Hi everyone! This is Brandi from the PTP team and I have a cool new hack for you today!

The Snail Hunters pattern is one of my favorite PTP patterns! It is so versatile and I love that I can use the same pattern for both my son and daughter. As great as this pattern is, today I will show you an easy hack to make them even better! I will be showing you how to do some cool color blocked, wide stripes that you can add to one, or both, legs.

This was my first experience with hacking a pattern. I must admit, at first, I was a little intimidated by the thought of it! I really shouldn't have been because it turned out to be so quick and easy!! The best part?? My son loves them!

Items needed:

-Snail Hunters pattern. If you don't already own the pattern, you can purchase it here.
-Fabric. The number of different fabrics needed will depend on how many different stripes wanted. I used two.
-paper scissors
-fabric scissors
-tape
-ruler
-pencil
-and, of course, a sewing machine/serger and matching thread

Start by printing and taping together the pattern. I printed two copies of the front, back and side panel pieces. One for the regular leg and one for the new color blocked leg. One copy will work, but make sure to cut fabric for the regular leg first, because the pieces will need to be cut and taped together for the other leg.)
Note: If doing the faux fly, be sure to do this on the non color blocked side.

Take one set of pattern pieces and lay them out with the front piece and the side panel piece right sides UP. The back piece will be placed right
side DOWN. This is done so that it will make a complete leg piece that will be cut out as one piece. Now, cut the seam allowance (3/8") from the
straight edge of each of the 3 pattern pieces.

Once this is done, tape the 3 pieces together, making sure that the front
and side panel pieces are right side up and the back piece is right side down.

Next, the fabric for the color blocked leg will be cut out and sewn together. I measured my new pattern piece to figure out the size of my finished piece of fabric. The length of your strips will be determined by how many stripes are wanted. I chose to do four stripes. Two of each color. Make sure to add seam allowance (3/8") to the top and bottom of each strip. Also, the finished piece of fabric should be larger than the pattern piece. After the strips are cut, sew them together and top stitch each seam. This is how the fabric will look.

Once sewn together, cut out the pattern piece for the color blocked leg. This leg is done!!

For the second leg, the pattern pieces will be laid out opposite of how they were for the first leg. This means that if the piece was right side up, it will now be placed right side DOWN and vice versa.

The second leg and the rest of the Snail Hunters can now be finished according to the original instructions!

Here are my son's new Snail Hunters in action...

As Easter rapidly approaches images of cute little chickadees and bunnies come to mind. My daughter (and son for that matter) loves dressing up as animals so what better dress up play this year for Easter than to make a cute little set of bunny ears for my kiddos to wear when posing for photos! This is a super quick tutorial for wired bunny ears, so your little can be hopping along just in time for Easter. 

Supply list: 

Fabric

Pattern

Headband 

Light or medium weight jewelry wire (I used the $0.98 kind from Walmart)

Sewing Machine

Thread, needles, and scissors 

 

For tutorial purposes I used a white woven fabric (it shows up better in contrast with my ironing board and the wire color I picked). You could use knit fabric however, I would use interfacing to give the material more body.

1. We begin with sewing together the bunny ears. Place your fabrics right sides together and using 3/8 seam allowance you will sew around the ears. I left the opening where the knot will go for ease of turning. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and the end of your stitch line.

2. Once you have sewn this part together you will turn your ear piece right side out and iron, this way your opening will lay nice and flat.

3. Next cut a 20 inch piece of your wire and attach the ends together creating a loop. I twisted it together then put the twisted piece toward where the middle of my ears will be.

4. Now slide the wire into the bunny ear piece. It may take a bit of wiggling to get the entire wire though the opening but just keep wiggling it in until it is completely inside the ear.

5. Push the wire toward the center of the ear so you can topstitch around the entire ear piece making sure catch both pieces to close the turn hole (I topstitch at 1/4 inch).

6. Once you have topstitched all that is left is to tie your ears into a knot onto the headband and pull the wires toward the seams of the ears so they may be in the positioning you would like them in.

 

 Once you get your ears all straightened out, you are all done and ready for your bunnies to get hopping!

Want a fun bag for trick or treating?  Or maybe just a fun bag for shopping, toys or the library?  This tutorial is just what you need.

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