She Sewed Herself a Wrap Skirt

Does everyone, at some early-ish point in their sewing journey, sew themselves a wrap skirt?

Apparently, I sewed one for myself almost exactly eleven years ago today, at approximately five years into my own sewing journey.

If I had to guess, I'd say that Syd, as well, is approximately five years into her sewing journey, and therefore it was obviously time for her to decide to sew herself a wrap skirt.

This wrap skirt was actually a terrific early pandemic sewing project! For one, my sewing machine was still functioning well (currently, my back-up sewing machine is in the shop, after it was determined that my go-to sewing machine was beyond repair. Fingers crossed that I'll be sewing again someday soon, because I'm really missing it!). 

For another, Syd choose this Lila+June pattern that's not only free, but also a downloadable pdf that was easy to print at home:

It was even early enough in the pandemic that although our local fabric stores were closed, our favorite online fabric store hadn't even worked up enough business to cause shipping delays and/or stock sell-outs yet! At the moment, this jet black Premium Kona cotton fabric is sold out, which makes sense because before my sewing machine(s) broke, I was happily sewing mask after mask out of Syd's leftovers.

Here's Syd adding the waistband to her skirt, just about the time that I started eyeing that fabric and mentally configuring how I could DIY face masks for the family from it:

And here's Syd trying to decide if she likes the length. She was originally imagining something shorter, but eventually decided that she liked the length as it was:

Time to hem it, then!

Farewell, sweet Singer! I'm not going to buy your brand again, at least not in the same price point! Your insides are made of cheap plastic that doesn't last, and replacement parts aren't sold for you!

You'll be happy to know that Syd's skirt fits perfectly, is a pleasing length, and, most importantly...

It's twirly!!! 

Alas, there's been no place to actually wear it, since we're still mostly pajama-clad these days (it's 10:30 am right now, and the seamstress in question is wearing her bee onesie. I'm MUCH more professionally dressed in a super-old T-shirt and Matt's Hufflepuff jammy pants). But one day--hopefully within the next two months!--Syd will once again walk into an in-person ballet class, and won't that wrap skirt be quite the most efficiently lovely thing to wear over her leotard?

Six Months Ago: An Ohio Unit Study for Teenagers!

One Year Ago: Kauai Day #5: Seven Chickens, Two Beaches, Three Shave Ices, and Six Mostly Legitimately Obtained Mason Jars

Two Years Ago: 8 Grammar Extension Activities for Late Elementary and Middle School Kids

Three Years Ago: How to Make a Beeswax Candle in an Upright Container

Four Years Ago: Cruise to Alaska Day 01: Indiana to Seattle to the Sea!

Five Years Ago: World War 2 Unit Study: The Kids Interviewed a World War 2 Veteran

Six Years Ago: Out West 2014: Science Center of Iowa

Seven Years Ago: The Party Has Encountered a Dragon: A Dragon Party for Will's Ninth Birthday

Eight Years Ago: The Best Birthday Party: Scoop-Ahead Ice Cream

Nine Years Ago: Our Homemade Sidewalk Chalk in Action

Ten Years Ago: Museum of Science, Museum of History

Eleven Years Ago: Make My Felt Menagerie

Twelve Years Ago: Grandpa Bangle's Toolbox

How to Refinish a Picnic Table with Paint

I originally published this tutorial on Crafting a Green World.

You've got to paint a few coats of sealant on your picnic table, anyway, if you want it to last outdoors--you might as well paint something interesting onto it first!

You can do this project on a picnic table of any age. If your picnic table is old and care-worn, replace any rotten wood and sand the other surfaces down to clean boards, first. If your picnic table is brand-new, you can paint right onto the unfinished wood.

Supplies & Tools

Either way, you'll need the following supplies:

• Water-based outdoor primer. 
• Water-based outdoor paint. Avoid oil-based paint, which generally has more VOCs than water-based paint, and requires paint thinner to clean up. You can use any water-based outdoor paint, and look for the smaller, approximately 200 mL "sample" containers to avoid waste. For this project, I bought 200 ml containers of Dutch Boy Maxbond Exterior in satin. There's just enough paint to refinish my two picnic tables, one old and one new, and freshen up the work on the deck chairs that I refinished here on CAGW four years ago.
• Paintbrushes. I used large paintbrushes for the primer and the sealant, and a selection of small artist's brushes to paint the colorful details onto my picnic table.
• Measuring and marking tools. These might include a pencil, meter sticks or rulers, and masking tape.
• Polyurethane sealant. Buy water-based polyurethane sealant to make this project more eco-friendly. I used to be reluctant to use polyurethane sealant altogether because of its environmental footprint, but watching my deck furniture rot and need to be replaced after just a couple of seasons of Midwestern weather taught me that it's better to do what it takes to make things last. If you know of a better alternative, do me a favor and let me know in the Comments below!

Directions

1. Prime the picnic table.

You only need to prime the area that you'll be working on, as you can otherwise seal the bare wood of the underside of the picnic table and benches. I used white primer, but I'd actually recommend avoiding white unless you really want that specific color in the background of your design, or you plan to completely cover the white with another color. Even after several coats of sealant, white quickly looks dirty, and that happens all the more quickly outside. If I had this project to do again, I'd have instead started with a slate grey or blue for the picnic table's top.

2. Sketch out the design.

You can draw your design with a pencil directly onto the primed surface of the picnic table. I wanted this picnic table to have a chessboard, tic tac toe board, and colorful board game path painted onto it, so I first sketched them all in with pencil.

For the chessboard, I used two-meter sticks to measure out a 16x16" square, centered between the two picnic benches, and then I divided the square into an 8x8" array.

For the board game path, I used masking tape to lay a curving path around the perimeter of the picnic table. Masking tape can even be used to make smooth curves if you tear off and layer short pieces.

I traced the path in pencil, tore off all of the tape, and then divided the path into 2" steps.

I also used masking tape to lay out the tic tac toe board, then traced around it in pencil and tore off the tape.

3. Paint the picnic table.

This part of the process takes the longest, because you must wait for a color to dry before you can begin painting an adjacent color, and each color might require 2-3 coats before it looks saturated.

After the entire picnic table is painted, you can paint on the polyurethane sealant. This also takes a while, since there are several coats to add, and it can take up to a week for the last coat of sealant to fully cure for use.

But the time-intensive process is well worth it when you see the beautiful result!

The well-sealed surface of our picnic table ensures that we can use it as-is for all of our other outdoor projects and fun, but there's nothing like sitting down to a quick game of tic tac toe using twigs and leaves while we're waiting for one last person to finish getting ready before we all hop in the car, or grabbing the bag of mismatched chess pieces for one game of chess that turns into eight games on a lovely spring evening.

That's a lot of multi-purpose fun from just a few colors of paint!

Paint Stirrer Crossbows and Popsicle Stick Catapults: Homeschool STEM with Rubber Band Engineer

We're not exactly lacking STEM studies here in our homeschool, but I thought that the kids might like a change from robotics, so I offered them the opportunity to create something from this fun little book:

Because what could possibly be more charming than a book with a real, actual rubber band on it?!? Or more tempting than a cover that boasts the instructions for a "slingshot rifle" inside?!?

Here is Will's ballpoint pen crossbow, made from paint stirrers, bamboo skewers, a lot of hot glue, and some twine:

I don't have any photos of it in action because I didn't realize that its first shot would be its last! Will suspects that the twine she used was too stiff; she thinks she needs something with the slightest bit of stretch so it can hold a little more potential energy without putting so much pressure on the paint stirrer. 

Stay tuned for Version 2!

Syd's wooden pencil catapult was more successful overall--

--but then, she did have an assistant for its construction:

It turns out that a catapult made from duct tape, wooden pencils, and a plastic lid, shooting a cork tied to yarn, is quite the thing to keep a young cat entertained:

An automatic winder would improve the catapult's playability here, I'm told, as much of the fun for the cat involves chasing the yarn as it's being wound up again for another go:

This was definitely a good book for encouraging the tinkering aspect of STEM: the contraptions all worked fairly well, with build instructions clear enough that a kid could follow them independently, and yet they always had the potential to work better, or in a different way, with some overall easy-to-implement ideas that kids can dream up. 

In this way, rather than each contraption being the end goal, it's more the starting point (it reminded me quite a lot of the time the kids made paper roller coasters, actually!). A kid uses her fine-motor skills and ability to follow directions to create an instrument upon which her own research, ideas, refinements, and tinkering do the work to teach her the physics, math, and engineering concepts hidden within each contraption.

And if you end up with a ballpoint pen that's turned into a projectile, all the better!

P.S. Want to hear more about paper roller coasters and paint stirrer crossbows? Follow my Craft Knife Facebook page for more projectile adventures as they happen!

Upon the Occasion of the Murderbrat's First Birthday

And just like that, our wee Ginger Prince--

--is one year old! 

Obviously, this calls for a party. Alas for the pandemic the guest list was quite limited, but nevertheless Syd baked the birthday boy a birthday cake--

--and we served it on doll dishes with one handmade candle and a sprig of catnip:

Syd even made enough for him to share with his frenemies!

We love our glorious murderbrat, while fully admitting that he's also kind of awful. He never fails to speak his mind, and isn't afraid to holler at us when we're not doing his bidding quickly enough. He chases Gracie, who puts up with his garbage, and takes running leaps directly over Spots, the better to piss her off. He spends much of his time lying on my desk next to me, on a cushion that Syd made for him so that he can look out the window or nap in equal comfort. He loves and comforts and entertains our Syd, and is probably her greatest source of joy in this challenging year. 

It's never made me happier to fail at something than it has to be this cat's foster failure.

It would be awesome if he would stop sharpening his claws on my chair, though!

the day they met

on the occasion of his first birthday

How to Make a DIY Weighted Blanket

I originally published this tutorial on Crafting a Green World.

Weighted blankets are a high-ticket item, and that's for good reason: they're touted as somewhat of a miracle cure for problems like sleeplessness and anxiety, and you know that if you suffer from sleeplessness and/or anxiety, you're willing to do a lot to find some relief!

Unfortunately, as pricey as weighted blankets are, they're still not always made with great ingredients. Polyester fabrics and plastic pellets are crummy for the environment--seriously, we do not need more plastic (especially plastic pellets!) in our waste stream--and I'm not gonna blame you if you don't feel like sleeping every night with that nonsense draped all over your skin, either.

Supplies & Tools

It takes some fiddly work and some sewing prowess, but it's completely possible to DIY your own weighted blanket, and to do so using natural and/or sustainably-sourced materials. Here's how:

• Instead of buying new fabric, upcycle flat sheets. For my weighted blanket, I'm using two cotton twin-sized flat sheets. Nope, they're not even the same color, and I don't care! If you care, you can buy organic cotton flat sheets or upcycle something cuter to DIY a duvet cover.
• Instead of buying plastic pellets, use glass pellets. They're hypoallergenic and don't contain anything harmful that can leach out over time, although I do recommend sewing yourself a duvet cover, as I would with any filled bedding to give yourself an extra layer in case of rips.

In addition, you're going to need some good measuring tools and sewing tools. Spring for an excellent-quality universal sewing needle for this project, because it's shocking the amount of straight-line sewing you're going to be doing. I switched out needles midway through sewing the first series of channels for the filling and then spent longer than I care to admit trying to troubleshoot why the thread tension was suddenly shot before finally realizing that the problem was, of COURSE, the needle.

Fun fact: when in doubt, change the needle. It's nearly always the problem.

So now that you have a brand-new, excellent-quality needle installed the correct way in your sewing machine, a couple of sheets, and several pounds of glass pellets, here's how to turn all of that into a future of sound sleep!

Directions

1. Wash, Dry, And Iron Your Fabric

It's crucial for both brand-new and upcycled fabrics alike! Pro tip: sheets can come out of the dryer ridiculously wrinkly, no matter how much care you take. Instead of tumble drying them, use a clothesline. Smooth them absolutely flat, pin them well, and when they're dry you'll have an easier time ironing out the remaining wrinkles!

2. Measure Out A Grid

 

You can tell I worked so hard at getting out all those wrinkles, lol! Eh, whatever.

First, re-measure your flat sheets. Even though they're supposed to be a standard size, I learned the hard way (via a bunch of unhappy comments!) that most/many/all flat sheets, perhaps particularly after washing and drying, do not match these measurements.

Divide each measurement into a reasonable number of divisions to make a grid. You'll be sewing long columns of stitching parallel to the short sides of your blanket, filling a row with filling, then sewing parallels to the long sides of your blanket to close each row until your entire blanket is a grid with each module containing an equal amount of filling. It takes a little bit of math and a little bit of eyeballing to figure out what will be practical for your blanket.

My twin flat sheets measure approximately 66" x 96", so I decided on a grid of 16 columns by 8 rows, for 128 total modules.

Use a marking pen or masking tape to mark out the columns on one of the flat sheets. I like to do this even before I sew the two sheets together, although you can certainly complete the next step and then come back to this.

3. Sew The Flat Sheets Together

Pin the flat sheets right sides together, then hem together around three sides, leaving one long side open. You'll be using this open side to fill the columns, and will close it in the last step.

If you preferred to sew the sheets together before measuring and marking the columns, then measure and mark them now.

4. Sew The Channels

 If you look closely, you can see that I've got all of the columns sewn to make channels for the filling, and I've taped out the rows. I'll stitch down each row after I fill it.

Using a very short stitch length, stitch all of the column divisions, using your markings as the guide. You can stitch each of these twice if you want to make sure that the sewing line is very, very sturdy.

5. Measure And Mark The Row Guidelines

Lay your blanket flat again, and mark all the row gridlines the same way that you marked the column lines. Do this before you start to fill your blanket because you'll be sewing each row gridline down after you fill the modules below it.

6. Calculate The Amount Of Filling For Each Module

Remember that the total weight of your blanket should be about 10% of your body weight and that the total number of modules that you have to fill is represented by the number of columns multiplied by the number of rows.

For instance, I have a 16x8 grid making up my blanket, so I have 128 modules to fill. I'd like my blanket to weigh approximately 18 pounds, which is 288 ounces (fun fact: there are 16 ounces in a pound!). Dividing 288 by 128, I find that I should fill each module with 2.25 ounces of glass pellets.

That's too fiddly for me, so I estimated and let myself fill each module with between 2 and 2.5 ounces of glass pellets. Feel free to fudge your own numbers a bit, too!

7. Fill The Blanket

Tare a kitchen scale to a small cup, and weigh out the appropriate amount of filling for one module. Pour that filling into the first channel, shake it down, then repeat until you've done all of the channels. Lift the blanket up by the open end, shake all the filling down again, and sew along the first row marker so that you lock the filling into the modules along the bottom row of the blanket.

Repeat for each of the remaining rows. It helps to push your sewing machine back towards the middle of the table so that you've got room for the entire weighted blanket up there.

When you've reached the last row, you can double-fold and sew the blanket's opening closed, sealing that row and hemming that edge.

As you might be able to tell from the iamge below, my entire family loves my weighted blanket! On the day I completed it, in fact, I showed it off to my partner as soon as he came home from work, he lay down on the bed to test it out, and within a couple of minutes was sound asleep in his work clothes, out like a light for an unexpected 7pm nap. My teen likes to veg out under it while listening to music, and I really only get it back at night, where it's added to my arsenal of anti-insomnia remedies.

Full disclosure: I don't know if it's super helped my insomnia, but I already suspected that I was a hard case, and it IS very, very, very comfy. Totally worth the time and effort!

The Bunny and the Bee

Back when the kids were very small, there was a photography studio in a nearby mall that used to periodically send out the most EPIC coupons--one free photo session with one free 8"x10", no purchase required!

We never bought a single photo, but we have so many 8"x10" portraits from those years!

TBH, most of them weren't that great, so even if we hadn't been dirt-poor our money was pretty safe there, but there were a couple of gems from those years, and that above photo, of the kids in their Halloween costumes the year that Will was two and Syd was still my baby, was one of them.

I vaguely remember that we sent a copy of this photo out to all our family, and that one of them had it made into a present for us, but it wasn't until Matt was sent to work from home during the pandemic, bringing all his work stuff with him, that I saw this again:

And that's how his Father's Day present practically thought of itself this year!

I bought the onesies--

--the kids posed for a zillion shots, some of them super cute--

--some of them super weird--

--some of them that were supposed to be poses but actually turned out to be fights--

--some with friends--

--and some that were made of weariness at having to take a zillion photos while wearing onesies in the quite-seasonably-appropriate warm weather:

--and yet, finally, we got the shot, Syd removed my tacky bedroom background, and we were left with a true Father's Day masterpiece:

Here's my little bunny and bee! 

 

They haven't changed a bit in 13 years, have they?

P.S. Here's Syd wearing that bunny costume at age two!