Chalkboard Art and a First Birthday

I have to admit, I have not been a fan of the recent craze in chalkboard art. I can't give you a good explanation as to why it didn't appeal to me -- all I can say is now I'm really wishing that I had taken a class. Thanks to my late night Pinterest hobby, I came across some adorable photos of using chalkboard art to celebrate the monthly milestones of newborns.

(photo from Pinterest - does not link to correct page, but photo credits Angela Photography

if you have the correct link, please let me know and I'll update!)

(photo from Pinterest - The Photographer's Wife)

Aren't those fun? If you search "chalkboard art monthly baby" on Pinterest, you will come up with a slew of ideas. Luckily my Mum had a fabulously large vintage chalkboard that I could use..since I've snubbed this trend, I did not have my own.

And my chalkboard was.. well.. beginner to say the least..

Take 1..

Take 2..

Alas, I have some room (a ton of room) for improvement on my chalkboard and photography skills. But, this was such a fun way to celebrate Tommy's first month birthday. Can you believe it? Oh time, you fickle mistress.. please slow down and let me have this precious year go ever so slow..

The BIG (little) News

We had our first visit with the doctor today and heard a strong, healthy heartbeat. Tears flowed and I had no idea how anxious I had been until I heard that sweet sound.

I've always pictured our family with three children; three little ducklings skipping behind me.

The last piece to our family chapter is en route. I can't wait to kiss those baby cheeks and breathe in that heavenly scent. Kiddo is ecstatic and kisses my belly daily. Baby is not thrilled about not being the baby anymore, but knowing how she adores her dollies - she will be an amazing big sister too.

I'm tired all the time. I'm elated. I'm hungry..for pie!

Granny Baby Blanket

I am soo loving this baby blanket! I will be doing a class on this at Kamille's later this fall. I think it will be so wonderful for the little fall baby in your life. It is made with a superwash merino wool - it is soft, yummy, and washable!

The class will be perfect for the crochet beginner to the advanced. There are only a couple stitches you will use - after this blanket you will have the double crochet (dc) stitch down to an art!

Hope to see you there!

Mother's Day Dresses - Freebie Baby Pattern

My friend Viv, is a fabulous photographer! I'm blessed to have met her. She has taken many photo shoots of the important times in my life - maternity, Julie's birth, and more. This year she took our Mother's Day pictures. My mom & I try to have pictures taken each year ever since I had Isabelle. It is a wonderful way to watch our family grow. If you live in Utah, I definitely recommend checking Viv out to do your next photo shoot!

This may not surprise some readers, but I made all the dresses in the picture. Isabelle's dress is from my pattern review of DMK (p.s. the DMK winners will be posted this Sunday!)

My dress is from Elegant Musing's Swing Dress Sew-A-Long. Never in a million years would I have attempted to make a garment from a vintage pattern on my own before this. Casey is an incredibly talented seamstress and she did a fabulous job of walking us through each step. The wonderful thing about a Sew-A-Long on a blog, is you can join anytime! If you have interest in sewing a vintage dress, I highly recommend you check this out. I love my dress. I learned soo much. I made a muslin to learn more about where and how to alter a pattern for your body. I'm very short waisted and most patterns don't fit right out of envelope for me. I have lost my fear of vintage and am now looking to tackle a 1940's bathing suit. Thank you Casey!

And last but certainly not least, I made Julie's romper.. from scratch,no pattern. My readers know that is uncharted waters for me. Garment construction has been a bit of a mystery to me, but I'm trying and learning. This is a super easy and cute item to make. I originally had planned on buying some fabric from Ruffle Fabric, but when I went back to purchase it, that style was sold out (so buy it when you see it!) They were at the Quilt Market and I bought a ton of material!!

Okay so on to my easy peasy tutorial. You will need to find a ready made romper in your closet. I choose the Winnie the Pooh one and tucked down the top at about the chest.

Lay out your fabric folded underneath the romper. Draw an outline 1-2" larger than the romper. My fabric had zero stretch so I made it a bit bigger. If you are working with a stretchy fabric you can give yourself less of a seam allowance.

Cut out your fabric pieces. Lay your cut lace across the top. You can put your lace through your ruffler or gather it by hand if you want a more flouncy appearance. I didn't buy enough so I just sewed it straight on. Pin your lace in several places on front romper piece so it doesn't shift while you're sewing. I gave myself about 1" inch fudge room at the top and legs - you'll need this to make the elastic casing.

Sew your lace strips down. I used a clear filament thread to reduce the visibility of the stitch line. With right sides together, sew the sides of the romper together with 1/2" seam allowance (I serged mine to make it quick and neat. Then sew the inner legs and crotch.

Before you take the time to make the elastic casing, try it on your kiddo. I found my legs were WAY longer than I wanted and cut off a good 2". Once you're happy with the fit, it's time to finish it up.

At the top you will fold the fabric in 1/2" and 1/2" again - to create the elastic casing. Sew along very close to the fold and leave about a 2" opening. Measure your kiddo's chest and cut your elastic that length - I used 1/4" wide elastic. Thread it through the casing and stitch the elastic ends together. Hand sew your opening closed.

Now do the same for your leg openings. And that's it!

I know I went super duper fast (the kiddos are being naughty monkeys this week!), so if you need clarification or more specific measurements please let me know..

Here is my angel Julie..

She's crying because her romper is so gorgeous and it took so little time!

Sunday Sewing Pattern Reviews - Ruffled Bubble Romper

This week I'm reviewing the Tie Dye Diva's Ruffled Bubble Romper for infants. That link is going to take you to her romper section on Etsy. This pattern may not be there yet. It is brand spanking new and I was lucky enough to test drive it before the public. Her pattern for the older kiddos has been available, but the one for babies is new. If you want the latest news, discounts, etc. I highly recommend "liking" her Facebook business page.

OK on to yummy pictures and the review!

Description of pattern:

"Sew her this vintage inspired ruffled bubble romper and you'll feel like you're back in your lemonade stand days! Halter neck ties, three rows of ruffles on the back."

Level of Difficulty:

I didn't see a standard given in the description. I personally think this is just fabulous a beginner project. The most difficult thing you will do is gather a long fabric ruffle, and just requires patience not sewing experience.

For the advanced seamstress, this pattern will be a great source of inspiration. You could easily add some appliques or play with the number of fabrics used. If you have a serger and/or ruffler foot, this could be completed in an hour.

Fabric Recommendations:

I used high quality cottons in my piece. I'm pretty sure all the samples I've seen made used cottons as well.If you are adventurous, you could play with some other mid-light weight fabrics. It would be adorable with some denim accents or maybe even some linen.

Overall Design:

I love, love this vintage look. I absolutely love dressing my girls like.. little girls and not like they are about to turn 18. This pattern is sassy, but wholesome and fun! It is a great style for the summer heat. If you wanted more coverage, you could use this more as a coverall rather than a romper.

The pattern is pretty simple, but gives you a very tailored finish. A beginner will finish this pattern in a day and an advanced seamstress could complete this in a morning.

Instructions:

Very clear, no obvious errors, and lots of pictures with instruction.

Pattern Pieces:

This is done as a PDF. You will be able to print it out and put together without complication. There are not a lot of pieces to this.

Modifications & Tips:

You don't have to have a serger or ruffler foot, but if you own them I recommend using them to make this quick. Otherwise, be sure to use a thread color that matches your ruffle fabric.

I didn't make the style with a snap crotch. I almost always undress Julie completely when I change her diaper so I didn't see that as necessary.

As I mentioned before, there are lots of ways you could personalize this. You could easily put some embroidery or applique on the bodice. And I would love to see it with various colored ruffles on the bum.

Conclusion:

Well if it wasn't clear, I love this pattern. I honestly don't make a ton of baby clothes because I find the patterns are not well suited to an infant. This pattern is perfect. It is tailored, comfortable, and not overly fussy.

I'm planning on buying the pattern in the older girl size and make my girls a couple of coordinating sets for this summer. I think it's definitely a pattern to have in your stash.

**Tie Dye Diva did not compensate me in any way for this review. I was given the pattern to test sew before she was aware that I was going to be reviewing it as well. Definitely add her Facebook page for future discounts and pattern news.
Is there a pattern you've been thinking about buying, but not sure if it is worth your money & time? Let me know and I'll try it out for you!

Next week I'll be reviewing the Lovely Ribbon Dress by DMKeasywear...

1 For Free & Another For a Fee - #1

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am moving my focus and

store away from photography props that are

becoming more mainstream.

I want to do things that fuel my creativity and yours.

But I've been doing this for so long that it is hard for me

to turn that part of my brain off. Soo..

I'm introducing a new series to my blog called,

"1 For Free & Another For a Fee"

I will show you a tutorial on how to make an item,

give one of them away on my Facebook page, and sell 1 in my Etsy store.

I will try to always keep them fresh and

not something you can find a gizzilion of online.

Today I'm going to show you how to make an amazing bird's nest.

Here is what you need:

* round planter liner (I used a 14" diameter)

* natural dry moss

* batting

* 1/2 yard brown fleece

*hot glue gun & lots of glue sticks

How long do you need:

1 hour

What to do:

1.) Hot glue dry moss all around outside of liner

2.) Fill liner about 1/2 way with batting.

You don't want it to the top.

We are still going to add a fleece cover

and you will want the baby to sink in it slightly.

3. Cut a very large circle of brown fleece.

You want it to be several sizes larger than the liner.

I didn't measure - just eyeball it.

Then you are going to add a line of hot glue

about 1/4" below the liner top and adhere the fleece.

Since you will have so much material,

pinch up some fabric in between your glue lines

like I did in the picture below.

4.) When you are done,

you can easily tuck in those extra pinches of fleece inside.

And that's it!

Check it out..

My baby is too big for it (she's 6 months today!!)

This is perfect for the brand new baby photo shoots.

It is super duper comfy and warm for baby,

while providing you some amazing texture for the pictures.

! It does shed - so bring your lint rollers !

I will be giving one away on my Facebook page.

Be sure to "like" it to find out the details.

And I have 1 in my shop.

I'm not making more,

so if you love it.. go grab it!

If you have questions, please let me know!

Peek at New Hat!

Why I Have Babies

I have the most adorable baby girls

to model my newest Etsy creations...

Just kidding..

Kind of..

I know, I know

Juliette is the most adorable baby.

I could write poems about those adorable cheeks

and chub rolls!

Zzzzzz

Isa must be having a growth spurt.

She's been doing a lot of new things this week,

and she's being such a *pain*.

I hate to say it, but when she goes through a little spurt,

it usually leaves me desperate to book a single, one way flight to Bora Bora..

I've spent way more time this week napping when she naps.

I know, I know..

I can hear you..

I need to nap - I'm in my 7 month of pregnancy..

It's just hard to be resting when I have so many new ideas,

and I know my life is only going to be all the more crazy in a few months.

Alas...

I'm going to take a nap.

Here are some photos from the shower of my wonderful mother and I!

Maternity Leave on Etsy - Dates to Know

MATERNITY LEAVE NOTES

* I will not be taking custom orders from September 20-October 15th

* The shop will be closed from October 1st-October 15th

* I will be taking a very limited amount of custom orders from October 15th-January 1st, 2011

!! Please keep this in mind and order your holiday items early!!