I helped her sandwich it in between the rings of the hoop, let her choose a color, and threaded the spare needle. And she started stitching…and stitching…and stitching! Long stitches and short stitches, cross stitches and straight stitches — only pausing for me to tie off an end and change the thread color under her creative direction. I asked her what she was making. “Oh! This is a mini-blanket for the baby. For him to snuggle with….” she replied. We talked about me helping her make a back to the mini-blanket and finishing the edges when she was ready.

Below, the young seamstress at work — she never once made the freshman mistake of stitching around the hoop, rather than just up and down through the fabric. (I was impressed. I don’t think I can say the same for my first embroidery experience!) The next morning, she declared herself finished with that piece of fabric, handed it off for me to take home to Brooklyn to finish, and started work on a black and white gingham pattern which allowed her to practice making short, even stitches by following the pattern on the fabric.

Fast forward to the day after Christmas — the little guy had arrived, and my niece was in New York to meet her new baby cousin. She asked if we could sew again. I reminded her that we needed to choose a back panel for the mini-blanket! So we sat down with my fabric stash in the Generation T workroom and flipped through scraps until she spotted the black and white flame fabric  — I had purchased it several years ago in Portland, Oregon (to make a quilted throw pillow for Mr. T — back before he was Mr. T) while I was on book tour for Generation T. I also used it as the backing fabric for the electric bass, so there’s definitely a theme! We cut a swatch, threaded a needle, and she began tracing the flames with embroidery floss.

When she left, I embroidered her initials on her work, pinned the pieces together and used some scrap muslin to edge the mini-blanket. I also added the loop, which yes I recognize makes it look a little like a potholder, but also allows me to tether it to the stroller!

And no complaints from this little guy about his new handmade mini-blankie! He loves to snuggle with it and grip the edges tightly.

I can’t wait until the next project my niece and I make together! And here’s to the next generation of DIYers — I can’t wait till this little guy is gripping some scissors in his little hands, too!

Materials:
-Solid color cotton quilting fabric to embroider
-Patterned cotton quilting fabric for backing
-Electric Bass Iron-on Pattern (in Colonial Patterns “SR4 Rock’n & Roll’n”)
-All-purpose scissors
-Iron and ironing board
-Wooden embroidery hoop
-Embroidery floss in white, black, silver, and slate blue
-Embroidery needle
-Embroidery scissors
-Straight pins
-Sewing machine and thread
-Fiberfill

Make it:

1. Cut out the iron-on pattern and place it face down on the plain fabric. Follow the instructions on the pattern packaging to press and transfer the image with a warm iron.

2. Thread the needle with an arm’s length of black embroidery floss. Use four strands for each stitched segment of the design. I outlined the bass in black with a split stitch, used split stitch fill in white for the pick guard, split stitch and split stitch fill in silver for the frets, pickups, bridge, and tuning keys, used backstitch in slate gray for the strings, and finished off the control knobs with French knots in black.

3. When the stitching is complete, carefully cut about 1/2″ around the black outline stitching. Place the embroidered piece against the backing fabric, right sides together, and cut around the shape to create a matching back piece. Pin the edges and, leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew a running stitch around the pinned area. Leave a 2″ opening at one end. Remove the pins and turn the fabric right side out. Stuff with fiberfill, making sure all the “corners” get filled first, and hand stitch the opening closed.

4. Put it in the hands of an eager young musician.

Materials:
-Pencil
-Paper (optional)
-Manila file folders
-Scissors
-Felt pieces in a variety of colors and patterns
-Aleene’s Super Thick Tacky Glue
-Aleene’s Jewel-It Embellishing Glue
-Fake jewels
-Tulip Beads in a Bottle
-Wooden chopsticks

Make it:

1. Draw the outline of a pair of glasses, a mustache, or other shape on a manila folder. Optional: Sketch it out on a piece of paper first to use as a template (this way, if it’s a symmetrical shape, you can fold it in half to make sure both sides match), then cut it out and trace it onto the folder.

2. Use scissors to completely cut out the shape(s).

3. Spread glue generously over the back of the folder shape.

4. Press it firmly onto a piece of the desired felt color. Let the glue dry.

5. Cut out the felt piece, using the folder edges as your guide.

6. Use jewelry adhesive to decorate the front with fake jewels…

…or use Beads in a Bottle to create 3D embellishments! Let the embellishments dry.

7. Flip the disguise over and squeeze a line of glue along one side. Press the top of one chopstick so it extends vertically from the bottom. Let it dry.

8. Repeat as many times as you like to make cat-eye glasses (shown), wayfarers, masquerade masks, vampire fangs, and mustaches galore. Now what are you waiting for? Go undercover!

Happy haunting from Generation T!

Materials:
-leggings or footless tights
-Tulip Beads in a Bottle paint in desired colors
-chalk marker
-ruler or straightedge
-iron (optional)

1. Prewash the leggings and let them dry completely. Fold the leggings so the sides are facing out. Find the center line down each leg, from hip to ankle and use the ruler and chalk marker to mark dots 3/4″ to 1″ apart along that line. Optional: Set the iron to a low setting and press the leggings flat to make a crease along the outside of each leg before measuring the dots.

2. Select a Beads in a Bottle color to match or contrast the leggings (though you can’t tell from the late-night craft lighting in the photos, I was working with blue leggings, so I chose a light yellow for nice contrast). Make sure the leggings are on a flat surface, with your marked dots facing up. Hold the tip of the tube about 1/16″ above the first dot and gently squeeze out the paint to form a bead. Note that the beads shrink slightly when they dry, so be a little generous without going overboard.

3. Continue adding dots along the length of the legging until you reach the hip, making sure to lift the tip of the tube straight up after you’ve applied the bead to prevent smearing. Note: If plan to wear your leggings with that hot leotard you have hiding in the back of the closet, you may consider extending the line of dots waistband-high, but otherwise, you only need to squeeze beads up to the hemline of your skirt, shorts, or dress.

4. If you can lay the second leg flat without disturbing the wet beads on the first leg, do so, and repeat steps 2 and 3 to complete the look. Otherwise, let one side dry completely (about 4 hours) before dotting the other side.

5. Let both sides of the leggings dry and get ready to rock them! The beads dry three-dimensionally, so you do get a slightly studded effect that can be seen when silhouetted from the front. Cool, very cool.

Variations: Experiment with different patterns — zigzag your beads down your legs, cluster them around the ankles so they “explode” up the leg, or apply them in a nice line up the back of each leg–reminiscent of old-school seamed pantyhose.

Save these for Halloween if you want, but why wait? I believe in wearing fun accessories whenever the mood strikes–because, hey, some days you just feel like a cat and here’s the perfect accessory to let you indulge that feeling. And talk about fun in the sun–these ears sure do sparkle!

Materials:
-Pen or pencil
-Scrap of paper
-Colorful felt
-All-purpose scissors
-Fabric scissors
-Metal snap barrettes
-Aleene’s Fabric Fusion fabric glue
-Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets
-Pressing cloth
-Iron

Make it:
1. Use the pen and paper to sketch out a slightly rounded triangle, about 2″ high. Add 1/2″ at the base of the triangle and then mirror the shape below it to create the template. Cut it out with the all-purpose scissors. (You can also fold the paper at the base after you’ve drawn the top triangle and the extended base, and cut around the shape through both layers.)

2. Fold over the felt and lay the template on top of the folded section. Use the fabric scissors to cut around the template, through both layers.

3. Mark and cut a second template, in the shape of a rounded triangle, about 1/4″ smaller on all sides than the original triangle in Step 1.

4. Select a color from the iron-on glitter sheets and trace the second template twice onto the shiny surface. Use the all-purpose scissors to cut them out. Peel away the shiny surface layer and arrange them on the felt ear pieces. Lay a pressing cloth over the ears, and press firmly with the iron for about 40 seconds. (Repeat if necessary to set the glitter transfer.)

5. Clip the metal barrettes in the center, on each side of each felt ear piece, so that the top of the barrette corresponds to the wrong side of the ear piece and vice versa. Generously apply fabric glue around the edge of the wrong side of the ear piece. (The felt absorbs a lot of the glue, so don’t be stingy!)

6. Fold the ear piece around the top of the barrette to seal the glue, and repeat on the second barrette.

7. Let dry. Optional: Clip the layers together with extra barrette clips while the glue dries!

8. Quick! Try them on before the actual cat who’s been helping you craft gets a little too interested and starts batting them off your workspace!

(Special thanks to Tulu the cat for “helping.”)

I have a history of making ties for my dad — not because he’s necessarily a tie-wearing kind of guy, but the school where he teaches has a dress code that states that all the guys have to wear a tie. It seems a little silly, given that he’s an art teacher and a tie dangling into a tray of photo developer or getting splattered with clay in the ceramics room is far from ideal, but he’s always embraced the tie with a great bit of humor and creativity. Though we couldn’t dredge up the handmade tie I gifted him when I was 7 (suffice it to say, I must have cut out the tie myself, too, because it was about 6″ wide and at least 6″ too short), I decorated it with felt pieces arranged into the shape of a smiley face. In high school, I was obsessed with going to the bead store, so I stitched some metal charms onto a black silk tie (above left). More recently, I embroidered the golden spiral inside a golden rectangle on the end of a tie (above right). But for my dad’s next tie, I’m using fabric paint. Here’s a project that a kid of any age can get into, and any dad will appreciate.

Materials:

-Plain necktie

-Image or pattern to turn into a stencil

-Freezer paper

-Pen or pencil

-Craft knife and cutting mat

-Artist’s tape

-Tulip Fashion Graffiti Paint Taggers fabric paint

-Round paintbrush (for stenciling)

-Paint tray

Make it:

1. If you have the option, first tie the tie properly and mark the areas of fabric that will be most visible (it would be a shame to spend time on some delicate design only to have it hidden in the middle of the knot or under the collar). Otherwise, it’s wise to keep the design down on the widest part of the tie. (I marked my tie, but then decided to keep the design near the ends.)

2. Choose your design and print it out. My dad has always been fascinated by the golden mean, a naturally existing ratio of approximately 1 to 1. 618 (see the embroidered tie above) that is used to describe the relationship of many living things found on earth (it’s in the  pattern of the seeds in a sunflower, the architecture  of the spiral chambers in a shell, the growth of leaves on a plant stem, the ratio of hand to elbow and head to torso, and so on…). My dad even designed the house I grew up in using this ratio as the model. Then layer a piece of freezer paper over the printout and trace it. If you use letters or numbers (like I did), make sure you add the appropriate vertical lines to the type treatment so that when it comes to cutting and painting, you don’t end up with an “O” or a zero that’s missing its center. Use the craft knife to carefully cut out the stencil. Note: At this point, yes, I fully recognize that “#1 Dad” would have been far easier, but hey, it’s all about personalization, and he happens to be my “#1 to 1.618033988749894848204586343656 Dad.”

4. Arrange the stencil over the tie and tape it in place to prevent shifting. (I taped the front and back to make sure it was secure.) Note: Artist’s tape should peel off well, but test a piece on the back of the tie to make sure it won’t damage the fabric.

5. Adding very little paint at a time, dab the brush over the stencil. I picked a metallic silver paint, because I like the sheen and my dad can handle a little flair. To keep the paint from spreading underneath the edges of the stencil, hold the brush vertically so the bristles are perpendicular to the paint surface, and use a blotting motion.

6. When you finish painting (don’t forget the short end of the tie — I decided to incorporate the first part of the golden ratio there, but you could also hide any semi-secret message there), let it dry.

7. When the paint has dried completely, carefully remove the tape and peel the stencil off the tie.

7. Now it’s time to gift it. (Or convince your husband that he has to try it on this morning before he goes to work so you can photograph it before you pack it up and ship it off in time for Father’s Day on June 19!)

Variations:

-For different pattern ideas, try any of the paint or sticker techniques in my 4 Ways to Spray post.

-Forget the stencils altogether and freehand a design with fabric paint.

-Forget the paints altogether and glue on felt appliqués!

-Bonus points if you make the tie out of T-shirts!

FOOD: While Mr. T and I hung the streamers, Heather and Amy mixed some homemade sangria. Yum.

And delicious cookies were sent courtesy of Aunt Jean in Seattle! Double yum.

PARTY FAVORS: Earlier in the day, I re-potted some basil plants in some cups I had left over from another party and attached the tags I had typed on my typewriter the night before (my favorite comment was when someone asked: “Wow, what computer font did you use for these?”).

ACTIVITY 1: Earlier in the week, I had a friend help print and mount a blank calendar page to predict baby’s arrival (complete with EDD, or Estimated Date of Delivery)! $2 per entry — winner splits the pot with baby (and if nobody guesses right, baby takes all)!

ACTIVITY 2: Baby onesie decorating!

Materials:

-plain white onesies in a variety of sizes (for baby to grow)

-fabric markers

-fabric paint

-foam and stencil brushes

-a variety of stencils

-paper plates (for use as painters’ palettes)

-old file folders, opened up and cut into quarters (to insert inside the unsnapped onesie to prevent color from bleeding through from front to back)

-a clothesline and clothespins to hang the onesies!

Below, the blank onesies.

The materials are ready and waiting…

And, action!

Guests are busy stenciling and painting away.

The finished onesies are clipped back on the wall to dry (and provide festive decoration in the meantime!). A little lady can’t help but learn her ABCs when they’re painted on her belly!

“Made in Brooklyn.”

Mama-to-be surveys baby’s new wardrobe.

NOTE 1: Substitute T-shirts and a birthday girl and you’ve got a birthday party activity!

NOTE 2: Substitute plain cotton undies and a bachelorette, and you’ve got a fabulous girls’ night (and a whole lot of crazy underthings for the honeymoon)!

NOTE 3: Take photos!

All photos shown here courtesy Amy Pierce Photography.

Skirt number two is adapted from the “Easy Elastic Waistband for a Little Girls Skirt” by TheMotherHuddle — the waistband is made from a scrap T-shirt hem!

I also embroidered pillowcases for my sister-in-law. Mr. T found the perfect quotation that combines dreams (appropriate for pillowcases) and architecture (her profession): “An architect is the drawer of dreams.” –Grace McGarvie I added the golden spiral and rectangle since it is the only architectural influence I know! (My dad designed the house that I grew up in and based the entire design around the golden section.)

And to finish with something tasty, this is the Lemon Olive Oil Cake I made for Christmas eve dinner at my in-laws. (Adapted from this recipe.)

If only I had photos of the chocolate truffles Mr. T and I made for dessert the following night…alas, they, like the cookies a week earlier, did not last long enough for a photo shoot. But we scored a stand mixer from his mom for Christmas, so more baking is definitely in our future!

What about you? Will any of your holiday gifts kick-start the DIY project aspirations you have for 2011?

Materials:

-Scrap fabric for embroidering (light colors work best with iron-ons)

-Scrap fabric for backing (use patterns!)

-Aunt Martha’s Heat Transfer Pattern “SR1 Robots Invade”

-Scissors

-Embroidery needle and thread

-Embroidery hoop

-Chalk marker or air-soluble marking pen

-Straight pins

-Sewing needle and thread (or sewing machine)

-Fiberfill

-Cotton twill tape (optional)

Make it:

1. Select your light scrap fabric. Cut out the pattern and transfer it to the fabric with a warm iron.

2. Select the embroidery floss colors. (I used 3 to 4 colors for each robot.) Separate 4 strands from the selected floss and thread the embroidery needle. Secure the fabric template into the embroidery hoop and start stitching!

3. Mark and cut about 1″ to 1 1/2″ around the stitched robots. Select appropriate backing material and place the cut piece against the backing. Cut around the piece to create a matched backing piece. Pin around the edges.

4. Sew around the pinned edges about 1/4″ from the edge, leaving a 1″ to 1 1/2″ opening at one end. Turn the fabric right side out and stuff it with fiberfill.

5. Stitch closed the opening and you’re done! Optional: If you’re feeling adventurous, stitch a personalized tag with 2 strands of embroidery floss on cotton twill tape.

And voila: Here they are, five robots in a basket. In a creative stroke of inspiration, I named each ‘bot for its destined owner: Clockwise from lower left, that’s Levi-bot, Elliot-bot, Luke-bot, William-bot,  and Lillian-bot. Hope to update soon with photos of the ‘bots in their new homes!

For other great fresh, alternative embroidery patterns, check out Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching designs.

The back story is that my niece is attempting to out her bangs (I tried it, too, at her age — until I had that perfectly disastrous alignment of mom-on-the-phone, scissors-in-hand, and an oh-so-brilliant scheme to rid myself of my bangs far more quickly: I cut them off completely). My niece is more patient than I, but the available solutions to bangs-in-the-face either poke (plastic or metal-based headbands), prod, or pull (barrettes), or are too tight or too loose. In other words, the classic Goldilocks situation. But these stretchy soft headbands are just right. (A Christmas morning photo offers up the results — scroll down to the bottom, since the paper towel roll just doesn’t do the headbands justice!)

Materials:

-package knee-high stockings (1 stocking makes 1 headband)

-scissors

-needle and thread (color to match the stockings)

-Aleene’s Fabric Fusion Permanent Dry Cleanable Fabric Adhesive

-colorful felt pieces

-buttons (optional, for embellishment)

-clothespins (optional, for clipping in place while gluing/drying)

Make it:

1. Remove the stockings from the packaging and stretch them out. Cut about 1″ off the top of one stocking and set it aside. Thread the needle, knot the end, and make a running stitch about 1/4″ from the cut end of the stocking.

2. Sew a running stitch along the toe end of the stocking and gently pull the thread to gather the two ends of the stocking together, forming a loop. Make a few more stitches to secure the ends, and knot.

3. Set the loop (the headband) aside, and cut decorative shapes from the felt pieces. Cut several felt strips about 1/2″ by 3″.

4. Wrap one felt strip around the gather on the headband (to hid the stitching and provide a base for the embellishment). Apply glue liberally to the ends of the strip and fold them over each other. Let dry, and reapply glue as needed. (Felt is a very porous fabric, so the glue gets absorbed easily.) While the glue dries on the headband, mix and match felt shapes to make embellishments. Optional: Add buttons, glitter, ribbon, even fabric scrapbook embellishments to personalize the headband.

5. Glue the felt embellishment over the felt seam and let dry. (Again, apply that glue liberally!)

6. You’re done! The stocking headband now becomes the perfect stocking stuffer! Or skip straight to the wearing part — with no complaints of pulled hair, and no shaggy bangs covering up her sweet little face! Tea party, anyone?

Bonus: Remember the 1″ bit of fabric you cut off the top of the stocking in step 1? Follow steps 4 and 5 to make No-tug Hair Ties! Perfect for taming pigtails, ponies, and braids. (Fairy wings come separately!)

Double bonus: If you buy your stockings at the pharmacy or the dollar store, they often come in little round plastic containers that can easily be converted into a simple cat toy — drop a button inside, snap it tightly closed, and roll it across the floor.