Sewing Tutorial: Sleeping Mask

 My daughter had a great idea: sleeping masks as party favors for a sleepover. They're not hard to make either! You can even embroider a fun design on the fabric prior to cutting and sewing.

Try to guess her favorite animal.

SUPPLIES

Elastic (I used 1/2' wide knit)
Less than a fat quarter's worth of flannel
Tracing paper or similar

Washed, ironed, and all the boring prep, of course.

DIRECTIONS

Take a couple measurements of the person you're making the sleeping mask for: temple-to-temple around the front of the face, and temple-to-temple around the back of the head. For my late-elementary aged child who wears a size 12, those measurements were 9 inches (23 cm) and 15 inches (38 cm).

Next, cut a template for the mask, making it a touch longer than your first measurement.

You could just do a rectangle, but a little shaping is nicer.

Fold it in half and check for symmetry, trimming if needed.

Trace the mask template on your flannel (if you want an embroidery design, do that prior to cutting) and cut out two per mask. Also cut a piece of elastic the length of your second measurement.

If you have embroidered something, be sure to center it.

I found that a 10x10 inch (25x25cm) square was 
a great size for hooping for embroidery,
and yielded fabric for one mask.

Now, layer the two pieces of flannel and the elastic. The flannel will be right sides together with the elastic in the middle. Be careful to place the elastic so that it will be evenly attached on both sides AND so that you won't sew over more than just the two spots where it will be attached (at either temple). Pin or clip the layers in place.

The elastic just barely extends past the edges of the flannels.

Now, sew around the perimeter, leaving a little space for turning.

Be sure you catch all layers, especially where the elastic is.

Turn right side out, iron, and top stitch around the entire perimeter.

I made this seam narrower than the previous one.

Another quick press with the iron and some thread trimming, and you're done!

Good night!

Goody Bags, Party Favors, and Other Gifts for Multiple People

Some events call for multiples of gifts, whether as a thank you for coming or as part of the event itself. In general, consumables are a good idea, although if it's food you do need to be considerate of allergies and other dietary restrictions. If you're aiming for more of a keepsake, small is best. You'll need to take into consideration your budget, your audience, and your time.

CONSUMABLES

I have literally dozens of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and I see many of them during the holidays. Buying them all individual gifts would bankrupt me, and making the same by hand would take all year (not to mention the cost of supplies). Instead, I bake three or four varieties of cookies, double or triple batches of each. Each family gets a bag of cookies from me without my needing to take out a loan or spend more than part of a few days baking. Some of them give bags of their own homemade cookies, breads, candies, or jams. Other people I know make vanilla extract (this takes a few months; plan ahead), brownies, fudge, snack mixes, home-brewed beer or other alcohol, small cakes, applesauce, nut butters, spaghetti sauce, spice mixes, home-roasted coffee beans, and even honey from their beehives. You can also put together dry ingredients for baked goods. And of course, there are myriad store bought food treats, often ones made locally.

You do have to be mindful of dietary restrictions. For example, one of my cousins is allergic to peanuts, so I don't add peanuts to any cookies and I don't make peanut butter cookies (for her, other nuts are fine so I can still use almond extract or other nuts). If you don't know the recipients well, in the case of an office party for example, food might not be best. You also need to be sure whatever you give will be okay without refrigeration for at least a few hours. One way around potential food restrictions for a crowd is something like a candy bar. When my brother got married, the wedding favors were organza bags we could fill with our choice of a variety of his and my sister-in-law's favorite candies. At a different wedding, the candy bar was every kind of blue candy the bride and groom could find, as the wedding colors were navy and sky blue. Both times the treats were great for the plane ride home.

Some events give away plants and seeds. While not quite consumable, these are fun for those who have the space to grow them. They're also easy to tailor to the occasion: pots painted in seasonal colors, some of the same flowers as in the wedding bouquets, plants that represent the occasion, that sort of thing.

Other consumables include candles, soap, lotion, sugar scrubs, lip balm, and stationery. As with food gifts, any of these can be store bought or handmade, and you need to be aware of allergies. They don't need to be fancy either, especially if your recipients are more practical. Some years my grandparents have given us simple toiletries like shampoo and shaving cream (with some cash, being grandparents) and it always gets used.

GIFT CARDS

If you have the budget, gift cards in $5-10 denominations are good. The standard is coffee shops, but you don't need to limit yourselves to that. Bakeries, specialty grocery stores, online music services, ice cream stores--as long as your recipients can actually get something for $5 or $10, it can work. One Christmas, a cousin of mine passed out Redbox gift cards with packets of microwave popcorn. 

If you know your recipients would appreciate donations given in their names, you can also pass out notes acknowledging such. One wedding I attended recently had notecards at each table setting stating that in lieu of wedding favors the bride and groom, who had both lost their mothers to cancer, had made a donation to the American Cancer Society. Especially with as extravagant as the wedding and reception was, I thought the donation was far more touching than wedding favor to take home.

KEEPSAKES AND TOKENS

There are a variety of choices for small gifts, some better than others. The issue with gifts meant to be kept is that it's impossible to cater to everyone's tastes. With consumables, people who get something they don't like don't feel as obligated to keep it.

Christmas ornaments are an obvious choice for Christmas parties, and most people aren't too selective about what goes on their trees. Other decorative or household items can be more versatile, like prisms or sun catchers, paper weights, drink coasters, fridge magnets, pins, kitchen accessories, and knick-knacks. Some of these can be handmade, like knit washcloths, sewn hot pads, etched glass coasters, and so on.

If the event is for a specific activity, it's easier to pick out an appropriate favor. For example, a sewing club party could pass out sewing notions; a garden club might give away plant starts. 

For kids' birthday parties, the usual fare seems to be a bag of small plastic toys. I'm not a fan of those myself, as my kids have too many of those already. Goody bags we've found easier to enjoy include more useful items like pencils or other school supplies, a single larger toy, treats like a few cookies or some candy from a piñata, or things that get used up like bubbles and stickers. But don't feel limited to those; feel free to be creative. My brother's birthday is Halloween, so every year his party guests would trick-or-treat. Our parents figured the kids didn't need more candy, especially since they also got birthday cake...so the party favors were toothbrushes and floss! 

If You Can Bake, Cook, or Brew, You Can Make...

Food is a great gift if you know your recipient's dietary restrictions. Whether it's a little treat or a full meal, food is a great way to show people that they're appreciated and cared for.

Sweets and small food gifts are great for holidays, birthdays, and saying thanks, congratulations, or welcome. Cookies, candy, brownies, fudge, jam, seasonings and rubs, infused vinegar or oils, vanilla extract, syrups (either for dessert toppings or in drinks), homemade beverages and beverage mixes, bread and pastries; even food grown in your garden. It's always nice to have a little treat.

Providing a home-cooked meal is a great way to help out busy people, like new parents or people who have just moved or who are busy planning events. Not having to worry about what to make for dinner can help people cope with difficult times like drawn-out medical issues or relax and enjoy happy occasions.

You might able to make something extra-special to eat. Old family recipes are great for this: my mom's side of the family always loves getting my great-great-aunt's secret recipe cookies, and my dad's side appreciates the nostalgia of getting a loaf of the bread my great-great-grandmother made for Sunday dinners. If you know someone's favorite food, see if it can be used in a new sort of recipe or given another kind of twist. My sister-in-law likes rhubarb, so rhubarb cake and strawberry rhubarb pie are obvious choices, but rhubarb syrup that can be poured over pancakes or ice cream is a more fun gift to give. Use fun cookie cutters and colored icing to make a delicious bouquet of flowers or special molds to make shaped candies or cupcakes. You can find themed recipes, like a batch of Italian Wedding Soup for an anniversary present.

Regardless of what kind of food you're giving, make it easier on your recipient by giving it in a container that you don't need back. This can be as simple as wrapping a lasagna in heavy foil or as intricate as packing everything in a picnic basket, utensils included. As with any food gift, take into consideration allergies and intolerances, religious and health restrictions, and how long the food will be refrigerated.

Throwing a Baby Shower

Not everyone marks new babies with showers, but if someone close to you (it's generally frowned upon to throw your own shower) is expecting and you feel like celebrating, here are some pointers:


TIMELINE

Generally, showers I’ve hosted go like this:

First hour:
Guests arrive
Socializing/snacking
Maybe a game to break the ice or introductions if people don’t know each other (”I’m Sally, I’ve known Jane since high school.” ”I’m Mary, Jane’s aunt.”)

Second hour:
Open presents
Maybe another game (easy thing to do is set a timer during gift opening, and whoever’s present is being opened when it goes off gets a little gift; you can set it more than once)
More socializing and snacking as people gradually leave

WHO TO INVITE

Showers are traditionally events for women, although co-ed showers exist, and the guests of honor may well not include women at all. For the stereotypical female-only shower, think about inviting mothers, grandmothers, sisters/-in-law, aunts and cousins, and friends. If men are also invited, extend the list appropriately: fathers, grandfathers, etc. (Of course, not everyone has a good relationship with their families; you should exclude people who are abusive) Ask the guest of honor for a list, and suggest these to start. As to whether you should invite men as well; check with your guest of honor.

Send out the invitations about a month in advance, after clearing the date with the guest of honor (early to mid-third trimester is good; the expectant mother is likely to be more tired after that; or a month or two after the due date and make it a Meet the Baby party; especially good for adopted children). Make sure to send one to your guest of honor as well--imagine the mother-to-be not knowing when or where to show up! Of course, you will want to be keeping her in the dark for a surprise shower, but think carefully before doing that. A surprise shower means that she won't be able to remind to invite her godmother or tell you that her aunt is allergic to chocolate; she won't be prepared for being the center of attention, she might have other plans, and she won't be dressed for the occasion. If she's really hoping for a shower and never hears any plans for one, she might feel forgotten before she realizes the surprise. Some people love surprise parties, but unless you're sure, don't risk it.

GAMES

Have two to three games IF the guest of honor wants them. The best ones don't interrupt the flow of the party.

Gift bingo is good, or you can have a timer go off every three minutes or so during gift opening (the giver of the gift being opened “wins”), especially if there are a lot of gifts. 

Or give everyone a safety pin and set a rule like “no crossing your hands” or “no elbows on the table” and anyone who catches another guest “breaking” a rule gets that person’s safety pin; the guest with the most after X time wins.

Another easy game is guessing the baby food. Take labels off jars of baby food and number them, have people guess based on color--but don’t open them. Give the parent(s) the answer key so the baby can eat the food later. Most babies start food around 4-6 months.

Guests can match the names of baby animals to their parents (e.g.; baby echidnas are puggles). 

One guests can do any time is guessing how many small candies are in a baby bottle.

Unless specifically requested, stay away from melting candy bars in diapers (wastes the diaper and the candy) or guessing how big around Mom is (she probably feels big enough already). If you have the ability to follow through with a prize at a later date, you can also take bets on when the baby will be born.

Not really a game, but a fun activity, is decorating onesies. Get a few in different sizes and some fabric pens, and some magazines or hardcover books to give people a good coloring surface, if a table isn’t available. 

If you play games, have prizes for the winner, and don't forget to account for ties. Remember, neither the parents nor the host can win (although they can play). Easy prizes include soap, lotion, $5 coffee gift cards, fancy candles, a set of blank note cards (for writing letters, or for taking notes), a set of small rubber stamps, some fancy soap and lotion, some small candles, that sort of thing. If you do a guess-how-many-candies-are-in-the-bottle, the winner can get the candy (bring a bag if you want to keep the bottle).

FAVORS

Showers typically have little favors. Consumables are best (lotions, soap, candies, candles). I’ve knitted up dishcloths; those go over well. Flower seeds or seedlings are good too, especially if the baby is due in the spring: you can watch your flower grow with the baby. If the baby is due near Christmas and the attendees celebrate it, you can get one-inch diameter ornaments at places like Michaels and paint them in the nursery colors or the parents’ favorite colors.

FOOD

What sort of food? Go for brunch if it’s around 11:00 (fruit, donuts, quiches; that sort of thing) or light snacks for an afternoon party (cheese and cracker platter, cut vegetables, etc). If you don’t plan it for a meal time, you won’t have to serve a full meal. Remember that some foods and drinks are off-limits for pregnant women, like certain soft cheeses and alcohol. Have at least some things that the guest honor can enjoy.

Serve dessert while the parent(s) is(are) opening presents. Have someone keep a list of who gives what. You can get or make thank you notes or postcards, stamped and addressed (don’t have the other guests address the envelopes themselves, it will be Talked About), so that all parent(s) has(have) to do is write “Thanks for the X; Baby will love it!”

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Second, third, etc baby: Some cultures only give showers for first babies, or only the first baby of each sex. I don't see a problem with celebrating each baby myself, but I like parties. I have both thrown and been given smaller parties for subsequent babies, which we called baby sprinkles. The expectant mothers were all just as excited, but didn't need as much of the big stuff, like cribs. Gifts for sprinkles are more along the lines of things that couldn't be handed down, like disposable diapers, formula, and baby food. You can also frame it as a Meet the Baby party, with less or no focus on gifts.

Shower for a "Rainbow Baby": A Rainbow Baby is a baby born following a miscarriage, stillbirth, or other infant or child death. Be sensitive to the parents' needs when asking if they'd like a shower. Some people may prefer to wait until the baby is born, some may want their deceased child mentioned in some way--there's no wrong way to grieve a child, so follow the parents' lead.

Celebrating an older child: Many adopted children are welcomed into their families at older ages. If you're throwing a shower for a parent or parents whose child isn't a baby, make that fact clear on the invitations, for example, Toddler Shower or Teenager Shower. Gifts would necessarily be geared toward the appropriate age group.

Throwing a Wedding Shower

Not everyone marks weddings with showers, but if someone close to you (it's generally frowned upon to throw your own shower) is engaged and you feel like celebrating, here are some pointers:

TIMELINE

Generally, showers I’ve hosted go like this:

First hour:
Guests arrive
Socializing/snacking
Maybe a game to break the ice and/or introductions if people don’t know each other (If there are a lot of people who don’t know each other, get the “formal” part of the party started by having guests introduce themselves by how they know the bride. "I’m Sally, I’ve known Jane since high school." "I’m Mary, Jane’s aunt.")

Second hour:
Open presents
Maybe another game
More socializing and snacking as people gradually leave

WHO TO INVITE

Showers are traditionally events for women, although co-ed showers exist, and the guests of honor may well not include women at all. For the stereotypical female-only shower, think about inviting mothers, grandmothers, sisters/-in-law, aunts and cousins, and friends. If men are also invited, extend the list appropriately: fathers, grandfathers, etc. (Of course, not everyone has a good relationship with their families; you should exclude people who are abusive)

Ask the guest of honor for a list, and suggest these to start. I say that because I asked a friend for an invite list for her bridal shower and we both forgot to invite her fiance’s mother! As to whether you should invite men as well; check with you guest of honor. Only invite people who have been invited to the wedding, with some exception for destination weddings, as fewer people can make it.

Send out the invitations about a month in advance, after clearing the date with the guest of honor. Make sure to send one to your guest of honor as well--imagine the bride-to-be not knowing when or where to show up! Of course, you will want to be keeping her in the dark for a surprise shower, but think carefully before doing that. A surprise shower means that she won't be able to remind to invite her godmother or tell you that her aunt is allergic to chocolate; she won't be prepared for being the center of attention, she might have other plans, and she won't be dressed for the occasion. If she's really hoping for a shower and never hears any plans for one, she might feel forgotten before she realizes the surprise. Some people love surprise parties, but unless you're sure, don't risk it.

GAMES 

Have two to three games IF the bride wants them. If you play games, have prizes for the winner. Remember, neither the guest of honor nor the host can win, although they can play. Easy prizes include soap, lotion, $5 coffee gift cards, fancy candles, a set of blank note cards (for writing letters or for taking notes), a set of small rubber stamps, that sort of thing. Don't forget to account for ties.

The best games don't interrupt the flow of the party. Gift bingo is good, or you can have a timer go off every three minutes or so during gift opening (the giver of the gift being opened “wins”), especially if there are a lot of gifts. Or give everyone a safety pin and set a rule like “no crossing your hands” or “no elbows on the table” and anyone who catches another guest “breaking” a rule gets that person’s safety pin; the guest with the most after X time wins.

I’ve also done a game with extreme close-up pictures of wedding-related things, like a diamond seen through an electron scanning microscope; guests are to guess what the pictures are of (word bank optional). 

Another game is setting out common kitchen items on a tray, like salad tongs, a spatula, a dishcloth and letting the group observe it for a few minutes. Then hide it and whoever can write down the most items wins.

You can also fill a toasting flute with small candies and whoever guesses the amount closest wins (and wins the candy--have a bag ready if you don't want to part with the flute).

FAVORS

Showers typically have little favors. Consumables are best (lotions, soap, candies, candles). I’ve knitted up dishcloths in wedding colors; those go over well. Flower seeds or seedlings are good too, especially if they're of flowers that will be at the wedding. If the wedding is near Christmas and the attendees celebrate it, you can get one-inch diameter ornaments at places like Michaels and paint them in the wedding colors.

FOOD 

What sort of food? Go for brunch if it’s around 11:00 (fruit, donuts, quiches; that sort of thing) or light snacks for an afternoon party (cheese and cracker platter, cut vegetables, etc). If you don’t plan it for a meal time, you won’t have to serve a full meal.

Serve dessert while the guest of honor is opening presents. Have someone keep a list of who gives what. You can get or make thank you notes or postcards, stamped and addressed (don’t have the other guests address the envelopes themselves, it will be Talked About), so that all guest of honor has to do is write “Thanks for the X; we'll think of you when we use it!”

Throwing a Holiday Party

People like to get together to celebrate cultural and religious holidays. If you're on tap to plan one, here are some things to consider as you plan.

FOOD

Will you prepare it all yourself? Have the party catered? Meet at a restaurant? Organize a potluck? What kind of food will you have? Is it a barbecue, a sit-down dinner, a buffet?

Some celebrations come with their own standard menus. Thanksgiving has turkey, Easter has ham or lamb. If you're preparing the main course, be sure to plan enough time to have it ready to eat when you want it: it might need to be thawed, marinated, seasoned, or browned before you start cooking it. Especially if you are also preparing other dishes, try to pick recipes that don't need to be tended often as they cook. Slow cookers are great for this. Whatever you can make ahead of time, do. Most cookies and breads can be frozen for several days and thawed before the party, for example. Non-perishables, like nuts and chips, can sit in their serving bowls with a dishtowel covering them for a few hours while you get other things ready, and cut fruits and vegetables can wait in the fridge on their serving trays until the meal starts.

If you hire caterers, be sure they know the right address to come to, and that they can work with whatever dietary restrictions you need addressed. Find out exactly what sorts of serving items they provide. You might need your own plates and utensils, for example. 

For a party held at a venue, reservations are a must. Especially at busy holiday times, you simply can't expect a restaurant or hotel or other place to accommodate a crowd at the last minute. Make the reservations well in advance. My husband is taking my mother-in-law to a fancy restaurant for Mother's Day (May here in the US), and when I made the reservations in December, there were already almost no slots left. And that was just for two people! Some venues offer special menus for holiday brunches; check to see if yours does, because if the only reason you want to eat a particular place is the dish that isn't being served that day, you'll be disappointed. As with caterers, you'll need to be sure dietary restrictions can be worked around. A steakhouse might have few options for a vegetarian, and a Thai restaurant with peanut sauce on everything could be problematic for someone with allergies.

If everyone is bringing a dish, check that all your bases are covered. You don't want to end up with eight kinds of pie but no main course (or maybe you do, but then you'll want to coordinate different kinds of pie). You can assign people dishes based on last names (e.g.; A-M brings a side, N-Z brings a dessert, you provide the main course), generations (e.g.; grandparents bring snacks; parents, aunts, and uncles bring sides or main dishes; cousins bring desserts), their specialties if people are known for certain dishes, or if everyone's communicating have a list of what foods should be brought and have people sign up.  Potlucks work best with lots of communication.

ACTIVITIES

For a lot of parties, socializing is plenty entertainment for everyone. Especially if it's a group that rarely gets together outside of the holidays, catching up is great fun. In those cases, the only things you really need to think about are whether you need a space for kids to play, somewhere for pets (either yours who might be overwhelmed with the crowd or guests' animals), and enough places for people to sit.

If your party is centered around an activity, be it more passive like watching the Super Bowl or more active like a family golf tournament or baseball game, you'll need to plan a bit more. Depending on how involved the activity is, you need to have a timeline of when events should be starting, and an idea of how flexible you can be with the schedule.

If you want activities for only some people, like a cookie decorating area for kids at a Christmas party, you will probably need to have someone keeping an eye on it throughout the party. That person won't be able to socialize as much, so if you can't swap out now and then, you might consider hiring a sitter. I knew a family who loved hosting holiday parties, and there were always about a dozen kids between the ages of two and seven. They would hire me to stay in the large downstairs playroom with the kids so the adults could chat more easily (and they paid very well, plus the other parents usually tipped--I never minded being called for a party!). The parents were right upstairs for any children who needed to sit in Mom or Dad's lap for a bit, and the parents knew their children were safe and having fun.

GIFTS?

If the holiday you're celebrating is a gift-giving one, you need to decide how formal you want that to be. Most people enjoy watching others open the gifts they've (hopefully) thoughtfully selected. 

If you have a gift exchange with "stealing" rules, you need to make sure everyone participating is in the room. Before the party, you should also have made sure everyone knows the expectations of the gift exchange. The most important parts are the upper and lower cost limits, whether it should be a gag gift or a serious gift, when to open the gift (at the end of the game or immediately after picking it), and whether people can "steal" a gift someone else already selected.

When people are giving gifts to specific recipients, there might a large pile to sort out. How do you want to do this? Do the gift-givers pass out their gifts en masse? Do you designate one or two people to pass them out (don't pick the same people every year unless they like it)? Is it a free-for-all? The group you're celebrating with will dictate what works best for your situation.

TIMING

If you need the party to end by a certain time (whether because you'll want to have your home to yourself again or because the venue will close), make that clear from the beginning: "The party will be from 2:00 to 8:00." If it's open-ended, just tell people it's a open house (specify when you'll be ready for guests, though). Be clear in communicating what needs to be done by certain times, if there is anything; for example, when the fireworks show starts or how late you'll keep the buffet spread on the table.

MISC

Make sure that wherever the party is there's adequate parking. If some guests have mobility issues, allow them priority parking and be sure they have a place to sit. 

If you're hosting at your house, let people know any codes they might need for gates or doors. Have a place for people to put away coats or change into swimsuits as needed. Stock extra toilet paper and soap in the bathrooms, and have a plunger at the ready just in case. Depending on what sort of food is being served, you might want to consider a spill station too, with club soda, towels, and other things to mitigate stains. Close doors to rooms that are off limits, and while I hope you won't have to worry about it, consider whether you should lock up any medications, sensitive paperwork, or valuables. 

If you expect people to take food home with them, have foil, plastic wrap, plastic bags, or plastic containers for them to use. One of my aunts keeps the resealable plastic containers some lunch meats come in, and has a stack of them by the buffet table after parties (clean, of course).

When the party's done, be sure anyone who needs to be paid (caterers, venue operators, sitters) gets paid. Clean up what you need to if it's not at your home. If it is at your home, do you want guests to help clean up? Many will offer to help with dishes or other clean up, but if you thrive on the specific order you keep your home in, you might not like the help (one of my grandmothers was this way; we could help put the food in dishes to store in the fridge, but she was particular about the rest).

Hosting a party is a big responsibility, but if you're organized as you prepare for it, it will go smoothly and your guests will have a good time.