as a guide for my own plushie.

Here's how I did it:

1.  Lots of google image searching. I searched for simple animal illustrations, stock photos, and coloring book pages with a cute, trace-able jungle animal that would translate well into a plushie. Finally, I picked this lion:

2.  A template. I could have drawn this image and blown it up on a copy machine (if the size needed to be adjusted), but my hubby is a Photoshop wiz, so I employed his help in creating a template using the image above. We traced individual shapes in the image, tweaked them to get the size I wanted, and printed them out. I then cut these shapes out.

3. Cardboard stencils. I traced the shapes onto cardboard and cut them out to create stencils for the felt.

4. Cut out felt. I used binder clips to hold the cardboard stencils in place while I cut the shapes out of craft felt sheets. Since the plushie is two-sided, I doubled up felt sheets for the mane, body, and hair tuft on the tail.

5. Attach face pieces to mane and hair tuft to tail. I selected an orange thread for the bulk of this project, and black thread for the eyes and nose. I decided to hand-stitch the whole thing for more of a handmade look. I used a running stitch for the cream-colored piece, eyes, and nose. I used a blanket stitch for everything else. I had never sewn a blanket stitch before, and I found this video very helpful in getting started. I used a running stitch to add a smile and whiskers to the lion's face. I added Poly-fil to the face before closing the stitch, using a pencil to fill out all the corners. I stitched the tail hair tuft closed and stitched it over the ends of the tail pieces (front and back), overlapping slightly.

6. Stitch and stuff the body. I stitched the body pieces closed using a blanket stitch, adding Poly-fil with a pencil before closing the stitch.

7. Attach the head to the body. I stitched the back piece of the mane to the body.

8. Stitch and stuff the head. I stitched the mane pieces closed using a blanket stitch, adding Poly-fil with a pencil before closing the stitch.

9. Enjoy!

I am pleased with how this adorable little guy turned out. He's cute and cuddly, and closely resembles my photo inspiration. I considered saving the plushie for a Christmas gift, but was too excited to wait to see how Jackson liked him. I was thrilled to see that he adores him, too.

Next, I am planning a felt plushie for my niece for Christmas, and many more in the future. I am thinking of applying the same concept to a crib mobile as well. I hope you'll take this idea and make it your own, too!

Happy crafting!

DIY: Pajama / Lounge Pants

 I have owned a functional sewing machine for over a year now, but I'm still very much a novice in the sewing world. Granted, this has a lot to do with having a very energetic toddler and not much free time, but it's also due to a lack of confidence in my abilities and not really knowing where to start. I have successfully repaired elastic on my gDiaper liners, repurposed some bed linens into an apron, and some other simple projects, but sewing my own clothes (or clothing for others) was too intimidating. But sewing my own clothes has always been my dream, so recently I managed to muster up the courage to dip my toe in with a very newbie-friendly project - pajama pants. I figured something with an elastic waistband worn in the privacy of your own home is a good place to start. Hubby needed a new pair, so I was able to justify the purchase of some flannel and matching thread to make him some comfy pants for his birthday. I must confess that his birthday was actually in March, and he ended up getting the promise of some pants for his birthday. But he didn't really need them until this fall anyway, so hubby waited patiently until I was ready to tackle the project.

Internet research led me to this Instructables tutorial, which I studied for quite awhile until I became convinced I could do it. I was a little freaked out about making my own pattern instead of buying one, but the tutorial explained it in detail and provided really helpful photos. It turned out to be pretty simple and straightforward. I took the author's advice and used wrapping paper to make the pattern. It was perfect for the job, and best of all, it didn't cost me anything since I had leftover Christmas wrapping paper in the basement. Tracing the waist was a little tricky, as you have to stretch the elastic completely out and trace that length, then connect it to the leg (which is traced without the elastic stretched out). I wasn't sure I'd done it right, but the pants actually fit perfectly when they were all done!

As for the sewing, everything was also fairly easy and beginner-friendly. The photos were awesome here too. I felt the hardest part was sewing the two legs together, as my only experience with this was making a pair of shorts in my middle school home ec class, and I have no memory of assembling those. It took some time for me to figure out exactly how to tuck one leg into the other, but now that I've done it, this will be a breeze in the future. Since I had a bunch of leftover fold-over elastic from diaper repairs, I decided to use that to minimize costs. Figuring out exactly how to sew the elastic together and insert it into the waistband was time-consuming, but again, this is a skill I will retain for future projects and it'll get easier with time.

I'm so glad I decided to do this project! The pants turned out great, hubby loves them, and I learned some very useful sewing 101 skills that I will be able to apply to future projects. I am already planning some pants for my son as well as Christmas gifts for the family. Check out my finished product - modeled by husband, with special appearance by my son, Jackson - below.

He's a good sport.

I was ecstatic that the plaid print is actually straight.

Perfect for work-at-home parents!

Happy sewing!

Cloth Baby Wipes

With all the innovations of cloth diapers, why are we still using disposable wipes?! I found a great tutorial at My Happy Crazy Life and decided to give it a try. I got a few different prints of soft flannel (which is on sale at Jo-Ann's right now!). You can cut them to any size you like and you can do just one layer or two. It is up to you and what will work. I decided to do 2 layers.


If you do 2 layers, I highly recommend either putting pins in the middle or doing a crossed basting stitch to keep the layers from sliding while sewing. Next I took it to the serger and sewed around the edges. I wanted my corners rounded and sergers apparently only like straight lines, so I will just keep practicing. (and I also realized it's okay if it isn't perfect, it's just going to wipe up poop, anyway) If you are working on a regular sewing machine, the zig-zag stitch will work just as well. Here's my final product.

These make great shower gifts or to keep for your own children. The previous link above with the original pattern also has a recipe to make your own wipe solution, or you can just use water.

DIY: Wool Dryer Balls

Dryer balls are such a simple, inexpensive solution for softening laundry and controlling static, it's a wonder more people don't know about them. They're a great alternative to softeners for those with sensitive skin or allergies. As a bonus, they also significantly cut drying time, which is especially exciting to those of you using coin-operated laundry machines. To cloth-diapering families, wool dryer balls are a godsend in a world of products that aren't "CD-safe." As I mentioned previously on this blog, most laundry detergents on the market aren't good for diapers, and fabric softeners/dryer sheets are also a no-no. Even using these products on other loads of laundry can cause diaper issues due to softener build-up in the machines.

Of course, line-drying is always a good option, or you could dry with no softeners at all. But it is always nice for the laundry to come back soft and fluffy (without the waxy stuff), and if you're like me, your kid is wearing his very last clean diaper while the others are being laundered, so time is of the essence. (This is when you will pat yourself on the back for cutting that drying time!)

You can purchase wool dryer balls online from a variety of sources, or you can follow this super easy tutorial over at goodmama. There are multiple methods for making wool dryer balls; Acacia and I experimented with hand-felting some over my kitchen sink, and they came out pretty nice if I do say so myself. But you will want at least six dryer balls in your collection, and I knew that my carpal tunnel syndrome would prevent me from making as many as I needed by hand. Because hand-felting is rather tedious and labor-intensive, I'd recommend the wool yarn method unless you are experienced in working with wool.

Making felted balls is actually a great skill to have -- they not only make nice gifts as dryer balls, they can entertain pets and young children for hours! Personally, I was amazed (and grateful) at how long and the creative ways in which my 2-year-old played with them while I was sick in bed one week. He was so enamored with them that I'm thinking of making another set just for him.

Happy crafting!

The Harvest, Part 4

With autumn lurking around the corner and each crop bowing out in turn, our garden is starting to look rather sparse. The beans are finished after a rapid harvest, and sadly the zucchini plants were taken out by powdery mildew likely brought on by high humidity and lack of air flow between the plants. We have learned so many lessons this year that will aid us in cultivating next year's vegetable garden, and I'm already looking forward to the next planting season.

While most of our plants are done growing for the season, the tomatoes and bell peppers have only just begun.   Each day I walk up to the garden and return with a fistful of tomatoes. I forgot how truly delicious and unique a homegrown tomato tastes. It's amazing. We have had tons of rain lately, which has caused many of the tomatoes to crack around the top, and in some cases, split open on the side. Apparently the rain causes rapid growth, and the tomato skins aren't able to keep up. Forgive me, but I can't help but be reminded of stretch marks on a pregnant mama.

Enormous carrot

The carrots have been ready for some time, and we've been picking one or two at a time as needed. Earlier this week I discovered a rotten carrot in the bunch, which was really fascinating but pretty gross as well. The top looked normal, but as I pulled up on the stalks, the carrot top pulled right out with stringy orange goo trailing underneath that used to be a solid root vegetable. Some internet research seems to point to bacterial soft rot as the prime suspect -- yet another problem abetted by heavy rainfall. To prevent spreading, we went ahead and pulled the lot and brought them inside.

It's always exciting to see what the carrots really look like under the soil. Our soil is not ideal for carrots, so we've had quite a few interesting shapes and even some siamese twins and triplets. Luckily, silly-shaped carrots are just as delicious as the regular ones.




But I'm not sure I'll have the heart to eat this loving couple here:

Such a sweet embrace!

Since chilly weather is approaching, it's also time to dust off the old sewing machine and start on some warm and cozy projects, like pajama pants, fleece hats, and cuddly stuffed animals for the holidays. Keep your eyes peeled for more craft posts as the garden goes into hibernation 'til next year.

Be well.

The Harvest, Part 3

The first cucumber.

We have patiently waited for the day we could pluck cucumbers and carrots from the garden to throw into a salad - and it's finally here! We also have zucchini now, and wow are they growing fast! I made zucchini bread with one large zucchini last week, only to have 3 more in the fridge this week. Since I actually bought fresh zucchini from the grocery store last week because I was convinced ours wouldn't be ready in time, we are still polishing off leftover zucchini with quinoa stuffing (yum!). So working the homegrown zucchini into the menu before they go bad might be somewhat challening. But I'm up to the challenge. I'm thinking I'll do a pasta primavera for starters. If anyone has a good zucchini recipe, please share!

One of our first carrots.

Green beans are still sprouting, but the harvest seems to be slowing. I have a feeling if we were out there picking on the daily we'd have a higher yield, but we're still pretty happy with them regardless. We have about 6 or 7 freezer bags full of blanched green beans in the freezer to be enjoyed at our leisure.

Sadly, our lettuce harvest season has passed and our plants are spent. However, I've been doing some reading on growing lettuce through the fall, so I think we'll be starting another batch sometime soon. The spinach season is long gone and we were somewhat disappointed with how fast it came and went. Not sure if we'll do more spinach for fall or even next spring. One big thing we'd like to do differently in the future is sow seeds in stages over a period of weeks instead of all at once. Hopefully that will help us avoid an all-at-once harvest next time around, and we'll have crops to look forward to for a longer period of time.

The first zucchini.

We finally installed trellises for the tomatoes and cucumbers, and they are much happier with the supports in place. For the cukes, we used found materials that were left in our garage by previous owners. Brian took some heavy gauge wire, cut them into strips roughly 4 feet in length, bent them into U-shapes, and positioned them around the cucumber plants in the soil. We wrapped the vines around the wire, and they took it from there.

For the tomatoes, we decided to build a trellis like this one. Instead of metal poles, Brian buried cinder blocks in the ground with the holes facing up and placed inexpensive 2x2s into one of the holes. He cut off small pieces from the 2x2 and wedged them in the hole around the pole to keep it from moving. He did this for each side and got some garden wire from the hardware store and ran it from pole to pole about once every foot off the ground. The wire is coated in plastic to keep it from rusting. Then we attached the tomato stems to the wires with twist ties.

tomato trellis

tomato tied to trellis

bell pepper

The tomatoes are growing nicely, but still have some growing to do. Also, we finally have some tiny bell peppers growing on the pepper plants! They are super cute.

Finally, I've been reading Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza and finding her gardening methods very inspiring. I want to start building my own lasagna garden this fall and pick it up again in the spring. More on that later.

Happy gardening!

Eff the Joneses, Keep Up With Yourself!

Homemaking is a 24/7 job. It is hard work and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Lately, I've felt myself slipping into a rut and if you are feeling the same way, I'm here to help you (and myself) climb back out. Everything that comes with this line of work can be a daunting challenge. Between everything you possibly have to do in a single day; childcare, food preparation, cleaning, shopping, scheduling, and maintenance, just to name a few, it's easy to lose yourself in the mix. In my own household, I only have one other person to worry about besides myself, and I still feel like I can't keep up with the mountains of dirty laundry, dishes, organization, and worst of all, personal motivation. There are a few things I've tried that have proved useful in helping me through my daily duties and I would like to share them in the hopes that it could help out a struggling friend.

1.Make a schedule. I used spreadsheet to write out daily and weekly things I need to do. Mostly just so I can remember. I scheduled all of the things that I like the least for early in the morning. That way I can kick them out of the way and do more enjoyable things in the afternoon like painting or reading. I even have a day and time where I write out the next week's grocery list so I can stay on top of that and not waste time before I need to be at the store. You don't necessarily have to keep to your schedule, either. Stay flexible and don't stress if you didn't do something on your list. You can always do it later.

2.Baby steps! You're not going to have an amazingly spotless well organized living space in a day. It takes time and even then, it is impossible to achieve perfection unless no one (not even you) lives in your home. Life is messy and it's time to accept it. Do what you can when you can. FlyLady (I apologize for the gender specificity of this but it is helpful and for anyone) is a site that can help you to get on track to making small good habits a little at a time. Got a messy counter? Set your timer for 5 minutes and get rid of everything you can in that amount of time. When the timer stops, you stop. You'll actually be amazed at what you can do with just five minutes.

3.Remember that your work is meaningful and important. If you don't work outside of the home and aren't bringing in a paycheck, it doesn't mean that you aren't contributing. Of course, if you want to contribute in this way, go for it! You can absolutely do both because you are an amazing and diverse person. For those of you who choose to remain solely in the home, what you do is just as important, if not more than a paycheck. When you take into account of the actual costs of daycare, restaurants/take-out, cleaning services, maintenance work, etc., you are singlehandedly saving your family a fortune! In addition to this, these services don't provide the love and nourishment that you do.

4.Take a break. Want to read a book or go for a walk? Do it. You deserve it. You work in the home but you are not a prisoner there. Put breaks into your schedule or just sit down when you need to. You need to take care of and love yourself before you can give it back to your family. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Don't overlook it. You are a superhero, but even superheroes have their follies. Know your body and your mind and pay attention to what they are telling you.


Health and happiness to all!