Hair Bows

My friend Lizzy asked me to make a batch of hairbows for her trio of beautiful girls.

 

 She even paid me to do it.

I'm quite certain I got the better end of the deal.  I spent a pleasant afternoon watching movies and crafting, and I used  up a bunch of things that had been in my stash forever.

 Grace would not consent to be photographed, so I got a couple of Grace's friends to help model.

Aren't they cute?

But the star of the shoot was baby Roselind.

You gotta have presence to wear a flower bigger than your head.  

But honestly, look at this baby, and tell me you even noticed  that flower. 

With a face like that, she could strap a cactus to her head and still be snuggle-able.   

 

Maybe I'd better check my stash for a cactus.

Dear Sarah Jane

Send me your address, and I will send you a surprise.

You'll never guess what it is!

I hope that these stripes are not too girly for the men in your household.  I don't think so though.  If anyone's got the good looks and boyish charm to pull off pastel stripes, it's your guys.

And I hope your little lady is not too old for twirly skirts.  Cause this one's twirly.  And if it were my size, I'd keep it.

Enjoy!

Last Easter

I've been scrolling through photos today, in preparation for a Top Secret Craft Project,* and I found these from last Easter. 

Actually, these were taken several weeks after Easter.  Because as you can see the grass is green and the flowers are in bloom.  And here in Buffalo, it might still be snowing on Easter Sunday.



Definitely not onesie weather.

Anyway, I've been thinking about what to do for this Easter.  And I'm trying to decide:  are polka dots too girly for my boys' neckties?

And, is this 8-inch bow too big for my girl's head?

Let me know ASAP, cause I've got Easter outfits to make.

 _______

 * Want to hear about my Top Secret Craft Project? Ask me, and I just might tell you.

Baby Shoes

The only thing cuter than baby shoes is baby feet.  That's what I always say.

But it'd be pretty creepy to give baby feet to a new mom, so I usually settle for shoes.  Like these.

I used the Taylor Shoe pattern from Homespun Threads.  She's got some really cute designs, and they're all free, which you know I love.  There were a few confusing steps, but overall these were pretty easy to whip up.

I used fabric from from a pair of old cords (outside) and a stained t-shirt (inside), which happened to perfectly match a set of onesies I bought on a clearance rack months and months ago.  Awesome.  Semi-homemade gifting at its finest.

Except, can I make just one little confession?  I actually made these in preparation for a baby shower for my friend Erin.  But if you know my friend Erin, you know that she had a girl.  And if I paid a little more attention to the invitation before I made a gift, I'd have known that too.  No worries though!  I have lots of friends, and they have lots of babies.  So it didn't take long to find some baby (boy) feet to go inside the baby (boy) shoes; Betzy's little sweetheart Jakob.  And now, to come up with something for a girl!  (Sorry Erin!  Not only am I dumb, I'm also slow.)

Happy birthday, Cupcake

There's a sad story behind this onesie.  Well, not sad so much as pathetic.

So, my friend Kandis asked me to embellish this little onesie for her little cutie's first birthday.   She's got serious photo skills, so in exchange, I made her take photos at Grace's birthday party.   And also watch my dog.  Cause I'm user like that.  But that's not the sad part.  The sad part is that I made the onesie a couple weeks ahead of when Kandis needed it.  I photographed it, wrapped it up, and then I lost it.  Completely.  Gone.  I spent a week searching the house, the van, and everywhere I'd been.

So, with one day to spare, I went to Old Navy and bought the LAST long sleeved onesie on the rack, and whipped up another one.

In the end, I actually liked the second one better, mostly because I thought of making the frosting poof removable.  It's much easier to wash now, and as a bonus, Kandis can take it off and pin it to something else, if she's so inclined.

You'll have to take my word for it that it was better the second time around.  Because guess what?  I lost the photos.  Gone.  Completely.

And that's the sad part of the story.


***********

Edited to add:  Well, lookie here!  Scrolling through photos today, I found the pics from the second version (the one I actually gave to Kandis) in a folder from 2010.  Weird.   I wonder where I'll find the onesie I lost.  Anyone have a time machine?

Anyway, here's version 2.

And a shot of the removable poof.

The end.

Hooked

I'm not much of a yarner.   My talented mom has taught me to both crochet and knit multiple times, but I've never produced much more than long chains of incomplete projects.  But this week I wanted a portable project I could work on while waiting for Grace at preschool.  So I pulled out some beads, some festive yarns, and my crochet hooks and took my crafting on the road.  

Here's what I ended up with.

One of the more satisfying (and productive) hours I've spent waiting in the car in a long time.

 I kind of love it.

So later, I whipped up another one while watching Modern Family.


 
Easy.  Fast.  Fun.  Fuzzy.

 

The Very Colorful Caterpillar

After two rough and tumble boys, my friend Melissa just had herself a baby girl!   Ordinarily, I'd take this opportunity to make some kind of over-the-top frilly girl accessory, because after having a couple boys, nothing's more fun than challenging the accepted head-size-to-hair-embellishment ratio.

But Melissa's shower was a "time-of-day" shower, where each attendee is assigned to bring a gift suited for a specific time of day.  My assignment was "play time," and while I suppose girls can still wear giant flowers on their heads while they play, such shrubbery is generally not designed to be played with.

Photo credit:  Green Valley Crafts

So I dug through my bookmarks for handcrafted toys, and found this  little post from  Green Valley Crafts, a site you should not visit unless you have plenty of time to browse.    It's too lovely to leave.    Clever Clare created this sweet set of fabric & velcro balls for baby to toss, chew, connect, and dismember.  Cause that's what babies do.

Those cheery little blobs all lined up reminded me of a caterpillar, so I added eyes, antennae, and a crooked grin, and had myself a lepidoptera* larvae that, with any luck, will have a life cycle of more than three days.

I told Melissa that because of small parts (i.e. button eyes and felt antennae) this toy was not suitable for children under 3.  But unofficially, Miles (who is just one) really likes it.  I know because he kept stealing the little puff balls from my sewing table.

I chose rainbow colored fabrics from the stash in both solids and patterns, and included some with interesting textures.  So it's educational and all that.  Cause a baby might as well be getting smart while she's choking on a button.  Right?

Also, because I'm getting ready to move I'm kind of preoccupied with containing toys.  So I stitched up a pouch to keep the whole lot safe and warm when it's not "playtime."

Should I tell you where the fabric came from?  The old lady stash, of course.  But there's also a thrifted sheet, scraps from Halloween costumes, and random remnants.  Best of all, the exterior of the bag came from a little nightie I bought of the clearance rack at K-Mart.  It was cute, but not what you'd call "boudoir ready," and when Sweetie asked if I'd made it myself, I knew it was safe to cut up and add to the stash.  It looks like a Liberty of London print, doesn't it?

I was able to use most of the existing seams, and the straps became the tie that cinches the whole thing shut.  I love those kinds of time-saving shortcuts.

Speaking of shortcuts, I used this little butterfly clip to fancy up my lame index-card card.  I didn't make it.  It came from a friend who was de-cluttering her own craft stash.   But if you like it I bet you could make one for yourself, cause you're crafty like that.  Here, let me give you a closer look.

This whole project was easy enough that my 4-year-old, Grace, could help me with it.  I started by tracing a circle (I used a CD) on to each of my chosen fabrics, then cut out two of each color.  Then sew (or glue) velcro in place. (Mark the center circle of the CD on your fabric when you trace it to help with placing the velcro.)  Sew the around the edge of the discs, right sides together, leaving a 2-3 inch gap for turning.  Then turn the whole thing right side out, stuff with fiberfill  (this was Grace's favorite part), and hand stitch the opening closed.   

This project was quick, but not quick enough for the busy week of Melissa's baby shower.  As soon as Melissa opened the (unfinished) gift I took it back so I could stitch up the last few segments.  I sat there at the shower with a needle and thread, hand stitching as I chatted.  Cause that's how I roll.  

Seconds after snipping the last threads, I coerced my friend Kandis to take photos right there at the shower.  (Thanks Kandis!)  

And then, finally, I let Melissa load up her caterpillar and take it home.

___

*Butterflies and moths are members of the insect order Lepidoptera.  This is the only fact I still recall from the AP Biology class I took 18 years ago.  Why this fact, and not something more interesting and/or useful?  I don't know.  But it's a testament to the power of mnemonics, because my brain somehow made a permanent association between butterflies, moths, and leprosy.   This mental association also forces me to say "Lepidoptera" in an appalled and disgusted voice, as if the mere thought of colorful winged creatures is enough to make contract the disease.  All things considered, it's remarkable that I still like butterflies as much as I do.

Keeping track

You're probably wondering what's up with this blog.  And if you're not you should be. I mean, don't you think it's narcissistic the way I take pictures of every little thing I make, and then post pictures and go on an on about how I made it, what went wrong, where I go the fabric, and how much my floor needs mopping?  (Actually, I try not to mention that last one.  Maybe if I don't point it out, you won't notice.  Right?)

 

And you're right.   Blogging is a pretty self-indulgent hobby, and I admit I crave comments like a junkie, refreshing every few minutes until I get my fix  (which usually comes from Peanut).  (Thanks Peanut!)  Compliment fishing aside, though, this really is about me keeping track.  I keep track of what I've done, what I've learned, and how I did it, so I can do it again if I want to.  I can't tell you how many times I've made something and given it away without taking a picture, only to regret it later.  (Actually, I probably can tell you how many times I've done that.  THAT'S  how much I regret it!)  

I also keep track because maybe someday I might want to do something bigger with all this -- start a shop or get a job or something -- and a portfolio could really come in handy.  And I keep track because making and giving gifts is part of how I connect with people.  Thinking of the thing I made for you makes me think of you.  And I like you.  So there.

  

In between all the keeping track, if you find something that's helpful or inspiring or funny, well, I don't mind that one bit.  Feel free to tell me all about it, right down there in the comments.  Really.   Feel.  Free.

In the meantime, I got myself a little behind in the keeping-track department.    So here's are a project from way back in September.  It was quick and easy, and you should totally make one.  (For someone I don't know, of course.  Cause we don't want to show up with the same gift.  Awkward!)

It's a pampering kit for my friend, Kalie, who has 3 kids under 4, and really really deserves all the pampering she can get.

I covered a composition notebook with pretty fabric, and made a matching eye mask (based on this tutorial) and hot/cold pack (like this one, sort of).

 

Then I wrapped it up in a pretty box with a package of ear plugs and a scented candle, and took it to Kalie's "Pampering Shower"  (where you bring diapers or something to spoil the mom).

It would also make a nice get well gift, or swap things around a little and give one to your mom.  Or my mom.  Or anyone else who deserves to be pampered.

I think the notebook is my favorite part.  Since I happened to get a whole stack of composition notebooks for 10 cents each during back to school season, I whipped up another one for another friend's birthday a few days later.

I haven't started mass production yet, but it's really only a matter of time. 

Now, when's your birthday again?  Maybe I need to make myself a pretty notebook to keep track.

Two for Two

Remember the little strawberry blond cuties who turned one last year?  Well, time has a way of turning one-year-olds into two-year-olds.  

And two-year-olds have a way of carrying around purses.  

And I figure, as long as they're carrying around purses, they might as well be cute.  (The purses, I mean.  The girls are already cute, no question.)

And they (the purses) might as well match the dolls I gave them last year.  And they should be reversible (the purses, not the girls), because sometimes you're in the mood for flowers, and sometimes you like polka dots.

 

The recipients seemed to like them. (Caity especially.  Or was it Mady?  I used to be able to tell the difference.)  I was afraid they'd be outraged by the twill tape handles, a semi-homemade shortcut that helped me get them done quick.  But they hid their rage, and immediately started filling their new purses with random objects.  As two-year-olds have a way of doing.

Happy Birthday Mady and Caity! 

And because you asked so nicely, here's some completely gratuitous vintage fabric porn.  (Imagine the google hits I'll get from that one!)   The fabric, the ric rack and the buttons all came from the old lady stash.  Man, I love that old lady and her fabric hoarding ways.

Semi-Homemade Gifting

Semi-homemade gifting is like Sandra Lee's famous Semi-Homemade (R)* Cooking:  It's got its advantages, but it's not quite as good as the real thing.

Take this little diaper bag I made for my friend Lizzy, who gave birth to the sweetest little girl a few weeks ago.  (They christened her Rosalynd Ivy, a name that sounds like it belongs in my own family, where Roses and Ivys run semi-rampant.  (Don't believe me?  One of my grandmothers was named Ivy, the other was Bertha Rose.  An aunt who passed away during childhood was named Rosalee, and my own middle name is Rose.  Plus I have nieces named Rose and Ivy.  So, yeah.  It's not really my fault if I feel like Lizzy's Rosalynd semi-belongs to me.))

But back to the bag.  It's cute, huh?  And as you can see, it's got roses.  It's made from a vintage tea towel semi-stolen from the mounds of crafty semi-junk in the Relief Society closet at church.  (In my semi-defense, it was stolen with permission.  And everyone who was interested has had a chance at them at various semi-crafty activities.)

 

It's lined with vintage rose print fabric from the little old lady stash.  The pockets are from a fat quarter I bought at Wal-Mart more than a year ago.    Lizzy likes it because the larger pocket fits her Nook perfectly, a coincidence I'll happily pretend was my plan all along.

Here's where the semi-homemade part kicks in. The straps are cotton webbing, which is not quite as cute but a million times faster than fabric straps. I finished it off with an elastic loop and rose button closure, and was done in less than an hour.  Seriously.  Not the semi-hours I usually work in, where a 30 minute project takes 2 hours because of interruptions, blunders, and changes-of-plan.  No, this one, from start to finish, including cutting at the beginning and hand sewing at the end, came in under an hour.

So, while I do think it would have been nice to add fabric straps, or extra pockets, or ruffles, I'm happy with the end result.  These days, time is the thing I'm running short on, and the only way I'm going to get through my stash (and my to-gift list) before I move is to take some semi-shortcuts every now and then.

PS:  Just in case you're wondering, the not-homemade-at-all portion of the gift was a little bundle of onesies and a pair of ruffly pants plucked from a clearance rack in a moment of semi-weakness.  (Contrary to scientific opinion, the strongest force in nature is a clearance rack full of cute baby clothes.  It doesn't matter if they're the wrong size, season, or gender for your own child.  Sometimes, those ruffly bloomers just find their way into your cart.  You know what I'm talking about.  Admit it!)  It makes me happy to pass them along to someone who can use them.

*That's right, the phrase "semi-homemade" is trademarked!  Here's hoping I don't get slapped with a lawsuit for daring to type it in a semi-public forum.

Eclair

In the spirit of giving welcome baby gifts to 6-month-olds, here's a little something I just presented to a pretty little girl named Emma-Clair, who is so sweet she's cream filled.   And they call her "Eclair."  And I think that's just about the cutest thing ever. 

So I added a little eclair applique,

which Miles really liked.

That's his grubby hand right there, trying to pry it off the blanket.  Don't worry.  I stitched it on tight.

 

Like practically everything else that comes from my craft room, the story of this quilt began in the clearance bin.    I needed some new blades for my rotary cutter, and happened upon a chenille cutter marked down 75%.  I had no idea what I'd do with a chenille cutter.  But I knew it was cheap, and I figured it could cut fabric, so I brought it home with me.

Not long after that, I happened upon this tutorial on Aesthetic Nest, and suddenly the instructions that came with the chenille cutter made a lot more sense.

So here's how it works.  You layer several pieces of flannel (or other soft cotton)  and then stitch in parallel lines on the bias. 

Then when it's all stitched up, you use your chenille cutter to slice between the stitches.  And then you add embellishments, or whatever, and then bind it.  Then you throw it in the washer and dryer, and all the raw edges you cut curl up and get fuzzy.  The more you wash it, the more it curls.

The process is a little time consuming, but it's straightforward.  And actually kind of fun.  I used a set of flannel receiving blankets, so the finished quilt is pretty small.  I don't think I'd want to tackle anything bigger, cause I'm lazy, and even turning this little thing under the arm of my machine was a little cumbersome.

I do have one little tip I didn't see mentioned in any of the online tutorials I found.  Dana at Made (see her version here)  suggests changing your needle position to get the lines spaced evenly about 1/2 inch apart.  But I can't adjust the needle position on my machine, my presser foot was too narrow to use it as a guide, and I didn't want to have to draw lines to follow for the whole quilt.  So I added a piece of stiff tape to the bottom of my presser foot and lined the edge of the tape up with the previous line as I stitched each new row.    Like so:

After a while the tape started to curl up, and I'll admit I rushed things a bit, so the rows are not perfect.  There are other flaws too, but I won't bother pointing them out, because if that cute baby Eclair is anywhere nearby, I guarantee no one's gonna notice a few wonky lines and errant stitches.  They'll be too busy tickling her cream-filled belly, or gazing into her gorgeous chocolate eyes.