Sewing projects

 I have had a few sewing projects I have been working on lately.  Let me preface this by reminding you I am a knitter not a sewer.  I have only been sewing off and on a few years and am pretty much self taught.  So don't judge.  Okay so the top of my list was a baby gift for a girl friend.  She had seen this..

 I made max this earlier this year from this tutorial

 and before people start in about how it isn't safe to have things in a car seat and blah blah blah...it was literally -40 a good part of the last 7 months!!!  My baby would literally have frozen and  this was thin enough I felt safe but thick enough it kept him warm and cozy.  I used fleece and flannel instead of two fleeces and batting like the tutorial called for.

 

Anyway  Dee wanted a car seat swaddler blanky for her baby girl she has on the way and n since I love her so much I stepped it up a notch and used minky and some adorable chevron flannel.  I also used the left over fabric to make some burp cloths for her.

Another sewing indevor I took on was a quilt!!  My first one.  I had saved the receiving blankets I got with Max and wanted to make a quilt with them.  I dug through pinterest for a pattern I thought I could maybe manage and I chose this one.  I took a sunday afternoon cut my fabric and set to work. 

  I used some of the left over fabrics from other things I made him and love like the tandem bikes and minky. 

I think it turned out cute especially considering it is my first every attempt at quilting. Last but not least is this cute little bugger. I was shopping for some cute flannel to go with the minky for dees blanky when I saw this prequilted fabric and I thought it was too cute to pass up.  So I grabbed what was left on the roll ( just over a yard I think) and used my coupon.

 I backed it with some matching satin.

It is cute and snugly and light enough for this time of year.  This is just the type of blanky my little Max loves.  So it is perfect.  speaking of which he is ready for nap time!  Have a good day guys.

diy duvet cover.

Yesterday I had a endocrinologist appt.  which means I got to travel through the land of 10,000 wind farms to Sioux Falls SD.

It is some crazy business just fans every where which is good since it means clean electricity but it is still crazy to look at some times.

 We took off early, had a picnic after, and were going to do some shopping but I started to feel sick.  I did stop and grab fabric for the nursery's duvet cover.  I have a company store crib duvet and I figured I would just make a cover for it.  So we went in and dug through fabrics and here is what we came up with.  Some robins egg blue minky and a fun grey, blue and white animal print.  I bought one yard of each plus the 6'' that was left of the minky.

 Once I got the kids in bed last night I whipped it together. I used the purple duvet cover as a templet.

 I figured I would have just enough with the cotton so I cut the minky to match.

 Here is a up close of the pattern on the cotton.

 I wanted a Velcro closure on the bottom I knew so I hemmed one side of each piece of the fabric for the bottom.  Then I lined up and sewed on the Velcro. 

 I then cut some ribbon to put in each corner.  ( I wanted to be able to tie the duvet cover to the duvet) I pinned those in each corner and sewed a french seam   ( I linked a tutorial on french seams they are easy and finish beautifully.)  I did that around 3 sides of the duvet cover.   I then took the duvet and sewed a ribbon across all the corners to tie the duvet cover to.

 Now it is done.

  I love the way it turned out I like having the decorative side and the snugly fabric for snuggling.  Obviously I am not going to be using this unsupervised with a newborn since they don't recommend any blankets for newborns pretty much.  but I will have it for when he is older or for snuggling and for laying on the floor or what ever when he gets older.  

 We only have one project left and the nursery will be complete.  I can't wait!!  That project will get finished this weekend :)  Hope you guys are having a great day.

Baby projects/notd

 I had a few random things that I wanted to share and I thought I would lump them into a random post.  I have a few projects and a nail of the day for you :)

The first project is one that was sitting on the table for a while.  It was a taggy for Max.  I had everything cut up and sitting there but hadn't sewn it.  So last friday I sat down took a few minutes and threw it through the machine :)  I did applt green for the minky and one ribbon and robins egg blue and grey for the other ribbons.  (matching the rest of the things I have sorta stuck to those colors)

 Another project I have had sitting there for a while was some a bunch of jeans with holes in the knees to make into eyelit lace shorts for fire monster.  I made the girls a few pairs for these last year and they were a huge hit.  They were one of those things that as soon as they were out of the drier they were back on the girls.  They are easy to make I did a post showing how last year (I will put a link to that here ). I got one pair done friday also. 

 The nail of the day today was wet and wild on a trip, the accent nails were sally hansen mint sprint then I did white on for under the polka-dots.  Just something cute and quick.  Mix it up from what I have been doing lately.

 I started one more project and that is a pair of socks for the soon to be kindergarten!!  I am not sure what I will do for the pattern yet but for the foot I am doing Cat Bordhis personal footprints.  I will decide the rest when the time comes lol.

I hope you guys are having a good day.  The days are seeming longer and longer around here so I am fixing to hit the hay:)  Have a good one guys.

f.o. baby cocoon, fuzzy tandom bike blanky, and practice diapers for big sis.

 It is hitting me that my kids have pretty much two weeks left of school, then I will have my hands full, When you figure fire monster only has school two days a week that makes it even less!  So I decided I better get busy on some projects and take advantage of my last few kid free days. I whipped out a few quick baby projects I have had on my list for a while today.

First off last night I finished Max's owlie cocoon. It is a great free pattern that can be found here.  I used one of my favorite soft easy care yarns berroco comfort.  It took less then one ball.  Happy with this and can't wait to see our little bug all snuggled up in it :)

 Next project I went on to was some practice diapers for Fire monster.  I used some scrap fabric and left over terry cloth from making burp rags.  I went off this tutorial  It doesn't give you much for a pattern So I winged it on my own and cut it out of a piece of freezer paper.  I made it to fit her baby cabbage patch dolls.  I still have to make the diaper wipe container and wipes but I think I will have one happy little mother hen for sure!

 Next project I finished was a baby blanky.  One side is tandem bike flannel the other side is soft furry stuff (I wouldn't call it minky it is more of a Sherpa type material)  I love this I might add a satin edging I might not.  These are soo simple you just sew it together wrong sides out leaving a gap big enough for your hand to fit through then flip it right side out making sure to use a pencil (or in my case knitting needle) to push the corners out and sew around the edge again. 

 I also knit this stegosaurus hat for the little peanut.  It is grey and robins egg blue berroco comfort and the pattern I used is roar  which I have knit quiet a few times before It always makes a cute baby boy gift and I look forward to seeing max in it. 

I have quiet a few other projects lined up on a little queue for  myself to get done for baby Max.  Right now it is time to throw something together for lunch for myself, then start my next knitting project :)

sewing baby projects

Spent some time working on baby gifts this week/weekend.  I had a baby shower for my gf amanda so I wanted to get a few things made for that and while I was at it I got a few things done for my baby :)

I made these burp cloths for my baby...

I just loved this tandem bike pattern and I got sort of a green sherpa material for the back :)

I made amanda this set for her baby girl that has cute flannel patterns and a bright pink terrycloth on the back.  ( I made a few more of these to save for baby gifts down the road)

After her shower she still needed some burp cloths and I had some left over chenille so she picked this butterfly flannel while we were out earlier and I whipped these up for her. 

 Ignore the thread showing in this lol I will have to remember to snip that.

Another project I whipped up for her was a little travel size taggy.  I had never made one of these before but my sister has and she gave me a tip on the easiest way to do the tags and it was a cinch from there. :)

I was happy with how it turned out being my first try and I had enough left that I made a spare one of these to put up for a future baby gift too :)  I am going to quit making things for mine until after the 16th when I know the sex :)  (22 days left) :)  Have a good day guys.

baby projects and 12w 5d pic

 My hubby is out of town for work and when ever he is gone I need a good project.  So me and the Fire monster set out today to get some supplies.  Being as I am 12 weeks and 5 days I am of coarse doing a baby project:)  Here is a pic I snapped quick before heading out to get supplies.

 Our project for the day was burp cloths.  I went to the local fabric store and bought 1 yard of chenille in a pale yellow ( their only either sex color besides white and I don't want white for burp cloths!) Then we ran out to walmart to pick a few neutral flannel fabrics.  We had a pretzel for lunch quick then came home and set to work cutting sewing and ironing.  Here is the end product.  I actually got 8 done.  I have some chenille left but ran out of flannel.  :)

I did them 17'' but 9 1/2".  They turned out great.  I am very excited not to have ugly diaper burp cloths this time.  :)  I am going to spoil my self and this baby all that I can ;) Well I am going to curl up with fire monster and watch some tv.  Us girls will be doing our normal ritual when daddies out of town.  Watch movies and order pizza :) Have a good day guys

Mittens

 I have been busy sewing mittens.  I am putting them for sells on my facebook pages. 

Indigo and pink with grey cables and pear green cuff lined in grey fleece.

 Cosby mittens lined in fleece

 purple and grey cabled lined with grey fleece

 Beautiful cream purple and light grey mittens lined in black cashmere!!!!

 purple pink and grey cabled lined in grey fleece

 Purple and grey cabled fleece lined

 Purple and green mittens cashmere outside and cashmere lined

Hope everyone is warm and cozy.  We are under a blizzard warning so I am just hanging out nice and cozy at home with my family all weekend. 

diy eyelet jean shorts

Okay so I saw this pic on pinterest and got a brilliant idea for all my girls jeans that either were high waters or had worn holes in the knees. 

I went to walmart (we don't have much in my small town for supplies) and they have a few different cute eyelet laces and I bought a yard of two different kinds (not bad at roughly 1.27 a yard) then I cut there jeans roughly 2'' from the in seam.  I folded the jeans twice to make a cuff then I pinned it all the way around while pinning the lace to the inside and I sewed two different seams one close to the right edge with my needle to the right while lining the bottom of the cuff up with the right side of my pressure foot then one more with the needle to the left with the cuff lining up with my foot on the left side.

 

  I love the way these turned out and I am sure the girls are going to get lots of wear out of these cute little shorts.

 They both tossed them on and I am pretty sure I am going to have to make more or risk fighting to get them off them long enough to throw them into the wash.

 This is about as much cooperation I have got out of fire monster all day (which clearly is none)  Meh oh well off to try to do a few chores before the ever convenient trip to meet the ex for his visitation with monkey butt.  

diy shirt redo/ diy dress,

So Monkey butt and I were messing around on pinterest before bed (never a good idea lol) and next thing you know we are up sewing away half the night trying tutorials.  First one that we did was this one that made a t you weren't maybe in love with into a cute tank. 

 I took this feed my starving children t that I love and monkey butt never wears and we altered it.  She chose to make it tie on both shoulders and we added some bright beads for a fun summery touch :)

 Then messing around this morning I found this great tutorial by mimi g.  I whipped up this great little dress/skirt and it is super basic since I am very novice at sewing.  I love it though.  super comfy.

 

 It hits just below my knees as a dress and ankle  length for a skirt.  

I think this will be one I will wear quiet a bit this summer.  :)  Thanks Mimi G

I also made a few of my shirts into tanks like I did monkey butts.  Like a t from the autism 5 k, the t from the roller derby, and a shirt I got and never wear.  Maybe I will share those in another post when I have less of a handful hanging around my house lol.  I also want to do a tutorial on how I have been curling my hair heat free.  I love it and have been doing it and it alone for over a month now!  but more on that another day.  I have to clean up lunch and pack a bag for the pool.  (today is swimming day for the triathlon)  My hubby will be watching all the kiddos in the pool and me and my gf/neighbor Sam will be attempting to swim laps near by in the lap pool.  We will see how this goes.