Keepin' those legs toasty!

I know this is a fairly new blog (and I am fairly new with tutorials) so please bear with me.  I have a BIG day of crafting planned for tomorrow and I promise to take lots of pictures!  Unfortunately, I've only recently been approached about making tutorials so I don't have a lot of pictures to go along with past projects.  But I can certainly show you the pictures I DO have and give instructions as detailed as I can! 

One of my super easy projects I do have some pictures for is baby leg warmers.  I decided to try my hand at making some of these after we made the switch to cloth diapers for C.  He has horrible diaper rash and NOTHING was working.  Not to mention the never-ending need to save money!  So, we made the switch!  I love how cute they are but they're always covered up with pants!  But with the colder weather hanging around and wood floors making little knees chilly, we needed a solution. 

Enter: BABY LEG WARMERS! 

C wears these ALL the time.  They're perfect for running around the house, they make diaper changes super quick and easy, AND I've been using them under fleece pants for extra layers in the cold! 

What you'll need:

Cute adult knee high socks.  I found mine at Target for around $2 a pair. 

Scissors

Sewing machine or needle and thread

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this first step.  But what I did is laid my sock out flat.  Then, I cut off the foot section, just above the heel.  Basically, I just cut right before the sock curves into the foot section.  I wanted to make them as long as possible so C wouldn't outgrow them quickly.  After you cut off the foot, you'll end up with just one long, footless tube.  (NOTE:  At this point, you could just leave the raw edge alone and use the sock as is.  I opted to attempt a more finished edge and create a hem.)

Next, turn your sock inside out.  Fold the raw edge back about 1/4 inch.  Using a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine or simply using needle and thread (the zig zag stitch just helps to accommodate stretching, but I don't think you'd have much trouble if you just made a straight hand stitch), sew around the folded edge to create a hem.  Unless you have a sewing machine that has a narrower base where you can pull the sock over it to sew, this can be a bit tricky.  Just remember to make sure you're not sewing through both sides of the hem as this will close the tube.  It just takes a big of maneuvering while the fabric is being fed through the machine.  The original top of the sock will be the top hem.  I opted not to do anything with the top hem as it was already neat and finished looking and this was my very first ever sewing project (Translate:  I wasn't sure how these would turn out! :)

Turn sock, right side out and you're done!  I didn't use matching thread so you can see where my seam is. :)

Quick, simple, and very useful!  Be on the lookout this week for some more tutorials and thanks for stopping by!



FIRST TUTORIAL!!!

So, I'm a part time stay at home mom, part time work outside the home mom.  My job as a paramedic is stressful and sometimes being a mommy is even harder.  This leads me to how I de-stress.  I craft.  Yes, I have a Pinterest addiction (If you haven't checked out Pinterest you should.  It's addicting).  And I also love finding inspiration and experimenting as I go along, making my own creations.  Today I made the most adorable lounge pants for my one year old son.  I have TONS, literally a bajillion t-shirts sitting around and of course I can't get rid of them.  Surely, I'll use them one day for something, right?  Today was one of those days.  C needs new loungs pants, I have lots of t-shirts, put 2 and 2 together and you get:

THE T-SHIRT LOUNGE PANTS TUTORIAL!!!

What you'll need:

1 adult t-shirt, size L (for size 18mo pants, XL for larger)

Pair of toddler pants to use as pattern

Sewing machine or needle and thread

pins

I started by laying out my t-shirt so I could see which portions I wanted to end up as my pants.  I wanted the writing to be visible and continuous from leg to leg (of the pants)

I then turned my t-shirt inside out and laid my "pattern" pants on top of the t-shirt making sure to line up the pants with where the design was.  (Turning the shirt inside out just eliminates having to lay the fabric right sides together to sew.)  Cut around the sides, inseam, and bottom of the pattern pants, making sure to leave a seam allowance (I used about 1/4" SA, but you can use whatever you like.).  When you cut around the waistline, leave an inch IN ADDITION to your SA.  You will need this length to make the waistband.

After all the cuts are made, you should end up with 2 pieces, right sides together.  Pin the pieces together.  If you haven't sewn with jersey knit before, make sure you pin A LOT.  Knit tends to stretch when you sew so you'll want to make sure it's lined up as you intended.

Using a tight zig zag stitch on your sewing machine (to allow for stretch) sew down the sides and inseam of the pants.  Don't forget to leave the leg holes open on the bottom.  (Yes, I almost forgot!)  Next, turn your waistline down a half inch.  Sew on the raw edge of this flap as this will become the casing for your drawstring.  Note:  You can also hem the bottom of the legs if you like, however jersey knit doesn't fray so there is really no need.  I just trimmed mine where I wanted them before I sewed and left them raw.

You are done with the pants!  Last, from your leftover t-shirt scraps, cut off the original bottom seam of the t-shirt and make one cut so you end up with one long piece of original seam. 



Cut 2 slits about an inch apart, through the TOP layer of the casing you just made on the waist of the pants.  Cut these in the middle of the waistline, on the front of the pants.  Attach a safety pin to one end of your "drawstring."  Insert the safety pin into one of the slits in the casing.  Use the safety pin to slide the drawstring into the casing by scrunching the casing onto the pin.

Tie your, drawstring, and you're DONE! 

Thanks for visiting and reading my first tutorial!  I hope to be posting more soon! 

Happy Crafting!