rainbow sun hat

Using the same method as granny’s braided rugs (click here for directions), a colourful group of discarded t-shirts merrily re-imagined themselves into a fun and practical sun hat.   Jersey knits are soft and fun, and the high visibility of bright colours help the little ones stand out in a crowd or in the woods.  On a hot summer day, this absorbent hat can also be dunked in water to help keep the wearer cool.  Plus, it makes a grumpy toddler seem a little more cheery than her serious expression would otherwise allow…

Sharing with Sew Darn Crafty party

huggable, lovable, and soft

Jersey seems to be overlooked in the land of dolls, but it’s very soft and washable and that’s perfect for little ones who love to hug and drag their stuffed friends everywhere with them.  When a certain toddler fell in love with Patchy Patch from Toopy and Binoo, a few old t-shirts found their way into the sewing basket and fashioned themselves into her very own Patchy Patch.  This guy (?) was fashioned mainly from t-shirts, with a tail made of braided child-safe hemp twine and a bit of yellow sweatshirt for the end.  His plaid patches came from an old burp cloth we have grown out of using.

This particular upcycled creation received the honest honour a toddler can bestow ~ she insisted on having it with her to cuddle with when she went to bed.

Patchy Patch is a licensed character, so I can’t share the pattern I made for him, but if you can sew a round head and an oval body with a little bit of creativity you’ll be well on your way.

Linking with the We Made That Wednesday party.

fairy dress

This is a project I made for my little girl out of an old favourite t-shirt of mine that doesn’t fit anymore.   To begin, I traced a quick pattern from a dress that currently fits her, and placed it over my old t-shirt, centering it over the fairy graphic.  The t-shirt was tiny enough that I was able to cut it in such a way that I could use the ribbing on the t-shirt neckline for the dress’ neckline too – score!

I wanted to make a pair of wings on the back of the dress to match the fairy’s wings in the graphic, so I started hunted for something blue.   Finally I found a blue t-shirt with a swirly pattern from my thrift shop stash that was perfect.

After experimenting with paper wings on the back of the dress, I decided to use a butterfly-like pair and got to work cutting them out of the blue t-shirt and stitching them onto the back section of the dress.   This probably sounds difficult and iron-intensive, but it really wasn’t.  That’s why I love knits: they don’t fray but only curl a little so I feel free to swoop around and make rounded edges without worry of turning seams and getting them just so.  I can really let my creative ideas lead the way without concern of fussy little things.  I just stitched on those wings, putting seams where I imagined the veins would be and it turned out quite well.

Once the wings were stitched, it was time to sew the little dress together, add the arms, and watch my wee love flutter about the house.