LA | Freckled Nest | LAfromFN

DIY: Leg Warmers

Ahead of schedule, Winnipeg's first snowfall happened yesterday and I'm transitioning to a cold weather wardrobe. Oddly enough, I wore shorts on Monday. Weird week.

I made these leg warmers for a class a few years ago... inspired by today's persisting snow, I want to share this 15 minute DIY with you :) Legwarmer up.

Step 1/ Choose a long sleeve shirt or sweater that has a bit of stretch and suits your style :) You'll also need less than an arms length of 1/4" flat elastic, a safety pin, scissors, straight pinks and a needle & thread or sewing machine.

Step 2/ Cut off each sleeve under the arm, square (90˚) with the sleeve edge. Turn both sleeves inside out.

Step 3/ At the wider opening of the sleeve, roll the raw edge down approximately 1 inch and pin in place. A half inch from the top, folded edge, sew a straight line around the fold, leaving a two inch opening so that you can thread the elastic into the casing.

Note: If you're using a sewing machine, remove your 'table feature' on your machine so that you can feed your sleeve around the 'freearm', to avoid sewing through both layers. See above.

Step 4/ For a perfect fit, measure the elastic around your leg  below the knee and adjust the elastics tightness/stretch so that it will hold the legwarmer at the right place on your leg. Mark the portion that fits your leg, then add 1.5" extra elastic so that you have overlap to sew the elastic together. Cut a second elastic with the same length and marking for your second legwarmer.

Step 5/ Fasten a safety pin to one end of the elastic and feed the pin end into the fold/casing. Once you've fed the elastic all the way around, exit the pin through the same opening. Make sure to hold the end of your elastic as you feed the pin through, so that it stays on the outside of your legwarmer.

Step 6/ Sew the elastic ends together at your mark (from step 4). Then unfold the elastic ends (like butterfly wings) and sew them down so that your legwarmer doesn't have a bumpy joint. Then sew shut the 2 inch opening from step 3.

Because your legwarmers were originally sleeves, the wrist part is already hemmed and now goes at your ankle:) Quick & easy and a fun way to reuse an older shirt or sweater. These would also look cute tucked into a tall boot, appearing as knee socks.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I'll answer there :) And if you make a pair, tweet me a pic @LAfromFN... I'd love to see yours! :) xo, Leigh-Ann

Sewing Project: Beach Blanket in a Bag (#6BB)

I always have too many things to carry when I go to the beach-- this "blanket in a bag" is the perfect solution, with room for suntan lotion, a book and snack! I use my blanket in a bag at the park too... I love laying on the grass, people watching :) Wanna make one?

Sewing Skills • This project is fairly easy (lots of steps though) and includes step-by-step photos + clear instructions to make it easier. The project requires basic sewing machine skills and uses straight lines only, nothing too fancy. If you need a boost, I made a chipper video about how to use your sewing machine.

If you a) want to learn how to sew or b) crave mad skills, technique, and sewing confidence or c) wanna make 32 creative sewing projects with step-by-step photo + written instructions, check out the Home Ec eCourse! I created and co-wrote Home Ec with Rachel Denbow & Courtney Tucker and we've helped almost 2000 women learn & love sewing via Home Ec! Our eCourse starts with the very basics and we work through fun and useful projects wth a new sewing skill built into each one! By the end, you'll be able to sew dresses, follow a commercial pattern, make a quilt and sew handbags! More info here :)

• 6-10 Shirts For the blanket, I thrifted golf/polo shirts because I liked their colors & texture for my blanket. For the bag, I used a Pic-a-Pop T-Shirt.

• Fabric Scissors (or Sharp Scissors)

• Ruler or Measuring Tape

• Spool of Thread in a Coordinating Color

• Straight Pins

• Iron (for Step 16)

• Sewing Machine (it would be a lot of handstitching otherwise)

I did this project one day at the cabin with minimal tools. It's a bit imperfect because I wanted to get to the beach with the girls afterwards :)

^ Step 1 • Cut each shirt from armpit to armpit. Save the big scraps to make the strap in Step 19. 

^ Step 2 • Lay the cut shirts on your work surface and pick the smallest one (in height). In my case, the smallest shirt was 14.5 inches tall. Use that measurement to cut 2 squares from each shirt material (ex. 14.5x14.5 square).

Tip • To reduce the hemming on your blanket, use the shirts bottom edge to your advantage and include it as one side of your square. If some squares don't have a hemmed edge, leave an extra half inch so that you can hem it in.

Note • If you only have 6 shirts, you will need to cut three squares from a few shirts. To do this, cut the shirt along one seam so that you have one wide piece of fabric, then cut 3 squares. One will probably have a seam on it, but don't worry, it looks cute on the blanket :)

 

^ Step 3 • Cut all your shirts into squares of the same size (leave one full shirt uncut for your bag). You will need 15 squares (plus 1 more XL square for the bag).

^ Step 4 • Lay your squares in a 3 x 5 pattern, aiming all the 'hemmed' edges outward. Make a pattern that you like :)

^ Step 5 • On the shirts that don't have a hemmed edge, fold it in a quarter of an inch and sew (straight stitch or zig zag stitch). On the corner pieces of your quilt, you'll need to hem one more edge (see above).

^ Step 6 • The squares above show one column of the blanket's hemmed edges and hemmed corners (arrows point to arrangement of hemmed sides). Once you have all your outside edges hemmed in, you're ready to start connecting the square panels! Begin with one 'column' of 5 (like above).

Note • I just have my squares folded up so they're easy to fit on the table.

^ Step 6 • Take your first two squares, position/line-up the 'hemmed' edges on the same side and face the good sides of the fabric against each other. "Good side" means the side of the fabric that is meant to be seen (ie. pattern, textured side or colored side). Pin together the raw edges you will sew together.

Note • 1. If your cuts are uneven (see above), choose the straighter edge and use that as your straight line guide when sewing. 2. If one square is wider than the other, focus on making the outside 'hemmed' edges in line with each other (you can trim the overhang once your 'column' is done... to even it out).

^ Step 7 • Sew a straight line, back stitching at the beginning and end.

^ Step 8 • Add another square to the raw side of the column and sew on with Steps 6+7 above (make sure you don't add it to the 'hemmed end' of your column). Notice the straight seam holding them together (arrows).

^ Step 9 • Your panels will look like this as you keep adding squares. Connect your column of squares, then move on to the next 5 panels/column. Do all three columns before connecting them together.

^ Step 10 • If you have any inconsistent raw edges, trim them straight. Then lay out your 3 columns (5 squares sewn together). At this point, your squares are in order... if your pattern feels off, rotate the center column and see if you like that better.

^ Step 11 • Pin 2 columns together (face to face) and sew the length from top to bottom (backstitching at the beginning and end of each line). Once you've done the first 2, add your third. If you columns are different in length, you can hem in the excess afterwards or try to slightly stretch the shorter column as you sew the entire length.

^ Step 12 • Love!! This project is meant to be easy and fun... don't worry about matching your joints, the staggered look is cute and playful :)

^ Step 13 • Now we're ready to make the bag. You will need a full shirt and a square. The bag should be a bit bigger than the squares on your blanket, my bag measures approximately 16x18".

Step 14 • Cut two squares from your t-shirt (if you have a logo, line it up so that it will show well on your bag). Remember to cut the squares at least 2 inches bigger (width & height) than the squares you cut for your blanket.

Note • If you'd like the same fabric on the front and back of your bag, use the extra square plus the front of your T-Shirt in the next step. If you'd like a fabric that matches the blanket showing on the back of the bag (that's what I did), use the two squares from your shirt cut in Step 14 above.

Step 15 • Place the good sides of your squares 'face to face' and sew the 4 sides LEAVING a 3 or 4 inch opening so that you can turn it rightside out. Just like if you were making a cushion cover.

^ Step 16 • Iron the edges of your double-sided square and sew the opening closed (fold the 'flaps' in a bit). If the corners are not very square, poke them out from the inside a bit before sewing the opening closed.

Note • This double-sided square acts as a panel on the bag, with a nice side showing from both sides (when it's inside out as a bag).

Next • Now we're going to add one more shirt-square to the 'logo side' of the double-sided square (above). This extra step will make your look really finished because there will be no raw edges showing when your bag is being carried.

Step 17 • Cut a t-shirt fabric (with the top edge 'hemmed') the same size as your double-sided square. Lay that square against the logo side of your shirt, with the hemmed edge at the top. Pin around the edges of all four sides to keep everything lined up, ready to sew together.

^ Step 18 • To create the bag shape, sew 3 sides of your pinned layers from Step 17, leaving the hemmed edge at the 'top' unsewn. This will be the opening of your bag. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing or your bag will fizzle.

Note • I lost the photo for this step so I'm using this image from Step 26 below. Ignore that the strap is attached in this image, you didn't miss anything!

^ Step 19 • Now we're going to make a strap for the bag from scrap t-shirt pieces in Step 1. Cut two long pieces that are the same width. I made one strap for my bag but it could also be made with two. If you want two, make two straps using Steps 19-23.

Note • If you want your strap to be 2 inches wide when complete, double that number and add 1 inch for seam allowance (ie. the area between the stitching and raw, cut edge of the fabric). That would mean your 2" strap would need to start with a fabric width of 5 inches (2" x 2 + 1" = 5"). My strap was about that size.

^ Step 20 • Sew the two short sides of your fabric together to make a longer piece for the strap. Test the length of this fabric as a strap on your body and trim it shorter if it feels too long for how you will wear your bag.

^ Step 21 • Fold the long strap fabric in half (lengthwise) and pin the long-edge. Sew it from end to end, lengthwise.

^ Step 22 • Trim off excess fabric outside of the stitching (not too close though).

^ Step 23 • Turn your strap inside out and iron flat.

^ Step 24 • With your bag from Step 18 still inside out, pin one end of the strap to the raw side of your extra shirt square, a few inches in from the edge.

Note • On my bag and in my photos (step 26 below), I sewed both ends of the strap to this yellow piece of fabric (one side of the bag). Instead, I recommend you put one strap-end on the outside of the yellow t-shirt, and one strap end on the outside of the double sided square (it carries way better and doesn't fall open).

^ Step 25 • Sew your strap onto the bag (making sure you don't go through the other layers of the bag). Then do the same on the other end of the strap. See sewing tip below before sewing your straps.

Note • If you made two straps (see Step 19), mimic the placement of your first strap when sewing the second strap to the other side of the bag (the double-sided square).

^ Tip • For a strong attachment, sew a square on the bottom of the handle, then an 'x' through the square. 

^ Note •  This is what my strap looks like once attached but with my suggested changes to the strap location during Step 24, one end of the strap would be on the navy shirt, one on the yellow, at opposite corners).

^ Step 26 • With the 'bag' still inside out, lay your bag onto the back of your beach blanket. It should be placed in the middle column, on the very bottom row (between the 3 squares). The handles need to face towards the center of the blanket (not to the outside). Pin in place.

^ Step 27 • Attach your bag onto the blanket by sewing along the 3 edges of the bag that don't have the handles (so that you leave the top unsewn for the opening of your bag). Backstitch at the beginning and end. Trim any stray threads and you're done! :)

 

How to Fold it Up:

• With the good side of your blanket up, fold the left column towards the center column, then the right column towards the center column.

• Take the end that doesn't have the bag behind it and fold the end towards the bag end, square by square.

• Once you have it folded like photo 3 aboce, take the bag part and fold it inside out (kinda over the folded blanket).

• The blanket will get folded into the bag and it's ready to carry :)

This is my sister Amanda, her weiner dogs Roxy and Reece and my neice Kennedy.

My blanket turned out to be the perfect size for one person sun tanning comfortably or a two person picnic.

If you do this sewing project, I'd love to see a picture of your Bag in a Blanket (via email or with a link in the comments). Let me know if you have any questions!

xo, Leigh-Ann

How to: Emoji up the Faves in your iPhone (#6BB)

This tutorial is for iPhone users with iOS5, unite! I've been using emoticons in text for a long time but it just occured to me that I could also add an icon beside my contacts names! Reason being, it's cute! And, each icon has a connection to that person (for me), so it's a quick identifier! Let me know if you want to know the stories of why I chose what for each person ;) It's easy to set this up, here's how:

1. To enable Emoticons in your iPhone, you'll need the iOS5 operating system. Once you've got that, go to General in your Settings, then select Keyboard.

 

2. Choose International Keyboards, then Add New Keyboard. Emoticons are accessible as one of the languages in your iPhone, scross down to Emoji and select.

 

3. You can add Emoji icons to any text field by tabbing the Globe on the bottom row of your keyboard. There are lots to choose from, my favorite is the red car and the tv.

4. To add an icon beside your favorites name, just Edit their contact info and click Done.

 

5. The icon you choose for each contact or favorite will show up with their name in Texts, Phone Calls and Contact Info :) Less text to scan through when you're looking for someone quick!

DIY: Hanging Lanterns (using jars)

I've found that these handmade lanterns can be styled in a variety of ways! They can be indoor or out, hanging or sitting, single or clustered, embellished or simple... used at home, as a gift to a friend or as bridal shower center pieces :) Plus-- they're practically free to make because you'll use mostly recycled supplies. Hope you'll make yourself a set too :)

• 3-5 small jars with a threaded mouth

• picture hanging wire (18 - 20 gauge works well)

• wire cutters

• tealight candles

Optional:

• beads

• metal charms

• jump rings (for connecting charms)

First, we'll create a basic lantern. After that, extra pretty lanterns :)

Step 1/ To begin, remove the jar lids and clean off any labels or glue from the jars.

Step 2/ Cut a wingspan (approx. 1 meter) of wire for each jar.

Step 3/ Before you begin wrapping, give yourself an excess wire 'tail' like the image above.

Step 4/ Wrap the wire around your jars mouth twice, then twist the 'tails' like a twist tie, securing the wrapped wire to the jar tightly (do not cut your wire yet).

Step 5/ Now we're going to create a handle with the long remaining wire. Lace the long wire under a piece wrapped around the mouth. Since it's wrapped tightly, it works best to poke it through the gap behind your 'twist tie' joint from the step 4.

Step 6/ Drag the long wire so that the handle is half way across the jar. Now pull the wire through until you have your handle the size you want. Form your handle so that it's the shape you like.

Step 7/ Secure the handle in place by feeding the wire around the handle a few times (like you're tying knots around the handle with wire).

Step 8/ Now you can cut off the leftover wire on both sides and press the cut wire tails down so that the sharp parts won't scratch you.

Tip: Since the jar will probably be holding/hanging a lit flame, I always test the handle strength by pulling both sides, making sure it holds strong. 

Pretty!

Once you've got the basic method down, try adding a few extra details to your next lantern! Check out the tips below...

Beads/ When you're at Step 5 (forming the handle), feed a few glass beads onto your wire, then continue with the remaining steps.

Charms/ Using a jumpring, you can add a charm to the wire around your jar. Look through your jewelry box for broken necklaces with charms, odd earrings or your scrapbooking supplies!

Idea/ Layer the bottom of a lantern jar with glass beads, sand, tiny pebbles or other fire safe decorative elements.

Choose a pretty colored tealight (real or battery operated for safety) and dream of where you'll hang or sit your lanterns! xo! LA

DIY: Gift Card Mini Album

A few years ago, I collected pretty gift cards and dreamed up this album :) It's not a sentimental album but it was a fun project and way to track some of my favorite things at that time of my life :)

Looking through my album below, you'll notice that the 'front' of each page is a gift card with a photo related to that store on the back! The cover and back panel are recycled coffee sleeves, and the flower is made of fused plastic shopping bags. I'll show you how to make one too incase you'd like to make this album or adapt it :)

 

How to Make Your Own

You will need: 

- Gift cards that represent stores you love (Tip! If you don't save or have a lot of gift cards, most stores will let you have one of their Gift Cards if you ask permission and explain that it's for a craft project.)

- photos or magazine clippings relating to those stores/gift cards

- a few colored plastic bags (for the fusing diy)

- 1 binder ring (available at office supply stores) or 6" ribbon

- metal fastener or 'brad'

- 1 fun colored nail polish

- hole punch or crop-o-dile tool

- dymo/label maker or stickers

- 2 coffee sleeves

- packaging like hang tags, labels, etc (optional)

- scissors, glue, permanent felt pen

Step 1/ To begin, crop your photos to be a little bigger than your gift cards (gift cards measure 3.5 x 2.25"). Then match your pictures with their corresponding g.c.'s (g.c.=giftcard).

Tip! If you're printing your photos at home, try printing on graph or lined paper. The lines show through a little bit and give the photos a cohesive & cute look :]

Step 2/ With each giftcard & photo pair, apply glue to the entire back surface of the g.c., then attach the g.c. onto the back of the corresponding photo (double check that your g.c. is within the borders of the picture and facing the right way).

Tip! 'Tape Runner Glue' makes projects like this so much easier and cleaner (rather than white glue or gluestick). I recommend the blue tape runner glue (above) from Walmart for $4, with a double refill pack for $4... it's the best deal I've found.

Step 3/ Trim the overhanging photo paper around each g.c. (it's much easier to trim it afterwards rather than trying to line the image up for a perfect fit).

Step 4/ If you'd like to "laminate" your photographs, attach a piece of clear packing tape before you trim the excess, smooth out the bubbles and trim. The packing tape does not need to wrap around the giftcard.

Step 5/ To thicken the coffee sleeve for your covers, open it up, fold inside out to cover the branding, then glue it flat as one piece. Trace a gift card onto two coffee sleeves and cut out; these will become the cover and back panel for your minibook.

Tip! If you' want to add extra pages to record best finds, a dream shopping list, color schemes, etc... make a few extra coffee sleeve pages.

Tip! To incorporate packaging or hang tags in your album, treat the best side like the front of a giftcard page and add an image or magazine clipping to the back (unless the back is just as awesome).

Step 6/ In a few steps, we're going to create a flower for the cover. For the center, I suggest using an old fashion paper fasteners (remember when your teacher used these for the centers of pinwheels, pie charts and colorwheels?). To dress them up a a little bit, apply a few coats of nail polish in your favorite color! It's super durable and a supply you already have on hand!

Step 7/ Punch a hole in the top left corner of one of your g.c.'s, then use that card as a template to draw a hole in the same location on all of your other g.c.'s. Punch out the hole on each card using a regular hole punch or crop-o-dile hole punch.

Step 8/ One of my favorite free craft supplies is fused plastic bags! I learned how to do this from a magazine a few years ago, and haven't passed up a good colorful bag since! Learn how to fuse plastic here (it's easy)!

Step 9/ Freehand or trace 3-5 concentric circles on a fused plastic bag(s). Do it all in one color of plastic or mix a few colors like I did.

Step 10/ Layer the circles smallest to biggest and punch a small hole in the center.

Step 11/ Lay your circles onto the cover of your mini album and poke a small hole where you want the center of the flower. Once the nail polish has dried, attach your flower with the paper fastener and fold back the ends on the other side. Then think of a title that suits your style or album theme and punch it out with a dymo label maker or use letter stickers. Attach it to the cover where it feels right.

Tip! If you'd like your dymo label to reach edge to edge on your cover... add extra spaces on both sides, stick it down then trim the excess off after it's in place... you'll never be short :)

Step 12/ Put your pages in the order you'd like your album to read, line up the holes and feed your binder ring through (if you're using a ribbon, lace it through and tie a bow or knot).

Step 13/ Sign your album on the back cover and you are done!! :)

Feel free to add more pages & g.c.'s to your album over time and write little notes or stories in your album! Leave it on your coffee table or dresser for you and your family & guests to enjoy, it's a fun insight into your personality and some of the things you like!

xo, Leigh-Ann