Tutorial: Super Cape!

My apologies for not posting on this blog in such a long time. Simon came down with a fever and a nasty stomach bug, which he then passed on to me. As you can imagine, I am now behind on everything there is to be behind on.


A friend of mine has started a costume collection for her children comprised almost entirely from thrift store finds. I thought this was a fabulous idea, but haven't found any costumes at my local thrift store yet. So, in the meantime, I thought I'd start Simon's collection by making him his own little cape to put in his Easter basket. I made sure to make it very big so he'll be able to use it for a long time.

If you would like to make a cape of your own, follow these easy directions:

1. Measure the person the cape is for. From the shoulders to the floor will be the length and the width will be the measurement from shoulder to shoulder times 1.5. For example, if you measure 12" as the length from shoulder to shoulder, then the width of your cape will be 12" x 1.5 = 18". (Note: I made my width even larger since I wanted to be sure that there was room to grow)

2. Cut out a rectangle of fabric using your measurements. Add two inches to the width for hemming and one inch to the length. Make the hem on the length larger depending on whether or not you want to be able to take it out so the cape can "grow" with its owner. I used an old sheet to make my cape.


So, if in step #1 you had measured your length to be 24" and your width to be 18" then you should cut out a rectangle 25" x 20".

3. For each side hem, fold over 1/2 inch and press. Then, fold over another 1/2 inch and sew close to the folded edge.



4. Do the same for the bottom hem. There will be no top hem.

5. Find a font and size letter you like and trace it onto some double sided fusible interfacing (I used Wonder Under). Make sure you trace the letter as a mirror image:


6. Iron the interfacing onto the fabric you choose for your letter.


7. Remove the paper from the interfacing and iron it onto you rectangle/cape.


8. You can leave it as is, but I prefer to add a little security by sewing a nice blanket stitch all around the letter.


9. Iron and pin some pleats at the top of the cape. You can add as many or as few as you like, but the final width should be that initial shoulder to shoulder measurement you made (12" in my example). Once you pinned the pleats, baste them in place.


10. Pin some double fold bias tape over the pleats, leaving extra on each side for tying. Sew the edges of the tape together so that the unfinished edge of the cape is covered.


Finished!

I am super excited about this month's whiplash challenge and for purely selfish reasons. I love good tutorials and I can't wait to see what goodies I will be able to make using all of the great tutorials that are sure to pop up.

I hope that this little cape will help some people make some nice gifts for some little people. And maybe some big people too!

Button Button Who's Got the Button?

These little wall hangings seemed to evolve all on their own. I started out by piecing the borders out of leftover cutout squares from these purses. I then sewed them onto the center, white rectangle. After that, the plan was to make some more yo-yo flowers, but somehow I thought better of it and decided on buttons. I reached into my awesome vintage button collection (courtesy of Grandma) and picked out some coordinating buttons and waited for inspiration to strike. The designs in black are all free motion quilted and I enjoyed the freedom of it. I think I like the button family best, but I also like the variety of fabrics in the other two wall hangings. Maybe I'll have to make another button family and vary up the fabrics a little. As if I don't have enough projects going on at the moment!

I'm still working on the t-shirt quilt and I'm also redecorating my living room, which involves making some pillows and painting some furniture. Easter is also creeping up on me and I have two little projects in mind for Simon's Easter basket. I really need to get cracking. I've been in a bit of a crafting slump lately. I'm just not feeling very inspired. I think I just need to kick myself in the butt and get in gear.

Baptism Gift

I attended a baptism this past weekend and this was the gift I gave to the little guy receiving his first sacrament. I always struggle with whether or not to give a gift at a baptism. This is because, more than likely, I just gave a gift to the baby in question when he/she was born. Since I do not have an abundance of time or money, I usually opt out of the baptism gift. But then comes the guilt. So, I have a new solution: the embroidered onesie. Not too difficult, time consuming, or expensive.

I don't like the idea of giving a regular baby gift as a baptism gift. We're at a baptism to witness and celebrate a child's initiation into the church and I think that any gift given at such an occasion should reflect that. That's why I came up with this design. When a child is baptised he/she becomes a "child of god". Not very original of me, I know, but very appropriate. I think I may give one of these at every baptism I go to in the future. I love crafty gifts!

T-Shirt Quilt WIP

This here t-shirt quilt in-the-works has been eating up most of my crafting time lately. It was commissioned as a memorial quilt and I want to be sure to do the best job possible. In order to do that, I need to iron on fusible interfacing to every piece of fabric in the quilt. The downside to this is that it is very time consuming. But the upside is that there is no stretching of the knit material. But the downside again is that this slow process makes for a boring blog. At least now you know why.

Baby Gifts

This blanket was made from a pack of MODA sample fabrics that was sent to me by my Aunt Ginny. She was cleaning out her stash and sent me two big boxes of fabric, books and supplies - so fabulous! These fabrics were obviously meant to be made into something for a baby, so I made this quick and easy blanket. There is no batting and it's backed with a micro fleece. I then used embroidery floss to hand tie the two layers together. It's so soft and lovely. The only problem is that this blanket is very girly looking and all of the babies I have to gift for are boys! Ah well. I think I'll list it in my long-neglected Etsy shop and if nobody buys it before I know a new baby girl, then I have an insta-gift.


This is an embroidered onesie that I made using a pattern from Sublime Stitching. I received a pattern book as a birthday gift this past December and this was my first time trying it out. I love hand embroidery and I love how easy it is to whip up a few onesies for baby gifts. And I love how cute this little alien is! Just perfect for a little baby boy.