Jack Danielle The Ripper

I'm all about taking things that would be deemed useless and giving them new life. Why throw something out or keep it in the back of a closet when it could be fixed or altered in some way?

Sometimes it only requires taking out a seam ripper! I don't know about you, but taking out a seam ripper is much easier than dragging out my sewing machine, filling a bobbin, threading the needle, and finding a way to amuse a very curious two year old.

I recently received several hand-me-downs for Thérèse. She now has some of the most adorable clothing! You should have seen me looking through bags, it felt like Christmas! Anyway, I pulled out this one dress that I absolutely fell in love with, then I noticed it. Across the front it read "Flirt." I don't know about you, but I'm hoping to keep my little girl from being labeled as a "flirt" for as long as possible (if not forever). So...out came the seam ripper! And now, we have the most perfect dress that I am very excited for my little girlie to wear.
After a day of wearing this "new" dress, I discovered that one of the snaps didn't hold properly. My mother-in-law suggested taking a hammer to it. I have to admit that I was extremely skeptical, but what else was I to do? Boy was I excited when it actually worked!! If you have a snap that isn't working correctly, hammer the knobby side, you'll be happy you did!

A few days ago, Hubby was running around trying to leave for work and somehow he got the pocket of his dress shirt stuck and ripped a hole in it. I looked at it and there was no way for me to salvage the pocket and still have it look professional. So...out came the seam ripper! He now has a pocketless dress shirt, but who really needs a pocket anyway?

What do you have laying around the house that could be used again with the help of a seam ripper??

Homemade Moby Wrap

With the arrival of our new little girl, Thérèse, I have been having fun finding new ways to carry a newborn. I didn't really get into baby-wearing with Peter until he was a few months old, so this has been an exciting adventure!

I started off using a pouch sling and a ring sling. They worked well, but definitely haven't been my ideal solution. I then decided to venture into trying out something like a Moby Wrap. The only downfall was the price: $40! With my crazy money saving ways, I headed to the fabric store.

After plenty of searching, I found the perfect 100% cotton jersey knit fabric! A wonderful tan (a nice neutral color) with sparkles throughout!! Yes, sparkles. Every girl needs a little extra flair and sparkles always do the trick! The best part of my beautiful fabric, it was in the clearance section and I was able to buy enough fabric to make two new wraps for only $7.50 each!!

So how do you make this wonderful wrap? Well, it doesn't even have to include sewing! Does it get any easier than that?

You'll need:

• Any jersey knit fabric (t-shirt material). I prefer 100% cotton as it breathes better than anything with polyester. You'll need 5-6 yards depending on your size (I'm an average size and went with 5.5 yards).

     
Most fabric comes in a 45" width, but you'll only need half of this width for your wrap. Cut down the entire length of the fabric. VOILA! You're done. Yes, it was that easy. You now have a new wrap for yourself and for a friend! Or one for the car and another for the diaper bag.

To finish your wrap further, you can hem the sides (although knit doesn't fray, so it isn't really necessary). I haven't done so yet, but I'm planning on tapering the ends of my fabric. This will help with tying the final knot when wearing the wrap (although this also isn't necessary).

How to wear your new wrap: Wearing Instructions