Monday, March 30, 2009

Down to the Wire

The final project I wanted to get done before Baby "K" makes his appearance was completed this morning. Whew! That was a close one considering he will be arriving by c-section tomorrow morning at 8:00. So, here is the last project I had planned for the Amy Butler fabric...





I LOVE how this turned out. It is so roomy and so stylish. I found the tutorial at A Mingled Yarn. And she did a fabulous job on the tut. Very clear directions.


There are 10 pockets in this thing! Can you believe that?! There is a large zipper pocket on the back, 1 on each side, and 2 in the front.






Then there are 5 more on the inside.





There is plenty of room to keep all this stuff that I made to coordinate with it, and it isn't even starting to fill up. But somehow it isn't big and bulky like a lot of diaperbags.

(nursing cover, changing pad, diaper and wipes pouch, and baby sling)


Of course, I can never leave a pattern "as-is." I always have to make some alteration. This time I kept it to a minimum. Rather than using the vinyl lining, I thought I would use a regular cotton lining and then cover it with clear plastic vinyl, the same way you use a stabilizer. I attached the vinyl to each lining piece before sewing it. Not too big of a change, right? I DON'T recommend doing this! It turned out great, just the way I pictured it, but it was a pain the the butt to work with. It took me WAY longer to make than it should have. Will I learn my leasson and just follow the patter next time I make something? ... Probably not.


I am so excited to use my new bag. The great thing about this messenger-style diaperbag is that it doesn't just have to be just a diaperbag. It could be used by anyone for anything. So versatile... so attractive.



I've made a lot of stuff for myself recently, but I figure I've worked hard to get this little guy here. I deserve it!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Baby "K"

This is a little something I put together for my baby.




The tutorial for the little booties is at Stardust Shoes. I can't wait to see him in it. Actually, I can't wait to see him period.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Ultimate Blog Party



I'm joining in on all the fun of the Utlimate Blog Party, and you can, too. It runs from March 20th thru 27th. There are tons of prizes to win and blogs to visit. This is the first time I've done it, so I'm still figuring it all out, but it looks like a ton of fun. All the blogs are "mom" related. So check it out, and join me in the Ultimate Blog Party.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Old Things are New Again

Just a little something to keep baby covered up and a little padding for the handle.


A adore this fabric, and it conveniently matchs perfectly with the carseat/carrier I have.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Baby Girl Gifts

My oldest boy's teacher is having a baby girl this month. I wanted to send something quick and easy, but still cute. I think I achieved it with this...




An appliqued onsie and a crinkly square in an adorable purple flower fabric.

I do plan on eventually getting some of these in my shop, but there are a few projects I want to get done before my baby makes his appearance. Once I get those finished, then I will concentrate on adding to my shop.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Stuff for the Mommy

So lately I've been doing A LOT of sewing, but very little blogging (none). I will not bombard you with a ton of projects all at once, but I will post them all over the next several days.

First up are some more projects I've been making with the Amy Butler fabric I picked up.


There is a nursing cover, a changing pad, and a diaper and wipes pouch. I just love the idea of having all these coordinating items.

There are 2 more projects coming that are made with this same fabric, but they aren't finished yet, so you will be seeing a few other projects first.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Reversible Pouch Sling Tutorial

So now you get to see my 1st project I'm working on with the fabric I just got. This tutorial came about because I couldn't find a decent one ANYWHERE unless I wanted to pay for it, which I didn't. So here it is... my very first tutorial.


Step 1
The first thing you need to do is figure out how long your fabric needs to be. Take a tape measure and measure across your body from your right shoulder to your left hip. On your shoulder the tape measure should be right where a t-shirt seam would be. On your hip measure to the top of your hip (where your hand would be if you were standing with your hands on your hips). I hope that's clear. Now take that measurement, double it, and add 6 inches (this extra is for baby room, and seam allowance). So if you measured 22 inches from shoulder to hip your total length would be 50 inches. This is how long you fabric needs to be.

Step 2
Now is the fun part... picking your fabrics. Choose 2 coordinating fabrics and cut them so each is 21 inches wide and the length that you calculated in the first step. (This will make your final sling 20 inches wide. You can go slightly wider if you would like, but DO NOT go any wider than 24 inches when complete. It is unsafe for the baby at that point.)

Step 3
Now, position your fabrics right sides together and fold in half width-wise.

Make sure all layers of the fabric are laying smooth. Now, fold in half again, this time length-wise. Again make sure all the layers are smooth. You are going to be making another cut, so you really want all your fabric to be smooth and crease-free. (It has been brought to my attention that this photo makes it look like the material is narrower on one side. Sorry, that is just the angle of the picture. Your fabric should be a perfect rectangle at this point.)

Step 4
Using a pencil mark a curved line (like a half smile) along the side where all the loose ends of the fabric are. Notice that the curve straightens out close to the edge.

Now, cut along that line through all the layers of fabric.


Step 5
Unfold the fabric, but leave the two pieces right sides together.

Stitch each long side together. Trim edges to 1/4 inch if necessary.

Turn right-side-out and press seams.


Step 6
Put the open, curved sides together and stitch through all layers.

Trim edge to 1/4 inch if necessary.

Turn so the other fabric is on the outside and stitch the curved side again. This makes a french seam. All rough edges should now be enclosed.

Take the flap that the french seam made, and lay it flat. Stitch it in place.


Step 7
This step is completely optional, I just like the way it looks. Stitch all the way around each side of the upper edge and lower edge of the sling.

Fold in half length-wise and your sling is finished.


I hope this tutorial was clear. If you find any problems with it, or something doesn't make sense, please let me know so I can correct it or clarify myself. If you make a sling, let me know. I'd love to see the finished product.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

I'm Back!

I know I've been MIA for a little while now. What have I been up to? Well, with all my family being sick, I haven't done much sewing, but I've done a lot of planning. I finally got to the fabric store yesterday, so today the cutting began...

I absolutely LOVE the colors of these Amy Butler fabrics. Aren't they beautiful? So what is it going to be? Actually it's going to be several things, but I'm going to keep you in suspense. You'll have to check back as I keep updating on the progress I'm making. My goal is to be finished with all of it by next week, but you know me and my goals, so we'll see what happens.