There may be only 54 days until Christmas, but I only have 30 more days to craft for my Christmas Stocking swap! Even though I’ve slowly worked on the ‘fillers’, I thought I had better get to the real ‘meat and potatoes’ of this swap and work on the stocking itself. My partner is a huge fan of owls so I decided to use a print she has indicated she liked and McCall 2991 (view F). I went with a solid for the cuff of the stocking, but it looked really bare so I opted to bring up some of the design by using a fusible webbing and cut out an owl (I embellished it some by adding a few rhinestones as well).

This was my first time working with this McCall stocking pattern and I think it may be my last. While the design is really cute, the stocking is not lined and is overall rather flimsy. I also wouldn’t recommend this pattern if you intend on actually filling it – it runs a bit on the small side (or maybe my stuffers are just too big).

If you remember earlier in the week, I started cutting out ‘personal’ organizers (basically, a waterproof organizer that you can store tampons, pads, liners and roll up and tie) – unfortunately, I wound up cutting not one, but three of them wrong. Instead of having a long, skinny roll, I cut a tall, fat one. Because I had used so much cotton laminate, I decided to salvage this project and just redraft the proportions. Consequently, my finished organizer is not as long as intended, has more tampon holders and only one large pocket, and ribbon ties instead of cotton laminate ones.

Considering how badly this almost was, I am pretty happy with the outcome. Unfortunately, I think the details are lost in the photo – the fabrics seem to really blend into together (which is also great for hiding mistakes!). Now should I give the Cloth Pad pattern a try?

Transform an over-sized hoodie into a fitted, asymmetrical design. Although, the name summs it up: sweatshirt liposuction.

Thinking ahead to Christmas? Make pajama pants for the whole family!

I know, another superhero mask tutorial. What makes this one so special? The awesome photography (seriously, I want to make this project just because of that cute kid at the beginning of the post). Have a girl? Stitch up one of these pretty little princess crowns.

Zipper broaches are out, zipper bracelets are in. I think I need at least one of these!

A very quick way to make a bib. Plus it’s over-sized and absorbent!

Snappy little coin purses don’t have to just be for change…

This ottoman slipcover may be no-sew, but it looks to be a good tutorial and can easily be sewn up to finish it off.

A cute way to keep your kitchen towel from slipping off the oven door.

A cute little messenger that comes in two sizes. I love the double button closure.

This mini witch hat is so cute, I need one full sized!

Yesterday was my first day to really get to work with the new cotton laminates. Even though it’s gaining popularity, I think that a lot of people hesitate trying it because they’re unsure what to use it with or how it will perform so I thought today’s post might be a good opportunity to share some thoughts:

When most people think of waterproof material the image of rain slickers or grandma’s kitchen table cover comes to mind. Oilcloth is still available in many markets (it’s much easier to find online than in stores), but the way this material is produced is much different than the 30’s. Today’s oilcloth is a canvas coated vinyl – it is not food safe (so it’s not ideal if you’re looking to make sandwich wraps or snack bags), but when lined with a cotton or other ‘food safe fabric’ it makes a great lunch bag! I like to think of oilcloth as a temperamental fabric. You’ll need to carefully mark the material (even water soluble markers can soak through – ask me, I know!) with a pencil, fingerpress and avoid irons (it can melt the material, however, if you are really, really careful and use a low temperature setting and a presscloth, you might be able to get away with it), and never pin (or make a mistake, because pins will leave permanent holes in your fabric). Because oilcloth is so hefty, you’ll use a larger size needle and machine stitch, otherwise you risk shredding your material. On the upside, you never have to hem oilcloth! Other vinyls (like rain slicker material) behaves very similarly although you may have more difficulty running it through your machine because most have a rubbery backing.

Cotton laminates are a fairly new fabric. The base for this material is a cotton print covered in a BPA free vinyl. Not only does this make for a fabric with a great drape (so it’s less bulky than oilcloths) many of these are considered food safe (of course, always check with the manufacturer before using it around your food). Cotton laminates are also much more user friendly – not only can you iron on this material (always use a presscloth), but believe it or not, you can pin it as well. Yes, pins will leave little marks on your laminate, but they are so tiny, they aren’t really noticeable! The drawback to this fabric, is running it though your machine. I found that it sticks to the foot like crazy so you’ll either need a Teflon foot or use a bit of machine oil on foot to help it glide through.

Any more thoughts? Be sure to leave a comment below and share your tips, tricks, comments, or questions!

Since my test of the travel organizer turned out so well, I decided to try my hand at ‘personal organizers’ (tampons, pads, etc.). I thought I was on a roll with cutting until I realized… I did it wrong! Instead of making it long and skinny, it’s now short and fat. Consequently, I’m going to sit down and shave off a bit of top half to make it more to scale and also mess with the pockets so that everything fits and is even. Drat, I didn’t bargain for redrafting the pattern, but I used too much of the laminated cotton to waste it (it’s just too expensive to waste!). Now, it’s back to the drawing board!

This iron caddy is a great way to take your iron to class. Plus it looks great too!

Enter to win a cut and sew softie pattern from Spoonflower.

Keep your kid’s room clean with these fun Superhero Bins. The appliques would work perfectly for capes, too!

Create a cute fall bag and you might take home a new Bernina! Read here for all the details.

A great way to upcycle men’s flannels: He’s All Boy blanket.

Need a quick gift? Whip up a few of these Organizer Baskets.

If you’re like me, you have a lot of sewing magazines. Keep them looking good with these clever Magazine Files.

Have a helper in the kitchen? Sew up one of these adorable vintage aprons (too bad it’s only sized for 2-3T).

Perfect for stashing in your purse for when you decide to eat on the go: Fold-Up-and Snap Bib.

If only my son would nap, I might make one of these mats.

Perfect for Halloween: A skull t-shirt refashion.