cute last-minute gift idea...

when i saw this tutorial for a cloth memory game, i knew i had to make it. thankfully, i had a really good reason--i just can't say who. (you know those internet-savvy kiddos these days...always reading the crafty blogs.).

take a peek:

though SUPER cute, i opted not to use the printed backing provided by the original tutorial. i didn't have printable fabric and didn't really want to make the trip to joann's to get some. instead, i used vintage ticking fabric that i had on hand from a trip to the antique fair as a backing. i also whipped up a cute little bag to store the pieces in. lucy loves the set--though she's a bit young for the actual "memory" part, she kept herself entertained finding "same match." too cute.

i hope the recipient enjoys the gift just as much!

lucy's having a baby?

well, she's adopting one, anyway. check out my "baby gift" to the soon-to-be big sister in the house... any guesses on whether or not she'll like it? lucy's a bit of a baby maniac, truth be told. i think chances are high that this gift will be a big winner.

i found the baby at a recent garage sale for the excellent price of $1. i think she's an american girl bitty baby, and is in great condition, so this was quite a find. her eyes open and shut--lucy's grandma says that this is of utmost importance!

baby needed some clothes, so i sewed her up a little pair of knit pants. the top is made from one of jeremy's old t-shirts. both pieces were based on clothing patterns i had for lucy--i just scaled them down to "baby" size.

and of course lucy's baby will wear cloth diapers! here are a couple made from old receiving blankets... along with a set of cloth wipes.
baby modeling her giraffe-print diaper...
a sling for lucy to wear her new baby. i used this super-easy tutorial to make it.
a roll-up changing pad. because i recently made one for MY diaper bag and lucy couldn't get enough of it. another really easy project--this is just 2 pieces of fabric with a layer of fleece in the middle.

i've packed everything up in a repurposed, kid-sized gardening tote that i had laying around. it makes the perfect diaper bag, don't you think? i've tossed in a bottle and a binky. baby needs a hat and some socks, and i think we're good to go on this gift!
i've also made lucy a quilt for her doll. she's getting my old toy cradle as a big sister gift from her grandma, and though she has many, many blankets, i thought a special quilt would be a nice touch. i intended to make one from scratch, but recently ran across a queen-sized quilted pillow sham at the thrift store for 99 cents. the perfect size for a doll's quilt. i simply added a backing of cozy hemp fleece, then topstitched the whole thing. these aren't the greatest photos, but you get the idea:

all in all, a fun and satisfying project, and pretty inexpensive as well. a similar set-up would make a great christmas gift for the baby maniac in your life. but there i go talking about christmas again...

been busy...

i've been hard at work sewing up some fall & winter pants for my ever-growing girl. these pairs come from a quick and fairly simple pattern i had made for my own use by a pattern-making mom on etsy. i asked for a wide-legged pants pattern that would look good short or long, with a rise roomy enough to fit the bulkiest of cloth diapers. she came through for me and i am quite pleased. here's what i've been working on: 

knicker-length pants in a thick sweatshirt knit:


full-length pants in a heavy linen (lucy is in LOVE with the little french kitties!)

another full-length pair sewn from a vintage-tea towel. i originally bought the towel to use the applique on a diaper, but there was enough fabric to make an entire pair of pants--and i didn't have to add the trim on the bottom, it was the trim on the bottom of the towel and just happened to work perfectly with the way i cut the fabric. babies can wear white after labor day, right?

 

i have to say, i'm kind of addicted to making pants for the time being. it's such a quick and satisfying project. newborn pants (lined in super-warm hemp fleece) are on my agenda!

a handmade happy birthday...

we were a flurry of activity this past weekend! our outings included not only my own birthday celebrations, but also two first birthday parties--fun stuff. gifts were handmade: a 30-ft long flag bunting for little maggie (see previous crafting post) and an adjustable smock for the darling luna.

of course, i had to let lucy try it on for size. she much appreciated the pocket (perfect for holding gorilla munch) and was pleased with how the whole thing came out. it's a perfected version of the smocks i made at christmastime, and i am thinking of listing 1 or 2 in the etsy shop at the upcoming stocking. 

a year ago, i would have undoubtedly been running off to gap or children's place to buy these gifts. making them is good fun, and allows me to save a bit of money (most of the time). we've got another 1st birthday party coming this weekend--i've got to get busy on little lincoln's gift! 

all kinds of crafty...

saturday afforded me about 6 hours of lucy-less sewing time. i woke up early to make the absolute most of it, and ended up getting quite a bit done--here's how it all turned out!

first up: i'd promised a friend the gift of a flag bunting for her daughter's first birthday. the mama had loved the bunting my mom & i made for lucy's party, so i thought it only fitting that she have one of her own. though kind of tedious, these aren't very hard to make. i loosely followed a tutorial found here though my flags were much larger and double-sided. 2.5 hours of labor = 30 feet of reusable party decor. both mama and baby were thrilled with the gift (after all, it has kitties on it, which baby maggie adores). i dropped it by their house today. i look forward to seeing it hanging at the upcoming party, and will be sure to get a photo!

next up: a couple of items for lucy. i recently got my hands on a few vintage toddler clothing patterns (thanks molly) and have been having so much fun making clothes for lucy. the nice thing about vintage patterns is that they've already taken into account the bulk of cloth diapers--no adjustment needed. i whipped up a pair of summer pajama bottoms out of a super soft knit, and then made a pair of bloomers with an embroidered vintage applique on the rear. the applique was taken from an old tea towel--aren't these duckies just too cute?

next, a diaper that i owed for an upcoming etsy trade--in exchange, lucy is getting a pair of custom linen beach pants. aren't they adorable?

as if all that weren't enough for one day, i also made a portable cloth "high chair." i say high chair, but really, it's just a cuter answer to the old-school way of tying a baby into a regular chair with a dishtowel, and uses velcro as a fastener instead of a big ol' knot. we've frequented a few restaurants lately that don't have high chairs available, and lucy and i also have an upcoming getaway trip where packing her wooden high chair won't be an option. i haven't yet gotten pics of this "high chair" in action, but as soon as i do, i'll be sure to post them. 

fun stuff!

can it be christmas again???

because these would have made amazing stocking stuffers. from the wonderful blog house on hill road. 

i'm going to try my hand at one of these soon, but alter it slightly to fit my klean kanteen. i'll post photos of the finished project if it turns out!

turning trash into treasure...

okay, well, it wasn't trash. but once lucy starting rolling, i felt that i should take the bumper out of her crib. the (cough) $70 bumper, that is. (note to self: though cute, bumpers are a waste of hard-earned cash). what to do with a very long, padded rectangle? turn it into something cute, of course!

lucy's ability to roll coincided with the need to protect her from our hardwood floors during the all-important tummy time. i saw a bit of information online about turning a crib bumper into a playmat, but there weren't any directions on how to do so. so i set off on my own, determined to make it work. i didn't take pictures along the way, so this will be an illustrate-your-own tutorial (sorry about that!).

i started by cutting off all of the bumper ties. then i cut the bumper in half, and then cut each half in half, so that i was left with 4 identical sections. i paired 2 section together, right sides facing, and stitched all the way down the side, backstiching at each end. i then repeated with the other pair, and then sewed the 2 pairs together. this wasn't anywhere near easy, since the bumper batting was very thick. i must have broken at least 10 needles--no exaggeration--and muttered every curse word in the book. but finally i was left with a 3.5 ft. x 4 ft. rectangle, which was already functional as a playmat and had some nice finished edges. unfortunately though, some of the edges were raw (from cutting in the middle of the bumper when making those 4 sections).

to pretty up the look of my playmat, i took 2" wide satin ribbon that matched the color of the bumper, and cut long 2 pieces, each the length of the perimeter of the mat. i pinned the ribbon together, right sides facing, and stitched down the length of it with a 1/4" allowance. pressed open the seams and pinned the ribbon to the mat, with the right side facing out. then i stitched the ribbon down all the way around the bumper. on the very last side, for fun, i pinned down 4 of the crib ties into loops, and stitched the ribbon over the raw ends. this left me with sturdy loops (shown below) for attaching toys so that they can't get away from my girl while she's playing around.

this mat is a great size, nice and big, and yet it folds up easily lengthwise because of how it's constructed. with all the sitting lucy's been doing lately, it's nice to know that when she does take the occasional just-out-of-mommy's-reach tumble, she's protected. and it looks nice, too!

still crafting...

"who made your bib?"

"mommy. who made your bib?"

"mommy."

lucy & teddy modeling handmade sock monkey-print bibs that i made. the bibs are backed with super-soft chenille. each has a pocket on the front for catching all of that food that they don't eat. teddy got one because i didn't enlarge the pattern enough the first time. no matter. they make a cute pair, don't they?

my latest project...

another fleece diaper cover with super-pretty cotton linen sewn on the outside. (by the way, i got the linen for something like 75 cents!) okay. i'm totally proud of this one. extra bonus points for the fact that it fits her, and will continue to fit her for awhile. can i just get rid of lucy's pants altogether?

a better fit...

another attempt diaper cover-making yields a success. lucy rocks the look, don't you think? as for me, i'm fast becoming addicted to this sewing thing. too bad i don't know very much about how to actually do it. oh well. i'm learning. taking a trip out to to a specialty fabric store in berkeley later this week. i was "tipped off" to this place by a very nice old lady while standing in line at the fabric counter in joann's. of course, this lady had a pile full of various animal prints, plus john deere tractor fleece, so her idea of "really delightful, hard-to-find fabrics" might not coincide with mine. we'll see. and here's to hoping i don't spend too much money!

yea, i'm crafty...

the sewing bug bit me. i spent a fair amount of time yesterday making lucy a fleece diaper cover and matching swaddle blanket. i think they're charming. but, *sob*, the diaper cover doesn't fit. she's modeling it here without an actual diaper underneath. and i still kinda had to stuff her into it... see picture #2 (can you say buddah belly!?). the swaddle blanket is perfect though. she slept in it all night without busting out her little arms. as for the cover, i guess it's back to the drawing board. bummer!