Monday, June 25, 2012

Baby Noah is here!

It has been a crazy 2 weeks. Baby Noah (our #3) decided to come 2 weeks early. We weren't quite ready, but we have been adjusting pretty well. I miss crafting/sewing/blogging, but am trying to enjoy this season as much as possible. I don't know how you moms of 4+ do it, because I'm barely surviving with my 3. Still trying to potty-train my oldest, my 2nd one is constantly whining and needing attention, and then of course there's the demands of a newborn. But having these 3 precious boys teaches me so much patience and grace (for my kids and myself too!).


With all this said, I will probably not be updating much in the next couple months. :( Hope you enjoy my older posts in the meantime. :)

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Owie Owl & Booboo Bear Tutorial



A while back my 3-year-old bumped his head pretty badly and I had to get an ice-pack to control the swelling. I went to the freezer to take out a bag of peas, but he started crying even more. He didn't like how cold and icy it was. My boy is a very sensitive child. So I decided to make an "ice-pack" for him that would be cute and distracting...and not so "icy". Booboo Bear has been a good pal in times of need. I made one for the school nurse as a thank-you gift as well. Owie Owl is a version I made for my niece. I think either one is great for a boy or girl! These are easy to whip up and make for cute little gifts. They are ice packs, but they can also be heated up in the microwave for use as a heat pack. (See below for a poem card to include if gifting these.)

Hope you enjoy the tutorials! (You can skip down if you just want to make Booboo Bear.)

*Please, for Personal Use Only...thanks!*


{Tutorial for Owie Owl}

Materials Needed:
  • Fabric
  • Felt scraps (for eyes/beak of owl)
  • Fusible web (i.e. Wonder Under)
  • Rice (short or medium grain)

1) Print out pattern. (Click HERE for PDF)



2) Cut out pattern. Trace eyes and beak onto fusible web. (Note: Trace "whites" and "blacks" of eyes separately.)



3) Trace pattern onto wrong side of fabric.



4) Trace onto right side of fabric as well. Make sure that the outlines match up. This is to ensure that we  place the eyes, beak and wings in the correct place.



5) Iron fusible web tracings of the eyes and beak onto the scrap felt pieces. Peal off backing of fusible web and iron onto the right side of fabric.



6) Zigzag stitch around eyes to secure in place.



7) I hand-sewed the beak to secure in place. You can also machine sew.



8) Zigzag stitch wings into place. (You can refer to the pattern to make sure you place them in the correct spot. They should stick out a tad beyond the traced outline of owl.)



9) With right sides of fabric facing each other, sew along traced line. (Note: I do this because I feel like it is easier than cutting outline first and then sewing a 1/4 inch seam allowance.) Make sure you leave a couple inches open at the bottom for flipping inside out and filling with the rice.



10) Cut excess fabric, leaving extra fabric near opening. (I find this helps with sewing opening closed)



11) Flip inside out. Fill with rice (don't overfill). Blind stitch the opening closed. And you're finished! :)


Owie Owl to the RESCUE~




Now for her partner....Booboo Bear...



{Tutorial for Booboo Bear}

Materials Needed:

  • Fabric (I used flannel)
  • Felt and fabric scraps (for eyes/nose/hands/feet/ears/tummy)
  • Embroidery thread for mouth
  • Fusible web (i.e. Wonder Under)
  • Rice (short or medium grain)


1) Print out pattern (Click HERE for PDF)



2) Cut out pattern. Trace eyes, nose, hands, feet, ears, tummy onto fusible web. (Note: I label them so I will know which is which later.)



3) Trace pattern onto front and back side of fabric. (I lift up to light to make sure the outlines are matching up.)



4) Iron the traced body parts onto fabric.



5) Cut out body parts, peel off backing of fusible web and iron onto fabric.




6) Zigzag stitch around body parts to secure in place. With right sides of fabric facing each other, sew along traced line...make sure to leave opening (I left the top of the head of bear open). 



7) Cut excess fabric. Flip inside out. Fill with rice (don't overfill). Blind stitch the opening closed. And you're finished! :)




***Print out little poem to include if you are giving this as a gift. (Click HERE for PDF)






Owie Owl and Booboo Bear are coming to the rescue~ :)






Happy Sewing!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Owl Themed Baby Shower

This past weekend I went to the cutest baby shower ever. It was in honor of my friend who is having a baby girl in July. And although I had no hand in planning it, I asked the hostess if I could upload the photos from it because it was so dang cute. The hostess (and helpers) did an amazing job of incorporating owls into the decorations, in an adorable and tasteful way. Again, as you remember from my owl taggie doll post (see here), I think cartoon owls are cute...real ones not so much. I'm actually in the middle of writing up a tutorial on how to make a little owl ice pack called Owie Owl. Stay tuned for that one... :)

These photos will surely inspire you and give you great ideas for a baby shower or birthday party that you may host in the future. Enjoy~