Taggie Blanket

I made a cute blankie for the baby. It's a taggie blanket and I followed a tutorial on this website. One side is the Alexander Henry 2D Zoo fabric and the other side is a really soft green minky. Ribbons were sewn all around the outside. Final size is about 17 x 17. I guess babies like to play with the tags on these.

It turned out cute. I had a few errors, since this was the first one I made. I need to space the ribbons better near the corners. Two of them got sewn into the fabric. Next time it should go smoother. It was a really easy project. Think I'll make some more for baby gifts.

Rope Creations

I found these rope creations online, at Cowboy Up Originals, www.cowboyuporiginals.com. I got a rope name custom made for baby Colter and a custom rope of Korys parents brand (5/5). They turned out really neat! 

Baby's Room: Dresser/Changing Table and Crib

I am finally posting pics of Kory's dresser and crib (many have been requesting to see them). He did an amazing job. They are beautiful! He used white maple and put it together using glue and screws. I picked out the hardware for the drawers. 

This is how the tray attaches to the dresser. We can take the tray off when we no longer need it and we'll have just a dresser.

And here is the crib (notice Molly practicing her protective pose near it). Again, he used white maple, a lot of glue and mortise and tenon joints. It has three different heights that we will lower as the baby gets bigger. And it can be turned into a toddler bed and a full size bed headboard and footboard. 

Also, notice the cute baby mobile. It is the one I registered for $40. I got it from someone on craigslist.org for $15 and it is in great condition. Also, got an almost new bumbo seat for $10 ($40 in stores). I'm addicted to craigslist!

Now all he has left to do is build a bookshelf and a couple of other wall decor projects.

Baby's Room: Valence, Fitted Sheet and Changing Tray Cover

I finished a few projects for the baby's room this weekend. Yeah! Kory had requested a cover to go in the changing table tray to protect the wood from things such as wipes and lotions. So I whipped up this placemat-like thing using left-over red horsehoe fabric on one side and part of a light blue towel on the other. I like the color combination. Perhaps I will try to use some of the rest of it to make burp cloths and similar items.

Also, I finished the fitted sheet. I used the same blue (bandana-like) flannel as on the valence. I mostly used this tutorial. It turned out just slightly too short for my liking. The tut calls for 45'' fabric, but this flannel was only 42''. It still fits. It was very easy to make; although I had to learn to pin the elastic in the encasing before sewing it shut (lost it a couple of times and had to rethread it).

And I finished the ties for the valence. I'm not sure I'm satisfied with the results of the valence. I think either the whole thing needs to be raised higher or I need to make it shorter on the current rod. It covers too much of the big window (5 feet wide). Hopefully, when Mom is out next year she can help make any modifications. Until then, I'll call it done!

We're almost finished with the baby's room. Clothes are washed and put away. Still need to make room in the kitchen for bottles and such. The only sewing left to do is a quilt bedspread, but he won't need that until at least another year. A taggy blanket (which I will be making soon using a yard of the 2D Zoo fabric). And any burp cloths, booties, bibs or similar items.

Sneak Peak: Baby's Room

Here is a sneak peak at the finished crib, crib skirt, fitted sheet, and w-i-p dresser.

I've been asked to show what the crib looks like now that it is done. I can't get a good picture of it yet, because Kory hasn't moved out the twin bed that is in the baby's room and it is on it's side in front of the crib. But you can get a nice side view of it.

I finished the crib skirt. It is hard to see in the picture, since we have the frame at the highest point. I made it to fit when the frame is at the bottom, since it probably won't be up that high for too long. And on top of the skirt lays the fitted sheet. No mattress yet, still need one.

And here's a picture of the unfinished dresser and changing tray (in background). It's looking good! Notice how there are no cars in the garage? Yes, Kory has taken over and thinks the garage is his workshop. As if!

Also, I'm throwing in an exciting picture of a week night in the life of Kory and Molly. Enjoy!

Vintage Sheet Swap: RETURNS!

I'm so excited! I got back the vintage sheets from the swap yesterday. I sent 22 fat quarters (see bottom picture) to Gail and got back 22 different fat quarters (see top picture). They are great; my favorite is the third down on the left side. Now I need to figure out what I'm going to do with them. It will probably have to wait until I get the baby bedding finished. One idea is to make a quilt for the guest room bed. Although I may want to start smaller with something like a table runner.

Gail also included these cute flower straight pins. Cute!

Sneak Peak: Baby Crib

Here is a sneak peak at the crib Kory has been building. It is almost done! Just have to stain and varnish all four pieces and put them together. Kory has been working on it since August I think, in his spare time after work and on weekends. It is going to be gorgeous!

Next up he is going to build a dresser/changing table. And hopefully he will have time for a bookshelf. This baby is going to have nicer furniture than anywhere else in our house!

Another Bolster Pillow

This one was made for Rachel for her birthday last month (Sept. 24). I made the same pillow as I did last year for myself, since we have the same bedding set (not shown here - that is my summer coverlet). I think the one on the bottom in the picture is for her and the other is my old one. This time it was a little easier to make and it turned out slightly nicer. I used a brown/blue patterned fat quarter for the outside and brown velvet for the round sides. I used matching brown/blue fringe on the ends. Also, I added a zipper.

Baby Bedding

I decided I'm going to try to make the baby bedding. I couldn't decide between two themes: zoo or cowboy. I found the following VERY cute fabrics. Both are designer fabrics - Alexander Henry "2D Zoo" and Michael Miller "Little Cowpokes", so I thought I was only going to be able to find them online or at an expensive quilt store. Last weekend I stopped by Hobby Lobby and there was the Little Cowpokes fabric, along with a red horseshoe and blue bandana fabric, for only $7.99/yard with 30% off! That, along with finding rope names online, helped me to decide to go with the cowboy theme. A quilt store close by is getting in the 2D Zoo fabric - not sure how much it is going to cost, so I will probably use that for other stuff, like a boppy pillow cover.

Crazy Monkeys!

Another cute baby gift - bib, burp cloths, and booties. Plus a t-shirt for little boy Brady (see my iron-on onesies post). These gifts are going to Tracia in Iowa, my friend from college. I chose monkeys, because she really likes them. She can even do a great monkey impression! Tracia is due in early October. I'm sending it sooner than that, because I can't wait to give it to her and I need to start focusing on my own baby stuff sewing. I'm considering doing the bibs different next time; not sure flannel is the best material. I think using something more water and food proof, like vinyl, might be better. I'll have to look for cute fabric in such material.

Cute Onesies

I came across some cute custom onesies on etsy.com and made my own. I designed the graphics in Illustrator and printed to iron-on paper. I'm still figuring out the best ironing pressure and time. These three are going to Haley, granddaughter of my friend at work Carol. I will be making more of these for our little guy!

Here is the other iron-on I did. This one was shipped to Brady, son of my friend Tracia (along with a baby gift for her soon-to-be little one). Tracia is a photographer BTW.
(I did a clipping path - removed the background - on the picture of this shirt)

Vintage Sheet Swap

A few weeks ago, I found a neat quilt made out of vintage sheets on this blog. After I found a couple of sheets and pillow cases at Goodwill, Jen sent me a link she found to a vintage sheets swap hosted by blogger Gail. I was late on her deadline to enter, but she was kind to let me still join. I went this weekend to Savers and Goodwill, and found a few more sheets and pillow cases. I have seven different patterns I found and I was able to cut 22 fat quarters (18'' x 22'') to enter in the swap. After I mail them to Gail, I will get back 22 different sheets from other swappers. I better get them mailed out soon, her deadline is August 31!

Kory the Cover Model

Kory has secretly been moonlighting as a cover model, err... more like a model for a product my company sells, Remover Magic Graffiti Remover. A few months ago, his job site got tagged, so we donated some product and went to do a before and after photo shoot. Since then we have been using some of the photos in our marketing, such as on our website. Today as I work on the 2009 catalog, I have replaced an older photo of Denver's Graffiti Doctor with Kory's photo. Below is another shot.

Party Dress

Months ago, I decided it would be fun to make a dress for a wedding I was invited to happening in August. I used Simplicity pattern 3529 and periwinkle satin crepe from Joanns (on sale $2.99/yard). Well, it turned out to not be very fun to make. Cutting the pieces out was fine. Sewing the sides together was fine. But figuring out the directions for the yolk neck were difficult for me. They weren't specific enough and I couldn't figure out what they were trying to explain. Eventually I gave up on using them and figured out how to do it my own way. The bottom hem didn't turn out even, so I had Kory help me to shorten the back side. It did turn out decent and Kory didn't think anyone would notice I had made it. So much for Simplicity patterns being 'simple'.

Urban Farmer Website

www.urbanfarmerinc.com

I redesigned the website for Urban Farmer, a landscape company where Nicole and Chris work. Big improvement, it looks really good! Wish I had a before to show, but we put the new site up over it. I built the new website using Dreamweaver and even added parts that were created in Flash.

Cowboy Hat Rack

Here is a hat rack Kory recently made. He mounted welded horseshoes onto a piece of oak. Too bad we don't have much of an entryway in our current house. So it went in the bedroom. Didn't know I was going to be having a cowboy themed bedroom :-)

Bridal Shower

Here is a little invitation I put together for the bridal shower of Marcia's friend (and mine) that she knows from work. I designed this in Illustrator as a representation of an invite Marcia found.

I'm giving Laura some wine with bride and groom wine bottle covers. No, I didn't make theses ones. They were my back-ups in case the ones I made for Janelle's bridal shower gift didn't turn out.

Company Picnic Invites

Here is this year's invitation for Marcia's company's picnic that I put together. I usually do the invitation every year for them. I picked out a few design schemes and this is the one they liked best. The others used stock illustrations from one of my favorite sites istockphoto.com. However, this one I found on an invitation website and recreated it.

I designed the map for the back of the invitation in Illustrator using a map from mapquest.com.

Laundry Room Addition

Kory put up shelves in the laundry room. There was an empty wall with lots of space. He put up a laminated counter that he put together himself from two sheets of particle board covered with laminate. We had picked up a swatch months ago that would compliment the tan walls, but when he went to buy it a few weeks ago he forgot the swatch and picked out a totally different one. It's green and brown instead of tan shades. I think it looks like puke. Oh well, too late.

He also put up a few shelves in the corner where I can contain my sewing materials that have been overflowing in my sewing table (fabric, batting, etc.). On the side of those shelves, he designed a hanging contraption that I use for drying items such as bras and panties. Finally, he put up a closet rod. Not sure I have any use for that right now, but it is good to have.

Kory did a great job!

Baby Lucas

Over the long weekend, I put together another baby gift set. This one is for my cousin Cory and his girlfriend Jamie. She had Lucas William yesterday, May 28.

I made (2) burp cloths, a bib, baby shoes and a card. I used patterned and polka dot flannel. I used jean fabric on the bottom of the shoes again. I just love those little shoes!

Potatoe & Onion Bin

Kory made us a potatoe & onion bin! It turned out really neat. I think he should start selling them. Although he will need to buy cheaper wood than was used on this one, if we want to make a profit. I do not have any technical details about it, other than he used a food safe sealant, the hardware took a few months to get delivered and the front doors have mesh fronts.


On the lid, I made a graphic, printed it out backwards on paper and used my Walnut Hollow® Creative Versa-Tool™ to transfer/burn the design directly onto the wood. It's a neat concept, but I didn't like the burn smudges it made.

P.S. We both like Potatoes being spelled with an 'e'.

Hot Mamas!

I made hot pads for the moms (Kory's and mine), a house and an apple. Guess who gets which one? I got inspiration for these Mother's Day gifts from a really cool website: Patchwork Pottery. Specifically the pear hotpad.

These were my attempt at learning patchwork quilting, free-motion sewing and binding without making a huge thing like a quilt. The patchwork was fun. On the windows of the house, I used the close-together satin stitch. After buying a darning free-motion foot and learning you have to set the dial to 0, it was smooth sailing on the free-motion designs. For the binding, I bought a bias tape maker to make my own out of fabric. Still not brave enough to try the better-looking, harder way of attaching binding. I used a zig-zag stitch on the edge.

I made greeting cards to go along with the hot pads from the scraps.

Bliss Quilt

This gorgeous quilt was made for the grandaughter of a friend at work. It was mostly made by Jen, but she gave me credit on her label. While she taught me about quilting, all I did was help arrange the squares and some ironing. The rest was done by her: sewing, binding, batting, etc. It turned out really cute and even made the proud grandma cry!