ToddAhToddAh

Dec
25

Homemade Gifts

Homemade gifts can be a real hassle. You spend  several hours making something, and then halfway through you think to yourself, “Is this all really worth it when I could far more easily pick up a gift card?”  At least, that’s how I felt this year as I worked on a pillow design for my sister’s baby room. She’s having a baby boy named Miles, due in april, and he’s getting an airplane themed room.

miles-1-01I loved making the pattern (shown above) but the real trouble started when it came time to print. The ink wasn’t taking to the fabric quite as well as I hoped. Some areas were completely filled in while others were a bit faded. At this point I was ready to throw out the project altogether and resort to a gift card, but thankfully my sister-in-law came by, just in time, to restore my hope. She thought they turned out great and told me they had a nice weathered look to them.  That was all I needed to hear to keep going. I finished sewing up the pillows and gave them to my sister on Christmas Eve.

pillows...She loved the pillows, and later that night sent me a photo of them setting in her crib. Knowing that one day soon, baby Miles would be curled up to those weathered airplane pillows, made all the hassle worth it.

Merry Christmas.

JeremySig

 

Dec
15

Holiday Helper

We hope your holiday is filled with as much joy as our “Little Helper” has brought us.

 

Happy Holidays from ToddAh

Dec
10

Holiday Music (Free)

Let’s continue the holiday theme with some sounds of Christmas. First, I want to promote Noisetrade.com. They give out music collections for free from artists and just ask you to donate an amount of your choosing if you like what you hear. There are lots of holiday collections on their site now, but I’ve got 2 that I highly recommend adding to your Christmas rotation.

First is Sufjan Stevens Silver and Gold Holiday sampler from his latest Christmas album. It’s got 12 Christmas songs as only Sufjan can make them. It’s not for everyone, but Sufjan is always playing in my home, and I love adding his holiday stuff to the mix. If you like it, go buy the whole epic 58 song collection for only $15 off of iTunes. His previous holiday collection (which is a bit more folky) is a staple for our home on Christmas, and now we have even more to enjoy!

And second is a little more traditional option, and it has become my favorite holiday album. I feel like I play it once a day lately. It’s the Sleeping At Last Christmas Collection 2012. I was first introduced to Sleeping At Last last year when I got his 2011 Christmas collection, and for 2012 he’s added a new song to an already great playlist. All of his non-holiday music is fantastic too.

What are your favorite albums for the Holidays?

Dec
7

Boy Toys

It’s that time of year – the saving grace of Winter – Christmas time!  It’s a time of celebration, of joy, and of giving.  Sometimes, the giving part can prove to be a difficult task, especially when you’ve got a guy on your list.  But, don’t fret – there are lots of great gifts for that guy!  Check out my holiday gift guide created from some of my favorite Etsy finds, and cross that boy off your list with a smile and assurance that he will be super impressed by your gifting skills this holiday season!

 

A gift guide for the dapper guy in your life


60s green v-neck sw…

$14.77

Simple Start Hygien…

$32.95

The Dude Abides Pen…

$8.50

Gift for Him: Beer …

$80.00

Lumberjack Axe Cuff…

$20.00

Dictionary Page Pri…

$7.99

Personalized Money …

$28.00

Green Men Scarf Nat…

$19.00

Mens Green Vintage …

$22.00

Star Wars Chewbacca…

$25.00

Mustache man brooch…

$20.00

Vintage wrist watch…

$75.00

1960s Sears mens bo…

$75.00

Mens / Boys Bow Tie…

$37.00

Vintage MAD MEN Eye…

$44.00

ceramic Mug or Beer…

$28.00

Dec
5

Nativity Poster & Free iPhone Wallpaper

December is already here! I’m pretty sure we just skipped over November this year. But, despite the unusual 70-degree weather I’m starting to really get into the holiday spirit. Especially since this will be our little one’s first Christmas. We’ve just decorated our house and the newest addition is a 11×17 poster I designed last weekend. It was a lot of fun to make, and I think I’ll probably put it in the store if anyone is interested. Since this is the season of giving though, I wanted to make an iPhone wallpaper for you to download for free! (I made a iPhone and an iPhone 5 version.) So even if you haven’t decorated the house yet at least your phone can be festive.

Free Wallpaper:

iPhone     iPhone 5

Enjoy!

Dec
1

DIY Bib Scarf

 

First, let me answer the question I know is on everyone’s mind:  “Where did you find that super cute baby?”  Answer: I made her!  Yep, that’s my little one, and she’s quite the model.  Like all moms out there, I try to make sure she’s modern and cool, at least most of the time.  That being said, I found these super cute little scarf bibs from H&M (which I, of course, purchased instantly), and I just knew I had to make some more to add to her wardrobe!  I loved that they were scrunchy, like a scarf, which I hadn’t really seen before.  Who knew you could be so fashion-conscious and mess-ready at the same time?!  So, I got to work.  I used the H&M bibs to make my own little pattern and just kept tweaking until I got the look I wanted.  And here it is – my first tutorial ever, complete with instructions and pattern pieces.  I would love to answer your questions or get feedback, and I’d love to see pics of your finished products!  Enjoy!

What you’ll need:

– scrap fabrics (you can use the same or different fabrics for the front/back)

*I like to use jersey with a bit of stretch for the back, but you can try any fabrics!

– front and back bib pattern

– Liquid Stitch

– snaps

– snap setter tool (unless you are using sew-on snaps)

– basic sewing supplies (scissors, pins, sewing machine, etc)

Steps:

1.  Download and print out the free pdf pattern from above.  You will need to cut out 2 pieces – one for the front, and one for the back.  One is bigger than the other – this is what creates the scrunchy, scarf look.

2.  Fold your fabric pieces in half and place the straight edge of the pattern piece along the fold.  Like this:

3.  Trace and cut one piece for the front, one for the back.

4.  With right sides together, pin all the way around, so that the edges match up on both the inside and outside.  I start with single pins at each closure tip, as well as a pin at the bottom “V” of the scarf.  Then, work your way pinning half way between pins at a time.  It will feel like it’s a mess, but trust me, you’re doing it right.  Pinning is the most important step!  Make sure to pin edges to edges.  It will look like this:

5.  Mark about ¼” all the way around the bib.  This step is important if you’re a sloppy seamstress, like myself!  It takes a bit of extra time, but it helps to have a line to follow while I’m sewing!  If you’re not sloppy like me, you can skip the marking and just move on to step 6.

6.  Using your sewing machine, sew all the way around, following your line, leaving a small hole along the side open.  Because I used jersey knit for the back, I chose to use a small zig zag stitch to allow for a bit of stretch.  However, you can also use a straight stitch, and it will work just fine.

7.  Trim around the edges of your seam (optional) and turn the whole thing right side out.  Then, iron the edges flat, making sure to iron the opening, folding the raw edges inside.

8.  Close the open hole, using either a hand stitch or Liquid Stitch. I use Liquid Stitch to close the opening.  I LOVE Liquid Stitch and recommend it for anyone who may not be the best hand-stitcher (like me:).  It dries quickly, and it holds up to wear, washing machines, and dryers!

9.  Optional – topstitch about a ¼” all the way around the bib.  This step is optional, because you might like the look without the top stitch, especially after ironing.  If you don’t want a top stitch, you can skip this one!

10.  Add your snaps.  You can use sew-on snaps and hand-sew them on, or you can use a snap setter tool (like this one) to add your snaps.

And, there you have it – your very own scarf bib!  This size should fit a baby up to at least 12 months.  If you need to fit it on a smaller baby, you could just add an extra snap (or even use Velcro) further in, so it’s a bit adjustable.  Now, go put it on a baby and be proud of your accomplishment!

Nov
22

Introducing…Toddah!

Hello!

Welcome to our bran-spanking-new website. We are still in the process of finishing the site but couldn’t wait to share it with the world.

Toddah is a light hearted Midwestern company run buy three family members, with the goal of creating well designed products that support a global cause and put smiles on your faces.

Our hope for the site is to showcase our latest designs, make some tutorials of some fun DIY projects, share some stuff that we’ve found inspiring from other people, launch some contests to get you some of our stuff for free and give you some behind the scenes info on what we are up to. All in all, we want to have more of a relationship with our visitors and make it a little less one-sided if you choose to buy from us.

Thanks for stopping by!

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The Todds