Things of a Practical Nature

When I first started sewing, I was caught up in a flurry of making "pretties," i.e. things that are nice to look at but really don't serve a purpose. My daughter has plenty of clothing but I couldn't help but make one more skirt, or one more frilly little top.  I caroused craft blogs and bookmarked at least a hundred projects, none of which were particularly useful. And though there is absolutely nothing wrong with sewing for pure pleasure, my sewing machine has been whipping out things of a more practical nature...for now anyways!

• Pajamas, pajamas, and more pajamas. A new set at Target costs $10. I can make them for around $5, less if the fabric is thrifted. And at the rate my kids grow, they need new pajamas every couple of months.

• A CD holder. My daughter has amassed a small collection of children's music CD's that she listens to on a daily basis. However, those jewel cases they come in are tricky for her little fingers and she ends up scratching them when she tries to put them back. This soft case is just the ticket.

• Napkins. We are officially a paper towel free family (YEAH!) but this means my initial stash of cloth napkins is nowhere NEAR big enough to accommodate our everyday messes without me having to do a load of kitchen laundry every single day. Scrap fabric and a zigzag stitch. Problem solved.

• Rice therapy bag. I talked about this in my last post but we've found this practical little project is good not just for women's troubles, but for that groin muscle I pulled whilst trying to keep up with Jillian Michaels. Ouch.

• A new clothespin bag. This is hardly a "project." It's just an outgrown, button-down shirt with a single seam across the bottom. It took literally thirty seconds. But with my clothespins safely concealed in my new bag, I'm hoping my children are less likely to  a) throw them from the top of the swing set b) throw them at me while I try to hang laundry and c) throw them at each other while they play "monster."