the toy basket {tutorial}

I finally got around to finish the tutorial and boy do I have a new found appreciation and respect for people making sewing tutorials on a regular basis. It makes the sewing process completely different when you have to stop and think about every little step you do. I forgot to take photos a couple of times, hence the drawings, but I think it worked out ok. Have fun with it!

Iron the outer piece and flatten the seams. Place the outer piece on top of the Viledon and cut the Viledon a bit bigger than the outer piece (approximately 0,5 cm on each side).

Place the outer piece on the Viledon and iron (I have Viledon with adhesive). I bought my Viledon at "Stoff & Stil" (a shop in Norway) but you can also buy online. If you are using something other than Viledon make sure you pin before you sew (and if you are a control freak like me you also pin when using Viledon).

A few words about the Viledon in case you haven't used it before. The reason I use Viledon instead of cotton batting or any other batting is because the Viledon is a bit stiffer. It keeps the shape better, and since I am going to hang this toy box I need it to be sturdy. However, if you wash it several times it will lose some (or all) of its stiffness.

Now we are going to box the corners of the lining. With the sewn lining still rights sides together, match the side seam with the bottom (it must be the in the middle of the bottom. Where you normally would have the bottom seam if you had made the lining of two pieces of fabric instead of one like we have done).

This will create a point or “peak”. Make sure that there is as much fabric left and right of the seam and then pin to hold in place. The more exact you do this, the better the corners will look. Press the seam open.

From the 6.5 cm mark you position your ruler and draw a line perpendicular to the seam line. Sew along this line. Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam. For added strength you can sew across this line two or three times.

Trim away the corner. Now you do all the "boxing corner steps" for the other corner of the lining. And when you are done with that you repeat the process for the corners of your outer layer. When this is done you have one outer toy basket and one lining toy basket. Set them both aside. Next we are going to make the velcro straps for the toy basket.

Begin by cutting your 20cm long velcro into four 5cm pieces (or the size that makes them fit you fabric strips). Set aside. Now take your 32x4cm strips and sew into straps. 

My first velcro rectangular is placed 2 cm from the top end and the second one is placed 18 cm from the top end. I have placed the velcro acording to how far down I want the fabric toy basket to hang. You could also put more velcro squares to have the possibility of changing the length of the straps.

When you have sewn the four velcros on, fold the straps, pin them and sew the open side to finish of the straps.

Pin the straps on each side og of what will be the back side of the toy basket. For sturdyness sew two or three times over the same place when sewing the straps on.

You are just a few steps from having your fabric toy basket, so hang in there for the last steps. 

Now take your lining basket and put it inside the outer layer basket. Right sides together. 

Begin pinning the two baskets togeter in each of the two corners, before you pin the rest.

Sew the two baskets togeter and turn the basket right side out through the opening in the lining.

Pin the toy basket again so that the layers will not move while you sew. Sew right below the edge of the basket. Sew the opening in the lining by hand with slip stitch.

Believe it or not, you are done, your Toy Basket is finished.

Hang it up on the day bed & begin tidying toys you would like to put out of the way but have near by.

If you make one for toys or if you make one but use it for something completely different, I'd love to see it!

neck warmer for kids

Before Christmas I was busy making gifts and was for the lookout of practical gifts I could knit with one skein and knit fast. I remembered the typical neck warmers that we used to have when I was a kid. They would simply be a neck with a front and back panel to keep your chest and the back of your neck warm. When our coats and winter jackets were closed it looked like we were wearing a sweater with a long neck.

I knitted them for a two and four year old, but the pattern can easily be adjusted for kids of other ages or grown ups by adding 4, 8 or 12 stitches more and adjusting the length of the front and back panel.

The top to bottom knitting was inspired by JCasas Neighborly that I have made on several occasions.



Neck warmer

Sizes
Approximately 2 years and (4 years)

Needles
3.5 mm circulars (US 4) and 4 mm circulars (US 6), (both my circulars were 40 cm long (15.7 in)
Yarn: Drops Merino extra fine

Notions
Stitch marker
Stitch holder or scrap thread

Abbreviations
k – knit
p-purl

Pattern
Cast on 92 (96) stitches on 3.5 mm (US 4) needles. Join the stitches making sure not to twist and place marker to designate the row.
k 2 and p 2 to the end of row
Continue to [k2, p2] until the piece measures 6 cm (2.4 in)
k four rounds.
Switch to 4mm (US 6) needles and k four more rounds.

Bind off 7 (8) stitches after marker, k 39 (40) and place these stitches on a stitch holder or a scrap yarn. These 39 (40) stitches are for the back panel of the neck warmer.

Bind off 7 (8) stitches and k 39 (40). These are the stitches for the front panel of the neck warmer and the ones you will continue to work on now. Turn work so you are looking at the wrong side (purled row). Knit the following rows like this:

From wrong side: k3, p 33 (34), k3
From right side: k 39 (40)

Continue with this until your work measures 12 cm (4.7 in) or your desired length from the point when you divided the work in back and front. k 6 rows and bind off.

Now take the stitches that you put on the stitch holder or scrap yarn (for the back of the neck warmer) and do the same as with the front.

Happy knit!

Birds on the balcony

I had so many things to share with you last week and then I got caught by the big dreadful stomach flu, the Norovirus. I have done little except from visiting the ladies room (…no, not to powder my nose), drinking water mixed with apple juice and sleeping… don’t worry I will not go into further details. Instead I will share my bird attraction experiment.

We live close to the forest in an area with lots of small birds. I love seeing the variety of birds that gather to eat seeds from the feeders people hang up in the trees. If we had a house I would put a food tray for the birds right outside our kitchen window. But we don’t have a house (my cup is half full).

So I need to find a way to attract the birds to our balcony. I am not sure if it is possible to attract birds to a balcony but I'm willing to give it a try. Since I haven’t found a balcony bird feeder I’m trying my own invention.

You need a few branches off a tree, an empty milk carton or equivalent, water and temperatures below freezing point.

Cut the milk carton to you get the desired height. Fill with water and put in the branches you have chosen. Leave outdoors (or in a really big freezer) until frozen. When completely frozen tear off the milk carton. Put into a wider container. I used an old wash basin. Pour water just to cover an inch of the wash basin or chosen container leave to freeze. Repeat this until the basin is at least half full of frozen ice. This is to give the base weight and sturdyness (if not the weight of the branches would make your frozen milk carton fall over).

I’ll show you how I decorated it later this week.

my needles - Part 2

Thank you everyone for the comments, flickr mail and e-mails on the ”my needles” card. I hoped some of you would like it but had never dreamed that so many of you would.



This post is for everyone that has expressed that they would like “my needles” card, for those who have three needles or more of the same size and for those who know someone that has an abundant needle collection and could need one.



I created this sheet for you to download. It has both metric and American needle sizes. Simply download, print out on cardstock, cut out and glue the back and front size together. Enjoy!
Life in Yonder - My Needles

PS. For the Americans: If there are common needle sizes that are missing or I have put a needle size that is not very common, let me know and I can change/improve the sheet. Thanks!