Monday, December 7, 2015

DIY Easy Burp Cloths

Welcome back! Get ready to make the easiest burp cloths!

       

  

      Materials needed:

  • 1/4 yard of any flannel or cotton fabric of your choice.  This will make 2 10x18 burp cloths. 
  • 1/4 yard of terry cloth fabric or you can use flannel fabric if you want to.  It's really up to you.
  • Thread to match
  • Sewing Machine
  • Measuring tape
  • Scissors
  • Pen or pencil 
  • Sewing pins
  • Good music or movie to get your excited :) 




Above, this is normally what it looks like before I start any project.  Definitely have water in case I get thirsty.  You can use a table or whatever works best for you.  I just like my floor. 

Step 1

Pre-wash all of your fabric so they will shrink.  I use hot water so I know they are shrinking to the smallest size it can.  When you pull the fabric out of the washer, don't be afraid that the sides may come apart a little.  You can always use a serger prior to putting them in the washer/dryer.




Don't mind my feet....I was a little tired!




Step 2

Start by getting your terry fabric cloth on a board, table, or something sturdy.  Measure out 10x18 inches. 






Step 3

You can use a pen or pencil  to make sure you have the measurements correct and accurate.  I like to use sewing pins because of the white fabric.  Normally I'll use a pen.  






Step 4

Cut the fabric once you have the correct measurements.  This is probably the hardest part of sewing...numbers and Lauren don't go well together. Below is the terry cloth fabric will feels like a towel but is still soft.  You can use an actual towel and cut it up if you wish.  Walmart has the inexpensive towels for $2.50 and that can make 3 or 4 burp cloths.  



                                                



Step 5

Cut the top fabric of the burp cloth that you want.  I loved this neon fabric and got really excited! It's bright and vibrant.  

                                             


Step 6

Get your fabric and turn it upside down like below.  I know this sounds weird, but trust me. 



                                          


Step 7

 Pin around all of the edges like below.  It will start to look like the picture below.

                                         


Step 8

Once it's all pinned, go to your sewing machine and start sewing.  You will want to sew the edges all around except leaving a 3 or more inch gap depending on your choice.  You'll see what I mean in the next couple of steps.  I used a straight stitch with nothing too excited.  See the terry cloth fabric?  It looks great.  I'm not sure why I sewed with the terry fabric being on top.  lol.   





Step 9

The 3 inch hole is important to us...you're wondering why?...keep scrolling...





Step 10

Put your hand or finder inside, grab an corner and pull out. It might be a little difficult but tug away...just keep going and going until the burp cloth is turned inside out. 





Step 11

 See how beautiful it is now? Depending on how it looks, sometimes I find myself ironing it if it look a wrinkled.





Step 12

You will want to see around the burp cloth one more time...you can use a creative stitch if your sewing machine has it. I decided to use a fun sewing stitch. See all the neon glow? It's fun! 





Step 13

Enjoy and bask in your beautiful burp cloths that are finished! The end result is I chose this stitch which is fun.  


                                         


Step 14

 ENJOY and sew more! All the finished products are ready for use! 




If you have any questions, please comment below or email me.  




Monday, November 23, 2015

Coming soon...

Hello,

DIY burp cloth instructions are coming skin! Get ready to have some fun and make super cute burp cloths for your child or you can make as a baby shower gift. Tis the season for giving!

View my video by clicking here.

Let me know if you have any suggestions or requests :)

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Easy DIY Star Ward Xmas tree skirt!



 
Good evening!  Here is an easy Do-It-Yourself Star Wars Christmas Tree Skirt.  If you don't like Star Wars, please continue to read because the best thing about creation is you get to choose what you would like your tree skirt to be.   The reason I did Star Wars is because I have an overzealous niece who has been wanting a Christmas tree in her room.  As you know, Star Wars clothes, toys, blankets, etc. are in stock now, but you will pay triple or double the price.  I decided to go to JoAnn's Fabric store and buy material and make it.  

This is what you will need in order to start your DIY Christmas tree skirt:

  1. Sewing machine :)
  2. 1 yard of fabric for the front.  (See the black Star Wars fabric below) My niece's Christmas tree is 4ft; however, if you are making a tree skirt for a tree that is over 6ft., you will want 1.5 yards of fabric for the top. 
  3. 1 yard of fabric for the bottom (see yellow solid color below).  You can choose any fabric you want in reality.  Have fun with this project!
  4. Thread to match.
  5. Iron and ironing board.  You can try to use a steamer, but may not work well.
  6. It all begins now. Take a deep breath.


I'm actually mad at myself for not taking a picture of what I did to cut the fabric to make it look like this.  What I did was fold the Star Wars fabric in half. I then folded that half into another half.  This part is tricky.  You can either start to cut a half circle out of the tip of the fabric that has the fold.  At this point, I put a cup, drew a line around the cup and cut.  I did the exact same thing with the solid yellow fabric.  
Not so pretty, but it got the job done.  Almost done with the hardest part of the project. 

Once you have cut the fabric, it will look like this below.  You can then cut a bigger hole if you want or you can just keep going.  Onto the next step!  
You can cut the hole bigger if you want.
After you lay the fabric out, grab the Star Wars fabric and turn the right side to face the yellow fabric just like below.  Pin the middle so when you cut the slit, it's not off in the middle.  Trust me on this.  You can use fabric scissors if you don't have any Fishkars.
Before cutting.....
After.....so pretty :)
Head to the sewing machine and sew around the full skirt.  Remember to make sure your Star Wars fabric is faced down.  You will want to leave a 3-inch hole so you have room to pull the inside to the outside.  
la la la la...By this time, i'm usually singing...
Still singing...it's a good thing I have a SingerONE machine
The BIG 3-inch hole!
Star pulling the inside out....see the right side of the Star Wars fabric?  It's beautiful!
After pulling the right side fabric out, it will look just as lovely or lovelier than this.  You're almost done!
At this point, you will want to iron the skirt to flatten it so it's easier to sew the outside of the skirt. You're almost done.  Keep going.  Put on 'Don't Stop Believin' by Journey...it will get you going and dancing.
Back to singing again....and hoping I don't burn myself. 
Make sure to iron out any wrinkles if there is any. 
See the BIG 3-ich hole.  Fold the fabric in to  create a crease so it's easier to sew. 
After the crease has been made.  Go over it again a couple more times...and i'm still singing...

YOU ARE ALMOST DONE!  Seriously, you are running to home base now...Just take a breather (or eat ice cream) and you'll be so glad you ironed the skirt.  It's SO much easier and your sewing time will decrease because you're not having to adjust or undo a mistake you made! (Trust me, I have been there and done that).

Be careful when you are sewing around the inner circle area...go slow if you need to.  You will thank yourself when it's done.
TA-DA!  Look how beautiful it is!  You did it!  #timeforicecreamagain

ONE more look at the beautiful work I've done...then off to eating ice cream and watching Hulu. #noshame

You just saved yourself at least $20 making a beautiful tree skirt instead of buying it from a retailer.  I bought 1 yard of Star Wars fabric with a 60% coupon (off of regular priced fabric) for $4.99.  1 yard solid fabric cost a grant total of $3.99 (fabric was priced at 40% off).  For almost $10 and a little bit of time, I was able to create something so simple and inexpensive, BUT it's the way I want it.  

Please leave comments or questions below.  I look forward to hearing from all you darers. 


Sunday, November 15, 2015

Welcome!


Ya'at'eeh (Hello)! Welcome to Sew Nizhoni!  "Nizhoni" (pronounced Ni-zho-nee) means "beautiful/good" in Navajo.  You pronounce Sew like "so"; therefore, when you put them both together, it's another way of saying, "So Beautiful/Good!" It's been a long time coming and I'm so happy you have joined me in making and creating new arts and crafts.  We can learn together and learn from each other.  I have always wanted to start a blog of how-to so others who are learning can come here to find instructions easy and do-able.  Please send me questions if you are struggling with a project.  When I first started trying to do new projects, I found that instructions are difficult to understand, especially with sewing.  There were terms that were new and I was left with a mess.

A little about me:  I'm originally from Kirtland, New Mexico but currently reside in Provo, Utah.  I am Navajo, which is why part of the title is Navajo.  I received my Bachelors of Science degree from Brigham Young University and am currently working on a Bachelor's degree at Utah Valley University.  I work a lot, but get paid hanging out with my friends.  I love hanging out with family, eating at my favorite spots, watching movies, shopping, going to Disneyland, and talking with my parents on the phone.

Welcome again and I hope you enjoy what you see and read!
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