DIY Felt Crowns

I'm very late in sharing these but I made some really easy home made felt crowns for the girls this Christmas and they actually turned out pretty impressive looking so I thought I would post them here. I always aim to make at least one home made present for the kids and this year I went with the crowns because it was super simple.

I cut two sheets of felt in half in different colors that I thought would compliment each other and cut the tops in a zig zag line. After that I hand sewed some cute little felt flowers on the front piece and then machine sewed the two pieces together with a band of elastic at the back.

Clover doesn't care for hers but Echo actually loves them both and wears them regularly. It's such a nice feeling to have her enjoy something that I made so much and I also get to feel proud that they look great and were super inexpensive to make :-D

Zipper Pouch

What with everything we've had going on I haven't sewn a thing all year. Seriously, I made it to May before sewing a single thing! So sad, I really want to get back in the sewing game. Anyway, I took advantage of Mother's day as a chance to sew something simple and pretty so I made this little zipper pouch as a the wrapping for the necklace I bought my mom. I figured it's nice to get a little something you can use again with your main present inside.

I followed a lovely little tutorial on This Heart of Mine and it made it really easy, especially since I had never put in a zipper before! I got a chance to use one of the zippers my sister in law gave me for Christmas and also got to use some fabric scraps I had on hand ( zipper pouches are a great way to use scraps!). It was so easy to make I want to make a whole bunch more to help me organize my life :-) It's hard finding time to sew with my two very active little ones but hopefully I will get to make more of these soon!

Eric's New Laptop Bag

I have really gotten in to making bags over the past year and I finally had the guts to make one without a pattern. Eric got a new Macbook Air for his work and needed a lightweight bag to carry it to and from the office. He gave a me a list of requirements for the bag, it had to be well padded for protection, it needed a long long strap to fit his tall frame, it needed a pocket for the charger, pens, notebooks and what have you, and it needed to be compact and lightweight so it's easy to haul around. I looked for a tutorial for something like this online but couldn't find anything I was happy with so I just came up with this on my own.

I found some beautiful green wool felt at the fabric store and got some cotton plaid to compliment it for the pockets and lining. I basically made two rectangular bags and attached the shorter of the two to the outside for the pockets. I also sewed in some quilt batting to the outside bag for extra padding and with all the layers of thick fabric the laptop is pretty cozy in there. I was a little intimidated because I was using some hardware that I hadn't worked with before but I was able to look at pictures of bags online to figure out how to put it all together and the brown cotton webbing I picked up for the strap is sturdy and attractive. All in all not bad for my first laptop cases and first bag with no pattern :-)

DIY Mei Tai Baby Carrier

One this I never used much when I had my first baby was a baby carrier. I loved the idea of baby wearing but I never found a carrier that was comfortable and it seemed easier just to carry her in my arms. I didn't want to shell out a bunch of money trying to find the right carrier (this things can be pricey!) so I just gave up on the idea. With baby number two I decided to give it another go however. I figured I would need my hands free to do things with Echo so I might use a carrier more (boy was I right!). I started off with a soft stretch structured carrier that I really liked, it was comfortable and easy to put on. The only problem was that as Clover started to near 13 or 14 pounds it started to sag and it just wasn't working for us any more.

Being the crafty (and cheap) girl that I am I decided to try to make my own carrier. I have had several friends that had Mei Tai style carriers and really liked them. They seemed simple to put on and the design was easy to make so I whipped out some extra fabric I had leftover from our wedding (I've gotten so much use out of this stuff!) and found an online tutorial to follow. There are a ton of tutorials for homemade Mei Tais out there but the one I used can be found here. The instructions are really clear and easy and it took me no time to put it together.

Honestly it has been a godsend, I can wear Clover when she starts to get fussy and it will put her to sleep so i can cook dinner. It's amazing for grocery shopping because I can wear her and still have two hands to push the cart, plus it leaves the seat on the cart open for Echo! It's kind of crazy how expensive theses carriers can be when they are so simple to make! Just be sure that if you make your own you reinforce your straps and use a nice sturdy fabric, safety first!

Clover seems to really like this carrier and it's really comfortable because of how evenly it distributes the weight across your back. Winter is the perfect time to wear your baby too, they are so snuggly and warm! My advice would be to not be intimidated by baby wearing and to give it a shot. It's not right for every mom (or every baby) but if your baby likes it it can really save your sanity and help you get stuff done! Also, if you are at all crafty think about making your own carrier, I was amazed at how simple it can be!

Upcycled Diaper Clutch

I stopped carrying a diaper bag and started just carrying a large regular purse this year. My old diaper bag was falling apart and diaper bags are crazy expensive. I love my large purse but the problem is it doesn't have a ton of pockets to store things so it ends up being a hot mess of disorganization. To help with that problem I whipped up this little envelope pouch to store diapers in.

It's made from an old shirt and pair of pants that my brother was getting rid of, I love being able to salvage material from something and giving ti a new life! It came out a little wonky because I was in a hurry and didn't use a pattern or really measure anything but it's still cute and serves it's purpose.

I was able to use some Pentel Fabric Fun Dye Sticks to add a little leaf design. This dye sticks were a present from Eric years ago and I never got around to using them until just now but I am already sold! They are so cool! They go on like oil pastel but then you can iron them to set the dye and the design becomes permanent and machine washable. I see myself using these in lots of projects to come.

Learning to Sew with Echo

Cloud pillow, made by Echo and I

You may or may not remember that I started teaching myself to sew shortly before Echo was born. I got a cheap sewing machine at a thrift store and upgraded fairly quickly to something new once I found out how much I loved sewing. Sadly I don't have a ton of time for all the sewing projects I want to do lately but I am beyond excited that Echo has expressed an interest in learning how to use the machine. I've started Helping her make a few projects and wanted to show them off here.

Echo's blanket

I started by letting her sew on pieces of construction paper. I put the pedal on the table so she can press it with her hand while I guide the paper through the machine. After she had that down she started sewing scraps of fabric together to make a "blanket". She really likes getting to try different types of stitches, especially the embroidery stitches, on the machine.

After we worked on her blanket some I helped her make a pillow for her room (top picture). I did all the cutting of course, her cutting skills are getting much better but fabric is hard to cut and cutting out specific shapes is still beyond her. I let her help with the sewing though and she helped stuff the pillow which was probably her favorite part. Now she gets to sleep on a pillow that she helped to make every night! I really hope that her interest in sewing continues and that I get to help her on lots of future projects!

Home Made Birthday Gift of the Year: The Perfect Picnic Blanket

Sorry for the bad picture, it is all rumpled from being rolled up in our closet

Still no baby so I am trying to squeeze in a few last blog posts I have been meaning to do. Unfortunately I have been feeling lousy and very very tired so I didn't take any decent pictures of this project but you'll have to take my word for it that it turned out great!

I try to do home made gifts as much as I can (and supplement with store bought, I love giving gifts!) so for Eric's Birthday this year I made him a gigantic picnic blanket! We did a ton of picnic dates in the early days of our relationship, when I was in grad school and he was out of work and money was tight to say the least. Now that we have a little one (and one on the way) going out to eat can be really difficult for different reasons. Picnics however are a great kid friendly activity, we can get in a date night and bring the little ones along too! I have been eyeing the awesome picnic blankets that have a waterproof side for a while and decided to make one of my own this Summer. You can find the tutorial I used here. I love this version because it is extremely large but still folds up small so you can store it in your car, plus it has pockets for storing your goodies!

Close up of the fabrics

It uses a lot of fabric so it can be expensive to make but I saved up some coupons I had for Joanne's and was able to spend a little less that way. It was very easy to make because it was all straight lines but a little tricky just because there was so much fabric to work with. Anyway, it turned out lovely and I can't wait to get some use out of it when the weather cools down, I see a lot of picnics in our future this Fall!

Sewing Yet Another Bag

I have been really so bad about posting on here. I'm at that point in my pregnancy where I am just really uncomfortable all the time and now I am even having  a hard time sleeping. Lack of sleep combined with hauling around and extra 15 lbs (plus just generally feeling bad) has made me pretty exhausted. Making a whole new person is a ton of work guys ;-) It's hard to believe I have 5 weeks to go until my due date. Strangers have started telling me there's no way I'll make it 5 more weeks, that's how huge and miserable I look, lol!

Besides pregnancy I have been busy with other things including buying a new car! But more about that later. Right now I just wanted to quick post to show off my latest sewing project. This time it's a new bag that I made custom for my mom. It was really fun to have her go with me and pick out the fabrics and I'm starting to learn that bags are some of my favorite things to sew. They are so fun and rewarding! I was very happy with how this one came out but it just made me want to sew even more bags, Eric thinks I should start a business. You can find the tutorial I used here, it's a great easy bag to make that looks awesome. It's on the smaller side so if you want a giant bag it's not for you but it was quick and easy to make and it feels very sturdy.

Recent Sewing

After I had so much fun sewing my new infinity scarf (which has been a big hit by the way, I've worn it a ton already even though I don't need it for nursing yet)I got a major sewing bug! I immediately dove in to some new projects. I am still trying to keep things simple due to my limited time and energy but it felt good to be making something again and I have a few more ambitious projects lined up in the near future.

The first project was my take on this tutorial for a hobo bag. I used their pattern as a guide but ended up drawing my own version of it in a slightly smaller size. I loved my more structured purse that I made earlier this year but wanted something a little more light and Summery that I could take with me on my mini vacations and plentiful trips to the pool that have been happening so much this Spring and Summer. I was able to use all materials that I had on hand which made this even more satisfying and it has been a great little bag to haul around town. I'm enjoying having a nice light purse before I have to switch to a giant diaper bag again ;-)

My next project was for my maternity photos which we had taken just last weekend by my lovely and talented business partner and friend Joanna. We had decided on a "bun in the oven" theme for the photo shoot and did some really cute photos of me, Eric and Echo cooking together. I made Echo and I some matching aprons to wear for the photos.

They are a little wrinkled here since I stuffed them in my bag after the shoot but I think they will make the maternity photos extra special and they will be something that Echo and I can use for years to come. I'll be sure to share some of the professional photos as soon as I get my hands on them.

Above is a close up of the heart appliques that I added for an extra special touch. You can find the tutorial that I used for this project here.  All this sewing has really whetted my appetite for more (I may have an addiction) and I am excited to be starting new projects soon!

Breastfeeding Infinity scarf

Ok guys, I am officially in my Third trimester! Woo hoo! The past few weeks I have been feeling very third trimester, as in suuuppper tired. I haven't had enough energy to keep the house clean and stay on top of dinner much less do anything fun or creative. Well yesterday I treated myself to a large homemade iced coffee in the afternoon that left me feeling wonderfully refreshed (caffeine restrictions while pregnant have gone out the window) and I got to spend some time with my much loved but lately neglected sewing machine. 

As much as I would love to sew up a bunch of cute stuff for baby Clover I simply don't have the time or energy. However an infinity scarf is something even this busy momma can handle and it was fun to make somethign I can use when our new baby arrives. I got the idea from this tutorial  but it really couldn't be easier. You basically take a rectangle and sew the ends together. When finished the scarf can be worn like a normal infinity scarf or unfolded and draped across your chest if you need a little extra cover while nursing. 

I had this awesome piece of really stretchy green fabric that I picked up in the scrap bin at Joanne's which was perfect for the project. Not only is it light and soft but it happens to be my exact favorite color in the whole world. I love that mossy green shade. I still felt it seemed a little plain so I decided to silk screen a little fern design on it (although in retrospect maybe I should have done a clover, hmm...).

 I had a really hard time taking pictures of this on myself so my apologies for the terrible selfies. At least they get the point across, showing the two ways the scarf can be worn.

Just a note on breastfeeding covers in general, I'm not a huge fan of them. I really never used one when i was nursing Echo and I strongly believe that women should be free to breastfeed in public and uncovered without shame. However there are always some circumstances where you might like a little privacy so it's nice to have a cute option in case you decide you need or want to cover up. Again, i never used a cover with Echo and I'm not sure if I will with Clover either but I figured if I don't ever use this one as a nursing cover at least I will have a cute new scarf!

Twirly Circle Skirt

Modeling my skirt and showing off my baby bump :-)

On a lighter note from yesterday's super serious child rearing post, here is my latest sewing project. My mom found this awesome vintage fabric in her attic and let me have my way with it. Apparently my grandmother bought it and never got around to using it for anything so it has been sitting around for a while. it's a wonderful lightweight fabric, perfect for a Summer skirt.

Close up of the pattern

It had a few moth holes so I wasn't able to use as much of it as I would have liked which resulted in a slightly shorter skirt. It still ended up being a decent length for me and I put in a nice stretchy elastic waist so I can wear it while I'm pregnant this Summer. For the pattern I did a simple circle skirt. This was my first time making one even though they are super easy. You can find a good tutorial for making your own circle skirt pattern here. I love circle skirts because they twirl so nicely and I love how this one came out. It's a nice reminder of my grandma (who I sadly never got to meet) every time I wear the skirt so it also has a nostalgia and family history factor that I love.

Kitten Purse

Just a quick update to share my latest sewing project, a little kitten purse for Echo! She loves purses and wants to unpack mine all the time so I thought I'd make her one of her own. She was really interested in it while I was making it but now that it's finished she hasn't given it much attention. Maybe I need to put more stuff in it for her to unpack ;-) Anyway, I thought it came out cute enough to share, you can find the tutorial I used here. Happy weekend everyone!

Art Smock

On my long list of sewing projects making an art smock for Echo quickly moved to the top. She loves to paint and we do it almost every day. We also experiment with a variety of other art materials, most recently learning how to glue, use stickers and work with oil pastels, but painting with tempera is still her favorite. I recently bought her some great new tempera paints from Crayola (they are so bright and bold but still washable!) and a new heavy weight pad of paper to paint on and she has been loving it. To save a little wear and tear on her clothes I whipped up an art smock for her to wear while she paints.

I used almost the same design as I did with the baby smock I made her last year but without the crossover back and with ties on the sides. I used a current dress that fit to get the sizing right but it still came out a little big. This is ok with me because she has room to grow in it!

Thinking really hard about her creation

She looks so sweet in her new smock! I love it! And the busy floral pattern hides little drips of paint well. I am so happy that she loves to paint so much and that it something we can share together.

Valentine Coffee Cozies

I don't have much time for blogging on this lovely sunny day but wanted to quickly share a little Valentine's day project I whipped up for my parents. We often go out for coffee together so i had the idea to sew some coffee cozies using some of my scrap fabric and turned the whole thing in to a cute card! They came out really cute and were a breeze to make, you just need a cardboard coffee sleeve to use as a template.

For Eric I made a restaurant passport that we can "stamp" with stickers each time we try a place on our list. it will also give us a good list to work from when we are trying to decide where to go on date nights. He also got a pair of cozy slippers (which I did not make) and a card.

For Echo I gave her a little felt bag with hello kitty crayons and glitter glue pens in it. Apparently this is the best gift you could give a  one and a half year old girl because she absolutely adores it, to the point where she had a huge screaming meltdown when we took it away from her at bath time. She needs a lot of help using the glitter glue pens but is enjoying experimenting with them. She loves that her new crayons have a picture of hello kitty on the label. She keeps pointing at it and saying "gat!" which is how she says cat.

I hope everyone had a happy Valentine's day and got lots of quality time with their loved ones!

My New Wallet

We have several exciting home improvement projects in the works but first I wanted to share my new wallet! I had planned to make some accessories to go with my new bag from the get go but due to an inconsistent napping schedule from Echo and some Valentine's Day projects (which I will also be sharing soon!) I hadn't had much time to work on them. With all the snow and ice we have been having I had a little time to myself today to finish up this wallet from Modest Maven. I had actually tried a few other patterns from the internet world of sewing but wasn't happy with how they came out until this one.

This was actually really hard for me because sewing things with right angles and exact measurements isn't my thing ( a friend of mine described it as "freestyle sewing" lol). But this tutorial made it pretty easy and while it's not perfect, in the end I was pretty happy.

This was also a great project to use up some of my fabric scraps and I used the same canvas plaid that I used for my purse exterior for the lining of my wallet so that ties together nicely. I wanted the closure to be a snap but could not for the life of me find my snap pliers and I was impatient to finish so I used velcro for now. Maybe I will replace it with a snap down the road.

A New All Purpose Bag For Me!

I recently finished what is probably my most ambitious sewing project to date and I am so pleased with the results I could bust! As the mom of a toddler I need to simplify my life wherever possible and while I I loved my cute diaper bag and purse I hated having two separate bags for different purposes. I felt like I was always moving things from one to the other and losing things in the process. What I needed was one bag that I could use for everything.

I went looking for a new bag that would suit my needs but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, at least not for a price I was willing to pay. I didn't want something that looked like a diaper bag because after a year of toting a big bulky thing like that around the thrill was gone. When you are pregnant with your first kid you are excited to get a diaper bag but the new wears off quickly, now I just want to feel like a normal person and carry a normal bag. I wanted a regular purse but something that would be big enough to stick a few diapers and wipes in.

After it occurred to me that I could probably make a bag that would fit all my needs I went snooping around online for free patterns. Seriously, how great is the internet? It has become so easy to teach yourself new skills because of the generosity of people who are willing to share their talents for free! I found this amazing free pattern and tutorial on Think Liz (thank you Liz! You are awesome!).

It was pretty easy to sew this little number up if a little time consuming but I had so much fun making it and the results are exactly what I wanted. I have been proudly toting my new bag around all weekend and have gotten lots of compliments. In the near future I am planning to make some matching accessories such as a wallet and diaper strap to help me keep things organized. There is nothing quite as gratifying as seeing a need for something in your life and being able to make something to fill it with your own hands!

Home Made Christmas Gifts

Now that Christmas is over I can reveal my home made presents from this past year. I didn't get as many done as I would like but here is what I ended up giving.

For my Dad and Eric I made these handy fire wood totes. I can't find the tutorial I used anywhere now but they were really easy and fun to make. It's always so hard to think of good hand made gifts for guys and these were the perfect thing.

For Echo's baby friends I sewed some little bath time buddies out of terry cloth. They are basically just wash clothes but so cute! I packaged them with little travel sized baby shampoos.

For my mom I made my first attempt at making an encaustic collage. It was definitely harder than I thought but fun to play with. I think I'd like to get a book and learn more about this process in the future.

My grown up friends got home made bees wax candles and a locally made food item (not made by me but bought at a cool store in Marietta which sells locally produced items).

That's it for this year but if I end up having time and fortune smiles on me I am going to try to work on some home made goodies for Valentines day.

Echo's Kitten Mittens

I finally finished making a pair of mittens for Echo wear when it's really really cold out. She isn't crazy about wearing things on her hands but I tried to soften the blow by embroidering kitten faces on them.

The first pair I made turned out too small (I never leave enough seam allowance!) but I had already done the cat faces so I ended up cutting them off and stitching them to the new, larger mittens.

Here she is trying them on for the first time, she liked the cat faces. To make these mittens I just traced her hand on some tracing paper to make the pattern and did an overlock stitch all around the outside. I also added a little velcro strap to tighten them at the wrist which will hopefully help keep her from taking them off.

This last picture is her in her full cold weather gear. Here she is kissing the little cat face on her mitten (she often kisses pictures of animals) how cute is she?!?

Updating My Throw Pillows- DIY Pillow Sham

My throw pillows have been around a while and by a while I mean since college (more years ago than I care to remember!). Back then i was going for an eclectic, world traveler vibe in my apartment with a definite tendency towards Asian decore. These days I definitely tend more towards rustic and, well modern themes in my house with a little bit of urban and a little bit of country thrown in (maybe this is what happens when you move to the suburbs). I recently decided that my throw pillows could use an update to reflect my current since of style. Having a toddler around also meant that I wanted them to have removable covers that could easily be washed since she tends to get food on just about everything. 

Being on the cheap side I decided to use fabrics I already had on hand and was able to piece together some scraps from a skirt I made last year to make a new pillow sham. I think it gives the couch a little pick me up and perhaps distracts ever so slightly from the cat scratches at the edges ;-)

I still have the pillow on the right side of the couch to make a new sham for but I haven't decided on fabrics for this one yet, hopefully I can use some leftover fabric scraps again and pull off something that will go ok with the other pillow. I have a whole host of holiday sewing projects in the works so I am in full on crafting mode. Hopefully I'll have more to show soon!

Happy Halloween!

Things have just gone from Busy to Busier this Fall so I have been really sporadic about posting. Sorry about that! I wanted to make a point to share our Halloween Costumes from yesterday while it was still timely so here it is! Echo went as little red riding hood and Eric and I were the Big Bad Wolf and the Woodsman respectively. First some pictures of Echo in her costume...

 The hood I made from an old Shirt my brother was getting rid of I used a red ribbon to tie it around her neck and embroidered a wolf silhouette on the back (my embroidery skills are improving!). The rest of the outfit was made from clothes we already had or were able to borrow from a friend.

She looked so amazingly cute in this I could just die! She got to wear it 3 times, once for a baby meet up, once for story time at the library and once on actual Halloween. Speaking of actual Halloween...

I made Eric's wolf costume out of old sweater scraps I had leftover from a blanket I made last year. The mask had a paper baking and I just sewed the scraps on top of it. The paws were old sweater sleeves with felt "claws" sewn on. For my costume I just used a flannel shirt, jeans, boots, a belt and hat I already owned. I used eyeliner to draw on a  beard and borrowed a hatchet from the garage to complete my Woodsman ensemble. All of our costumes cost us basically nothing since we had all the pieces already.

It was really fun dressing up as a family and we had a great time taking Echo trick or treating for the first time. We only went to 3 houses but we scored tons of candy and Echo is turning in to a chocoholic already! We are looking forward to the many years of trick or treating we have coming up, having a kid is so much fun!