Portable DIY Mini Ironing Board

I was having a friend come over and we were about to do A LOT of ironing (as I was going to show her how to make a quilt top). We both have 2 kids and they play great with each other but, they are 2 1/2, 2 1/2, 1, and almost 1. So the older ones need to be monitored as they sometimes like to pick on the little ones. In which case, we needed to be down stairs with them and not in my sewing room where I have the ironing board. I didn't want to bring the ironing board down, because I know our kids would knock it over real quick. Instead, I thought "I'll make a small mini portable ironing board and just place it on the table". That way the kids can't knock it over, pull on it, or do anything to hurt anyone or themselves!

I grabbed a long piece of wood about 3 feet long, and about a foot wide. You will need batting, a staple gun, cotton fabric, and elastic.

Heres the board I used (left over from my cutting table, my husband made).

It can be any board, just nothing real flimsy. You need something thick, so it won't bend.

 Grab a few layers of batting. I was using scrap batting from the leftovers of quilts, hence the variations of batting. When you cut them, make sure they are long enough to go over the edge and wrap to the back of the board.

Batting is long enough to wrap over the sides and onto the back (about 4-6 inches extra).

 I then start with all the corners and pull the batting over the edge and staple, with my staple gun.

Then stable to smaller ends, and remember to pull the batting at taunt as possible.

Once you have the two small ends done, work the long sides. I did the center, then the ends and then moved back and forth from left to right, until all of it was stapled down.

The back should look something like this.

I then lay my fabric choice on the ground, right side face down. I place the board top side down. I then cut the fabric with about 4-6 inches on all sides.

Make a mark where the corner of the board meets the fabric. Use a ruler to mark a two lines out to the sides. Then cut that square out of each corner. Like the picture below.

 Place the two cut sides (of ONE corner) RIGHT sides together and sew.

Do that for each corner.

Then make a hem for the elastic. My elastic was about 3/4 of an inch so I needed to make about an inch or larger of a hem.

Fold the fabric over and pin.

 Then sew the hem along the farthest point on the left side. Leave a small hole about 2 inches wide at the start/finish.

Use a safety pin to pin the end of the elastic, and slip it through the opening in the fabric you left.

Push the elastic all the way around until it comes back to where you started. Put the fabric on your board, and pull the elastic taunt. Make sure you can remove and put the fabric on and off the board. Then pin the two pieces of elastic together. Stitch with a zig zag and or several straight stitches along the area where the two elastic pieces meet. Pull the elastic into the fabric, and sew up the hole!

Slip the cover over your board, and get to work!

Ironing away...

Now I have a mini portable ironing board for when I need to iron something down stairs, or work on small projects! Its perfect to use at my sewing table when I just have a lot of little pieces, or small hems I need to iron down. I love this project, and the best part is the cover comes off and you can wash it on gentle and clean off any gunk!

Project Time,
Sarah

Shadow Box Project

When I had my first son, a wonderful friend of mine made a really cute shadow box for his room. It had all sorts of cute pictures, scrap paper, stickers, and so much work had gone in to it. I cried when I opened it. It was so perfect and such a thoughtful gift. I loved it from day one and still love it.


 This is what it looks like, and still hangs in their room today.

Then a year and some change later I found out I was pregnant with our second child. I knew instantly I wanted to make another one of the shadow boxes to keep the theme going. I purchased the same exact shadow box, and collected stickers, pictures, and everything else I could find.

I busted out my old scrapbooking tools, and started working on the shadow box. I measured a hundred times, and still managed to chop some of the stickers off, but it still is super cute! I made this around my sons 9 month or 10 months, and honestly wanted just pregnancy, delivery and baby photos.

I am so thankful for such an amazing friend who put such love and thought into the gift, because it gave me a way to capture those precious moments that go by so fast.

Heres my attempt at it:

The first one is a lot better then mine, but I love them both!

Scrapbook Away,
Sarah

June Give Thanks, Week 3

June 15:
     Happy Father's Day to all the amazing fathers out there. Today is the day that we all thank our wonderful fathers; sadly I do not have one to thank. Instead I have an amazing, wonderful, inspiring, uplifting, supportive, and loving husband who takes care of our kids and does a damn good job at it, and that (or rather, who) I am thankful for.

Opening his Father's Day gift I made.

Its an ipad mini case made from his uniforms.

June 16:
     I love when I have a chance to do a little sewing. Its my happy place. I am so excited and really thankful to have finished a door hanging project that has been in the works for awhile now. I finally finished it and was able to hang it up today!

Hanging on the front door.

The appliqued stars.

How I quilted the corners.

June 17:
     Weight loss has been a huge part of each and every day this year so far. I wanted to take a moment today to be thankful for each small and large weight loss. Even though some weeks I loose a few ounces and others I loose 5 pounds; we all need to remember that its just another step forward to a healthier goal and healthier life style. Work hard and enjoy the small (and large) victories!

Updated weight loss photo.

June 18:
     Started a new sewing project today, and of course its for our master bedroom decor. I can not wait to finish it. With that, I am so thankful to my husband for letting me go crazy and re-do our master bedroom bedding/decor. I can not wait to get the quilting tool I need to make our blanket!!! I am so thankful for these fun and wonderful projects!!!

June 19:
     I am so thankful that my oldest son loves to help me in the kitchen. He sees me starting to get the chocolate chip cookie dough items out and he asks/signs "help?" I love that he wants to crack the eggs, and pour the flour in. I am so glad he will have these fun memories of making cookies with us.

June 20:
      I am so lucky and thankful for my amazing neighbor. She has a daughter my sons age and they absolutely love to play together. I love how they just run each other out, and he always sleeps great after they hang out. I cant thank her enough for all the information she gives me about the community, parties, and local events. She is by far one of the best neighbors I have had, ever!

June 21:
     Thankful beyond thankful for being able to attend a new group today. Not only did my oldest get to play at a playground, but I was able to meet a few other moms, and snag a ring sling for our vacation! I can not wait to try the ring sling out and hopefully I end up loving it (as well as little man). So happy I finally am getting out into the community and exploring the world outside my house (don't judge, I am a hermit.)

Give Thanks,
Sarah

May Give Thanks, Week 1

May 1:
     Thankful for all the "new" things my little guy has done today. He clapped for the first time, took several steps in a row on his own, and even walked from the couch to the coffee table on his own. He is just picking up on everything these days. Even when we say something to him, like "Say, Hi Dada" he will mimic it so well! Its the best feeling ever.

May 2:
     Thankful that I was able to sit down and prep all the blocks for the next section of the Halloween quilt. The prepping on the freezer paper takes a lot of time (probably because I am OCD), but I finished all of it for the next section! Its nice to have that time where absolutely no little hands are grabbing at everything you are doing. Happy dance!

May 3:
     My oldest son tried his hand at painting for the first time today. I am thankful that he enjoyed it a ton (even threw a fit when he had to stop for dinner), thankful he didn't eat any of the paint, and lastly I am thankful for such beautiful artwork now hanging on my fridge! Best way to keep a kid busy for an hour.

May 4:
     For awhile, after the holidays, my mother and I kind of got into a routine of calling each other whenever we could find the time, and just take a moment to catch up. She often called on her way home once a week, and if I missed her call I would try calling sometimes on the weekend while I had a hubby to help keep the kids out of my hair. Today, I called my mother and we were able to chat for some time, so thankful for such a wonderful mother, and as I get older I realize how much it calms me to have someone to chit chat about life with. Its a beautiful thing, that as we age we grow closer to those we often pushed away while we were kids. Love you Mother Elizabeth!

May 5:
     Working on little projects here and there for my sons 1st birthday next month. Thankful today I was able to finish up cutting some of the pages for the banner. I am excited to see this party come together, but at the same time its too soon.

May 6:
     Thankful for an hour or two, during the boys nap, to put one coat of orange paint on the boys stove/oven unit. I can't wait to finish it up.

May 7:
     Today is a hard day to find something to be thankful for, but after a long day in an ER for my oldest son, I am thankful for all the family and friends who have supported us.


Give Thanks,
Sarah

Just a Quick Small Project

When I sit down and have a horrible headache, or I have had a long stressful exhausting day (especially dealing with the kids); I feel a need to hide out, escape from life and I do just that, in my sewing/craft room. My mother in law is always collecting fun projects and material. I often sit and chat with her in her sewing room and discuss fun projects or any current ones as well. She usually then finds fun projects that she has purchased on a whim and asks if I would like them... I am always grateful but always decline knowing she will know more kids or have more time to make those such items/use the material. Sometimes, like this last trip, she gets sneaky and throws those fun projects or other such stuff into my stuff. She is the best, and I am always so grateful for all she does for myself, my kids, and my sewing/fabric addiction! Anyways, long story short, she had purchased a few soft book panels, and never got around to them. I of course love small projects and tonight was a perfect night to sew.

I grabbed the panel, and began to cut. A little cutting here, and a little cutting there. A few slices of batting, and a few slices more. A brush with my serger, and a few ironed pieces, and lastly a lot of top stitching... and its done. Yes, all within an hour or so. I love these small, calming pieces; as they just help my body relax and my mind run free. No stress, no kids, no screaming. Just calm, quiet time to sew and think about nothing or everything.

Here's a look at the book and small dinosaur toy:

This is the panel, sitting on my lap.

After cutting all the pieces out, as well as the batting.

Dinosaur toy, cut out, sewn and ready to be top stitched closed.

All the book pages, sewn, flipped, ironed and top stitched closed.

The finished soft book, and soft dinosaur.

Ready to Read.... WRAAAARRRR,
Sarah

Another Small Project for Baby #2

I was hungry to sew something for the baby, as its been a few weeks since I made him something! So, I checked my pinterest and sure enough I found a project I could knock out in a day or two! This carseat blanket is a great idea. Not only does it act like a swaddle, but you can still buckle your little one into the carseat and keep him warm at the same time!

This project was an easy one day project. I had 2 yards of some cotton striped fabric, and 2 yards of some navy flannel on hand in my pile of fabric.

I simply followed the tutorial by cutting my 2 yards at the 41inches, but because I was not going to do a binding around the edge like she did, I added an inch. So, instead I cut my fabric at 42 inches.

I followed the next several steps, by folding cutting it at the 17 inches and 25. The curve was a little challenge, but in the end you can alter it as you sew.

Now this is where I kind of changed it up a little. I put the two wrong sides together, and serged around the edge. I left a hole and flipped the entire blanket inside out. Then I ironed the entire thing to keep it flat and also to press my seam.

The next step (not in her tutorial) was to top stitch around the edge of the blanket, this also gives me the chance to close the hole without any hand stitching!

Alright now back to her tutorial. She has the exact same carseat as I do, so the measurements were all the same. I cut all three holes, and put binding on the holes. Now the binding for some reason, gave me the most trouble. I got it done, but my blanket stitch just doesn't look that great. I kind of wanted to rip it apart and start over, but I realized no matter which side of the blanket I have facing up, my little guy will be hiding all those holes!

Once the binding is on the holes, your done!

Heres the blanket open and ready for baby!

All folded up and keeping baby warm (when he gets here).

Now the original tutorial calls for 2 flannels, I decided one cotton and one flannel. I did this to give me a choice. So, if its kind of cold, I can use the cotton side, where it will breath a little and he wont be overly hot. The other side is the flannel and would be used when it is colder out. I like the idea of keeping it light weight as well because we are moving to California here soon. If I was staying in New Mexico I probably would have made both sides flannel, or added one side with fleece!

I think sometimes when you see something on pinterest you tend to stick to exactly what is on the tutorial; however, I love to change it up and add or take away from what they have done. I prefer to re-work it for myself so it works better for my life style!

With that being said, I hope you all enjoy this twist on the carseat blanket tutorial!

Enjoy!
Sarah