Baby Gift Of Choice

I've been avoiding the sewing machine since just after Christmas. I guess I traumatized myself with all the hand made gifts. Plus I finally got my desk clean and it pained me to think of cluttering it up again.  But today was a babyshower for the saint-of-a-relief-society-counselor that helps me so much with my calling.

I've decided my new go-to baby gift is to lend the mom-to-be my favorite sewing book and let her pick. That way, after my hours of work, I know she will love it, and there's still a little bit of surprise since I decide on the fabric.  So a couple of weeks ago I told her to pick something from the book and I sewed it up a couple of nights ago. She picked the best project in there, so I was excited.  And she's European and loves modern, so figuring out fabric was easy.

 The swaddler will be especially helpful if her little guy is anything like Esme. After a few weeks of life she started jolt herself awake with waving arms unless she was wrapped tight tight tight. The first time I made one of these she was 3 months old and strong enough to bust out of my tight double swaddle, so I was pretty frantic to get it done. This small contraption was in constant use and was critical for both of us to get good sleep, no matter how short the duration.

Wrapping gifts is very low, or not even on, my list of important things. I'm too practical, with money and time. So I used the spare brown paper that was inside a roll of Christmas paper and just sewed around the edges, which was easier than trying to form a shape of the soft contents and put tape who knows where.  Walking to the shower I started regretting it, imagining all the cutesy blue bags with fluffy tissue paper, but for some reason people raved about it. Who knew.

Esme's Quiet Book

I'm a week late, but happy with the result.  Little bit fun, little bit educational.

Decorate snowman, easter egg, and pumpkin with cutouts from pocket.
Looks like I need a carrot nose and coal eyes.  Expanded idea from here.

Cat and dog share a house, but not food. Thank you craft store for the cat/dog
cutouts.

Mini fishing game, super-strong magnets make it a little too easy.

Eyelets help the hands move and hopefully make it harder for them to get ripped off.

My favorite page.  Mama sits in a chair, 

reads baby a story, and puts her to bed.  Mama/baby copied from here.

Button flowers (I've still never sewn a button hole on the sewing machine).

Match shapes and snap on/off. 

Whoooo-Whooooo

Eli wants an owl for Christmas and has been into the bird/egg/nest idea. So I copied another idea from someone on Etsy. It was just too perfect. I added the little bark texture and a couple of wooden eggs. Brian says I should make these things to sell. Only problem...it took me so long I'd want to sell it for like $50. The lady on Etsy, only $30. A steal. Now I know.

Puppets!

So a couple of days ago my friend Wendy invited us to her girls' (twins) birthday party today. For gifts I like to ask what the birthday kids are into so my hard work is more likely appreciated. Even better, Wendy said she was making the girls a puppet theater for Christmas and that puppets would be good, so the girls get a present and mom can check a couple of things off her to-do list. I went to my favorite craft blog roundup and entered in "puppet" and found the best tutorial, stopped looking as soon as I found it.  The amazingly talented/creative lady at Just Another Day In Paradise put an Old McDonald Puppet tutorial for a competition. I love all the detail, even the back of the animals are fun.

Okay, gotta get ready for the party.

HeartFELT Christmas

Doubling my felt stash recently has got me downright giddy. The possibilities are endless. I'm trying to make most of my Christmas gifts and there are so many things to do with felt, I can't even pick which ornaments or colors for a garland.

Christmas preparation is in full swing around here, and I haven't even considered the Thanksgiving menu. I can't blame it on the music in the stores because it started before that.  The longer I'm a mom, the more I realize I must plan ahead. Start packing up an hour before I actually want to leave, brainstorm holiday projects months in advance. Or maybe it's just the cold weather. Whatever the cause, I've started, and the cute, easy things that can be done with felt are only fueling my early crafting. It doesn't take sewing skills or even a machine. Some needle, thread, inexpensive felt and I can work while Brian watches a movie. It still counts as husband time even if I'm sewing, right?

Well, here are my plans so far.

 For the visiting teachees (all 5 of them!) I'm thinking of making a poinsettia clip like this one that can decorate their hair, a shirt, or a gift.

Brian and I are both wishing he had an i-pad/book/phone/pod, me so I could whip up a cover for it. Better buy one so I can make a cool cover.  Nah. I'll just make a picture frame like this.

The kids will be the most work. Since Esme's favorite task at church is to empty all purses within her reach, I thought I'd sew her a little bag filled with purse-y things- keys, make-up mirror (obviously not in my bag, but), phone, and wallet complete with credit cards. I'm up for more ideas if anyone has any.  I guess the wallet will be the only felt thing inside since kids prefer real things, like an actual cell phones to a toy phone.
I love how the other moms are happy to let her dig through their bags and the ladies without kids guard their purses like she's going to steal/break everything inside. Hopefully her "first purse" will set them at ease.

Eli's list is long.  Well, it wasn't too long until he decided his toys wanted toys for Christmas. He was only going to require a toy owl (which I will copy this beautiful idea since he's obsessed with the bird, nest, egg idea), but then he came in with his stuffed mouse, then cat, then dog and asked each one what they want for Christmas. Luckily he translated for them and told me they each want a baby.  To add to the owl and mouse/dog/cat babies I'm including something I want him to have.

A mini baking set. I bought a several miniature baking supplies- bundt pan, tart pan, and 6 super-tiny ones for cupcakes and even a little wooden kitchenaid mixer. My first project, which I'm in the middle of is to make a little tart, cake, cookies and cupcakes for him to bake. So far the felt pear tart and sugar cookies are done.


Now for a lemon bundt cake.  Better get working. Precious double nap time is burning.  

Oh, and if anyone else wants to start a felt addiction, here's a good place to look:  Felt-o-rama.

Meet Sophie

Brian really wanted to name Esme Sophie. I just couldn't give in when it was on the top 10 list. The name of Esme's first doll counts for something, right?  We'll see what he says.

I've been excited about making it since I saw this tutorial months ago, I don't have serious style and sewing skills like that lady, but I tried.  I didn't even have to buy anything to make her, the gold dress came from a DI bed skirt whose center became those reusable produce bags months ago. I bet when she's a teenager she will be so annoyed with me wanting to make everything.

But on her first birthday she greeted her with several slobbery kisses and trying to pick her eyes off.  A good sign, since that's what she does (or tries to do) when she excitedly meets other babies.

Birthday Season

It starts soon, with Brian's birthday in a couple of weeks and ending in 2 months with Esme, most of my family members in between. It usually stresses me out, what to buy, what to sew, getting to the post office... in time. For some reason I have decided to start working on Esme's gift first. I'm just too excited about this tutorial and making Esme's first doll. I'd better get to it while the house is quiet.

When she's finished you'll have to help me pick a name.

My Kind of Scrapbooking

I just finished my first online photo book and can't wait for it to come in the mail. I'd been wanting to make Eli a felt alphabet book, but this is better. Faster, much, much faster and has pictures. Thanks Anna for the idea and coupon code to make it free. Next I want to do one with family members, since everyone lives so far away.

Click here to check it out.

Personalized Felt Memory Game

So last night I stayed up late making this (more cards inside the bag). Tonight is Eli's buddy's birthday party. A couple of days ago I looked on my new favorite blog for ideas. A Make Your Own Memory Game was perfect, especially since I'm always taking pictures. After some online and craft store searching, I came up empty-handed, so I had to invent my own version. With some wallet-sized prints, picasa to add words to the cover photo, heavy weight interfacing, felt ( love you felt), pinking shears, and two hours of sewing and cutting, Curt will have a memory game that brings back memories. How tender.

I was so excited I had to bring it up to Brian to see when I finished, whether I had to wake him or not. He's learning to be impressed by my creations and numerous uses for the snap machine I asked for. I'm just glad I finally came up with something on my own rather than needing a tutorial. I searched around this morning and found someone else had done something similar, except with the expense and trouble of printing photos on fabric. Ha!

I'm already brainstorming a churchy one to keep the boy occupied on Sundays, even going to temple square to take my own pictures. It would be convenient to run into the prophet.