polka dot elephant

It was another craftacular evening at my house tonight. The secret Christmas crafts are moving right along, I packaged up my ornaments for the ornament swap, and I made this little polka dot elephant. Cute, no?

yellow + polka dots = ultra cheery

I dug up the same pattern from the last time I made one of these guys.

Is it weird that I don't put eyes on my elephants? I like them better without.

It got bundled up with the shoes and some burp cloths for a former co-worker. I hope she likes it!

I packaged it up in some fun new wrapping paper. Again with the polka dots - my new craze.

baby booties for craft hope

Last night I sewed up a bunch of baby booties for Craft Hope using this kimono baby shoes pattern from a very lovely blog called HomeSpun Threads.






(this last pair is my favorite)

Now I'm off to the post office!

on becoming a cobbler

In a sudden fit of productivity Friday night, I made four pairs of baby shoes (this is what happens when you move to a new town, have no friends, and your husband is studying for the bar exam).

First up, these:
Very much inspired by this Flickr set - the most beautiful baby shoes I have ever laid eyes on. They were meant for a boy, but ended up quite girlie.

So I made a replacement pair, using the ever-reliable Stardust Shoes pattern:


And then I decided Oscar needed a pair:

And while I was at it, I thought I may as well make another pair to have on hand in case I ever have friends again (do I sound lonely yet?) and get to go to a baby shower:

Shoes ... love making them. On a scale of 1 to 10, how tacky would it be to make these in a womens size 8 1/2? Because I think they look comfy.

my contest entry

The Michael Miller Baby Bootie Contest deadline is today! Here is my final entry:


Thanks again to everyone who gave me suggestions on how to improve my shoes - as you can see, I really took them into consideration.

A few of the changes that I made:

• A darker fabric to make the white elastic "pop"
• A white trim around the bottom to make them look more like tennis shoes
• A more interesting liner fabric
  
• A brighter sole (quilted this time)
  

I'm very pleased with the final result and can't wait to see them on my boy (they'll match perfectly with the necktie onesie I made him).


Also, thanks for the photography advice and the tip on the awesome photo editing site, http://www.picnik.com/. I love it! Apologies for not shooting these outside, on some nice green grass, as many of you suggested. Unfortunately, there is no natural sunlight available at 2:30am, and if I'm not a procrastinator, I don't know what I am. :) Next time!

Here's a photo to give you an idea of the size - I think they'll fit a baby from about 6-12 months.

Thanks again for all your advice and support!

You can view all the entries for the contest here.

Infant Sun Top and various unfinished projects

The little infant sun top was finally rescued from Oscar's closet today for a photo shoot.

It is a tiny little thing, made using the instructions in the From An Igloo tutorial for a shirred sundress (the fabric is Heather Ross Mendocino Kelp Stripe Blush).  I opted for a single layer instead of a double, and my straps don't tie at the top, which may be a mistake (they look a little long, no?).  Anyway, this was my first attempt at shirring and I LOVE it.  I was all bent out of shape while I sewed it, thinking the elastic thread wasn't gathering as much as I wanted.  But then I pressed it, and presto-chango! it was perfect.   Pressing is key.

I also want to try this Sweet Shirred Sundress pattern from Prudent Baby, and of course, the Summer Vacation Dress and Shortie pattern that I purchased at MADE.  Now that I am not afraid of elastic thread, I have a feeling that will be an addictive pattern.

I have to admit, I made this little top about two months ago.  It took me this long to post because a) I kept forgetting to take a picture, and b) I have a half-sewn pair of bloomers that I wanted to pair it with.  See?

After looking at my unfinished project pile today, I am admitting defeat.  I have trouble committing.  There are half-sewn bloomers, unfinished baby booties, and most importantly, the half finished blessing dress (have I mentioned I want to make a bonnet and shoes to go with it?).  They'll all get done.  I just have to commit.

You know what I don't have trouble committing to?

I finished them off while I was editing photos for this post.  I'll call it a successful afternoon.

Michael Miller Baby Bootie Contest

Hi friends,

Have you heard about the Michael Miller Baby Bootie Contest? I am planning to enter, but need a little advice.

First, here is the pair of shoes I made tonight - my "prototype," if you will. I was going for kind of a tennis shoes look. I don't know if I quite hit the mark there, but I'm liking the result, and am pleased with myself for coming up with an original pattern.

A couple of things that I like: 1) the fabric (one of my all time favs that I have precious little of remaining), 2) the "tongue" of the shoe/elastic laces. The tongue is only connected at the bottom so the shoe stretches open wide to put it on the baby's foot.

So, what do you think? Anything you would improve on? Do you think the shoes are too plain/ugly/impractical/etc? Should I work on my photography skills and set up a cuter shot?

I can only submit one entry, so it has to be good. Luckily, I have until June 18th to get it right. Help, please!

UPDATE: Wow! Thank you so much for all of your comments and great suggestions. I've read through all of them (a couple of times) and am excited to implement some of your ideas into my next pair. I'm out of elastic though, so while I wait for my order to arrive, I'll be posting some other crafts.

Thanks again! I really appreciate your thoughtful answers.

go-to baby shower gifts

Forgive me for the light posting this week - I've been sewing like crazy for a quadrouple(!) baby shower tomorrow night.  I'm one of the lucky four expecting mamas, but I wanted to do something special for the other three ladies.  I don't think any of them read my blog, so hopefully this will be safe to post.  :)  All three of them are expecting boys, so I had a chance to use some of my favorite Riley Blake Wheels fabric.

 Here's a list of my go-to gifts for baby showers, depending on what I feel like making:

• Burp cloths
• An appliqued onesie - like in the onesie pictured above, sometimes I add a little embroidery as well.  I embroider the fabric first, then adhere it to the onesie using Wonder-Under, and finish it off with a satin stitch on the sewing machine.
• Embellished infant tee
• Baby booties - I typically use the Stardust Shoes pattern, but I'm experimenting with a few others (to be posted soon)
• A changing pad and wipes clutch
• Baby bibs
• Tag blankets with taggie toys

Sometimes I like to include something else special, not made by me.  Did you notice the adorable wood teething ring in the photo?  It is made by one of my favorite etsy sellers, Little Sapling Toys.  I'm not affiliated with them in any way, just love the products.  I bought a few things from them for Oscar's first Christmas, and they were favorite early baby toys.

retro baby sneakers

You know how some bloggers plan things weeks in advance and do awesome photo shoots to show off their projects?  Not me.  This is what I was sewing at 1 a.m. last night.  These little retro sneakers were made with another Sweet Pea Pattern (I really like them!) using faux leather and some yummy Amy Butler on the inside.

The shoes are a really great fit on Ruby, and even stay on her busy feet, but she was not interested in taking photos this morning (unless of course, you are interested in seeing a blurry baby crawling away from the camera).  I'll try to snap a photo of them in action at some point.

lavender cloth baby shoes

My friend Sariah is having a baby girl any time now - her due date is today! I was totally late in the game making a present for her, but luckily, I am getting FAST at making these shoes. I whipped these out last night in just an hour and a half. I think I'm in love with the color combo.


UPDATE: You can find the pattern for these baby shoes at Stardust Shoes. Be sure to post photos of your results at the cloth shoes flickr group!

baby ballerina slippers

So ... I am in a creative funk this week.  I even left my sewing studio time an hour early last night because I just didn't feel like sewing.  I can't believe I just typed that.

Anyway, here are some baby shoes I sewed for Ruby recently using the Angelina Ballerina pattern from Sweet Pea Patterns.  I have bought several pdf patterns from that etsy shop, and they always come out great.

I'm off to browse the Celebrate the Boy flickr group and get inspired for a boy project.  If that can't get me going, I'm not sure what will!

two crafts and a quick Q&A

It's Friday night and I just woke up from a 4 hour nap that started at 7:30 pm - whoo! I really know how to party. Anyway, I thought I'd post a few things I made a while ago and never got around to posting, and briefly address some reoccurring questions I've been receiving in the comments.

First, the crafts, since frankly, that's more fun:

This is the first of three mum scherenschittes I plan to cut. Lest I fool you into thinking I am artistic, the design is not my own. I'm copying it from some artwork I saw at Art.com.

Second, here's another pair of baby shoes - I hope these aren't getting too boring. I spiced this pair up with a working button in an attempt to 1) learn how to use my button hole foot on my sewing machine and 2) try to incorporate a few of my own ideas into the Stardust Shoes pattern, or in the words of my dawg, Randy Jackson, "make it my own." :) (sidenote: are there any good american idol contestants this season? I haven't been watching)

On to the Q&A - here are a few questions people have been asking in comments and emails:

Q: Will you post a tutorial for your sock animals?

A: I will not post tutorials for the animals I make from the book Sock and Glove (which is most of them) - they are copyrighted. If you like them and want to learn how to make them, I encourage you to buy the book! It is a great resource, and an addictive craft. Click on the link above to buy it on Amazon.com.

I've had a lot of requests specifically for a tutorial for the sock giraffe. This is one of those rare items that actually came from my own head, so I could probably do a tutorial for it. But since that will involve making another one, it might be a while before I get around to it. Plus, I kind of like that it's one of a kind. :)

Q: Do you sell your crafts?

A: Occasionally, but usually just to family and friends.

Q: Have you ever heard of Etsy? Why don't you open a shop?

A: Yes! I'm a huge fan of Etsy - it is a fantastic marketplace and I do plan to open a shop (someday). A few things have been holding me back:

1) I don't feel like I have enough time for it at the moment.

2) I don't love mass-producing things. With a few exceptions, I usually will make an item only once, and then move onto something new. I get bored easily. I'll need to overcome this to commit to a shop.

3) I am only going to sell products that are my own ideas. Most of the time I borrow ideas/copy other people from around the web. It would be pretty uncool to start selling things that I'm copying from someone else. So, I want to come up with a few solid ideas of my own first.

I think those are the questions that come up most! I really appreciate your comments, and all the encouragement to start and etsy shop makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Happy Friday!

girlie shoes and something new

Forgive the bad photos in this post. I was in a hurry to get these items wrapped and out the door for a friend's baby shower. First up, a girlie version of the Stardust Shoes pattern, made with one of my favorite fabric prints (Loft 1800 by Erin Michael for Moda):

And for something new, a baby wipes clutch:

I'm working on a tutorial for this, but it was super easy and I had almost all of the materials on hand. All you need is a plastic travel wipes case, some fabric, a small piece of batting, ribbon (optional), trimming, and a hot glue gun. Presto, change-o, you've got a chic clutch in which to store your baby's bum wipes. :)

For those of you who don't have a close, personal relationship with your hot glue gun, there are a couple of Etsy sellers that make these wipe clutches - check out PlainJane or Sweet 'n Sassy Baby.

polka dot baby shoes

These shoes are my favorite project of the moment. I couldn't let Megan have all the fun!


The best part about these shoes is how little fabric they take. I came across a bag of flannel scraps leftover from burp cloths, and used recycled denim for the soles. An hour and a half later, I had swapped my scraps for a pair of shoes. I love it.

sewing baby shoes

Last night I taught Meg how to make cloth baby shoes (using the pattern again from Stardust Shoes).

As you can see, she is already a pro. They turned out so cute!! What a lucky baby girl to be on the receiving end of these.

sunday shoes

Oscar needed a pair of shoes to go with his church outfit, so I whipped these up using the Stardust Shoes pattern. For a change, I added the little strap with a button closure (really easy to do and really dresses up the shoe, don't you think?).

One of my resolutions is to get organized, so one thing I am trying to do is whittle down my ever-growing fabric stash by using up what I already have on hand. Also, I'm trying to use recycled fabrics whenever possible. The outer fabric on these shoes is from an old wool skirt, and the lining is from one of Jared's old button down shirts.

Unfortunately, the shoes only fit without socks, which just won't work for a NY winter, so I'm going to make a bigger pair. Any suggestions for round 2?