Guinea Pigs - Piggy Pillows and Pads

What posh guinea pig home would be complete with out matching guinea pig pillows and fleece pads to lounge around on? None! That's Ben and Eddy's humble guinea-pig-opinion since they now have a completely decorated domicile. I started out with a traffic sign fleece cage liner and moved on to traffic sign fleece pillows and pads. They are two very lucky pigs.

Supplies:

• Fleece (large scraps will work)
• Stuffing
• Uhaul pads, towels, cotton mattress pads or other absorbent material.

Cut the fleece and padding out in the shape you want. You will need two layers of fleece per shape and one layer of padding. I cut mine so they were just a little bit bigger than the bases of the pigloos.

If you want to add any appliques now is the time. Use a wide zig-zag stitch to secure the applique to the front side of the fleece.

Layer the fleece right sides together and the padding on the wrong side of one of the fleeces. Using a half inch seem allowance stitch around the edge leaving a gap open for turning.

Clip the corners then turn right side out making sure that the fleece layers are both on the outside. The absorbent padding should be on the inside.

Pin the opening closed and top stitch as close to the edge as you can all the way around to give it a nice finished look.

If you are going to turn your pad into a pillow, after it is turned right side out stuff it and then pin the opening closed and top stitch around.

That is that! Now enjoy your matching piggy environment!

Look at that matching awesomness!

Benny Boy just snuggling up to that traffic light pillow!

Guinea Pigs

I have guinea pigs. They are cute and squeaky and fun. They are great pets for my little J and K as long as I am supervising them closely. Currently there are two of these small rodents in our family: Eddy Pig and Benny Pig.

I bought Eddy Pig a few months ago at a local pet shop. He was underweight, beat up, and had a nasty abscess under his chin. He was abandoned at the pet store by owners who no longer wanted him and my guess is took very poor care of him. The pet store was going to feed him to a snake because of his health issues! Needless to say, being an animal lover, especially of small animals, I said I would buy him. Sick or not Eddy pig came home with me. Eddy showed signs that he was not feeling well when I first brought him home but after a day of good timothy hay based pellets and some greens he was a lot more spry. It took another month to heal his abscess all the way and a month more before he started to come out of his shell. K was in love with Eddy from day one and the two spent quite a bit of time together watching Iron Man and eating carrots over the summer. Then K went back to pre-school and Eddy Pig seemed lonely.

Enter Benny Pig. Ben was a lonely little guy too from a home that no longer wanted to keep him. His previous owners put him up on Craig's List where I found him. Ben is about 2 years old and at first appeared health to me. After having him for awhile I started to notice that his feet seems swollen and odd. Ben had developed bumble foot from living on soiled litter in his previous life and I'm afraid other more permanent damage to his little feet. I have had Ben now for about 3 weeks and his feet have been improving more and more each day but he still has a ways to go.

The guinea pigs are very happy now living with us. They have a huge C&C cage (more on that development later), get half a cup each of green-good-for-them-veggies every day, all the hay they can eat, and Oxbow timothy pellet guinea pig food. These little guys have been a delight to have around. So much fun for me and the boys.

Ant Farm

When did ant farms start costing 20 bucks? What is it really? Some cheap plastic, dirt and ants. Not really worth the whole 20 dollars I'd say. So why not build your own ant farm? It's easy enough and you probably have everything you need laying around your house.

DIY Ant Farm:

One large plastic container
One smaller plastic container
Hot glue
Pin and lighter or wire mess
Dirt
Ants

Glue the smaller container in the middle of the big contaner. Put the lid on the smaller container.

Next heat your pin with a lighter and start poking holes in the lid of the larger container. Make sure that your holes are small enough that the ants will not escape.  If using wire mesh make sure that the holes in the mesh are small enough so the ants will not escape (I used a tea ball thingy cut in half.) Cut a hole in the larger plastic lid. Use lots and lots of hot glue to secure the mesh to the plastic lid and to make sure the ants don't escape!

Fill the space inbetween with dirt.

Add ants. (here are some tips!)

Watch as the ants dig and eat and do ant stuff.

It's best to cover the ant farm with black construction paper or fabric on the outside so the ants feel as if they really are in the dirt.

So for the cost of a used plastic garlic jar and a used rice jar my Little Bugs now have little ant bugs to watch!

(And yes I have returned from the dead or more like the land of very busy special needs mom =D)

Like me on Facebook!

Basic Pillow Case

My baby Boo's 2nd birthday is coming up quick, only 64 more days! Right now that Little Boo is into construction trucks, especially excavators and backhoes. I thought he would like some new bedding for his big boy bed, which he just moved into a few weeks ago! Yay Little Boo!! Starting with an applique pillow case.

Messure an existing pillow case while it's laying flat. Double the height and add 1/2 an inch. Add about 4 inches to the width.

Laying the fabric right side down, fold over the side that will be the opening 4 inches. Add a 1/2 hem and sew it down.

If you are going to applique something to the front or add any other embellishments now's the time!

Fold in half right sides together and sew along the edge, but don't sew the opening closed!!

Turn right side out, fill with pillow, apply to bed and admire your handy work.

I can't wait to give this to my Boo in 64 days! I know he's going to love it. =D

The Oak Hill Wildfires

Over the weekend, as all of us Austinites know, there was a wildfire that swept through the Scenic Brook neighborhood just behind the ACC campus at the "Y".

Ten homes were completely destroyed. One of them belonging to a friend of mine. Yep, that's her house here on the Fox 7 video below.

Massive Wildfire Destroys Several Homes : MyFoxAUSTIN.com

She, her husband and their two baby boys lost everything. Not only their home but the kids' toys, clothing, pictures, furniture, even the little things like kitchen utensils, hair brushes, make-up, dog bowls. All gone.

Friends of the family have set up a website to collect donations to help this young family after the devastating loss of their home and everything they owned. If you would like to help click here. Any little bit helps.

If you know someone else who was effected by this fire and is in need of help, feel free to leave the information in the comments section and how to go about getting them aide.

Insulated Toddler Lunch Box

Here it is! Late... but better late than never! The insulated toddler lunch box! I made one of these for my Kyle. He loves it and gets so many compliments on it. Best of all mommy made it with love!

 

Supplies: 

1/3 of a yard of outer fabric

1/3 of a yard of lining fabric

1/3 of a yard of insulbright

1/3 of a yard of light interfacing

A scarp of fabric at least 3 x 6 inches

3 inches of Velcro

Draw Out the Plan

 
Draw a straight line 8 inches long. Mark the exact middle. From the middle draw a line 9 inches straight down. Draw a line 11 inches long at the bottom with the exact middle (5.5 inches) being at the bottom of the 9 inch line. Taking your ruler connect the ends up the 8 inch and 11 inch lines. You should end up with a trapezoid. Yay!

Take a new piece of paper draw a line 7 inches long. From the center draw a line 3.5 inches long. Connect the ends of each line with a curve.

Cut Out the Fabric

Using the trapezoid pattern cut out two from the outer fabric, two from the lining fabric, two from the interfacing and two from the insulbright. 

Using the flap patter cut out one from the outer fabric, one from the lining fabric, one from the interfacing and one from the insulbright.

 From the scrap fabric cut out one 3 x 6 inch piece for the handle


Ironing

Iron the fusible interfacing to the two outer fabric pieces and the top fabric of the flap.

Iron the the 3 x 6 piece of fabric flat

Iron one side over at an inch

Iron the other side over 1/2 an inch so that the raw edges are touching.

Iron short fold over one more time at 1/2 an inch. It should look something like this when done.

Sew closed along the seam down the middle





Sewing

Take the peice of fabric that will be the back of the lunch box. Find the center of the top and mark it. (It should be at 4 inches)

Pin the bag handle like shown on either side of that mark.

Using a basting stitch at 1/4 of an inch sew into place.

Take the bottom fabric for the lunchbox flap and sew one side of the 3 inch Velcro to it about 1/2 an inch up from the tip of the curve.

Next take all the lunchbox flap pieces.

Lay the fabric pieces right sides together with the insulbright under the top fabric.

<-----Like this

Match up the raw edges

Sew along to curve at 1/4 an inch.

Clip the curves, turn inside out, and press flat.

Center the flap on the back outer piece of the lunch box with velcro side facing up. Baste stitch into place.

The bag handle should be right underneath the flap at this point.

Measure 3 inches from each side and 2 inches down and place the Velcro.

Sew the Velcro into place on the front piece of the outer lunch box fabric.

Layer the fabric insulbright, outer fabric and inter fabric with the outer and inter fabrics right sides facing.

Sew along the top edge with a 3/8th seam allowance.

Repeat with the other fabric.

Go slow over the bag flap and handle area, that's a lot of layers to go through!

Open the fabric up and lay it so that the two inter-fabrics and the two outer fabrics are laying right sides together.

<----Like this


Sew along the edges leaving an 8 inch gap at the bottom of the inner fabric for turning.

Next create a box corner by pressing the fabric together at the points with the seams open.

Measure two inches up from the point. Mark with a line. Sew down that line. Don't forget to back stitch to lock it all into place.

(No chipped lime green nail polish this time!)

Cut off the corner leaving about 1/4.

Repeat for the other 3 corners.

Turn the lunch back right side out with the lining sticking out.

Fold in the raw edges, press flat and sew the gap in the linning closed.

Shove the lining back into the lunch box.

Top stitch around the lip.

Call it done and admire your work!

Stuffed Snakes

My boys are constantly fighting over a stuffed snake I made for my Littlest Boo for Christmas. Constantly. If one has it the other one wants it. What's a mother to do? Make another one of course!! Luckily these snakes are easy and quick to make.

Stuffed Snake Supplies:

Two pieces of coordinating fabric cut to your desired length 

(I used fleece to make them extra cuddly)

Scrap felt for eyes and tongue

 Pin two pieces of fabric right sides together

Draw a basic snake shape on the wrong side of one fabric

Cut it out

Cut two white circles and two smaller black circles out of felt

Unpin the snake's head and sew the white circles to the right side of the fabric that will be the snake's top.

Repeat step with the black circles

Cut out a "Y" shape from felt for the tongue

Pin it into place in between the two right sides of the fabric as shown. --->

Start sewing a few inches below the head of the snake to make stuffing the snake easier

 When you get around to the tongue back stitch over it a couple of times to make sure that it is locked in. 

My boys love to drag the snakes around by the tongues so I didn't want it to go anywhere!

Leave a gap large enough to stuff the snake and then stuff it!

I used stuffing for the snake's head and Styrofoam beads from an old bean bag for the body but you can use just stuffing throughout. It's really up to you.

Hand sew the opening closed

Then...

watch where you sit because there could be a snake!









I know that some of you are waiting for the insulated lunch box tutorial and it is currently in the works for Thursday.  It's a bit more complicated than the snake!