Pixie Hat Tutorial

Looking for a quick, easy and adorable hat to sew for your little one this winter?  I am over at Make it & Love it today with a super simple pixie hat tutorial to share!

This hat such an easy sew, you can can finish one in under 30 minutes!  It only takes a couple of straight seams and a hem, so it is perfect for beginners too!

In my tutorial, I show you how to measure your little one and make a hat to fit any size head.  This little whimsical hat is perfect for the holidays...and all winter too!  It can be made with an extra warm lining to keep little heads warm.

Head over to Make it & Love it today to check out my tutorial!

Tutorial - Reversible Pillow Case

Looking for some last minute fall decor for your home?  This reversible pillow was my entry for the Fall Decor challenge over at SYTYC and it won first place!  It has a festive fall leaves design on the front and reverses to holly leaves do it can stick around through winter too!

I have seen reversible pillows before, but they always have one design on the front and one on the back.  I wanted this reversible pillow to have the second design hiding on the inside.  That way if the pillow falls off my couch or somehow gets flipped over, I don’t end up with a Christmas pillow in September.

This same concept could be used to create a pillow for any holiday.  Or you could even just pick two different fabrics.  Then when you get tired of one look, flip to the other.

To make this pillow, I used an off white home décor fabric and some craft felt to make the leaves and holly.  You can choose any fabric for the front; I recommend something with a bit of weight so it holds up better.  The envelope closure on the back is the same for both sides so if you choose two different fabrics for the front, make sure you choose something that coordinates with both for the back.  The fabric for the back also needs to be one without a right or wrong side, meaning both sides of the fabrics look the same.  Solid home décor fabrics are a good choice for the back.

The first step is to determine the size your case needs to be.  I had a pillow from Ikea for my insert, the tag says 20” x 20” but when I measured from seam to seam it was really more like 19”.  So I ended up making my case for a 19” x 19” pillow. 

Cut 2 squares of fabric that are 1” bigger than your pillow and 2 rectangles for the back that are 1” bigger than the pillow in length and half that plus 3”  in width.  For a 19” x 19” pillow I used two 20” squares and two rectangles that are 20” x 13”

Cut your leaves from felt.  I first sketched a leaf on paper to use as a template when cutting.  My leaves are about 1.5” wide and 2.5” long.  To cut the holly berries, I traced a nickel on a piece of paper you use as a template.  Pin your leaves in three rows on one of the pillow fronts, and then sew them on with a contrasting thread.

Repeat with the holly leaves on the other pillow front.

Finish one long edge of the rectangle by folding the edge over ¼” and then another 1” and topstitching along the folded edge.

Lay your fall leaves front face up and place one of the rectangles on top with the folded edge up.  Line up the three unfinished sides with the edge of the pillow front.  Lay the other rectangle on the other side with the folded side down.  Line up the raw edges with the edge of the pillow front, the finished edges of the rectangles will overlap in the middle.  Pin around the edges and baste stitch all the way around the pillow ½” from the edge.

Lay the Christmas side of the pillow case face down on top of the pillow backs.  You should have the fall leaves on the bottom, the Christmas leaves on top, and the back pieces sandwiched in the middle.  Pin around the edges and sew with ½” seam allowance leaving a 3” opening.  Make sure the opening is not right where the leaves are.   Clip the corners close to the seam to reduce the bulk. Turn the pillow through the hole you left open.  Fold the raw edge in and hand stitch the opening closed.

Your pillow is done!  You should have fall leaves on one side and holly leaves on the other.  Thanks again for voting for my fall leaves pillow!

Tutorial: Bunny Rag Doll with Free Pattern

I have been wanting to make my daughter a doll for a while.  It was on my list of things to make before Christmas but I never got around to it. We were out shopping for little gifts for their Easter baskets last night and I thought a bunny rag doll would be perfect!
Enter this little gal....

Are you looking for a quick project for your little ones Easter basket?  This bunny was easy and a ton of fun to make.

I love seeing things I dream up come to life.  I get so excited when it actually works, and even more excited when it looks like what I was imagining in my head!
She is about 18" tall from her toes to the top of her head.

I love her giant bunny feet!

To make a bunny, you need:

• Some fabric, this is a great pattern to use up some scraps.
• Poly-fil
• Embroidery thread
• Sewing machine
• Needle and thread
• The pattern found HERE

First use the pattern to cut out your pieces (you probably noticed your feet look a bit different than the ones pictured, I didn't like the way they looked at first, you will notice them change about half way through)

Sew your ears, arms and legs right sides together.

Trim off the tips of the ears and snip inside of the curve on the feet close to the seam.

Turn them right side out.  Stuff the arms and legs and press the ears flat.

Sew the heads to the bodies.  I added a little collar to the front.  I also embroidered the face before sewing it on, you can do that now or wait until it is stuffed.  

Baste your arms and legs in place on the front body of the bunny.

Baste the ears to the back of the head.

Pin the two halves together, make sure the arms and ears are tucked inside, the legs can stick out the bottom.  

Sew around the bunny starting next to one leg and ending at the other.  

Turn the bunny right side out, stuff him, then hand stitch her hiney closed. 

To make a tail, cut a 2" circle and sew a running stitch around the edge.

Pull the string tight and stuff some poly-fil inside.

Stitch the tail on the back of the bunny.

I added a little button on her collar and she is all done!

Tutorial: Bunny Treat Bags with Free Pattern

I wanted to make something fun for my kids Easter baskets this year, something they could use again and again every year.

When I was little we always had the traditional treat filled plastic eggs, but we also had a few different small treat containers that got pulled out every year.  The ones that stick out in my mind the most were these little bunnies and ducks that my grandmother crocheted.  They actually had a small hole in the back where you filled them with candy so it looked like they pooped jelly beans, which I thought was hilarious when I was a kid. I am sure Andrew would love a pooping bunny too, but unfortunately my crochet skills are a bit rusty so I couldn't make him one, instead I came up with these little bunnies.

Just fill 'em up with your favorite Easter treat and tie their little ears in a knot.

They are small so they are a great way to use up some scrap fabric you may have laying around.  

These little guys are quick to make so you probably won't be able to stop at just one.  I made six, three for each kid.

Then on Easter they can be tucked in their Easter basket, or hidden with the eggs.  

Want to make some bunny treat bags?  First download the pattern HERE.

(sorry about the white on white colors in this tutorial, I don't know what I was thinking...)

Cut out the pattern piece and use it to cut out 2 white pieces and 2 color pieces.

Using a water soluble pencil, transfer the dots for embroidering the face on one white piece and for adding a tail on the other white piece.

Use embroidery thread to make the face.  To make the eyes, push your needle up from the back of the fabric where you drew the dot for the eye.  Tie a knot in the thread an push your needle back trough the fabric on the dot.  Tie both ends of string off at the back.

To make the nose, make a stitch between the top 2 dots.  Bring your needle up through the fabric at the third dot and under the stitch you med.  Then push the needle back down through the fabric at the bottom and tie off at the back.  

Add a cotton tail on the back using a store bought pom pom or make your own with some yarn.

Next put one white piece and one color piece right sides together and sew along the ear.  Repeat with the other pieces.

Open the bottoms of each side and place the two sides together, lining up the white and color sides.  Sew around the edge leaving an opening in the bottom.  Be careful not to catch his little cotton tail or one of his ears in the seam!

Clip the tip of the ears and along the seam allowance in the curve.

Turn the bunny right side out through the hole in the bottom and then sew the hole shut.

Tuck the lining down inside.  

Fill him up and he is ready for Easter!