Shirring

During naptime today I whipped up a little number for dolly. What a simple size to work with, and a very cooperative model, I might add. I followed a tutorial from Ruffles And Stuff on shirring, and found it to be very helpful. Shirring is easy peasy! First try turned out just as I imagined it, if only all projects were doll-size!

Shirring

During naptime today I whipped up a little number for dolly. What a simple size to work with, and a very cooperative model, I might add. I followed a tutorial from Ruffles And Stuff on shirring, and found it to be very helpful. Shirring is easy peasy! First try turned out just as I imagined it, if only all projects were doll-size!

Minky Fleece Taggie Blanket

Friends of mine are having twins, one boy and one girl. I thought I would whip up something special for their upcoming arrival! Tags are a baby's best friend so why not give them lots of tags of their very own!

You will need: Two 13" squares of Minky fleece. 12 5" and 6" pieces of ribbon in various widths, textures and patterns.

With one piece of fabric right side up pin ribbons, evenly spaced, to each side of your square. I used 3 to a side here. Pin carefully here or your ribbon may sew crooked because of the stretch in the fabric.


Once you have all of your ribbons pinned on one piece, lay out the second piece on top creating a sandwich with the ribbons inside. Check the stretch of your pieces. It will sew best if the stretch of each square is going the same way. Pin the two pieces together and pin often, I pinned every 1" to hold everything in place. Leave an opening for turning, a 2-3" space on one of the sides.

Sew the two pieces together with a minimum of a 1/2" seam allowance or the fleece will buckle and tuck under your foot. Sew around three sides and take note to stop where you marked your turning space. I always make the last corner and continue four or five stitches, then leave the space to make it more uniform when you top-stitch it closed to finish. Before turning, make sure to snip the corners a little so when you turn the blanket they will be square and not bulky. Turn your blanket and push out the corners.

After turning, fold under the open space and pin. Top-stitch around the entire blanket for a nice finished look. A 1/2" or 5/8" top-stitch looks the best, make sure to catch the opening where you turned the blanket. It may seem a little thick for the machine but be careful not to pull the fabric through or it will be wavy and loose it's shape. I helped it along with a little push.

There you have it, a keepsake and forever friend of your baby or someone close to you! Enjoy!

Minky Fleece Taggie Blanket

Friends of mine are having twins, one boy and one girl. I thought I would whip up something special for their upcoming arrival! Tags are a baby's best friend so why not give them lots of tags of their very own!

You will need: Two 13" squares of Minky fleece. 12 5" and 6" pieces of ribbon in various widths, textures and patterns.

With one piece of fabric right side up pin ribbons, evenly spaced, to each side of your square. I used 3 to a side here. Pin carefully here or your ribbon may sew crooked because of the stretch in the fabric.


Once you have all of your ribbons pinned on one piece, lay out the second piece on top creating a sandwich with the ribbons inside. Check the stretch of your pieces. It will sew best if the stretch of each square is going the same way. Pin the two pieces together and pin often, I pinned every 1" to hold everything in place. Leave an opening for turning, a 2-3" space on one of the sides.

Sew the two pieces together with a minimum of a 1/2" seam allowance or the fleece will buckle and tuck under your foot. Sew around three sides and take note to stop where you marked your turning space. I always make the last corner and continue four or five stitches, then leave the space to make it more uniform when you top-stitch it closed to finish. Before turning, make sure to snip the corners a little so when you turn the blanket they will be square and not bulky. Turn your blanket and push out the corners.

After turning, fold under the open space and pin. Top-stitch around the entire blanket for a nice finished look. A 1/2" or 5/8" top-stitch looks the best, make sure to catch the opening where you turned the blanket. It may seem a little thick for the machine but be careful not to pull the fabric through or it will be wavy and loose it's shape. I helped it along with a little push.

There you have it, a keepsake and forever friend of your baby or someone close to you! Enjoy!

Baby Shower Gift

Towels for the twins. Ever since I gave my sister a hooded towel for her first baby and subsequent babies, I was curious and intrigued about sewing my very own. I found a tutorial here at Skip to my Lou and got busy sewing. These towels were made for a good friend who is having twins! How exciting! I hope mommy has as much fun with baths as we do at our house.

Baby Shower Gift

Towels for the twins. Ever since I gave my sister a hooded towel for her first baby and subsequent babies, I was curious and intrigued about sewing my very own. I found a tutorial here at Skip to my Lou and got busy sewing. These towels were made for a good friend who is having twins! How exciting! I hope mommy has as much fun with baths as we do at our house.

Trayton turned "2"

My baby boy is growing ever so swiftly before my eyes. Daily he amazes me with what he has learned and accomplished as a very curious little boy. We had a fun and busy day celebrating his birthday. I made my second annual birthday shirt for him and we headed out to visit everyone we could. We started out the rainy day with lunch at Great-Grandma's house where Ephraim, Isaac, Auntie Lori and Grandma joined in on the fun. I brought balloons, they brought presents for Trayton. It was a good trade. The kids all had their share of fun, and then it was off to GR with Grandma. A ride and a short nap later, we hit the thrift store (that was more for mommy). We met Dan at the shop and had some pizza while he waited for his work to arrive. Trayton got to climb all over Grandpa's backhoe-loader and boy did he love that! Since it was Tulip Time, and the weather had turned from earlier in the day we made our way downtown. Dancing didn't start for a while yet, so we detoured to a local school playground. The slides and spinning things are favorites! I did my best to wear the little guy out, he needed to run around and play a while. We made it downtown just in time to watch the girls dance and then homeward we went. I just got Trayton into the house kicking and screaming only to realize he had locked me out. One tight squeeze later, I got inside. What a perfect ending to a great birthday celebration. Note to self, don't leave a smart toddler unattended near the screen door. After a full day of fun, he surprised me yet again. Overall we had a wonderful day together, turning two is twice the fun as turning one was, and I am sure the birthdays to follow will only get better! The big birthday party is coming Saturday, I can't wait to see what is in store for us there!

Trayton turned "2"

My baby boy is growing ever so swiftly before my eyes. Daily he amazes me with what he has learned and accomplished as a very curious little boy. We had a fun and busy day celebrating his birthday. I made my second annual birthday shirt for him and we headed out to visit everyone we could. We started out the rainy day with lunch at Great-Grandma's house where Ephraim, Isaac, Auntie Lori and Grandma joined in on the fun. I brought balloons, they brought presents for Trayton. It was a good trade. The kids all had their share of fun, and then it was off to GR with Grandma. A ride and a short nap later, we hit the thrift store (that was more for mommy). We met Dan at the shop and had some pizza while he waited for his work to arrive. Trayton got to climb all over Grandpa's backhoe-loader and boy did he love that! Since it was Tulip Time, and the weather had turned from earlier in the day we made our way downtown. Dancing didn't start for a while yet, so we detoured to a local school playground. The slides and spinning things are favorites! I did my best to wear the little guy out, he needed to run around and play a while. We made it downtown just in time to watch the girls dance and then homeward we went. I just got Trayton into the house kicking and screaming only to realize he had locked me out. One tight squeeze later, I got inside. What a perfect ending to a great birthday celebration. Note to self, don't leave a smart toddler unattended near the screen door. After a full day of fun, he surprised me yet again. Overall we had a wonderful day together, turning two is twice the fun as turning one was, and I am sure the birthdays to follow will only get better! The big birthday party is coming Saturday, I can't wait to see what is in store for us there!

Maternity Refashion

Maternity jeans are nothing to write home about, at least not for me. Waist is too small, length isn't right, panel goes over the belly instead of under, crotch hangs to your knees, etc. Any combination of these makes for a very unpleasant experience. I recently came across a pair at Goodwill for $4 that actually fit! They came with a semi-full panel, but it didn't keep the pants up no matter how tight I pulled on the drawstring through the elastic. I opted to cut off the existing belly panel and convert over to an under belly waistband. With a little 2" elastic, an old stretchy knit tank top and some help from Meg and this tutorial, viola! I am very pleased with how they turned out as I haven't sewn with jersey much, and the stretch factor always makes me a little uneasy. All in all I got myself a new pair of jeans for less than $10!

Maternity Refashion

Maternity jeans are nothing to write home about, at least not for me. Waist is too small, length isn't right, panel goes over the belly instead of under, crotch hangs to your knees, etc. Any combination of these makes for a very unpleasant experience. I recently came across a pair at Goodwill for $4 that actually fit! They came with a semi-full panel, but it didn't keep the pants up no matter how tight I pulled on the drawstring through the elastic. I opted to cut off the existing belly panel and convert over to an under belly waistband. With a little 2" elastic, an old stretchy knit tank top and some help from Meg and this tutorial, viola! I am very pleased with how they turned out as I haven't sewn with jersey much, and the stretch factor always makes me a little uneasy. All in all I got myself a new pair of jeans for less than $10!

Tote-bag Completed!

I finished the polka-dot tote-bag this afternoon. Though it wasn't quite as "simple" as I thought it might be, I am very pleased with the finished product. I learned some new tips and tricks to carry me through future sewing projects.

Tote-bag Completed!

I finished the polka-dot tote-bag this afternoon. Though it wasn't quite as "simple" as I thought it might be, I am very pleased with the finished product. I learned some new tips and tricks to carry me through future sewing projects.

Projects, projects, projects.

I need to have projects while being a full-time mom. It keeps my mind on things other than naps, sippy cups and picking up toys on a daily basis. A little bit of sewing therapy goes a long way. My project priority right now is the felt playhouse that I am currently working on, a big surprise that was supposed to be for Christmas. Time was short, the excitement and pure exhaustion that came with being newly pregnant put that on hold just a bit. I have it about half done, and am very excited to spend a night or two wrapping this up. Trayton is going to love his little playhouse! This project is taking me out of the box just a little bit by challenging my creativity and expanding my crafting abilities.

I have also washed and prepped the fabric for a simple tote-bag. I can't wait to get started on that, the polka dot outer fabric that I purchased is perfect! Of all the bags I have, it is time for something more trendy and less diaper-bag-ish. Stay tuned for pics and ideas!

I have Jill to thank for the inspiration for both of these projects, check her blog out here.

Projects, projects, projects.

I need to have projects while being a full-time mom. It keeps my mind on things other than naps, sippy cups and picking up toys on a daily basis. A little bit of sewing therapy goes a long way. My project priority right now is the felt playhouse that I am currently working on, a big surprise that was supposed to be for Christmas. Time was short, the excitement and pure exhaustion that came with being newly pregnant put that on hold just a bit. I have it about half done, and am very excited to spend a night or two wrapping this up. Trayton is going to love his little playhouse! This project is taking me out of the box just a little bit by challenging my creativity and expanding my crafting abilities.

I have also washed and prepped the fabric for a simple tote-bag. I can't wait to get started on that, the polka dot outer fabric that I purchased is perfect! Of all the bags I have, it is time for something more trendy and less diaper-bag-ish. Stay tuned for pics and ideas!

I have Jill to thank for the inspiration for both of these projects, check her blog out here.

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Michelle is Pregnant
Did we surprise you?

Yep, you read that right. We are expecting baby #2 in late August. Trayton is going to be a big brother! We heard new babies heartbeat last week at the doctor's office, beating like it should and sounds like a train! We are happy to report the good news, more to come on that. Mommy is doing just fine, tired, but other than that feeling normal. Trayton is already pointing to my belly and saying "baby". We are looking forward to entering this new chapter in our lives.

Trayton is talking up a storm and repeating more new words everyday. He is one smart little kid. I recently broke him of his pacifier, and now that I see how easy it was, realize maybe I was the one who didn't want to give it up. We've played in the snow briefly this winter, as the temps have been above normal and snow fall below normal. Hopefully we get to spend some more time outdoors after the big storm hits tomorrow.

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Michelle is Pregnant
Did we surprise you?

Yep, you read that right. We are expecting baby #2 in late August. Trayton is going to be a big brother! We heard new babies heartbeat last week at the doctor's office, beating like it should and sounds like a train! We are happy to report the good news, more to come on that. Mommy is doing just fine, tired, but other than that feeling normal. Trayton is already pointing to my belly and saying "baby". We are looking forward to entering this new chapter in our lives.

Trayton is talking up a storm and repeating more new words everyday. He is one smart little kid. I recently broke him of his pacifier, and now that I see how easy it was, realize maybe I was the one who didn't want to give it up. We've played in the snow briefly this winter, as the temps have been above normal and snow fall below normal. Hopefully we get to spend some more time outdoors after the big storm hits tomorrow.