Baby Making...

Or I should say, making for baby (but I got your attention, didn't I?!)  Last week I finished my second dress for Ella and I must say, it was much better than the first - I guess practice really does work!  It was exciting seeing it come together and has inspired me to try to make a sweatshirt for her next (we shall see how that goes!)  Honestly, though, it's never hard for me to find things I'd like to make for Ella.  I have a constantly-growing bookmark folder dedicated to potential projects!  Here are a few that are currently at the top of my list:

To wear...

This adorable sun suit has a full (and free) tutorial over at Made By Rae - Ella had one last summer and looked SO adorable I think she needs one for this coming summer as well!!

This may be cheating, but this is the wonderful reversible-dress that I completed last week!  You can get the pattern, which comes in several sizes, from Owly Baby - here. 

Here is my next project - this little sweatshirt from Heidi & Finn is just too much (in the best of ways!)  I have the pattern, now I just have to find the perfect fabrics!!  It kind of makes me want to size it up...a lot...as in make myself one!!!

This pretty blue cowl looks toasty - even better, the free pattern on Whip Up is easy enough for a novice knitter like me to understand (and even create!!)  The perfect addition for transitional (read: yucky) weather!

To play...

 It is a fact of life that if my computer is accessible in any way, Ella will find a way to bang on it.  I think it's time she got her own computer - this fun felt laptop, by Kiki Creates, could take the banging without a permanent system crash - score!

I have been planning on/meaning to/forgetting to make bean bags for Ella for awhile now.  The mix of fun prints, colors and numbers on these are perfect, and the tutorial by Chez Beeper Bebe very doable!

It looks like an awesome homemade playmate for cars, it's also a sleek messenger bag!  Ella loves cars, even though she hasn't fully grasped the concept that they only drive on roads.  Regardless, I think this messenger-bag-turned-car-town is the perfect on-the-go toy!  Bonus: if you have any car or city themed fabric scraps lying around, they can finally be put to good use!  Check out Gingercake's tutorial to make one for a little one near you!

To carry...

My favorite part about this pencil case (besides the fact that it's from the adorably named Fizz Pop Bang Blog) is that it arose from a mistake - a woolen sweater that was put in the dryer and felted.  I mean really, it has a kangaroo pocket, it just doesn't get much more whimsical than that!

 

Really, piece a bunch of pretty fabrics and you've got me hook, line and sinker - I don't care what it is, I just want to make it!  The great part about this crayon roll-up tutorial on BurdaStyle is that it's something that would be super useful too - I have only been able to find triangle toddler crayons for Ella and getting them back in the box is a pain, this roll-up would solve that dillema and make it much easier to take said crayons on the go!!

Another great project from Made By Rae (seriously, her blog is FULL of great projects, a girl could get lost over there in the very best of ways!!)  This toddler backpack is a great use of fabulous fabric AND fully functional, plus the adjustable straps means it can grow along with your little beansprout!!

So are you now inspired to take on a few more projects of your own, what with all our free time (ha!)  What are your favorite kid-centered projects or tutorials? Please share!!

*Before and After* Baby Rags

I had wanted to jazz up Ella's burp rags for awhile now, especially when she was an infant and I seemed to have one over my shoulder or stuffed in my back pocket at all times!  We didn't get any fancy rags because, well, they are rags after all, made for wiping and cleaning (though used for much more, including stand-in diaper when I was caught without a spare diaper liner...a common casualty of never having a designated baby bag!)  But when Ella was little I was too busy being overwhelmed and slogging through new-mommyhood and didn't have the time/energy/creative brain power to put towards such a trivial thing.  Fast forward a year and Hark! I have time!  (Oh glorious naps - cleaning shmeaning, I'd rather be creating!!)  So I decided to do her baby rags two ways...

This group of burp cloths are actually organic cotton cloth diapers, a baby gift from some good friends, and with all the washing they have been through, these cloths are super soft!  I didn't want to lessen the usable space, so I decided to make my own (here's a tutorial on how you can too) using pretty fabric scraps. 

I love love this fabric, especially the flowers, and am happy that it is gender-neutral enough that boy or girl, our next child will be cleaned up in style!!

My second group of burp cloths was not so soft - this was my utilitarian bunch that gets the job done.

The fabric is thinner and a bit more coarse, as well as a lot less even, so I decided to go the potato-print route.  This had the added bonus of covering existing stains!! 

I again tried to keep most of the pattern on the outside, so that the inside portion of the cloth could be used for wiping and what-not. 

Potato prints are easy-peasy, just 1.) cut away the bits of potato you don't want printed and then 2.) dip in a bit of paint and stamp away.  I would recommend a basic design for a greater impact.

The irony of these pretty baby rags is that after I finished, the paint was dry and the pictures taken, I folded them up and put them into storage for our next little one, whenever that may be.  In the meantime, I plan on doing some similar jazzing to my plain white dish towels - FUN!!!

Baby quilts, young and old(ish)

What is (or was) the most important or special item from your childhood?  Was it a special doll, a lovie, a bike?  

This question came up recently at my parent's house and my sister and I agreed, the most special item for us both were the quilts my mom made when we were about five (me) and three (my sister).  I was about to enter into kindergarten and was not going to be able to bring my blankie with me everywhere I went.  Being the crafty lady she is, my mom used my blankie as a part of a small quilt made up of other special fabrics that I was able to bring to school for nap time.  

There were the orange and orange-with-hearts fabrics from a teddy bear my mom had made for me as a baby, the soft floral fabric from my first robe, and the multicolored checked fabric from a teddy bear that she made for my sister.  This quilt is now almost 25 years old and is still going strong, cuddling with me and my daughter.

(ha - you can see that there was no measuring!)

For Christmas, one of my main presents for Ella was her own Mama-made quilt.  I used a bunch of her receiving blankets and cut various shapes and lengths.  There was no measuring involved and I edged it with a silky ribbon from a wrap shirt of mine.  

Then I quilted the heck out of it...  Now this was my first quilting project and, well, I quilted so much it's pretty stiff!  A bit too stiff to wrap comfortably around miss Ella-Bean, but it has become the perfect blanket for her to sleep on (and believe me, with the amount of quilting I did, there is no risk of suffocation - this quilt is not exactly pillowy...not even a little.)  

At nearly 15 months, Ella has attached to two blankies of her own, so I'll have to hone my quilting skills for another special quilt that will hopefully be one of her most important childhood items as well.

*Before & After* Painted Step-stool

Last week was the last of our "nice" days (as in warm days).  One afternoon, during Ella's nap, I decided to throw open the windows and redo a step-stool for Ella.  She is getting to the point where she wants to be where I am...all.the.time.  Which will be a bit easier once she's at counter height, rather than knee height!!

(Before - ick!)

Here's the step-stool before.  Lexi and I picked it up in the "returned items" section of Ikea two years ago, and it has been spending most of the time since then outside as a plant stand.  Now it's stained, dirty, yuck.

(After - yay!!)

After giving it a cleaning and light sanding, I whipped out some blue and yellow paint samples and a can of olive green returned paint (as in, the original recipient didn't feel it was quite the right shade). 

The green paint is an indoor/outdoor paint, so that was the first all-over layer.  I then painted the steps blue and edged them in a creamy-yellow. 

For a whimsical touch, I stamped the alphabet on the front of the steps and a few letters on top.

All in all, I'm really happy with how it turned out.  It's a bright touch in our kitchen, and best of all, Ella is now able to see what all the fuss is about during dinner prep!

Spooky!!!

Hope your Halloween was a fun one - I put the (sewing machine) pedal to the metal and whipped up Ella's costume last week.  The hat could be a bit better, but I think the cockeyed-ears-in-the-air add to the cute and quirky factor!

I'm in stitches!

I've completed a couple of fun projects recently - the best one being the curtains I made for Ella's room (we had been hanging dark sheets over her windows, but it made her room feel so closed, which I didn't like).  I found some pretty linen that I lined with muslin - it's dark enough to keep the room dim during Ella's day time naps, but light enough to let the sun in (especially when now-easily pulled back!)  I've tried, but haven't been able to take very good pictures of them - so you'll just have to take my word for it that they look nice!

Another fun project is a little dress I finished for Ella - it's made out of an old shirt of mine that no longer fits right.  It was my first time sewing 1. clothing 2. a zipper 3. button holes with my sewing machine - with all those firsts I'm happy with the outcome.

(work in progress...)

(finished dress!)

As I've mentioned before, one of my best friends moved back to town.  It has been wonderful being able to connect so easily and so often!  As a little housewarming gift, I whipped up some coasters out of vintage and new fabrics and quilted each one.  It was an easy and SUPER fun project to do - I will certainly be making more of these!

What have you been working on lately?  Are you as addicted to sewing as I am??

Three Xs Ten

A post in honor of 10.10.10.

Ten Things I Love...

 My favorite color (red), whimsical and practical...love!!!

 Such a pretty addition to a front door

Those boots really are for walking!

Extend the life (aka heat) of your tea while protecting your palms

Learning made beautiful

 The leaping gazelle print is magical

 I see you!

This autumnal print is divine!

 One of my favorite color-combinations...

 Perfect for special displays.

Ten Things To Do...

 Stencil wall paper = easy to create, easy to change up

Have leather scraps, will make shoes that fit 

 Because perhaps fabric can help soften our highchair 

(or at least glam it up a bit!)

Making our sharp storage baskets a little less dangerous 

(and a little more fancy!)

Make my own yogurt?  Yes I can!!!

 Perhaps I shouldn't try to make my own doughnuts

(because then I'll want to do it again...and again...)

Miss Ella-Bean will soon be ready for her own busy book - fun!

 Dyeing playsilks with kool-aid...sounds tasty!

 Perhaps I'll try my hand at making my own yarn wreath!!

 

 Make a dress by Friday. Love the concept. Love the dress!

 

Ten Goals I Have...

1. Tackle my to-dos

2. Have (more) patience with others

3. Switch from canned goods from the store to canning my own

4. Launch (one of) my dreams

5. Repaint the bedrooms

6. Run a half-marathon

7. Make a quilt

8. Move back to the east coast (this is a longer-term one!)

9. Listen to more NPR and less TV

10. Clean out my closet