Bohemian Booties

There is nothing I like more than a pair of soft, cozy slippers (unless it's a tall, cold glass of ice water or a pair of new socks). I used this cute pattern to make a pair of slippers for a sweet friend.

The pattern is by Amanda Herring from The Quilted Fish and sadly, I learned as I was writing this post that the pattern doesn't appear to be available any more. (Hopefully there are a few copies floating around the Ebay or Etsy universe.) There are similar patterns out there though, and some of them are free. Yay!

The construction was a little tricky with some curves and tight spaces, but they turned out so cute!

The soles are a soft suede. After a lot of easing and clipping, it all worked out in the end, but the sole pattern seemed a little small for the bootie pattern since there's not much (or any) give to the suede. So, if I were you, I would wait to cut the sole pattern until you have the slipper top constructed. You will thank me later when you get a better fit and don't break out in a sweat trying to make it work! I used paper clips to hold everything together since I didn't want to stick pins in the suede. I'm sure there are better methods out there, but they worked and I had them around the house. Also, my sewing machine and the suede didn't really get along. You might want to think twice about using suede if you make them. I like it because it is more durable than the usual slipper bottom fabric.

You can't see it from the photo, but there is an elastic and button detail on the side of the slippers. I didn't see the elastic measurement in the pattern, so I emailed the designer and she told me that she used a coated hair elastic (like these) Adorable! I used the thinner type since I was already sewing through soooo many layers. 

I love the cotton print I used, but unless you are only going to wear your slippers while sitting in your lounge chair, eating bon-bons and watching a romantic comedy, I would recommend using a darker fabric than I did!

Easy Minky and Flannel Blanket Tutorial

If you need a quick shower gift or something special for a new baby, you can't go wrong with a soft, cuddly blanket. There's nothing softer than minky fabric and flannel is the perfect compliment. Minky fabric can be expensive, but if you make the blankets 30 x 36 inches, you can get two from 1 1/8 yards. 

To make this blanket you will need:
1 1/8 yards minky fabric 
1 1/8 yards flannel
Thread
Basic sewing supplies

It's always a good idea to wash and dry both your fabrics. They will shrink at different rates and washing ensures that your blanket will keep its shape.

Begin by cutting the selvages off the minky and the flannel. Use a rotary cutter if you have one, but you can also use scissors. 

Cut the minky piece in half down the fold. Most minky is at least 60 inches wide, so that will give you two 30 inch wide pieces. Set one piece aside and cut the length of the other piece to 37 inches to allow for a half inch seam. You will now have a piece of minky that's 30 (or so) inches wide x 37 inches long.



You can cut the flannel to match the dimensions of the minky fabric with the rotary cutter and mat, or you can open the flannel on a flat surface, lay the minky fabric on top and trim the edges to match.

With the fabrics right side together, pin every 3 or 4 inches around the entire edge. Minky is slippery so you won't want to skip this step! 

Using a half inch seam, sew around the edges, leaving an opening of 5 inches or so on one edge for turning. 

Lightly trim the four corners. 

Reach inside an turn the blanket right side out. 

Push the corners out with your fingers.

Carefully press the edges. Whatever you do, do not press the minky side. Note: You may want to skip this step if you're using the dimple dot minky. 

Whip stitch the opening closed.

If you have any edges tucked in the seam, you can pull them out carefully with a seam ripper.

Sew around the blanket 3 inches from the edges all around. (I make a mark with tape on my sewing machine as a guide.)

Sew on the diagonal from each corner to the stitching line you just made. 

That's all there is to it! Wrap it up or tie it with a bow and you're set. These blankets are so easy you will want to make a few to have on hand.

Darling Baby Bobble Blanket

I know this is a sewing blog, but occasionally I do something besides sew. I was looking for a crocheted baby blanket for a grandson who would be arriving and I loved this blanket the minute I saw it. What makes it even better is that it's a free pattern. 

http://www.joann.com/baby-bobble-blanket/3153868P151.html

I made it to match his nursery, so I selected Bernat Baby Blanket yarn in white for the main and a light gray Bernat Blanket yarn for the trim. I bought the yarn at Jo-Ann's and waited for it to go on sale to save a little money.

For the life of me I couldn't make a chain of 89 stitches as directed on the pattern come out right no matter how many times I tried. I'm not a pro at crochet, so I’m sure it was something I was doing wrong, but 88 worked for me. The yarn is so bulky it was hard to get used to at first, but in time in was easier and I enjoyed using it. Since I tend to make my stitches tight, I had to be careful to relax while I worked. (Maybe deep breathing and listening to soothing music would have helped.)

The blanket turned out soft and cuddly and the end result was exactly what I wanted.