cotton canvas couch covers

Cotton canvas couch covers. I can't say that four times fast. They weren't too hard to make, though, which is nice because I meant to get these done fast, in time for a baby shower I was hosting.

I started with the back cushions. There used to be three long cushions on this sofa, and none were practical for pillow forts or useful as floor cushions. I pulled the fluff out and used some cotton muslin to make four large pillow forms. These are just simple squares, 19 x 19 inches.

When the forms were all stitched up, I used the canvas (painter's tarp) to sew a couple of 20 x 20 squares together on three sides to make pillow covers. I hemmed the fourth side, but left it open. With the open end at the bottom and a snug fit, the open bottoms aren't too noticeable.

The seat cushions needed to be measured and traced. I cut them in two pieces then stitched around the perimeter on three sides with box stitching on the fronts. The fourth side of each was left open for easy washing, and I just tuck them into the edges in place.

It's not perfect, but it's a nice change for spring. The brown was just looking kind of dirty all the time; this helps. The new covers are really easy to remove and wash, and the canvas takes dye well if I decide the color needs to change. Overall, I'd call this one a success!

quick and easy seatbelt covers

The car seat we recently bought the kiddo (to replace the one in my car that tops out at a 40 lb. weight limit) included a couple of really handy little seatbelt covers. These are a definite bonus as his least favorite thing about riding in his car seats has been that the belts tend to cut into his neck when properly tightened.

He's been loving the new luxury seat. On the other hand, he's not been loving riding in my husband's car, whose seat does not have the accompanying seat belt covers. And on weekends and long road trips, that car is typically the one we travel in. It's been a little bit of an issue.

So okay; I decided I can either keep dressing the kiddo in hooded sweatshirts all summer (and pull the extra fabric up against his neck to protect it from the seatbelt) or I could just make a couple of seatbelt covers like the ones in the kiddo's other seat. Which is what I did.

Manufacturers typically recommend not adding accessories to car seats, but I felt this was an okay move for our family. After all, they also recommend against wearing excess clothing in a car seat, and the hooded sweatshirts were far more likely to interfere with car safety than two layers of thin cloth at one point on a seat belt. Also, because our other car seat had them as part of the stock package, I figured it was probably safer than other alternatives. You'll have to decide for yourself!

So, have I justified myself enough yet? :)

Here's what they'll end up looking like.

You can use any fabric for this project. I used pre-washed scraps of a cute gnome print by Michael Miller Fabrics, and some red felt. You'll also need thread and 3/4-inch sew-on hook-and-loop fastener (like velcro).

I also used the seatbelt covers from our other car seat as a pattern, but I took measurements for you: cut two pieces of patterned fabric and two pieces of felt measuring approximately 5.5 x 6.5 inches.

Round the corners, and stitch together one piece of felt and one piece of patterned fabric with right sides together. Leave about a quarter-inch seam allowance, and leave a couple of inches of one side open to turn inside out.

After turning inside out, press and top-stitch (stitch around the perimeter close to the edge) till it looks like this:

Cut four inches of hook-and-loop to fit along the long, straight sides.

Stitch the strips in place(right on the edge!), with the hook piece on one edge of the seat belt cover, and the loop piece on the other as pictured.

Trim loose threads and sharp corners of hook-and-loop. Fold in half. Complete!

Repeat for the second seat belt cover. Install in your car seat!

These take about twenty minutes, but you'll more than make up for any time spent the first time you ride in the car and no one feels like he's getting strangled in the back seat.

If you decide to make a set, I'd love to see how they turn out! Link in the comments below. Happy travels to you!



(p.s. you can make these pictures larger by clicking on them, but you probably already knew that!)


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The Stuff of Success

teepee hideout, warm spring day

We made this teepee late last summer; the weather's been so beautiful this week, we finally got to set it up again. And it was fantastic. A light breeze was blowing, the sun was shining, and we were tucked into the canvas teepee in the sun-dappled area under one of the trees.

The frame is made of five suckers from our hazelnut tree (between eight and ten feet long) lashed together with twine, and we actually left it up all winter. Good news: I didn't have much work to do to put the teepee up quickly. Bad news: the twine's a little the worse for wear, and the poles should probably be swapped out for longer ones (I'll explain why in a minute).

You could use bamboo garden stakes or any long pole-type things without sharp bits, if you don't have a hazelnut tree sending long shoots up from its roots. When I was a kid we used mops and brooms and shovels, and draped them with blankets. And you know, that was kind of awesome, too, so don't be afraid to be creative.

The body of this teepee I sewed together from six triangular sections of a canvas drop cloth.

Set up your frame first, then measure the length of the legs from the twine lashing to the ground.

Next, measure the distance between two legs. Using these measurements (plus a seam allowance), cut six triangular panels from a large drop cloth (two will overlap to make the door flap). Cut a few inches off the top for the skylight. (This photo isn't really an illustration of technique, so much as a visual guide to what you're aiming for as a final product.)

Stitch all the panels together along the long sides to make one long, open panel. Then, fold over and hem the edge of the whole thing. I double stitched my seams flat with two rows of yellow stitches (pretty quickly, which is why the rows aren't perfect. I think it makes it look more "authentic". Ha!).

Cut strips of an old t-shirt to use as ties. Knot the ends and tack down the centers along the seam lines at the top, bottom, and middle of each seam, on what will be the inside of the structure. These will tie to the five poles to keep the teepee cover in place.

Overlap the two end panels and stitch along the top to form the door flap. I stitched down about a foot from the top, too, and added a star of stitches to really hold this vital part of the the fabric strongly. Trust me: it's not ripping, no matter how hard the kiddo plays.

It's kinda pretty, too!

I left too much seam allowance on ours; it drapes somewhat on the frame. Learn from my mistakes! If you give yourself a half-inch seam allowance when you're cutting, sew a half-inch in from the edge. I think this summer I'll make a larger frame or take in the seams a bit to make a snugger fit.

In the meantime, I can't think of much to beat the view of a tree through the top of a teepee.

Except maybe my kiddo, about to get me with the squirt bottle. Most fun ever, right?

So, are you building a teepee in your yard this summer, or do you have a more permanent play house? Let me know in the comments below, if you like! I love following your (non-spam) links!


p.s. You can view larger versions of these images by clicking on them, but you probably already knew that!


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New Year, New Things to Love

I thought I'd put up a little post about what I've been up to, and one of my favorite Christmas gifts.

I designed these two pairs of shorts (click the button that says "one yard" to see both designs; it defaults to a 1/4 yard segment) for a Spoonflower design challenge: Children's clothing on one yard of fabric. A yard costs $18, and the shorts fit up to a 23-inch waist (with elastic).

I took fifth place out of seventeen entrants; a quick look at the Spoonflower blog will show you the fantastic designs that won the contest. No arguments here! The winning design is lovely.



And here is one of my favorite Christmas presents: a set of measuring cups designed to look like Russian matroyshka (stacking dolls). Both the tops and the bottoms of the dolls are marked for measuring! Aren't they adorable?