Sofia's first hat

Sofia had some leftover yarn from amma and a pattern and the results are perfect. A purple hat with little flaps.

Sleepsack for Edie

This was my second and a half attempt at sewing a sleepsack.  The seams came together better, although not perfect.  It washed well and the left over material was used to make a sleepsack for Edie's baby, Diane. 

Expecting it to be washed often, I reinforced the bias tape with a decorative top stitch. Very sweet. 

Sleepsack for Andrea

Greta told me that the only sleepsack Andrea has is the one that Rakel sent her. She said that Andrea used it all the time.  Well, one sleepsack doesn't seem enough so I set out to test my new sewing machine.  The material was purchased from Jo-Ann's, chosen because it was amazingly soft.  I washed the material after I zigzagged all around it.  Afterwards working on it, it was hard to work with.  My clothes were full of lint and a layer on the floor.  After cutting the pattern and zigzagging the seams it improved some.  It is so fluffy that it was giving my machine fits.  I'd take a little brush and keep cleaning it.  Then the half-finished project sat and cured.  Weather got colder and once again, I was back to it.  This time, I found it more tolerable to work with.
The bias tape, after I sewed it on was not quite to my liking so I stitch little curly things half on the bias and half on the material to secure it.  It's a size nine months and it's huge.  Also, the two front pieces don't line up and getting a nice straight seam when I put in a zipper was impossible for me. 

But, after I finished it, even though I wasn't 100% satisfied with all aspects, I was charmed by it.  Told Tim that I was putting it through a cycle on the washer and dryer and if it started shedding or any other thing, it would end up in the garbage.  It held up beautifully.

Latch Rug Made from T-Shirts

Saturday night, armed with all material on hand and one granddaughter, Moira, I set out to make this cute, green, rug.  Moira and I were excited.  It didn't take me long to see that it would take super-human effort.  A terrible attempt with a granddaughter who seldom spends the night with me.  "This is impossible," I announced after latching a few.  "No, it's not that bad," Moira tried her best to encourage me to continue.  She tried and tried.  At 9:30 pm I told her we were going to the store and I got her a latch hook kit.  She latched away and we tossed out the rest of the project.
What good came out of this? 
1. Don't do a project with your granddaughters unless you have done it before.
2. The cutting wheel, 45, is wonderful.  I used it to cut my next project and for me, it was so much better and a cleaner cut than scissors.  You need a cutting board though.  Jo-Ann's has a 40% coupon online so my Fiskar was only seven dollars.  That was worth all the effort.

A Present for Edie

I made this skirt for Edie. I apologize, Rakel, for sending a summer skirt...that part was not well thought out. I think it turned out really cute and I am pretty happy with it. The inside of my sewing projects are looking increasingly cleaner which is very exciting.

Throw Pillows

Since we got a new couch, I wanted new throw pillows. I am not going to say Quay said no but the word "divorce" did come up so I just decided to make my own. With Rachael's help with color schemes, here is what I created. They are actually slip covers so I can wash them or make new ones at anytime and I won't have to worry about getting new pillows.

Fall Swing Coat for Edie

 

This sweater is knitted with super soft yarn and should be handwashed for it to keep the feel.  It's wonderful to knit with.  Since this is for a child, I'm questioning myself and the use of fine yarn.  It's more enjoyable to knit with but I'm going to check out the washable yarns.  That's more practical for moms.  However, for tiny ones, feel is so important that I will stay with Debbie's yarn.
This swing coat turned out perfect.  It is light with warmth.  The button has blue in it to match the color of the "sweater" and large so little fingers can try to push it in the hole.

Sensory Mat for Andrea

I finally finished the sensory mat for Andrea to hopefully make tummy time more interesting. Each pattern has a different texture. She is sitting so well these days that we just let her sit on it and she sat there rubbing the different squares. I filled the inside with quilting matting so I can put it on the wood floor and it's still soft for her. The back is a fleece material which was probably not that well thought out since it attracts dirt and dog hair :(

Reversible pants

My first sewing project with the new machine - which I LOVE! I can't believe how much different it is than my first machine. Smoother, quieter, and far less fussy. The pants I made - for Edie, of course - are fully reversible, which made for substantial pants with absolutely no seams. It is a great project for using up little scraps, too. Here are many pictures, since there are so many angles of these rather eccentric duds. I am very happy with the fit and feel of them. The pattern came from the Anna Maria Horner book: Handmade Beginnings. The pattern was pretty easy to use, but annoying to trace. I am glad I'd done a few simpler things, but over all I did these in one day during baby sleep times.

Crayon melting in the name of art

This project has been all over the internet craft world lately. So Edie may be one of many of her peers with the likes of it on her wall. But, nevertheless, I like it! And it was fun and simple to make - so simple I made the whole thing while she was awake. No small feat. All you need is canvas, crayons, a hot glue gun, and a hair dryer. And *voila*! You've got a fun piece that is engaging, abstract, and full of texture. It will go above what is now a changing table but will soon hopefully be a blank space since obviously Edie will potty train herself before she's two. Right?!

A link to another example.

Potato print art

Our new house has high ceilings and that demands big art! Especially in Edie's room where the furniture is low to accommodate her toddler stature and where, more than any room, we want it bright and happy. I saw this project online and loved it. The original maker didn't use it as kid-room art, but I think it suits it perfectly. It is colorful and happy, but still interesting and modern enough to grow with her and her room. And using potato printing gives it an organic quality that is more appealing that if it were perfect (at least that's what I tell myself when I notice all the poor alignment!). It was fun to work with acrylics. I read somewhere that the colors you mix are much better and more vibrant than those you buy. It's true and I wish I'd believed them sooner into the project. The printing took awhile, but it was a peaceful activity that you can do while listening to podcasts and whatnot.

Here's the original link.

Head Huggers

I knitted these hats for the cancer treatment room at Beaumont.  They turned out very nice. Good fit around the head without sliding down or being tights.

Bib and Burp Cloth

I found this idea on prudentbaby. The back of the burp cloth is an old towel that we had. I loved this one after the dress fiasco because it only took me one day to make both pieces!

First Attempt

This dress is my first attempt with my new sewing machine. There ended up being a couple of issues here and there but overall, I am very happy with it. It will still be a few more months before Andrea can fit into it.

Andrea's Fall Sweater

 This sweater will wait in Andrea's crib for her to wear for her first trip to Lost Lake Woods.  Sublime pattern. Knits 22 to 4". The yarn is incredibly soft and it has some wool content so it should be warm.
The yoke is knitted around after you knit the front, back and sleeves. I'm quite pleased with the results.  Would have like baby buttons, but found none that I was pleased with that added a contrast.

Lucky the Monkey

Edie will wake up tomorrow to this little guy. He is a sock monkey that I made from an online tutorial. There are tons of them out there, like this one for example. He is raggedy but cute! Will named him Lucky. Considering he used to be a pair of knee socks I wore to a law firm, I'd say Lucky is an appropriate name. He will be waiting in her high chair for her to discover when she wakes up!

Greta & A-Rae Summer Duds

I made another one of those shirred pocket skirts for my new mom of a little sister. I left two openings in the elastic band and used elastic with button holes all along it so that she can adjust the waist band as she breastfeeds her way down to her pre-baby shape. I added bias tape details here because I thought it was pretty and that the floral print needed to be broken up. And I whipped up a cute and very simple pillowcase style dress for her little angel, Andrea Rae. The dress should be able to be worn as a shirt when she's too big for it, too.

First Big Girl Dress!

This project made me want a dress form one day! It was challenging to make, since there was no exact pattern and I am a novice. Plus, I used very nice fabric (cotton lawn from Liberty), and I had *just* enough. You have to wear a tank top underneath because of the ties in the front. When it was almost done, I tried it on and was totally dissatisfied with the fit. But after playing around with the height of the shirred waist and adding a pleat under the arms to reduce the blousing a bit, I think it is much improved. It is very soft and comfortable, as well.

The project is from Prudent Baby.

Skirts

I've been having fun making some easy summer skirts for myself. They are good mom skirts - light, casual and comfortable. But they are cute and fun, so you feel better than going out in yoga pants. The pattern is from Running with Scissors.

gift for Aurora

I want to make a few little things for Amanda's little girl. This is a jersey hat with matching jersey drool bandana all made out of some old tee shirts. I am sorriest about not seeing Amanda this summer since I canceled my trip to Iceland. The hat turned out so cute!!

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/02/knit-receiving-blanketknit-baby-hats_08.html

Father's Day Gift

I made Will his own diaper bag with diaper pad for his second Father's Day. In keeping with the daddy-daughter matching tradition, I made Edie a little tote bag as well. She is enamored with little bags these days, toting them all over the house. Will's bag says "Vati," which is German for Daddy. And her's says "Madl" which is Bayerish for little girl. The fabric is canvas from IKEA. They turned out pretty cute!

Gift for little boy

My pregnant friend is moving back to the US, so I made this little set for her son-to-be. It is made out of a really thin, soft old tee shirt of mine. These drool bandanas are great for little drooly infants! I think it turned out cute, though I wish I'd take the time to change the thread for the embellishment to a yellow.

I have to sell my sewing machine soon and I am going to miss it....

Reversible Purse

The first craft post I made on this blog was about 2 years ago and it was a purse for my friend Jen's birthday. Well, I just made her a new purse again for her birthday! I like this one better. It is reversible and since there are four layers of fabrics, it is not flimsy. But it is really light weight. If I ever went anywhere without a diaper bag, I'd make one for myself! I think the two fabrics are distinct and make it really seem like two different purses. It was fun to play with bias tape in a way that was easier than arm holes!

Pattern here: http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/06/beginners-bias-tape-bag-with-free.html

Mom-daughter presents

I've had a couple casual birthdays of moms I am friends with so I made little gifts for them. In both cases, I made head bands for the moms (ones I thought would look good with your hair pulled back in a pony tail) and matching kerchiefs (for head or neck) for baby. I like it because they match, but aren't identical. The send set I made (not pictured) I used jersey for the kerchief and sewed on a bit of the fabric as decoration. This was better, in my opinion, because it would be easier to tie on and more comfy for the baby, especially as a head scarf. I might have to make a set for me and E!

Aurora Marie Stefansdottir's Baby Blanket

The blanket is in diamond patterns in size 26 x 28.  The yarn from Michael's is washable and dry-able. The pattern doesn't show as well because the yarn, although mostly pink, is multi-color. For design, it's probably better to stick with one color.  It's very soft and although I had my doubt, it turned out pretty nice.

First Dress!

Here is the first dress I've completed (not first attempted) for Edie. It is sloppy in parts, though I tried my best. And a pattern cutting error led to the ribbon embellishment in the front. But I think it's cute. I was careful and slow, but also decided not to torture myself with perfection and at the end of the day, just get it done and wearable. And I think it's that!

The pattern is Simple Dress from the Lotta Jansdotter book Simple Sewing for Baby - which is such a great book.