Makin' the Guest Room Spiffy

Approximately two years ago when Brad and I started look for fabric for our bedroom, we went to the $7.99 fabric store in Durham, North Carolina.  Their website is here.  Anyways, I don't think we found anything while we were there, except this little brown and blue sample fabric for $2.  It is perfectly matched for our guest bedroom with a chocolate brown comforter and colonial blue walls.  I have had delightful plans for a fancy throw pillow to spruce things up in there.  They have been well-developed over the two years.
The time has come and the plan has been completed.  At first, I was going to make a bolster pillow, the ones that are round and tie like a tootsie roll.  I used my Pillows for Dummies pattern and this dummy messed it up.  I would just like to say that they could make the double up the fabric sign a little more obvious.  I was so busy measuring to make sure the fabric was straight, I missed the part that said, make the pattern twice this size - whoops.  My mother very kindly set me straight after I was just positive the pattern was incorrect. 

Anyways, I ended up trimming it down to make a regular old plain pillow with an envelope back - fancy pants!  It was actually easier to do the envelope back than wrestle the whole thing to sew around the outside. It came out nicely.  The back fabric is from the white sheets from my latch hooked bath mat.  The only thing I had bought (this fiscal year at least, was the $8 pillow on sale at JoAnn's).  And here are the pictures, which is what you all wanted to see I'm sure. 

On the bed straight...

...or at an angle - which reminds me of my darling brother everytime I see a pillow on its point

The front.

The back (and yes, I know it is a little crooked)

And, a picture of my little helpers and their best friends, Mike the Tiger and Zip the Zebra.  Oh boys, you are so spoiled.  Mike is under Attila's booty if you can't find him (and two nylabones are there too).

And here is Attila checking the light near the pillow.  He says 2 thumbs up Mom!  Love those precious faces!

Hide Your Hooters!

Hooter Hiders, Boobie Blankets, Nursing Covers... many names for a fancy blanket with a strap!

Mandy and her ready-to-be-born baby Kinley were on the end of another test-project of a nursing cover!  I used the tutorial from Our Seven Dwarfs.  I did make a few alterations, like increasing the size of the terry cloth corners and making the whole thing a fizz bigger.  And no, I cannot at this time remember how big I made it. (We will blame this on the 6th graders).

Anyways, I loved this fabric - I found it at WalMart of all places (let's here it for Wally World for bringing back the fabric section!) and the terry cloth too!  The D-rings and boning came from JoAnn's.  Without further ado, here is my classroom-next-door-neighbor Catherine modeling the nursing cover!

It has boning in the center so that you can see down to check on the baby but the nosy person next to you in the mall can't see in!  Also, the next strap keeps the baby from pulling down the blanket to reveal a baby-gear malfunction!
The bottom corners are terry cloth squares folded into triangles for double-thickness for baby wiping messes!  They also double as pockets for all kinds of trinkets - like pacifiers and other goodies! 

They look super on classroom desks too! 

It turned out really great and I was super proud of it... I am pondering putting Velcro on the terry cloth to hold the pocket closed instead of gaping... maybe next time!
What do you all think!

Reusable Lunch Bags

We all love to be green and not just the color!  I saw these fabulous reusable sandwich bags at craft buds and thought they were fabulous, but a bit out of my reach.  However, now that I have been taking sewing lessons and ventured out on pants over my vacation, I was feeling inspired and empowered! 

And, they turned out really cute!  I have two finished and three more half done upstairs.  I love the velcro closure and they wipe out with a wet sponge or rag.  I took mine to school  yesterday with a spoon, napkin, and popcorn bag inside.  (My yogurt won't fit!)  I made one today with some specifications from someone who likes extra-wide rye and pumpernickel bread.  I increased the width to 9" which I think will accommodate Pepperidge Farm. What do you all think?

I love both of the fabrics, but I don't feel like they contrast each other enough to stand out.  Partners that are too close together... hmmm. 
Anyways, I added a letter to the front of the "double-wide" bag.  Never in my life, Mom, have I wished you were Cathy with a K more than when I was using the machine to go around that C. 

Velcro closure

Do you see the monogram?

Close-up

Overall, I am pretty happy with the way they turned out and I am going to finish the others tomorrow.  Also, tomorrow I have my finished Crayon Wreath with research paper flowers!