Jean Quilt Tutorial

It's two weeks into the new year and I've done it!  I've finished a project.  Now, I'm going to leave out the part that it took me three years to complete said project (that's beside the point).  The point is that I. FINISHED. A. PROJECT!

As a mom of three boys, I've learned there is never a shortage of holy jeans.  No, not Sunday jeans!  Jeans with actual holes in them.  My boys (husband included) are the outdoors, rough and tumble type.  I, on the other hand, get thin jeans from my thighs doing their thing.  Before I knew it, I had entire Amazon box full of dysfunctional jeans.  Too holy or worn for a garage sale or donation center, but too much potential to just throw away.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have trouble throwing items in the trash to begin with, especially items that could be made into something new and awesome.

I don't know how or why this idea came to my mind (probably subconsciously with the help from the interwebs), but I decided to make bed quilts for my sons.  At the time, I only had two sons, thus two blankets.  Now, I have three sons, so if I start now, the third quilt will be ready by the time he's in a larger bed.  Anyways, here's what I did...

Jean Quilt Tutorial

1. Cut the jeans into strips.  Cut out the pockets, side seams, and holes.  Don't worry about measurements, just get as much usable fabric out of each pair of jeans.  You'll take care of measurements later.  
2. Sort your jean scraps by width – putting like widths together.
3. Trim strips to make rectangles with 90º corners.  Don't worry about the length.  For the width, make sure you have a stack of strips with like-measurements.  For example, I ended up having a stack of 6", 7", and 8" fabric strips.
4. Determine the finished quilt size.  I measured the boys' mattress and added 6" for each side and the bottom so the finished quilt would hang just a bit off the mattress.
5. Piece quilt.  I'm not sure if this is how regular quilt people (Don't worry, I know they're called quilters.) do this, but I put painters tape in the middle of my living room using my desired finished quilt size.  Then I started laying out quilt strips.  For example, I laid out a row of 6" strips and then a row of 8" quilts.  I kept my rows long and my overall length even longer.  You will lose 1/4" for each seam or 1/2" for each row, so account for this when piecing.  
6. Double-check your quilt top.  Make sure your seams aren't all lined up.  Spread out the variation of jean washes (or keep similar washes together – it's up to you).
7. Start sewing.  Use a jean needed and cotton thread (or your preferred thread and needle).  Sew each strip together with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Iron seams open.  After each strip is sewn together, start sewing rows together with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Keep going until all rows are sewn together.
8. Iron all seams open.
9. Make a quilt sam-ich.  Lay your quilt backing out on the floor, right-side down.  (Side note: Since my jeans were all pre-washed, I decided to pre-wash my quilt backing too.  I didn't want the back to shrink, knowing the front would not.)  Next, lay the batting on the quilt back, followed by the quilt top, right-side up.
10. Pin your quilt sandwich together.  I find this step more tedious than cutting and measuring, so request help company.  I placed pins every 5-8" in all directions.
11. Top stitch your quilt.  Get fancy, or not.  I stitched the ditch and then did an additional stitch on each side.  Use a walking foot to prevent gathering.
12. Trim quilt down to desired finished size.  
13. Optional:  Personalize with name or initials.  I used embroidery thread just through the jean layer.
14. Optional:  After I square the corners and cut off the excess fabric, I like to sew all the way around my quilt, just to keep things together (Side note: If you want to personalize your quilt, do so before sewing around all edges).
15. Prepare binding.  I bought some lightweight jean.  I added 1/2" to my binding width to account for bulk.
16. Bind quilt.  I learned from this tutorial.
17. Trim any loose threads.
18. Tumble in the dryer.  This helps remove any straggling loose thread or batting.
19. Marvel at a job well done.
20. Optional:  Take pictures.  Text said pictures.  Instagram said pictures.  Share said pictures.  I'm pretty sure your family and friends want to see why your sewing machine has been your kitchen table's centerpiece for the past couple months (Yes, I did say months.  Don't judge, it takes me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to finish projects with a full-time job and three kids.  As it turns out, my kids still need me to do stuff for them like feed them meals and such.)

Jean Quilt Photos

Topstitching Complete.

Both Quilts Ready for Binding

I wanted to add a personal touch.

Love the look of the topstitching from the back!

Binding Complete

Confession

This project took me three years to complete.  Yes, THREE YEARS!  

• Year One: Come up with a brilliant idea.  Cut fabric.  Buy all supplies.  Realize that you can't start big projects in December and expect them to be finished by Christmas.
• Year Two:  Stare at unfinished project box.  I really was stalling.  My sewing machine was on its last leg and I did not want it to die on me.
• Year Three:  Buy a beast of a machine.  Nothing was standing in my way, except my lack of motivation.  My wonderful husband helped keep me focused.  We planned sleepovers at the grandparents' houses for quilt-a-thons and worked hard.  He's pretty darn wonderful.  He actually pieced and sewed an entire quilt top, while I was in bed with the flu during one of the aforementioned sleepovers.

All Snuggled Up

Regardless of how long this project actually took, I'm really happy with how these quilts turned out.  My boys love them too.  They snuggle with them every night and drag them to the living room for movie nights and forts.  I can totally see my boys taking these quilts off to college someday, but for now, they are being properly broken in.

What do you like to do with old jeans?  Are you going to try making your own jean quilt?  
Do tell... And don't forget to flaunt those pictures.

Thanks for stopping by!

Leslie-Anne

Pastel Baby Quilt for My Baby "Girl"

When I was pregnant with my last child, I was certain to the core that I was going to have a girl.  So, I bought this adorable fabric by Moda.  The colors are so soft.  The prints have a vintage feel.  These fabrics would make an absolutely adorable baby quilt - perfect for my baby girl.

Well, I am now a proud mother of three beautiful boys. Etsy will have to continue to play the role of creative outlet for all things cute, adorable, and girly.  

My newest baby, Beau, is almost 10-months old. I think it's time to part with this sweet fabric. 

The Mission: Two Baby Quilts

In the past, I've made chevron baby quilts for friends. I like to use fun colors on the front and Minky fabric (so very soft) on the back with a couple tags for texture (babies just love soft, silky things).

For this quilt, I chose to do something simple like strips.  I cut the strips in various heights and arranged them until it looked just right. Then, I sewed and pressed until I got to approximately 40" X 40".  I made my quilt sandwich and started topstitching.  Instead of stitching in the ditch, I sewed next to either side of the seam. Before completing all of the topstitching, I added an appliqué heart made out of leftover Minky. To finish up the quilt, I attached the binding, added eight tags to the back (two on each edge, evenly spread out), turned the binding over, and machine-stitched around the perimeter. I'm still working on perfecting my topstitching and binding, but it's getting better each time.  I just love how the quilts turned out.

Check out these quilts and other adorable things in my Etsy shop, LAnna Banana Handmade.

So sweet.

I like to put a Minky heart on the front of my baby quilts.

I hand-stiched my dear friend's daughter's name to the front.

This binding is adorable.

I added eight tags to the back of the quilts - all different ribbons.

What do you think?  Do tell.

Thanks for stopping by.

Leslie-Anne

Buh-Bye 2015

2015... a year for the books! Let's see, I survived. I now am the proud owner of three little boys, so to make it through the year is quite an accomplishment in itself. 

Other than having a baby, my accomplishments include...

Two weeks later... It is so telling that this is as far as this post got.

Cheers to 2016!

Cloth Diapers are Gross!

I am a total Suzie Homemaker, occasional hipster, urban farmer, and environmentalist.  I drive a Prius, recycle e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, and hang dry my clothes (most days).  I am the epitome of what a true Oregonian is.  To. The. Core.  However, the thought of washing cloth diapers makes me cringe.  It doesn't matter how many disposable diapers would be saved from landfills.  It's just gross and I won't do it.  So, I guess that would make me an occasional environmentalist, because a hard-cord hipster would just suck it up.

My husband and I tried a diaper service with our first born son.  Each week, we got a nice, clean stack of cloth diapers.  We would run the pins through our hair to help them glide through the fabric... the many layers of fabric.  On paper, this sounds so nice and easy, but I left out the part with the screaming, impossibly uncooperative baby.  I left out the part that diaper pins are impossible, it does not matter how many times one slicks them through their hair.  We lasted (correction: my husband lasted) about three weeks.

Two years later, we had another son.  We didn't even try.  This baby screamed more than the first and our stress levels were a bit (understatement) elevated due to raising two little boys.  Excuses, excuses... I know.

Skipping ahead four years, we had yet another son (oy vey).  The thought of trying cloth diapers whooshed out of my mind, just as quickly as the idea stumbled in there.

"There is no way on God's green earth that I will have time to cloth diaper my son, while chasing the older two boys around," I convinced myself.

That was, until my sweet friend nonchalantly told me about her experience.  Diaper services and pins are no longer a required element of the process.  Apparently, there are geniusly designed adjustable diapers that can just go in the wash.  Just as I was about to spit out more excuses as to why cloth diapers aren't for me, she said something that stuck.  She told me that just because you're using cloth diapers, doesn't mean you don't always have to use cloth diapers.

Wait, what?

Going out of town?  Use disposable diapers.  Don't want to mess with them at night?  Use disposable diapers.  All of the handy-dandy cloth diapers are in the wash?  Use disposable diapers.  I'm not sure why this was so revolutionary for me, but it was.  So, you can cloth diaper your child, but if it's inconvenient, it's okay to use a supplement.  It's okay to do what works for you.

Duh.

That was it.  My husband and I were both in.  We planned to save some money and buy a stockpile of 20-24 reusable diapers and a couple wet/dry bags (we did our research).  They cost a pretty penny, but after doing some math we realized that our stockpile would cost the same as one year's worth of disposable diapers.  These diapers should last until our son is potty trained, so in the long run we would be saving money.

Then,  my sweet sister did something wonderful and unexpected.  She threw my husband and me a diaper shower.  Our amazing family and dear friends showered us with both reusable and disposable diapers, wet bags, and diaper detergent.  We were overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness and generosity.  Now, we were all ready.  Well, except for the baby part.

On June 1st, we had our third son, Beau.  Sweet, sweet Beau.  We used disposable diapers for the first six weeks.  That allowed us to get used to our new roommate and for little man to heal from his circumcision properly.  After that, we were ready to give cloth diapers a go.

Here's what we learned...

• STOCKPILE:  Have a stockpile of 20-24 cloth diapers on hand.  That way, you'll have enough to get you through wash day.  We have 14 diapers right now and can't quite get through laundry day and I don't want to wash diapers daily.  We like the BumGenius elemental diapers, but there are many different brands that are just as smart.

• WET BAGS:  Put the used diapers in a wet bag (we like this one too).  You'll want two of these so you can rotate on laundry day.  I even got a smaller one for when we're out for the day.  I may try a metal trash can with the reusable pail liners, because the snap handle of the wet bags doesn't hold when the bag gets too heavy.  Whichever method you choose, get two liners so you can rotate on laundry day.

• NO DIAPER CREAM:  Avoid getting diaper cream on the cloth diapers.  Use either a cotton insert or disposable liner to create a barrier.  When using the cloth liner as a diaper cream barrier, keep in mind that those liners must be washed separately from your diapers.  Ain't nobody got time for that!  We bought a box of disposable liners and they work just fine.

• REUSABLE WIPES:  Since you're using cloth diapers, you might as well use reusable wipes too.  We made ours out of old flannel receiving blankets and fabric remnants from my older boys' homemade pj pants.  (Note: Use regular old wipes to clean up diaper cream to avoid getting diaper cream on your reusable wipes and/or cloth diapers.)

• WIPE WARMER:  Store your flannel wipes in a Prince Lionheart Warmies Wipe Warmer.  It's fancy.  The recipes for wipe solution that come with the warmer work great.  

• LAUNDRY DAY:  Wash your diapers, wipes, and wet bag every two days (at least).  Just throw it all in the wash (that's why you'll want two wet bags).

• GENTLE DETERGENT:  We were gifted the bumgenius detergent.  It works well, but I'm sure my homemade detergent is gentle enough too.  For my homemade detergent, I grate three (3) Fels Naptha bars and mix them with a 4 lb. box of washing soda, 4 lb. box of baking soda, and a box of borax (2-3T./load).

• WASHING DIAPERS:  To wash your diapers and wipes, you'll run three cycles.  1st Cycle:  Half of a scoop of gentle detergent.  Cold wash/Cold rinse or warm/cold.  2nd Cycle:  Full scoop of detergent.  Hot wash/Cold rinse.  3rd Cycle:  No detergent.  Cold wash/Cold Rinse.

• DRYING DIAPERS:  To dry your diapers and wipes, put them in the dryer with a wool dryer ball (add essential oils, if that's your thing) on low heat OR hang those cute diapers out to dry.

• STAIN REMOVAL:  To remove stains from your diapers, line dry on a sunny day.  It's amazing how quickly the stains come out.  Uh-mazing!

• DISPOSABLE DIAPERS:  Don't stress.  It's okay to use disposable diapers when it's laundry day, you have a sitter, you're going out of town, at night, etc.  

So far, this process hasn't been horrible like expected.  The world wide web, our friends, and social media acquaintances have been an invaluable resource - with them, we've just about figured this cloth diaper thing out.    Yah, cloth diapers are gross, but so are disposable diapers.  It feels good to use cloth diapers to avoid throwing so many disposable diapers in the trash.  I feel like I'm doing my part.  My best advice would be to figure out a system that works for your family and your budget; stay organized; and don't stress over what other people are doing/not doing.  That's it.

What do you think?  Willing to give it a go?  Do you have any cloth diaper tips and tricks?  Do tell...

Thanks for stopping by.
Until next time...

Leslie-Anne

Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos

It's no secret that I am not a morning person!  It takes me a good two hours to wake up properly.  As a mama of three boys, I've had to make some adjustments since they usually want breakfast, a snack, and craft time all before 10:00 a.m.  School starts next week and I'm trying to pre plan some freezer meals to give me my edge, so I thought (light bulb) why not make some freezer meals for breakfast?

I'm a genius.  I should make loads of money for these fantastic ideas!  Okay, it wasn't my idea.  I stumbled upon a yummy breakfast burrito recipe a couple years ago and have made them a handful of times.  My boys love them and miss them.  You see, I was pregnant with our third son last school year, so I did barely anything at all in terms of freezer meals or their beloved breakfast burritos.

These burritos will take about an hour to make, but will save plenty of time on those early school day mornings.  Okay, ready to revive your new favorite breakfast?  Here we go...

Ready to start assembling!

Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos 
(adapted from Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer)

3 lbs. breakfast sausage
2 bags of frozen cubed potatoes o'brien
8 cups shredded cheddar cheese (cheddar + jack would be good too)
2 dozen eggs
2 cups milk
1 T. ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 28oz. can green chili enchilada sauce
30 flour tortillas
Foil

Directions:

1. Cook the breakfast sausage in a skillet.  Drain fat.  Set aside.
2. Cook potatoes o'brien in the oven.  When brown, set on counter to cool.
3. Shred cheese (or buy it shredded).  
4. Using a hand mixer, blend eggs, milk, ground mustard, salt, and pepper.  Pour egg mixture in non-stick pan.  I used the same pan as the sausage to reduce the amount of dishes I would later need to wash.  When eggs are scrambled set aside.
5. Line up ingredients on the counter to create an assembly line.  The order doesn't matter, just make sure tortillas are at the beginning and the green chili sauce and foil is at the end.
6. Put approximately 1/4 c. sausage, potatoes, and eggs in the middle of a tortilla.  
7. Sprinkle with cheese.
8. Pour enchilada sauce over everything (approx. 2T.).
9. Roll.
10. Wrap with foil.
11. Repeat until all ingredients are gone.
12. Ingredients will make approx. 30 burritos.
13. Freeze.

To Reheat:

1. Grab a burrito (or two) from freezer.  
2. Remove foil.
3. Place on plate.
4. Microwave for 1 minute.
5. Turn over.
6. Microwave for 1 additional minute.
7. Enjoy.

This tortilla is ready for filling.

Add 1/4 cup potatoes.

Add 1/4 cup scrambled eggs.

Add 1/4 cup of cooked breakfast sausage.

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.

Pour a little green chili sauce on top.

Not much left after assembly.

30 burritos ready for the freezer!

Confession:  This recipe actually made 31 burritos.

Breakfast is served!

That's easy enough, right?  Give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes in the comments.  What variations did you make?  Did you try different fillings?  Do tell...

Thanks for stopping by!
Leslie-Anne

Freezer Meals Made Even Easier

Since having children, freezer meals have been somewhat of a saving grace.  As much as I try to keep things balanced and calm, there are always those days.  You know which days I'm talking about.  Those days were the schedule is over-booked; those days when the kids are not quite cooperating; those days that are just off for one reason or another... When I cannot possibly add anything else to my day, I do not have to worry about dinner, because it's in the freezer.  I just pull it out, thaw, and cook.

For the past couple years, prepping freezer meals has been a whole-day or whole-weekend event.  I plan my menu, shop for deals, find care for the kids (Yah, I said it...I cannot juggle prepping 30+ meals while watching my kids.  Some can do both - I, however, cannot.), and get to cooking, prepping, and freezing.  While this marathon meal prep method has its perks, I've learned that it also has its downfalls.

1. Prepping 30+ meals is hard on the grocery budget.
2. It's time consuming.
3. It makes me tired.

Just because the trend is marathon meal prepping, doesn't mean I can't try something else.  I needed to find something different - something that works in my schedule and is easy on my budget.  So, here's what I came up with...

1. Freeze ONE Additional Meal Per Week:  Add 1-2 freezer meals to your meal planning.  I plan meals and shop every two weeks, so I add two freezer meals to my shopping list.  Usually,  I choose a meal to eat that week and just buy a little extra to put a few duplicates of said meal in the freezer.
2. Make Extra to Freeze:  Many meals like lasagna, taco meat, enchiladas, spaghetti sauce, meat loaf, and marinades freeze beautifully.  Whenever I add one of these meals to the freezer, I make an extra (or split the recipe in two) and pop it in the freezer. 

Every time I make lasagna, I split the batch in two...
one to eat, one to freeze.

I've been trying this new method for the couple months.  It's amazing how much easier this gradual freezer prep process has been on my stress levels and the budget.  Over time, my freezer has filled up with a variety of delicious meals that are ready to heat and eat.

Some of my Favorite Freezer Meals:

• Breakfast Burritos
• Beef and Barley Soup (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Beef Fajitas (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Beef Enchiladas (use your favorite recipe)
• Chicken Enchiladas (use your favorite recipe)
• Mango-Cranberry Chicken (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Chicken Spaghetti (The Pioneer Women)
• Sour Cream Noodle Bake (The Pioneer Women)
• Freezer Chicken Pot Pies (Cook's Country)

Everyday Meals that happen to Freeze Wonderfully (use your favorite recipe):

• Spaghetti Sauce
• Pesto
• Taco Meat
• Enchiladas
• Freezer Chicken Enchiladas (Cook's Country)
• Meatloaf
• Marinades
• Chili
• Bread Machine Mix
• Muffins

Remember to label all food items with the contents and date.  Try to consume your meals within 6-12 months (six months for regular freezer bags and closer to 12 months for an airtight, Food Saver seal).

Looking for more freezer meal recipes?

Favorite Books and Blogs:

• Fix, Freeze, Feast: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family (book)
• Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead (book)
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (book)
• 60+ Healthy Freezer Meals for Busy Moms by Thriving Home
• Prep Freeze Cook Eat by Freezer Meals for Us
• Make Ahead Freezer Meals by Happy Money Saver
• Freezer Cooking! by The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Do you make freezer meals?  What is your prefered method?  What are your favorite recipes?  Do tell...

Until Next Time,

Leslie-Anne

Simple Allergy-Free Valentine's Day Cards

Let's face it, most of us do not have the time to take professional photos of our kids, make homemade crayons, or complete a 15-step card for school Valentine's. The ideas on Pinterest are wonderfully cute (I've even tried a few), but let's keep it stress-free this year. 

I received a letter from my son's kindergarten teacher requesting no candy or home-baked goods for Valentine's due to allergies. At first, I felt bad for the kids who could not enjoy a peanut butter cup or frosted cookie, but then I snapped out of it and realized I had to get creative and fast. 

While perusing Target, I came across a bag of 24 bubble sticks for only $3.00. Since there are only 24 kids in my son's class, I took this as a sign and completed my purchase. 

Spritz Bubble Sticks for $3.00 in the Valentine's aisle.  

I purchased the bag of "boy colors" but there are pinks and reds too.

I found some cute label templates on Avery's Design and Print Online website, printed a sheet, and stick them on the bubble sticks. 

Simple, yet cute labels.

I'm pleased with the end product and even more pleased with the fact that I only spent three bucks and 15 minutes creating these sweet, boy-approved, allergy-free Valentine's. 

Easy Peasy.

What do you do for Valentine's cards?  Do tell. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Leslie-Anne