How to alter kids pants - Different ways of No-sew & sewing method

Got new pants?And the waist is too big for your skinny child or you want to shorten the pants leg or lengthen the pants legs to extend its life. In this post, I am going to discuss about various ways of altering kids pants using both sewing and no-sew method so you can pick up any hack that suits your situation.

DIY Avocado purse

I purchased felt in shades of green, pink, black and white last summer to make fruit pouches but never got time. Last week, I got an idea to make an avocado purse. So, I decided to use the green felt I already had and lined it with nylon leftover from DIY toddler backpack. The purse turned out cute and roomy. Let's see how. 

How to sew an eyeglass case with a pocket

This post may contain affiliate links.By clicking the link and purchasing items through my links doesn't cost you anything but I receive a small commission.The money helps me buy craft supplies to bring you new creative ideas each week. 

This is a completely unplanned post idea that popped into my mind at the last moment. My mom's birthday is on coming Sunday and I thought this will be a perfect gift for her. I recently noticed she was using the sample pouch I made for the DIY felt pouches as an eyeglass case which I left at our house back in India almost 4 years ago. I never thought she will be using that as an eyeglass case because I just gave it to her saying the purse kind is for her but you can also keep this(the trial one).The pouch started pilling so I thought I will make her a new one. Here is how I made.

How to sew baby head support pillow

This post may contain affiliate links.By clicking the link and purchasing items through my links doesn't cost you anything but I receive a small commission.The money helps me buy craft supplies to bring you new creative ideas each week. 

When I had my baby boy in June, I was searching for a support pillow when he travels in the car seat as he was a tiny baby as a newborn and came across the complete head and body support pillow from the summer in amazon. I really liked the head support but the body support from that didn't suit my baby boy as he outgrew that in 2.5 months. We needed one for the car seat and one for the rocker. I was constantly forgetting(Baby brain you see :P) to take it from the rocker to car seat and vice versa. So, I decided it is time to make one myself. I think this is the first thing I am making for my baby boy. Even though I have sewn a lot of baby things for friends and family, I couldn't do much for my baby boy as my pregnancy went in moving twice and it took lot of time settling. I am happy that I could finally make something for him. Without much ado, let's get to the making.

How to sew an Insulated Tote bag

This post may contain affiliate links.By clicking the link and purchasing items through my links doesn't cost you anything but I receive a small commission.The money helps me buy craft supplies to bring you new creative ideas each week. 

With Spring and Summer approaching, I always feel the need for an insulated tote bag for the groceries especially milk and yogurt. When the temperature gets warmer and hotter in summer, we couldn't stay out for long or add unplanned spots(Usually craft stores :P) to our grocery shopping trip as we feel milk and yogurt will go bad in the heat so we always come home to unload the groceries and then continue with our other shopping trips. You may wonder but our grocery trips usually include two to three shops and they are usually around 15 to 20 miles around the town(with each shop on either side of the town sometimes i.e Target around 3 miles from home on the east and Indian grocery shop around 7 miles to the west) with 3 to 4 hours. So, I decided to sew an insulated tote bag with leftover fabrics from Floor lamp makeover and How to sew oven mitt. Let's see how.

How to sew a body pillow from two pillows and how to sew a pillowcase

Finding a body pillow that suits your need is quite a daunting task that too if you are on a budget. Today I am going to show how you can make your own body pillow from two jumbo pillows that I got from Walmart. Before going into the tutorial, I have a news to share with you all,  We are expecting our first baby this June.(Woohoo!!) So, I was in a real need for a firm body pillow to avoid myself from turning too much while sleeping which resulted in today's post. Now, let's get to the making.

How to sew a faux fur crossbody bag

I got 3 yards of faux leather or pleather for making 4 in 1 asymmetrical clutch 2 years ago. I had a lot of leftover from the project that I wanted to use it for some other project. I was using an H&M black  crossbody handbag for a long time which was gifted to me by my cousin sister and it was so comfortable.When I wanted a bag similar to that I couldn't find any that suits my need.(It should be  big enough to hold my 500ml water bottle and the bag should not weigh too much). As I couldn't find any weightless bag I settled with a teal handbag from Walmart as a replacement until I find a new handbag that suits my need. My 500 ml water bottle was poking out in that bag and so I thought why not try sewing a handbag.Finally, I came up with the idea of using the pleather for making a crossbody bag combining it with faux fur. I thought this project will be perfect for this time of the year  and  it is so simple that anyone can sew this bag easily. It is just a bigger version of sewing a zipper pouch. Let's see how.

DIY Toddler Backpack

This post may contain affiliate links.By clicking the link and purchasing items through my links doesn't cost you anything but I receive a small commission.The money helps me buy craft supplies to bring you new creative ideas each week. 

Last year I made a mini bag for my niece using Dora print fabric as it is her favorite cartoon.One day during a random phone conversation with her, she asked for a bigger Dora bag as she cannot carry many things in her small bag. So, I decided to make her a Dora Backpack for her birthday this year. I haven't stitched any backpack till now, so I took this as a challenge and made my own pattern to sew this backpack. This came out quite well except in few places. I think they are so negligible mistakes which I have to work on to avoid in my future projects. Now, let's get to the making of this bag.

Materials Used:
Cotton fabric - 1 yard
Nylon - 3/4 yard
Interfacing - 1 yard (I used Pellon 809 decor bond)
Interfacing - 1/8 yard (Fusible Thermolam plus)
Magnetic clasp
Zipper - 22"
Elastic 1/2" - 10" approx length
D-rings - 4 as straps adjusters
Bias tape
Hand sewing needle
Sewing thread
Pattern for Front and back panel

Measurements:
Front and back panels -  10.5" X 14" (If you want to make your own pattern, otherwise you can click the link above to print the pattern.Make sure you align edge to edge and tape it to get the complete pattern)
Front pocket -  10.5" X 9"
Zipper panels - 2"X 22" - 2 pieces
Side panel - 4.5" X 26"
Bottle holder - 9.5" X 7"
Shoulder Straps - 8" X 11.5" - 2 pieces
Strap extender - 3" X 20" - 2 pieces
Hanger loop - 4" X 3.5"
D-rings holder - 3" X 5" - 2 pieces

Interfacing:  I used Interfacing for all the parts mentioned in the measurements except the bottle holder,strap extender and mini pieces like hanger loop & D-rings holder. I used Fusible Thermolam plus interfacing for the Shoulder straps to give some extra bulkiness and softness.

Lining : I used lining for front and back panels, Zipper panel, side panel, front pocket and bottle holder.

Front panel:

Step 1: Attach one part of the magnetic clasp in the center of the front pocket lining(Wrong side) with a piece of interfacing for extra support.

Step 2: Sew the front and lining of the front pocket together by sandwiching them between the bias tape. I also used zig-zag stitch above the normal stitch for some extra security. As nylon is very sheer, I felt like a single stitch was not enough. 

Step 3: Now attach the another side of the magnetic clasp at the appropriate place on the front panel. I have discussed in detail on how to attach the magnetic clasp in my mini Dora bag tutorial. Then sew the front pocket onto the front panel. Sew along the corners with 1/4" seam allowance. The front panel is now ready. 

Back panel:

Hanger Loop :

Step 1: Fold the piece(2.5" X 5") in half and iron. Open then fold the sides meeting the center crease/iron line and then fold in half again.Sew with 1/8" allowance and repeat the same on the other side.  See step 6 here for better understanding of this step.

D-rings holder :

Step 1: Repeat the same step as hanger loop.Fold the stitched loop in half and place couple of d-rings into the loop and make a stitch to secure the rings. 

Shoulder Straps :

Step 1:Follow the same procedure of ironing and folding as previous steps. But before sewing the edges, iron a fusible thermolam plus on one side of the fold. The thermolam measurements will be 2"X11". I have subtracted 0.5" in length as you will be folding and sewing the raw edges. Fold the raw edges and place the D-rings holder in the center before sewing. Secure them well with two stitches, then sew the corners to complete the shoulder strap. Repeat the same for the other one. 

Straps Extender :

Step 1: Again the same process of folding, ironing and sewing. Fold and sew the ends before the sides for a neat finish. 

Assembling the back panel:

Step 1: Pin the hanger, shoulder straps and strap extenders in its place. There is no hard and fast rule for this. I just measured the center point for the hanger loop and half an inch from that I pinned the  shoulder straps. And for the strap extenders , I measured one inch from the bottom and pinned them. 

Stitch twice or thrice, use reverse stitching for a strong hold. The back panel is now ready. 

Zipper Panel:

Step 1: Sew each piece on either side of the zipper using 1/4" seam allowance. 

Side panel :

Step 1: Attach side panel to the zipper panel with 1/2" seam allowance. The length I have mentioned here might be slightly larger than required (around 1/2" to 3/4"). So I recommend you to check it by pinning around the front panel once before attaching the second side of the side panel to the zipper panel. 

Attaching the bottle holder :

Step 1: Take the outer piece and lining together. Fold and sew to create a 1/2" inch opening for elastic at the top. 

Step 2: Thread a hand sewing needle and make a running stitch at the bottom to create gathering.Gather the bottom so that the width is equal to the side panel width (4.5") .

Step 3: Insert the elastic into 1/2" inch opening. 

Step 4: Mark the place where you want the bottle holder on the side panel. Place the bottle holder right sides facing each other and stitch the bottom. 

Step 5: Flip it and sew the sides to complete the bottle holder. 

Connecting the side and front panel :

Step 1: Connect the center points of the front panel and zipper panel. Start pinning all around using straight pins. 

Step 2: Sew all around to attach the side panel to the front panel.

Connecting the back panel to complete the bag:

Step 1: Repeat the same steps as before and sew all around to complete the bag. Don't forget to unzip the zipper to turn the bag inside out. Make sure everything is perfect. Go over, all the edges to shape the bag. If you have planned for a bag without lining, you are done. 

But I have planned to line the bag.So, let's get to the lining part.

Lining the bag :

Step 1: Sew one part of the zipper and side panels to the front panel as shown .Repeat the same to sew the back panel and another zipper panel. Make sure to leave 1/4" allowance in the zipper panel to fold and sew later. 

 Step 2 : Turn the already stitched bag to the wrong side. Turn the lining stitched to right side facing out. Now insert the bag into the lining and pin along the zipper and sides to secure. Sew along the sides of the zipper (top stitch) and sides to complete the bag. Turn the bag inside out and be amazed at your own hand sewn backpack.

Hope you like this step by step tutorial on how to sew a toddler backpack.I made this backpack in such way that it should at least hold papers of A4 or letter size. 

The fabric measurement of one yard may be bigger for a backpack like this if you chose to make this with a different print. As I wanted this bag to be full of Dora's wherever possible, it consumed a little extra fabric for me. But remember, extra is always safer when it comes to sewing. I chose 22" zipper as I wanted a wide opening but you can change it if you want. I really liked how the bottle holder turned out too. What extra will you add to this backpack if you have made this? Or what you would have not included? Share them in the comments below. As always I will be happy to hear it from you.

Other sewing projects you might like:

DIY Bumble Bee Camera Lens Buddy

DIY Travel Pillow

How to sew an Apron

How to do prints on leather using stencils + DIY Zipper pouch

Well, I am finally back from vacation and trying hard to be back on routine.I feel tired all the time due to jet lag and I think it will take at least few days to get back to the normal routine.I made this zipper pouch before going to vacation and I did not really get time to post this during vacation.So, posting it now.

If you are a regular follower, you might know I got a electronic die cutting machine. I wanted to try cutting designs on leather using the newly released deep cut blade. But I had no luck as the leather was very soft and the blade gets stuck in the leather and started to tear it. I think I have to try ironing the back of the leather with some stabilizer before cutting. For now, I decided to cut a stencil and try to make prints on leather using the stencils. Let's see how.

How to sew oven mitt

This post may contain affiliate links.By clicking the link and purchasing items through my links doesn't cost you anything but I receive a small commission.The money helps me buy craft supplies to bring you new creative ideas each week.

I stitched an apron to give as a gift awhile ago and I wanted to make an oven mitt set to go with the apron. I was debating myself whether I should get a set of oven mitt that retails for a couple of dollars or I should stitch one. I have an oven mitt that I got from dollar tree. I made an quality inspection to make an decision and find out that the stitches are not secure and the edges were fraying inside. As I don't want that kind of stuff to give as gift. I decided I should make them myself and the beauty of that is I can totally customize it to match the apron. So, Let see how to make one.

Materials Required :
Printed cotton - 1/4 yard
Solid cotton - 1/4 yard
Insul bright - 1/4 yard
Cotton batting - 1/4 yard
Sewing Machine
Matching thread
Scissors
Pattern
Straight pins

Step 1: If you already have an oven mitt , use that to make a pattern. I used a dollar tree oven mitt that I own to trace and make a pattern. You need two copy paper(8.5" X11") sheets to trace the pattern. Trace the outline of the oven mitt and add 1/2 inch seam allowance.(I added 1/4 inch while tracing pattern first time). Cut the pattern outline and use it cut the pieces of fabric for making oven mitt. You will need 2 pieces in printed cotton, solid cotton, insult bright and cotton batting. Also cut pieces for loop (2" X 5") and binding (2"X 18").

Step 2: Pin all the four layers together (printed cotton, insult bright, cotton batting & solid cotton) in the mentioned order. When I searched to find out which side of insult bright should be placed facing out I did not get an definite answer. So, I think the side doesn't matter. Once the layers are pinned together, make stitches with even intervals on both sides so that it creates squares. There is no rule for quilting . You can even make random stitches. The ultimate aim here is to combine all the layers together. Trim the edges if there is any unevenness. 

Step 3: With right sides facing each other (Printed cotton sides), make a stitch with 1/4" seam allowance. Use zigzag stitch on the corners to secure the fraying edges leaving the top of the oven mitt open. 

Step 4: Turn inside out.Fold 1/2 inch inside on both sides and fold that into half and Iron. Do this for the loop and also for the binding strip. Stitch to secure the fold and the loop is done. Fold and stitch one end of the binding strip. Start aligning the edge of the binding strip to the edge of the oven mitt and pin. Fold the loop into half and pin it by placing between the oven mitt and the binding strip on the side. Leave the remaining binding strip so that it slightly overlaps and cut the excess binding strip. Make a stitch to secure. 

Step 5: Fold the binding strip to cover the edges and make a stitch to complete the oven mitt. 

Hope you liked this simple tutorial. If you are new to sewing , this is one of the simplest project to try.Share what you think about this project in the comments below. What oven mitt do you own? Is it a gift you got from someone or stitched your own or planning to make one for you? As always I would love to hear from you.