Pillow Dolls: Mommy, Daddy & Baby

I may have mentioned that we have a little visitor for a few months - a beautiful 21-month-old whose Mommy is deployed in the Middle East, and whose daddy is in training with the Navy.  She misses her mommy and daddy very much, and I decided I would make her some Mommy and Daddy pillow dolls to love on.

This also gave me the opportunity to try my hand at a craft I've been wanting to experiment with:  printing on fabric.

The first step was opening the images in Photoshop and getting rid of the background.  This can be done in any photo editing software.  Once the background was removed, I was ready to print.  

I opened a new file set at my print size and pasted my first image into it.  I am fortunate enough to have a large format printer - it will print up to 13 x 19.   I cut out a poster board large enough to fit and fixed the fabric to the poster with tacky spray. 

I was very pleased with the way it turned out!  I used the "glossy photo" setting, and the fabric I used was an old white sheet I cut to size.

After the first print, I realized I could get two images on one panel.

The black lines are what happened when I thought I had all the wrinkles smoothed out.  If you look closely you can see black fuzzies surrounding the image.  I'm not really sure what that's from.  It was actually worse on the first print, but it shouldn't be noticeable on the final product.

After printing, I placed the printed fabric on top of the backing fabric and cut around the edges, giving it about a 3/4" border.

Next I pinned the front to the back.  I wanted to sew around the edges of the body, and I thought I could easily do that since the images could clearly be seen from the back.  Next time, however, I will draw around the edges first - areas like skin and light colored clothing were hard to make out when I  actually had it on the machine.

I sewed the edges twice, since this would be handled by a toddler, leaving the bottoms open for turning.  Then I trimmed the excess fabric and snipped the corners and curves.

After sewing, I turned the pillows right side out, stuffed them with fiber fill and sewed the bottoms closed.  They looked out of proportion, and I realized I should not have sewn right up against the edges.  Instead, I should have left about a quarter inch around to allow for the stuffing to spread out the sides.  Oh well, I'll know better next time.

Next came the true test for success:

Even though I thought they were far from perfect, I don't think she cared!

She carried them around the house like long lost friends, and loved to hug and kiss them and push them around in her buggy.  :)

Time very well spent.

Thanks for looking, and until next time...

Go Get Crafty Sister!

Sister #2

Lovin' Our Peeps!

We love our Peeps, and we love creating fun Easter decorations, so you gotta know we LOVE creating Easter decorations with our Peeps!  Here is just a sampling of the cutest ones we've found so far, and of course, they all include the How To's:

Oh, my, I will be putting these Peep Pops by Sugar Swings on my "to eat do" list!

Yum!  The Peeps over at Stampin' Mamas created this Peep wreath and a very well-written tutorial.  It uses an embroidery hoop, so you can make it in different sizes.

Peep-a-Boo Wreath from Tried & True--another great tutorial with clear instructions and good photos.  She also shows alternate designs in her updated wreaths.
 

Little Grow Peeps from Woman's Day.  I can't wait to make this one!



 
  Not just one tutorial, but a whole book of 'em!
Peeps: Recipes and Crafts to Make with Your Favorite Marshmallow Treat

Beautiful Peep Centerpiece from Mommy Savers.  Since a good part of the supplies are from the dollar store, you can make this for under $10!

The peeps over at Babble created this awesome Peep Sunflower Cake.  A Peep with every slice!

Topiary by Homespun Candle Momma - it looks difficult, but after checking out the tutorial, it is definitely in my skill range {easy!}.

For the non-edible variety, Amanda over at Dandelions and Lace created these super-cute plush Peeps.  Love them!  (She also has a tute for bunny peeps :)

Show all your peeps they are loved with the free peeps topper from Eighteen25.  Print, package and present, how easy is that?



Figured out what to do with your Peeps yet?  We'd love to see them when you do!

Until next time,
Sister #3

Go Get Crafty, Sister!

Treasure Chest

Pin It I know two little boys who have a great fascination with Mario and Luigi.  From blankets to t-shirts to video games, they love them all.  So, when I saw these cute Paper Mâché treasure chests on sale at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, I couldn't resist snapping them up in hopes of turning them into something those two little boys would treasure.


All it took was some some paper scraps, images from the 'net, a tub of Modge Podge, and a pair of sharp scissors.

 

 

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Thanks for looking!

Until next time--

Go Get Crafty, Sister!

Sister #2

The Great Apron Search

A friend of mine loves aprons--she wears one almost every day and loves to change them out with new and different patterns.  Her birthday is coming up, and because I love to give gifts from the heart, I went searching for just the right apron to make.  Here are a few I stumbled across, complete with tutorials:

Pin It Jona's Holiday Apron-in-an-Hour at Stop Staring and Start Sewing includes a down-loadable pdf.

Pin It I  couldn't find the original designer of this beautiful apron, but here is a link to the instructions at Spotlight.com.au.Rows and rows of ruffles.

Pin It Vintage pillowcase apron by Laura at Decor to Adore includes a video tutorial.

Pin It Mini retro apron by Jill at Homemade by Jill

Pin It Mini retro with a ruffle by Stephanie from The Petite Sewist. Her tutorial was featured by Jenny over at Days of Chalk and Chocolate.

Pin It Mandy over at Sugar Bee Crafts created this apron as a gift for her mom--super cute with ruffle and embellished pocket!

Pin It Mommy Knows created this apron based on directions from sew simple magazine.   She claims to sew like a drunk driver, but I absolutely adore it!

I still haven't decided which one I'll ultimately make myself.  What do you think?  Have you created an apron that would make a great gift for an apron lover?  Let me know!

Until next time, 

have a great day, and 

Go Get Crafty, Sister!

~Sister #1