Crafting Outdoor Cushion Covers

In June I walked door-to-door to businesses throughout my town with flyers and posters about National Alzheimer's Awareness month. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to meet and chat with hundreds of people, share information about this treacherous disease, and check out the contents of stores and shops that I had never visited before. It was interesting, enlightening, and fun.

While my personal delivery system required several days to complete, I finished feeling happy and knowing much more about my town and its merchants. I vowed then to do my best to only buy from local stores with local proprietors, skipping the big box discount monoliths that have intruded and run many out of business. Their prices may be better on some items but they are not good to their employees and they do not exude a sense of belonging to our town. So far I have been very successful with my purchasing and have had a great time as well and l know I am making a difference for local businesses.

One of our new shops sells fabrics. We have had similar stores in and out over the years but they have found it tough to stay afloat. The big box has some sewing essentials but not many plus it is off my list of places to go. The owner of the fabric shop is a casual acquaintance as our sons wrestled and played football together. On my first visit, the shop was pretty quiet so we had a chance to chat and I was able to snoop around and discover the variety of fabrics, notions, and quilting materials available. And so, even though it is August and summer is nearly gone, I decided to join the legion of sewers and make covers for my outdoor furniture.

On the second stop the shop was bustling, exciting for a fledgling business, but the owner had plenty of time for me. We found a perfect outdoor fabric in greens, tans, and reds, measured out the yards, found thread and stuffing for pillows and my sewing adventure began. I have sewn off and on over the years so I have experience, but I am not a regular at my machine. Fortunately it is a trusty Singer, a graduation gift 42 years ago, and it runs with glee. I gathered up my old cushions, washed and dried them, shook the stuffing back into every corner, and then set them atop my fabric. I cut one large cover for my favorite rocking chair and fashioned two pillows for my swing (one a cover-over and the other a new creation). After seams were in place I shoved in the old cushions, stitched up the hole left for stuffing, and had sparkling new ones.

Next came the Adirondacks. I have four of them and just two cushions that include a back and seat all in one. I cut the cushions in two so that now I would have a seat cushion for all four chairs. I again measured, cut, sewed, and stuffed and was pleased to have cushions for all of the chairs. With the leftover fabric I created a tablecloth so now everything on my deck blends with a cheerful, new cover. In a matter of a few hours I had renewed my vow to shop locally, washed, cut, sewed, stuffed, and now I can enjoy a fresh look and feel at a minimal cost.

Visit us to Find more articles related to house of bath free delivery

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9125487

What Does a Safe Crib Look Like?

One question when preparing for your new baby is how to decorate the crib.

If you go in any baby store there are lots of options of cute bumper pads and beautiful matching blankets. You can find them in any theme you want: jungle animals, princess, spider man, and many more. They are adorable.

Unfortunately, your baby's crib is supposed to look plain and boring.

A safe crib should only contain a firm mattress covered with a fitted sheet. No bumper pads and no cute comforter!

The reason a boring crib is recommended is to help in the prevention of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). After years of research and many theories about the cause of SIDS, we still do not know the exact cause of SIDS but we do know some things which reduce the number of SIDS deaths.

The recommendations for safe sleep for the first year are:

1. Place babies on their back to sleep, both at nighttime and at nap-time. Research shows this is the only recommended position for sleep and it is known to reduce the risk of SIDS. Fewer babies die of SIDS when they sleep on their backs.

2. Place babies on a firm mattress in an approved crib. Do not put babies to sleep on soft mattresses, sofa, sofa cushions, waterbeds, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces.

3. Remove all fluffy and loose bedding from the sleep area. Make sure you take all pillows, quilts, stuffed toys, and other soft items out of the crib. Loose blankets increase the risk of entanglement.

4. Make sure the baby's head and face stay uncovered during sleep. Keep the baby's mouth and nose clear of blankets and other coverings during sleep. Research shows that some infants may have difficulty handling the re-breathing of their own air. Good ventilation around the baby's face has been shown to be beneficial in the prevention of SIDS.

5. Do not let babies overheat during sleep. Keep babies comfortable during sleep, not too warm or too cold. Too many layers of clothing or blankets can overheat babies. Babies have difficulty bringing their body temperature down if they are overheated.

6. There should not be any loose blankets in the crib. Young babies sleep best when they are tightly swaddled to control their arms. When no longer able to be swaddled, sleep sacks work well instead of a blanket.

As a Sleep Consultant I do not recommend mobiles or other toys attached to the side of the crib. We want our babies to associate the crib with sleep, not play. Sleep is our goal because a tired baby is a grumpy baby. A well-rested baby will be happy.

Visit us to Find more articles related to house of bath sale

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9148549

The Difference Between a Crib Mattress and a Twin Mattress

When you are selecting a mattress for your children, you have to make sure that you are selecting the best one for them. You have to buy a mattress which can be beneficial for the child's proper sleep as well as you can use the same mattress for a longer period of time. Thus you need to do proper research before buying the perfect mattress for your child. You have to know the difference between a crib mattress and a twin mattress properly before you buy one for your child. While making the choice make sure that the growth of child is occurring properly while he is sleeping or playing on his bed. Then only you can get best out of your decision.

Here are some of the differences between the twin mattress and crib mattress:

Sizes of The Crib Mattress

The basic size of the crib mattress according the federal regulations is 51 inches in length and 27 inches in width. There is a safety risk also if two fingers fit side by side between the mattress and the side of the crib. Moreover, a child can only sleep on the crib mattress till he/she is 3 and half feet tall.

On the other hand, the twin is 75 inches in length and 39 inches in width. This is considered to be the smallest of all. A person who is generally 5 feet 7 inches or lesser in height can fit into this mattress properly. For the ones who are taller the best suited is Twin XL one. It comes with additional 5 inches with the total length of the Twin.

Types of Mattresses

There are two types of crib mattresses which you can also find in the twin. One of the two types is the foam mattress which is light as well as easy to pick up for the changing the sheets. But lighter does not mean it is better. The most important thing is to have a higher density and increase the firmness as well.

Another type is the spring mattress which you can find in the twin mattress as well. But the density varies from one mattress to another depending on the types of spring used. Twin comes with pillow toppers or foam toppers. Thus, the density provided by the coils is not so important.

Coverings of Mattress

The Crib mattress comes with either nylon or vinyl coverings. But the twin mattress on the other hand, does not have any coverings. The nylon coverings are more durable against any kind of tears. You can buy coverings for twin mattresses which comes with a fabric covering or some kind of padding to make the bedding a lot more comfortable.

So, these are the basic and most important differences between the crib mattress and the twin mattress. While buying the mattress you have to also consider the safety features which is very much important. Another thing is that if you are buying this for your child then the mattress should proper ventilation otherwise it can be harmful for the child.

Visit us to Find more articles related to house of bath

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9187433