Gift Giving

Hand made gifts are so special.  I love spending the time to make something for someone, thinking of them the entire time I work on the project.  I don't always allow myself time to make something very detailed so I look for easy projects that are still special.  A special knitted wash cloth is the perfect last minute gift especially when handmade soap and some chocolates are included.  I included some lotion and a soap dish to complete the gift.

The Reverse Bloom Knitted Washcloth published in Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick

is quick knitting but looks so special.   I used a worsted weight cotton to knit this simple gift. 

Baby Crib Sheet

I decided to try my hand at making a flannel crib sheet for my daughters’ new baby to go with the new crib.   I used the tutorial from http://www.makebabystuff.com/ with a few modifications. It is a 70 inch piece of 45” flannel with a 9” square cut out of each corner.  The corner are stitched together to form the fitted sheet.   I used my serger to finish around the edges to save myself the work of hemming; the edge will be under the mattress so no one will ever know. 

The elastic is applied to each corner.  I used a 12” piece at each corner rather than applying it to the entire length of the sheet.  Pin the middle of the elastic to the corner seam and stretch it back each way as far as you can.  Pin each end.  Run a zigzag stitch through the elastic. 

 

Be sure to use an elastic that will allow you to sew through it or all your work will be for not.  Some elastic will lose its stretch if you zigzag through it but this elastic worked wonderfully. 

Read the application instructions on the package to determine if it can be sewn through.  If it says to insert it in a casing you will not have good results if you stitch through it.  I used a zigzag stitch on my machine that makes three stitches up and back rather than a straight zigzag but that would work fine too. 

Tea Towel and Pot Holder

I found this cute kitchen print fat quarter at a great quilt shop Millie P’s, in Anoka, MN, that will be perfect for my daughter’s kitchen. The tea towel came from the same shop. I love one stop shopping! You may want to prewash both items to prevent uneven shrinkage. I began by cutting a 3 inch strip wider than the towel. Fold a hem on each side of the strip and press well.

Pin the strip to the towel measuring from the bottom to ensure that the strip it even. Turn under the ends.

Top stitch around the design. Hint. Sew the top and bottom in the same direction to keep fabric from twisting. After the top and bottom are attached sew each end.

The first pot holder was constructed from two 8 inch squares of the same fat quarter. The lining is batting with special thermal lining that works great for a light weight pot holder that will provide protection from hot kettle handles. You may want to add one layer of lightweight wool or cotton batting to make a thicker pad.

Sandwich the batting between the squares.

Pin well. Apply bias tape around the pot holder to finish the edges.
To finish the pot holder I put one round of quilting stitches approximately 1 inch from the edge. This simple project was low in cost, easy and quick to make, and a fun small gift for any hostess.

I made a second pot holder by trimming a 4 inch square with a bit of green quilting cotton that I had in my stash that matched quite well and stretched the kitchen fabric far enough to complete the set.