It's Chilly Outside and Little Bug Has Nothing for Her Head!!

Ok. Well this entry isn't exactly about Little Bug. It's about one of her pre-school friends. She's tiny... like super tiny. They are the same age and a size apart. 3T-4T. Little Bug's friend has cold asthma, where an episode kicks in when that cold winter air hits her lungs. Yikes! So, her momma asked me to make her a ski-mask because she is at that odd size where a baby hat is too small, but a youth is way to big. So here I am showing you all how I did it!

My warning: I am VISUAL so that means lots and lots of pictures. If you get bored with my redundancy please just look over for the general idea, but I try to make each blog as user friendly as I possibly can!

Enjoy!

What you need:
Paper to make a template (I use wrapping paper.)
A youth size ski mask
Fleece (about 1/2 yard)
4 inches of 1/4 elastic

This is the mask I used to make my template. Just lay the mask on your paper and trace around it.

I had already cut the template out... So I just laid the mask on top to show you not to make it a little bigger for seam allowances. We don't want those here because our goal is to go smaller!

Next your going to make your template like this:

See where I cut off the part that will go over the face? I also marked where you will lay the mask on the fold of your fleece. We want the mask to be one continuous piece. There is also a line at the top of the mask piece. When you cut you are going to fold that over for your second piece. That's the piece that will go over the nose.

This is where you should be after cutting. 2 pieces for the hat. One piece for the neck and one piece to go across the nose. Your elastic will go in there.

First we are going to build the neck and mask part.
Start with the mask. The piece that will go across the nose.
Fold over the top to make a casing for the elastic sew it leaving both ends open.

Slide in the elastic using a safety pin so you can grip it and push the elastic through until the end is just at the start of the casing. Sew that end closed catching the elastic in your stitches.

Continue pulling the elastic through to the end letting it bunch as you pull it.

Now sew that end closed, once again catching the elastic in the stitches. Your nose piece should look like this:

Now grab the neck pieces. Fold over the top and bottom and sew closed like a hem. You should be here:

Now take your 2 pieces and lay on top of each other back to front and pin. Sew down the sides. Zig zag or serge.

I just realized it looks like a tiny poncho! So cute! Doll cloths time... No wait, back to the tutorial!

Lay that aside and get your 2 hat pieces. Pin them right sides together and sew up the back and top. Serge or zig zag. Leave the front and bottom open!

Now turn the front and sew it like a hem.

Now turn the bottom and sew it.

Almost done!!

Now we are gong to attach the face and neck pieces that we did earlier! Keeping the hat inside out place right side together and pin down the sides.

See! We are all inside out! Now sew down the sides, zig zag or serge one last time!!
Turn right side out. Clip any stray thread.

Your done!!

I hope this was helpful and gives you some ideas to try on  your own! Head over to my Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/arwrensjoy
and post a picture of your little bug so I can see your work!

Much love and crafting,
Amanda

Accidentally Soup

For my first post on this blog I am going to give you guys an accidental Minsrone Soup recipe! It's super easy and the kids can help!! In fact for it to come out right you really need the kids!

What you need:
1 lb Ground beef
Box of whole wheat rigatoni noodles
1 can Hunts 4 cheese spaghetti sauce
1 can diced Italian tomato's
2 cans of beans of your choice
(You can always do 1lb bag dry, just remember to soak your beans over night.)
4 carrots
1 onion
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green beans
Salt
Pepper
If you have one I have found a 2 year old rounds out this recipe!

Get all your ingredients together. Don't forget the 2 year old! You are going to start this recipe like your making spaghetti with tomato Meat sauce. Fill a stock pot with 8 cups water and set stove to medium high heat. When the water starts boiling dump in your noodles. Let your 2 year old "mix" the noodles while you get everything else ready.

Next you are going to open all your cans! Make sure you put them all within the 2 year olds reach. This is critical to the recipe! Also make sure they have easy access to a shaker of salt.

Now turn you back on the 2 year old. Get the meat out of the fridge, get the ingredients you forgot, or the pan to cook your meat in. Any of those activities will work. Turn around and to your horror your rigatoni dinner has now become a soup because your 2 year old has dumped EVERY can within reach into you pot of rigatoni and has shook about a table spoon of salt in as well!!!

Ok. Calm down. This is where the other ingredients come in. Dump all you frozen veggies in the pot, peel and cut up your carrots into disks, put them in the pot, dump your beans in, and brown your beef. When the meat is browned use you spatula to scoop you meat into the pot. At this point you may need to add a couple more cups of water. Dice up an onion and put it in you greasy beef pan. Cook the onion until carmalized then add them into your soup. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste.

Turn the stove down to low and let simmer for about 20 min.

This recipe makes a lot of soup so you will have left overs and might want to freeze some!

We serve it with garlic bread and it's yummy!!