A favorite handmade gift for baby

My mom and grandma refer to babies as "little bits".  I love making these bibs as gifts for new babies and their mamas.  It's my Buster Bib pattern in the small size. (Sorry, I'm not currently selling anything right now.)

Sweetheart Placemats Tutorial + Real Napkins

 Here's my latest "late, but at least I finished it", gift.

We had several weddings that we were invited to over Christmas...{I told you I was late}...and I finally got their gifts made and in the mail.  I thought a romantic evening at home would be more fun with pretty placemats and napkins, and this is the result.  Feel like making some too?

Mom's Go Anywhere Bag

Sorry for the unintended absence.  Work related travel + diabetes = life totally out of kilter for at least two weeks.

Getting back to my homemade Christmas gift parade, I am so excited to show you my mom's tote bag.

Travel Organizer for the Auto

My brother and his wife have several extended travel plans this coming year, and asked for something to help keep the back seat tidy for their Christmas gift.  This is what I came up with:

New Sewing Tips for Banners or Bunting

My brother married his sweetheart last week, hence the quiet here for the last few days.  I wanted to make a  "Love @ Home" banner for them as part of our gift.

Since I first published my Birthday Banner Tutorial, I've had some readers ask about interfacing, turning and topstitching.  The following are my tips and tricks for making a reversible, topstitched banner.

Four

Dolly celebrated her fourth birthday yesterday. She is such a joy to our family.

We had promised her that we'd celebrate her birthday in the new house...and we made it happen!

Hooray for teachers.

The school year is done, just as work on our house accelerates to the finish.  Not much of a vacation for the kiddos, but I don't feel too bad...they were able to go to Disneyland!  I did want to do a little something special for their teachers to express my gratitude for a great school year.

I'm so thankful for free printables and great tutorials...they made whipping these gifts up much simpler.

Mixing Bowl Cover + curvy sewing tips

My Sister-in-law requested a mixing bowl cover for her birthday.  She sent me a photo via Pinterest of what she had in mind.

Out of respect for the etsy seller and originator of this idea, I won't post a full tutorial, but I did want to share one tip that helped me make a casing around the edge of a circle.

Black Apple Doll

Yesterday my younger son came home from kindergarten and announced he needed to give a gift to his friend.  A friend that's a girl who had birthday this week.

As this was such a rare request from my son, I thought it might be best to comply with such noble desires.

Valentine's Charms Tutorial + Template

I haven't sewn much since Christmas...house building and all.  But today (yes it was today) I wanted to make something lovey dovey.  Similar to the Love Where You Live Ornament, these little beauties are a combination of applique, embroidery, and scraps.  Would you believe these are made with used canning lids?

I thought these would look really fun hanging from a branch or in a shadowbox frame.  Maybe next year.  The best part is that if you sew much and ever home can, you probably everything you need to make these right now.  Want to whip some up for your family?

A Commission from Santa

And I'm back.  We've been SO busy framing our house. I'll share details later this week.  I thought I'd kick off the handmade gift parade with a special commission I received from Santa.  Dolly received a cute little Calico Critters raccoon family that her mama had as a child.  This little family needed a home...and Santa asked me to make it.

The Joy of Giving

As I've done previously, I help my kids make Christmas gifts for each other.  I want them to enjoy the idea of doing something for someone else...even if it's just a simple idea.  This year, we made personal toothbrush holders.

I was inspired by this darling washcloth toothbrush holder from Train to Crazy.

Source: thetraintocrazy.com via Chris on Pinterest

Faux Chenille Blanket (don't peek, Dad!)

Just like a kid peeking at Christmas gifts, I can't help myself but show off one of the gifts I've made for Christmas this year.  Dad...you can officially close your browser.  No peeking!

There have been several excellent tutorials on how to create a faux chenille look.  Dana's Chenille Blanket is excellent, as is Jessica's awesome chenille scarf.  I've known about this technique for a long time.  My mom made Big Sister a chenille blanket for her first Christmas, and another beautiful one when we were expecting Little Boy.  The amazing thing...my mother cut all that fabric BY HAND.

Love Where You Live Ornament Tutorial

I'm so excited to share this ornament tutorial as part of Gwen's Haul Out The Holly party.





Each year we give our children Christmas ornaments, just as my parents did for me.  Because of this tradition, after we were married, Mr. Pickup and I had a box of ornaments to decorate our tree with. I wanted to give our children the same gift.  I don't always make the ornaments, but I try to if possible.

With all the moving we did this year, and some darling state related ideas I'd seen by KoJo Designs (via Little Miss Momma) and in this Sew Mama Sew post, I wanted to do something to commemorate the two places we lived in Idaho this year.

Hooter Hider for my friend

I have a dear friend, whom I'm so excited to be living close by to again.  She's down to earth, creative, and a fabulous hostess.  After four beautiful, wonderful daughters, they are having a baby boy join their family next month.  I asked her what she needed for her baby or herself, and she suggested a hooter hider.  Her husband is SO excited to have a boy, and doesn't want anything pink or purple touching his son...so a more neutral fabric was needed.  I had just the thing...some Joel Dewberry Ginseng  home decor fabric in twill.

Three

My Baby is now three (here she is at two).  What a joy she is for our family.  My nicknames for her are "dolly" or "monk" (short for monkey).
Baby is a sensitive soul and liberally bestows the balm of love and kisses on her family.  I have been the beneficiary of hearing "I nuff you, mom" daily.  Baby prances and dances through her day.  She loves to read and be read to, declaring every book her favorite.  She has discovered simple jigsaw puzzles, and enjoys coloring immensely.  She loves her baby dolls, and enjoys dressing and feeding her charges.  She is also our little drill sergeant.  She is quick to tell everyone what to do, and how to do it.  We're trying to discourage this tendency...but it is funny to hear a tiny voice encouraging me to speed up, slow down, or stop from the back seat as I drive around during errand day.

For her birthday I made both her and her dolly a new dress.

Up-cycling with Applique

It's been busy around here. Preparing for company (more on the reason later!), and getting gifts ready to send back with our guests to distribute to others.

I wanted to show you a way to make something new out of something gently used...applique.
First example, this changing pad.

Valentine's Cuties

I totally forgot to post these. A few of you asked what I put in those Valentine's pouches. I made four little coin purses, using Anna's fabulous Lil' Cutie Tutorial. I love that pattern!

I was keeping to things I had on hand, and so no key chain fob, but I did applique a little heart inside each of them.

Now each child has a place to corral their loose cash. Between birthdays, they generally carry more cash on hand than I do.

Sharing with Along for the Ride, and Tatertots and Jello.

Valentines Bookmarks

Since making the Valentines Pouches, I got into a small panic about what to put inside.  The budget wouldn't let me go out and purchase a bunch of stuff...nor do I want to give my kids a bunch of crap stuff to just toss later.  I ran across this site via One Pretty Thing, and knew I had to try their bookmark idea.  My oldest girl is a voracious reader, and we require  encourage all of our kids to read daily.  Bookmarks were a perfect fit.

I whipped these up tonight after the kids went to bed.  I used gray felt with maroon for my boys.  I thought adding the white cross-stitches made them look masculine.  

I pinked the edges of my girls' bookmarks.  The center is sewn on with jumbo french knots, made with four-ply floss.

 

I think I'll add a few more little handmade goodies, like hair clips and goodie bags.  I also plan on writing notes.  My kids had a ball on Tuesday writing notes to each other.  They actually used up a whole notepad, and filled the pouches! 

If you've made Valentines pouches, what types of things are you putting into them?


UPDATE:
Here's my big girl...her bookmark has already found a place to keep.

Sharing with:
Kojo Designs, Freckled Laundry, Creation Corner, Tatertots and Jello, and Treasurista's Treasures. 

Christmas PJs

I wanted to show off the pajamas my kiddos opened up Christmas Eve.

First up, for Big Brother, I altered a pair of his dad's flannels for him.  I realized that all of a sudden, he's growing up and not into robot themed fabric.


Using a pair of his jeans as a guide, I cut the outer and inner seams to match the jeans (with seam allowance.)  Since the elastic was sewn in, all I had to do was resew the leg seams, and add a new hem.  Simple refashion.  I later found a t-shirt on clearance that was the perfect match.

Last summer when fabric.com was having their Westminster fabric blow out, I purchased the floral fabrics and cute robot design (all designed by David Walker).  I later snagged some coordinating flannel.  For my little kiddos, I used McCall's #M4643.  I was in a hurry, and picked it out because it called for all woven fabric.  I haven't gotten over my knit fabric scare quite yet.  I love the ruffle hems on the girly version, made with the main fabric for Big Sister's pjs.

This pattern ran really big, (disappointment #1), and I didn't realize at first that the shoulder seams close with velcro (disappointment #2).  I ran out of time, and had to use what I had, so I went ahead and made them as the pattern described.  I think if I try it again, I'll close one shoulder, and add buttons instead to the other.  Thankfully my kids don't mind much.  I also (being in a hurry) didn't pay attention to the direction of the fabric, and the robots are upside down.  At least he can look down and they are right side up.  Hopefully next Christmas we won't have recently moved.  On the positive, the pattern does also include a cute robe.  Maybe I'll try some later on.

For big Sis, I used McCall's 5744.  I actually really liked this design with the wrap front.  Next time, I will be making the top a little higher, and add a little circle of velcro to keep things closed.  I modified the front seam slightly so that the seam where the upper bodice and lower bodice meet is encased completely in the bias tape, so there are no unfinished seams on the inside.  This pattern also has a nightgown version which I will be making this summer.  The bias tape was made with the main fabric in Baby's.

It was a lot of work, with mixed results this year.  Maybe next year I'll not worry about making pajamas and try to find some on sale.

Sharing with:
Polly Want A Crafter, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, and Blue Cricket Design.