Materials
Unfinished wooden picture frames (I got mine at Michaels for $1 each)
Decorative scrapbooking paper (Joann had it 4 for $1)
1 Bottle of Mod-Podge
1 Foam Brush

1. Open one picture frame and turn it face-down on your fancy paper. Trace the inside and outside of the frame.

2. Cut out the shape you have traced. Cut it a little large, since it can be trimmed later, but not expanded!

3. Brush a thin layer of Mod-Podge on the wooden frame and let it dry a bit until it is tacky.

4. Position your paper on the frame, and smooth it down with your fingers or a brayer.

5. Brush a coat of Mod-Podge over the surface of the paper, and leave the frame to dry. Repeat with another coat, and leave to dry overnight.

To be continued…

I am unfamiliar the direction “K1fb” that is knit one fb?? front to back?? Please let me know….thanks

This is a great question. K1fb is one of the increases that makes two stitches out of one. Here’s how it works:

1. K1, but do not slip knitted stitch off of the lefthand needle.

2. Swing your righthand needle around and go through the back of the same stitch you just knitted, and knit 1.

3. Slip stitch off lefthand needle.

The k1fb increase “in the wild”:

The advantages of k1fb are that it is very fast, leaves no hole whatsoever, and can be used decoratively, because of the little purl bump it creates. I will sometimes use k1fb increases on top-down raglans so that little columns of purl bumps appear along the sides of my raglan lines. K1fb also does not disrupt the previous row of knitting, like m1l or m1r, where you reach down and knit into a stitch from the previous row. Because of this, it is ideal for seed stitch or garter stitch.

The disadvantages of k1fb are that it can be difficult to execute in slippery yarns and that it is not invisible, when you want your increase to not show. I would not use k1fb, for instance, on waist shaping, where the purl bumps would be very evident.

I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, because it’s machine washable, but any worsted-weight yarn would do. These booties would look great in real gansey wool, for a rustic look, or in a soft cashmere blend for a special gift.

Gansey Booties

Sizes: Newborn (Medium 3-6 months, Large 6-9 months)
Materials: less than 50 grams worsted-weight yarn (I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease)
Needle: size 6 or size needed to obtain gauge
Gauge: 18 st/ 4 inches in moss st.

Notes: These booties may be made with DPNs or one long circular using the magic loop method.

Sole
CO 7(9,11) st.
Row 1: K1fb, work in seed st across to last stitch, k1fb.
Row 2: Work in seed st across.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 once. 11(13,15) st on needle.
Work 20(24, 26) rows in seed st.
BO 1 st at beginning of next 4 rows. 7(9,11) st on needle.

Pick up stitches:
Wk 1 row in seed st. Pick up stitches around sole, picking up one stitch for every two rows along side of foot, one stitch for each cast-on stitch, and one stitch for every two rows along other side of foot. 42(50,56) st on needle. Place marker to indicate the beginning of the round.

Instep
Row 1: purl around
Row 2: knit around
Row 3: purl around
Row 4: knit around
Row 5: purl around
Row 6: k7(7,9), ssk, turn.
Row 7: s1, p5, p2tog., turn.
Row 8: s1, k6, ssk, turn.
Row 9: s1, p7, p2tog, turn.
Row 10: s1, k8, ssk, turn.
Row 11: s1, p9, p2tog, turn.

Medium and Large sizes only:
Row 12: s1, k10, ssk, turn.
Row 13: s1, p11, p2tog, turn.

Large size only:
Row 14: s1, k12, ssk, turn.
Row 15: s1, p13, p2tog, turn.

All sizes:
Next row: s1, k9(11,13), ssk, turn.
Next row: s1, p9(11,13), p2tog, turn.
Repeat these rows once more.

Next row: s1, p9(11,13), ssk, turn.
Next row: s1, p9(11,13), p2tog, turn.
Repeat these rows twice more.

Next row: s1, k9(11,13), ssk, turn.
Next row: s1, p9(11,13), p2tog, turn.

Next row:  s1, k around. 24(30,34)  st.

Cuff
Work cuff around in k1, p1 rib for 2″, BO in rib loosely.

Finishing
Weave in ends, fold cuff over.

1. Cut fabric to appropriate measurements.

2. Round corners for elastic.

3. Fold over 1/4″ of the raw edge to the underside and zigzag around, catching the raw edge as you go. You could roll it twice for extra durability, or serge it for an even more professional finish, but who am I kidding? Zigzag is good enough for me.

4. The tricky bit: sew stretched elastic around the top and bottom thirds of the sheet. Because a cradle is such a small thing, I didn’t just add elastic to the corners, but sewed it all the way around the top to provide extra tension. Sewing elastic on with a machine takes both hands and a little practice. If you’ve never done it before, try it on some scraps before you tackle the real thing. First, tack down the elastic with a secure, medium-width zigzag. Then, pulling the elastic taut on top of the fabric with your dominant hand, use your non-dominant hand to guide the fabric through the foot of the machine as you sew.

5. Voila, the finished cradle sheet.

So yeah, I made a mattress and sheets, but I’m not sure if I can call this a tutorial, because I’m not sure that somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing would be able to take these directions and use them to make anything worthwhile.  Well, anyway, here goes.

Materials for the Mattress
2″ thick firm foam, cut to the measurements of your cradle, in this case 18.5″ x 36.5″
Upholstery lining fabric (Any sturdy fabric will do)
Waterproof fabric (I used vinyl tablecloth fabric from Joann)
Thread, needles, pins, etc.

1. Cut the necessary fabrics to size. Since my cradle measures 18.5″ x 36.5″, I cut the foam to that size using sharp scissors, and cut the waterproof fabric and lining fabric to measure 21″ x 39″. The formula I used was surface measurement+ 1/2 height measurement+1/4″ seam allowance. Since this is 2″ foam, that resulted in 21″ x 39″.

2. Right sides together, pin waterproof fabric to lining fabric and sew fabric into a pocket, leaving most of one short side unsewn. Make sure to sew around all four corners, though, so that you can box them in the next step.

3. Box the corners. This blog shows you how I did it. Isn’t the internet wonderful?

4. Turn the pocket right-side out and stuff in the foam, being careful to fit the corners neatly into the corners of the casing. Hand-stitch the remaining opening. Voila.

Tomorrow I’ll show you how I made the sheets. They’re cute. They have dogs and monkeys.

The fun part about this bracelet is that it looks like it should fall apart, because of the open horseshoes, but if you make your twisted loops smaller than the flared ends of the links, it’s perfectly secure. Now, for the assembly.

1. Using the 24 gague silver wire, create a wrapped loop around the first horseshoe link. Test it to make sure that it will not slide off.

2. Thread one round bead, one lampworked bead, and one round bead onto the wire. Make another wrapped loop around the next link, orienting the link in the opposite direction from the first.

3. Continue as established until all the links and lampworked beads have been added. End with a bead link, attaching a handmade or storebought clasp. Attach the opposite side of the clasp to the first link. Et le voila, the completed bracelet:

Materials:
Sterling silver wire in 10, 18, and 24 gauges
10-12 mm transparent lampworked beads
2 mm silver-plated round beads
Roundnose pliers
Wire cutters
Chainnose pliers
Chasing hammer
Block
Files or sanding sticks

1. Cut 5 1.75″ lengths of 10 gauge silver wire. File the ends smooth.

2. Using your roundnose pliers, bend each piece into a horseshoe shape.

3. Using the flat side of the chasing hammer, flatten and spread the two ends of the horseshoe, then gently flatten the arch area. You want the ends of the horseshoe to be wide enough so that the wrapped loops we add later will hold the beads securely without sliding off. When you’re satisfied with the shape of the link, use the round side of the hammer to texture both sides.

4. File or sand away any nicks or roughness, then gently sand the whole link to bring out the texture.

5. The finished link. You could easily modify the project by creating heart-shaped links, ovals, squares, or any shape you can bend from the 10 gauge wire. Just make a prototype first to see how long a piece you need for each link, then proceed through the steps as shown.

This website has instructions for nearly every kind of do-it-yourself carrier, but I still wasn’t satisfied. My specifications were fairly exacting–I wanted something simple, without complicated straps, buckles, or long, involved winding. It had to be machine washable, so no big metal rings to clang around the washing machine, and no fine silks. It had to be man-friendly, so that Tim would be happy to wear it. Finally, it had to be reasonably ergonomic and comfortable to wear.  I’d seen one carrier in particular that appealed to me, but I couldn’t find a pattern or tutorial anywhere. I decided it was up to me to reverse-engineer the design. So here we have the great X-back baby carrier tutorial.

Notes
This carrier is constructed from four pieces–two large loops attached with a small connector, and one detached wrap that is only used for some carrying positions.

Materials
2.25 yards 56″ 100% cotton jersey knit
Matching Thread
Measuring tape or ruler

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Wash and dry your fabric to preshrink it.

2. Measure yourself from one shoulder to the opposite hip. If you’re pregnant like me, try to avoid the bump, since this is for after the baby is born. Multiply this measurement by 2, since it will be going around you like a loop, and subtract 5-10% to compensate for the stretch of the knitted fabric. You will be sewing this measurement into a loop, and you want the lowest point of the loop to fall somewhat above your navel. Thankfully, my husband and I aren’t that different in size, but if that were the case, we’d need two different carriers with different measurements. My final number was 52″.

3. Cut your fabric to your measurement lengthwise, then cut it in thirds widthwise.
I ended up with three rectangles measuring 52″ x 18″. Set two of the rectangles aside, and cut 4″ off the end of the third. This will become the connector for the back of the carrier.  The remainder of this rectangle will become the detached wrap. Trim the small piece to measure 4″ x 8″.

4. All of the weight-bearing seams in this carrier are overlapped and sewn with three rows of zig-zag. For the connector, overlap the two ends, sew the triple seam, then fold the edges over and zig-zag over the raw edge. You will have a piece that looks like this:
5. Take the two long pieces of fabric and thread them through the connector, then repeat the procedure of seaming and hemming, creating two independent loops that are joined by the connector. You’ll have to pull the fabric loops through the connector as you hem them. Here’s a close-up of the connector, seam, and hem on one of the big loops:

In the end, you’ll have an assembly that looks like this:
6. Trim the remaining large piece of fabric into a long tie with tapered ends:

Hem the edges:

And that’s it! I’ll put a post up after the baby is born, showing it in use, but it’s fairly simple. It can be worn as an X to cradle the baby in the front, both loops can be put over one shoulder for a sling-style carry, or an older baby can be carried in chest-to-chest, outward-facing, or hip-slung positions. The wrap is used anytime the baby isn’t completely secured by the two attached loops. This website has instructions for wearing the similarly-styled carrier that was my inspiration for this one.

How to make a pair of regular jeans into maternity jeans

Materials:
Old jeans that fit everything except your belly
1.5 yards 2″ elastic
1/4 yard heavy t-shirt knit fabric.
Matching thread

1. Put on a pair of old jeans and laugh when you try to zip them up. Mark the spot where they stop fitting you, take them off, and cut the the front out of them like so:

2. Pin and sew the pocket tops in place so they don’t migrate during this process.

3. Wrap the 2″ elastic around yourself to determine the correct length. You want it to be snug enough to hold up a pair of jeans. Alternatively, you could measure the waistband on a preexisting pair of maternity pants that fit you well and use that measurement. Leave 1/2″ extra for seam allowance, and cut the elastic. Overlap the ends and sew. I put two lines of stitching down the overlapping portion and zigzagged down the raw edges on either side.

4. Cut your knit fabric so that it is 8″ wide and as long as your elastic band, with 5/8″ seam allowance on each side. Sew up the open side.

5. Place your fabric band inside your elastic band and fold the fabric over so that the long edges meet.

6. Zigzag 1/4″ in from the folded edge of the fabric, then below the elastic band.

7. With right sides together, pin the waistband into the jeans, pinning only ONE SIDE of the waistband fabric to the denim. The other side will fold over the inside to cover the raw cut edge at the end. Make sure to catch all the pocket edges as you pin.In this picture you can see that the upper edge of the waistband is rolled out of the way as I pin.

8. Sew the waistband to the jeans, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. If necessary, stretch the waistband slightly to accommodate the width of the denim. Turn the waistband right side up, and pin the free flap of the waisband to the inside of the jeans to hide the raw edge of the denim. Since my fabric didn’t ravel, I didn’t bother folding it under, but you may want to.

9. Turn the waisband back to the right side and topstitch 1/4″ in from the seamline, going through all the layers. This will secure the lining in place on the back and provide an attractive finish on the right side.

10. Finally, trim the excess lining fabric on the inside of the jeans.

And that’s it! It took me about an hour, start to finish, and I ended up with another pair of wearable pants!