6.24.2010

never have a wet bum again!

Did that catch your attention? Well, that's the goal of this project! No more wet bums!
With the warm weather comes picnics! I have had this idea bouncing around in my head for a long time and even had bought the stuff to make it, but didn't have time to put it together. Finally, though, I was able to!

I wanted a picnic blanket that would prevent a damp bum if the sprinklers happen to have been on the night before. I am sure I am not the only one who this has happened to, right?

I decided to use a flannel backed table cloth ($4 at WalMart) as the "wet bum protector" and a thrift store sheet ($1.50) as the side to sit upon. I did not take any photos of the process, since it is pretty self explanatory. I laid the table cloth down on top of the sheet and pinned around it (right sides together). Then I cut off the excess, and sewed around the edges leaving an opening to turn it. After turning it right side out, I machine stitched the opening shut and then ran around the edges again with the machine to keep the edges from rolling in. I think it turned out satisfactorily and used it this weekend at our church picnic! Again, I did not take photos...having too much fun to remember!
Picnic in the backyard with a bowl full of cherries! Aaaahhh summertime (although I loathe the heat, summer does have its bonuses).
When you're done, roll it up and use a shoestring or ribbon to make a carrying handle.

p.s. If anyone out there in blogland wants to make this, I've seen some WAY cute oilcloth/flannel backed table clothes at Ross and TJ Maxx lately for around $5! Wish I had gone there first!!! If you do make one, please send me a photo!  

6.16.2010

gold fish freezer paper shirt

My generous friend, Kathy, has given all of her son's clothes to us as our kids grow and man, does that boy have a lot of clothes. Thank you, Kathy! Add to that what our son already has and you have a wardrobe that rivals mama's! In one of the recent donation bags, was a little fishy shirt. It had a slight stain on it and was from Puerto Vallarta. Since we did not go to PV (or at least have not been there with our son) it would be weird for him to wear a shirt proclaiming that location. So, I used this as an opportunity to freezer paper stencil some more.
I free handed some little fishies on the freezer paper and used an x-acto knife to cut them out. The fishes were modeled after the fish on the shirt, but they turned out a little more like goldfish crackers!) . I positioned them strategically over the stains and the PV decal.

As you can see, it took many many coats of paint to cover the "Puerto Vallarta, Mexico" letters, so it took a few days to finish with all the drying time.

It turned out pretty good , I think. Can't go wrong with a free shirt, right? It's a little big now, but pretty soon, it will be just right!
I think he likes his fishy shirt!