Sew Much Fun!

Aaron gave me a sewing machine for Christmas this year, and I have been having so much fun with it! I'm VERY new to the art of seeing, and with the exception of a few brief 'lessons' from my mom, I'm pretty much figuring this out as I go. So far...so good, I'd say. :)

I started out with a project I found on Pinterest - a fishing game for Micah. I made the fish out of felt, and sewed Velcro on for the eyes. The hardest part of this project (and by extension, any sewing project) was turning the fish right side out after sewing them. But, with a little patience and the help of the eraser side of a pencil, I accomplished that feat. I haven't finished the pole for the game yet, but that's on my 'to do' list, and Micah's pretty creative... he's found lots of ways to play with the fish by themselves. In fact, I couldn't find them for about 2 weeks because he had packed them in his suitcase! :) Project #1 - SUCCESS! :)


My next project might have been a bit ambitious for a beginner, but I made diaper covers for the boys. Joann's has an entire aisle with everything you need to make cloth diapers, so I got the material (PUL, or Poly Urethane Laminate - a waterproof fabric), some fold over elastic, some Velcro, and a book with step-by-step instructions and pictures, and set to work. They aren't perfect by any means, but they're functional, and Micah really likes the dinosaur print! Project #2 - SUCCESS!! :)

I went with an easier project for my third try - cloth wipes. I found a tutorial online for DIY cloth wipes using receiving blankets. Heaven knows we had plenty of those lying around, and since they weren't being used I cut them into squares and sewed them together to make double thick wipes. Project #3 - SUCCESS!! (and sew easy!) ;)


Project #4 has been the most rewarding project so far, and only because they came out looking the best. :) I made fleece soakers for the boys. (for those of you who have no idea what a fleece soaker is, it's an additional protective cover used over diapers...and goes on like underpants) I had a few yards of fleece at home from a Christmas project I did, so another bonus to this is that it didn't cost anything more. :) I have to say that it's amazing how easy it is to find instructions for things on the internet. I found a free pattern and instructions, and if you're interested in making one yourself, check out this site. Again, this was very easy and took very little time to complete. (I made 2 in a few hours, and I have 2 kids demanding a lot of my attention.) :) Project #4 - SUCCESS! :)

Since I had no idea what I was doing when I purchased the material for the diaper covers, I bought WAY more of the PUL fabric than I needed. Good thing there are a LOT of things that can be made with it! :) Project #5 was reusable snack bags. I had received a few of these from a friend after Micah was born, and we love them, so I thought I'd try making some of my own. Once again, I found a DIY tutorial for the bags and set to work. They were pretty easy to make, and I'd say project #5 was another SUCCESS! :)

My most recent project was a gift for a friend who is expecting her first baby. I made a nursing cover for her. Another great find through internet searching , and fairly inexpensive to make...especially if you consider the fact that these things are sold in stores for $30 or more! Free step-by-step instructions can be found here. I don't have a picture of this project, but I have plans to make a few more before long, so I'll snap a few pics of those. :) Project #6 - SUCCESS! :)

None of these projects came out perfect when they were completed, but the moral of the story is I'm enjoying my Christmas present immensely, and look forward to learning more and getting better with practice! :)