pirate eye patch in seconds

In preparation of the party this weekend, I had "stuff" to make.  Eye patches being one of them 'cuz you'd be a scallywag of a pirate without one.  So, I had an example to go by, but you know me, I veered off on my own path for simplicity...

My supplies included...

• scissors
• black felt
• elastic "thread"
• cardboard stencil (shaped like a triangle with rounded corners)
• and of course, white thread

I got straight to work using my stencil with the black felt, just cutting around it...

I measured and cut 12 inches of elastic "thread" and tied a knot at each end.

Then, starting on the lower corner of the patch, I sewed a long stitch around to the upper corner...

This is when I laid my elastic thread down and sewed back and forth, back and forth over it a few times to insure it would stay put and continued on to the next corner where I attached the other end of the elastic thread, finally, sewing all the way around.

See how the thread has been secured?  And I've sewed all the way around?

Clean it up by snipping off any long threads and voila!  You have an eye patch or 16!

My apologies, my pirate wasn't present for modeling.

Pirate birthday party prep

Our weekend was chock full of mad, crazy running from here to there, there to here and back again, but I'm not gonna elaborate on that.  What I did want to share was our birthday preparations for the man.  The 3-Day is quickly approaching so I'll be away that weekend, and I'm starting to feel like it's crunch time.  In past years, we have done plain and simple ol' "family parties" with mainly just grandparents.  (And with K, it never fails that she always wants to have a sleepover, and that's easy too.)  This year, we're doing an all out kids pirate party!

Invitations are being mailed...

I always have handy some blank postcards that I use with "The Print Shop" software and I love getting free fonts to go along with the occasions.  Lastly, I found a catchy pirate-themed birthday poem.

I brainstormed the pirate bean bag toss idea when I saw this one from Sew Woodsy.   We had a perfectly square piece of plywood laying around that I spray painted white.  Then, I free handed the pirate face from some clip art I found on Google images and we all did a little painting on him.  The bean bags, I sewed using some scraps, then filled them with dried corn from our garden.  Now, I just need to put the finishing touches on him, cut out his mouth, and sew some more bean bags...

You can't have a pirate party without some fishing!  I bought 3/8"x48" wooden dowels at Lowe's, sawed them in half; sewed up some fish using fabric scraps, felt, and magnets (also found at Lowe's).  With the help of painter's tape, I spray painted the rod "handle" black and used a drill to make a hole through the top of the dowel where I inserted the string.  I attached a nut on the other end of the string to "hook" the fish.  And voila! you have fishing poles and fish for little people!

My plans for dinner ~ halved hot dog pirate ships with toothpick pirate flags, an applesauce island, and vicious piranhas swimming on a sea of blue plate are crumbling to the ground as the man wants to have his favorite - pancakes and sausage.

So, instead of sulking and persuading, I'm gonna take some other ideas and run with them.  Sorry, they're a little difficult to explain without visuals, so some other time.  I'll try to keep you posted as we get closer to party day!