Fat Quarter Projects: Baby Gift Set

Giveaway now closed.

Congrats, Amanda! You are the winner!

Do you know those cute little squares of fabric you see in the fabric department of your favorite stores and notice how cute and coordinating they all are? And then, you look at the label and it says something like Fat Quarter or Fabric Quarter and you wonder what on earth does that mean? Well, wonder no more!

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A fat quarter is a one-fourth yard cut of fabric that (usually) measures 18" x 22" instead of the typical 9" x 44" quarter-yard cut. The longest side's dimension will vary if your fabric is not 44" wide.

Go here to find out all you ever wanted to know about fat quarters. All I know is that I love the fat quarter selection at JoAnn Fabrics! They have tons of them and in so many wonderful colors and patterns! I bought some a few weeks ago when they were on sale for .99/each. You cannot beat that price!

You can also find a big selection online at fabric stores or on eBay and etsy. Online is a great option if you are looking for something a little less ordinary.

I found this terrific fabric online several months ago and finally decided what I wanted to use it for. It was a fat quarter and the print was just so cute I couldn't pass it up even though I wasn't sure what I was going to make with it.

I finally decided and then wanted to show you what all you can make with just ONE fat quarter! A few other supplies were needed for these projects but one fat quarter of fabric made all of these fun items.

With just ONE fat quarter, you can make a bib, burp cloth, bow tie and necktie t-shirt for your favorite little boy! What a perfect gift to give someone - and for less than $5 (assuming you already have elastic on hand and backing for the bib which you can use just about anything)!

Here they are in detail:
Bib: Made with fabric from the fat quarter + quilters batting I already had on hand from other projects + a small square of velcro for closure that I already had on hand. (Tutorial coming!)

Burp Cloth: Fabric from the fat quarter + a cloth diaper I already had on hand - I snatch these up when I find them on sale to use for gifts, etc. (Tutorial coming!)

Bow Tie: Fabric from fat quarter + elastic I already had on hand.  You can find a full tutorial on making a Baby/Toddler Bow Tie here.

Necktie T-Shirt: Fabric from fat quarter + Heat n Bond I already had on hand + black t-shirt from Hobby Lobby $2.99. I used the applique method for applying the necktie to the t-shirt. Find the full tutorial here.

Now for the fun part! I don't have any little boys so this will do me no good! I'd like to give it to one of you. If you'd like to win this 4 Piece Wiener Dog Baby Gift Set (fits size 6 months - 12 months), you can win 3 different ways.

1. Follow me on Facebook at Life is {Sew} Daily. Then, just come back and tell me you did.
2. Follow my Pinterest board, Life is {Sew} Daily. Then, come tell me you did.
3. Leave a comment for me telling me what you've made or would like to make with a Fat Quarter or just say hey!

One entry for each method! So, up to 3 entries! I ship to the US only. Giveaway ends Friday, February 14 at noon! Winner will be chosen at random.

Don't forget to share this post with your friends so they can have a chance to win, too!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy weekend to all!

How to Make a Pom Pom Garland

 
Do you remember when I made the Team Spirit Pom Pom Gloves before Christmas? In that post, I wrote about how to make pom poms with a fork. It was a fun and simple way to make pom poms quickly. However, since then, I've been wanting to make bigger pom poms and a fork just doesn't cut it. So, the other day I saw pom pom makers at my favorite craft store and couldn't resist buying them. I came straight home and made a couple. It's so fun and relaxing! So, today when I had two kids home from school sick with fevers for the second day in a row, I got out my pom pom makers and went hog wild. I would have made more, but my hands were too cold!

Here's how to make the pom poms like I did:

I decided to make mine into a pom pom garland to hang on my mantle. And here's how:

 Lay the short end over the working strand (the end attached to the yarn ball).

 Put index finger and thumb inside the loop as pictured above.

 Grasp the working strand with your index finger and thumb and pull it back through the loop.

Now, pull the working strand up through the loop with one hand and with your other hand, pull the short strand and working strand downward together to tighten your loop into a loose knot as pictured below.

Now, put your index finger and thumb through the new loop you just made and repeat the process. Grab the working strand and pull it up through the loop, tighten it up by pulling the two bottom strands downward together.

Repeat this process until you reach your desired length. When you are finished, tie a knot in the end and you're done.

Tie your pom poms onto your garland where you want them. If you tie them loosely, you can untie them later and use them for some other fun project!

This was the perfect addition to my Valentine's Day mantel decor. I'll show you the full thing when I'm finished!

Is this something you'd like to make? My girls are itching to make some pom poms, too. I might have these all over my house before long, but I say, "The more, the better!"

Thanks for stopping by!

How to Make an Ironing Pad

Ever since I was in college and working on my Home Ec degree, I have wanted my own ironing table. Ironing boards are good for clothing items, etc, but when it comes to ironing yards of fabric, it's just really nice to have a wider space for ironing. I finally decided I was going to make my own ironing pad because it's just not practical to have a large, permanent table taking up space in my house.

The ironing pad is great if you're needing to travel with your iron or need to use a bigger space than the ironing board. It came in very handy for this sewing class. I just laid it on a countertop and because our projects were small, two people could iron at the same time. It worked like a charm! Want to make your own? Here's how...

You'll need a cotton fabric for the front and back, 1 layer of Insul-Bright, and 1 layer of Warm & Natural batting. I bought one yard of fabric, 1 yard of Insul-Bright or you can buy prepackaged and 1 package of batting 34"x45" for this project. You'll also need quilt binding for the edging.

First, cut all of your layers to the same size. I kept my fabric the same, no cutting. I just opened it up and layered the other two layers inside then laid the fabric back down.

Once you get the layers adjusted, pin the edges.

Now, you're going to quilt through all 4 layers in a few spots. You can do as many or as few as you like. The objective is to quilt it enough to keep all the layers in place.

Finally, pin the quilt binding around the edges and sew it on making sure to sew through all layers.

You're done! Literally takes about 30-45 minutes from start to finish! I can't believe it took me so long to make one for myself!

Is this something you'd get a lot of use out of? I know mine will be used often!

How to Make an Applique

I don't know why, but the word applique just sounds so old fashioned to me, but really appliques are a great way to personalize or embellish an item. I used this process to make this shirt, but thought I'd show you a tutorial on how to make one. The possibilities are endless with appliques and they're pretty simple!

Find a design you like, (letter, shape, etc) and decide how big you want it to be. Now, you can either print it on your printer and cut it out. Then, trace it onto your fabric OR use a cutting machine like the Silhouette Portrait.

Cut a square of fabric that your design will fit on.

Cut the same size square of Heat N Bond (sewable). You'll want to lay the Heat N Bond down paper side down, then, lay the fabric wrong side down on top.

Heat your iron to the Wool setting and no steam. Iron for about 10 seconds, making sure to cover the whole piece.

Peel off the paper. Place it on your item where you want it to stay and iron it on. You can use the steam setting for this part, if you wish.

 

Now, you can either reinforce the edges by sewing close the edge or leave it. It really depends on how much wear and washing it will get. If it's an article of clothing or a hand towel, I suggest reinforcing it with sewing.

I added some embroidery to mine to dress it up a little, but you can do anything you wish! That's the beauty of creating things!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend!!