Baby mitten fix.

I haven't figured out why baby mittens are designed so lame. Yes they are easy to get on and off.  Most infants can get them off and lose one faster than you can get them in their car seat. Here is a quick, cheap way to fix the typical baby mitten so they will stay on longer and if baby goes out in the snow the mitten keeps their wrists warm.

 I used an old pair of big brother's socks. Cut off the tops of the sock.

 Turn the sock inside out and stuff it inside the mitten. Then I sewed the sock into the mitten with a zigzag stitch. I used my sewing machine but you can also do it by hand.

 Pull the sock out of the mitten and...

you have a mitten with an extension that helps it stay on and keeps your baby warmer.

Voila! 

I find that it works best to put on the mittens and then put on baby's coat, but you can put on her coat and pull the sock extension up over the coat sleeve.

Try your hand at appliqué. Here is a little help.

Wonder what to do with all the fabric scraps that accumulate from sewing projects?  Author Cynthia Shaffer gives 25 ideas for using some of your collection in her book Stash Happy Appliqué.  She does a nice job introducing the basics of appliqué. The book describes eight different methods of adding appliqué to embellish your next project. The projects included in the book are a fun way to try your hand at various types of appliqué.  I found this book at my local library, of course, it is available on Amazon.