Made It: Otter Pop Wraps + Tutorial

I don't ever know if what I make is really modern, but I am going to link this up to Canoe Ridge Creations Sew Modern Monday anyway. ;)

This summer we LIVED off otter pops. I don't know, we never really ate them before, but this summer... I don't even know how many boxes we went through.

One thing I found though, was that for my two boys, they are TOO cold to hold while eating. At first we went through napkins faster than a 2 year old can say napkin (ok, that's probably pretty slow) but either way it was more than I wanted to waste just to insulate their little finger tips.

the answer??? Otter Pop Wraps! (Really? who's going to want to use this now? It's getting cold outside.) :) I really did make these months ago, and had planned on posting this then too, but, I didn't. I didn't ever take my boys outside to get cute pictures of them using theirs. So remember this for next summer!! :D

These are great! I like to pick the one that coordinates best with whatever color otter pop I'm eating, but my boys have their favorites. :)

Best part: no more wasting napkins. no more cold fingers. they are completely washable. reusible. styilish. and SUPER quick to whip together. plus a great scrap buster - I'm sure you have some scraps that are just the right size!

Otter Pop Wraps

Here's how:

Find two pieces of fabric that measure 6 in by 3 3/4 in.  (you could go as wide as 4 1/2 in if you want them for bigger hands, but that's probably the limit before their too wide. Also, I wouldn't go any smaller.) Be creative and use different fabrics for the different sizes, or you can even scrap a bunch of smaller pieces together to make the right size. 

I made a bunch of them all at the same time.

Cut two pieces of batting the same size, or more depending on how thick you want it. I like at least 2 layers of the high loft batting.

Layer one piece of batting (or more if you are using more batting) on the WRONG sides of the fabric pieces and baste (or don't. you actually don't have to baste anything. But you can if you want to).

Skip the basting and sandwich your pieces like this: 

one layer of batting

one layer of fabric - right side UP

one layer of fabric - WRONG side UP

(the two fabric pieces should be right sides together)

the rest of your batting pieces

(I only took a picture of the wrap I made with one layer of batting. But this shows how to put your fabric. Just image there is a layer of batting underneath this.)

Then pin through all the layers at the corners, and one in each side.

Starting near the middle of one of the long sides, stitch around the whole thing 1/4" from the edges. Make sure you are stitching based on the fabric edges and not the batting edges. Sometimes batting can squish out further than the fabric and you don't want to not sew the fabric.

LEAVE a ~2 inch opening on the first side, and backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitching.

Trim your corners

Turn right sides out - you want to pull it from between the fabric layers. (obvious but I just have to write it as I think about it. :) )

Fold the opening edges in and then sew around the entire edge of your wrap, sewing the opening closed (sew it about 1/8" from the edge to make sure you catch the edges you folded under).

And you are finished!! :) Or you can quilt it. 

I quilted this one, but it seems to keep the fingers warmer when it's not quilted.

  

Enjoy!! :)

And hey, maybe it's not too late for this, because I was just thinking about how we eat WAY more ice cream in the winter than we do in the summer, so maybe there is someone out there that is the same way with otter pops. ;)

If you make these, hop on over to the flickr group and share your photos. :)

{Celebrate Color}

Rachel, over at Stitched in Color, is hosting a Celebrate Color fall party thing. Ok, I don't know. It's a celebration, so party works for me. :) And it's fun, so of course it's a party!

Anyway, there are four different categories for which you can enter projects for prizes, as well as simply celebrate color along with everyone else. :)

I've been thinking about and eying my crocheted Market bag, and thought it would be so much fun to re-share it and link it up on her blog I'm glad I looked at the rules again. It has to be made new, not just a new post. If I make another in the next week or two I'll link it up. :) But I'll still share it anyway. 

Whenever I think of Market bags, or look at this bag, it makes me think of fall and going to the farmers market for those fresh late summer veggies. Yum. :) To be honest, I haven't ever used it for a market bag, but I have used it. And I will say one thing... boy does it stretch! Putting anything at all heavy in it makes it stretch down to my knees! lol. Though when it's not all stretched out I think it looks perfect. I just might have to make one with a lining so it doesn't stretch so far.

I made this almost exactly one year ago. I had seen a couple of different and cute bags like this, but didn't feel like buying a pattern as I they looked easy enough to make. So I went on a search for a bunch of different pictures, picked the elements I liked and went to work. I was going to go back and write up a pattern for it, but never did. Honestly, I'm a little intimidated about writing a crochet pattern. I think if I drew it and just explained what to do, then that would be ok, but to say, SS x amount of stitches, then add a stitch... blah blah, I don't think I would do a very good job. :)

The hardest part was figuring out the handles, especially since I wanted them to continue the design of the rest of the bag, but I think they, as well as the finishing round along the top edge, are my favorite parts of it.

I'm thinking that I've sat on the idea of making a pattern for this long enough that it doesn't scare me quite as much, and one of these lazy nights I just might take a go at it. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

One change I know I'll make: don't make it so tall! otherwise it's perfect.

I can breathe again!

I have a love-hate relationship with deadlines. I love them because they force me to finish things when I am being lazy, but I hate them because where there are too many at once I feel like I am suffocating! a realization that I didn't notice until yesterday...

I have had so much going on recently, and yesterday was my first day of freedom!!! No more deadlines (at least not for a while). And I just felt like a huge weight was lifted from me. I can breathe again! Not that I feel like crafting/sewing is a burden, but maybe you know what I mean. I also feel a huge desire to finish up everything that's been on the sidelines... now that I don't HAVE to do anything, I WANT to do everything. :)

So prepare for many a posts coming up of everything I have finally finished! :)  ... and hopefully there will be even more that I finish up by then. (or at least an update on things that have been forgotten. bottled rainbow? Kaleidoscopes? coin quilts? crossing my fingers!) :)

a sneak peek...

best. day. EVER!

Today was seriously the best day I've had in a long time. Maybe it's because the Mr was home, or because a friend came over to play with the boys this morning, or because I had a BLAST sewing today, or that it's so cool and beautiful today and I LOVE fall. Or it could be the total absence of stress - which has been a very unwelcome guest lately. I don't know. But it was full of contentment and peace. and it couldn't have been better. I am totally tempted to share the millions of photos I took while sewing today, but I think to end this day just right, I am going to go right to bed, and try to get to bed at least a little earlier tonight. I know I will be glad about it tomorrow. So perhaps tomorrow I'll have a plethora of photos to share...

Good night and sleep tight!! I hope you all had a wonderful day and weekend as well! :)

oh, and potty training totally flopped this weekend. Not that it flopped, but it didn't happen. They just weren't so into it, and I was too busy on Saturday to give it the attention that it needs... soon. I'm determined to just do this. and I think I'm almost ready... :)

do. Good Stitches: September Blocks FINISHED!

Yay! It feels so good to have these done early! I think it also helped that this is my month to pick the block pattern. :) But either way, it's good motivation to always knock them out at the beginning of the month. Here are my two blocks!

I'm sure I'll take more/nicer photos later. Lately I've been a only-sew-at-night-when-it's-dark kinda gal, so most of my photos aren't so great. But I will get some more before I sew them all together! I can't wait to see all the other blocks people put together! There is already one in the flickr group! Yippy! :) It will be fun to get all the other blocks and assemble them together... it's my first time working with other peoples blocks. :) I think I could get used to this. :)

Potty Training Time

I feel like I'm in the middle of 100 projects that are one step away from being done, some of which have coming up deadlines, and yet.... I've decided to utilize this long weekend with the hubby being home and potty train both of my boys (one is 3 1/2 and the other will be 2 in a couple of days). Crossing my fingers!!!

I made up a really ghetto sticker chart a few weeks ago for them when my oldest went on the potty out of the blue. Ok, all it is is a colored piece of paper with his name on it. He LOVES stickers and loves being able to pick one out to put on it. He wore underwear for that night and stayed dry (he's so good at that) but when the power struggle started the next day I put him right back into his diaper. I think if there are two of us we will be able to trade off a little better, be able to keep our cool, and make it a fun positive experience. :) By myself I just can't handle getting stuck in one place for too long with a little baby. So.... I guess everything is going on hold for a couple more days... and then I promise I am going to finish stuff up!!! :)


Oh, and I have to say, so far we're off to a good start! I snuck in potty time before their naps and he went again today! Hurray!!! He also loved looking at his sticker chart while he was sitting down and seeing that there are already stickers up there! With the little one being a bit more willing to have potty time, I'm hoping that Hunter will join along every time and that the successes will be a huge motivator for him. :)

Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!!