Welcome to My Modest Blog!

I've always been a crafty person. I love the visual arts and just like to create things. I tend to stare at each item in awe when it is complete... thinking "I made this!?" Call me a hopeless romantic, but the old days had it right in many ways, including traditional homemaking. I've been hobby sewing and crafting since I was a little girl. But in recent years, I found it necessary to sew clothes for my girls to keep them modestly dressed. While nursing my babies, I began making nursing covers for myself and friends. I've also done furniture restoration, crocheting, baking, painting/drawing, photography and more. Enjoying these feminine crafts and other projects has made me want to share my ideas and talents.

I hope to provide you with great ideas and quality products that will "keep you covered!" Some items will be available at an Etsy Shop. Also enjoy my tips and examples on this blog!
Showing posts with label Thrifty Thursday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thrifty Thursday. Show all posts

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Adventures in Cloth Diapering

After using disposable diapers on my first 4 children, I didn’t think starting cloth diapering would pay off. Also, I just wasn’t ready for the idea of it. But now pregnant with our 6th child, I’m all set for a cloth diapering adventure with my almost two year old and newborn when she arrives. Why? We need to save money and we hope to potty train earlier than age 4! Everyone has their reasons, but those are our top two.

Cloth Diapering - Changing Table Setup
So after hours of surfing online at Craigslist.org, DiaperSwapper.com, GreenMountianDiapers.com as well as many other websites – came up with all of this. When all is said and done, diapering supplies for two children will have cost us around $350 or so. Depending how crazy I get with sewing more!

Cloth Diapering - Changing Table Setup
People know how much I love to be organized. I can’t wrap my head around any concept if it’s not organized. After wasting time looking at thrift shops for baskets, I broke down and bought cheap but new containers at Walmart. The two white and two green baskets cost $10. Glad I did. Found in the kitchen and office supplies. The blue basket was a gift my sister found in the Target dollar section once upon a time. It works nicely.

Cloth Diapering - ML ContainerCloth Diapering - Newborn Container
We chose to use prefolds and covers for our children, fitteds at night with doublers. Why? I guess I love the natural, soft cotton fiber against their little bums and how easy it will be to wash and dry these. Our son, age 20 months, has this stash of gently used quality prefolds (26), size large, and Flip and Econobum diaper covers. Our daughter, due Mar 2014, has Econobum prefolds (24), Snappis sz 1, and diapers covers from Econobum, Flip and WAHM (RattleMyCrib).

Cloth Diapering - Night Fitteds ContainerCloth Diapering - Pad Covers Container
The bottom bins hold our extra prefolds, fitteds and changing pad covers. The fitteds (contour diapers with snaps and elastic) are intended for nighttime wear. They are gently used MotherEase, Tiny Tush and Kissaluvs. Some have doublers, but I know I’ll need to make more. I hope to order some hemp fleece from DiaperSewingSupplies.com. I also plan to sew a few of my own, especially newborn size, using all the awesomely free patterns at Prefold2Fitted’s blog.

Sewing ProjectsThe Co-Sleeper Bed Pad
I made several waterproof pads for co-sleeping and diaper changing. Basically it’s a square of flannel backed with white PUL (PolyUrethane Lined), leakproof fabric. To make the typical changing pad cover, I used stretchy cotton jersey and fitted with elastic using measurements of my foam pad. I’d love to make one or more for you!

Cloth Diapering - Wipes ContainerCloth Diapering - Wipes
I never thought I’d like butt wipes so much! I told my husband if we’re going to cloth diaper, we’re going the whole nine yards with it. Wipes included. My friend advised me to size these prewashed/shrunk at least the size of my hand. Our monster poop wipes are flannel lined with terry, and pee wipes are flannel doubled. So easy to sew on a serger, my young daughter might be making more for me. I’ll be filling a spray bottle (tucked away between uses) filled with water and essential oils (Melaleuca Oil for us) to spray onto the wipes when ready to use.

Cloth Diapering - Wet Bag on Changing TableCloth Diapering - Pail Liner
Where do I plan on throwing all of these diapers? For basic wet diapers, they’ll go into a wet bag attached to the side of the changing table. Others will be rinsed in the toilet and thrown into this Dekor diaper pail (CL find $10) fitted with a pail liner I made.
Cloth Diapering - Pail LinerCloth Diapering - Pail Liner
I followed the directions from RunsWithSpatulas Blog: Wet Bags and Pail Liners
Cloth Diapering - Wet Bag

Not sure if we’re going to cloth diaper on the go, but I am totally ready for it. Only difference is we’ll be taking along disposable wet-wipes. (In our Thirty-One Organizing Utility Tote) It has a few fitteds, prefolds, covers, changing pad, wet bag and wipes.
Cloth Diapering - Diaper Bag Packed

Hoping I can share my fluffy cloth diaper butt photos with you all very soon! In the meantime, my hubby will be working on building a clothesline for me before the frost sets in the ground!



Saturday, June 22, 2013

My Super Heroes


Some days it is a tossup whether us parents or our children are the bigger fans of the super hero movies. But there is no doubt that our 3 year old is dead set on being a super hero now and when he grows up.

Captain AmericaIron Man Face Painting
Captain America & Iron Man

He loves to wear his store bought costumes, but they just don't last. So I decided to create a T-shirt costume that they could wear most days, even in town. Here they are!

Iron Man Tshirt Design by Modest MommiesIron Man Tshirt Design by Modest MommiesThor Tshirt Design by Modest Mommies

Iron Man
Red T-shirt, stitch on triangle or circle shaped chest reactor.
Store-bought mask and gloves.
(Crocheted gloves pattern @ Louie's Loops, or buy on Etsy)

Thor
Black T-shirt, stitch on circle breastplates and belt from pattern below
Attach red satin cape, rouching/gathering at shoulders.

Captain America
Blue T-shirt with star on chest, easy iron-on patches in stores

The IRON ONS
Super Hero T-Shirt Costumes - Cap Amer Iron Man SpideySuper Hero T-Shirt Costumes - THOR
(print the Thor design in reverse)

The girls wanted in on the fun, so I used images I found on Google to make iron-on t-shirts for them. We had My Little Ponies as My Little Avengers, and Hello Kitty as Hello Avengers. You can find so many images mock-avenger teams, from Disney characters, Legos, and more. My son's favorite shirt was iron-ons of the Super Hero Squad characters, with their logo on the shirt pocket. Below is the Lego Avengers.

Lego Avengers Tshirt by Modest Mommies

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Follow my Pinterest board for more Super Hero Fun:

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Portable Fun

Are you a parent like me that wants toys that inspire creative play WITHOUT batteries, noises or expensive replacement parts? I present you with POCKET PEOPLE. I could spend hours making these if I had time! My kids and their friends are having a lot of fun with creating them and role playing.

Steps: Take large craft sticks (tongue depressors, popsicle sticks) and draw/paint characters on them. That's it!
Optional: Decorate with scrapbook paper, decorative tape, stick-on jewels, glitter, etc.

POCKET FRIENDS
Making Friends Dolls
Modest Mandy
Modest Mandy has clothes that are not glued on. They slide on and off for the modest fashion show. She is so much easier to get dressed than all those plastic dolls with arms!

POCKET SAINTS
I haven't made any yet, but it is the same idea using pictures of Saints as inspiration. In the past I made Saints on wood dolls using colored pencils for wood. This is just the flater, cheaper version.

 




POCKET HEROES
Pocket Avengers
You all saw this coming. My family loves the Marvel Avengers movies! I just drew these with marker, sparingly as ink bleeds into the wood. On the back side we wrote the names of each super hero and their other names, such as Tony Stark, Dr. Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers… You could also draw their alternate character on the reverse side!
L-R: Thor, Hulk, Nick Fury, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Widow.


CREATE A STORY BOARD
Save us Iron Man
Save us Iron Man!
Holy Ghost
 
 
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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

HOW TO SEW A GIFT BAG

Sibling Shower
These are simple directions to sewing a gift bag which costs less than a craft store tote and more durable than a paper gift bag. Taking credit for this design myself. Please use freely for your crafty gatherings!



These bags were used as "diaper bag" gift bags at a Sibling Shower. A real hit with the kids.


1. Cut 12” Grosgrain Ribbon for Handle.
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2. Cut fabric on fold 8” by 10” (opens to 8”x20”). Sew together two sides, leaving one 10 inch opening on top.
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3. Sew two bottom corners by first folding into triangles with bottom seam in middle. Sew about 1.5” from tip. Cut off tip. This will create a flat, rectangular bottom of the bag.
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4. Pin Ribbon Handle to center on each side of bag, into folded top seam (about ½ in - width of sewing machine foot).
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5. Stitch seam down middle.
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I chose to first cut all fabric and ribbon. Then sewed step #2 for all. Finally I completed each bag individually. It went rather quickly, sewing 22 bags in about 2 hours. No fussing with closures or liners.

Sibling Shower


Friday, April 15, 2011

Plushie Peeps

100_3597
I found an online tutorial to make plush marshmallow peeps bunny, a perfect toddler gift for Easter. I wanted to share it with you, as it is simple and fun to sew!
The bunny is about the size of an adult hand when complete. I found that stuffing it firmly, it will have more wear and looks best.
 100_3599

Go to this website for a printable pattern and instructions:

http://dandelionsandlace.blogspot.com/2011/03/marshmallow-bunny-plushie.html

marshmallow chick plushie tutorial and pattern
http://dandelionsandlace.blogspot.com/2011/04/marshmallow-chick-plushies.html

Monday, October 4, 2010

My Craft Corner

There was a time when all chaos broke lose in my sewing area. It looked like this:
Project Central aka MstrBr
The curtain hadn’t been hemmed. Piles everywhere, and actually little room for sewing anything. I was just happy to have “my area” for it all. Better than the kitchen table.
But with our house for sale, I had a lot of clean up to do. Now I can get back to orderly crafting? Is there such a thing?
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But messes are an occupational hazard.

Here is my current fabric storage option:
100_2657
It’s a baby changing table/shelf and laundry baskets. Creative, I know. Well, turns out others have used this idea, but I’m pretty happy with myself that I figured it out on my own. :)
I have also used a metal rack shelf behind my door to hold rolls of fabric. That worked okay for awhile. But this and bins under my bed are my best solution thus far.
MBR
SHARE A COMMENT ON MY STORAGE OR TELL US HOW YOU STORE YOUR FABRICS!
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