superhero capes for the hoarders among us.

so it started with a problem. 

hoarder stash of fabric meet superhero capes christmas cousin gifts.

first you pick your fabric from the stash like the hoarder that you are.

wait-- you don't have old giant t-shirts waiting to be repurposed?

old non matching pillowcases?

good for you. you are a better person than i.

go to goodwill and get some.

lay them out back to back and cut out your shape.

i did two different ones.. the yellow/grey are out of pillowcases so they are just rectangular and the blue and red are out of old tshirts so you can make them a little bit wider by cutting up the middle front of the shirt and splaying it out. does that make sense?

i'm not measuring anything since they are all different depending on your child's size.

is this already your most favorite DIY ever? so clear and precise...yeah. ;)

i found i really liked one side fleece and one side cotton or t-shirt material. 

there is a helpful tip for ya. :)

sew three sides together leaving the top undone...

you should know. i'm not very good at sewing. i make things up. i don't use patterns. i trample rules and live to tell about it. i have to rip seams out on every single project. i just prepare my heart for that moment when i realize it and try not to say bad words. 

this time i stooped to a new low and couldn't even find my seam ripper. so i used a utility knife.

i say all this to you who thinks you can't do sewing projects. 

you can.

i know you can.

the next step is the superhero emblem.

so find something the size you want to use..

like a cast iron le creuset lid.  

we are improvising here friends.

then on folded in half card stock (or decent junk mail paper you fished out of the recycling ) 

cut out whatever superhero emblem makes you happy.

we have a bat, a butterfly and a star.

pin your emblem to contrasting fabric and cut it out.

pin it to the oval you previously cut out and sew on.

find an eager helper who likes to hold your pins.

or a few helpers.  

this is why i never get anything done. i just have so much help. :)

but i love their little noses poking in.. 

mama what are you doing? 

why does that go up and down? 

can i take the pins out? 

where's my cape?

can i try?  

someday projects will be done in one sitting. things will be made and maybe mailed off to them. i will string two thoughts together and actually remember what i was asking myself. but right now i have babies on my lap. i have little boys obsessed with my pin cushion. 

my heart and hands are full.

so now it's time to sew on the ovals.

on a cape like this where i'm sewing a red oval onto a cape with a red backing this works great.

the batman capes were a yellow oval onto a black based cape and i didn't think about the fact that the white thread would show up so much on the black fabric.

 (i ended up just using a black permanent marker on the thread after they were done) 

in a case like that, where your oval and your backing are different i would sew your emblem on before piecing your front and back together.

clear as mud? ;) 

now turn the top over a section and do a stitch line to secure the corners.

you can also stitch the front and back together right at the crease if you want.

i found it helps it to lay nicely.

make a tube out of the fleece and thread thick elastic through it.

secure the elastic to the corner of your cape.

with the fleece cover on, secure the other end of the elastic.

remember how i'm not very good a this? yeah.. this is what i mean by 'secure'.

i'm sure yours will look much prettier. :)

give yourself a high five because you're awesome. :)

what about these pictures make me tear up and get all throat lumpy?

my beautiful girl..in her butterfly cape. :)

in the name of gender equality i said i could make them all bats. 

black bats, pink bats, yellow bats whatever kind of bats they wanted. 

bats are good they eat bugs.

she said in disgust, " mom-- why would i want to be a bat and be devoured by cockroaches if i fall to my death?" 

have you seen that planet earth documentary? 

i've scarred my children numerous times with a little too much nature. :)

so butterfly girls it was. :)

i loved this project.

hoarder stash diminished...

superhero cousins created.

it's a win for everybody. :)