This idea had been stuck in my head for a long time.  I couldn’t get it off my brain so I knew I had to make it so I could move on to other projects.  I’m calling it the storytime cushion because I think it would be perfect for a reading nook or in a bedroom.  It can also do double duty by being a chair pad!  Natalie is infamous for being a stander/kneeler at the table, so hopefully this will make it a little more cushy for her. 

The cushion measures about 15″ in diameter and has a handy little zipper so it can be washed.  I used a dark wash denim on the top and bottom hoping that it will make it a little more durable.  I’m always doodling while the girls are coloring and the rainbow one is a doodle that I draw all the time.  Do you draw the same things over and over, or do you always come up with new stuff?  I thought it made a great applique for the top of the cushion.

It was also a great way to use up scraps!  I think I know why people love patchwork so much.  I probably won’t be able to stop now, ha.  I made my own piping using this tutorial for making bias tape from a fat quarter and some cording I bought at Home Depot.  I love the all the text fabrics that are out there, especially this one by Sweetwater for Moda. 

If anyone’s interested I did plan on making a tutorial (although I’ll be needing to refine the measurements a little – thank goodness patchwork is forgiving).   Let me know if you want the how-to!   Update: Aug 2010: Ended up losing motivation to make this into a tutorial.  And the fact that I just can’t sew with piping very well.  You can find a similar type project here or here.  The only differences is that I used a zipper for the opening and put a 3″ slab of foam in there that I had cut into a circle!  Hope that helps!

I finally did it.  I made pants!  For some unknown reason I haven’t made any sort of pants yet {please don’t think less of me}. I had some goofy flannel to use up and we are running low in the pants department.  Emily’s pants are all too big around the waist for her (I’m planning on fixing that with this tutorial).  And Natalie is getting too tall for her old jammies.  I always find it hard to sew clothes for them because most of the time they don’t need anything, but this time they did!  And guess who wore their pants all day long today? Yep, they both did.  I was amazed.  I let the sewing fairy leave them their pants at the breakfast table for them to discover in the morning.  Kinda fun. 

I used Handmade Mommy’s 15 minute jammy pant tutorial and it worked great!  Up until now I had been fearful (for some yet undiscovered reason) of using clothing to trace to make patterns with.  I just had one tiny snafu.  I traced a pair of tighter stretch knit pants for Natalie.  Of course flannel isn’t stretchy like knit, so her pants may only fit her for a couple weeks before we’ll have to tuck them away.  Anyway, I’m glad I made them and now I’m excited to make more!