One seam PJ's and a use for old bed sheets, a Camera phone tutorial!

Only I can take the easiest PJ tutorial, and find a short cut. But I personally am proud because I am calling it a repurpose (sneaky cheat move).

I have accidently held on to some bed sheets that just don't fit any of the beds in the house, and my eldest daughter has grown out of a set too. I also didn't want to spend any money on making PJ's pants. I had some old Nightmare before Christmas sheets and I knew I had to use them for something. I was also hanging on to a link for a 'one seam PJ tutorial' link off Pinterest. I had to give the tutorial a try before I moved to the sheets. I used some remnants I had to make my son some. He was in a growth spurt so I had to make some things to hang out in the house. Because I would be washing the few pair of nice pants constantly (he is the spit up King). They were easy to whip up. After that I was hooked! Holla! <---Said that!

The tutorial calls for a cute cuff that you can make in different but coordinated fabric. I was like, “Nuh-uuuhh, this is supposed to be The Lazy Mama's tutorial!”. Then I was like, '”Ah-ha!”. You know why? Your old flat sheets and pillow cases already come with a ready made hem, and cuff. And if you have an older nicer flat sheet might have that ribbon detail! There you go I just Lazy-ified easy! I mean I got crafty on crafty!



Lay out your fabric, or flat sheet. You will be tracing plus a bit (seam), around a pair of pants, or other PJ's. 

Fold your fabric lengthwise, this will create your first leg, and one less seam! Pa-pow!


At this moment I realized I am wearing the pants I want to trace... so it is now a, 'ass out' tutorial!

Fold your pants in half and trace and cut. You now have your pattern, use the one you have just cut, and trace again on another folded area of your fabric.




When I am winging it making my own pattern I do take a moment to pin it the two legs on top of each other just to trip up and make sure it's not all out of whack!

Now you should have two legs! Open them up, sew just the crotch on either side.


Open them up! Then stack them.


When they the two legs are on top of each other make sure they are inside out! Because next you will start to sew.


The pins mark where you will be sewing


Pins show where you will be sewing first. Remember you are only sewing the rise first.

Now fold them back so you are looking at the front of them, you now have PJ chaps! Just sew the inseam of each leg. Remember you already have your bottom seams done :-)


By now you are on the radar of your kids, they will be such great helpers (ahhhh!). There ya go, the rise (crotch) sewn, and folded back to look like pants.

To make a waist band, simply fold over the width of your elastic with a little room for your seam. Too much you risk rolling elastic, to tight, well your elastic just won't fit :-) Sew all the way around leaving about an inch to feed your (measured to your PJ recipients waist) elastic through by using a safety pin.


Measure your waist band.


Sew around creating a waist band, leave room though! You have to thread your elastic.


Sew your elastic together, before you sew up the opening.

When all the way through sew your elastic together, then sew up your hole.



DONE!


Then I ran downstairs to my daughters room, only full length mirror with space. Love the haze? The toddler happened all over it! HA!

To see more pictures, or the tutorial with the cuff go HERE.

Dawn of a New Budget; The other stuff... Stain Fighter, LaundryBooster, and DIY Swiffer Pads.

There has been so much on my plate, and I have been filling up drive space with pictures! I have to get them here, that's the whole purpose. Got to make more time. But this week is perfect timing I have to make more goodies for cleaning.

The BIG chore in our house is the washing. I make our own laundry detergent, and softener and have saved a lot. But as all laundry there are always issues. Having kids there are MORE issues. The biggest one is my youngest, he is now self feeding. If thats what you want to call it. I forgot how the first few months are...' interesting'. I remember my little girl used to rub her mash potatoes in her hair, and tomato sauce all over her legs. Luckily for me during this time we have them in training wearing a diaper only. Much easier to hose off. But there's those times in between their finger food meals where every thing is a bit of that and a bit of jar. And those are the times I could just kick myself. I mix it up during lunch, half jar, half finger foods. This is when I am not thinking and we forget down to diapers. DOH! Stains stains stains! Valen loves to wipe his food on his sleeve up into his hair, and I always find goodies in his lap. Yummy!

My whole life I haven't been using laundry boosters or pre-treater's! *Gasp* I'd gather up a bunch of 'ucky-ness' and do a bleach soak (yeah, I know, I still have some in my house left over). But I hate the bleach, it can be touch and go using the stuff. I have never really justified buying "Shout" or anything similar, until I saw an earth friendly brand on close-out sale at King Soopers. Less than $2, score!  But this would never happen again,  so it was time to add to my DIY arsenal. Because I WAS going to run out of the store bought stuff, and the kids ARE getting grosser! 

After I consulted all mighty Google I had one answer. There really is one standard recipe, that is going to save me testing time!  

• 2/3 cups Dawn ( the blue stuff)
  


• 2/3 cups (Generic Ammonia, in the laundry section)


• 6 Tbl (I actually am going to try Super Washing soda next)


• 2 cups warm water

Using a glass measuring jug I first mixed the baking soda into the water to make sure it dissolves then slowly stir in the Dawn. Add your Dawn, and use a funnel to transfer into your spray bottle. Once the ammonia is in the bottle it will be OK to shake before use, it will separate.   I did two methods. Spray and rub, and spray and soak. Both worked great! 

Next batch I am going to use Super Washing Soda, because it is in my laundry soap!

 

Dissolve your baking soda, add soap to measuring jug for easier mixing.

 

So here's a few things I sprayed. Didn't think to take a picture of the onesie before I sprayed, thought it would be there long enough to take this picture like the bib!

 

After! Ta-Dah!

Laundry Booster

I do own a generic version of Oxi-Clean just to toss in my wash but again I did not want to rely on store bought.. I needed a booster/soak for my super-gross-don't-leave-those-towels-out-if-you-have-guests-over-kitchen-towels. Yeah, you know those floor scrubbers, all purpose things we all have as a 'go to' for kid spills, and more. Laundry booster also works for those over used items like sheets, pillow cases, and blankets. I consulted Google again.. and DUH! My favorite all purpose buddy, Hydrogen Peroxide! And my home slice, Super Washing Soda (that's why I am putting SWS in my pretreat next batch). In the morning I filled up my washer with hot water I added 1/4 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide, and 1/4 cup of Super Washing Soda and dumped in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Closed the lid and went on with Mommy-ing. I have no idea how long I left them in there, I lost track of time, but the next time I got a break was just after lunch. I tossed in my detergent and started that puppy up. All I have to say is; Not-Too-Shabby! I will be doing this a lot more. Soaks take much longer, so I will  save it for an over-night project, but I am impressed.

 

These are the towels no one should see... But now, I wouldn't mind if I left one out! How crazy, that bib has gone through the wash twice in one post. Bibs are a revolving door! But it's gotten whiter 

DIY Swiffers, wash and reuse! 

Now I will brag, I am a Shark Steamer owner. Last year it was a huge thing on my personal FB page. It led to many in depth conversations. No. Really. But some times I don't want to drag it out and fill it with water, and wind up that damn cord (I don't do cords, ask my husband). I have to sweep daily, I have two dogs, one crawling baby,a toddler, and a lot of hard wood! So I pull out the old Swiffer for in between floor mop downs with Sharkie. In the past ( pre-Sharkie) I have always used it with a bar towel for mopping, who knew I was so green then. Even then I did not want to buy the generic Swiffer sheets. It doesn't make any sense to me, I just might as well dive to a land fill and throw my money directly in!  

So I was inspired by this: DIY Swiffer Pads

But I did this: Reversible. I wanted one side to dust, then flip it to mop or spot clean. 

Take your chenille ,fleece or micro fiber and cut to size of your mop head. If you get the Dollar Store 2 packs of wash cloths just cut in half (for a standard Swiffer). 

Cut your fabric to match the long side, add for seams. then the width double the length it takes to wrap and tuck in the holder. I did 6 inches to leave for seams. Down all the edges of the folded side I turned in to make a small hem to stop from fraying. Now you have a hemmed rectangle. Fold over, take the edge of your pad and insert between the two long sides of your fabric. Like a sandwich! Now just run a stitch down to attach.

 

One side to dust, then flip it over and mop!

 

Sandwich the pad, and attach!

 

Run a stitch or two to attach. Make it sturdy for the washer!

 

There ya go! Flaws and all!

I got my cloth from the dollar store. A pack of two wash cloths made 4 Swiffer pads. I also used scraps and fat quarters for my material. I used no patterns, just measured my Swiffer. I am not a seamstress, and this was my first project after MANY years of not sewing. I received a sewing machine as a gift, and I couldn't be more happier. So these were great warm up projects!

Soon after this my Swiffer broke... Luckily I had a back up in the garage, it has velcro and tuck in attachments. Good and bad thing, it's bigger!!!! Drat! This is now how I roll:

 

I am using a dollar store micro fiber hair towel! I can tuck it in, so fair enough! I will sew later:-)

 

Under, for picture purposes (I don't keep them doubled up) is an old pair of my kids cheap velvet pants. Just so happened the 6-9 months were the same length. So I chopped off the legs, cut down the inside seam to open them up! And they tuck in! As I said... I will sew later!!!

I will so sew later... soon after I do those 19 other things I have scribbled on the white board :-)

Nin-ten-do, It's for breakfast now.

I ran into this this evening. I just want mine back. I miss it so! I remember playing endless hours playing in insane chunks of time. I remember playing Super Mario Brothers ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY END, AND DYING. Yeah the first taste of that just still resinates deep in my very soul.  After doing that several times I stopped playing. But then I found Simons' Quest. Damn that kicked ass. I got do good at killing stuff with my whip. Then my first taste of  RPG on a console, Ultima! I still have to get my kicks every now and then and load up some Ultima on DosDose.com. 

I was so attached to my console I remember coming home after school. I had got it for Christmas so I played for two weeks straight. I came in my room and got ready to settle in. But I felt a strange feeling in my gut when I walked past my TV. There was something amiss in the Force. I felt it. I felt the violation. I shrugged it off and started playing. Later I found out my mum was vacuuming and gave gaming a go for the first time!

So I found this lunch box below. I was a little sad because I really want a working console... But I soon started to seep into my consciousness... how would I change it. Now I am thinking it needs a woman's touch.  I would start with a nicer handle, the dad case handle isn't my cup of tea. Then I am thinking a make up case, put dividers in it... No wait, a craft box... well any way. I was looking at prices at my local store, I could buy two. I will let you know if I beat that final level of Mario Brothers.



I would so remove the hardware, find something in the more brushed silver look. It needs more of a design to it. Something that matches! I need to charge my power tools.