Thursday, March 13, 2014

Winki Dinks or Pup Tents?

My favorite sewing projects are ones commonly referred to as "in-the-hoop". With these projects, you take an embroidery hoop that works with your embroidery machine, a hoop stabilizer and fabric, load a design to your machine, and then stitch the design. It is a wonderful way to make personalized gifts for any occasion. 

This weekend I am attending a baby shower for a friend that is expecting a little boy in April. Searching on the internet for unique gift ideas, I found a fun little gift called a "Pee Pee Teepee"! I had never heard of these creations and immediately wished I had known of them when my nine year old boy was born. They make perfect gifts!

Trying to decide what to call them, I came up with a couple of fun names. I will either call them "Winki-Dinks" or "Pup-Tents".  What do you think?


This is how I make them:  

First, I trace a large circle using a bowl on two coordinating fabrics, one being a cotton blend and the other a soft flannel. The bowl I use is between 8 to 9 inches round.


Next, I take the circle cut-outs and fold them in half, pressing a crease in the fabric.  The crease gives me a guide line that I use to cut the circles down the middle. 


Before I stitch the cotton and flannel fabrics together, I embroider the baby's initials on the cotton fabric. 





I then take the embroidered cotton fabric and one of the flannel half-circles and sew the right sides together. Then I turn the fabrics inside out and again pin the right sides together, sewing up one side, making a cone. It is at this point in my first attempt that I accidentally monogrammed the initials upside down.


But that was okay! The parents can see the monogram perfectly while they are changing their beautiful baby's diapers (and are being kept shielded).






Here are six of them that I made. One large circle makes two covers. The flannel on the inside all six of the covers are a coordinating brown.  The flannel is used to help absorb any accidents.



Once I had finished the covers, I made a cute little bag for them to be stored in so they can be thrown in the diaper bag to go!