Raggy Quilt

I have been wanting to make one of these for a while because they are a quick and easy project. Yesterday we decided to take the kids to the park but it started raining on the way and ended up in Warrnambool so I dropped into Spotlight. They had a sale on Flanalette so I decided to stock up. I made do with what they had though for this quilt, there wasn't a very big range. Ideally I would have only used two or three prints and then used solid colours but there was heaps of prints and hardly any suitable solid colours left so I just sort of grabbed a range of prints in different sizes and colours.

I made the quilt for my new little bub that is likely to arrive late June and Im glad I did it for her. The squares did take a while to cut out, a couple of hours,  the total sewing time was about two to three hours but it didnt help that the thread in my machine kept snapping. I should have invested in some better quality cotton. The seam snipping would have taken forever except I bought myself a pair of little scissors with a spring that made the job really quick, probably about 30 minutes, so overall a very quick and easy project! I didnt use any batting though, I just kept it more as a throw over quilt that can be used in the cot or on the floor as a rug and as she gets bigger its the perfect size for snuggling up on the couch in front of the TV.

I used a few different tutorials to figure out the best way to make it, if you want to have a try THIS is a good one. She doesn't quilt the squares though like I did.

Im going to make a few more of these as I have lots of friends having babies in the next few months. I might try a quilting shop though for some more flanalette options though.

With the left over fabric from the quilt I made I am going to make a Bunting for the nursery to hang on the wall above the cot. That will be in my next post.

Bibs Bibs Bibs!!!!

Im obsessed with bibs at the moment. My life currently revolves around them, choosing them, washing them, changing them...so many bibs! I have at least 80 of them, probably more. Some I never use until the pile is low, some I use the minute they are clean, some I use for going out, some I use for staying in, some are small just to catch the dribbles, some are so huge that they get in the way when Elyssa tries to feed herself. Some are plastic backed, most arent. So what do I decided to do? Make more bibs!

Crazy, I know, but all these bibs are stressing me out because I never seem to be able to find a bib that will do everything I want. Last year I adapted a bib pattern to make some dribble bibs and Im still happy with these but now I want some bibs that will cope with the food onslaught. I am so sick of having to change Elyssas entire outfit because there is pumpkin all over it and Im also sick of seeing her covered in pumpkin when I don't bother changing the entire outfit!! I went looking on Etsy and madeit.com and found some designs I liked but realistically I need at least nine, but probably twelve, of the things and at over $10 each thats just a bit crazy. So I decided to once again make my own! The beauty of this is that I can design the ultimate bib to suit a particular purpose.

I want a bib for each meal that covers Elyssa almost all over, is still a bit fitted so that it doesn't get in the way of her hands and food and that is easy to get on and off...so I drafted a pattern that I think fits all of the above. I then made nine! They aren't all finished yet, I have to put either snaps or velcro on them all yet but I have completely finished one and this is it!

The Back

It Fits!

The Ultimate Test

It Works!

I made these bibs out of old towels and material from my stash. Im thinking of going all out and buying some bamboo terry and making some really good dribble/reflux bibs. See? Im obsessed. I think it comes with having a reflux baby. Chloe hardly ever wore a bib, she never even really dribbled. Little Elyssa always has something coming out of her! Next Im going to make some sleeve covers, probably like baby legs.

More Patterns!!

After writing my sewing list yesterday my mother in law came down for a visit with a big tub of the patterns she used to use for making her kids clothes. My favourite was definitly an Enid Gilchrist sewing book, probably from about the 1950's. I was so excited that despite having a headache and it being ten o'clock I got drafting! I decided to do a bib first so it would be quick. I chose a design with a tie under the arm as well as around the neck. The best part about it all was then being able to alter the pattern to your own design as your were drawing it up. I made it a bit smaller and would probably make it even smaller still. I also made mine so the ties meet the top ties so you only have to tie it once. I didn't have any bias binding so I made mine with two layers, I used an old table cloth for the absorbant side and a nice print for the back. I made the ties out of the print as well. At the end I decided the front was boring so I put a square applique on which is probably going to end up stained with pumpkin but thats ok with me! Overall it was a good first try and filled in an hour!

Silkie for Ely

This was meant to be another Chrissy present for Ely but I decided to get rid of her dummy yesterday and she has struggled a bit today. I decided to give her this a week early to give her something in place of her dummy. I think she is going to be a thumb sucker like her sister. I used my fav bunny rug and a piece of satin lining, sewed them together, turned it out and topstitched all the way around and through the middle.

Taggie Blanket

I made a taggie blanket for Elyssa for Christmas using this tutorial. I did mine a bit differently. I sewed together three bits of different textured materials from my stash. This is an easy project but not a quick one. It did take a while to pin on all of the ribbons! I can't wait to give it to Ely to see if she takes to it or not. Bring on Christmas!!

Sewing Nappies!

As I am pregnant and having a bit of a rough time with high blood pressure and feeling unwell, I have been trying to take it easy. Instead of getting the 'nesting' urge to clean the house I have been really motivated to sew. I got my machine out for the first time in a couple of years and searched the net for instructions. I found this pattern. I made some alterations to it because I wanted it to be really trim and I suspect my bub will be a small one. I searched the house for scraps of material that would be suitable as an absorber and found some old towels, bunny rugs and flat cloth nappies. I followed the directions to make the nappies and really impressed myself, particularly with sewing the elastic. I didn't bother putting any hook and loop on it as the covers will hold it closed! Ive put up a pic of my efforts....Now I just need to buy some cute wrap covers.

Reflux, Bibs and Spew Cloths

I have the messiest baby. Whatever I put in her, alot of it comes back up. I have decided that since I constantly have to have a cloth of some sort within arms reach they may as well look pretty. Plus, if friends are giving her a cuddle its nice to be able to give them something cute to hold as well as my bub! rather than a dirty old stained bib. I found this tutorial and adapted it slightly to make the burp cloths. I cut the cloth nappies into quarters so they are a more manageable size. I also used old bunny rugs from the op shop to make them look pretty. Im also working on some small dribble bibs. I don't want bibs that will fall over her face or get in the way of her hands. I just traced a bib, altered it so it didn't hang as low, cut out two pieces of material from scraps in my stash and sewed them together, turned it out and top stitched around the edge. I have put ribbon on them as a temporary solution until I can buy some hook and loop.