Simple & Sweet Owl Quilt

This quilt is for a dear friend who's expecting her first girl after four boys!

I made an applique owl on plain, thin, white cotton.

I wanted to keep the overall look of the quilt simple and uncluttered, so instead of all-over quilting or tying, I used my machine's eyelet stitch (one of my button hole options) to stitch simple circles at random intervals.  They do the trick of keeping the quilt together, without overwhelming the general design.

Hope she likes it!

Needle Punch Embroidery

A couple of years ago, I took a class from a local fabric store on needle punch embroidery.  I am in love with the way it looks and I have so many ideas of how to use it, but never seem to actually getting around to doing it.

 In the class, we started this little linen bunny bib.... but I never actually finished the thing.

When I found out a dear friend is having a baby next month and I thought this bib might be the perfect gift to send her...

It was just the motivation I needed to finish it up. 

Yay for finishing two year old projects! And yay for cute bibs!

'Scuse Me! Burp Cloths

I made these burp cloths from scraps for a baby shower gift today. Some of my grandkids will recognize the flannel!

For this one I used two pieces of flannel and bias tape trim.

The high chair was my husband's when he was a baby. All of our 7 children and 14 grandchildren have used it as well!

For this one I used a solid knit edged and backed by a flannel print.

Showers and Birthdays

It's been hard to get back in to the swing of sewing since our move, but it's coming back to me... slowly.

We've had a handful of parties in the last few weeks, which has helped.

I went to a shower for a friend who's expecting her first in a few short weeks.  She is a musician and I thought she might enjoy one of our family's favorite books, "Animal Orchestra". 

 

I also made a thin, knit blanket. 

And a wipes & diaper pouch.

One of Henry's cute friends turned four.  She is the girliest-girl and just darling.  So, Henry and I made a skirt for her together.  He insisted on pink and purple and loved sitting on my lap, guiding the fabric through the machine.  If there are any mistakes, I'm totally blaming him. 

:)

For Nephew #9

My brother, Nathan, and sister-in-law, Jenny are expecting their 3rd boy and the 9th grandson in a few months.  I think every baby needs some new things just for himself (even if there are plenty of older brothers to pass on their hand-me-downs), so I made this flannel and minky quilt to welcome him to the family.

Congrats, Nate and Jenny!  We're counting the months until his arrival!

Baby Shower Gift: Reusable Wipes

I recently went to a baby shower for a friend who is interested in using disposable diapers and reusable wipes.  I had never really heard of reusable wipes before (makes sense, though... people had to clean baby bottoms before Pampers ever thought about it, right?), but they were on her registry and looked pretty simple to make, so I thought I'd give it a try.  

I cut pre-washed, unbleached flannel in to 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" squares with a rotary cutter, serged around the edges and called it a day.  Well, I guess I made a little case for the wipes and appliquéd a couple of onesies, then called it a day. :) 

Best wishes, Deanna and Aidan!

Easy Baby Blanket

1 1/2 yards of fleece bound by 4 inch strips of cotton print make a quick and easy baby blanket that will last through the toddler years. I made this one for Kristin's baby shower and hope little Eleanor likes it!

Baby Gifts

I've been working for the past couple of months on some special baby gifts for a close friend. I have had a lot of fun gathering fabrics and doing projects-- especially since this friend really enjoys homemade things.
{the banner says "theo" which may or may not be the name of the unborn baby. i got the idea for the banner here}

{this is a little swaddling blanket made from a knit blend and striped thermal knit}

{i used a gray chambray and cotton prints from denyse schmidt-- one of my very favorite fabric designers. the backing is dark gray flannel and the letters are cut from bamboo felt. i got the idea for this baby life quilt here}

{i used part of my moda 1933 jelly roll for this vintage inspired quilt. i got the idea for it here}

{a couple of organic cotton onesies with some appliqued goodness}

I also made a diaper and wipes case and some chenille burp cloths. More pics to come.