Finding Pins and Needles

* Check out my most recent Autism post and updated Facebook cover. * I'm going to take a quick sewing time-out and talk about something that's important to me. April is Autism Awareness month. Autism that is something that is close to my heart and close to my family. I have two sons with Autism (4 and 6 yrs old). Last week the CDC released the new Autism prevalence statistics and they are staggering. 1 in 88 American children have an Autism spectrum disorder. 1 in 54 boys in the United States have autism. That's a 78% increase compared to a decade ago. Those statistics are already 4 years old! Someone doesn’t have to have every indicator to be Autistic. Many states don’t require insurance companies to cover treatment. Children with Autism need advocates. Children and families with Autism need support and understanding. Please take some time out to learn more about Autism and it's signs. Early intervention is extremely important, and it's imperative ...

Now that Christmas is over, I can spill the beans rice. I made a number of rice heating pads as gifts. Of course I got the idea off of Pinterest. Thanks to Pinterest, no one can take credit for anything novel. I researched a number of tutorials and tried to tackle it.... which led to much frustration trying to sew seams while the pad is already stuffed with rice. I came up with a solution. Materials & Tools Uncooked white rice Essential Oils Flannel- 2 18x9in and 1 4x18in  Hook & Loop (Velcro) Thread Sewing machine Bowl Funnel (optional) Stir stick or spoon Pins Chalk or another contrasting water soluble marker  or pencil The Heating Bag Cut your strips of flannel,  2 pieces 18x9in and 1 piece 4x18in (for the strap). Right sides together top stitch a 1/2 seam along 3 sides, leaving one of the  long sides open. Turn right side out. Measure and mark with chalk 4 lines running the short direction. Top stitch along these lines. Th...

I was in the mood to up-cycle some old clothes, and sweaters have so  many possibilities. In my pile of too worn out, too small, too dated clothes, I found my husband's sweater that has shrunk. It was an XL, it looks more like a large now. The sleeves are perfect for making 18" doll clothes (American Girl).  So, here's what you've been waiting for... the Sleeve Sweater Dress tutorial... Materials and Tools: A sweater: Mens large or bigger or a Woman's equivelant size A doll for fitting (This is designed for an 18" American doll) Scissors Pinking Shears (optional) Snap Sharpie Marker Thread Sewing Machine Ruler Pins Optional Materials (see Accessorize ) Cutting: First measure and cut about 12" up from the bottom of the sleeve (this will be the body of the dress). Next measure about 6" up from the remaining sleeve and cut again (the arms of the dress). None of these measurements are real exact for 2 reasons, 1) you're deali...

The embroidered Christmas pillow, a gift for my mom. Click to see a larger version. From the moment I pinned   this , I knew I wanted to embroider it! Pin It

I was in need of small handmade gifts to give my kid's bus drivers. I figured I'd make hand warmers and dress them up with a novelty bag. SEW SIMPLE! Credit , but I've added my own twist. Materials & Tools Flannel (2) 3.5in x 7in Scrap flannel and felt Muslin or other solid fabric for bag 11in x 7.5in White rice Essential oils (I used cinnamon vanilla), you can find this by the candles in Walmart Brown paper bag (optional) Thread Fabric glue Sewing machine Scissors Bowl Spoon or popscile stick Small funnel (optional but really nice) Hand Warmers  Cut the fabric for the hand warmers from a soft flannel. Take your 3.5in x 7in piece and fold it in half creating a 3.5in x 3.5 in square. Pin front sides together and top stitch all around the edge, leaving a small opening. Turn your square right side out. Do this again for the second bag. Take your rice and mix in a bowl with a few drops of your chosen essential oil. You'll want to use ...

I got this idea from this site , a knock off of a Pottery Barn pillow . I wanted to change a few things, so I created my own tutorial. I wasn't so keen on the idea of gluing the pieces on (my kids would pluck those suckers off in no time), nor using buttons for the berries. So here's my version... Materials & Tools: 2 cuts of fabric (back and front) for your pillow (I used tan for the front and a red stripe on back) stuffing thin cardboard or card stock for leaf template green felt (varying green colors optional) an 8x10 sheet is sufficient red pom pom fringe (I used 3/4) a circle template (I used an embroidery hoop, a plate or bowl will work also) green and red thread sewing machine scissors pins pen (preferable disappearing ink or water soluble pen ) Freehand a simple leaf for a template. I drew it on thin cardboard. Using a disappearing ink pen, I traced leaves on my green felt. I would also recommend using varying colo...

Another teacher gift... a pencil pouch. I've been holding on to these Michael Miller "Dick & Jane" fabrics for more than a year now. They were a great choice for a teacher gift, especially a Preschool teacher. I followed this Zippered Wristlet tutorial . I added the personalized felt monogram embellishment, easy peazy and it makes the gift more meaningful. The "Mrs." is done using a Threaded Backstitch . The teacher tote on the left can be found here . Please join our   flick r  group  and upload pictures of your pencil pouch or any other Finding Pins and Needles projects. I'd love to see them! Pin It