Another way to use up scraps -- The reusable face round

One of the things I make and sell in our Etsy shop is nursing pads. Some call them breast pads. Sometimes people think they are coasters (which they totally could be). Jo likes to throw them around like frisbies. They look like this:

Last week I was visiting my good friend, Megan, in Michigan, and she had what looked like reusable face rounds. I asked her about them, and they were, in fact, reusable face rounds that she had purchased on Etsy. 

Now I use disposable cotton face rounds every day for removing make-up, applying toner, taking off nail polish...you get the point. It's kind of expensive to keep buying them only to throw them away. So I whipped up some reusable rounds for myself!

You could probably do it too! All you need is cotton flannel. Some people on Etsy use different materials like terry cloth or organic cottons, but I had regular cotton flannel lying around so I just used that.

Cut out circles in the size that you want. I made two sizes. The smaller ones are about the same size as the disposable rounds I used to buy (about 2" in diameter). This size is great for taking off eye makeup. The larger ones are closer to 4" in diameter (about the size of the nursing pads I make). I like to use this size for removing facial cleansers like Cetaphil.

Take two layers of the fabric and stitch them together. I serged mine together so the ends wouldn't fray. If you don't have a serger, you could also zig zag around the edge. That does the same thing.

Voila! Ta-da! Hooray!

You can wash these as many times as you want. Just put them in a little laundry bag before you throw them in the washer. It helps them last longer.

News! News! News!

This spring (if you can call it that) has been busy. Maybe since we've been hibernating due to the cold cold weather.

The big news is that Lilla Barn Clothing now has a website! Don't worry, we still have our Etsy shop, but the inventory will change slightly.

Our Etsy shop will continue to have the same great items for babies, toddlers, and more but will focus on one-of-a-kind items as well as limited run items (when I have a small amount of fabric)...like these pants.

Lillabarn.com will be featuring our new seasonal lines as well as a few premium items...like this new skirt.

Yay!

Ugly Fabric

I accidentally bought this really ugly fabric a while ago. It was an online purchase and it didn't look like this on my computer screen. Gross. What to do? What to do?

Jo wasn't a fan either.

It just so happened that I was experimenting with patterns and didn't have any tracing paper. Sooooo, I used my new ugly fabric to piece together a pattern. Another plus, the ugly fabric pattern doesn't shift around like a paper pattern does when I was cutting out my actual fabric. I consider that a win!

Using up scrap fabric

I'm big into using up fabric scraps lately. And I wanted to make a present for Jo for Christmas. So how about a memory game?

The game was pretty easy to put together. Just a little time consuming with all the cutting. And I lined each square with interfacing, flipped them right-side-out, and then top-stitched.

Then I stitched up a little bag to hold all the squares and voila!

She's still a little young for the game, but is having fun figuring it out.

It's a new year!

Happy 2014, everyone! It's a brand new year and it's going to be awesome!

I've been doing a lot of fun sewing lately including most of the Christmas presents I gave to friends and family. Here are a few of the things that I made for my mama (whose pot holders are holy and falling apart).

For my pot holders I started with this tutorial from My Girl Thursday. I actually used Insul-Bright for my batting, but I also bought some plain cotton batting that I'd like to play around with as well.

If you've got fabric scraps and just can't bear to throw them away (like me), this is a great project. Plus it's super fun to put different print combinations together. Mix and match! Go a little crazy!

Add these little pot holders to the new pots and pans we gave my mama and she's ready to cook!

Shibori + kimono top = super cute

 I tried photographing my shibori results, but just plain fabric doesn't look as great as finished garments...at least that's my opinion. Plus I have new patterns that I'm trying out. So I whipped up this little kimono for Jo.

I'm pretty excited about the fabric. I even washed it after I made it and nothing bled! Woohoo!

Jo likes wearing Nick's bike helmet.

She also likes bananas.

Then she wanted to pose with the little child form. I don't know if you can see it, but she has her arm around the mannequin.

So there you go.

Later addition to post: I don't think I mention it here, but I hand-dyed the fabric myself. Yay!

Oh man...

I have so many posts to catch up on. I actually have drafts for over five posts and just need to finish them. More soon about my trip home to Iowa with Jo, shibori, our move, an acting class I took, and more fun.

I've been doing lots of sewing lately. Trying out new patterns (R&D) and making clothes for Jo. I'll leave you with this picture of Jo in one of her new tops. Her face just cracks me up.

Fly away with a winged collar

So a while back I got a pattern from my mama for a little boy shirt with a winged color. It's vintage, if you can't tell.

Here is what the pattern looks like.

And here are the instructions that I have. That's it.

Close-up, just so you can see. The sewing guide mentioned at the bottom didn't quite make it to me.

So I had to figure it out on my own. I considered it a great challenge. With my powers of deduction (and sewing knowledge), I assumed that the pattern pieces with two larger dots meant to cut two pieces. Three dots near an edge meant to cut on the fold. So here is what it looked like. All ready to cut!

The pattern pieces have no other markings besides the holes and notches.

I started with the back pieces. Obviously, there is a yolk. Great. That's pretty basic.

Then came the really easy parts: sew together the pieces at the shoulders and the side seams.

The under collar (not sure the official name, but that's what I'm calling it) went on next. It's the under side of the collar -- aptly named, right?

Here you see it with the collar popped. Preppy bikes.

Next it's time for the facing and upper collar piece. It's all one piece and it just happens to fit nicely over the under collar and front of the shirt. Funny how that works, eh?

I was pretty proud of myself that the notches all lined up.

Here's what it looked like all put together:

Once that piece was on, all I needed to do was turn the facing piece under and stitch. Then hem the bottom and the sleeves. Oh yeah, and add buttons. Voila!

I think I'll shorten the sleeves to make it a bit more modern, but other than that I love it.

Don't mind the snot in this shot.

I think she was heading in for a hug in this one. Yay!

Get dosed!

Have I mentioned that Lilla Barn was asked to be a part of the Dose Market in Chicago on April 14?

What is Dose? Good question. Here's the answer (from their site).

MARKET INFO

“A beautiful setting full of happy people” – Penny Pollack, Dining Editor, Chicago Magazine

Dose is a year-round market featuring the finest selection of vendors under one roof: the modern, lofted halls of the River East Art Center. Join us once a month to celebrate Chicago’s most dynamic gathering of food, fashion and unexpected delights. There’s no better way to spend a Sunday!

It's going to be awesome! My mama is coming next week so we can sew up a storm. Plus Liv will be joining us in Chicago for the actual market. Watch out!

Late Christmas Prezzie

I just got this in the mail and I love it! It's from my awesome brother.

It's so cute and pink and it's just what I wanted.

And it comes with a little snipper scissors and a tape measure. Yippee! I'll let you all know how it works.

Thanks, Geir! You're the best little brother in the world.

Sneak peek of a wing collar

My mama gave me a vintage boy's shirt pattern over the holiday. I've been meaning to make more little boy clothes for Lilla Barn and I thought this would be a good start.

The pattern is super cute, but the instructions were missing. So I made them up! It's true! Here's a peek at what I made. I'll be posting a tutorial soon.

And it has a wing collar......

Fabric-addict

I may have a problem with buying fabric. I can't stop. I keep finding lovely little patterns that I must have. Like this one by Creative Thursday (part of their brand new Ric Rac Rabbits Collection):

Have I mentioned that I love Hawthorne Threads? It's a small little online fabric store with super cute stuff. One really cool thing about Hawthorne is they have a section for each fabric where people can upload listings of handmade items using that specific fabric. It's perfect for those of us on Etsy and a fun way to see what other folks are making.

She don't care

Yes, we have hopped on the honey badger wagon. Jo is our little honey badger. She don't care. She don't give a s%*&!

I saw this patch in the Oksmalls shop on Etsy and had to have it. I will be making our little honey badger a cute little bag that will have this cute little honey badger patch on it. She better love it!

Fab.com Alert - Interweave sewing & crafting books

Interweave has a bunch of awesome sewing books on Fab.com today.

Get your craft on! I just love the cover of Sew Wild. It reminds me of the work my mama does.

Photos from Fab.com