Ever Herd Of Elephants?

Pun intended.

In trying to finish projects in order to pack my sewing machine, my home has been invaded by a pack of tiny pachyderms.  This is the one pattern that has totally been worth buying.  I have made so many little elephants.  Thanks Heather Bailey for making such a cute pattern!

These two for some coming baby boys.

 You can see the girl elephant, second from the left.

 There's something cute about a row of tiny pachyderm hineys.

This little guy is for one of my husband's attendings at work as a thank you.

Fittingly made from scrubs.

Now that these little guys and girls are done, my sewing machine is packed.

More projects to come from our new home.

Toy Mat

This is a Pinterest find courtesy of Freshly Pieced.  I simplified it and made it a little smaller, but the idea is brilliant.  It is perfect for toys that have a million pieces or that just need easier access for immediate playtime.  My youngest is newly obsessed with tea parties and play food, and my oldest likes to set up elaborate tea parties that eat up all the play time.  I saw this as the perfect solution.  And it's very inexpensive - price of two yards of fabric + cord from Hobby Lobby (about $2.99 - and it's way more than you need) + grommets and punch.

My mat turned out about 35 inches.

 I braided the cord so that it would be more durable and not get tangled. 

I love this fabric!

You can see how thrilled my youngest is.

Storage is a snap!  I could use a bunch of these.

Car Clean-up

I have become very annoyed with the state of my car lately.  It's always got a layer of wrappers, tissues, and empty drink bottles covering the floor.  I should be better at picking up after myself.  Two kids and an outdoor parking space has only increased this problem.  And with a deadline looming I decided to tackle the problem.  I made a trash bag for the car.  (Now, if I had not attempted this at a late hour I might have done it a little differently, but I was on a mission.) 

This is the finished product. 

     Twill exterior

     Laminated cotton interior

     Velcro closure to keep the stuff inside.

     Tie to hang from the head-rest of the passenger seat.

I should have taken a picture of the bag inside the car.  (Where it's doing a fabulous job, by the way.)  You will just have to take my word for it. 

Stuffies

I've been caught up in making stuffed animals and dolls lately.  I have yet to create my own pattern, so I can't take all the credit, but I really like them when they are done.  These have just been too much fun! 

 I liked this one so much I almost couldn't give it away.

 This one was just to see if I could do it.  Anyone need a platypus?  I think the next one I'll do will be bigger. 

Apples Continued

I don't know what it is about this fabric, but I really like it.  Go figure.  I'm trying very hard to complete projects and use fabrics from my stash, as it's slowly taking over my room. 

I found the idea for a wrap skirt here.  I thought it sounded like a good idea.  As always, I found a way to make it more complicated.  There wasn't enough apple fabric, so I added the dots.  And I made a wide bias tape to act as the tie.  Then I figured out why a wrap skirt is difficult for a four year old to wear.  So, I added a couple more "button holes" for the tie to act more like a belt.  It does a much better job.  Now I just have to teach my daughter how to sit in a skirt.  I guess I better do that before preschool starts anyway. 

It was a fun sew and very easy, even though I complicated it.  I think it would work better for an older girl or woman.  That's what I like about this tutorial - it lets you adjust it for your measurements.  The shirt was something I made up.  It was an experiment.  Thanks to Target, it was only a $5 experiment.

A Tight Leash

My daughter had a great time playing with her stuffed animals.  With the dog stuffies she needed leashes, of course.  She had been using one of my belts.  I only had one and there are more than one dog, so I promised her I'd make her some. 

 I found some 'D' rings in my stash, added some ribbon (just measured to my daughter's waist), minimal sewing and Ta-Da!  Super easy!  And in no time at all (the attention span of most kids), an accessory for the puppy stuffies.

The very same idea can be used to make a belt for kids.  Age 4 or 5 might even be able to undo them for potty breaks.

Granny Smith Set

I've been feeling a little bad about the fact that Karin just doesn't have as many gifts made by me.  I know she doesn't know any better now, but when she gets older and looks back, I don't want her to feel bad. 

When I saw this little outfit on sale I scooped it up, but decided it was a little plain.  So, I added the apples and whipped up a matching burp cloth.  I love Karin in yellow!  It works well with her skin tone and she can always use another burp cloth. 

Birthday Party Creations

This year Audrey decided on a Pirate Girl theme for her birthday party.  It makes sense if you know the song - They Might Be Giants Here Come the One, Two Threes "Pirate Girls Nine".  We sing it in the car all the time and it's one of our favorites.  As soon as she said it I knew just how to do a cake for her.  I had had done one several years ago for Matt's birthday.  (Yes, we like Pirates that much at our house.)

Then I got really creative.  These are just a few things I did for the party.  I loved how things turned out and the kids told me they had fun.  That's high praise.  Lucky for me it was fairly low key - cake, ice cream, and one game at the park.  The kids took care of the rest of the fun.  I think I'm going to make this a tradition.

 What Pirate Girl would be complete without an eye patch?

 The clues for the scavenger hunt, written in Pirate, of course.  It was a photo scavenger hunt since most the kids couldn't read.  I read them the clues they found, but the picture gave them a better idea of what they were looking for.

 The treasure chest for the end of the scavenger hunt.  I found this idea online and it was one of the simplist and best ideas.  It took me 3 minutes and if the kids tear it up, big deal.  The treasure inside were jeweled ring pops to continue with our theme.  Oh, and the kids shreaded it to get to the candy.

 The base for the cake.  I think some who saw it still aren't sure just how I did it, so now you know.

 The cake was a simple 9x13 chocolate cake with chocolate frosting covered with gold and jewels.

 An upclose look at those delicious jewels.  Yes, those are jewel shaped Gushers in there, too.   I thought it was a little weird addition, but the kids loved them.  And if you ever need kids to do something, chocolate coins are a HUGE hit!

 The final product.

I had to stick my hand in there to show you it's a functioning lid to the chest.  Just don't let it flop back, you'll smudge the frosting.

 This is the only project I didn't get to finish in time for the party.  It would have looked so cute strung up between the posts on the pavillion at the park.  (Too bad we didn't get to use the pavillion either.  We were the 3rd birthday party at the park that night.)

A close up of the fabric.  It matches the pillowcase I made for the birthdays at our house (probably excluding the one boy, since it's pink).  I loved how it turned out, I just have to wait another 8 months before we can use it. 

The best part of this birthday is that I managed to pull it off for under $100.  Hooray for homemade!

Birthdays

Grown-ups are sometimes hard to shop for and can be even harder to make something for.  So, when I found this pattern online, I snatched it up.  But the site I bought it from never sent me the pattern, so I made my own.  This is 100% my design.  And if the recipient likes them, they are totally reusable.  I love how they turned out and how economical they are.  (I won't give that away since they were gifts.)  I love it when things turn out.  Now I need one.

New Tradition

I'm starting a new tradition in my house.  I made a pillowcase for the girls to use on their birthday.  It's a silly little thing to make them feel special on their special day.  Some families have a special plate, we have a pillowcase.  I wonder if something like this would sell on etsy? 

I'm planning on making a matching reusable birthday banner, too, but we'll see what comes of this week.

Baby Boy

I have a hard time deciding what to make for little boys sometimes and what fabrics to choose.  I recently received these items for my own baby and have really enjoyed them and gotten comments on how cute they are.  (Thanks, Brooke!)  So I decided to make them for a friend who was having a little boy.  My friend has a ton of sewing and crafting talent although she is very modest.  But I love what she comes up with, including her own pattern for things.  I am inspired by her, so I used what I've learned from her and created the above car seat cover and car seat blanket.  I'm really only brave enough to create flat patterns, but I loved how they turned out.  And I got to make and use bias strips for binding, which is my recent obsession - ask anyone who has received a baby present from me lately.  Anyway, I'm glad they turned out well, and they really weren't difficult.  And I liked the fabric and have heard she does, too.  Bonus!  This is definitely something I can repeat.

One Last Project

I always think of something I want done before I leave town.  Usually it's not this easy and it gets left behind.  There hasn't been much time for projects with a new baby, so this had been waiting for a spare moment.  The binki holder was super easy, but much needed.  I ordered the clasps from the Sassy Paci Botique a little ribbon and voila!  It's nice to have something cute to attach to these enormous binkis that both my kids have used.

The barrettes were done this summer but I don't think I have posted a picture so far.  They look really cute in Audrey's hair. 



Sewing Up A Storm

The end of the year always has a lot of projects in store for me. This year was no exception. I have had to slow myself down though because I can't cut out fabric on the floor like I usually do.

 

This was a jumper I made for Audrey to match the adorable Puddle Jumpers Shoes my Mom picked up for me. They are so cute. And since Audrey still has trouble pronouncing "squirrel" it was too funny not to make her a squirrel jumper. She looks great in it.

I told myself that I wasn't going to get around to doing a Christmas dress for Audrey this year.  I knew what I still had on my plate and with a baby on the way anytime now, I was sure I wouldn't get around.  But then I felt bad and visions of what I could create kept me awake at night even when my bladder wasn't.  So, I went to fabric store and picked up all the supplies for $16.  Not a bad price for a Christmas dress!  I took it as a sign and started sewing.  It is a compilation of 3 different patterns.  It was an experiment that worked.  That doesn't happen to me often.  And I got to learn how to make a couple different kinds of flowers.  Only one of them made it into the final dress.  Since her favorite colors are now dark pink, brown and black I managed to talk her into this fabric combination.  Luckily I have a little girl who enjoys picking out things at the fabric store.

This was a really fun project! It was almost totally done on my new serger! I found instructions on how to make a baby hat out of an old sweater. However, loving my sweaters as I do, I was unwilling to part with any of them. So, I purchased a sweater dress from a local discount store and made 3 hats out of it. Then I added pom-poms out of matching yarn. It was a very productive hour and a half!

This I just finished today. These are the blankets I have made for the new baby. Audrey still sleeps with the blankets that I made for her. Now that this is done and Christmas has only to be wrapped I can relax and wait for the baby.

There are two other projects that I have completed in the last month. However, they are Christmas gifts, so I'll post after they are unwrapped.

Whew! What a busy 2 months!


Becoming 'Belle'

A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders... the Halloween costume is finished!  I am so happy with how it turned out!  It was not the easiest time I've had, seeing as my girl is so skinny I had to do quite a bit of tailoring.  It was my first time using a McCalls pattern and it was a little more complicated than Simplicity patterns.  The only problem was the sleeve.  I couldn't figure it out, so I scrapped it and made my own.  The pattern didn't have the second row of ruffles or the shawl around the top, but I've seen a lot Belle lately (we got the movie) and I thought it made it look more like the 'real' dress.

I made Audrey try it on and be my mannequin while I did the ruffling and pinned the hem.  It was a lot for a three-year-old to do.  But the pay off came when I had been finished for about ten minutes.  She had this gleam in her eye as she studied it (ala Project Runway) and said "It just needs one more thing."  Then she proceeded to pick out necklaces and bracelets to go with it for the next 20 minutes.  It made all the hard work worth it!

Bonus:  I got to use my new serger!  It's really fast and it scares me a little.

Gifts For Little Ones

It's been a long time since I've posted any projects.  There is a lot of updating to do.  It's project season around here with Halloween costumes, baby gifts (so many pregnant friends!), fall/Christmas dresses for Audrey, and a few things for myself in the works.  Plus I just got my serger today, so projects are bound to flow!

These are just a few of the gifts I've delivered.

My cousin Amanda had her first baby.  (Yeah!)  Hooded towels just say cozy baby to me, and of course a little elephant.

And it's just so fun to make things for babies.  I think I like them because they usually take less time.

Theses were so fun to make because they were going to such cute kids!  Two large elephants for the older siblings and one little one for the the youngest who turned one this summer.  I did have to figure out a way to send them.  But I'm glad they got them and hope they are still having fun with them.  More to come when I get a break between projects.

A New Little Obsession

I mean it.  They really are little.  The finished project is only 4 inches tall.  It's a Heather Baily pattern.  I made this one for a friend's little girl.  It's just the right size to chew on the little nose and tail.  And it's super girly!

I thought it was too cute not to blow it up.  And the results is an equally cute big sister elephant.  Audrey and her little sister are going to have matching (but not in size) pink elephants.  What's more girly than that?  Watch for more elephants.  I'm thinking of starting a pachyderm farm.

The Easter Dress

The Easter Dress was always a big deal as I remember it. I got to look through the pattern books at the fabric store and pick something for my Mom to make. I'm sure some years I made it harder than others. Since I still have the final say-so, I got to pick the pattern, but I asked for input on the fabric. Of course, having the wonderful taste/expensive taste that her mother has, Audrey picked fabric that was about $12 dollars a yard. I would have steered her in another direction if I didn't have a 50% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket. So, I agreed and we made our purchase. I tried to involve more input on the rest of the details, too, but in the end I just went with what I wanted. I'm sure I won't get to much longer. I purchased the pattern back in October at the Quilt Festival and I've been waiting to use it. The dress is the same with the added details of the flower (removable for washing). I love how it turned out, though I don't do her hair like this when we go out. I realized just how big that flower is and how small her head looks with it, so it gets tucked into a low pony tail now. Happy Easter!

Gifts For Babies

I haven't been posting lately, but I've been doing projects. I've been documenting as I go on camera and am just now getting around to posting here.

This was a set of blocks for twin boys due soon.

These are the tiniest sets of blocks I've ever made.

Only because I made two.

Two separate sets that coordinate.

Perfect for two boys who will spend their lives sharing everything.

These sets have the ususal textures I use:

*flannel
*cotton print (visual)

*terry cloth (absorbant)

*minkee (super soft)

*and the added bonus of crinkle sound.

I've added another interior layer of plastic cut to size.

It is a bit difficult to sew, so be warned.

If it works, though it's an adorable addition.

**Thanks Kerry for the great idea!

More baby stuff:

Another friend is having a baby and it's just too fun to make little girl stuff.

I had a hard time stopping.

I wasn't going to make clothes, but I heard what everyone else was doing and it just sounded like too much fun.

I decided to join in.*The kimono is cotton with a cotton lining. I had a pattern, but decided to double my steps by linging it and then complicate things by making my own bias tape. (Ironically I forgot to cut it on the bias. Oops! It still worked.) I had a pattern because that's the only way I know how to make clothes. But I'm very happy with the results. I almost couldn't give it away. Hopefully it will find a wonderful home being used 1)in the hospital for easy changes, added warmth and no belly button restriction 2) at home as a light robe or 3) a cover up for sunny days at the pool.

It said newborn size on the pattern. Hope it fits! (Summer versions may be coming to my etsy shop. I have to try a few out first.)

*Why stop at one thing when you have so much extra fabric? I couldn't. I had to make matching shoes. These are done in the same fabrics as the kimono with a fleece lining. I had a pattern for that too, but when I made the newborn size, my almost 3 year old was able to put them on. (See why I'm worried about the size of the kimono?) So, I worked some magic and created my own pattern in a much smaller size. I just hope they fit, too!

*A baby toy takes up more fabric. Something for a littl older than newborn. And in the same fabric, so you can remember the tiny little kimono in the hospital and how small she used to be. In case you are wondering, it is a lady bug. (Soon to be seen in my etsy shop!) Grosgrain tags for the legs and minkee for the tummy. This model is the first with a bell inside for a little added interest.

*Finally, the largest set of blocks I've ever made! You can see why. Again, the same fabrics from the kimono, with another coordinate, tags to chew on, crinkle side (Thanks again Kerry!), terry cloth and Minkee. A very absorbant toy for drooling and teething mouths. Washable, though I'd not suggest the dryer because of the crinkle addition. I haven't tested that out yet.

So, that was a good two weeks worth of work. On to more projects. :)

Valentine's Gifts

I ordered the dress pattern to fit the doll I made. I figured, why make things harder than I have to? So, it's not my original design. But I love how easy it was and how it turned out! And with some left over fabric I made Audrey a matching shirt. I absolutely adore this fabric. I seem to have a thing for this style of fabric and I usually like the fabrics done by this same designer, Heidi Grace (available at Joann's). I think it's cute that they match. Audrey hasn't shown much interest. My version has shoes, which is my original design and the bows in her hair were not in the original pattern. All in all a lovely way to celebrate a holiday devoted to love. At least she'll be able to look back and remember that I made her a doll for Valentine's Day.

Getting around to it

I bought the pattern for these dolls a while ago on etsy. I think they are so cute! Well, the pattern has been nagging me to do something with it and I finally did. I bought more fabric than I needed, though, so I decided to make a second one and post it on my shop. I love how they turned out! The one with darker hair is going to be Audrey's Valentine's gift this year. She's not much of a doll kid, but she usually likes things that I make for her. I also ordered a pattern for a dress for the doll. It's so nice when I can spend more time on the project and less time on making it up for a change.

I love that she's a pirate!

That was actually in the pattern, I swear.