5 a Week: Fleece Blankets for Dolls

 

It’s time for week 10 of…

 

…The Five a Week Pledge.

 

If you haven’t been around here, it’s where you pledge to do five things each week of your choice (see the first week for more info).  I pledged to make five small crafts each week.  Feel free to grab a button and join me.  If you already have, post a comment or a link to share what you accomplished.

 

I’m afraid due to a few personal issues and what not, it’s a day late this week.  But let’s not dwell on that.

 

This week’s craft:

 

Fleece blankets!

 

Since I got the idea to finally use that fleece blanket kit (see Fleece Blanket for Christmas?), I’ve had fleece on the brain.  I thought it would be great to make a few doll sized blankets too.

 

The pink one on top I thought would be the right size for my bjd (see Catching Up and a New Friend).  She is just under 18 inches (45cm) tall so I cut the fleece about 20 inches by 20 inches and I cut the strips about 2 inches.  The other two I made consecutively smaller and smaller, I thought they would be perfect for various other dolls and toys.  My niece and nephew have loads of them and many could use a nice blanket.

 

One of the first thing I noticed was that is was necessary to make the strips narrower as the blankets got smaller.  This was both to make them work for a smaller scale and to make it easier to actually tie them.  I also found that it’s better to go cheaper with the fleece.  Thinner fleece works better for making blankets this size, it’s less bulky and more realistic.

 

For the last two blankets, I decided to try to sew them instead of knot them together.  I’m not sure I like how they turned out.  Maybe with a different colored fleece material it would work, but like this I have the strongest urge to turn them into pot holders or something.  The problem with that is that I don’t think fleece is flame retardant. 

 

Overall I’m satisfied with how they came out.  And as soon as it finally feels like Fall around here (I’m in Arizona remember?), there will be some nice and toasty warm stuffed toys and dolls.

Now it’s 10 weeks since I’ve started this challenge, so it’s time for another recap of what I’ve accomplished.

First 5 Weeks:

• 5 Beaded Bracelets
• 5 Lace Brooches
• Plus 1 Lace Appliqué Brooch Tutorial
• 5 Ball Jointed Doll Sized Circle Skirts
• 5 Ball Jointed Doll Sized Lace Tank Tops
• 5 Ball Jointed Doll Sized Lace and Ribbon Sandals

Second 5 Weeks:

• 5 Lace Wrist Cuffs
• 5 Chocolate and Cream Colored Accessories
• 5 Fleece Needle Books
• 5 Fleece Mini-Pin Cushions
• 5 Doll Sized Fleece Blankets

50 plus one bonus is 51 crafts completed in 10 weeks.  Yay!

I definitely plan to keep this up, just hopefully I’ll post them on time from now on.  Look forward to that.

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Fleece Blanket for Christmas?

I’ve been putting off doing any of the projects on my craft list for so long, it seems fitting that the first one is a project I meant to do months ago.

Last Christmas, I received several wonderful gifts including one in particular.

This kit.

It’s one of those no sew fleece blanket kits you can find in most crafts stores.  Pretty handy.  They usually have really cute prints coupled with a solid color fleece in a coordinating color and they’re pre-measured, packaged and ready to start. 

This one came with this adorable owl print fleece and I really could have used a nice warm throw at the time.  But I put off making it, and put it off some more, and more, etc.  Now it’s the end of summer, and I finally got around to putting the darn thing together.

The instructions are super easy, here they are if you’re interested in making one yourself.  Just click the picture to enlarge it.  I didn’t actually need to look at the instructions myself.  I’ve made tons of these blankets at church, so they are a piece of cake for me, normally. 

The problem I had was finding a large enough place to spread out the fabric.  At church we have these great large tables to work on, I have no such luxury at home.  I had to settle for a large-ish patch of floor.  Even then I had to fold part of the fabric and basically cut and tie half the blanket at a time.

I did have some help.  I got my niece to join in with the tying, this is a great project for kids to do after all and she needed to learn.  Maybe she can make one for herself someday now that she knows how.

Despite a few problems, we manage to finish the blanket in well under an hour.  Makes me feel a little silly about putting it off for so many months.  Now I need to figure out what to do with the scraps.

Here’s the updated list:

• Purse
• Bag
• Mini-bag
• Dress
• Vest
• Fleece

One down, just five to go.  The next one should be up by Monday, look forward to it!

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Christmas At Last?

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Now I know this post is a little late (nearly 7 months!!), but better late than never.  And what better way to take our minds off the heat of summer than by browsing through something a little more wintery, right?

As I said in my last post, oh so long ago, I decided to make all Christmas presents and such only from materials I had on hand at the time, spending absolutely no money.  It worked, a little too well.

The fact is that my craft stash was and probably still is fairly well stocked, it just makes things too easy.  I would love to say that this has inspired me greatly and that I haven’t bought any new supplies since December in order to further use up my stash and work my creative muscles, but I can’t since I have only realized all this now. Several months later.

But enough of this, time for the crafts.

First off, the ornaments.  Every year, for who knows how many years, I always make some sort of ornaments.  Nothing says holiday cheer like a homemade ornament, so last Christmas was no exception.  I actually made two sets of ornaments.  Both made from Christmas-y print fabrics I got for free from church along with some ribbons and cords.

This first set was similar to the ones from the previous year(see Yo-Yos and Buttons) except for these I added little bows and jingle bells.

The second set of ornaments were a bit different.  I learned how to make little kanzashi flowers and thought they would be perfect for ornaments.  They are just as fun and easy to make as the yo-yos, but one difference.  For yo-yo ornaments I only need to make two yo-yos for each one, but for the kanzashi ornaments I need to make six petals to form one.

It came to making about 138 of these little folded and sewn petals…

…To make these 23 finished ornaments.

They were well received though most of the recipients thought they were poinsettias.  That actually makes them perfect for Christmas.

Remember the cute baby blankets and such I made for my friends (See Sewing for Baby)?  A certain little boy thought the cute fabric would be perfect for a blanket for him.  And since I had plenty left over, he got this larger size blanket for Christmas.

For a certain little girl, I made this pretty pouch for her to keep things like lip balm.  It’s made from scraps from the two dresses I made earlier last year (see Time for Some Catching Up).

It came out better than I thought it would, mainly because of the zipper.  Zippers still are a total pain for me, but thankfully I’ve improved with them over the years enough so they aren’t something to be feared.  I guess that’s saying something.

I’m particularly proud of this one, a vintage style collar.  It’s made from scraps leftover from the teddy bear and jacket I made along with that baby blanket.

I kind of eyeballed the pattern a little, managed to luck out.  I actually have been wanting to make one for myself since I still have enough fabric leftover, just not right now.  It hit 111 degrees the other day.  

Maybe this Christmas.

To go along with the collar, I made this pretty hair clip.  It’s made similarly to the broaches I made in my tutorial years ago (see Button Broach: A Tutorial).

It’s actually very fitting since I bought the fan shaped button with the buttons I used then.  I just hadn’t found a use for it.  The only difference is I added the chocolate brown bow on the front…

…And glued a clip instead of a pin back on the back.  That and my gluing is probably a lot neater looking, thankfully.  I guess it means I’ve improved since then.

Here’s something not so vintage looking but still unique.  It’s a dice bag and it’s fully lined.  I used some fabric remnants I got in a baggie from a thrift store some time ago.

I meant to use them for some previous projects but never did sadly.  The red pinstripes give the bag a sophisticated grown-up look, however the pattern on the lining has a different effect.  I won’t reveal what that is, that is strictly for the owner’s enjoyment. 

Now a little something for myself.  I got a great deal on some of this cute plaid material from a thrift store (see Bagging It On Black Friday), and I thought it would be perfect for something to wear for the holiday season as well as year round.

I couldn’t decide to make a dress or a skirt so I sort of did both.  I made a skirt and matching top, so I can wear them together for a “dress” look or just skirt or top with other pieces.  So far I’ve done just that almost every month since December. Very versatile indeed.

So now Christmas is done, but I’ve still got several months to catch y’all up on.  So much has happened with so much stuff sewn. It’ll have to be covered in several posts.

Look forward to it!

Give it a Try:

• SINGER Christmas Poinsettia Cotton Fabric Fat Quarter Bundle
  
• 3mm x 7yd. Metallic Cording by Celebrate It™
  
• 8.5mm Alligator Clip Blanks, 15ct. by Bead Landing™
  

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Sewing for Baby

As I mentioned before, I have friends who are expecting their first child this month, so I made a boat load of things for their baby shower which I haven’t shown yet. :)

But first here’s something else I haven’t shown here much. My notebook sketches.

Before I do a lot of my sewing, I like to sketch out ideas in notebooks.  This one page is dedicated to all the baby things I wanted to make.  Some of the things I didn’t actually make, this time anyway.  Let’s save something for later.

First up is the diaper bag.  I designed it based on a tote bag I saw someone using at work.  Large and roomy with lots of pockets on the inside and a useful little one on the outside. The twist?

This is the fabric I picked out for it.  I found it at Wal-Mart, have I mentioned before how glad I am that they brought fabric back to their stores?  I just couldn’t resist the little turtles and elephants, plus it works for boy and girl babies.

Here’s the finished bag.  The straps go most of the way down the sides of the bag for security, plus it makes the pocket look good.

Here’s the inside.  There are six pockets all ready to shove stuff in and carry.  That’s exactly what I did.  I crammed it with all the other stuff I made plus some essentials I bought on sale.

Now the blankets.  Here’s the baby blanket…

…and receiving blankets.  The receiving blankets were just a single square cut from a knit fabric and hemmed. The baby blanket involved a layer of sweat shirt fabric sewn with the softer side facing outward.  I used this tutorial as a guide.

Here’s the fabric I used.  I got it at SAS. Dalmatians and fire trucks, perfect for a new little boy. :)

Here are the finished blankets.  In addition to blankets, I made some birth cloths and wash cloths.  The wash cloths are made like the receiving blankets but smaller and using plain white knit fabric.  The burp cloths are made like the blanket only smaller and rectangle shaped.

Now the best part, the teddy bear.  Because every kid needs a stuffed best friend.

Here’s the finished bear.  All ready for hugs

I made the patterns from scratch using newspaper.  It was easier than expected, I must be getting better at making patterns.

Here’s the fabric I used.  It’s fake fur from SAS.  It’s a perfect off-white and super soft.  I have plenty of leftovers so be prepared for more teddies in the future.

Some in progress photos just for fun.

Sewn and turned partially right side out.  The legs were a pain to sew.

And now the jacket.  Sad thing about it, I seem to have lost the finished photo.  I have search all over my computer and it seems to have totally disappeared.  It looked totally adorable and almost exactly like my sketch except I put a turtle applique and an elephant applique on the front.  Obviously I cut the appliques from the bag fabric.

Here’s the patterns I made, they are based on a dress pattern but were perfect for a jacket. 

And of course this the fabric I used, I used it for the blanket as well.  I got it a Goodwill.  It’s always nice to find good fabric at thrift stores.  I have plenty of it leftover so I will probably make another one soon.  Look forward to it.

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Kitty Blankie and Another One

Been a little busy lately with class and stuff, but I have made at least a couple of things.

First off, some of you may be aware that last Sunday was my cat’s birthday.  Yay!  Midnight is now eight years old.  Is it really a problem?  Well, I have seen bags of cat food in stores formulated for “senior” cats that say “for ages 8 and up”.  They think my cat is a senior.  But she still acts like she’s two!  Anyway, for her birthday I made her a cat sized fleece blanket.  It’s one of those knotted ones.  Pretty easy and she actually likes it.

Next up is this dress, you can tell it’s a dress right?  It’s photos like this that make me really miss my camera.  Yep, still haven’t found it and still using the web cam instead.  Anyway, I’ve had the fabric in my stash since last spring.  For some reason I never got around to making a dress with it until now.  I had trouble deciding what to do with it exactly, in terms of patterns and such.  I finally sat down and started drawing a design.  I put a little extra effort in this one.  I used three different kinds of lace and plenty of ribbon.  In fact a lot of the lace and ribbon was sewn by hand.  Mostly while watching anime videos.  The problems I had with it was making the bodice fit, that’s always the problem. 

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