Monday, November 12, 2012

Sucking a 3-year-old into sewing!

I pinned this on Pinterest last winter and have been eagerly waiting to use the idea ever since. This past week, I got my chance.
My 3-year-old came to me with this:

Time to make a monster!

I made the hole larger and sized my fusible web around it.

I chose a red batik for the mouth and made teeth by using some leftover white binding strips. I just stitched the outlined edge of three pointy teeth on it and then trimmed outside the stitching lines. I really wanted to use white felt. I used to have white felt. I did some cleaning out because I.have.too.much.stuff and tossed the white felt. I was really kicking myself and will never throw anything out again. (And yes, I realize that I could have bought felt, but this was one of those "it's 10 pm and I'm going to finish this project tonight, darn it!" projects.

It felt weird to be ironing the fusbile web to the right side of my project. 

I made the eyeballs the same way I made the teeth. Still missing that white felt...

I fused the red mouth/teeth inside the hole and hand stitched around the hole edges to further secure. I handstitched the eyes in place as well. 

He's a big fan of his monster knee and couldn't wait to show it off at pre-school!

Tonight, while folding laundry, I came across this:
A second monster was immediately requested. 

And now we have zero pairs of jeans without holes. My husband, once a boy himself, suggested that the best I can hope for is that our sons each have one nice pair of pants that are hole-free to wear to church. I grew up with a sister. We had no holes! I think I'm going to get pretty good at monsters...

My other small sewing project for the week also involved my 3-year-old. I caught him one night liberating fabric scraps from my studio to make a "pillow" for the stuffed animal du jour. I am all for encouraging an interest in fabric, so I offered to make a sleeping bag for said stuffed animal of the week. He agreed, helped me pick fabric, and was thrilled with the results. Then the next day he reappeared with his new Willie (Northwestern's mascot) and requested a second sleeping bag.
Willie's of course is purple.






p.s. As much as I LOVE getting comments from all of you, it absolutely melts my heart when I get a compliment from him. He will walk into my studio, look at what's on my design wall, and say, "Momma, that is bee-yoo-tiful!" Every. Single. Time. So sweet!

2 comments:

  1. LOL! I had a sister and a daughter and no holes with us either...my two boys though...holes galore! I think they walk on their knees :)

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  2. I melt when Elsa does the same thing, making a comment about a quilt or something. I. Love. Your. Monster. Jeans! Awesome! You better be careful, or he'll be ripping his jeans on purpose! It is just great. I'm the same way. I kick myself after cleaning because I just go rid of something I need. And it contributes to my pack rat behavior!

    Sorry I won't make it to guild tonight. At gymnastics with Elsa. Just couldn't swing it this week. Hope it was fun!

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