Car Seat Cover Ups

I think these things have been around for a few years. I saw my first one over two years ago when I was visiting Utah. I had a friend that made them. But I noticed here in California no one had them. I think these car seat cover ups are wonderful. You know we all put the blankets over the top to keep baby asleep and its a pain to carry the seat. Now that solution is solved, plus keeps most people from touching that new baby with all the germs. So I found a pattern and made one for Melissa. Then I got requests from others to make them. The first pattern I bought was for personal use only, so I could only use it to make gifts. But, then I had some people ask me if I could make them one and they would pay me. So I found a pattern that let you sell what you made. Here is the first pattern here and then click here for the other pattern (the one you can sell what you made). I combined what I liked best about both for my own.
Here are some I have made the past couple of months as gifts.

Bow/Clip Holder

A girl in our ward makes these and gives them as baby shower gifts. Ever since the first time I saw one she made I have wanted to make one for my daughter Mckynlee. Our ward actually made them for a super Saturday, but I had already bought the supplies for mine. She just gets a long board from Lowe's or Home Depot and cuts it down, but since I just wanted to make one I just went to Michael's and bought an unfinished wood plaque. So here's what you need:
A unfinished wood plaque (Michael's or Joann's, or of course if you want a bunch buy a big board from the home improvement store and cut it down)
-Paint (one for the base color and then another color for the polka dots)
-Ribbon (mine was 7/8 inch wide)
-stable gun
-drill
-A vinyl letter of your choice (I got mine from my wonderful friend Kyra, she has her own vinyl lettering business, check out her website here.)
Take your plaque or piece of wood and drill two holes at the top. Sand and paint your base color (I did several coats so the imperfections in the wood wouldn't show). Then paint on the polka dots. The girl that makes these uses vinyl, she has a cricut machine and just has it cut her dots. I found these cool sponge brushes in different size circle shapes at Walmart and I used those. Just dip them in the paint and then press where you want your polka dots. After your paint is dry apply your vinyl letter in the center. With the ribbon I just guessed the size. I threaded it through the holes and tied it in a bow until I got it to hang the length I want. As for the bottom ribbon I just cut those the length I thought I needed. My friend just has one ribbon hanging down from hers but my daughter has so many clips and bows I did three. After I cut them I light a match and run the edges through the flame to seal it, or you could use fray check, just do it so your ribbon doesn't fray. Then I officially tie the top one in a bow and staple gun the 3 other ribbons evenly apart on the bottom backside of the plaque and then your done and can hang all your bows. (I think it would be fun to make an adult version for all those adult clips I have to put in my hair).

Sweet Little Dress

I've been wanting to buy this pattern forever and finally did. I had bought fabric especially for it and it has just been sitting with my sewing stuff. I finally bought the pattern and made the dress for my daughter. I think it turned out so cute. You can find the pattern here at the Leila and Ben etsy shop. It's so easy to make and you can mix and match fabrics or use the same fabric for the whole dress. They have two patterns one that is 3 months -12 months and a 12 months - 5T. I bought the combo pack that had both patterns for just $12.

I decided I wanted to have a tie around the dress so I made my own tie (not included in the pattern)

Here is my little one with her new dress. I also made her a headband out of the coordinating fabric. I went the size smaller so it could fit as a long shirt too. It was so easy to make!

Doesn't it look cute paired with jeans? I used Heather Bailey fabric for her dress. I liked the dress so much I already have 3 more in the works that I'm making her.

Finnegan Fox

I made these foxes to put in my boys stockings at Christmas. I find with sewing I'm always drawn to making things for my daughter, there are just more fun girly things to sew. So, I get excited when I find things here and there that are fun to sew for my boys. They love their foxes. Again they are patterns from Bit Of Whimsy Primms, click here to shop her patterns.

Bumble Bee Plushie

Just another pattern I got from the bitofwhimsy etsy shop. I loved this one. I made this bumble Bee for my daughter to put in her stocking at Christmas. Click here to get the pattern.

B-Movie Monster

Awhile back the Bitofwhimsy etsy shop was having a sale on all of their patterns, so I stocked up. This is the same shop where I got the Jo Doll pattern. My boys have been wanting me to make them something. So in the shop she had a stuffed monster pattern that I thought was so cute, so I had to get it. I made one for each of my boys. The picture above is the two monsters I made for them, so cute huh?! You can click here to shop her patterns.

Tag Rag

This project is simple, yet time consuming (at least it was for me, a novice sewer). 

1. Pick out two fabrics (one soft) and cut them into large squares roughly the size of a large burp cloth. 

2. Cut different lengths of various ribbons, fold in half and sew, loops facing in, to the right side of one of the squares.

3. Now sew right sides together of both square so that when you turn in inside out, the ribbon loops are sticking out all sides.

4. Stitch around and edge and across the middle so that everything stays in place.

Happy Stacker

I saw this pattern on the Heather Bailey Store website and fell in love with it. I bought it to make for my daughter for Christmas but didn't get it done until recently. This is mine:

You don't have to do the ribbon embellishments, it does take more time, but I think it makes it cuter. You can easily use your scrap fabrics and have fun mixing and macthing them. You can get the pattern here or you can also get it at quilthome.com or even cheaper on Etsy.

Free Knit/Crochet Patterns!

I have been on a bit of a crochet kick lately (I like to do it while I watch tv...I don't feel like I am wasting so much time then!). I found this great site that has hundreds of FREE patterns for knitting and crocheting (animals, hats,scarves, blankets, etc). Some of them look like something my grandma would make, but a lot of them are very cute as well! I figure if I start now, I can get a good start on some Christmas presents :>) The pattern finder is here

Baby Headbands Made with Tights

Supplies:
1 Pair of little girls tights (18-24 months is a good size... I get mine in a three pack from Walmart in the infants dept.)
Hot Glue Gun (low heat is best)
Satin Ribbon (at least 3in. for each headband)
Silk flower
Small rhinestone
Alligator clip and grosgrain ribbon to cover it (Optional)
1. Cut off legs
2. Fold each end acordian style to make an "M," then put a dot of glue in each fold to secure.3. Bring ends together and secure with glue.4. Wrap ribbon around to completely cover the edges and run a line of glue along one end of the ribbon, place the other end of ribbon down and hold until cool.

5. Flip headband out6. Take silk flower apart and remove any plastic pieces. Reconsturct, with a circle of hot glue between each layer. Then glue the rhinestone in the center.
7. You can glue the flower directly onto the headband, or if you want your flowers and headbands interchangable, you can glue the flower onto a prepared alligator clip.

Posh Little Tootsies

These are so stink'in cute... I had to share them. They are only one pair of many darling shoes for your little girlies from www.foxpawsshoes.com.

They are a bit of a splurge, but if ya love 'em and gotta have 'em... you can get $10 0ff and free shipping with this coupon code: foxpaws09.

Jo Doll Pattern

I saw one of these that a friend made for her daughter and I really wanted to make one for mine. So I went here to the bitofwhimsy store on etsy and bought the pattern. The pattern is only $9 and she just emails you a pdf file. The nice thing is that they don't take much fabric and you can use your extra scraps you have laying around. I made my daughters and liked it so much I decided to make some for my nieces. If you check out her shop she has a lot of different cute patterns for other dolls too and other stuffed animals.

Carseat Blankets

One of our friends bought a pattern for a carseat blanket. So a few of us that had babies got together and made carseat blankets. The picture above is my daughter in hers. Once we figured out the pattern they were super easy. I love mine and use it all the time, especially with the weather getting cooler. Click here if you are interested in getting the pattern.

This week I made one for my friend for her baby shower. My daughter is modeling it above. She is having a little boy so I made her a boyish one, which was a bit easier because I didn't have to do a ruffle, I just edge-stitched the outside edge. My other friends that have boys also just cut the edges so it could have the frayed edge look. The second time around I made the belt/buckle openings a little smaller, I thought mine were too big. Anyways, I love mine and I think they make great baby gifts!

Hair Clips

My daughter was born with a lot of hair and I hated covering it all with those big hairband bows (not that they aren't cute, but I liked seeing all of her hair). I had received a couple of these small bendy clippies and tried them out on her and loved them. Her hair was still too fine and soft to hold the alligator clips, but these ones worked perfect for her newborn hair. So, I decided to make some myself.

Here are some of the first ones I made. I thought they turned out good, and they look super cute in her hair.

I just picked up a few supplies from the craft store to get started. You can go to the scrapbook section and get the little flowers they have there or use the bundles of little flowers you can find at the flower section of the craft store and pull them off the stems. Then I got some sticker flower jewels from the scrapbook section, beads and I already had some buttons on hand to use to glue onto the middle of the flowers. Then I got some ribbon and of course the clips. ( I have to apologize for the following pics, my camera was not doing great at taking good pictures of these small items)

I had a hard time finding clips, I went to Target and Walmart and either they were too big or too small. But I ran into a girl that makes bows and she said she just buys hers off ebay. So I went to ebay and just put "30 mm clips" in the search section and found a lady that sold a pack of 50 for $4.99, which I thought was pretty good deal.

So then just measure and cut some ribbon that is long enough to fit around the clip.

Then hot glue the ribbon to the clips.

Then hot glue the petals to the top of the clip, I use two flowers for each clip.

Then hot glue whatever you want to use for the middle (jewel, small beads, or button) on top of the flower. And there you have it. Pretty much you can glue whatever you want to the clips bows or whatever. But they are so cute and work great for fine thin hair.