Christmas Tree Skirt

'Tis the season!!

Or at least it will be.

I made this Christmas tree skirt to be a part of a silent auction basket for a good cause. It turned out much better than I thought... hence, no step-by-step pictures. Just this one, so cherish it.

Materials:

• 2 yards of red fleece
• 2 yards of white fleece
• Scissors
• Ribbon or string
• Hi-lighter
• Scrap of cardboard
• White felt
• Materials to decorate your snowmen (buttons, ribbon, etc)
• Sewing materials and thread
• Sewing machine and accompanying things

1. Keep your red fleece folded in half like it comes off the bolt, fold it in half so cut edges are together. And then again folding diagonal from the bottom to the top. (See, pictures would have come in handy, but I think you get the idea...).

2. Tie the hi-lighter to the string or ribbon, cut long enough to stretch the length of your fleece. Holding the end of the string/ribbon at the pointed end, draw an arch with the hi-lighter.

3. Cut along your arch. You should have a really big circle when you unfold it.

4. Do the same with your white fleece and set the pieces aside for a moment.

5. Design and decorate your appliques. They could be whatever you want. I did snowmen, but you could do trees or a nativity scene or big snow flakes.

6. Use a blanket stitch to attach your appliques to your red fleece. I also sewed some buttons to the fleece. Make sure that your keep everything at least 5 inches from the edge.

7. Once you are satisfied with all your decor, arrange the two pieces of fleece onto each other so they are lined up. Throw some pins it if it makes you feel better.

8. Cut a piece of cardboard to 5" x 1".

9. Using the piece of cardboard as a guide, cut slits around the entire edge through both pieces of fleece.

10. Then tie the corresponding ties together in a knot.

11. Sew two parallel lines from the edge to the direct center of the circle. I used red thread in the top spool and white thread in the bottom bobbin.

12. Cut between those to lines so you have a long slit that goes half way through the circle.

13. Then cut a 6" circle in the center of the circle and sew around the perimeter.

Now throw it around the base of your tree and cover it with presents!!

Steering Wheel Cover

It was almost a million degrees outside and after a long hot day of work at the hospital, the worst was coming out to my hot car and having to hold on to a hot steering wheel. Boo.

So I remembered a pin I had repinned not too many days ago and set out to prevent burns and driving with just my fingertips.

Materials:

•  Fabric (I loved this fabric so much from my last post)
•  Sewing machine and the rest
• Elastic or elastic string
• Safety pin
• Measuring tape
• Oh, and a car...

 1. To get your measurements, measure around the entire steering wheel and then around the wheel like how you hold it.

2. Cut your fabric like that with seam allowance. For example, my steering wheel dimensions were 48" x 4", so with seam allowances, I cut my fabric to 48.5" x 4.5". I had to sew a couple stripes together because my scrap was not long enough, but that might not happen to you.

3. Fold up and press half an inch on the long side.

 4. Ditto for the other side. This is when my hem gauge comes in handy. (You can also use your hem gauge to assess two-point discrimination for patients who have decreased sensation... but that's just the OT in me talking).

6. Sew it up! But stick close to the inside edges so that you have a pocket for your elastic.

7. Cut your elastic. Stretch it as much as it goes and cut that to your circumference length. And then thread it through one side. Cut another elastic and do the other side. Try to use a safety pin tied to the elastic for threading ease. And try not to swear as much as I did. It's not flattering... (Just kidding, threading elastic is fun...)



8. Stretch it onto your steering wheel and TADA!

You can cruise in style and with all your finger pads intact and blister-free!!