Christmas Envelope Pillows - 45 minute Project

This is 100% NOT the original project that I had in mind but it is way more practical and you can definitely adjust it for any holiday. 

Today we will be making an envelope pillowcase. It is called and envelope because the back will be able to easily open and will fold over itself to appear closed, like an envelope does.

Jo-Ann Craft and Fabric stores sent me a $50 gift card so I could make a #fabulouslyfestive craft tutorial, so I ran over to get some supplies (I have enough left over for a second tutorial, so keep your eyes peeled!). BTW I love the Cary, NC store! I'm working out the logistics on how to transplant it to Jacksonville.... :0)

JoAnns shopping list:

Main fabric (red for Santa, green for elf) 5/8 yard (to allow for shrinkage during pre-wash)
Black fabric                                            6"
Yellow fabric                                          8"
Don't forget your coupon! Scroll down to the bottom of the blog, print it out and take it to your nearest JoAnn store for some great deals! Your shopping list is also at the bottom so you can print the coupon and list together. Please remember this list will complete a 17x17" pillowcase.

First measure your pillow. Mine is about 17" so I'm going to give myself 1/2 seam allowance at top, bottom and both sides. 

Your front piece will be your pillow dimensions plus 1".
Example: my pillow was 17 x 17 so my front piece was 18" x 18"
               my large back piece was 16" x 18"
               my small back piece was 6" x 18"

The next part is the belt. Cut your width by 5" (Mine is 18" x 5") and 3x3"

The yellow fabric will be a 6"x6" square.

 

Iron your long belt piece top and bottom over 1/4- 1/2"

Iron your yellow and black squares, on all sides, 1/4-1/2" over.

Now you can start assembling your pieces. Just eye where you want them to be, I didn't place them by using any precise measurements. Lay down your long belt piece first. Be sure to pin it down so it doesn't shift while you are sewing it.

Next, place your yellow and black belt pieces down at the same time. I stitched my black square down first so I wouldn't have to change my thread twice. :)

Once you stitch down the belt, set this aside.

Grab your back top and back bottom pieces. Iron the long end over twice so your raw edges aren't showing. Then stitch this down. I used my left align stitch so it would be close to the ironed edge.

Now we are going to put it all together. It will look like this....
Front side facing up.

Then put down the small back piece on top, and the large back piece on top of that. It should look like this (yours will overlap more than the picture here shows)

Pin all the way around to prevent slipping and pulling fabric. Stitch all the way around using a 1/4 to 1/2 seam allowance.

If you have a serger you can serge the raw edge. If you do not, you can either zig-zag stitch to prevent fraying, or just cut with pinking shears and call it a day!

Now put it on your sofa and enjoy cuddling up with your family! When the holidays are over, just take the pillowcase off and store until next year!

I like to use at least one piece of quilting cotton with a bit of a pattern so the pillow doesn't look so 'flat'. It gives it just a bit more dimension!

JoAnns shopping list:

Main fabric (red for Santa, green for elf) 5/8 yard (to allow for shrinkage during pre-wash)
Black fabric                                            6"
Yellow fabric                                          8"

Check out more fun tutorials and ideas here  joann.com/celebrate-the-season

And if you make one of these pillows, please comment with a picture! I'd love to see it! 

To find this tutorial more easily if you want to make it later, pin it!  

JoAnn Fabric and Craft stores did compensate me a gift card in exchange for this blog post, but all ideas, photographs and opinions stated therein are my own.

Houdini Proof Footie Pajamas

My youngest always gets out of her pajamas. She never took a pacifier, but picks at her belly button to go to sleep. I can't explain it, but its always been this way!

My solution has been - zipper in the back!

Fabulous idea, but last year I made three pairs all at once, and tried them on her after sewing them.... to find that they didn't fit. I really wish that I had taken pictures at the time but it didn't occur to me.

Now when I say they didn't fit, I mean - they didn't fit. First off, they were way too long. I had to safety pin about 3 inches off of each side so it didn't fall off the bottoms of her feet. I also discovered, after the first time putting her to bed in a set, that she could climb right out of the neck hole.

I'm sure my child isn't the only one pulling night-time Houdini tricks, and with the cold weather, I'm sure we can agree we want them to wake up in the same outfit they went to sleep in. So..... Here is a tutorial on how to take the Peek a Boo Pattern Shop classic footie pajamas and convert them from front zipper to back zipper.

The first difference will be how you cut your pieces. Make sure that you have two back pieces and that your front piece is one piece, cut on fold.

These are the back pieces. There are two, cut where the fold would normally be.

Complete steps 1 and 2 the same as in the pattern.

For step 3,  sew the point of the crotch to the front piece, matching middles.

Skip to step 11.  Sew using Amy's method, or by the method I used. Match back pieces at middle. Sew basting stitch (I used the longest stitch I had so it would be easy to pick out later).

Press back pieces apart. Center zipper on this seam.

Sew around zipper (sewing fabric sides of zipper to the pajamas).

Seam rip basting stitch.

Top stitch around zipper. Mine does not look pretty at all, but I definitely wanted them to be functional, so I didn't mind! Catch up at step 13.

Now, there is that little rough piece at the bottom of the zipper (I had to cut mine). To cover this up and ensure Little C's comfort, I cut a 1" x 2" strip. I folded this so it was 1 x 1" square and sewed it beneath the bottom of the zipper. Then I pressed it up so it covered the rough end of the zipper and stitched close to the top of the flap. Voila! No irritation!

I did not alter my neck ribbing at all from the original pattern. The only thing I omitted was sewing the angles where the front center would be.

Please let me know if you have any questions!!!!

Aha, zipper in back!

We are in the bunny ears phase!

This was the full zip version

Thanksgiving Tablescapes (kiddie table)

Heck yeah, kiddie table!

I don't recall ever having a Thanksgiving large enough that we needed to separate the kids onto another table, but man, the fun that would have been. If you have a family full of little nieces and nephews, I think giving them their own table is a fun idea! They have a little bit of independence, and c'mon, you know how hilarious their conversations are!

First things first, waterproof tablecloth. I don't even have to tell you why.

Second off, although I love the idea of embroidered placemats, its not really practical if you're going to give your little people free reign. You'll stress less if you don't have your heart set on perfection. Believe me, lesson learned the hard way!

Here is what I did. I decided on a plain red tablecloth because its festive enough without being in your face. If you want to go with a table runner, keep it fun. After all, this is the kids table! I would totally suggest snatching up some of this fabric at JoAnns if you can find it!

Next, get your kids involved!

Remember that you want everyone to feel thankful so integrating your munchkins into the fun is going to help them understand the holiday and also make them feel like you're thankful for them. Of course, they'll know it more if they hear it, so make sure you tell them!

I am a HUGE sucker for handprint art. I love love love seeing hand-made crafts by my littles. First, trace their hands onto some colored cardstock. JoAnns has a great selection of colors to choose from.








Arrange them however you like. You can use just one color or multiple colors. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect! You can stagger them so you can see all the feathers, I especially suggest this for little hands! For my six year old's and mine, the heel of the palm were all even, and the fingers were more fanned out.



Next cut a circle for the body. Now, we aren't going to leave it like a circle. Cut off the bottom. You'll need a flat area so your turkey can stand later.

Drumroll please..... we need wings! This is going to look a little like a rounder version of the Nike symbol, but not quite a jelly bean.

Cut out another circle, but smaller. This is your turkey's head. Now, your child can either cut out eyes and a beak or draw them onto the head - whichever they, or you, prefer.

These are the wings and beak!

Don't forget the red gobble thingy. According to google, this is called a wattle.

Last but not least, we need to make it stand. Cut a strip of paper, I used orange since the stand is a lot like feet. You want to try to get it as close as you can to a 30/60/90 degree triangle. It will stand up best if there is a right angle along the bottom.

Once the glue is all dry, you have a great memory and a centerpiece for your kidlet table!

Don't have kids? Or this project isn't for you? Check out other great projects here! 

And, for hanging through til the end, a coupon just for you!

Jo-Anns shopping list:

- Cardstock (I used 7 pages I think)

- Allene's glue

- Sharpie

Being thankful and giving back

I've been trying to impart the idea of empathy into my little girls. I want them to have compassion and to think about the needs of others, weighing the impact on others into their decisions.

When I was a kid, my family volunteered, my church volunteered, my girl scout troop was very involved with community service... and I believe it taught me quite a bit about the needs of others. One of the groups I volunteered for when I was about 8 or 9 was PAWS, which keeps adoptable kittens and cats inside of the Petsmart where I grew up. What is awesome about animals is that you learn intuition and routine. Animals have basic needs that must be met in order for them to survive, but they can't communicate it to you the way most humans can. My girls are probably too young to volunteer with the care of pets just yet, so we decided to donate some much needed items.

A facebook event called Thanksgiving for the Animals wrote out a list of most-requested items. A couple pattern makers I know, the lovely ladies behind Aivilo Charlotte and Swoon, were rewarding their customers with free patterns (they speak my language!) so I went off to Dollar Tree with the intention of spending about what I would have spent on two free PDF patterns. Disappointed with the dog food at Dollar Tree, we left with only two gallons of bleach. We went on over to Walmart and picked up 30 pounds of dog food.

The Duplin County animal shelter is closed on Saturdays, so we dropped off our items at the Jacksonville shelter.

My youngest, of course, begged to look at the kitties. And it unfolded a bit like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

If you decide to get some donations for an animal shelter, you'll have to drop them off.

When you drop them off, you'll have to look at the kittens.

Kittens will remind you of how playful your dog was when he was a puppy. You'll want to go look at them.

When you look at the dogs, you'll feel sorry for them and wish they had a home for the holidays.

You'll take your girls to the park nearby and the image of doggies with no homes will play in your mind over and over like the pound scene from Lady and the Tramp. Of course, you'll make your way back to the shelter to meet the pups.

You'll decide to take one home.


Okay, so I'm no Laura Numeroff. My story didn't quite go full circle.
However, the point is that I'm quite happy with the girls' and my decision to give back. I'm so glad that I decided to take a peek at who they had in the back because this little cutie is adorable.

Everyone, meet Nestlé.