Pinterest Creativity

I've been pinning like crazy on Pinterest for several months now and finally decided today was the day to do some creating.  It felt so good to be sewing again!

Since our little man has shown interest in going on the potty, I decided to try out this tutorial for cloth training pants.  I love how easy it was to make and I have a TON of knit fabric to make more.  Plus, it's way more fun to make your own and feel the satisfaction of seeing the finished product.  Hopefully I find more motivation again soon to make some more!

When that was finished, I decided to include the kids in a little creativity by having them pick out some fabric to make their own cloth monster friends.   I'm all out of fiber fill, but just now I was thinking it would be fun to make them like a bean bag by adding some whole flax seeds instead.

 

I'm not completely satisfied with the fabric choices, but the kids love them and they'll be fun to take along to bike races this summer.  Because if they get too dirty or lost we can always make a new one!  I'm also loving this idea to make for baby shower gifts.  So, if you have a baby coming soon, be ready to introduce your little one to a one of a kind handmade monster friend.

Tomorrow, my sister is coming for a visit and I'm hoping to create some of these cute projects while she is here - after a trip to the fabric store, of course!

I'm also going to be making a handmade wrap style baby carrier for a friend of mine and I'll be sure to share a tutorial on how to make your own.  They are super easy and my favorite babywearing carrier.  I already have three different ones for our new little one to enjoy and I am thinking of making another one...or two.  You can never have too many, because they are so easy to store one in each vehicle and have a few spares when the inevitable newborn mess occurs.  Plus, I can leave one at my mom's house in case we forget to bring a baby carrier when we visit.

And, of course, I have a LOT of ideas to sew some fun things for our new little one.  I know I already have plenty, since this is our third, but it's still fun to create one of a kind handmade things just for the new baby.  Plus, I have lots of sewing ideas to help my sister prepare for her first.  I can't wait to be an aunt again!

Thanksgiving Applique

Most of the sewing I've done lately has been in secret, because I'm busy making Christmas gifts.  But, I was excited to find some time to sew up some quick and super cute Thanksgiving outfits for my little ones.  For Valerie's dress, I started a plain long-sleeved t-shirt from Walmart.  I used some knit fabric to add a skirt and then made ruffles with three pieces of coordinating cotton fabric.  For the applique, I made my own pattern and used heat n bond, an iron, and a zigzag stitch.  Then, I used some of the extra fabric to make a little hair clippie to match.  For Almanzo's shirt, I used another long-sleeved t-shirt from Walmart, the same applique technique, and my own pumpkin pattern.  I love how easy and fun it is to turn a plain t-shirt into a cute and unique outfit!

Fleece Longies

Today, I finally got around to sewing two more pairs of fleece longies for Sweet Pea.  Fleece longies are a great diaper cover alternative for the winter and also make cute pajama pants.  I'm hoping to sew a few more pairs of these for Sweet Pea, so we can use them when she decides to start potty training.  So far, every time I've asked her if she wants to go on the potty, she says, "No!", but she always tells me when she has "poo".  I have several Gerber training pants my aunt Sheri gave us and plan to use those with fleece longies instead of Pull-Ups, because it's more like underwear and will be easy for her to pull on and off by herself.  Plus, since I use cloth diapers already, I hate the thought of buying disposable training pants, because it seems to defeat the purpose of potty training.  For the first pair of fleece longies, I sewed a zigzag stitch along the edge of each leg cuff and for the second pair I just folded them over and sewed a straight stitch hem. I'm not sure which style I like best.

Owl Party Favors

I was watching the first episode of season 2 of The DIY Dish a few weeks ago and decided right then that owls would be the theme for Almanzo's first birthday.  I couldn't wait to find some cute fabric and sew up some of these cute little owls for party favors.  I picked out three coordinating fabrics for his birthday banner (including one with owls!) and decided to match the stuffed owls to the banner.  I also found some minky fabric in the remnant fabric bin and, since I already had two other coordinating colors of minky fabric from previous fabric store trips, I decided to use the minky fabric for the base of the owl and the polka dot fabric to match the birthday banner for the wings.  I had some felt in my fabric stash, so I used that for the eyes and the beak.  I love the frayed look of the wings and the soft minky fabric.  I'm planning on making enough of these little cuties to give as party favors to all the little ones that come to his birthday party.  And I'm also going to use some coordinating paper to make owls to use as decorations. 

Birthday Shirts

Just a little something I whipped up yesterday to celebrate our little man's birthday.  I'm doing an owl theme for his birthday and, since I was making one for him, I just had to make a number 2 shirt for his big sister.  I ran out of fusible web, so I just decided to let the edges fray and do a regular straight stitch.  They turned out really cute after washing them.  Now I just have to work on the owl party favors and birthday banner.  I can hardly believe he's going to be ONE soon...somebody please SLOW down time!

Wordless Wednesday

(Note: I made these toddler bibs using this pattern, but hemmed up some towel fabric from JoAnn's instead of using an actual towel.) 

Birthday Banner

I found this tutorial for the cutest birthday decorations before Valerie's first birthday, but didn't have the time to make one for her then. This year, I was so excited to make one for her second birthday. Of course, I waited until the day before, but it was so easy to make that I was able to start and finish it during nap time. I love how it turned out and can't wait to make one for Almanzo's birthday in October. I love the idea of having unique, handmade, and reusable party decorations. Next year, my plan is to add handmade tablecloths and napkins to Valerie's birthday decorations and maybe another banner (which reminds me that I better get some more of the fabric I used so everything will match).