The Sweetheart Sewing Kit

Recently my baby sister left to serve an 18 month mission for our Church.

There was a lot of preparation in getting ready for her to leave.

One day my mom was listing off what they still needed and one of the items was a sewing kit.

I excitedly said, "Oooh let me take care of that!" Yeah I am a nerd like that and something as little as a sewing kit excites me.

I know I could have bought one, but heck she is the baby and she is doing something fantastically awesome. So I figured she could use a little sewing kit made with love.

I designed the sewing kit to open and close like a tiny notebook.

I used some of my more vintagey and lovely fabrics. She is going to Oklahoma and I really wanted a gingham dress and eyelet lace petticoat kind of feel. Basically I wanted it to scream county fair, blue ribbon pies, and mending on the front porch of a ranch house.

I have watched Oklahoma! the musical way too many times...

Funny story, once on Christmas Eve (technically Christmas Day) at three in the morning my siblings and I found ourselves unable to sleep. We were under strict instructions not to wake up our parents until 6am. As a tradition on Christmas Eve, we all slept in the same room. This room just happened to have a TV. So we turned it on and randomly enough this movie was all that was playing. So we all watched this movie together.

Ahh...good times.

Okay back to the sewing kit and wanting it to like a county fair...

This might be a little over the top with my theme...but I kind of love it.

There are pockets on both sides.

One side is a divided pocket to hold the cutest and daintiest scissors. There is also a felt flag banner to keep safety pins on.

I also managed to find a pink measuring tape.

My sister insisted that she didn't think she would need a measuring tape, since there probably wouldn't be much measuring. I went along with her...

...until I found the pink measuring tape.

Could.Not.Resist.

The pocket on the other side is a vinyl pocket with a velcro closure.

I bought mini rolls of thread and displayed them proudly in the clear pocket.

I added more felt details...because when have I ever not LOVED adding felt to a project.

I sewed a heart-shaped piece that holds needles.

I also cut more felt banners to hold spare buttons. I only attached these banners at the top so that the buttons were accessible.

The whole sewing kit easily folds closed and velcros shut. She can easily pack it away. It takes up no room at all.

She will always be ready to face any sewing/mending mishaps. AND she can do it with pure Oklahoman style.

Plus, I hope when ever she uses it she will remember how much I love her.

Kind of like I am sending her the prettiest hug from so far away.

Project Handmade Christmas Presents: Rice Hand Warmers

We are winding down. Christmas is swiftly approaching. My Little Men are excitedly counting down one candy at a time from our advent. Middle happily crosses off each day from his homemade calendar that hangs on our refrigerator.

 

My last several little handmade gifts are done. Did you notice I didn't say the big gifts are done? 

Ugh, let's change the subject...

Today for Project Handmade Christmas Presents, I made these simple rice hand warmers for the Grandpas. 

I used the oh-so-wonderful Vanessa's (you know from V&Co) tutorial found HERE.

I also thought it might be nice to make a little bag to hold the hand warmers in.

I turned a tea towel into two tiny drawstring bags. I painted their Grandpa names on the front.

Now the little hand warmers have a place to live when they aren't keeping our Grandpas hands toasty warm.

You know what they say, warm hands, warm heart.

Our Grandpas have the warmest hearts, so of course they need the warmest hands.

Project Handmade Christmas Presents: Personalized Notepads Part 2

I got a lot of positive feedback about PART 1 of the Personalized Notepad tutorial. I am glad that you guys were able to follow along with my tutorial and I am excited that so many of you have already made the template for your notepad page.

Now that you have your template made from the PART 1 TUTORIAL, this next step is the easy part.

You will insert your jpeg image into a Word type document on a landscape oriented page. Once you have one image on the page, you will most likely have to make your image a tad smaller in order to make two notepad pages fit on one page. Copy the smaller image and paste it right next to the first.

Print of how many you want, I recommend printing off anywhere from 20 to 40 pages. That will give you 40 to 80 notepad pages.

Use a paper cutter to evenly cut down the pages. My cut pages measured 7" by 5".

Cut out all your pages. You will have a stack of notepad pages.

Gather some small binder clips.

You will also need rubber cement.

Oh and you will want a cereal box too.

 With your stack of notepad pages in hand...

Cut out cardboard backs for each notepad measuring 7" by 5".

Stack all the paper evenly on top of each other and then add the cardboard to the back. Clip securely in place at all the corners on the side edges.

Set them up on top of something, like an upside down cup. And I recommend laying down newspaper because the rubber cement might drip. Liberally brush the top edge with rubber cement. Make sure to coat it evenly, catching every page. Coat several times.

Let the pads set out and dry over night, until the top is barely, if not at all, tacky to the touch.

Remove the clips and admire your handy work.

Sharpen a couple of pencils and add some washi tape to the top.

Tie with bow.

Easy peasy and all done!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy gift making and gift giving.

Project Handmade Christmas Presents: Child's Wallet

At Christmas time I like to make a handful of gifts. Nothing too major.

One year I thought, "Hey why don't I make all the gifts!"

Hahahaha...that idea was quickly put to rest. There is absolutely no way that is going to happen ever. However, I realized I could simply pick a couple of people to make presents for.

Last year I shared a couple of handmade Christmas present ideas with you in my Project Handmade Christmas Presents.

I had so much fun last year that I decided to give it another go this year.

So welcome to the tutorial for the first Handmade Christmas Present of 2012.

A handmade child's wallet.

My Little Men love wallets...well let's face it they love what is inside the wallet.

They love having a place to put their own small amount of cash. They also love having a place to slip a gift card, or even a pretend credit card. Middle even likes slipping in a business card or two. Yeah he is legit like that.

In our family we do a cousins gift exchange every year. Two of the cousins we need to get a gift for are two cute little boys 4 and 2. I thought that making them a wallet all their own and then loading it with ones would be fun gift.

The wallets came together quickly (that is after I worked out the kinks and turned on my brain). I was able to make the wallets out of fabric scraps. I didn't have to go to the fabric store for a single thing...for which Hubby is grateful. I am lethal at the fabric store.

I really like how they turned out and I am excited to stuff them with cash and send them to these adorable boys.

Do you have a tiny money bags in your life?

I am pretty sure they would like a wallet all their own.

Here is a quick and easy how-to for this little wallet.

You will need:

2 pieces for outside and inside (can be same or different patterns), measuring 7 1/2" by 4 1/2".
1 piece of stabilizer, measuring 7 1/2" by 4 1/2" (I used a piece of white felt)
1 piece for long inside pocket, measuring 7 1/2" by 3 3/4"
2 pieces for small inside pockets, measuring, 3 3/4" by 2 3/4"
fabric strip for inside biased tape, measuring 2" by 15"
fabric strip for outside biased tape, measuring 2" by 26"
velcro, cut into 2" strip
thread

I used two different fabrics for this wallet.

The inside pocket matched the yellow for the inside. Then I used a coordinating print for the little inside pockets.

I used the yellow for the biased tape for the outside of the wallet and the print for the inside pockets.

To start, make your biased tape (or you can always just buy biased tape).

For the inside pockets you will need two strips measuring 3 3/4" and one measuring 7 1/2".

Pin the smaller strips to an outside edge of each smaller pocket.

Sew them in place.

I did this next step out of order on the pirate wallet so I am showing you with the batman wallet.

Face the pockets with biased edges by each other. Place and sew in the velcro 1" in from the raw edge.

Pretend that you see velcro from now on...

Pin the small pockets to the longer pocket. Base stitch the smaller pockets to the longer pockets by sewing with a long length along the top and bottom raw edge.

Next take the longer biased tape and pin in place along one of the raw edges.

Sew in place with a normal stitch length.

Then pin the completed pocket piece to the inside fabric piece. Base stitch the two pieces together.

Now you are going to layer the pieces together. Place the outside piece print side down, making sure the top of the print is at the top.

Layer the stabilizer piece on top of the upside down print piece. Then layer the inside pocket piece, right side up, on top of the stabilizer.

Baste everything together on the outside edges.

Now prepare the biased tape for the outside.

Pin the biased tape in place around the edges.

When the edges meet, fold over one of the edges and pin in place.

Your wallet should look like this all pin-arrific.

Stitch it all in place.

Now the whole wallet is put together and finished.

So cute.

Before you wrap it up and send it off, slip some cash or a gift card inside.

A present perfect for any tiny money bags!

Stay tuned for other handmade gift ideas.