Diapers Can be Cool

Fall has escaped me, at least in the blogging sense. One day it’s September and the next it’s November.  There wasn’t much to report on the sewing front at first, but once I started sewing again, I was out of the habit of blogging. Funny how that happens so quickly. But I’m back and I have a few things to share that I’ve been working on, so stay tuned. I will even attempt my first tutorial (no promises!)

To ease me back into blogging, I thought I’d share a quick project that I whipped up this week for my friend’s baby shower. Who knew that carrying diapers could actually be cool? Well, apparently Anna at Noodlehead because she came up with this stylish diaper pouch and then was kind enough to share it (for free!) Thank you, Anna!

Fabric: Joel Dewberry, Heirloom, Ornate Floral in Gold

I don’t have any little ones so I can’t rave about how much I love carrying diapers in this, but I can imagine it would be nice to have something quick to grab and throw in the stroller or in the car if you don’t want to lug around your whole whale of a diaper bag. You could easily stick this in your oversized purse and be on your way. And as Anna points out, you can quickly take stock of the number of diapers that are in there before leaving home and getting stranded with two wet kids and one diaper between them. Yikes!

Add to Anna’s sleek and simple design anything that fabric designer, Joel Dewberry, has had his hands on, and you’ve got a classy, colorful, and hip little bag that might tempt you to empty the diapers and tote it along as a cute clutch next time the baby sitter relieves you for a night out with hubby. Maybe that’s just me.

If you’re stumped on a baby shower gift and can sew a straight line, I encourage you to give this a try, especially if you stuff it with some diapers, wipes and maybe some diaper cream as Anna suggests.  It’s a fun unique gift that you can customize to fit any style. 

P.S. Was just over at Anna’s blog…please pray for her and her family or send her some words of encouragement.

Little Apples-Baby Quilt

Forgive me for my quietness through August. I have been working hard on a baby quilt for my dear friends who are due with their first baby in mid-September, but my friend also happens to be a dear reader (thank you!). Therefore, secrecy was a necessity. But we gave them the quilt last night, so it's with great relief that I can finally share with you all this sweet baby quilt made with Aneela Hoey's most adorable Little Apples collection.

I was so thankful when my small group at church agreed to let me make a quilt for our friends for part of their group gift. I was dying to get my hands on Little Apples and this was the perfect opportunity. Our friends have decided to not find out the gender of their little one beforehand which I admit made things a bit more difficult, but I think this fabric collection, with its aqua, olive, gray, and red, keeps things pretty gender neutral.

The best part about Aneela Hoey's prints are these little drawings which make fussy cutting such a pleasure. There are kids playing Ring-around-the-Rosie, cute back-to-school outfits, turtles, snails, squirrels, apple trees, and hula hoops. All the things that remind us of the fall when we buy new pencils, pull on our sweaters, and look forward to jumping in piles of raked leaves.

It seemed that when our friends received this quilt last night that this little white block was the most special part. Everyone from our group signed it for them. This was such a fun way to remind these new parents of our love for them and their new baby and to let them know how excited we are to help raise this newest member of our family.

About this Quilt:

Fabric: Little Apples & Medium Gray Kona Cotton

Binding: Michael Miller's Dumb Dots in red

Size: approx. 36" x 36"

Pattern: Windmills and Pastures (designed by me)

Quilting: Hand-stitched with Perle 8 in red

Now, I just can't wait to meet the little baby who will get wrapped up in this quilt! I know I'm not the only one :)

Baby Boom

Did it happen to anyone else? One week in January, I commented to my coworker, somewhat disappointedly, that no one I know is having a baby. I don't have any kids myself yet, but the blogosphere is so full of adorable baby things and I wanted a piece of it (without the sleepless nights). Of course the responsibility then falls to my friends. Come on, guys!

Well, just a week later I found out that one of my good friends was pregnant and after her it seemed like every fourth woman at church, at the grocery store, and walking in the park was starting to show signs of growing bellies and glowing faces. What a lovely time of year!

Admittedly, I haven't been a baby-gift producing factory as hoped this summer, but after making my 2-D Zoo quilt for my sister's friend, I had some adorable scraps to use up. While browsing blogs one day, I stumbling upon Maked's tutorial for reversible fabric baby booties, I got right to work on a gift for my friend's baby. I found the tutorial to be quite clear, but I struggled a bit with the final step of sewing everything together. It sure was hard to keep everything flat and lined up, but the booties still turned out to be pretty adorable and are certainly worth a try by new and experienced sewers alike.

To match the little booties, I also appliquéd some onesies using the elephant and hippo from the Alexander Henry's 2-D Zoo print.

This was my first time doing applique on clothing. I used Steam-a-Seam Lite and it was very easy to work with and lightweight so it was just perfect for the thin cotton material. These onesies (0-3 months) were practically doll-sized and I am still not convinced that a real baby will ever fit in them!

Given together, these are a sweet simple gift for any new baby.