Applique Tutorial One & a Small Contest

I've had some girlfriends recently ask me to show them how to do basic iron-on appliqué. I'm almost hesitant to show you all because this way of doing appliqué is so easy. It works really well for jean knee patches and whatnot. You can have minimal to no sewing abilities and still do this well. Heck, you don't even need a sewing machine. You can definitely sew this if you desire and I actually would recommend it but it is not necessary.

Please also bear in mind that this is the first tutorial I've put together.

Shannon's Iron-On No-Sew Appliqué Tutorial

First things first, you need some materials.

- Fabric
- Steam-a-Seam
- Iron
- Something to stick your appliqué to
- Only if you want - embroidery thread and needle or sewing machine


For this tutorial, I chose to appliqué some apples on a pair of Darsie's tattered jeans. This is the fabric I chose to use and you can see a piece of the Steam-A-Seam next to it.



The Steam-a-Seam is basically two sheets of protective paper protecting the adhesive "dots". One sheet of the protective paper is very lightly adhered to the dots while the other paper is more strongly adhered. If you wanted to trace a design onto the Steam-a-Seam, you would trace a mirror image onto the paper with the stronger adhesion to the dots.



To transfer the dots onto my fabric, I peeled off the paper with the least amount of adhesion.



Hopefully you can see that the top piece of paper doesn't have dots and the lower paper does. Peel the top paper off and put the other paper, dot down, on the backside of your fabric.



Now, you are ready to iron the fabric to the Steam-a-Seam. Put your iron on the cotton setting and let it heat up. Once it is hot, simply put it on your fabric for approximately 15 seconds.



You have now adhered your fabric to the Steam-a-Seam and are ready to cut out your shapes.





You now have appliqués that are ready to be applied to your clothing or item. Easy right?

To apply the appliqué, simply peel off the back protective paper. What you will be left with is the fabric, the adhesive dots, and a repositionable adhesive that will help with keeping the appliqué in place while you fix it to the item.



Once the paper has been removed, simply place the appliqué where desired and apply your iron with the cotton setting chosen for approximately 15 more seconds.



And you end up with these:


Easy, right? At this point you could stitch around them or however with a sewing machine or hand stitch with embroidery thread. Of course, you could leave them as is.

Ok, so I promised a small contest and I'm holding myself accountable. If you leave a comment below and tell me what sort of sewing/craft tutorial you would like to see, you could win your own set of apple appliqués just like these (in fact, they are these).


Contest will end Monday, September 1 at 11:59pm.

Crazy Summer Wrap Up

I couldn't say our entire summer has been super busy or crazy or filled to the brim, but the end of summer is definitely shaping up to be that way. August has been jammed pack and September is quickly shaping up to be as well. We're (as in Jeff and I) are headed to the Oregon Dunes this weekend for some quad riding with some good friends from college. We haven't been camping in...oh geez..close to three years or so.

Darsie has stalled again on the potty training but we'll pick it up when we return. She and Elise are headed to stay with my parents for a couple of nights and I'd hate to have them be potty enforcers.

I've been busy creating and sewing and trying new things. Darsie has been wearing the same size pants forever it seems and the knees are all starting to show wear and tear. I patched one pair this morning with apple patches and hopefully soon I'll create a tutorial to show you how easy it was. Anyone with a pair of scissors, a few supplies, and an iron could do it. You don't need a sewing machine and you don't need to know how to sew. Like I said, easy, peasy.



A couple of weeks ago, a blogger friend sent me some awesome whale fabric that she had printed herself. It is just fantastic stuff. Anyways, sitting on my desk right now is a package waiting to be mailed to her. It contains this belt that I created and a couple of other things. I have never attempted to print fabric and I really don't have the time right now to attempt it, so I hope she doesn't mind that it is devoid of that! Maybe once D goes back to school mid-September.




Once she is back in school, I'm hoping to put together another giveaway/contest sort of thing. I'll post more on that later.

I don't think I'll get another post in before next week but I'll update then with photos from Oregon and my bright pink glittery helmet in action.

Have a great long weekend everone!

Crayon Rolls Back Up in Shop

I've had a couple of people e-mail me about available crayon rolls and I finally was able to get some more of the numbers fabric so I can offer them again.

I've got them available in both the numbers fabric and the apples & pears fabric as well.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5091089

Unless I can find more, this is the last run of numbers crayon rolls. I have enough for about 7 of them, so if you want them for the Holidays, I'd order them sooner rather than later.

Etsy Shop Update - Wonder Numbers Onesies

I've added three new fabric choices on the Wonder Numbers Onesies.

Current Choices:

Circles fabric with teal stitching


Numbers fabric with red stitching


Sage and Pink Paisley fabric with pink stitching


Garden Floral fabric with maroon stitching


For 13 Onesies (0-12) - $65 and $5 shipping

For 1 Onesie (you pick number) - $7 and $2.50 shipping

I've just added the ability to order one onesie at a time. Please let me know if you are planning on ordering more throughout the year so I can set aside enough fabric. Otherwise, you run the risk of not having your fabric available at a later date.

Shop Here

Returning to the Basics: Potty Training & CP

Once upon a time, this blog centered on my daughter Darsie and cerebral palsy and since then its focus has obviously developed and changed somewhat. I'd like to keep it focused on Darsie, Elise, family, friends, and food and sort out the Etsy and crafting stuff to another venue. Like I've mentioned, we're working on a new site but it is going slow (because of me, I will admit).

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Darsie will be turning four next month (!!!!) and I've recently started to feel a bit of pressure to potty train her. And I understand that it is a step we need to take but I want to take it slowly. I've always thought that the child should lead and here I feel like I'm expected to take the lead and enforcing the process.

We've had mixed success over the last year or periods where D would routinely use the bathroom and then periods where she wouldn't. She responded well to rewards for awhile and then didn't. It is such a mixed bag. She is a very strong willed girl with the nature that she wants to please. Mixed with the cerebral palsy and the idea that we don't know how much sensation she has in her bladder, it has been a frustrating process for both sides (her and us).

Our most recent "process" has put her back in regular diapers (can you believe that Darsie and Elise can wear the same size?) and it is had moderate success. She can undo the velcro sides and "let them drop" herself whereas with pull-ups she just didn't have the hand strength in her right hand to do so. So as long as she isn't wearing pants, she can take her diaper off to use the toilet on her own. And she has, a few times just not consistently.

So if anyone has any suggestions or advice or books or web sites that deals with these issues, I'd love to hear about it.

A weekend etsy listing

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14324881

We all love taking photographs of our wee babies and watching as they grow. Those first 12 months are a period of such miraculous change!

I've created a set of 13 Gerber cotton tagless onesies with the numbers 0-12 appliquéd and stitched to them. I've prewashed them in gentle baby detergent and dried them without dryer sheets so they are ready to be worn and photographed upon arrival.

How adorable will it be once the final year is up and you have 13 months of your baby wearing a onesie with the corresponding number?

The photos only show 0-2 but you will be receiving a set of THIRTEEN white cotton onesies with the corresponding numbers.

Sizes will correspond appropriately for the month. If you are expecting a big or small baby, convo me for "custom" sizing.

Please convo me for different available fabrics.

These are handmade by me in a smoke free home.

$65 for thirteen appliqued onesies.

Smitten Like A Kitten

How cool would it be if I were posting that we had gotten a kitten? Well, we didn't, sorry to disappoint.

What I am smitten like a kitten with are two pieces of fabric that my friend Betty sent me! She used linen and stenciled on this great, no FANTASTIC, whale pattern. One is this lovely, shimmery blue paint and the other is white.





I have to run out the store to pick up a couple of items, but I'm shooting back a package to Betty in the next week. It isn't cool hand-printed fabric like she sent me but it is a Shannon-creation.

Thank you!!!

A Couple of New Etsy Listings

Jeff and I are busily working at putting together a different site for my Etsy/Sewing stuff, so please stay tuned as this blog will revert back to being more family-orientated.

I just listed two new items today. If you like them but are interested in a different fabric selection, just e-mail, leave a comment, or convo me through Etsy.

Plastic Bag Holder

MommyDaisy asked me awhile back about plastic shopping bag holders. I searched high and low and even put together a couple of different prototypes before this one was created. It has an open top for easy stuffing and a drawstring bottom so you can customize the opening size. It holds approximately 10 bags. $7 each and $2 for shipping/$1 if combined with another item. Please excuse the horrible photo, all of our doors are unfinished.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14098224




Flip Video Camera and Electronic Devices Pouch

I love my Flip Ultra Video Camera but I DESPISED the pouch that came with it so I developed my own! This one is lined inside on the two larger sides (where the viewing screen and lens are located) with wool blend felt to help protect your item from fingerprints and lint. $8 each with $2 shipping or $1 if combined with something else.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=14098545

Little People

Is there anything sweeter than the back of a little baby sitting on the floor engrossed in...anything? Oh wait, she finally likes the kitty that I made her for Christmas. You can kind of see the head on the left side of her own head.



Look at that crazy hair!!!

Or just their innate sense of inquisitiveness?

Crayon Rolls!

So, crayon rolls are up here.



Here are the two fabric choices that I am currently offering the rolls in. Numbers and Apples & Pears.


Just to warn you all, I am running short on my numbers fabric already. I'm going to be searching high and low for some more tomorrow but in the time being, I'm limited to only THREE more rolls in the number fabric. I have plenty of the apples & pears fabric.

In addition to the ties I've previously showcased, I'm offering the rolls with a snap strap. I find this easier and neater than the ties which were a bit cumbersome. You can order a roll with either a snap strap or a set of ties for the same price.


My crayon rolls hold 24 crayons and are shipped to you stocked with 24 Crayola crayons. For the month of August I am also including free shipping.


My dear husband is currently helping me set up another web site so that I can more easily showcase my "products". I will let you all know when it is up and running and operational.

And to hear Darsie's rendition of "Three Little Piggies", click here: