DIY Quilted Beach Umbrella Blanket

The grand finale of beach week is this SUPER EASY beach blanket. (This literally takes 45 minutes. I timed it. That was with Charlotte "helping".) So, I love going to the beach, and now that we have Charlotte an umbrella is essential. However, the umbrella is always on the outside of the blanket, shading half the blanket and half the beach...and I can never get the umbrella to stay up really well. This is my solution! A blanket with a hole in the middle, just for the umbrella:) Here is how I did it. You will need a twin-sized store-bought, cotton quilt (if your family is more than 3 people, I would suggest buying a queen or king sized quilt).
I bought this one at TJMaxx for $20. You will need a pack of grommets like these (no tool required). A pair of scissors, a pencil, a piece of string, and a sewing machine.
Lay the quilt flat on the ground. Fold the quilt in half from bottom to top, like this. Then fold it from right to left, like this. Tie a long piece of string around a pencil. Hold the end of the string down at the corner fold and stretch it taut (you are basically making your own compass). Draw a curved line from the left bottom corner all the way up to the top right corner, keep your string really taut. It should look like a quarter of a circle. Cut along the line you just drew. Now, leave it folded and take the grommet template and draw a quarter of it in the folded corner of your circle, like this. Cut that out-this will be the hole in the center of your blanket. Open the blanket. Follow the directions on the package and snap the grommet in place. Last step- using your sewing machine, blanket stitch or zig-zag stitch all around the edge of the circle. That's it! You have a fully shaded blanket for fun beach times!


Hope you've enjoyed Beach Week as much as I have! Have a lovely weekend.
jessica

Delicious summery cupcakes!

Tomorrow is my momma's birthday, so I am making some yummy Margarita Cupcakes to celebrate! I made these last year on her birthday and they turned out well, so we are making them again. You can find the recipe here, on Hostess with the Mostess. They are vegan (although I use butter and milk) and very easy to make (we also omit the tequila and they still taste lovely). Have fun! We're off to the beach today- can't wait for you to see the DIY tomorrow!
jessica

She sells seashells... - Free Pattern!

I am excited to say that I have my first free downloadable (is that a word?) pattern for you! Now, I know that this shirt is kind of girly...so if you have a boy, you could substitute the seashell for a cute crab or fish. Let's get started!

You will need:
A plain t-shirt that fits your little one: We bought this one at TJMaxx for $3 or $4.
A fun scrap of cotton fabric
A scrap of quilt batting
A fabric pen, or dressmaker's carbon paper
If doing the detailing by hand: embroidery floss, and embroidery needle
Or a machine that will do all of that for you :)
The free pattern

Print the pattern and cut out the seashell. Lay it on the cotton fabric and cut two seashells. Next cut one seashell out of the batting.

Make a little sandwich out of these pieces - fabric, batting, fabric. Pin them together. Trace the quilting design onto your fabric (the dotted lines on the pattern). Use your machine to "quilt" along these lines. You can use the regular stitch, just be sure all 3 layers are moving at the same time. Or, of course, you can hand quilt it. Some fun hand-quilting tips here.
Next, trace the words onto the shirt, using the carbon paper, or write your own using a fabric pen
Embroider the words.
Great embroidery tips here.


Place the seashell underneath the words. Use a blanket stitch, or a zig-zag stitch around the edge of the seashell to attach it to the t-shirt. Good job!

Now you have a fun new beachy t-shirt for your little one!

Summer Skin Care

Today we are going to discuss skincare strategies for summertime and beach-going. Your skin is your largest organ and it is SO important to take care of it - and to put quality products on it, not products that will clog your pores. Since your skin is the first thing a massage therapist treats, it is important for us to know the proper products to use.


Pre-beach:

• Exfoliating Sugar Scrub

ingredients:
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of jojoba oil, safflower oil, or in a pinch...light extra virgin olive oil
15-25 drops of essential oil, depending on your sensitivity to smell
lavender, chamomile, or peppermint would be nice
(Do NOT use citrus oils when you will be going out in the sun. They are
phototoxic, meaning they will cause your
skin to burn. The oils are designed to attract the sun to the citrus fruit, while
it is on the tree, to help it grow.)
I use sugar as opposed to salt, because then you can shave your legs and the salt won't sting your legs. Massage into skin in a circular motion while in the shower. Use caution as the oil may make your shower slippery.

• Sunscreen:

My choices for sunscreen include:
Kiss My Face Sunscreen
California Baby No-Fragrance Sunblock Stick
Alba Botanical Kids Mineral Sunblock


Post-beach:

• Sunburn Soak

If you do happen to get a sunburn, this soak will help your skin heal overnight. Fill a bath tub with warm, not hot, water. Add 10-15 drops of Lavender essential oil(shocking right? ;). You can also add some oatmeal flour or use this oatmeal soak.
Lie in the tub and relax and let the lavender work it's magic.

• Chamomile Tea Hair Rinse

Chamomile can condition hair and make the surface more shiny. Brew 1 tea bag for 10 minutes in very hot (just stopped boiling) water. Remove the tea bag and let it cool. When you are in the shower, pour it slowly over hair, starting at roots. Massage into scalp and hair and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Rinse as usual.

• Skin Repair Breakfast

These ingredients contain vitamins and minerals necessary for the skin to repair damage.

Yogurt Smoothie:
1 cup of lowfat vanilla yogurt - contains vitamin A, aids in healthy skin
1 cup of frozen berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries - contain antioxidants used to kill free radicals caused by sun damage
1 T. of flax seed - delivers essential fatty acids that help your skin produce good, moisturizing oils
(you may also sprinkle walnuts on the top of your smoothie once blended. They will do the same thing and are sometimes easier to find at the store.)

Blend all of these ingredients together and pour into a glass.
Pair with a toasted piece of whole wheat bread -contains selenium. Studies show that even skin damaged by the sun may suffer less consequences when high levels of selenium are present.

Enjoy your healthy glowing skin!
jessica

BEACH WEEK!!!! Adorable hooded towel DIY

Welcome to Beach Week on Sewhomegrown! Each day this week I will post something fun to make that pertains to beach going.

Today: Hooded Beach Towel

Over at Prudent Baby you can find the tutorial for this super-cute hooded towel. It doesn't take too long to make, and it is a great way to recycle some of your older bathroom towels that are fraying around the edges. This would also make an adorable gift for a summer birthday or for a baby shower. I didn't put piping all the way around like she did, I just put it around the hood and front edge. Charlotte looks so cute all snuggled up! We were talking this weekend about beach traditions that we have...and we realized that we really don't have any. We love going to the beach, but there isn't anything that we always do or take, so I wanted to ask you for ideas! What are your favorite beach/summer traditions? Do you have any yummy foods that you always make? Or perhaps a funny picture that everyone poses for? Let me know! Now, go find a yard of cute fabric and have fun making that towel!
Have a beachy day! jessica