Huggies® Baby and You Blog tour ~ Giveaway for $50 off your next grocery bill!

And the winner is . . . 

Now how often does the last person that enters win?!  Congratulations Sue!  And thanks to everyone for entering.  I've been reading everyone's suggestions and even used a couple for dinner already!

Huggies® has teamed up with Baby and You and several bloggers to promote their new Slip On diapers.  I just bought my first pack of these last month; they worked out to half-price because of an in-store coupon and a Huggies® coupon.  My little guy loves being able to pull them up himself, and it's making changing him a lot easier.  And really, does he look like a boy that sits still for long?

I also want to tell you about FREE cooking classes for parents & babies taking place in our local Loblaw Superstores.  A President's Choice chef will be showing two different recipes ~ Quinoa Pancakes for parents, and Sweet and White Potato Mash for little ones.  This will be a child-encouraged environment and lots of fun!  You'll also receive Huggies® coupons and a pair of cute little tiger ears for your little one.  Check out the schedule here to see if there's one being offered in your area.

Now, on to the giveaway!  You can win a $50 gift card for Loblaws stores just by leaving a comment on this post telling me your favourite dish that you like to create!
Please leave an email address in your comment so I can reach you if you win.
Open to Canadian residents only.  Winner will be selected by random.org on Oct 31st.

Disclosure – I am participating in the HUGGIES^® Baby and You program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Kimberly- Clark Canada. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

New school outfit . . .

I've had these fabrics in my stash for awhile, and had a dress pattern that needed testing for Sew Sweet Patterns.  There was just enough of the dark purple fabric to squeeze out a pair of footless tights (which were so simple to whip up, I think I may need to make a bunch more for my girls this winter).

And a happy little girl has one more school outfit :)

Linking up to Sew Modern Monday.

Riley Blake Home Decor entry . . .

The Riley Blake Facebook page is hosting a home decor contest.  My entry is some wall decor for my daughter's room ~ wall pockets, a bulletin board, an appliqued wall art, and some hooks.  The fabric is all from their Feeling Groovy line.  My daughter loves it all and is getting lots of use out of it :)

Linking up to Sew & Tell Friday, Finish it up Friday and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

And the Contemporary Cloth winners are . . .

Congrats ladies! I'll email you for your contact info.

THANK-YOU to everyone else for entering; there's always more giveaways in the works :)

And a BIG THANK-YOU to my sponsor, Contemporary Cloth.  

Take a look through their shop, and put together a purchase for yourself ~ you will not be disappointed with their selection and customer service!

Last chance to enter giveaway from Contemporary Cloth!

I'll be posting the winners tomorrow, so get your entries in if you'd like to enter!

Pattern Review: Oliver+S Sleepover Pajamas

Pattern description (taken from pattern):
Get out your new pajamas for the sleepover! The pattern for this boys' or girls' pajama top, which was inspired by vintage baseball jersey styling, features contrast trim at the outside edge and on the pockets. The cuff at the sleeves can be let down as the child grows. The elastic-waist pull-on pants have no side seam for extra sleeping comfort and include contrast bias trim at the hem that can also be let down as the child grows. Make the alternate view with ruffles for a sweet girls' version.  Available in two sizes: 6months-4 and 5-12.

Sewing difficulty:
ADVANCED BEGINNER: Suitable for someone who has sewn from a pattern before or has taken a few classes and completed several projects.

Fabric recommendations:
Flannel or any lightweight woven fabrics like quilting cotton, broadcloth, lawn, shirting, poplin, voile, and linen.  I chose a Riley Blake flannel (which I got for a steal at StitchSteals.com) and a coordinating solid brown flannel.

Overall design and fit:
They fit perfect; and I love that the cuffs on the sleeves and pants can be let down when he outgrows them - this will make them last for a couple of years.

Written instructions:
Are easy to follow, just pay attention to the right side/wrong side when putting pieces together.  Everything made perfect sense, and is in 'beginner' language.

Tips + Modifications:
None.  In my opinion, this pattern is flawless.   The only thing I did a little different, is used up some of my cute star snaps (how could I not, they go perfect with this All Star print) instead of buttons.  And because my little guy has long torso/short little legs, I turned the full cuff up on the pants to shorten them a little extra, but it will make them last that much longer.

Time spent:
It took me one morning to go over all the directions and cutout the pieces, and two nap times to sew it all together.  So in less than two days the pajamas were complete and being worn by my little guy.

Conclusion:
I love this pattern.  Seriously, can you get any cuter than this?!  I have definitely found the Oliver+S love ~ modern patterns with easy-to-follow instructions and professional results.  I've already got the Princess flannel ready for the next pair for my daughter :)

Oliver+s toddler backpack . . .

I've been wanting to make my little guy his first backpack (since he's big enough to carry his own stuff around now, and toting around my flowered diaper bag just isn't that cute).  This pattern is from the book Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson.  I found this pattern very easy to follow, and I think the results are super-cute.  And my little man is happy to have a backpack that is just his size (and isn't a hand-me-down with princesses on it :)

I followed the basic directions for the backpack, but didn't customize it into the penguin (obviously).  I also enlarged the outer front pocket and added elastic to the top edge, and pleated the bottom edge ~ I wanted it to fit a sippy cup, because we still take one with us wherever we go and I don't like worrying about cups leaking on his stuff.

If you want to see a bunch more of these cute little backpacks, check out the link up at a little gray. 

Messenger bag 'outtakes'

Here's some pictures of my daughter posing with the new laminated messenger bag I made her for back-to-school . . . gotta love pictures that show off personality :)

Review and Giveaway from Contemporary Cloth!

The generous staff at Contemporary Cloth sent me a yard of laminate fabric and a package of Insul-Fleece to try out.  I used them to make a messenger bag and matching lunch bag for my oldest daughter for back-to-school.  The Insul-Fleece was used in the lunch bag which will help keep her lunch cold, and I have plans to make some new oven mitts and pot holders with this fantastic product too.  The laminate was a pleasure to work with, it has a great feel and weight; and my only 'trick' I had to use was a bit of masking tape on the bottom of my presser foot when I topstitched.

Contemporary Cloth is giving TWO lucky winners a full yard of laminated fabric and a package of Insul-Fleece!  Here's how to enter:

• Hop over to the Contemporary Cloth website and leave a comment telling me what other product of theirs caught your eye, and what kind of project you would like to make with either the laminated fabric or Insul-Fleece.
• Leave an extra comment if you're a public follower of my blog.
• If you blog, Facebook, or tweet about this giveaway, you can leave a third comment (please include the link).

Giveaway open internationally. Winners will be drawn by Random.org on Oct 11th.  Good luck!

More Phoebe bags . . .

After making this bag, I've had a couple friends request one, and I happily obliged. The pattern is the Phoebe Bag by Rebeka Lambert.  I would call this a medium size purse, but it's roomy enough to carry a book in addition to my wallet and purse stuff (or for a diaper and wipes case and ditching the diaper bag).  The pattern is easy, and I love the finished shape.

Six weeks ago I ordered three yards of Pellon Fusible Fleece, and after ten bags it's almost gone now.  It gives such a nice structure to bags and purses, without the stiffness of most interfacings.  I'm thinking a bigger purchase is in the near future.

Linking up to Sew & Tell Friday at AmyLouWho.
And make sure to enter this generous sponsored giveaway from Contemporary Cloth!

Animal Party quilt top finished . . .

So I used up every last Animal Party scrap and added a scrappy border for this quilt top.  I even had to add in a few scraps that weren't from this line ~ can you tell which ones?  The size is now 52" x 82" and it looks kinda crooked from this camera angle, but I was standing on my kitchen island because it's raining outside.  My four-year old thought I was being dangerous and told me to get down.

My goal for this week is to get it pin basted.  And I'm contemplating how to quilt it, not sure I want to do free motion with this one.  Maybe straight lines, or wavy lines since it's wonky?  I'd love some suggestions :)

Making Time For Play . . .

This is my second post for the Kinder campaign, and their challenge question is 'How do you make time for play?'.  I know that I take full advantage of my husband's days off so we call all do a family outing, a bike ride, and participate in community events.  But what do I do on a daily basis?

After thinking about it, I realized that it's the little things ~ taking time to paint my girls toe nails, guiding them through a small sewing project, teaching them how to make friendship bracelets, letting them bake up a batch of cookies without me taking over, helping them with a craft, taking turns with them when there's a couple groceries or some shopping to do so we get some one-on-one time, and sitting down to play a board game together.  These are the moments where we have the most candid discussions, and make the mother-daughter connections.  So, how do you make time for play?

10 Lucky Facebook fans are going to win a KINDER® gift basket full of goodies worth $200!  Fun!  Make sure you go over to the page to get your entry in (click on Contests to stay up to date with the latest giveaways!)

Disclosure: I’m part of the KINDER® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

and the StitchSteals.com winner is . . .

Congratulations to Debra!  You are going to have so much fun picking out $50 in fabric from this amazingly priced shop!  And for everyone else, remember that StitchSteal.com offers a deal a day on designer fabrics and sewing accessories, and you can even combine past steals for an even better deal!  I have been so pleased with their reasonably priced and quick shipping, and love getting my fabrics for a steal!

And today I just finished my first project with laminate fabric - a messenger bag for my oldest daughter.  We're both pretty pleased with the results.  And on my cutting table right now is a matching lunch bag.  I'm using Insul-Fleece to insulate it, and I'll be doing a review on this great product.  I'll be sure to post the matching set soon!

applique with HeatNBond . . .

A good friend is about to have her third babe, and had asked me to look into getting a good deal on a bunch of cloth diapers for her (I've cloth diapered my little guy since he was a newborn due to allergic reactions and eczema, and it's gone really well - and saved us a lot of money).  So, I found everything she needed to cloth diaper full time, and a couple of her sisters and friends split the cost with me.  We then surprised her with a mini-shower the other night so she would have everything before the babe arrives.  We did the usual baby shower games, and finished off with a 'make a onesie' craft.

Supplies needed was a package of HeatNBond Ultra Hold, a bunch of fabric scraps, and an iron & ironing board.  For the onesies, I just went through my newborn box and picked out a bunch.  We had a lot of fun creating, and most of the designs have to do with her husband's hobby of gaming and his sense of humour.

I think I'm going to dig out some of my daughters stained t-shirts and try this on them too.

WIP Wednesday . . .

Justin's quilt for his new 'big boy' bed is coming along nicely.  I intentionally wanted this to be a wonky quilt, and as I was laying out all the blocks on the floor yesterday, my four-year old comes up beside me and looks, turns her head and looks again, and exclaims "Mom, that looks ridiculous!" ~ she didn't believe me that it's supposed to look like that.

The blocks and sashing are all together, I just want to add a scrappy border to make it a bit bigger before I quilt it.  I tried it on the little guys bed to see how big it is so far, and can't wait to see it finished and on there all the time.  And I'm happy to report that the crib is packed up now, because the crib/bed transition went WAY easier than it ever did with my girls.

a Rolie Polie quilt . . .

I received an Alphabet Soup Rolie Polie and whipped up a quick little quilt for a babe due to arrive this month.

This Riley Blake line is so fun, and I'm always drawn to their fabric lines with bright colours.

Here's the directions if you want to make one yourself:

• divide the fabrics into two sets of 7 (I left the solid white strip out)
• sew the 7 strips together in each set
• cut up each set into 3 quilt blocks and square them off (mine were 14")
• lay out the blocks how you like, and sew them together.
• sandwich, quilt, and bind

I used a non-pill fleece for the backing and instead of binding it, I wrapped it to the front and machine-stitched it down.  This is a great way to finish off a quilt quickly.  And I like using fleece or minky for a baby quilt, because I can just skip the batting layer.  And the quilting is very forgiving because it sinks into the backing so nicely.

After washing, the finished measurement on this quilt was 40" x 27" ~ a great size to wrap up a little one, and have them drag it around with them when they get a bit bigger.

Gift Certificate Giveaway to StitchSteals.com!

StitchSteals.com has generously offered a $50 gift certificate to one of my readers!!  Just think of the yards of fabric, jelly rolls, or even a fat quarter stack you could purchase with that!  $50 goes a long way in their shop!

You can have up to three entries for this one:

• Connect with StitchSteals.com ~ you can like them on Facebook, or sign up for their email alerts (and they'll send a 10% off coupon to all new customers!).  Of course, I recommend doing both, but you just get one entry.
• Publicly follow the Stitch Steals blog.
• Publicly follow my blog 'Our Busy Little Bunch' ~ so I can get more great sponsors!

That's it this time ~ three entries per person. Just leave a separate comment for each entry, and an email address so I can contact you if you win.  This giveaway is open international, and a winner will be picked on Monday, Sept 19th.  Good luck!

Now go check out their steal of the day and all the past steals up for grabs to combine shipping ~ you won't be disappointed!

My first 'big boy' quilt . . .

My 'little' guy is having his second birthday this Friday ~ yes, he was born 09/09/09, which I didn't think was very 'cool' at the time because the little stinker was 12 days overdue.  The hubby and I were at Ikea a little while ago and saw this bed.  So I've been looking on Craigslist since then, and found one in great condition for half the price.  The little guy helped in the assembling process last night . . .

And now I can play with these fabris that I've been saving for his first 'big boy' quilt.  I'm thinking of cutting apart the panel (there's 8 blocks in total), bordering them, and cutting them wonky.  Any tips are appreciated, I've never done a wonky quilt before.  The fabrics are from the original Animal Party line by Amy Schimler and the backing fabric is a coordinating minky cuddle from Robert Kaufman.

So hopefully there will be a quilt on this bed soon!

And the Aurifil winners are . . .

Congrats!  I'll email you all for your mailing info.  

And check back this week for another great giveaway sponsored by StitchSteals.com!

Have you heard of StitchSteals.com?

This is one of those secrets that I almost don't want to share, but have you heard of StitchSteals.com?  It's a site that offers a deal a day on designer fabrics and sewing accessories.  Some of my favourite lines have come up for a steal of a price, and the shipping is always more than reasonable (even international!).  And, you can look at their past steals and scoop up some extra deals to combine shipping.  

And they're offering a very generous giveaway to one of my readers later this week . . . 

Baby & You blog tour . . .

So picture this ~ you've had a horrific day with your teething baby, your toddler has decided that they will only eat cereal and nothing else, and your wannabe-tween is giving you so much attitude you can't handle it any more!  You need to vent, you need advice, and you don't really know who to call.  You hover over the keyboard wondering how to phrase it as your new Facebook status, but not sure if you should bother ~ does your husband's uncle or your single friends really want to hear about this?!

So let me introduce you to Baby & You ~ a place for parents (new and experienced) to seek and share advice from one another.  And the discussion is often guided by two experienced blogging mama's ~ Lisa from 'Growing Your Baby' handles the baby talk, and Jody from 'Mommy Moment' focuses on the parent talk.

It's also a great place to find out about exclusive savings and promotions from the Loblaws group (including one coming up this month for Joe Fresh).  So if you need a place to visit during your coffee break, why not check it out?  It's a Facebook community of  13,000 and growing!


Disclosure – I am participating in the Baby and You program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Loblaw Companies. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Feeling Groovy . . .

I like to make birthday gifts, it makes me feel productive, and gives me an excuse to order fabric :)  So the girls picked out a bunch of prints from Riley Blake's Feeling Groovy line and this is my first attempt at stockpiling some birthday gifts for the new school year.

This pattern is a modified version of the 6-pocket bag, I changed the dimensions to fit a Bible & song book for church, something that's come in really handy for my girls.  Now I'm off to play with the scraps left over from these little bags . . .