The Baby Bib

I don't know about you, but I feel like everyone and their sister is having a baby!  I have been seeing so, so many adorable photos of babies on Facebook lately, I'm not sure what to do.

I do know that I've been invited to a lot of baby showers, and when I do, I love to throw in a little handmade gift with the obligatory wipes and dipes. Lately, I've been making what I like to call "Aunt Darlene's spaqhetti bibs," because I made the bib pattern from a bib my Aunt Darlene gave me for my first daughter.

This bib was awesome.  It was big, so it covered everything; it was double-layered, so it didn't soak through; I could easily throw it in the washer and it would come out clean; and it rolled up small so that I could take it with us wherever we went!   It was PERFECT!

Here's my little M with the perfect bib!

Since then, I've been making copies of that bib with PUL and flannel.  I've given them away to anyone who would take them because I love them so much! 

My well-worn template.

And because there are soo, sooo many different kinds of flannel and patterned PUL out there, the possibilities of cute baby bibs are endless! And yes, it's a big bib. But if you've ever had a baby, you know that as they get bigger, they make bigger and bigger messes!

So, I guess what I want to say is, "Thanks Aunt Darlene." That bib was awesome, and a lot of other moms have enjoyed having one too.   If you want me to send you one, leave a comment and we'll be in touch! 

Recent bibs! 

Most of the time I head to JoAnn's and get my flannel and PUL there (with a coupon or 2), but it's also fun to look at Amazon and see what kinds of new things are popping up.  Riley Blake has some awesome designs, like this adorable flowered one, or this basic black polka dots (which would be great at hiding stains), or with this 3 pack of Babyville PUL (you could get 3 adorable bibs out of this!).

So thanks Aunt Darlene, you've helped keep my kids cleaner and made my baby presents just a little bit cuter. :)  Later this week I'll be posting about another easy baby toy I make as a present too. 

-Patricia

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Thanks! <3
-Patricia

DIY Christmas tree onesie

So I took a little break from blogging for the month of December, but that didn't mean that I stopped sewing or creating. Nope, not at all!  Rather, I was just too busy doing all the other stuff that a family has to do in December, besides taking some time to slow down and celebrate the real meaning of the season.

And so, my next few posts are going to be about Christmas.  Maybe you can get a head start on your presents for next year (!) or maybe these will just inspire you to modify and make something even cooler for Valentine's Day. Because there is always another holiday right around the corner! 

The Christmas Onesie:

If you're not following me on Pinterest yet, you really should (let me know, and I'll follow you back!)  I found this idea on there, but of course when I tried to go back and find it again, I couldn't!  I just had to go off of my memory and just make it up as I went along. For your benefit, here's a brief synopsis of how to make a ribbon Christmas Tree onesie. 

Cute, huh?

First you'll want to do a test-run by cutting your ribbon to the right lengths and setting everything out.  As you can see, my original idea involved a lot more buttons than the final product. I also was going to use a shiny green ribbon, but then decided against it. I also heat-sealed all of the ribbon edges to prevent fraying.  But, the material of that particular green ribbon wouldn't heat-seal (it kept lighting on fire actually), so I skipped it. 

And here's how NOT to make it. When starting this project I forgot one very crucial step. Which will happen when you are going off of a picture in your memory and not directions. Crucial-step-do-not-forget-or-your-project-will-be-a-mess:  Stabilizer. Yep. Just a simple iron-on stabilizer makes a world of difference when you're sewing on a knit onesie.  Obviously, I had to rip out the first four rows and start completely over after using my trusty iron-on stabilizer. I use the tear-away kind, and it's kinda fun to rip it all off when you're done sewing. 

I think if I were to make it again, I'd think ahead and buy a cooler button for the top and bottom.  Maybe a square-shaped button for the bottom and a cool yellow star for the top.  I could always change it out, but that means I'd have to remember them next time I go to Joann's, and I can barely remember my name when I go there, I get so overwhelmed from all the crafts I could make-colors, fabrics, paper,yarn!!!! I will just keep it as is for now (hey, Christmas is past anyways), and improve upon it for next year. 

~Patricia

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Make a "Taggie" Monogram Baby gift!

My husband's cousin is having a baby soon, so I found this easy tutorial for making a "Taggie" monogram toy--so simple!

I got the directions from this website here.  Check it out!

I added some Warm & Natural batting between the layers of flannel to make it extra soft and give it some shape. I've made these in squares with just flannel, and I found those to be a little floppy. Just my preference!

Here's some photos of the finished product!

Have fun!
~ patricia