Boys Can Wear Pink - Season 4 - CKC Goes Comfy

Welcome to Day 3 of Boys Can Wear Pink on the CKC Blog!  Today we're taking "pink" to one of our favorite genres: Comfy!   That's right, our boys deserve to be comfy too, right?  Today's pieces are all about having fun and looking great while doing it. 

This little tyke's outfit was made by Kristin Bedell-Hustedt over at Kidcycle Co. She makes super cute and trendy kids' gear, and I just love what she did with today's theme!

Kristin started with some boyish pink camo knit and made these awesome joggers using our Isaac's pattern.  They look so comfy that I think I could use a pair myself! 

Then she took it one step further and made a coordinating graphic tee.  Could it be any more perfect for our blog tour this week?!  "Colors Don't Have Genders."  Right, she is! 

Boys Can Wear Pink - Season 4 - CKC Goes Western

It's Day 2 of Boys Can Wear Pink (Season 4) here on the CKC Blog, and today we're going Western! 

Doesn't this guy look AMAZING?!  Our tester Brianne Israelsen made this solid pink button-up for her guy using our Eric's Dress Shirt pattern. I love all the details, from the collar to the cuffs, to the hat and the tie, to the belt buckle and the boots! 

Brianne and her little guy come from Navajo roots and are very proud of their heritage. His grandmother grew up on the reservation and the family still spends a lot of time there; they say in these photos he looks like a little Navajo sheep herder!  Traditionally, the Navajo people have herded sheep and goats. 

Boys Can Wear Pink - Season 4 - Blog Tour

Welcome to the CKC BOYS leg of the "Boys Can Wear Pink ~ Season 4" blog tour! We are excited to be presenting again this year, with all our fellow PDF designers.  If you're here for the first time, we are super happy you came!

It's no secret that boys can wear pink. The question is, can boys ROCK pink?  I'm a pretty picky person/designer and still I say YES!  Here are some fun shots from our tour last year:

(You can see more shots from last year here if you'd like!)

I have four boys and one girl at my house so I'm no stranger to all things girly, but there is an overwhelming amount of BOY culture at our house. I was a tomboy so I love it.  I've also noticed as I do the laundry each time, that our red/pink pile is getting larger and larger over time. It's not just my daughter either; my older boys are starting to rock the reds and pinks ALL the time!  

Somehow the macho high schoolers have no problem wearing pink. (My oldest is a 6-foot freshman.) I hope all the young boys and their mamas will take note!  There's a lot of cool stuff they can wear in any color they want - especially pink. 

Fabric Cover for Shopping Cart Handle

Flu season is back and this year it is no joke!  Today we have a free pattern that can help avoid germs at one of the most germ-ridden places we all go -- the grocery store!  Everybody needs to eat (sick or not), and often the grocery store is also where people go for prescriptions when they're sick. Yikes!  I love that most stores supply us with sanitizing wipes to clean off the cart handles before we shop, but sometimes that's just not enough. Plus for some people like me who are allergic to sanitizer and wipes (yes, that's a thing), disinfecting a handle right before I hold it is just not an option.  But there is a better alternative than staying home to starve!  Behold... our CKC Fabric Cover for Shopping Cart Handles:   

If you haven't used one of these before, it's a real game-changer! 

I love the versatility of making a cart handle cover. If you don't want to stand out, you can make it in a solid color and slip it on the cart handle discreetly.  Or, if you want everyone to see how brilliant you are, make the cover in super cute fabrics that you can enjoy looking at while you shop!  In fact you can even make it reversible, so you can pick a side depending on your mood. (You will want to wash it in between, of course, if you're a germ freak like me.) 

Are you ready to get started?! 

First, choose which size of handle cover you want to make.  (They are listed down below a bit.) Shopping carts come in different sizes of course, plus you can decide whether you want it to cover the entire metal handle or just the plastic part (blue in photo above).  

You also need to choose which kind of closure you want.  You could use velcro circles or snaps placed every few inches along the cover's edge.  Or, you can use a long strip of velcro. Any of these work with today's tutorial. (I personally chose the long velcro strip because it's easiest to sew and seems most sturdy to me.) 

Reversible Apron for Amorette's Lovely Knot Dress

Did you see Amorette's Lovely Knot Dress that just released? It's simply adorable!  While we were perfecting it a few weeks ago, one of our fabulous testers, Deanna Plebuch, came up with a gorgeous modification to add to the pattern if you choose.  This change isn't needed of course -- it's just super cute if you want to do something a little different! 

Isn't that pretty?!  We have several "apron" style dresses this modification could be used on. Here's Deanna with the tutorial:

You will need:

¼-1/2 yard of fabric depending on size

3-6 buttons depending on size

Interfacing is optional

Hi my name is Deanna and I have been testing patterns for CKC for over a year now. I have been sewing since I was 10 and I have a sweet little girl who is 2.5 years old! I created this hack as a way to get more uses out of this gorgeous dress and to make it more fun for my sweet girl! I hope you like it and I can’t wait to see what you all create!

Step 1: Cut the apron yoke. To get the correct size use the length that is in the pattern for the front sash. For the width, measure across the top of the bodice after you have cut the arm curve. Add ½ inch to that measurement and that will become your yoke. For example, I made the size 2T at 3" x 8.5".

Fabric Covering for Instant Pot

I don't know about you, but I can't seem to have a conversation with anyone these days without it turning to the topic of Instant Pots!  They were a hot ticket item during the holidays and if you have a new one at your house, you're sure to love it!  Well, today we have a pretty accessory to add to your Instant Pot to make it feel right at home in your kitchen.

Isn't it awesome?!  This cover is perfect for keeping your kitchen's decor in theme while still having your 6-quart Instant Pot handy. It also keeps out the dust and hides any fingerprints.  This cover isn't heat proof and you definitely don't want it on while the instant pot while in use  -- but it IS super convenient to keep your pot pretty between uses. Let's get started! 

Material's Needed:

1 yard Main fabric 

1 yard Lining fabric

Optional: Piping or other trim

Circle template (click here to download)

Step 1 - First, cut out whatever pretty fabric you have to match your kitchen decor, along with a lining fabric.  For the lining I used felt because I wanted the cover to keep its shape and it worked nicely. You could also use a stabilizer, fleece, flannel, or cotton; just note they will all hold the shape a little different. Cut out the pieces as listed below: 

Cut 1: Circle of Main Fabric

Cut 1: Circle of Lining Fabric

Cut 1: 13" x 48.5" Rectangle of Main Fabric  

Cut 1: 13" x 48.5" Rectangle of Lining Fabric  

(Optional) Cut 1: 50" of Piping or other Trim

Step 2 - After cutting your fabric, here are the pieces you should have.  If you are not using the piping or trim, you can skip to step 5.