Taggie Blanket

 Here's a little something I recently whipped up for baby sister - a mommie made taggie blanket!

I found the pre-quilted fabric at Hancock, which matched up to the coordinating gingham already in my stash. The tags are trims and ribbons in a mix of new and stash also. I found a nice reference here and it came together SO quickly!

This spur-of-the-moment project was immediately put to good use. I love that she loves it! 

I'm starting to find creative moments again, but lack the additional time (and sometime motivation) to post all about the fun. I'll share and catch up the best I can tho! Thanks for taking the time to check out my space and Happy Fall to all!

Baby's First Embroidery

Summer may be coming to a close, but my crafty endeavors are just beginning for baby sister. I finally found some extra time to whip up a personalized burp cloth. I mentioned before on my Facebook page, I've got them all over the house, just never in the exact spot I end up needing one. So here's another to add to the laundry load!

 

I started by sewing polka dot grosgrain ribbon to the bottom hem of a Gerber organic diaper cloth. After browsing all of my Monogram Wizard Plus fonts, I decided to use 3 different fonts to spell her name...yes, I'm a nut, lean towards obsessive compulsive, and always seem to make things harder than need be. But isn't that why we crafters create? - to make exactly what we want and uniquely so to boot!
- E is Exact, LL is Fletch and A is Curly Q -

Big brother's first embroidery was the same (but with his name in a more masculine font of course), so now I have a pair of baby keepsakes. Good thing they are absorbent because I am sure they will wipe my tears when I fondly reminisce of baby days.

For now we are enjoying our precious chubby bundle's sweet smiles and coos. She's pictured above on a blanket made by her great-grandmother, and is wearing her mommie's very own vintage bubble suit!

Girly Burp Cloths

I whipped up these two fancy burp cloths a few weeks pre-baby. One for us and one for a friend who welcomed a baby girl just 2 weeks after baby sister's arrival. The floral fabric is a Circo (Target) soft flannel blanket that I thrifted. I loved the colors, it was brand new and a total fabric bargain at only 75 cents! The coordinating rick rack just happened to be in my stash left over from big brother's nursery curtains. 

Due to my nesting frenzy, I didn't think to take pictures of the (very few and basic) steps involved. So here's a text style tutorial. I promise they are super easy to make!

 1. Prewash + dry your fabric and plain burp cloths

2. Measure the middle, thick panel of the burp cloth. They're often uneven, so be your own judge and make the best rectangle you can.

3. Add a quarter to a half inch to the rectangular measurement for a seam allowance and cut fabric accordingly

4. Fold and iron under the seam allowance of cut fabric panel

5. Measure and cut desired lengths of rick rack

6. Place fabric panel over rick rack, turning under rick rack ends and pin in place over the burp cloth mid panel

7. Sew around the panel. Quick tip: I usually keep white thread in my bobbin and use a matching color on top. 

8. You're done - burp away baby!

And just for kicks, here's a few more I've made along the way:
personalized embroidered burp cloths
more fabric burp cloths

We're still without a schedule around here, but I've got a few embroidery projects lined up for baby sister. I'll share once they're complete!

Baby Sister is here!

So the reason for the big pause in posts is baby sister's arrival! She graced us with her presence on her exact due date. Go figure! Big brother's arrival was several days before his due date, so we were thinking a May baby was in the works. But not for our girl - she wanted June!

I'll do my best to post when I can during this new chapter of mommiehood. I'm not sure when I'll be breaking out the sewing and embroidery machines next...sleep is the first priority for a bit! So for now I'll leave you with the shirt I made Big Brother. He is so proud, loving and being such a helpful sibling!

Chachie Font from 8 Claws & a Paw
 Blue & white gingham appliqued letters with matching blue embroidery

Choo Choo BBQ

We are anxiously awaiting the birth of baby sister. Big brother arrived several days before his due date, but it seems our girl is snuggled up and has her own agenda. So as we kick off a Memorial Day weekend of waiting, I thought I'd share one of my husband's favorite go-to crock pot recipes. It's on right now for dinner, planned to go alongside some ears of fresh corn. (And for those that don't know, I'm a vegetarian, but the ease of preparation allows me to put this on for the hubs and move on to my own version of chicken!)

My brother is responsible for sharing the super simple recipe, found here. Thanks Esteban! We make a half batch most times which still yields plenty. And a great tip of my bro's is to use half of the BBQ sauce initially, shred the meat about 30 minutes before time to eat, then add it back to the crock with the remaining sauce.


 

 I served this dish as Choo Choo BBQ for big brother's 2nd birthday party and it was a hit in the Dining Car...get it?! We also offered Chugga Chugga Punch. This mommie loves a good theme! For more on the Train Party, head here and here.
 

Happy holiday weekend everyone! Hopefully I'll have baby news to share soon...or lots more nesting projects!

Nursery Artwork

The clock is ticking and my nesting instincts are raging. If only I could bottle this creative energy - I would love to take a sip during the upcoming newborn sleepless nights we are about to encounter!

In our baby boy nursery, we had a sweet collection of turtle prints:

 

For baby girl, we decided to keep the same frames, but paint them white. My sweet husband handled the priming and painting, so I was free to create the new art work. Our yard is full of nesting birds, so it seemed perfect to use them in our nest!

 

This adorable birdie is from Planet Applique.  At first we contemplated using 4 different birds, but in the end we decided to go with 4 of the same, all made out of different coordinating fabrics from my stash. One is even made with a swatch of nursery curtains from big brother's nursery!

The following "after" pictures aren't nearly as bright and crisp as I'd prefer, but I'm up against the clock and wanted to share a peek. I'm really pleased with the results and look forward to introducing our girl to her home any day now!

 

Even if you don't own an embroidery machine, there are a couple of cute bird templates here and here. Fabric is such a fun canvas!

My DIY Nursery Curtains

In case you happened to miss my decorating train of thought for baby girl's room, you can get caught up here.
Now for a quick look back at what was hanging before in the baby boy nursery:

These were mommie made by my mommie, also known affectionately as "Mi" by big brother. It was bittersweet taking them down, but I've tucked them away, and hope to put the material to good sentimental use someday.

I'm a girl that likes to have a pattern to start with, so I did some online research to see if anything existed along the lines of my vision. The closest pattern I found was view A of McCalls 6093. It's a box valance meant to be board mounted, but the paper pattern was perfect for my fabric and lining. All I needed to add was a rod pocket - easy!

I can't help but giggle at the "Home Dec in a Sec" tagline they use on the envelope. Is DIY home decor truly possible in one second?! Not at my house.

After selecting and preparing my fabric, I measured both rod sections over the connecting windows to determine my custom panel widths. Turns out they were not exactly equal...gotta love older homes! Each panel was cut on a fold, so I made sure to carefully line up my stripes which is always a bit daunting. Luckily the pattern repeats easily, and the lining is solid. Next I lined up the pattern fold line at the appropriate half-width (including seam allowances) and got to pinning. To create the a-line on each side of the treatment, I used a fabric marker to draw a slant edge from pattern top to bottom, shown here:

I first extended the bottom cut line

and connected to the top cut line with a straight edge.

I always feel so accomplished once a project is cut out, don't you? Most of the logistics are finally figured out, and it seems at least half, if not more, of the battle is over. Finally time to get sewing!

Right before my first stitch, I draped the cut striped panels over the rods to determine matched placement of the inner middle seams. Even though I cut both panels with a-lines on each side (due to the fold), I wanted them to look continuous despite the small middle rod brace. Hopefully I'm making sense here! I marked each panel at a desired stripe near the brace, placed right sides together with my lining, and followed the mark sewing up a straight seam. Then I figured out exactly how much of a seam allowance I needed to carefully take on the a-line side. The goal was for the panel to hang perfectly flat across the rod. After ensuring I had sewn both side seams correctly, I cut the inner straight seam's a-line excess off. Unturned edges shown below:

I hemmed each panel thereafter, turned them right side out and pressed. Almost done!

Lastly I needed to create the rod pocket. I folded the open top down 1/4", pressed, and then folded and pressed down another 2". I sewed a straight seam across the lower pressed edge. Done! Time for their debut!

I'm really pleased with the results of the these simple, classic curtains. They even inspired me to deep clean the blinds, windows, trim and sills. If only I could bottle this nesting energy! I hope my how-to ramblings made sense - thanks for following along or at least trying to!

Making Over The Nursery

As soon as we found out baby #2 is a girl, I immediately started looking around for nursery inspiration. Luckily we already have big brother's essentials...crib, dresser / changing table, and glider. All are white to match the room's trim, and the walls are a neutral tan. Gotta love the practical (yet stylish!) minds of crafty, frugal parents!

My first find for the updated room was crib bedding. I landed an amazing Dwell Studio boutique set (now discontinued) from Craigslist of all places! I was immediately drawn to the modern and fresh alternating patterns:

 

 Next I began to think about curtains. With the bedding so strong on print, I wanted to keep the window treatment style clean and simple. Below are two of my favorite inspiration photos. Both showcase basic toppers that are classic and feminine: 

via Cheap & Chic Nursery and Me and Wee

via Celebrity Babies

Then it was time to find a fabric that would tie in the bedding with our glider cushions and various other accesories. Light green was a main color in baby boy's nursery, so my mother and I selected this print at Mary Jos to tie the new room together:

Down the Road by Waverly

I've been working on the curtains in stages over the past couple of months, so I'm excited to finally reveal baby sister's mommie made creations. A simple a-line look - LOVE!

Freshly pressed and hung today!

I'm tickled pink with the results (couldn't help myself with that one!), and look forward to sharing the curtain how-to soon. Stay tuned for more on the nursery transformation as this mommie bird nests away!

Boppy Cover

Boppy Covers are a super easy and fun nesting project. I purposely bought a Naked Boppy back before my son was born just so I could sew my own unique covers. Naturally on top of my project list for baby girl was a new mommie-made cover just for her!

Isn't the pale pink, gray and white sweet?!

Inspired to make your own?! This printable pattern via Scribd (which no longer appears to link to a current blog) includes instructions and is a fantastic reference for all sewing levels:

Once assembled, I found the pattern to be a bit large, so I made my own that falls somewhere between it and my actual pillow. Then I cut my fabric, placed the zipper and got stitching. It comes together SO quickly!

I also suggest adding some top stitching to reinforce the zipper ends once you've turned the cover right side out:

And there you go - a personalized cover!
Soft, sweet and simple. 

The countdown is on with less than 30 days to go until we meet our girl. Wow! Guess I need to pack my bag and stack this necessity right on top. But for now, back to nesting with more crafty posts to follow!

The Thrill of Thrift

 I am still reeling over my thrift store find this morning - a gorgeous smocked baby bonnet! It appears to be unworn and brand new. One of the ribbon ties needs reinforcement, but otherwise it is flawless.

Wanna guess how much I paid for this beauty?!

Nope, not $50...not $5 or even 50 cents. It was half-price day and I landed this gem for A QUARTER!!!

When baby #2 was in the works, I came across this post over at Prudent Baby. My heart melted when I saw the Janie and Jack bonnet, so I added their tutorial to my project list. I've also had my eye out for something special like it and had no idea I'd land it for such a steal!

  

My mother hand smocked many a dress for me back in the day, and I have been obsessed with the craft ever since. I've taken classes (pre-babies if you can believe!), and can't wait to share the stash my mom has saved. But first my girl will wear this darling baby bonnet this summer - perfection!

 

What treasures have you found thrifting lately? Don't you find it thrilling?!

Shopping Cart Cover

This post is a fun trip down memory lane. My about-to-turn-three boy no longer likes riding in the cart, unless it's in the main part taking up entirely too much room or standing on the side holding on like a renegade. Neither makes for a pleasant shopping experience these days, so it's nice to remember a time I could pack a Snack Trap, plop him in my mommie made snuggly cover and attempt some shopping. But how did I get our errands done I wonder - the cuteness is just too much!

My cart cover coordinating fabrics, batting and elastic came from good ol' Hancock Fabrics. Have I mentioned there's a store less than 3 minutes from our house...dangerous but oh so convenient! And you may remember, the cute fabric found even more life here recently.

I constructed the cover using McCall's Crafts pattern 5721. The project was surprisingly easy, especially since I omitted the slits for the cart belts and made no travel bag. Have you noticed that cart belts always seem quite nasty if they're even there at all? Plus, trying to strap a baby in them is usually a struggle and who wants their sweet bambino touching and sucking on all that grime?! I always kept a close eye on my boy who always seemed fine and loved his soft warm cover. I adored that it fit every cart we crossed including restaurant high chairs. It was easy to wad up, carry in, wrap around abandoned Cheerios & toys, throw in the wash and return to the car. Looking back I'm sure I barely had time to whip up the cover, but am so glad I did - it was a staple back in the baby days! It garnered quite a few compliments and I'm excited to use it again with baby girl.

May your weekend be filled with happy smiles, memories & giggles!

Baby Shower Gift

It seems like 2011 is a big year for babies, girls especially. Recently I was excited to attend my cousin's baby shower and made a gift set. I ended up not being able to attend since I developed bronchitis...boo!  Luckily I am on the mend and another great granddaughter arrived safely. I can hardly believe my own little bundle will be here in just 3.5 months - wow!

Since the baby's name had yet to be revealed, I went with a little sister applique. I used the trusty petal patch from Applique Cafe and dropped in wording from Monogram Wizard. A sweet bib that I may just have to replicate for our little sister!

I also embellished 2 coordinating burp cloths: one with the same green striped fabric used in the applique, and the other with a green & pink paisley print. The green striped fabric seemed too simple on it's own, so I also added some ric rac and quilting seams to fancy it up a bit more.

Burp cloths are such a fun and easy baby gift to make. Plus they are super functional. Who wouldn't want to have a glammed up burp cloth nearby to wipe away the mess...I mean baby love!

 

 

 

Baby Things

Ever since we found out baby #2 is a GIRL!!!, I've had practically nothing but babies on the brain. I still think of my little boy as a baby, but looking at the size of a newborn onesie quickly jolts me into a new reality.  We're slowly starting to work on moving our boy to his big boy room and converting the nursery into girly-land. Lots to do over the next several months, but lots of fun as our family prepares to grow!

Speaking of babies, I made a couple of bib & burp cloth sets for my mother to give as gifts recently. The baby girl has 4 initials, so I wasn't quite sure how to accomodate. Thank goodness for Facebook and Yahoo Group user suggestions!

I went will all 4 initials on the bib, and used the first two only on the burp cloth. The patch is the same one used here but without the additional applique inside. I don't remember the exact fonts I used, but they came from Monogram Wizard. I kept with pink letters and used white mini polka dots on black fabric for the patch. Sweet & simple!

For the baby boy gift, I chose to applique the bib and monogram the burp cloth. I really like this set - so sweet!

The adorable elephant came from Applique Alley and the font is another from good ol' Monogram Wizard. I used a gray print fabric from my stash and kept the theme simple with gray and black thread.

Now I'm off to work on several other gifts...we've got a couple of birthday parties and baby showers to attend. More to come soon!

Kicks, Crafts & Additions

photo courtesy of marthastewart.com

Two of my favorite things combined last week...The Rockettes & Martha Stewart! I was overjoyed to see the girls open Martha's show and even stick around to craft with her. I proudly auditioned to be a high-kicking Rockette back in my dancing days, and would currently love to craft with Martha...a creative girl always has a dream, right?!  Hop over to MarthaStewart.com if you missed the fun. The lobby of Radio City Music Hall even got the Martha treatment!

And with all of this talk about the Rockettes, it must officially be the holiday season. Is Thanksgiving really only 3 short days away?! At this point on the calendar, I usually have my son's holiday apparel stitched, pressed and hung waiting in the closet for holiday photos and events. This year the materials are still waiting for the magic to begin - aaaccckk! This mommie's got to get a move on. But my moves are a tad slower right now because baby #2 is baking away! It's been a rough 1st trimester, so I'm eager for some 2nd trimester relief. My mom will be visiting this week, so I'm thankful (as always!) for her cooking, crafting and decorating helping hands. Here's to kicking off my favorite time of year...and feeling some little baby kicks soon!

Christmas In July

Santa Claus is coming to town...in exactly 5 months that is! As the Christmas countdown begins, let's use our holiday spirit to cool off a bit shall we?! I'm already skipping down peppermint lane fondly reminiscing about my son's first homemade holiday romper:

Another infamous use of Easy McCall's pattern #2033, minus pockets, and cut to size 1. The fabric is adorable, yet handsome red mini gingham (also used here) lined in the same white goodness used in the 1st romper. Now the super fun stuff - embroidery! I used chocolate brown corduroy to accentuate the Rudolph Applique. And the shoulder button holes are embroidered too - stockings! I can't seem to find them on Embroidery Library anymore...perhaps it's due to some sizing issues. (I had to experiment with several sizes of buttons besides the ones suggested.)

I can hardly believe 2010 will be my 3rd Christmas as a mommie. I'm officially a goober adult that totally gets what all those grown-ups mean when they say "TIME FLIES." ha ha I get a little misty looking back at my sweet baby boy...but it just keeps getting better & better!