Make an Easy Map Table

 Hello Readers. I am always looking for ways to sneak educational things into my kids lives. This idea for a map table came about because I wanted to hang a big map of the world but I did not have anywhere large enough to hang it. I attached the map to the table so we can see it everyday at meal times and we will learn some geography. 

Attach a map to a table top.  

I got this map from Amazon. You can choose any map you like. You might want a map of the country instead of the world. The important thing about this map is that it is laminated. A paper map is going to get dirty and you can't wipe the paper clean like you can this laminated surface. This map is very close in size to my table. Your table will vary in size. That is OK. You want a map that is very close to the edge of your table on all sides, or the map can be larger and you can cut off the excess. 

 

I unrolled the map and put some items on top to hold it down while I checked the size. My map was wide enough to just reach the edges of my table. That was perfect. It was too tall for my table so I would need to cut it to fit. 

Next, I got some very sturdy shipping tape. I wanted it to be clear so the map would show through it. I did not use cellophane tape because it would be too narrow. I also don't think it would be strong enough to handle daily washing and cleaning up after meals. Shipping tape is wider and more sturdy.

 

I tried to get close to the tape with my camera as I attached it to the table so you could see. I taped one side of the map to the table to start with. This side was the right size and I wanted to hold the map in place on the table for my next steps. I used a long piece of tape and placed the tape right centered on the edge of the table. That way half the tape is on the map and half is folded down and stuck on the side of the table. This will protect the edge of the map from spills and clean-ups. (*Note- This tape could damage a painted or finished wood table. My table is metal on the sides so it will be fine.Test the finish of your table in a spot that won't be noticeable to see if the tape is safe for your table.)

 

My map was not fully taped in place all around the table yet but it was not moving around. That was what I needed so that I could cut the map to fit my table. The corners of the table are rounded so I cut the corners of my map to match using some craft scissors. It was easy to cut through the map.

 

One side of this map did not fit on my table at all. I cut off all the flags at the bottom of my map. I also had to cut off Antarctica. (My deepest apologies to Antarctica and the scientists working there. Please don't take this personally. I have nothing but love for Antarctica.)

 

Here is another look at the taped edge. I used the shopping tape all the way around the table to keep the edge of the map covered. I got a few little air bubbles under my tape but its OK. The tape is secure. And my kids can still see the world map and learn from it. That is what matters.

 

Here is a child recreating what it would look like to eat breakfast at this table. In reality it would be more messy. You can see my son is sitting around Australia. 

 

Here is a view of the map on my table, or, my map table from above. It turned out great. It cleans up really well. I can still put a tablecloth on top of it if I want to be fancy for a holiday or party. We really like it. Thanks for reading along, now go make something for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pants Using Simplicity 8956

 Hello Readers. I wanted to make some wide leg pants/slacks/trousers. I thought the Simplicity pattern I had would work well. Spoiler- It did work well but I didn't follow it exactly. 

These are comfortable and fun. 

I think I got this fabric from my mother-in-law. I thought it would be perfect, The fabric itself was fabulous but I made some mistakes. Sometimes that happens when I sew, it is what it is. Let me tell you all about it.  

This pattern had large pockets and that was wonderful to me. I love pockets, and large really useful pockets are always welcome. 

 

I cut out the pant legs. This was simple until I cut one leg piece in the wrong direction. It wouldn't be that noticeable in some cases. My fabric has a large pattern so it was going to be visible. At this point, I didn't have enough fabric left to cut a new leg piece. I was a bit put off. I decided to go ahead and make the pants but I would simplify the waistband and skip the matching belt. 

 

I made the pleats and tucks in each pant leg and then I attached the pocket pieces to the pant legs. This was easy. 

 

I sewed the pant legs together. 
 

I used the waist tie to make a waistband. The pattern came with a more complicated waistband and I decided to go with something simpler. 

 

The zipper was supposed to go in the side and I cut the waistband to fit. 

 

I hemmed the length to fit me and I was done. I really liked the wide legs. 

 

I really liked the neutral color scheme. This pattern was a winner. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

 

Made-Up Vest

 Hello Readers. I made some new pants and decided to make a matching vest. The vest gave me the feeling of wearing a suit but the vest was much easier than a suit jacket. 

 

Matchy-matchy!

 

I used this vest as a pattern. It worked pretty well. Vests are so small and simple, they are an easy sewing project.

 

I cut out the back and front pieces. This took no time at all. 

 

I used some iron-on interfacing to make the vest easier to put together. The interfacing makes the fabric a little thicker and stiffer. That makes it easier to deal with.

 

When the interfacing was ironed on, I could sew the side and shoulder seams together. 

 

Here's my new vest. The edges still needed to be finished. 

 

I used bias tape for those cut edges of the vest. 

 

I sewed the bias tape to the edge of the vest. I just stitched on top of the bias tape all around the edges of the vest.

 

Then I turned the edge under and stitched on the outside of the vest all around the edges again. 

 

You can see the way it is sewn here. But the vest is just hanging open...
 

I also used 2 pieces of bias tape to make a tie closure in front of the vest to close it. 

 

Here is the finished outfit. I loved these 2 pieces together. 

 Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very Easy Vogue 9181

 Hello Readers. I made some new dress pants using the Very Easy Vogue 9181 pattern. They seemed simple and had a straight leg shape that I liked. I also had some fabric I wanted to use and this seemed like the perfect choice. Let me show you how it went. Spoiler- It's a great pattern.

New pants! 

Here is a look at the fabric. It was pretty floral pattern. I liked both sides but I think that the blue was the "right" side. It looks like denim but is a bit lighter weight. 

I cut my pattern pieces and fabric out and had high hopes for this pattern. 

 

I had the pant legs and waist band ready to sew together in no time. 

 

This is a look at the pants sewn together. This is the inside, wrong side of the fabric, the yellow side is pretty too though. 

 

I put the waistband together. 

 

I attached the waistband to the pants and stitched the seam down flat. 

 

Here is a look at my finished pants. This was good practice for me because I had to put in a zipper. Zippers are intimidating to me but it went well. Do they look really long? 

 

Yikes, they were way too long. I cut them shorter and made a hem on each leg.

 

I liked the pants a lot. This was a great pattern. They are great by themselves but I will be back tomorrow to tell you about the matching vest I made. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a Stove Apron

 Hello Readers. I like to travel and of course, that means some souvenirs. This tea towel is from Windsor Castle. It is also blue and white, which is my favorite color scheme. I wanted to use it around the house but I did not want my kids get it dirty. What could I do with this towel? Let's make a stove apron or stove skirt. (I got this idea from @literary_stitch on instagram, check her page for more.)

This was a quick and easy project.

 This towel had a horizontal image and that made it perfect for this project. A towel with a simple pattern or design with no writing would work well for this project too. It is going to hang horizontally and not vertically so keep that in my mind when you chose a towel.

I found some white eyelet lace to add to my towel. I wanted to dress my towel up a bit just for fun. I could sew this lace along the bottom of my towel and it would add just the right touch. The cotton lace would be great with the cotton material of the towel.

I sewed the lace under the edge of the towel using a straight stitch on my sewing machine. I held the lace and the towel together as I used a sewed to connect them together. 

 I tucked the ends of the lace under and sewed them to the towel at the same time. I wanted the cut edges oat the end of the lace to be tucked under and sewn in place.  

I also found some ribbon to sew to the top of the towel. I needed a way to tie the towel /stove apron to the oven handle. I chose this wide white ribbon because it will can be tied into really nice, full, large bows along the top of my towel. 

 

I measured across the towel so that I could make my bows evenly placed across the top of the towel. I only had enough of this white ribbon to make 4 bows, so that's what I made. 

 

I pinned the ribbons in place with some straight pins so they would stay where I wanted them while I was sewing them on the towel. 

 

I sewed across the top of the towel right on the edge. I attached the ribbons to the towel with a straight stitch on my sewing machine just like I sewed the lace earlier. 
 

The lace along the bottom of the towel is so pretty. It's just the added charm I wanted. The ribbons are sewn on the top in their centers so I can tie them on my oven handle. 

 

I tied my bows onto my stove. The ribbons looked just as good as I had hoped. I wanted a feminine cottage-core look. This worked out great. 

 

Check out these pretty bows!!

 

This is a really cute touch in my kitchen. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.