Eyelet Blessing Dress

Eyelet Blessing Dress

Our Mom is very talented and she makes blessing dresses for all granddaughters and great granddaughters.  

To make these, Mom uses a dress pattern that she likes and make the bodice and and sleeves from it.  Then she makes the skirt the length that suits her mood.

For fail proof gathering and no worrying about thread breaking,
zig~zag over a light piece of string or I use crochet thread 
(be careful not to catch the string).
After you sew the length of the area to be gathered just pull the string for perfect gathering every time.
(Secure one end.) 

 Thanks for sharing Mom.

Matching Aprons and Hot Pads

Matching Aprons and Hot Pads
Apron link to instructions -
http://www.thebusybhive.blogspot.com/2012/09/aprons-for-your-little-busy-bakers-o.html
Hot Pad link to instructions -
http://www.thebusybhive.blogspot.com/2012/09/personalized-and-holiday-hot-pads.html

Point on Point Hot Pads ~ cute, fast and easy!

Finished Hot Pads

 These hot pads are fun project.  All fabrics were cut 8 inches and the batting was cut 7 1/2 inches.  For the assembly place the fabric that will be inside the finished hot pad face down.  Then center the batting and place the fabric you want to be the back of the hot pad face up.  Next press all 4 top fabric in half, point on point.  Place one then going around just keeping adding.  The last one you will have to tuck under the first one.  For these I cut 3 of each fabric 8 inches, that means you need 6 pieces of fabric and 1 piece of batting.


These are so quick to put together.  Just pin the corner, making sure to catch all the layers.  I cut away anything that didn't look good ( out of the lines ).  Then I just clipped the corners a bit to help them lay square.  Put your hand in the center and open up where the two hour glasses meet and turn them.  I pressed them to make sure everything is just how I want it.  It's that easy!  :o)



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Aprons for your little busy bakers :o)

These aprons are very easy to make.
I folded the fabric in thirds the length of the bolt ~ making 3 aprons.
Cut the length you want them to be, allow for the hem.
Then cut the fabric into 3 panels (aprons).
Now just fold them in half and cut an angle for from the chin to the waste.
Next cut a strip the width of the bold that is 2 1/2 inches for the sash.
I pressed the sash in half and then half again and stitched it closed.
Hem the bottom of the apron and the top, chin part of the apron.
All most finished.  Now fold from the chin to the waste with a pocket for the sash to feed through and sew it.
Thread the sash through that pocket starting at the waste, going up to the chin and down the other side.



This method makes it so you only have to tie the sash at the waste and you can adjust the neck as high or low as you need it to be.  I tied a barrel knot in the ends of the sash and that was it.
The girls love to wear these to cook and bake.

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Personalized and Holiday Hot Pads

We have posted this pattern for hot pads before see this post for instructions:  http://thebusybhive.blogspot.com/2012/07/hot-pads.html  We have decided to show you again with the holiday season upon us some other ideas for this hot pads.  They are great for holiday dinning and a great gift idea for matching themes, like The Busy Bee's.

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Easy Homemade Pillowcases to match your decor.

 For these pillowcases I cut the accent piece (white) 9 inches and folded it in half and pressed it.

The pipping piece I cut 2 inches and folded it in half and pressed it.

The body of the pillow (blue) I measured againist my pillow to make sure it was large enough.  I made these for King size pillows and they fit perfect.


Lay your fabrics out like this, accent piece, body piece, pipping and then fold, fanning the body piece onto the center of the accent piece.

Fold the accent piece over everything and pin it together.  Starting in the center and working your way to the edges.  Make sure that you line all up all your edges.  There will be 5 layers of fabric to pin.

This is what it looks like from the end just before you sew it up.

Right off the sewing machine.  Now the fun part.  Pull the body out of the accent color to reveal what clean lines you just made.  This is really nice because it won't fray!

Still pulling the center out.  :o)

Look how great that turned out.  This is the pillowcase waiting to be closed.  Line up the edges, you may want to pin on the seam where the pipping meets the accent fabric to make sure that they line up on the side seam.  Just start sewing at the accent go up the side and across the top.

 Press your finished pillowcases and you are finished.  These are really easy and it is fun to see how they turn out.  This is a quick project for any sewing level.



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Bucketter

This is made off the idea of the bucketter's in the hardware store.  This one is filled with plastic tools for the little guys, but it would also work great for grownups.  Just measure your fabric to fit your bucket and add the pockets.  This has pockets on the inside also.  I cut two little holes and took the handle off and put the handle through the holes that is what keeps the fabric in place.  Then you have the whole center of the bucket for whatever you are working on and it is great to take to your project.  Thanks for Buzzing by,

Adorable T~Shirt from Two Tanks

Watch those sales!  Summer will be winding down in no time at all here.  This is a T~Shirt made from two tank tops.  The first tank is the shirt.  The second you will need to cut the sleeves from.  You can do this from a pattern or by copying the seelves in your favorite T~Shirt.  The tie on the neck was also added from the second tank, a knot has been tied in it and it is secured at the shoulder seams.  Super cute one of a kind T~Shirt.

Great project for summer sales and one of a kind T's.

Dragonfly Quilt

This is a paper pieced quilt.  This one is queen size.
I had a machine embroidery header made to match this quilt.
The dragonflies on this all go different directions in a spiral.
All dragonflies are made from different fabrics.
It was fun to see how they would turn out.
The antana's are hand embroidered on, that is how you anchor the heads to the quilt.
We here at the Busy Bee's hope this gives you some ideas for your next project.
You can buy this and many other paper piecing patters at:
http://thimble-art.com/

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Kitchen Towel Apron

Do you get tired of your towel falling on the floor constantly?  Here is an idea to keep it on the oven door.  For this project I just cut a regular kitchen towel in half.  I cut a piece of newspaper on the fold and cut out a pattern for the top.  I made mine smaller than the towel so it would gather up to look more like an apron.  You can do this in two pieces and seam the shoulders or just one piece and cut out the neck.  Then pin it to your towel and sew it up.  I ran across mine with a straight stitch and then went back and forth a couple of times on the cut edge with a zig~zag stitch so it would hold up well.  Attach your side ribbons on the first pass so they are getting attached tight to tie.  This one has been embellished with eyelet at the neck and down the sides.
Note:  These also make great bibs for little girls, they are very absorbent.


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Re~usable Shopping Bag

So the whole is world is going green trying to reduce our carbon foot print.  Here is a cute way to make those plain shopping bags cute.  I just added some fabric on the front and back of the bag.  I just measured the space I wanted to cover and hemmed all the edges and stitched it on.  The bottom is a little thick but it wasn't hard to do.  Now I have a cute bag in hardly any time at all.


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Two Blessing Dresses ~ for TWINS!!

Identical Blessing Dresses.  To make these dresses and all others on this site, you can use any infant dress pattern and just use your imagination.  We will be posting several different styles and lengths to give you more ideas.  For fail proof gathering and no worrying about breaking thread, zig~zag over a light piece of string or I use crochet thread.  (Be careful not to catch the string.)  After you sew the length of the area to be gathered just pull the string for perfect gathering every time.  (Just remember to secure the end.)  Embellish to your liking.  These dresses have lace trim on the sleeves and the bottom of the dresses.  They have lace panels sewen on the bottom of the skirts and on the bodice with flowing ribbons attaches.  These dresses have lace skirts under the sheer as slips.  We hope this gives you some great ideas.  Happy Stitchin'

Serger Thread Tree

This is a wonderful gadget so you can easily use the larger cones of thread on your regular sewing machine.  For this project we used a large dowel and drilled a hole it it to add the hook, if you don't pilot the hole the hook will probably break.  Then a smaller dowel was used to hold the thread.  This one is on two pieces of 3/4 in pine you could use a 2X4.  It is painted white and decorated with ivy rub~on's from your local craft store.  This works great, and the thread never tangles or causes you any grief!  Thanks for Buzzing by,

Camp Cooker Bags

You could easily make these from recycled jeans.
I just measured how large I needed for each bag to hold 2 camp cookers.
I just made a tie for each bag and sewed it on when I closed the side and bottom seam.
Then I folded the inside bottom of the bag to give the bag more shape to hold the cookers.
This is a really quickly and easy project to keep your camp cookers clean.

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Hot Pads

Hot Pads



Main fabric - cut 4 - 5" squares for each hot pad
Contrast fabric cut 2 -5" squares for each hot pad
Batting or a recycled towel cut 1 - 9 1/2" square
*Note:  Main fabric: 2 strips of fabric will make 2 hot pads

Assembly:  Main fabric face down
Recycled towel or batting
Main fabric face up

Fold remaining square in 1/2 and press
Lay 2 matching 1/2 with fold in the center side by side.
Lay the other 2 1/2's the same way but running the other directions.
Lift one up and tuck it under then same thing on the other one.

Pin all of your layers together.

Trim any excess towel that is not enclosed well.
Put your hand in the center and turn it.  (see picture above)  Push the corners square.  I used the point of the scissors.

Ta Dah!

Recyled Jeans to hold hot dog sticks

This is a very simple project to keep your hot dog sticks clean and together.
I just cut a pant leg off and trimmed it up to be squared.
Sewing the bottom and side closed.
We use them all of the time.  We keep them in the trailer for camping, and the kids take them with their friends.
We haven't lost not one.

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4X4 Bag with Matching Clutch

To make this bag make a 4 rows of 8 patches.
Sew together and just flow the bottom to create the shape.  This is optional.
This bag is lined in black, same as the handles.

This bag has 4 blocks, to make a pocket with a flap that is two squares folded point on point with a button for accent.
The clutch is store bought, but with a few squares added to it, it makes a great set.

Large bibs for the bigger kiddos



For these bibs I cut a kitchen towel in half.  (Making two bibs.)
Fold a small piece of fabric to fit the towel, allow for side pockets on each side and a hem on the cut edge of the towel.
Cut the fabric as shown in the pic.
Hem the top edge of bib and side edge of the cut towel.
Fold the sides of the fabric to make a pocket for the sash to fit into.
For the sash, cut a strip of fabric 2 1/2 inches wide.  I folded it in half and pressed it and folded it again and pressed it into quarters.  This makes it much easier to sew.  I sewed it up and down a couple of times to give it more strength.
Sew the fabric on the towel.  You may want to run across this a couple of times.
Thread the sash up from the waste to the chin and back down.
This allows you to only have one tie and be able to pull it up high enough to keep your little ones clean.
I tied barrel knots in the ends of the sashes.

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Long Flowing Blessing Dress

Bodice

To make this dress and all other blessing dress that will be posted on this site,
you can use any infant dress pattern and just use your imagaination.
We will be posting several different styles and lengths to give more ideas.

For fail proof gathering and no worrying about thread breaking,
zig~zag over a light piece of string or I use crochet thread
(be careful not to catch the string).
After you sew the length of the area to be gathered just pull the string for perfect gathering every time.
(Secure one end.)

There is a piece of elastic in for the gathering effect in the bottom of the skirt.  With a flowing ribbon on the top.
Decorate as desired.  This one has lace trim everywhere, including the panel seams in the skirt.

Frayed Bag ~ Made from old jeans

This bag I made to fit a jumper battery.
So I measured the battery to know how big to make all my squares  ~ which are really rectangles.
The bottom is several layers of denim, I sewed them back and forth several times to give them extra strength.
The handle is recycled denim too, it is 5 inches wides and folded and sewed shut.
The side panels are two pieces of denim together, one set top and one set bottom.
The front and back are cotton with denim on the back.
Sewing this all together makes the inside clean and all the frays outside.
I sewed around the top a couple of times just to close the two fabrics.
Then came the hard part ~ all the clipping for frays.
Then I put it in a pillowcase and tied a knot in it and wash and dried it and this is how it turned out.
This is a great way to recycle your old jeans too. . .now what will you make bags for?

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