Resurrecting From The Dead

I've done a couple projects over the past 14 months...I've made a couple checkerboard quilts and my mom and I made a shirt for Natalie to wear for Halloween. But that's not why I've resurrected this blog. Maybe I'll post those pics tomorrow... I'm resurrecting because I want to share another aspect of myself with you.

I'm doing the Susan G. Komen 3-Day For The Cure. I'm a first time walker on team Betties for Boobies in Dallas. My teammate, Jackie, has reached out to several bloggers in order to hopefully raise money for breast cancer research through the blog network.

So, if you happen to be reading this and if you have been touched by breast cancer in one way or another, the Betties would love your support. Please donate $10 (or more, if you feel led!) to Jackie's 3-Day fund.

http://www.bettiesforboobies.com/?p=389

I'm So Sorry

I have had no projects to do lately. The family had a bug at the beginning of January that was purely miserable and landed the child in disposable diapers. I sent my husband to the store to buy a pack of said disposable diapers and he came back with a case. So, we were forging through them. But, we're back in cloth now and I am hoping to cut some dipes tomorrow.

Additionally, I've got this chair. It is the IKEA Lomsk. Grandma gave it to the kids for Christmas and it is way cool. I mean, I wish I had one of these when I was a kid. It is this egg-shaped chair with a canopy that closes. Then, the child on the inside spins with the help of someone on the outside. The chair seriously rocks, but it seriously needs a cushion. So, I'm gonna make one. I've got the material (some IKEA fabric and some minkee) and the batting to shove in there. I just need to make a pattern and actually do it.

There's another totally random thing I thought about making, but it would be so weird and I'm embarrassed to admit what it was. I'll give you a hint, though. I thought about it while at and as a result of being at the doctor's office.

Rest in Peace, Seam Ripper

I haven't been doing much lately, so I haven't posted lately. Over Thanksgiving weekend, I made two diapers. One on Saturday at my mom's house and one on Sunday at my inlaws' house. The one on Sunday turned out much better than Saturday's. It was the same stained glass fabric from IKEA. Saturday's diaper is dirty, so I can't take a photo. But, what I can say is that I learned a few things!

First, I learned an easier way for me to do my back elastic. I was trying to contort my fabric and do weird stuff, but I realized that if I slip it into the pocket that is made by my top stitch and my initial stitch, it is much easier. Then, I can sew a vertical stitch to hold the elastic in place.

Also, I learned that when I'm sewing down my soaker, I really need to put the presser foot down. I swear, I had been leaving it up because the soaker is kind of thick, but remember when I said my bobbin was doing weird things? It wasn't my bobbin. It was the fact that my presser foot was up.

And I also learned that I was missing a spot where I was threading my machine. I never really had trouble with it, but my mom said I wasn't doing it right and my mother-in-law agreed. So, now I am doing it right.

And fast forward to tonight. I decided to make a new diaper because I got some precut Zorb and flannel pieces for soakers. I messed up big time, though, and had to rip it all out. Only I couldn't find my seam ripper. For shame!

So, I ran to JoAnns and grabbed two half yards of fabric (I'm an addict...even if I'm not sewing much, I'm apparently still buying fabric), a box of pins, a gingerbread house kit and a new purple seam ripper.

Those who know me know that purple is my favorite color. I swear I didn't lose my seam ripper on purpose just to get a new purple one. I have no idea where it is.

It doesn't matter, though, because my sweet husband was ripping out some stitches for me so that I could work on getting the child to sleep. In the process, he managed to break my seam ripper. My brand new purple one. He broke it!

Ok...Confession

I'm stuck on making diapers. There are a few reasons why. The first and main reason is that my youngest needs diapers. So, I'm making them. Fair enough, right? Secondly, it is that I'm sick of them not turning out perfect. So, I make more to try to get them better. Third, and dumbest reason ever, is that I'm too intimidated to try other things yet. Hush. I just started sewing a couple weeks ago (unless you count from the time I made the burp cloths, in which case it was *gulp* almost a year ago).

So...I made another diaper. And this is my favorite one I've made so far. Cotton outer. It is kind of stiff, but I'm hoping it'll get softer as the little one uses it and I wash it. I got it for $8/yard at IKEA. They do have some other fabric that is softer and more like quilting fabric, but not much.



This is from the heiny view. Of course, it will be covered up with an ugly cover... *sigh*



That is a turquoise-ish blue suedecloth (Alova Suede for $2.95/yard at Wal-Mart) on the inside. It is really soft.



And the whole diaper laid out. See the snaps? Those are courtesy of my new snap press from Oh Snap USA. I definitely recommend their snap presses and snaps. It is the kam snap press, but it is much less than anywhere else I've found.

Things I did poorly... I dunno what was going on with my bobbin, but I have some weird loopy things. Also, I accidentally did a zig-zag on my top stitch rather than straight stitch. Not the biggest mistake, but again, my bobbin did funky stuff. And, of course the back elastic. I just can't quite figure that stuff out. I have a hard time getting it where it needs to be... Oh, and I need to work on my snap placement.

Overall, I'm happy with it.

Yet Another Diaper

Ok, ok... I am on a diaper jag. I am really enjoying doing these. Note: I didn't say I'm really skilled at doing these, I just said I'm enjoying it. Last Sunday, my girls and I went to visit my mom. I was silly and thought that if I took my machine, I could get some good pointers and maybe hammer out a diaper or two. Or maybe a dress. I wasn't sure what I would've made, just thought I might make something. Only, I failed to consider that it was just my mother, my girls and me. And my girls don't make it easy for me to take the time to work on stuff.

So, I didn't make anything. And I was really ok with not making anything. Especially since we all went to dinner together (still thinking about that combination cheese chimichanga..mmm) and then to Wal-Mart. My generous mom let me sneak a fabric and some thread in her cart. And then my wonderful child reached out and grabbed a bolt of fabric and exclaimed, "Grandma! Grandma! This one!" So, we grabbed a yard of that one.

Had I been thinking about it, I would've made a dress or something for my older daughter, since she requested the fabric. But I wasn't thinking about it. So, I made a diaper for my younger daughter, instead. Sorry, sweetie. You got hosed.

Last night, I laid my pre-washed, dried and ironed fabric out and cut cotton pieces for eight diapers. I did this while simultaneously talking to my friend Cathy on Yahoo! Messenger. I should really not try to multitask while trying to learn this craft.

Today, I cut some alova suede (same as the suedecloth that a popular, genius-y diaper company uses) that I got from Wal-Mart for $2.50/yard and made the above diaper. I only made one because I ran out of loop for my hook and loop.

Here's another look at that diaper. This look is more true to the color. It is light purple with blue flowers, not that odd color above. Hey, I'm learning to sew, not do photography.


Things I messed up:
Stitch placement. Again. I did much better, but there were still some places.
The top elastic. Again. I did a little better, I think. But I still need work figuring out how to secure it while also figuring out how to have room to top stitch it closed.
The leg elastic. I didn't take it high enough up on the leg and I ended up not cinching the elastic tightly enough. It looks tighter than it is on the right-hand side of the photo. It's barely cinched at all.

Things I like:
The print.
The overall fit.

Things I intend to do differently:
Snaps. I'm for sure going to get a snap press. Anybody who knows me knows that I get bored with my diapers pretty quickly and want new ones. The way I figure it is that I can either spend $30-35 per nice, cushy diaper or I can make my own. Not counting the cost of the snap press ($125 with shipping from here), I can make a diaper for about $5. So, I figure that I only need to make 5 diapers with snaps and I've paid for the snap press. If I make 6 diapers, then...hey, I'm MAKIN' money! My diapers won't be anywhere near as cushy and nice as those I linked to, but they'll be much cheaper and much less likely to elicit eye-rolls from my husband. (For the record, I have one of each of those diapers and they are fantastic. I love them! And if anybody happens to be reading this, I'd love the skull one from the "nice" link...hint, hint.)

And I'll leave you with a photo of the fabric I'll be using next. The teal that the print is sitting on is the suedecloth I'll be using with these.


Pretty, huh? Thanks, again, Mom. I really do appreciate it!

Diaper Making Take Two

Thanks to the chick with the needle for giving me the pointer on how to sew straight. She told me to align my fabric with the foot. That really helped me a lot!

The diaper isn't the prettiest thing in the world, much like the kite shirt; but I made it! I struggled with the back elastic. I was kind of confused about how to do it, but I got it figured out well enough, I guess.


Some of my fabric got caught in stitches it wasn't intended to get caught in. There are some flaws, but I think the diaper will be functional. Oh, and I definitely intend to get a snap press! I don't like sewing hook and loop. Also, the placement of my hook and loop is off. I should have double checked it before I put it down.

I used suedecloth on the inner and a cotton fabric on the outer. I used three layers of microterry for the soaker.

Diaper Making Take One

As I mentioned, I attempted to make a diaper for my younger daughter. I traced a one-size fitted diaper, but I didn't do my stitch placement well. I lost a lot of size. Also, my soaker is at the top of the diaper, so I can't stitch it closed without chopping it off.

Here's the inside of the diaper. I used red thread because I didn't have white, but I kind of like it because it enabled me to see my stitches easily. See how badly I did? ;)


And the diaper looking like a diaper. I didn't mess with doing hook and loop or back elastic.