Friday, February 5, 2010

Sew and Tell Friday!


Yes, I can sew non-quilty things! I actually have quite a large stash of garment sewing fabric, especially knits that I need to bust through. I'm participating in the stash challenge over at Sewingmamas and working hard at sewing up some of my favorites. I'm getting to the point where I'd rather be quilting but I just hate to see this cute fabric go to waste and selling it too much of a bother, so stash busting it is for the month of February!
First, up some undies for my dd. A Kwik Sew pattern, the number is escaping me, but she just loves the fit on these and unfortunately she's now in the largest size :(


Next, a few pairs of simple fleece lounge pants for the littlest guy. He is so into soft clothes and he was thrilled to wear these!

And finally, an easy peasy way to bust through the knit scraps....washcloths! These are way more fun to use than the boring, plain washcloths you buy at the store, just ask my kids:) Knit tops with terry backs.


This is the first time I've participated in the Sew and Tell Friday. How fun! Now go check out the other entries at amylouwho!

*Tutorial* Oilcloth Bowl Covers


So, I have these really great wooden bowls that I absolutely L-O-V-E. They can go in the fridge, in the microwave, in the dishwasher. You can drop them on the floor and they literally bounce back. I ordered them from King Arthur Flour years ago and they've just been my faves. Here's the problem, though....plastic wrap absolutely will not cling to it, even aluminum foil struggles to stay in place. Well, about a month ago my LQS got some lovely Anna Maria Horner Oilcloth in stock and the light bulb over my head flashed on as I remembered the plastic bowl covers that my mom used to use. These are SO easy to do, you probably don't need a tutorial, but hey, it was easy enough to take pictures of the process, so here ya' go! And seriuosly, I'd choose YOUR ChexMix over all the other ChexMix's if they came in a bowl with a nifty cover. Yup.
Oilcloth Bowl Covers

Supplies:

1/2 yard oilcloth- this should cover 4-6 bowls, depending on size

1/4 " elastic (or around that size)

Pinking Shears (optional, also. I just like the look :))

Mixing bowls

Instructions:
1. Take the mixing bowl you would like to cover and place it, rim down, on the wrong side of the oilcloth. Trace around the bowl, adding 2 inches. I used my ruler and marked 2 inches about every 3 inches and then "connected the dots"


By all means, measure and use a compass if you can find one of the 15 you know your family has SOMEWHERE in the house.


2. Use your pinking shears to cut out the oilcloth along that line. Then mark a line 1 inch in from the outside edge. This will be your sewing line. I really just eyeballed this.

3. Now we need to measure for the elastic. Measure the circumference of the line you just drew and multiply that by 2/3 and then subtract 1 inch. For example: if your circumference measures 33" then 2/3 of that would be 22", subract 1" and your elastic measurement will be 21".

4. Mark your elastic into quarters and do the same for your oilcloth circle. This will help you in getting the elastic sewn on evenly.


5. Sew on the elastic using a zigzag stitch, stretching the elastic to match your marks.

Place the cover on your bowl and admire your work! Thanks for looking and as always, feel free to ask any questions!