Hula Hoop Weaving

Browsing though Pintrest I found a link to hula hoop weaving--fun!  But I just donated a bunch of t-shirts and didn't feel like cutting up my knits to try this out....

Which brings me to my big roll of cow fabric.  I picked it up for free a few years back, someone (or some company) cut about 4 inches off the edge of a few million yards of fabric.  I kid you not!  There's a whole lot of this (I have 2 spools full plus a couple dozen rolls of it hanging around).  It's perfect for this project!



hoop, fabric, scissors--all you need to get started!

I started by cutting strips long enough to go from one side of the hoop to the other then just tied them around the hoop:

OOPS!  I realized needed an ODD number of spokes...I ended up cutting a strip in half, tying it to the middle and then to the hoop:

We have a couple of different sized hoops, so all the kids got to do one...over under over under was the mantra of the day:

Don't forget to pull it in tight!  Wouldn't a small weave like this make a nice rossette?

Not too tight...or you end up with a basket as my oldest discovered.  Which is kind of cool too.

The kids had fun, I had fun, lots of cow fabric got used up and I thought about a couple more crafts to do with the kiddos using this type of circle weaving technique. 

Can't ask for much more than that!

How I Use Button Hole Elastic

Button hole elastic, greatest invention ever!  (or pretty dang close to it!)

If you’ve purchased kids clothing in the past few years you may be familiar with the adjustable elastic found in many of the waist bands.  Maternity clothes?  It’s used there too—I assume it still is. It is elastic that has button holes woven through the middle for the whole length of the elastic.

For me: a great discovery!  I have the skinniest boy ever (go ahead; dispute this—I’ll still claim the kid has too many ribs showing).  Lucky child got blessed with a really fast metabolism, and pants that don’t fit.  Even the ultra-slims are too big around the waist.

Now I have a fix for that!

I’m showcasing a pair of jeans which are just a bit too big for Mr.A (they don’t stay up with a belt, so this is my last ditch effort to find a fix—I know my trusty button-hole will work!)

You’ll need two buttons and a length of button hole elastic…and the usual basics: scissors, needle & thread and something to thread the elastic through the waist (I use a safety pin).

First find the inner side seams of the jeans. Carefully cut a slit in the inside layer of the waistband 2.5 to 3 inches from the seam, towards the front of the jeans. Repeat on the other side

You have the option of hand sewing a blanket stitch around the opening you just cut.  For kids clothing I don’t do this anymore…actually anything which will be out grown or I’ll shrink out of quickly I don’t bother.  Your cut should look something like this:

I do a quick measure of elastic, which I cut about the same length as the length between the slits.

Sew each button on the inside in front of the waist band (I like to place the button about an inch away from the slits), then thread the elastic through (I use a large safety pin for this).

Look!  Pants that stay up!

I use the same technique on jeans which are a bit too loose on me, just so I can wear them a bit longer until I get in the next size down comfortably. :)

If you decide to use button hole elastic when sewing from scratch, make sure the waistband is wide enough for the elastic to go through, and use your sewing machine to sew buttonholes on the inside sides of the waistband.  This is a great way to be sure a handmade item of clothing “fits” around a waist—especially when that item is a gift!

Duckie Earings

I have a thing for duckies, of the rubber variety.  So I just had to make earrings out of these beads:

Are they not adorable??  Glass duckie beads--perfect summer fun earrings!

The day I made them we were working on putting up our pool--a yearly task that's made us consider more than once to put in a permanent one!  When I pulled out our duckie water thermometer I couldn't help but take these:

Notice the crazy temp: 103F?  Really?  No, it's the pacific north west, I've yet to see it that hot!  The thermometer was sitting in a dark plastic box, and we did have a sunny day (high 70s).

In the end I parted with these duckie earrings--we gave them to a friend along with these:

I do hope she liked them!  Now I'm off to make a pair or me and enjoy the Seattle sun shine!

4th of July Style!

Back in the days before blogging I think I made a million little girl dresses. 

OK, maybe just half a million. 

The point is I made so many, I've forgotten what I stashed away for my two youngest girls.  So I was thrilled when I pulled this out just in time for the 4th of July!

The dress was made for a heart themed contest...but being me I sent in my entry last minute and it didn't make it in time.  Ah well.

The hearts are all paper pierced with patriotic fabrics, each one a bit different:

Check out the lining:

And the top pocket:



I had such a fun time making this dress! And it will be worn by my younger girls for at least the next 4 years (it's a bit big on the 5 yr old right now, and the 3yr old has a couple of years before it will fit her)....now to find out what other treasures I've stashed away...

Have a Happy 4th everyone!!