dusting off the machine

I dusted off the old sewing machine recently.  It had been 10 WEEKS  since I last sewed ANYTHING!

We went on vacation last week and I knew I needed a nursing cover for the trip.  I also wanted to make nursing covers for my lovely friends Rachel and Danielle, also the mamas of new baby girls.

Here's what I came up with.

For Danielle and baby Harper:

Danielle has such a cheerful personality, and when choosing her fabric I wanted to reflect that.  I was also drawn to fabrics that included orange, probably because Danielle chose a beautiful shade of pinky orange to paint Harper's nursery.  I also wanted to include brown because Danielle has used brown in her home decorating, and I think she looks great in brown.

There is a coordinating fabric to this  and my plan is to make Miss Harper some other things to go along with the nursing cover.  Maybe an appliqued onesie or two, some burpies and a changing pad?

I thought the fabric was really fun and retro looking.

Now, for Rachel.  I didn't get a shot of her nursing cover, but here is the fabric:

I really had trouble finding something for Rachel.  I knew it HAD to include pink, and for both girls I wanted something designer looking, but nothing was really jumping out at me for Rachel.

I liked this choice, because it included the pink (what I think of as Rachel's signature color), but it also had some pretty green shades as well.  If you've been in Rachel's home, you've seen her bright green kitchen - beautiful!  I liked that in the fabric.  Also, if you look closely at the fabric, you can find some of the areas have a Morocoan lattice like pattern in them.  I've seen this a lot recently in Southern decorating, and it reminds me of Rachel!

See below.

Again, as for Harper, for Miss Warren I want to make some coordinating accessories to go with the nursing cover.

Now for myself.

I really wanted something that looked non-babyish.  Feminine, but not girlie.  Modern and fresh, but not TOO contemporary.  And, it had to include some aqua/turquoise, some brown, and some pink.

Here's what I found:

I love, love, love this paisley print, but when you combine it with the other fabrics from the line...

It gives the whole thing a middle eastern bazaar like feel.  I can't wait to cut into some other projects for myself with it!

The fabrics also look good in the girl birdie's room, so I'm thinking of incorporating them in some way.

For now, I'm just happy to get a few nursing covers made!

back in the saddle

After a loooong break (we're talking months) from sewing, I've finally dusted off the old machine and climbed back in the saddle!  I've missed sewing and creating, but honestly, I needed a break.  Being pregnant, several bouts of sickness, working on the basement and nursery, serving at church, all the farm/cattle stuff...we've just had a lot going on.  Something had to give!

I had some unfinished projects though, and several friends had asked for some things to give as gifts, so I'm back at it now!

Here are some projects I worked on yesterday.  Nothing new, but I wasn't sure if I'd shown these fabrics on the blog before.

This one is fun for a little girl!  I love paisley, and these fabrics are good ones if you're not sure of the mom's taste.

Here's the wipes case:

I LOVE these next fabrics.

Excuse the pins.  I hadn't stiched them on yet and I was burning daylight for the photos.

This fabric is such a nice, feminine break from the usual pink.  I love the larger scale floral, and the lattice pattern on the left is very popular right now in home dec.  I've seen it on furniture, walls, lampshades, etc.

Here's the wipes case:

I'm working on some other projects I can't wait to show!  A nursing cover or two and some little things for the nursery.

Happy Friday!

new nursing covers

I made a couple of nursing covers the other day.  One to give as a gift, and one that was an order.  I just wanted to show ya'll so you could see some of the fabric I have right now.

Here they are hanging together:

And here they are each separately:

Sorry I didn't model them for you this time.  I especially LOVE the floral fabric!  It's an Alexander Henry print called mocca, and could really work for a boy or girl nursing cover.  It's feminine, but not overly girly.

I've been a busy bee lately!  I'll post some other projects soon!

Happy Friday, ya'll! 

Don't "Ruffle" Your Tail Feathers!

Sorry!  I know that title is corny, but I'm really into ruffles these days.  Not sure why.  Possibly because I've been learning to sew them, and so I'm putting them on everything.

I was blog surfing the other day and I came upon some GREAT tutorials.  I got inspired by one on Crap I've Made, a really fun and creative blog that some of you other crafty mommies may like.  I was inspired to make this little ruffled butt onsie:

I was getting ready to take some pictures of the front and noticed that it looked a little

bo-ring, so I added a little rosette, like so:

Sorry, it was starting to get dark by the time I finished these :)

I'll sell these for $10 so let me know if any little girls in your life need some ruffles on their bootie.

I also added some ruffles to a T-shirt today, but I don't have a pic yet.  That's coming soon.

Bye for now!

Nursing Problem? I've Got Your Solution!

Hey you nursing mamas out there!  And you soon to be nursing mamas!  Or those of you that may be buying a gift for a nursing mama sometime soon! :)

I was fortunate enough to nurse my baby bird for 11 months.  Although I was thrilled to be able to do this for my kiddo (and save all that money on formula!) there were plenty of things about nursing that I wasn't so fond of. 

One thing was nursing in public. 

Now.  Mind you.  I am not a very modest person.  After the whole experience of giving birth, the thought of a little boob peeking out was not what bothered me.  It was more the looks (you know those looks) of those around me, and the thought of flashing my "recently carried a baby" belly, and just plain old respect for those that might not want to sneek a peek at my boob.

So.  That's the problem.  One solution is the trusty receiving blanket over the baby and shoulder trick.  This is fine, but what if your baby doesn't appreciate a blanket in his face while he's eating?  Can you blame him?  Or what if he gets a big kick out of yanking the blanket off every few seconds?

Here's my solution.  The nursing cover.  I've heard them called many things - hooter hider, udder cover, my friend Rach suggested booby bungalo (love that one :).

But the beauty of these things is that they allow you to nurse your baby privately, but the boning I put in the neck allows you to see your baby, and keeps the fabric off his face.  The strap around the neck allows you to adjust your length one handed, and keeps the whole thing from being pulled down at an opportune moment (like when your boob is fully exposed - don't tell me this hasn't happened to you!).

Here's what they look like:

I'm telling you, I never left the house without mine the entire time I was nursing.  It crumples right up into a diaper bag or purse, and washes in your washing machine if you get it dirty.

I sell these for $20 and make them in scads of fabric options!  I'll try to post more options as I make them.

Once you give one of these a try, I promise you'll never use a blanket again!

P.S. I really need a cute idea for what to call my nursing covers!  I'd love to stick with a birdie theme if possible.  Any ideas?

New Stuff

Whew!  I have been too busy to post lately!  My camera has also been doing something funky.   I made some things recently for a friend though, and wanted to post them.  LOVE the floral fabric!  Makes me want to have a little girl :) I made some extras of these too if you see one you like.  Burpies are $5 each and travel wipes are $10.  They look super cute packaged together as well.

Happy Friday!!

Baby Bird Burpies

I made some burpies for a cousin who recently had an ADORABLE baby girl, Maya Elena.  I haven't had a chance to get them to her yet, so I thought I'd show them off.

The burpies are made with cotton fabrics on 100% cotton cloth diapers so they are super absorbent.  All my products are prewashed in dye and fragrance-free detergent.  How much more fun is wiping up baby spit when you can do it with a cute, coordinating burpie?  These also look great monogrammed.  I'll post some pics soon of some a friend had monogrammed as a gift.  These sell for $5.00 each.  They come bundled together, tied with super cute, coordinating ribbon.   Big hit for a baby shower gift!

I'm nursing a bad cold today but not too sick to watch my Murray State Racers play some ball!  They are off to a great start against Butler in the first half.  Go Racers!

Travel Wipes Case and New Fabric

So I saw my friend with one of these in a different fabric a few months ago,

and I thought 2 things : 1. I want one.  2.  Hey wait a second...I can make one!  So I did. 

I am a sucker for fun stuff like this that makes yucky things like changing diapers on the go a little more bearable!  This fabric is really fun, and has been popular for me, but I can also use any other fabric you like.  I sell these for $10.00

So check out this cutie-pie Alexander Henry floral fabric on the left I found the other day!

The picture barely does it justice!  The fabric on the right is harder to see but it actually has a little bee in the print every once in a while.  These two look cute together, or on their own.  Hmmm....now my problem is deciding what to make with them....

Have a great afternoon and enjoy the weather!