Baby book

Using up more scraps I had another go at a baby book for a friend. (You can see my previous one earlier on my blog). I got the measurements a bit wrong for the front patchwork meaning I had to do more, but it's fine. I actually had enough white fabric to make all the pages this time. It's cute - I like it.

Baby blocks

Cute alert! Got the idea from flicking through a magazine - can't remember which one - and essentially quite simple. Using my Sizzix machine I made standard squares. I bought some letter stamps on ebay but unfortunately they wern't as big as I'd hoped they would be - I wanted one lette on each block face but with the smaller shapes I went for 2-3 on each face, and the eet I bought came with a cute fish, so he's on there too!

So another gift set - this time for my PA who is on paternity leave.

Bunting

More bunting made for a friend's nursery - simple. Cath Kidson fabric as requested.

The cutest thing ever!!!

So I've been wanting to make one of these since I got Small Stash Sewing.  The ohoto in the book is so cute and it is obviously one of the most popular designs from the book. A friend I knwo through guiding is having a baby in September so I thought this might be an ideal present to make for her but with a guidey twist.

It needed 5 different fabrics - I used 2 from my stash and used three guiding fabrics: the first was my old leader's shirt; the second was from my Centenary neckerchief which also handily provided me with bias binding; the third was my tartan neckerchief from the recent WAGGGS World Conference.

It was a pretty easy make and very enjoyable too.  As I cut out the feather shapes I could really see it coming together.  I'm really pleased with how it has turned out.

Another quilt

Another baby, another gift ...

Some good friends of ours have just given birth. For a few weeks now I have been working on another circle quilt. At every turn I seemed to come up against an obstacle. I decided to make it from my stash rather than purchasing even more fabric (seriously, it's getting ridiculous now!) and that was ok. I think I could have been a big more strategic in terms of colour choice. There's a bit of clashing here but, hey, it's for a baby. Multi-colour clashing should be fine, right?




I did need to buy new fabric for the backing but managed to do the binding from existing fabric. I was quite gutted that I didn't have enough wadding to fit the quilt in one piece, but as I have sooooo much wadding knocking around I did manage to do it from two panels and I think it has worked quite well.




I was using up the excess thread I'd purchased for my fantastic bag. Unfortunately, just as I started the quilting I ran out if thread ... I headed back to John Lewis where I purchased it and they were sold out. Managed to find it online and then had to wait over a week for it ...

So it's done - finally - hoorah!

Booties!

Yes, it's back to babies. A friend at work goes on mat leave at the end if this week and I wanted to make just a little something to show I care.




These little baby booties from Sew Hip issue 27 are so cute and relatively easy to make.




I went for the yellow/green colours as it is non-gender-specific/stereotypical so should work whatever pops out!

More baby gifts

sorry - have got behind again. Two more baby gifts - I'm at that age when all my friends are sprogging!  The December baby needed bunting ... or maybe more that my friend really wanted bunting  for her baby's room.  I have now discovered the best way to go fabric / project shopping - get someone else to spend their money and then hand the purchases over to me!

My friend picked out a fat quarter bundle that she liked as well as some bias binding. I cut out a huge amount of little penants and then sewed them, right sides together, so that I would have a nicely finished double sided penant.  I then spaced these along the bias binding and top stitched them into place.



I was quite pleased with the result:







My friend is pleased with them two and I think they look great in place

Another friend gave birth in January so that gave me a chance to make yet another softie ... and use up some more of the excessive amount I fleece I bought to make slippers (still got more to use though ...).  I have been loving the fact that Sew Hip magazine has been featuring a fantastic softie in each issue and this one is no different.  

Isn't he gorgeous?  Still haven't met the young lad who will be receiving this one but from the pics I've seen so far I think their gorgeousness should match!

So now I think the next babies I need to make for are July & September, so I might have a break from baby stuff and get on with some other projects ...

Baby gifts

In the latest issue of Sew Hip there is a fabulous pattern for a cute little teddy bear, and with two heavily pregnant friends I am aware that I need to pull my finger out and get creating.  This is the most detailed / fiddly project I have taken on and I loved it.  I bought waaaaaaaaay too much fleece for the slippers I'm making so had plenty for this bear (and more besides).

I got ridiculously excited when I made the legs - so much so that I walked them around for a bit ... ok, very sad!

and then when I got the body together ... well, that was another batch of over excitement.

And the final product ...

And so now onto the next one ...

An apology present!

Okay, so one of my best friends tells me she's pregnant.  Do I get excited? No - I sulk!  I'm not ready for my friend to stop coming out drinking!  So, now having come to terms with the fact, I decided that I should put my new sewing skills to good use and make an apology present. I found instructions for a baby book in Homestyle Sewing magazine and realised that I practically had everything that I needed.  I've got sooooo much fabric, and some left over wadding from my quilt, so with a bank holiday weekend to fill I got going.

I didn't realise how loooong applique takes.  I thought it would be a relatively quick make, but doing each of the animal heads took forever!  I did quite enjoy it though. May fav is the dog - he's so cute!

So, now to see my friend and actually make the apology!