Winners!

There were so many great suggestions - thanks everyone! Some of them that I really liked were already taken, but I really like the one that I settled on - Our Busy Little Bunch. I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to stay similar to my old title, but well, it just works! So I'll be switching everything in the next little while and my new blog header is in the works!


The winners are . . .
Misty Creek (for being the first to suggest the new name) and
Mary Janes and Galoshes (by random number)


Thanks to everyone for participating! If you'd like one of these bags for yourself, check out the tutorial - it's a quick and rewarding project!

May Giveaway Day - Rename My Blog!

It's the "Sew Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day!" My giveaway is for a reuseable shopping bag that nicely folds and snaps up into a little pouch that can be thrown in your bag or purse (tutorial found here). What I'm asking for in return is a new name for my blog!

Here's some facts to help you out:

- this started as a family blog

- it's evolved a bit to include my sewing and quilting projects

- and since we now have a son, the pink has got to go!

I'll be drawing two names on May 20. One bag will go to the first person that suggests the name I choose and the second will be a random number winner. So you get two chances to win one!

Thanks for helping me out! Will ship to US or Canada.

a Summer outfit for Alyssa . . .

So I got in the sewing room quite a few times this week - yay! And made a new Summer outfit for Alyssa. Once again, I was a pattern tester for the Handmade Dress and this is the new Miss Olivia Paige pattern for the top and the Miss Claire pattern for the skirt. The red sunflower fabric had been sitting in my stash for probably ten years and the yellow fabric was from a box of fabric that was donated to me by a thoughtful aunt. I think this outfit is so stinkin' cute and my little girl was more than happy to wear it until bedtime (which is a big thing around here, because she usually changes back into her pajamas every time we turn around, or walks around in her underpants).

I'm linking this to Sew and Tell Friday. Go there to find some sewing inspiration!

Miss Mary dress (again) . . .

So this is my second time with this pattern from the Handmade Dress and I was a little more creative this time ~ mostly due to the fact that I only had one yard of the Andalucia fabric and made a couple dumb mistakes with my cutting (I shouldn't cut late at night). I love the way it turned out, my favorite part is the ruffle along the neckline and most importantly, she loves it!
I'm linking this to Sew and Tell Friday. Go there to find some sewing inspiration!

Janome felting machine . . .

Some time ago, I came across the ReVamp contest hosted by Janome. The idea was to submit pictures of something you turned from unuseable to useable. Since I already had the pictures on my computer, I uploaded before and after pictures of a ladies blouse that I turned into a baby doll top. I had made this some time ago and Alyssa's worn it many times.

So I had forgotten about this contest up until a month ago, when I was contacted by Janome to let me know that I'd won a judges choice award! And last week a beautiful new Janome felting machine was delivered to my door!

I've played with this machine a little bit and the idea is that it meshes fabrics or fibers together. I experimented on a pair of jeans (that Elayna refused to wear) by putting ribbon above the hem and punching it from the top side. Then I cut some different shapes of fabric and punched them through from the wrong side. It's definitely a fun machine to work with and so easy to use because there's no thread, bobbin, or even tension, just needles punching anywhere you choose. I hope to get better at this and use it more often for embellishing. I think it would also work great for patching up holes in the knees of kids jeans, but in a fun way. And even though I need a lot more improving in this skill, Elayna loves the jeans now. :)

hooded baby towels . . .

So I was in need of a gift for our sweet new niece and since she already has enough quilts, I went to Etsy for inspiration - after finding over 1000 listings for hooded baby towels, I headed to our local fabric store's sale for some terry cloth and flannel. These came together super easy and there was just enough fabric to get out some matching washcloths. And I think this is my first sewing project for Justin since he's been born, so it was about time!

a bit of sewing . . .

I managed to get in the sewing room today to work on a birthday present for one of Elayna's friends. It's a little art tote, filled with gel pens, pencil crayons, markers, stickers and pads of paper. Elayna loves it and we hope the birthday girl does too.

annual quilt retreat . . .

Last weekend was our second annual quilt retreat. The organizers did a fantastic job again, the food was yummy, and the group of ladies was fun. It is so inspiring to see what others are working on and such a treat to have time away from all the mommy-duties for a day (although I did take Justin along, but he was very well behaved). I managed to get a baby quilt top done (which I'll finish up before I post it) and this quilt top for Elayna's bed.

how far this cloth diapering thing has come . . .

So this is my post to admit that yes, Justin is a full-time cloth-diapered baby. I haven't bought disposable dipes for him for about three months - and I still have a handful left from that last package. (I do make the exception that I still put him in our church nursery with disposables on Sundays and for Tuesday morning bible study).

I still find the whole cloth-diapering thing a little out of my comfort zone; my circle of friends and family does not include many that have tried it. Thankfully there's a lot of online sites like DiaperSwappers and personal blogs that offer reviews and advice. And I never cloth-diapered my girls so this is all new to me, but it was my baby that made me decide this - not the "green" factor, or even the money saving factor; those just both came as bonuses along the way. And I'm excited to report that Justin hasn't had any diaper rashes or eczema on his belly in months now!

So, just for fun, here's a pic of my "stash" to show you what's in our rotation right now. Most of these were bought new and a handful are from DiaperSwappers.

first row - Fuzzi Bunz one-size pocket dipes (except the dark blue one is a size medium)

second row - two bumgenius one-size pockets, and three bumgenius one-size organics

third row - red and green are size medium Thirsties (bought for half price on a daily deal at babyhalfoff.com), two Crazy Critters size large in ooga print, and a Mommy's Touch one size in Dump Truck print

fourth row - these are Alyssa's - two pull on Kushies trainers, and three size large Fuzzi Bunz

*picture of Justin at top of post - TwinkleToes one-size in blue flame print

I do want to say that the dipes I use are EASY - I'm not really interested in folding or pinning, or even putting covers over top of fitted diapers. So there are more options to be more frugal or natural than the way that I've been doing this.

And I've been trying to convert Alyssa to cloth-diapering with very little success. She is so against it, that even after getting some special purple ones just for her, she refuses to wear them. Hopefully if I keep persisting, she'll just decide to potty-train instead. This is a pic of her during the ten minutes that I got her to wear one today (I'm pinning her legs down).

little aprons . . .

Chantel is going to a birthday party today and was quite impressed with this little apron for the birthday girl. I used this tutorial, only I put elastic in the neck strap so it can just slip over their heads. She was pretty excited when she woke up this morning to one wrapped up for her friend, and one for her. One of my new goals is to make something for the girls just as often as I give things away - and that way I can enjoy them too!

No-sew block swap . . .

Recently, I participated in my first online quilt block swap. I loved that this one was a "sew it yourself" swap since different machines and quilters use slightly different seam allowances. I just got my box of blocks today and a sweet little tissue holder from the host as well. Kathleen definitely went above and beyond with the organizing, and filling in for the blocks that were no-shows. I'm looking forward to sewing up all the beautiful bits of fabrics I received! Here's the block that I contributed, it's called a Twisting Star.

a pattern review . . .

I got the opportunity to be a pattern tester for the Handmade Dress again. This time the pattern was called Miss. Mary (now available in her shop) and it's a wrap-style. I found some fabric in my stash and made one for Elayna in a size 6. I really love the fit and style of how this turned out! The instructions were super easy to follow and I love the way the pattern gives instruction on how to finish everything off nicely. When Brad saw the dress he called it "the dress every Daddy wants to see their little girl wearing" - it's modest but still pretty. Elayna loved it and said it was very comfortable. I'm planning to make some Sunday dresses for the girls with this pattern, but to add some trim and more colorful fabrics to give it a different look.

Craft Hope quilt . . .

After the earthquake in Haiti a few weeks ago, an organization called Craft Hope opened an etsy shop and started accepting donations from crafters around the world. All proceeds from the sales are going to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. Their initial goal of raising $5000 has been smashed and they have raised in excess of $27,000!

So on to my contribution . . . this is a quilt top that I had pieced some time ago but never finished off. The fabric line is Heather Ross’s West Hill collection (Matryoska Dolls and Floral Stripe). I had actually won this fabric off someone's blog, and the fabric that I used for the backing and binding was bought with a gift certificate that I had also won from an online sewing contest. I had forgotten how soft this fabric is and really enjoyed playing with it again as I quilted it and added the binding. The quilt got listed last night on the Craft Hope etsy shop and was purchased this morning.I'm linking this to Sew and Tell Friday. Go there to find some sewing inspiration!

stacking coins . . .

So I had a bunch of scraps left over from Alyssa's quilt, scraps from clothes I've made for the girls, and a stack of charms that I had won online. So what better way to show them all than in a rug and curtains for Alyssa's room? Here's two variations of a stacked coin design.For the rug, some woven material on sale at our local fabric store was pieced with the cottons for the top, the woven material was used again for the backing, and a rubber material stitched to the back so it wouldn't slide around.For the curtains, a solid white cotton was used with the charms, and a blackout material for the backing.And voila! A fun coordinating room that she won't outgrow too soon (aside from the toddler bed). Now to work on those bare walls . . .

some sewing . . .

A little while ago I had the priviledge of being a pattern tester for The Handmade Dress. The pattern is called Miss Alice and is now available for sale. I made a size 5 with the intention of giving it to Chantel. It was a very quick and easy pattern. I really love the style of the yoke and think it's just a great touch. The dress is quite long with the intention of being modest and after I completed it - I thought that it better suited Elayna. But my girls are more of skirt and pants kinda girls and their Sunday dresses are often more dressy than this. So after I had taken some pics of it on Elayna, I shortened the length, removed the belt, and made a pair of matching narrow pants; and now we have another school outfit for Chantel. I added the rutching to the side of the pants and a raw applique as an after-thought (had I thought it out before-hand, I would've done the applique first and added more of the flowers and a butterfly from the fabric). I will definitely make this pattern again, I think it would look sweet in a cotton or knit for more of a spring/summer style (I'm already picturing it with some capri leggings). I've also seen it completed in baby-sizes and they look especially sweet.

Another project I've completed won't be seen too much, but will be worn lots. A pair of pull-on training panties for Alyssa, complete with pocket opening to put an insert in if needed. It was my second attempt as the first pair wasn't a good fit. She seems to love them and I'm hoping to whip up a bunch more pairs since they only took about 10 minutes to complete.

cloth diaper giveaway event . . .

As I've mentioned a few times, we've been cloth diapering with Justin. I had "tried" cloth diapering a couple times with the girls, with fitteds and covers, and hated it. But before Justin was born, I had looked into all the options out there and decided to give it a "real" try this time, but with the all-in-one kind of cloth diapers. Basically, it's just like a disposable diaper (one piece) that you throw in the wash. And because he's a nursed baby, all I have to do is put the washing machine through an exta rinse cycle before the wash cycle. Super easy. And since Justin's been born, we've discovered his sensitive skin issues, which make cloth diapering a good choice for him. I've been experimenting with different styles like pockets (that you stuff) and all-in-two's (where you snap in the liner) - both of these have quicker drying times than AIO's - and discovered all the cute colors and prints that everything is available in. It's a whole new online world when you get into cloth diapering. So I have been enjoying it, and after three months of using mostly sized small diapers, I sold my stash on an online swapping community and Craigslist, and got into size mediums and one-size diapers.

And then today, while catching up on some blog reading, I came accross a one size cloth diaper event on a blog called Take Time to Smell the Rose. Starting on January 1st, they are going to be doing reviews on 22 different brands of one sized cloth diapers and a bunch of them will be offering giveaways. And by posting about this, I get extra entries into all those giveaways. So since I'm interested in trying out new kinds, it will be great to get recommendations of what I should try next (and of course winning some would be great!).

a *little* bit of creating . . .

So I have spent very little time in the sewing room lately, it's definitely not going to be a homemade Christmas around here. But I'm not complaining, one day the kids won't want me coordinating everything in their lives and I'll have lots of time to sew and quilt. But I did manage to squeeze out a mini-sleepsack for Justin. The girls helped pick out the buttons and fabric to make it fun, and Justin even sat on my lap for part of the sewing because he loves to be held as soon as the machine goes on. I made it with buttons to close up the armholes with the intention of keeping his arms from getting out (he startles himself awake and is getting too strong for swaddling) but my design flaw was using fleece - too stretchy. I think I'll add some bias tape to the neck and see if that works. It was fun to make anyways, especially since the girls helped out.

We also made some teacher gifts for the girls teachers. We used this website for the recipe and printable gift tags and made M&M Christmas cookies (complete with red & green M&M's). A quick and fun idea. Today's plans include making our own batch :)

a lap quilt and matching table topper . . .

Well since I have no baby news to post about, and the kids got rushed out the door so quick this morning that I don't have back-to-school pics yet either, I thought I'd post a sewing project. This is a project I finished up some time ago - they were a (belated) wedding gift and house-warming gift for my brother and my sister-in-law. It's the same block repeated, just placed at different angles. I loved working with the orange and black - something a little different and fun. And making the quilt all over again in miniature for the table topper used up all the little leftover scraps nicely. I'd love to do this pattern again in a totally different color theme and maybe try some flower appliques or something on some of the blocks.

what to do when you're overdue . . .

lots of organizing and washing of baby stuff . . . Alyssa's been moved to the girls old room and all the baby stuff has been taken out of storage. We're also trying out some cloth diapering at home this time so they're all washed and ready to go (and three more are coming in the mail so I should have a couple days supply).

getting ready for back-to-school . . . all the clothes have been sorted, some new clothes added, backpacks ready, and school snacks are filling the cupboard.

some sewing . . . this will be a rug for Alyssa's new room and I'm hoping to make some matching curtains in the future as well. Unfortunately, sewing time gets cut short because my naps are priority around here.

itty bitty dress . . .

I had enough fabric left over from Alyssa's dress to make a matching itty bitty dress if this new babe happens to be a girl (if it's not, I guess I have a gift for someone or a matching dolly-dress). I used this pattern which was super quick, but changed the straps (I'll make the buttonholes after I've tried it on a real subject), and added a ruffle to lengthen it a bit. I think it will look cute with a short sleeved onesie underneath (and that's also my excuse for not making matching panty covers). So no baby news here yet. I've been having contractions off and on for days but nothing that keeps going, so I'm expecting an induction sometime in the next week (that would make four for four).