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.

Getting Around To Things

With a baby coming before next year (probably) I have a desire to finish up old projects.  Only one of these fits into the that category.  But I am trying to complete my things to do list, since I will probably be otherwise occupied at the begininng of next year. 

Clutter busting.  Cute clips have been accumulating for some time now and I'm trying desperately trying to contain it.  The good news is it's a super easy project and very inexpensive.  All you need is a shape for the top, a picture hanger (the kind with the teeth), a grosgrain ribbon, and a glue gun.  I got the butterfly at Hobby Lobby already painted ($0.67) and the whole thing was done in about five minutes.  Cross another one off my list!

These have been a year in the making.  Well, sort of.  I saw something like this on my friend Ashley's blog last year and I started saving jars right away. (Ashley got it from these two blog entries - here and here.)   Of course I can't just do it like everybody else.  I had to make adjustments.  I am very happy with how they turned out.  Who would have guessed that I would like Modge Podge?  Halloween decor: check.

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.