Mini I-Spy Doll AND Tummy Time Quilt

Here is the mini I spy quilt I made for my goddaughter. Part of the Baby Shower gift basket. I made it big enough for tummy time, but small enough to use as a doll quilt when she's a little bigger, about 32"x 32".

I adore I spy quilts, but I really hate quilting, so mini is perfect! I decided to round the corners, use a zig zag stitch and embrace the quirkiness of my quilting skills. At least on the second attempt, the squares all lined up!

I've also finished my first I Spy crib quilt for sale. This one is not quirky at all! Just plain cute. I'm debating about listing it in my shop. I really love the cotton candy colors!

And last but not least, this little gem that's already been snatched up! I used a simple, self binding method and I think it may have won me over to quilting! It's so much easier.

Patchwork Market Bag

Look what I made! I wanted to try my hand at incorporating simple patchwork into a non-quilt project. Turned out to be a lovely gift for a lovely girlfriend!

I used Hilda's technique for stamping with fabric paint to add a personal touch. Adorable from the back and front!

Sewn Climbing Bear Toy Tutorial

I am endlessly impressed by Made by Joel. He makes such beautiful, simple, wonderful things! I recently came across his Climbing Gorilla tutorial and found myself wishing (again) that I knew how to woodwork. I looked around for a tutorial for someone who doesn't have tools at home and I couldn't find much. And is I was looking, someone else might be too. Here's what I came up with:

Supplies:
Wool Felt (I used an old, felted sweater scrap)
Beans
Yarn or String (aprox 3 feet)
2 Medium Sized wooden beads
Pattern

1.) Print the pattern at the bottom of this post (should be 4.5"x4.5", or desired size) and cut it out.

2.) Cut 2 bears out of felt.

3.) Pin and sew along dotted lines. Leave gaps right through the middle of the arms for the string. Make sure to backstitch when stopping and starting. Notice that the bear has dotted lines from shoulder to armpit? Sew there! That's so beans don't wiggle out of his middle and through the string holes. Be sure to leave a gap to stuff him!

4.) Fill the bear with dried beans or dried peas. Don't pack them in too tight. If he's too heavy it will put unnecessary stress on your seams...and who wants to re-sew anything?

5.) Sew opening shut.

6.) Feed string through the holes, top to bottom. Tape the ends with scotch tape to make it easier! Tie beads at the ends of the string.

7.) Done! Now you hang it on a door know and practice wiggling the strings back and forth to make the bear shimmy up and down!

And here is a no-sew, no-tool version.

I Spy Quilt (or: Quilting Madness)

Wow. Quilting is SO hard!

I have so many adorable fabrics, that I love and haven't wanted to part with. I though I could just whip up a simple little quilt (I can hear all you seasoned quilters laughing) for Daniel using lots of prints and keep the fabrics I love forever. The problem is, I'm not very precise and I had no idea what I was doing!

I'm pretty sure none of my squares were the same size. I learned that scissors are a bad tool for quilting. I should have bought a big cutting mat and quilting ruler before I started. I own one now! So I did what any reasonable person would do when that have completely botched a project- call my sewing-savvy Mother in Law! She resurrected it for me and taught me a lot of little tricks on the way.

Now, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, offset lines and all! I think Daniel is going to love it. My plan is to give it to him on the plane to keep him busy and cozy. But we all know how obsessive I am about travel activities....

Sock Monster Tutorial

 

Last night I made my very first sock monster, and this is how I did it! Please excuse the photos. It was late, and dark!

I used the heel of my sock as a bum for my little monster, because I wanted her to be able to sit.

Then I cut a small V at the toe of the sock (for ears/eyes). And a slit at the bottom for legs. Make sure not to cut too high on the legs...it should be just a bit below the heel of the sock (the 'bum'). Turn inside out and sew, right sides together, the V for the ears, and the all round the legs. Your monster will be sewn shut with no way to turn right side out, but don't worry!

Next, cut VERY small holes for the arms. They will stretch out a lot, so keep them small. SMALL. Then, flip the monster right side out through the arm holes.

And stuff...

Now for the arms. One the other sock, cut in half lengthwise from the opening to the heel, and across to make 2 arms. I wanted my little monster to have 2 fingers, so I cut a small V in the top of each arm.

Turn inside out and sew, right sides together, leaving the base open. Turn, stuff and sew onto the monster, right where that little hole is. Then, make sure your monster is full enough with stuffing and attach the other arm.

Sew on eyes, and add a felt mouth. I glued the felt on because I was getting tired! I also added a sweet little felt heart by her bum.

If you leave an opening when sewing your monsters legs to turn it inside out and stuff it, you can sew the arms completely shut (after turning and stuffing) and sew them onto the sock without cutting openings. I chose to do it my way because it was faster and I wanted my monster to be a bit funny looking. The other way would look a bit more polished I think.

I am about to start selling DIY Sock monster kits in my Etsy shop, and I think they'll make great gifts for older kids learning to sew.

Cute New Set!

I just whipped up this reusable lunch set for a friend and I am SO tempted to keep it for myself! I just love the little woodland animals!

I hope it fetches a pretty penny for the United Way!

My favorite tutorial is over here along with how I make my own beeswax cloth.

Homemade Sling: Stretchy Wrap

I think every new mom should have a good sling, which is why I made one for my friend Cara and her partner, Nathan to use with their new little one, Brenna.

Photo Courtesy of Nathan Hall

It was almost so easy! I read some tutorials here on Make Baby Stuff and a few other tips and tut's here and there. It sounded like 4m of a good quality jersey was enough. So that's what I bought. But actually I needed 5m. So, the troubleshooting started and, with the help of a talented friend, I decided to put a 1m panel in the center. I found a beautiful (and ridiculously expensive) batik print on clearance and snagged it up.

At this point I actually got excited about my mistake because it meant I could use a more expensive print on future slings and not break the bank! The batik was considerably less stretchy and didn't have a lot of give. I was a bit worried, but it is actually more supportive for babe while still allowing you to pull it over baby's body without much work.



My sewer friend, Darcie, showed me how to sew the panel on so it would be secure (a French seam, Darcie?). And when I was sure that is would hold, I top stitched just to make sure! It took a loooong time to hem 5m of fabric. I didn't pin, just rolled it under in sections as I went. The batik was very fussy and I don't know if I would use it again. Next time I may try and taper the ends at a gentle angle for the last half meter or so on each end. It makes tying easier, but I wasn't brave enough to try it my first time.

I'm so happy it turned out and that Nathan and Cara are using it!

This is me trying Daniel in the sling to make sure it would hold up to a toddlers weight. He looks so tall!

Make your own lacing cards

Last year we decided to do an entirely handmade Christmas. It was a much bigger project than I thought, but so worth it! These are the lacing cards that I made for Daniel. I was inspired by some Martha Stewart Alphabet Cards and this tutorial over at Little Birdie Secrets.



I punched holes all the way around all 26 cards and then laminated them afterward. If you punch first and then laminate, you have to punch it out again, but you get a better seal around the holes. With my very active, very boyish little one, sturdy is VERY important so it was well worth the time for me. Since there were so many cards, it was challenging to keep this project at a resonable budget. Who knew laminating ($40 for 13 sheets at staples!) and shoelaces ($1-2/pair x 13=$3-26) could be so expensive! It almost became a $50 project! Luckily, my church let me use their laminating machine and I found a case of vintage shoelaces cheap on ebay!

I just brought them out again, and am hoping he will get the hang of it now that he's almost 3!