Burp Cloth Project

So my poor E has been using thin junky washcloths and pink burp cloths for the most part to catch his spit ups!  I never got around to buying new ones! So I'm experimenting with making up some new ones (which MAY end up in the Monkeyshiners "Shop").

Obviously, I was experimenting with rounded corners vs. square.  I bought some terry and pretty moda fabric, but am not completely pleased yet.

For one thing, they seem HUGE to me... so I'm going to play with the size a bit.  I'm also not really pleased with the terry; it will be very functional, and I will definitely use up the rest without any problems, but (especially for sale) it seems to look a bit sloppy to me.  I'm thinking of chenille or (yummy!) sherpa or cotton velour...

Feel free to comment on your favorite burp cloth sizes and materials!  For baby E, absorbancy is KEY since he's still making quite a mess sometimes. But I would LOVE something super soft and yummy to touch.  And he deserves something pretty (but boyish!) too!

This is another way you can save money if you sew at all... a yard of terry cost me 5.99 at my local quilter's shop and the Moda fabric was 6.99 (though I added a bit more of the other print to embellish- Wouldn't be necessary though, and probably will not happen on the rest); With this super-huge size I tried first, I was going to get 9 burp cloths, so as they shrink that number goes up! I'm pretty sure they'll end up being cheaper than a pack of burp cloths anywhere.  And its definitely not a difficult project:  Sew straight lines, turn and top stitch (in straight lines!)

Stay tuned for more in my burp cloth saga (when I finally decide on my next fabric choice...)

Checkbook Cover

This was so quick, I don't know why it took me so long to get around to it!

I'm loving that I can put in a pencil and a pen (or just a fatter size pen) since I often make silly math mistakes and end up having to change my amounts.  But obviously you can't write a check in pencil so it's handy to have both! 

It's a teensy bit too long, so next time I'll be changing my measurements a bit, but otherwise, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. 

I may be adding these to my Monkeyshiners "shop" so keep an eye out.  I've been asked to do some purses, so these would go along well, and perhaps some wallets also...

Yummy Cheesy Texas Bake and my fave Cornbread recipe

I just tried this recipe the other night from Camille's Casa:  Cheesy Texas Bake. Yummy!  I loved it!  Cheesy, a bit spicy, mmm. Thought, to be honest, my hubby was not so thrilled.  He thought there was too much cornbread and not enough other stuff!  So perhaps next time (after I've used up the freezer meal!) I'll try doubling the inside ingredients.


Click here for the recipe and instructions complete with photos! 

As I hinted above, this is another great recipe where you can make one and freeze one for later!  I love having already made up things in the freezer!  All I have to do is remember to pull it out to thaw and Bake!

I did change a few things: I threw in a can of corn instead of the 1 cup frozen, and made my own cornbread recipe for the top. 
 This is the one I love, Elizabeth Yoder's Corn Bread from the Tasteful Treasures Cookbook (Allensville Bicentennial).

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soft margarine
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
Sift flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in margarine, egg and milk til flour is moistened. Then beat 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch square pan. bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Yields: 9-12 servings

A few notes:  I never sift; I rarely feel like getting out my electric mixer, so i just mix it good by hand for 30 seconds or so - and it still turns out great, everytime! 

I made 2 batches of this, one for each dish of the Cheesy Texas Bake.
Enjoy!

Wallet for Cash Envelope System

I’m just a little bit proud of this…in a good way.

I have been wanting a new wallet to make using the envelope system for cash easier to use. I currently just grab extra envelopes at the bank, and label them and stuff them in my wallet. I don’t think they’ll last very long though, and if I have to “sneak” a little from another envelope, I have to shuffle through and peek into a bunch to see what I have. With this wallet, I can see quickly what I’ve got!

It has a plastic dividers in it, a coin pocket, credit card slots, and an extra pocket in the back.

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears though (not literally, thank goodness!). I goofed up a few times... lets's just say next time I’ll be making a paper pattern first!


This time I used a cheapo coupon organizer from the dollar store (I LOVE the dollar store!) for the dividers. It even has handy little stickers with it to label the tabs!


So despite all my mess-ups, I’d say it was a successful project! I have 2 other ideas in mind, so I think I’ll be making a few more!


If anyone is interested in making your own, and wants to know how I did it, leave a note and I’ll do a description. I didn’t take pictures during the process (thank goodness, how embarrassing would that have been…) but I can explain how to make your own. It is fairly simple with directions (and the right measurements!)!

Beach bag v.3 Definitely faster!

This one literally took me about 10 minutes. And I think its my favorite!

Obviously it is much smaller; I did this one with L in mind so its more childsize but still has room for her to help out by carrying her swimsuit or other small toys. It could easily be made larger by using the full hand towel (unfolded) and at another on top if you still want pockets.

The short and sweet version of how I did it:

Folded the hand towel in half and sewed up the middle to make the pocket.

Sewed it onto the bottom corner of my towel.

Sewed on the ribbon strap (though in hindsight, I should have done this to the hand towel first thing-it would have been much easier).

Seriously Simple.

The towel is folded up into the "bag". I fold my towel in half, and then half again.

Then fold in thirds (I think) so all the towel is behind the pocket fabric.

i put my hand in the pocket, grab a corner and the folded up towel with it, and turn it inside out. Repeat with the other corner and smooth everything out!

Beach bag v.2

Without further ado….

You can't really see it here, but I used my buttons to close up the sides (rather than gathering with the ribbon), and sewn on the straps permanently, which also uses much less ribbon. I made some loops out of 3/8 inch ribbon to close up the sides with my buttons.

It makes a HUGE bag!  (fold your beach towel in half and that's how big this is almost!)

I think it will work great for L's floaty, sand toys, other beach towels and other things that are going to come right out anyway.  And it still has the handy pockets to throw your keys, phone, book, etc in.

 

As I worked on this, it did feel like a lot of work… handsewing all the buttons and adding loops…But the buttons make a cute accent, no? and did I say it's HUGE?!

 

Stay tuned for version 3… In my head, it seems it will be simpler and quicker to do…

Beach bag and Towel in one!!

I loved this idea from Girl Loves Glam! Who needs an extra beach bag when you can have a beach bag and towel in one? Or, better yet, it gives you TWO beach bags for all that stuff that comes along with taking 2 adults, a toddler and a baby swimming! I love that the pockets and all are absorbent towel materials since you use a hand towel and wash cloth! Her bag is so cute with the great print, and ruffles; I of course got lazy and this is mine:

It was also super cheap; my beach towel cost $4.50 (though, of course, now you can get them for 2 for $5 at you-know-where) and the ribbon cost me $1.50 (on sale). I also added buttons for $1.76. My hand towel was an old hand-me-down from my Great-Grandma (like half of the other things in our house!) and my wash cloth is from a set that I bought cheap for burp cloths! I figured if I liked it a lot when its all said and done, I can always upgrade and have 2, right?!

All that said, if you were paying attention, I said “loved” above! It wasn’t quite what I was looking for. If you want a bag to just throw in your suit, a book, sunglasses, keys, phone etc- this is great and Glam Girl’s tutorial is probably the easiest way to go. I took sand toys in ours and it worked as well. However, I was hoping for something more “tote” like with a little more space. So coming soon will be version 2 of the Girl Loves Glam beach towel and tote in one! (There may even be a version 3 since I have 2 ideas in mind…)






I made a few modifications from the Glam Girl’s tutorial (which you can find here). As I said, I skipped the ruffles to be frugal (though they do make the bag super-cute); I also planned to add large buttons on the ends of the ribbon so I didn’t lose them in the casing when the towel was opened completely. I couldn’t find on her tutorial if she does something to avoid that problem… maybe I didn’t read close enough-I’m a skimmer sometimes.


Also, here are a few clarifications and tips:


Since I didn’t add the ruffles, I just measured 8 inches up from the bottom for my washcloth on the front. I pretty much eyeballed the hand towel, but I think you could do the same 8 inches.


You may want to consider more quality materials… yes, mine was cheap, but I’m afraid it may last that way too…my washcloth is pretty thin….






When you are buying your ribbon: I’d suggest a stronger grosgrain ribbon, though mine is the shiny satin kind; I don’t know how long it will hold up…I planned on a little more ribbon than the length of my towel, so there is enough for it to lay flat when using it as a beach towel. I think I ended up using about 4 ½ yards each side; since it was a 9 yard roll, I just cut it in half. That’s where the buttons come in; I wanted something to catch them so they don’t go back into the casing and get lost forever! Sew a button on one end of your ribbon, thread the other through (the tutorial suggests a safety pin, I actually clipped on a binder clip and then pushed it through with my chopstick), and then sew the other button on the other end. (So you’ll need four buttons.) Before you cut, you may want to make sure it is long enough for the shoulder straps to hang as you’d like. If you tie your straps in a slip knot, it’s very easy to untie and use as a towel again.

 

As I said, it’s a great idea for someone who just wants to take a few things but not bother with an additional beach bag. Stay tuned if you are like me and want a little more…