Heart Pot Holders

Last week, as I sat waiting for the oil to be changed in my van, I was glancing through some back issues of Martha Stewart Living and came across an adorable pattern for a heart potholder.  As soon as I got home I searched http://www.marthastewart.com/ and found the pattern here.  How adorable are these!  I thought they would make the perfect Valentine and you could tuck a little note or recipe inside as well.  Two down, three to go!

Easy Hooded Bath Towel

I've been looking for a pattern to make a hooded bath towel for a toddler or small child and came across a free pattern from Butterick that is super easy (unfortunately the link to the pattern is no longer working, but I'll provide the steps below).  You just need two washcloths and a bath towel, and you can have a hooded towel in less than an hour!  I chose to add an applique to mine in order to personalize it a bit.  If you are not familiar with making an applique, here is a website that provides detailed steps.  This would make a great personalized gift as well!

1. To form the hood, pin baste the two washcloths together on two sides, forming an L.  Machine stitch approximately 1/2" from edge.  Backstitch at ends for reinforcement.
2. Find the center of the long side of the bath towel and mark.  With right sides together, align the stitched seam of the hood with the center of the towel and pin baste in place along the edge.
3. Stitch the hood to the towel approximately 1/2" from the edge.  Backstitch at the ends for reinforcement.
4. You can also make the wrap from 1 1/2 yards of 45" wide terrycloth.  Cut fabric to dimensions of towel and washcloths.  Follow directions above and narrow hem all edges.

To make the owl applique, I folded a piece of paper in half and drew half of the owl's body and then cut it out.  This way the owl was symmetrical on both sides.  You can also find templates for appliques online or purchase them ready to add to your fabric piece.

French Ruffle Dress

I love Etsy.  I have been known to waste many an afternoon just browsing all the handmade items in awe of all the creativity out there.  I took sewing as a project in 4-H and didn't really appreciate it at the time.  It wasn't until recently that I decided to get back into sewing, mainly sewing clothing for my daughter.  This french ruffle dress is a pattern I found here on Etsy.  I was looking for something with long sleeves, thought it was adorable and it looked simple.  I chose Moda Fabrics' print Tweedle Dee - Sugar 32103-11 from their Wonderland collection.  I used some red ribbon from my stash for the piece across the front.  I also used one of my daughter's elastic hair ties for the button hook on the back rather than buying some elastic and it works wonderfully!  The only change I made were the ruffles on the sleeve cuffs, which I thought was a nice addition.

Moda Wonderland Tweedle Dee - Sugar 32103-11