Fantastic Flowers

Do you remember this ad from 1992?  That flower press (very similar to my cuttlebug) made my Christmas list that year, but it never turned up under the tree.  I think my parents vetoed that gift knowing that my 9-year-old-self would probably make 3 flowers and never use it again.  I believe I received a Walkman instead.

This post is really about satin flowers - made by me - but with dangerous things like sharp scissors and fire.  I'll show ya how to do it...later.  **UPDATE** Tutorial HERE!

The flower, feather and netting are on an interchangeable clip.  Confession: it's not something I invented.  I totally copied Miss Plunkett, so I'd feel a little guilty spilling their secret.

Rowan was begging to try the blue one on.  Yes...begging....

What a good sport he is!

The recipients of these flowers are my two new little girlfriends.

Leah

Kennedy

I hope the girls share with their mums!

The Urban Hoodie (and Raincoat)

My ball and chain (ie the MacBook) finally returned from her date with a Mac Genius (Apple's ego-stroking term for tech support personnel).  WOWSERS.  The last time I was away from the internet for this long (excluding the first 16 years of my life), I was working for Uepi Island Resort in the Solomon Islands.  Oh, my dear blog, how I've missed you!!

Circa 2005 - man....what a summer.

Ohhhh - that picture makes me feel cold.  Ohhhh - if I don't stop looking at it, I'm never going to get this post finished. *Insert self-inflicted face slap here*

I was very happy to be introduced to The Boy Trifecta; a blog by a mum of - you guessed it - three boys.  It's were I discovered the Urban Hoodie pattern from Heidi and Finn.  

The timing was perfect for it to be bumped to the top of my must-sew list; Rowan was growing out of his snowsuit, but he still needed something cozy to wear.  Spring in Southern Ontario = mild and sunny one day and snow the next. Sadly, I'm not exaggerating.  The photos of R-man in the hoodie/raincoat were taken on Friday afternoon.  Today at noon, there remains evidence of yesterday's snowfall.

I decided to use Emily's tutorial and add a zipper instead of buttons.  Mine didn't turn out quite as nice as hers (zippers and I have only recently come to an amiable understanding), but I certainly don't lose sleep over it.

 At the end of a long, cold, rainy day I decided that Rowan needed a raincoat too.  While the blue hoodie is made of a light sweatshirt (knit) fabric, the raincoat is nylon with a flannel lining.  I realize the design is not the most waterproof, but it doesn't really have to be.  I couldn't come up with a realistic scenario that would require him to endure pouring rain for more than 2 minutes.

Same pattern, just tweaked it a little by lengthening the body and foregoing the bottom trim.  I wish I had cut the material before purchasing the zipper, because it (the zip) ended up being too short.  To make up for that oversight, I added a snap closure.  Yes, I know I could have postponed finishing it in order to purchase a longer zipper, but....it was 11pm and I didn't want to stop on account of a technicality!

Besides, he'll grow out of it in two months and I'll have a chance to do it all over again!

Bonsai Bag

Looky, looky; something ELSE I've sewn from Made By Rae.  I think I may have an addiction...  

I really like this Bonsai Bag pattern because it involves very few pattern pieces to print and cut out.  Most of it is rectangles that you just measure out with a ruler!  It was a lot of fun to make, but alas....'tis not for me.  Another gift.  I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of my fabric choice when I got it all together, but it's starting to grow on me.  The recipient says she loves it, so I guess that's all that matters.

I really love these magnetic snaps; they're easy to install (haha....install) and look very polished.  I used them in another project that I will be posting soon!

Rowan and I are looking forward to spending the afternoon with a few mums and babies on this dreary, rainy day.  Have a great Monday!

Casserole Carrier

Wedding gift part two:

Evidently I wasn't phased by making 48 'Thank You' cards.  You know how I said I usually get my craft on during nap time and after Rowan is asleep?  Well, meet my first (and definitely not last) 12 - 2am project! I used the insulated casserole carrier tutorial at 2 Little Hooligans and followed the alterations as indicated by this post.

It may have been only a 12-1:30am project if I hadn't sewn the panels the wrong way.  That's what I get for sleep deprived sewing.  Regardless, it was a great project and I was very happy with the results.  All the sewing mavens out there should keep this one in mind for Mother's Day!

Now, I need your help.  I have 2m of a dark wash denim that I need to make into something.  It's taking up too much space in my fabric cupboard!   Unfortunately, it's too heavy for baby clothes....any ideas what I could make?

Thank You Cards

I'm going out on a limb here by assuming that my brother and sister-in-law have opened their wedding gifts.  It's been a few days since they've returned from their honeymoon...I think I'm safe :)

A month before the wedding, I asked Jess if there was anything in particular she needed gift-wise.  She asked me to make her some 'Thank You' cards.  Uhhhh, buying paper, ribbon, cuttlebug supplies, ink and an embossing tool for an actual purpose?!  SWEET BEANS!  I think it was my first guilt-free trip to the craft store ever.

I ended up making four different designs, 48 in total.  I thought if I just did one style I would get bored.  The 'thanks' lettering comes from the 'Olivia' alphabet set (by Provo Craft, aka Cuttlebug).  I found it on sale at Walmart and from what I gather, it's becoming hard to find.  I'm thinking Ebay or Amazon is your best bet to nab one.

I left the little embossed birdies blank in the event they don't need all the cards.  These little babies can be used as regular note cards. 

Oh man, I love my cuttlebug.  I used it to cut the 'thanks' lettering, flowers and decorative frame and emboss the paper.  *Sigh* that was a magical afternoon.

I think they took 4 days to complete (my concept of time is shot to hell) as I did most of my work during nap time and after R-man went to bed.  Two other things that helped: watching 'The Tudors' on Netflix and eating 'Toppables' crackers.  Ahhhhhhhh mat leave!

The Baby Holster

It's a little post today of a little sewing project I completed yesterday during nap time.

Up until now, I had been using the travel highchair to secure Mr. Monkey into this seat.  Not anymore! 

Am I crazy, or does this look like female reproductive organs? :)

I used part of the original as a template for the new highchair strap.  I bought the houndstooth fabric as a remnant a long time ago.  I didn't have a project in mind, I just thought it was so darn cool.

I could have used some fancy buckles or snaps, but I didn't care to put that much effort into it.  Plus, I only had an hour :)

Baby Holster Outtake

Wipes Clutch

Babies are messy creatures. 

Any excuse to plaster my son's image all over this blog!

As a (somewhat fashionable) mum, I am always looking for ways to make my life a little more glam.  Even the messiest chores can be spiffed-up with a little fabric and a hot glue gun.

I used a baby wipes clutch tutorial to transform a lackluster wipes case into a chic clutch.  It was so much fun to make, I thought I'd make another for a friend who is expecting her daughter any day now!

I was fortunate to receive stacks of hand-me-down wash cloths.  I use them in place of wipes at home, but for a while I was still buying the disposables for my diaper bag stash.  I discovered that these cases are roomy enough to hold five pre-moistened (I mix a drop of baby body wash with a cup of warm water) cloths!  Great for wiping bums but also handy for sticky fingers.  That's my little eco-friendly tip of the day :)

Yes, a wipes case needs bling.

 Wiping and diapering has never looked so stylish.