Triple Zip Pouch

I decided to join in on the fun on Flickr and make a triple zip pouch! There is a sew along happening right now. You can find it here and there are a few days left!  I followed the tutorial found on A Quilter’s Table blog. Thanks Deb! I added a wristlet to it since I was replacing the pouch that had kept my safety pins and that one had one.

I used my scraps from my unfinished Joel Dewberry quilt. I have a love hate relationship with it. Although I love how this pouch turned out. Plus I was able to find some vintage zips in the perfect colors!

the front:

the back:

Work in progress.

It has been a little while since I posted so here is a little work in progress. I am currently making a scrappy butterfly doll quilt for my littlest one. I actually have pieced them together and quilted it since this picture. So now this sweet butterfly quilt is just waiting to be bound and wrapped up for Christmas. I hope that my girls love their baby doll quilts (I have just started another one yesterday, no pictures yet) and maybe one day far in the future I will have grandbabies that use them. I must say I love the idea of my quilts being loved throughout time!

If you are wondering where to find out how to make these butterflies I followed this tutorial from Bee in my Bonnet.

Linking to W.i.P Wednesday at freshly pieced.

Baby doll sling

I had made Lorelei a baby doll carrier but she did not like it because she could not see her baby’s face as she carried her. So one day she had used a play necklace to tie her baby to her like a sling. So I told her that I would make her a sling for her baby the next day. The next day came and I wasn't even allowed to eat breakfast before I made the sling! These are the fabrics she choose from my small stash in the closet.  I used this tutorial from chasing cheerios. If you want a quick and easy Christmas gift for a little girl in your life this is perfect!

Feeding her baby:

Luckily Elena still wears the original baby carrier I made! Love these girls!

Linking to: Skip to my Lou Made by you Monday

Toy Leash…

I wish I had one of these when I had little a little baby who threw things from highchairs at restaurants, from their carseat, from anywhere really. I think that this will be my go to baby shower gift for a while. I followed this tutorial from Moda bakeshop, well kind of. I did not sew the fabric on the batting and then fold it over and sewed it closed. I did not like the seaming that way. So I just pressed the fabric over the batting down then folded the other side over top then pinned it into place. That way you only have one seam in the middle instead of two seams fighting with each other! I also got to practice some straight line quilting! Oh and of course it matches this little ones tumbler quilt!

Lorelei’s Quilt

Lorelei is my horse loving little girl. So when I came across this purple and pink pony print by Michael Miller I knew I had to make her something with it. Then I started collecting a few other prints from the Michael Miller western line and a few paisley prints from my local fabric store. I spent hours on the internet trying to find a pattern that would feature this wonderful print and not cut up the ponies into heads, tails and legs…lol. At first I thought I was going to make this quilt called fit for a princess from sew, mama, sew by Katy of I’m a ginger monkey but then I explored Katy’s blog and came across her tutorial section and a pattern called Tie Me Up. So in the end I kept the dimensions of the fit for a princess quilt but changed it up to be like the tie me up quilt. It fits her current bed perfectly and when she doesn’t want it on her bed anymore it will be a perfect picnic or snuggle on the couch quilt!

She was beyond thrilled to be able to finally sleep with her blanket!

We went outside and got a picture of it not all tucked in. On the back it is the purple paisley print. It is approx. 60” by 75”

I think I will now admit that I am addicted to quilting. I can’t wait to learn something new and start my next project!

Baby Tumbler Quilt

I finished this quilt a month ago and have been waiting to share it with you! I had to wait until I gave it away because I didn't want to ruin the surprise for the Mama. So at last here is my version of the tumbler quilt…

I used fabric from the line Launch designed by Lesley Grainger for Robert Kaufman fabrics, Wonky Dots on Black (Robert Kaufman Seuss Collection), White Dots on Black (Robert Kaufman Remix Collection) and a few prints from my local fabric store

I used this tutorial from moda bakeshop with a few adjustments to the size. I changed it to be 11 by 11 making it to be about 38” by 50”. I have to say that after I washed it up I wanted to keep it but it went to a good home where it will be loved for years to come!

Minky Rag Quilt

I had a baby shower to go to last weekend and decided that I wanted to try something new. Something that I had “pinned” while I was searching for quilt patterns. I followed this tutorial from this lovely blog called SewSara. I did everything according to the instructions except altering the numbers of squares I needed of each color to create the pattern of the quilt. I also added a layer of polar fleece in the middle to add some warmth. Once it was washed the blanket was so cozy and I was so tempted to keep it for myself, well my baby girl. I have to say this was a pretty easy sewing project. The blanket took me about four evenings after my girls were in bed. Two of those nights were just snipping until my hands had enough! I think that it is an easy go to baby gift and perfect for some of those bigger scraps you may have in your fabric stash! (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the back, it was checker board white minky with the circle bumps and smooth baby pink minky)

Oh and I also bought some new flowers and made my girls a bunch of new clips! Elena finally has enough hair to be clipped! It only took her a year and a bit.

little neck ties…

My house is full of pink. I guess that is what happens when you have two little girls. My sister in law had her third boy a month ago so when we had a baby shower for him I wondered what I should do. Since I often make girly things. She says Simon is her last baby and didn’t want “baby stuff”. So when I came across a tutorial to make little boy ties I thought it was perfect. I used this tutorial from the blog Sharing the Wealth for the neck ties (I did add some length to one of the ties since it was for a almost 5 year old) and this tutorial for the onesie from the blog Crap I’ve Made. I have to say for all three pieces it took about an hour and they were super easy. I hope they look awesome for church!

Diapering for Dollies…

I found this pattern for diapers for dolls on the Skip to my Lou blog a few months ago and thought it was a cute idea. So after Lorelei went to bed on Saturday I made a couple up for her. She is so in to taking care of her baby doll right now. She wraps her up in her blanket, takes her for rides in the stroller, feeds her cookies and milk :) So now she can change her diaper. Well lets rephrase that she can take it off and ask us to put it back on. Little girls are so much fun!

This was a super quick and easy project! The only thing I changed in the pattern was I put a long piece of velcro along the front so it can fit different sizes of dolls.

Easter Ideas…

I have been wondering about what I should do for Lorelei for Easter. She is still a little young for it all but I still want to make it special for her. I am going to do a little basket up for her and have picked up a few things such as bubbles, a book, and some eggs to fill up with goodies :) I am debating about what homemade project I want to make for her. I have come across some cute tutorials. What do you think?

a Ballet Bunny…but I think I would add arms to the pattern

maybe some carrots for the bunny?

some chocolate bunnies made from felt…

oh if I knew how to crochet I would have loved to make these…

or maybe this bunny instead?

And we can’t forget about making some eggs…

too many choices and Easter is coming soon! I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter with their friends and family :)

Yet another baby ball

I decided to make a friend a taggy baby ball for her sweet new little one. It was a quick sew compared to the clutch ball. I found the tutorial here. I wanted to add ribbon tags to it so I cut out about two inches folded them in half and sewed them on the edges before sewing the seams together. I added a bell inside it, which was pretty muted due to the poly fill. It is about the size of a softball perfect for little hands :)

Baby Clutch Ball

So I have been escaping reality by doing some sewing projects lately. My house is starting to look a little messy but I don’t really care at the moment. I decided to make a baby clutch ball after seeing them on etsy. I have to say that it was a lot of work and took a lot of time to make but I think that it will be enjoyed by the special someone who I made it for. Afterwards I said that I wasn’t going to make another but I think that Lorelei loved it! So I will have to make her one to kick around the house and such!

The pattern is here. I used the plump version of the pattern. It is about the size of a basketball. It seems perfect for little hands to grab onto as well.

Knitting Needle Case

My Dear Grandmother has been knitting toques, mittens and slippers for the homeless. Last time I was at her house she had needles all over the place. I thought the she could use a little organization so I went online for a search for a tutorial and this is what I found,

I pretty much followed the measurements and spacing the the pockets. I changed up a few things like not binding the outside of it instead sewing it together inside out and pulling it through to top stitch around the edge. I also put some stiff fabric in the inside to give it more substance. All in all it was a easy project just a pain to make sure you are stitching your pockets straight, I guess I should have some chalk for moments like that. I hope that she gets good use out of it.

Baby Legs…

Well I have been eyeing a pair of baby legs for awhile wanting a pair for Lorelei but I was not willing to pay $12 to $15. I came across this blog and then went on a search for some cute knee high socks. I found this pair with the pok-a-dots and then a print with bright argyles. Two pairs cost me $8, sweet deal! 

They only took about five minutes to make. I altered the instructions slightly by taking in the cuffed bottom so they stayed on her ankle better. I loved the fact that she could wear the baby legs in the morning when it was cooler but when the sun came out and it was hot they were super easy to take off.

Not very pretty but very handy…

So I made this nursing cover before we went on our family vacation in May. I must say that I love it. I find that it is perfect when you are out at a restaurant or even at the mall on a bench and you need to feed your darling baby. I had no problem nursing without it but now I am not concerned about flashing the world or having that darn receiving blanket fall off of my shoulder while I am trying to nurse.

You can’t see it very well in this picture. All it is a rectangular piece of material with a strap with d rings around the neck also a piece of boning to have the fabric stand away from your body so you can see your baby still. I found the instructions to make one here. I think that it is the perfect small project to make for yourself or to make as a gift :) The nursing cover was super easy to make.

My Mai Tei

I took on this project to see if it would help me when I am out shopping and Lorelei refuses to stay in her stroller. I know I could have gone to a store and bought a carrier for a little bit of money but instead I wanted to see if I could make one. I found an amazing blog with a step by step tutorial that was very handy. I probably couldn’t have done it without it.  The Mai Tei took me a few hours from start to finish, I sewed it in two evenings once Lorelei was in bed. All in all it was fairly simple. It looks a lot harder than it actually was.

We went to Lynn Valley for the day where we had the opportunity to use it for the first time. I tried Lorelei in the front and she did quite well. When it was her nap time and we had no where to put her down I placed her in the Mei Tai on my back, it was exactly what she needed! She fell asleep and stayed that way for quite a well. We even went for a small hike with her on my back, it worked perfectly. I found the carrier to be very comfortable and so far I am happy with it.