Minky Chenille Stroller Blanket

Minky Chenille Stroller Blanket 

I found a beautiful minky chenille blanket in a boutique so I decided to try and make a similar blanket as a Christmas present for my new baby love Raegan:)  I absolutely love this style blanket for baby.  The minky chenille fabric is silky soft and easy to work with.  The dimensions for the blanket are 31" x 31" which is a great size to use in the stroller or to layout for playtime on the floor.

31" x 31" Stroller Blanket 

Minky Fabric and Quilt Batting 

Supplies: 

Minky chenille fabric (approximately 2 yards) 

Quilt batting 

Sewing machine

Cotton thread

Straight pins

Measuring board or tape

Fabric scissors or rotary cutter 

Pre-wash and dry the chenille fabric to pre-shrink before sewing.  

Measure and cut two chenille fabric pieces and one batting piece to measure 31" long by 31" wide.  

Measure and cut fabric and batting pieces to measure 31" x 31" 

Layer the three layers of fabric by placing the batting on the bottom, the chenille fabric face up and then the second chenille piece on top face down.  Place pins along the edges of the three layers to secure.  

Layer fabric pieces and pin along edges to secure 

Straight stitch along the edges of three of the four sides individually.  Make sure to secure the thread at the end of each stitch by sewing forward all the way to the end and then sewing a few stitches in reverse and forward to the end again.

Once three of the sides are sown, sew the fourth side starting in the middle leaving an opening approximately  8 inches wide in order turn the fabric pieces right side out.

Once the fabric pieces are turned inside out, be sure to straighten out the corners.  Then pin the open space closed and use that as your starting point to top stitch along the perimeter of the blanket carefully curving around each corner in order to secure the three layers.  For my top stitch, I used a wavy stitch.

Wavy Stitch 

Minky Chenille Stroller Blanket

Pink Minky Chenille Blanket:) 

This pink minky blanket was the perfect addition to baby Raegan's Christmas gifts! This blanket was surprisingly simple to make and a warm and comfy gift for anyone! The warm batting adds an extra layer of warmth while strolling around in the Winter weather:)

Lauren

Engagement Ornament!

My sister Nora and her wonderful boyfriend Philip are getting married! Philip is an amazing person and the perfect addition to our family!  I am so excited to have a new brother and I wanted to make them a special keepsake for their engagement so I decided to paint them an ornament:)  As Nora and Philip hang the monogrammed keepsake on their Christmas tree each year, they can reminisce about the special night in December that they got engaged!

Engagement Ornament:) 

Engaged! 

Supplies 

Supplies:

• Glass ball ornament
• Paint markers
• Stencils
• Pencil 
• Ribbon or tulle

Use stencils and a pencil to trace letters across ornament

This ornament was fun and very simple to make! Using some alphabet stencils and a dull pencil,  I traced "Engaged!", their initials and a heart across the front of the ornament.  I also traced the year along the back side of the ornament. 

NBG <3 PRR 

Once the letters and heart were in place, I used a silver sharpie to color in the stencil lines.  I used the lid from my marker box to sit the ornament to dry.  Paint markers are great because they are really easy to use and dry rather quickly.  I decided to add their initials instead of their first names to the ornament because Philip loves monograms! 

I used a pearl white sharpie to embellish the ornament with polka dots to add some extra sparkle! I added a white tulle bow to the top and the ornament was perfect! 

NBG + PRR 

Engaged! 

This gorgeous ornament was the perfect addition to the happy couple's engagement gifts and it is just so pretty hanging on the Christmas tree! I am in love with this gift and a few of my good friends got engaged for the holidays so I may be painting more ornaments in the near future to add to their engagement gifts:) 

Lauren

Oh Baby! Ribbon Blanket

Fleece and Chenille Ribbon Blanket for Baby

Ribbon Blanket

Oh Baby! I decided to make these soft and cuddly "taggie" ribbon blankets for the new loves in my life! The  textured silky and smooth ribbons offer comfort by providing sensory stimulation and promote fine motor development.  It can be attached to the little one's stroller or car seat and is machine washable.  Each of my blankets measure 13" by 13" which is a nice size for baby. 

Colorful Elephants:)

Dinosaurs

Supplies to create one ribbon blanket:

• Soft fleece fabric
• Soft chenille fabric
• Warm and Natural Quilt Batting
• Ribbon pieces (approximately 24 ribbons of different textures)
• Sewing Machine
• Cotton Thread
• Pins
• Scissors
• Measuring tape or board

Pre-wash and dry the fleece and chenille fabric to pre-shrink before sewing.

Measure and cut the fleece, chenille and batting to measure approximately 13" wide by 13" long each. 

Measure and Cut Fabrics 13"x 13"

Cut each ribbon piece to measure approximately 6 inches long.  I used a variety of textures and colors to coordinate with my fabrics.  I looped some of the ribbons before pinning and I left some of the ribbons straight or criss-crossed.  I used 6 ribbons per side, spaced approximately every two inches. 

Cut each ribbon to measure 6 inches long

Pin the ribbons along the edges of the fleece fabric (pattern side up) with the raw edges facing out.

Pin ribbons 2 inches apart, 6 ribbons per side

Once the ribbons are pinned in place, layer the three pieces of fabric.  Placing the batting on the bottom, the fleece pattern side up and the chenille placed on top with the pattern side down.  Place pins along the edges of the three layers to secure.

Layer fabric pieces and pin along edges to secure

Straight stitch along the edges of three of the four sides individually.  Make sure to secure the thread at the end of each stitch by sewing forward all the way to the end and then sewing a few stitches in reverse and forward to the end again.

Once three of the sides are sown, sew the fourth side starting in the middle leaving an opening in the middle between the two center ribbons in order turn the fabric pieces right side out.

Pin the open space closed and use that as your starting point to top stitch along the perimeter of the blanket carefully curving around each corner in order to secure the three layers.  For my top stitch, I used a wavy stitch. 

These blankets are challenging but very fun to make! So soft and colorful they are a wonderful gift for little ones:) 

Elephant Ribbon "Taggie" Blanket

Ribbon Blanket for Baby:) 

Lauren

Turkey Puppets

Paper Bag Turkey:)

 We had a blast this week making these adorable turkey puppets! This activity focused cutting, pasting, spatial awareness, body awareness, fine motor and gross motor skills. 

 



Turkey Puppet

Supplies:

• Paper bag
• Brown tissue paper
• Construction paper (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white, black)
• Scissors
• Glue Stick
• Turkey template

Turkey Template:



Paper Bag Turkey Puppet Template



 

After my students finished making their turkey puppets, they had fun flying them around the therapy gym while singing our favorite turkey songs:)

Favorite Turkey Songs:



Hello Mr. Turkey

("If you're happy and you know it")

Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?!

Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?!

With a gobble, gobble, gobble

and a wobble, wobble, wobble

Hello, Mr. Turkey how are you?

Hello, Mr./Ms. (insert student's name here), how are you?!

Hello, Mr./Ms. (insert student's name here), how are you?!

With a gobble, gobble, gobble

and a wobble, wobble, wobble

Hello, Mr./Ms. (insert student's name here) how are you?!
 

 

The Turkey Ran Away

("The Farmer and the Dell")

The turkey ran away

Before Thanksgiving Day.

He said they'll make a roast of me,

If I decide to stay!

Turkey Puppets

 

Happy Thanksgiving!
Lauren

Sweet Baby! Cotton Burp Cloth Tutorial

Sweet Baby! With a few little ones scheduled to arrive any day now, I am a busy bee sewing my little heart out.  I saw a set of these darling burp cloths in a boutique window.  Since these cloths are such an adorably useful gift I decided to try to make a few sets for my soon-to-be Mom friends:)

Sweet Baby Cotton Burp Cloths

Supplies:

• Cloth diapers (I purchased 6 ply, pre-folded which are absorbent and durable)
• Cotton fabric 
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Cardboard
• Iron
• Spray starch
• Measuring tape or board

Supplies: cloth diapers, fabric and ribbon

Pre-wash and dry the cloth diapers in order to pre-shrink.  I used my iron to eliminate any wrinkles. 

To create an ironing template, cut out a 4" x 18" cardboard piece from a cardboard box. I used thin cardboard from the top of a shirt box. 

 4 inches wide

18 inches long

Cardboard ironing template (4 "x 18")  

Cut the fabric to fit the width of the center strip of the diaper.  Be sure to measure the fabric pieces to be slightly larger than the cardboard piece with each fabric piece measuring approximately 6" x 19".

Fabric measuring approximately 6 "x 19"

Place the fabric face down with the cardboard piece on top in the middle. Then lightly spray starch along the edges of fabric. Fold the fabric over the edges of the template in order to create a straight edge around the perimeter with the corner pieces tucked in neatly. 

Iron fabric using template

Crisp fabric edges

Remove the template and place the fabric along the center of the cloth with the pattern side up and the edges tucked.  Pin the edges in place. 

Pin fabric in place

Stitch along the edges.  I used a zig-zag stitch with the tension on the machine set at approximately 4, the stitch length set at 2 and the stitch width set at 3.  According to my sewing bible, for a neat zig-zag stitch the tension should be set at 4 or less with a stitch length set at 3 or below.

Zig-zag stitch along pin line

As a finishing touch, measure a coordinating ribbon strip to fit each end of the cloth.  Carefully straight stitch along the edges of the ribbon to secure.


Stitch along edges of ribbon

Ribbon added to edges
 

These burp cloths are such a fun gift and will definitely come in handy for the new Moms!  My sewing skills are less than perfect and I definitely am learning as I am sewing along but my burp cloths turned out so cute and were the perfect addition to my baby gifts:)

Cotton Burp cloths:)

Burp Cloth Sets

Sweet Baby Burp Cloths:)

Lauren

Gobble,Gobble! Turkey Lacing

Gobble, Gobble! My students have been having a terrific time with turkeys all month long! They had a blast lacing up some wild and crazy turkeys last week:) Lacing is a challenging and creative activity that promotes the development of the fine motor and visual motor skills needed to perform functional tasks.  Lacing promotes bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination, grip strength, finger dexterity, spatial awareness, sequencing steps, and accuracy. 


Gobble, Gobble!

Supplies:

• Turkey template
• construction paper (red, orange, yellow, white, black, brown) 
• yarn
• hole punch
• newspaper or tissue paper
• tape
• glue stick

Turkey Lacing Template

 

Turkey Lacing:)

Preparation:  For my lacing projects, each student's gets two templates identically hole punched and tied together through one of the holes with a piece of yarn long enough to lace in a front-to-back pattern along the template.  For example, if you are preparing this activity for 20 students, you will need 40 paper turkeys and 20 pieces of yarn cut to fit.

After the turkey bodies are cut, hole punched and with a generous piece of yarn.  Don't forget to add a small piece of tape to the end of each yarn piece so it will be easier to manage and to thread through the holes.  As you can see, I try to incorporate cutting practice into most treatment activities so for this project I decided to cut the eyes, beak, gobbler, wings and feet and trace 6 feathers per turkey on red, orange, and yellow construction paper for the students to cut out themselves.  

Intervention: The students begin by lacing their turkeys.  It is important that the student's focus on lacing each hole, sequencing one-at-a-time in a clockwise (or counter clockwise) pattern and remembering to pull the string fully through each hole so there is enough yarn to lace through the whole pattern.  I usually cue my students to continue lacing along the pattern until there are only about 3 open holes toward the top.  

Next, give each student a piece of newspaper to tear into small pieces, crumble and stuff into the turkey...kind of like stuffing the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.  I love this part of the activity because it really targets bilateral coordination and motor planning and the kids really love tearing the paper and stuffing the turkey to be fat and tasty!  


After stuffing the turkey, lace the remaining holes, secure with a knot or bow and trim away excess yarn.  Have the students use scissors to cut out the traced feathers. Once the feathers are cut out,  have the students use a glue stick to paste turkey's body parts; working on spatial awareness and sequencing.  Throughout this part of the activity I am usually giving cues as to where the body parts go, such as singing ('Mat Man' cues)  "The turkey has two eyes, two eyes, two eyes, the turkey has two eyes so that he can see" OR "The eyes go at the top, the eyes go at the top, high-ho did you know, the eyes go at the top.  So that he can see, so that he can see, high-ho did you know, the eye go at the top.  

Wild Turkeys!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!
 

For my students working on written communication, they had fun creatively writing about their little turkeys!

Turkeys!

Gobble, Gobble! Crazy Turkeys!

Wacky Turkey!

 
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lauren