Easy Peasy Baby Blankets

If you ever need a superquick baby shower gift, or simply want to make something handmade that will be well used and well loved, make a couple of these blankets.

You need 2 yards of coordinating fabric, 1 in each print. I like to use flannel or fleece so they are nice and soft against baby's skin.

Press the fabric and then pin them together right sides facing each other. Sew with 1/4 inch seam allowance on all 4 sides, leaving a 6 inch gap on the last side. Turn right side out through the gap you left, then turn the open edges in (you can press the fold in to help it to stay) and then top stitch to close with a coordinating thread, continuing the stitch all the way around. Done and done.

I like to use a zigzag stitch to make it a little more visually interesting. This top stitch also helps the layers to not shift around when washed.

These blankets are great for swaddling since they are so big but not too bulky, and they can be used as baby grows..

They can be rolled up and thrown in a diaper bag as a just-in-case-it-gets-cold blanket, spread out on the grass as a play mat and maybe even turn out to be the famed balankey that the child still favors when they are an adult five or six years old.

Easy Peasy, right?

These are all examples of blankets I've made in the past few months- the monkeys were for my cousin Annette and her baby boy, Alex. The orange medallions with the tan backing was for my sister-in-law, Paige and her baby girl, Hadley. The birdies with the yellow backing were for my friend Karen and her baby girl who is due on 11/11/11.

Modern Diaper Bag

A while back I promised my sister I would make her a weekend travel bag. I really liked the way Amy Butler's Weekender Bag was styled, so I bought the pattern, the fabric and all of the other items I would need to get the bag started... Some time passed as I pondered (dreaded) the journey ahead of me. I began procrastinating like I was back in college. I was out partying when I should have been studying for finals.

Searching through Blogland for people who had made the bag before me did not help me to overcome my  tendency toward procrastination. I read post after post after post of people who had put their blood sweat and tears (literally) into the Weekender. I was absolutely intimidated. All the talk of broken needles, layers of cording and the excessive use of their seam rippers had me regretting my promise to my sister. It was a big project, one of the likes I had never attempted before.

So when my sister found out she was pregnant over the summer, I decided she would probably need a diaper bag more than a weekend travel bag (I can almost hear all of you mom's nodding in agreement) and I switched gears a bit. I bought Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones and after quick flip through the pages I saw the Modern Diaper Bag. I knew Michele would be happy to have that instead. This bag took me about 6 sessions of 4 hours each to complete. There was a lot of cutting, a lot of interfacing and quite a few ripped seams. But all in all, it was totally worth it.

Here she is at her baby shower this past weekend.
I think she loves it.
Can't wait to meet my little nephew, due January 26th, 2011!!

Graphic Onesies : Tutorial

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I could make that!" and then you try, and it's really not as good as you expected it to be?

I did that around this time last year with a necktie onesie for my sister in law. I free-handed a little pattern in the shape of a necktie and just sewed it right on there. It was cute, but not nearly as cute/perfect/professional as the one I recently found on Crap I've Made (which I really found via Big Sis Lil Sis -- thank you Erica!)

So when I needed a quick baby shower gift for one of the girls in my small group, Esther, I gave the ole necktie onesie another shot. And also tried the cute rocket graphic from Crap I've Made.



Here is a quick run down of how it's done:

Get a scrap of fabric you like, you don't need much. I used this black & gray paisley.


Iron a piece of Wonder Under to the scrap.


Peel the paper off and trace the pattern onto the fabric.


Cut your pieces out.

Place the knot onto your onesie, making sure its centered.


Slip the tail of the tie under the knot and iron in place.


Wonder Under is supposed to keep the fabric in place, even through washings, but I like the look of a little topstitch all the way around.


For the matching burp cloth, measure your trifold cloth diaper (mine was about 14 inches wide). Cut a strip of fabric 15x5. Tuck under 1/2 inch on each side and pin in place. Topstitch around all 4 sides. Repeat for the other end.

I recommend using white bobbin thread so the stitches are less noticeable on the underside.


There you have it! A matching onesie / burp cloth set.



Package up with a little gift card and you have the perfect shower gift!

Next Project: Quilt!

I am getting a little gutsy in my sewing and decided to try my hand at quilting. I found this quilt-a-long on I Have to Say and thought, "I could do that!". So here is a little preview of the fabrics I have chosen:

They are all Amy Butler, but from a few different lines. I think it is going to be really cute. More photos coming soon as my quilt progresses :)

More Boxy Pouches

I am in love with these pouches!~


I made a bunch back in July for some of my girlfriends, but never got around to posting pics. My camera broke while I was in mid-photo-session, so I only have close-ups of a few. I am working on getting a new camera, possibly a DSLR, so if you have any input or advice, please leave a comment!



I love the classic look of black and white on the outside, with a burst of color in the inside:


This one was for my friend Sara who loves owls. I think it is one of my favorites:

You may recognize the Amy Butler fabric of this cutie:

And a reverse of the one above- burst of color on the outside, a nice neutral gray on the inside:


I didn't get a close up of the oil cloth one (top right in the group shot) but that one was made by request from my friend Serene who adores the bold colors and fruit themes of oil cloth. It was white with yellow polka dots on the interior. Very classic.

I will post some pics of these guys filled so you can get a feel for how big they are. I keep mine in my handbag and it holds quite a bit- a few chapsticks, lip gloss, matches, neosporin, 3 or 4 pens, hair ties, etc with plenty of room for more. I just think they are so handy to keep all of those small items in one place. no more fishing for a bobby pin or hair tie at the bottom of that hobo!

Cute Boxy Pouch

I don't know about you gals, but I love having a small pouch or case in my handbag that holds all of my knick-knacks and essentials. Searching for a bobby pin or lip gloss in the depths of my bag can be a very frustrating ordeal. I found this tutorial and decided to make a couple this weekend. I already have something similar that holds my lip gloss, bobby pins, hair bands, a pen or 2, plus some other girl items... But this one is so cute, I couldn't resist making one for myself... and I plan on making a few more for my friends in the coming days.

Babies, babies, babies!

One of my girlfriends is having a baby in May and for her shower I decided to test my hand at those oh so cute "Ruffle Butt" onesies. I got the inspiration for these from a few different websites and have seen them done a bunch of different ways. I mainly based it on my friend Kym's . Kym is amazing in the way of all things creative...

These are so fun and easy to make. I will try to post a little step by step tutorial soon.