Click here for the instructions in PDF format for quick and easy printing – requires a new or updated version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Click here for the pattern piece(s) – requires a new or updated version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Havf a Heart™ Heart Ornament or pincushion in 2 sizes ©Tracy L. Chapman & Sew Thankful Inc. December 2011.  All rights reserved. Permission to copy and distribute this complimentary pattern at no charge to others, for personal or NON-PROFIT use, for guild and group projects is granted provided all copyright information and references to Sew Thankful are kept in tact one each and every pattern copy printed/distributed. Permission is also granted to individual crafters (doing their own sewing themselves)  to make reasonable quantities of finished items to sell at individual craft fairs, boutiques, etc. If quilt or sewing shops wish to share this pattern with their customers, permission is granted provided that a COMPLETE printed copy of this entire pattern with all copyright information and all references to www.sewthankful.com  is included along with the finished item at NO CHARGE for the pattern itself other than a nominal fee to cover cost of paper and toner. Pattern may be included in a prepared kit that is sold , subject to all the previous requirements. For any other use, please contact tracy@sewthankful.com to obtain the appropriate permission and/or licensing. Use of this pattern is voluntary. End user assumes all risk. Neither Tracy L. Chapman nor Sew Thankful Inc. shall have  any liability with respect to loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this project.   SEW THANKFUL and the SEW THANKFUL logo are a federally registered Trademark/Service Mark of Sew Thankful Inc. Sign up for the FREE eNews at www.sewthankful.com for notice of future complimentary projects.

Make your ornament as plain or fancy as you desire.

Make it plain! You can use a single fabric (all 4 hearts the same color) or go scrappy with all 4 hearts different fabrics.  Make it fancy! You can make a truly special, customized ornament by using a solid fabric as one side (half) of the heart. Use the plain side as your canvas!  Embroider a name, date or special message. Or draw, paint, write, appliqué, embellish with beads, buttons, silk ribbon or hand embroidery, or other creative, personal, artful ideas.

Please read entire pattern carefully all the way through at least once before you cut or sew.

Two Sizes – Finished Measurements:

• Large – approximately 4.75” high x 5” wide, depending on how full you stuff it
• Small – approximately 3.5” high x 3.5” wide, depending on how full you stuff it

Materials required for EACH ornament: 

Click here for the project instructions in PDF format for quick and easy printing – requires a new or updated version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Click here for the pattern piece(s) – requires a new or updated version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The Sugar Puff Kitty Collar sewing pattern will teach you how to make custom kitty collar patterns out of fabric!

Make them pieced & scrappy…or not.  Sew fun, you won’t want to stop with just one.  A great way to use up fabric scraps and give your kitty a stylin’ new look!

Pattern includes:

• Instructions for making 3 sizes of Kitty Collars (petite/kitten, medium/cat, grande/large cat)
• Hints and tips for using scraps to make “pieced” collars.
• LOADS of color pictures and thorough to instructions lead you step-by-step
• Permission for you to make and sell as many finished collars as you desire

Bonus features:

• Download is instantaneous upon purchase, no waiting for the delivery man
• No backorders…it’s always in stock
• No shipping fees for downloads!

Pattern uses Bosal Dura Fuse #334 and Cat Collar Hardware

Sugar Puff Kitty Collar Sewing Pattern

I don’t know how old these bar stool are. They belonged to Jeff long before we got married. Our sons love to sit on them to eat breakfast at the kitchen bar/counter. But the nasty fake pleather had become split and crackled and looked plain old UGLY. It was driving me crazy.

Finally, after being on my to do list for nearly 3 years, I finished the covers last night. Here are a couple pics:

close-up of the quilted fabric

Jeff and the boys love the new covers and I’m SO happy not to see that old crackly, split pleather anymore. They are removable — I simply added a casing around the bottom hem of the circumference band and inserted elastic. Now when the covers get dirty I can pull them off and just toss into the washer & dryer.

I did not use a pattern, I just quilted up some fun stash fabric using pretty Rainbows thread…then I made it up as I went along and we really like how they turned out. It was much easier and faster than I imagined. Looking back, I can’t believe I put it off so long.

The back story: When I tore my ACL and discovered surgery would be required to repair it, I learned that I would soon begin a love affair with ice packs. A friend whose son had a meniscus repair a year or so ago told me how to make my own ‘slushy ice pack’ that would be more malleable around the knee.  I gave it a try and discovered how fantastic these homemade ice packs really are. Only…I absolutely hated wrapping them in a towel.  The towel would slip and not stay securely on the pack.

Solution: Make my own Terry Cloth cover for each size.

©Tracy L. Chapman & Sew Thankful Inc. April 2010. All rights reserved.

User assumes all risk. Tracy L. Chapman & Sew Thankful Inc. shall have no liability with respect to loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this project.

Click here for a printable PDF of this project (requires Acrobat Reader).

Please read entire pattern carefully all the way through before beginning.

Two Sizes – Finished Measurements:

• Large – approximately 12” wide x 12” tall
• Small – approximately 8” wide x 9” tall

Materials required for each ice pack and cover:

Instructions:

Prepare Ice Pack Insert:

• Combine Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol and water in 1^st double zipper freezer bag.  Carefully remove excess air from bag and close seal.  Place this bag inside the 2^nd double zipper freezer bag with seal at the opposite end.  Remove excess air from 2^nd bag and seal zipper.

• Use a permanent marker and label the bag “DO NOT EAT, DRINK OR INGEST”

Label Ice Pack Insert & Double Bag Solution

• Place pack in freezer several hours or until needed – the alcohol will prevent a super hard freeze, allowing the pack to be “slushy” and malleable.  If your freezer temperature setting is extremely low, the pack may become pretty hard over time.  Simply allow pack to set at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before use and pack will become more slushy and malleable.

Prepare Ice Pack Cover:

Prewash and preshrink Terry Cloth and cut to size(s) specified.

Determine which end will be the top/flap end of the Terry Cloth cover and “round” corners on this end, as shown.

• Hint:  Use a plate, roll of tape or any solid, flat, round object to achieve a nice, even rounded edge.

Fold ‘Accent Strip’ in half lengthwise with right sides out, match up raw edges and press.

Align raw edges of Accent Strip with raw edges of bottom of Terry Cloth, stitch using a ¼” seam allowance.

Press, fold snugly over to the other side and topstitch down.

• Optional:  Topstitch with decorative threads using a zigzag or decorative stitch.

Center and sew in ‘soft’ side of Hook & Loop Tape parallel to the Accent Strip, butted flush alongside the accent strip.

Center and sew in hard side of Hook & Loop Tape on opposite end and opposite side of Terry Cloth approximately 1/2” from top (raw) edge of Terry Cloth.

I recommend using a thread that matches/blends with the towel color for this. Doing so will help make the stitching less noticeable on the reverse side which will be seen when the flap is folded over.

Bring bottom (accent) edge of towel up toward top (raw) edge of Terry Cloth:

• For large size, place 3” below and parallel to top edge, pin to secure placement.
• For small size, place 2” below and parallel to top edge, pin to secure placement.

Press Binding Strip ¼” under (to the wrong side) on one narrow end.

Fold Binding Strip in half lengthwise matching raw edges with right sides out and press.

Flip the cover over.

Align folded/pressed narrow end of binding strip at one folded edge of Terry Cloth cover (raw edges out/aligned) and pin binding all the way around, as shown.

Note: As you pin, pull and re-position the previously placed pins from the other side.

Use a ¼” seam allowance and begin stitching on binding.  Continue sewing up one side, around the top and down the other side toward the opposite folded edge of Terry Cloth.

Stop stitching approximately 3” from the folded edge.  Backstitch to secure stitching.  Remove from sewing machine.

Measure and cut binding strip approximately ¼” longer than the folded edge of Terry Cloth.

Press the new end of binding under ¼”. Refold in half, align with edge of Terry Cloth cover, press again.

Binding Tail Turned Under 1/4"

Return to sewing machine and continue stitching all the way down to the end. Backstitch to secure.

Press binding toward the outside.

Press to the outside. Inspect seam all the way around to make certain all layers are sewn in the seam. Trim excess/bulky Terry Cloth from seam allowance (no more than 1/16^th – 1/8^th inch / do NOT cut too close to seam).

Clip curves carefully to reduce puckering (be careful not to cut into stitched seam).

Wrap binding around Terry Cloth edge snugly and press. Pin if necessary to secure, easing around the curved flap edges. Topstitch close to edge to secure all the way around. Return to sewing machine and continue stitching all the way down to the end. Backstitch to secure.

If desired, add decorative top-stitching all the way around for additional seam strength and visual interest.

Option: Add Decorative Top Stitching

Store your cover(s) in a location you will remember.  When you need to use your icepack, simply pull it out of the freezer, insert it into the cover and ENJOY the cooling sensation.  When finished, remove the cover and return icepack to freezer. This icepack can last years.

Note: Inspect icepack for leakage with each use.  If signs of leakage occur, simply re-bag the liquid in two new heavy Ziploc Freezer Bags.

The cover is machine washable – For best results, press hook and loop tape together securely to prevent snagging on other laundry items. Recommend cool wash, medium heat dryer.

Idea:  Consider adding embroidery (monogram or other designs, perhaps) or appliqué to the Terry Cloth for extra decorative interest.

Click here for a printable PDF of this project (requires Acrobat Reader).

©Tracy L. Chapman & Sew Thankful Inc. April 2010. All rights reserved.

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I have always loved the saying, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

On January 11th I tore my left ACL (a very important ligament in the knee).  This incident forced me to spend a few days on crutches.  I immediately disliked their cold, hard nakedness and lack of character.

You could say my whole world changed.  All of a sudden, I had to really consider how to move  from point A to point B.  I learned quickly that it’s virtually impossible to carry anything very far when you’re on crutches. Even slinging a bag or  backpack was difficult and made movement awkward and uncomfortable.  Fortunately, I only had to be on the crutches for just a few days after the initial injury; although I learned I would be spending 2 – 3 weeks on crutches after my ACL repair surgery.

An idea seed was planted.

I did many web searches and found several different types of bags that could be fastened on to the crutches, but that was not what I had in mind.

I envisioned a sort of crutch cover or coat–a sort of crutch couture.  Why couldn’t crutches wear a functional coat (with pockets, pouches, etc. built in)?  Why couldn’t this coat for crutches express an attitude or character of the person?

With my impending surgery, I got to work on my own original design from scratch. I sketched and planned and altered and brainstormed. I picked out some fun flame fabric and quilted it up on Max (my longarm).

Design features a lower water bottle pocket with elasticized top edge.

Zippered pocket

So far, I have to say that I love my Quilted Crutch Coats™.

Design note:  The water bottle pocket was put on only one of the coats. But I put a zippered pocket on both.  Now it’s easy for me to carry my water bottle  and all of the essential items I normally would carry in my purse. So I don’t bother with a purse for now and that means I don’t have to worry about a bag swinging around and throwing me off balance.

Last but not least, the “attitude” of the soft, squishy quilted fabric coat cheers me up. It is also a wonderful icebreaker and conversation piece.

My surgery was on Wednesday (March 3rd).  It went very well and I am pleased to report that over the next few weeks I will put my design to a REAL test.  I’m making notes on possible additional features and/or design improvements.

When life hands me lemons I try my best to make lemonade.

Constructive comments are welcome.

©Tracy L. Chapman March 2010. All rights reserved.