lunchin' in style.

These swanky lunch bags put my black "Cool Chiller" insulated lunch bag (or plastic safeway bag, I admit) to shame.

Guess I need to update my look!

(Martha)

hannah's felt bag.

Well, Easter was last weekend, and here I sit looking at the Easter gifts I put together for my good friend's two babies. They live in Spokane (I wrote about our visit HERE) and I see them maybe once a year. I miss being around them!

Before I pack these up and ship them off (hopefully before the 4th of July), I wanted to share the little purse I made for Hannah. I'm really happy with it! I hope she likes it.

It was so easy and fun to make. I'm thinking about putting together a little pattern and making a free PDF so readers can download it and make their own - not that it's hard, but some people like patterns. I'm thinking my 12 year old sister could make an adorable design.

Made from one square of felt for the purse and a few scraps for handles and embellishments...

Lined polka dot fabric!

The bag and handles are machine-sewn but the flower and name badge are sewn by hand.

Now if I could only make it to the post office...

modern domestic class list!

I am excited!

The class list for Modern Domestic, opened by some lovely ladies from Bolt Neighborhood, was posted today! Check out the schedule HERE...

I'm guessing that the classes will fill up pretty quick...anyone interested in taking a class with me?

Simon's Woodland Friends

My friend is expecting her first baby - a boy named Simon - and although I contemplated making something OTHER than a baby blanket, which has been my staple, I got inspired after talking to her on the phone before her shower. She has always been naturally creative and decorating her son's room has proven to be no different. She took a bunch of her husband's old flannels and cut them up to make a big wall hanging, and to go along with the flannel patterns added a "woodland creatures" theme. Her husband grew up in a small forest/country community about 20 minutes from town, and as I spent most of my time out there as a teenager (we went to the same youth group and had the same friends), I knew almost exactly what she was envisioning.

I went to Fabric Depot and picked out some earth-toned flannels to make a patchwork blanket, and decided to add some embroidered woodland creatures. Everything came together seamlessly, except for a bobbin emergency at the last minute, which threatened to keep me from even going to the shower. Procrastinators will know this feeling.

That brings me to a funny story.

It was about an hour or so before the shower when I needed to put some more thread on the bobbin. For some reason, it just wouldn't take, and the zig-zag pattern turned funky and loose; I could not figure out why! I unthreaded and rethreaded, looked frantically for the manual, troubleshooted online, but to no avail. So I called Mom and got straight to the point, no chit chat. "Mom, I have a huge problem, you know the blanket...." and I explained my issue. She listened attentively, and apparently, had a look of concern and worry on her face, because my Dad and Caitlin were sitting with her and thought something terrible had happened. They stopped what they were doing to see what the bad news was, and when my mom finally said, "Well, did you rethread the needle?" They looked at each other and went "awhhhh!!!!" They thought somebody had been in an accident, died, etc.

But it was an emergency!

I had threaded the bobbin the wrong way. I fixed it, and was not the last one to get to the shower - a win in my book.

bitty baby booties.

I downloaded this free pattern for Baby Booties off of Heather Bailey's blog, and they were simple to make. You can download your own copy if you're looking for Christmas gifts for little ones!

Remnants are perfect for this pattern - I had a few bags of remnants that I had bought a while back from Bolt Fabric and Josephine's Dry Goods, and was able to put a little bit of this pretty blue and brown to good use.

rock & roll, baby!

This is what I'm currently up to for my sister-in-law's upcoming baby boy, due end of October. Pattern is from Sublime Stitching, bibs in a five pack from Ikea, supplies from Fabric Depot. I hope to be done soon. The project started out roughly; I didn't really know how to embroider at all! To my rescue came my aunts, mom, and cousin Stefi, who during their visit last weekend helped me salvage it by teaching me some real stitches. Thank goodness for family.

Hidie-Hooter Hootie-Hider Hooter-Hidie Thingie!

So this sewing thing is getting easier.

This past weekend was a complete blur. The boys opened a new Black Rock in Vancouver (www.blackrockcoffeebar.com) and Baby Lily is officially due at any second (www.fortheloveofpaisley.blogspot.com). My aunt and uncle were also in town, and my list of devoirs was pretty long. We went and saw My Sister's Keeper, it's a sobber. Through all of the activity I finished this for Tiffany yesterday: the Hootie Hider!



Hooties of the World Unite! No longer does a mother have to wrestle with a small blanket to hide her feeding child! No longer does the blanket have to fall down and compromise a mother's modesty as she checks on her baby! The HH has righted a wrong and fought an injustice on every nursing woman's behalf!

Moving on...she purchased the fabric kit and pattern at Craft Warehouse, I contributed my sewing machine. Her mom helped me clarify the pattern and how to go about it, and so I sat down yesterday afternoon and cranked it out. We loved the finished product! They are going to be addicting to make for friends who are expecting, and they are so dang practical that I think every nursing momma needs one. And if you don't want to make one for yourself, you can find them on Etsy, too. The packet was $13.99, which included fabric for the cover and straps, the D-rings, and the corset boning. The pattern, sold separately, was $4.99. However, as proven by Tiff's mom Marlene who went back the next day and bought rings and boning for pretty cheap, you could do this for way less. It all depends on the fabric that you want.

I also found a free pattern online, which cuts your cost even more: http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding123/free-pattern-to-sew-your-own-nursing-cover/

I'm of the opinion that Lily was just waiting to come until she knew her Hidie Hooter-thing was ready. Okay Lily we're ready for you now!

Lily's Blankie and "Real Stitches"

I made this blankie for my dear friend Tiffany, who is expecting her first daughter, Lily, within the next month. We hosted a shower for her last weekend in my parent's backyard in Medford, and she received some preciously adorable and deliciously delicate gifts! I can't wait until its time for Lily to come; I dearly love all of my friends' little boys, and I have a feeling I'll have a boy first too (when my time comes, not yet!), but there is just something about little girls that is painfully cute.The coloring of the above pictures is not that great, I wish it had turned out better!

I made this cotton flannel blankie with satin binding in a couple of evenings, but I'm sure it could be done in one evening, it was surprisingly simple. The hardest part was the satin binding and the corners, which took up most of my time and brain energy. One side of the blankie is a playful princess-ballerina print with stars (because Lily IS going to be a dancer) and the reverse is a soft pink solid. The black binding is in homage to Tiff and her husband, they both like black with almost everything! It works!

I google-d flannel blankie DIYs and just made up my own pattern. I sewed the pieces wrong-side up, turned the blankie inside out, and stitched the small opening closed. I used tons of pins when I sewed on the binding, and though that was very helpful, it still was a brat to get straight. The corners caused me the most pain - I almost failed geometry in high school and this is no different - but again I used a lot of pins and google-d "mitered quilt edge" and got some great tutorials. I used Wright's binding and they have a nice tutorial on their website that was helpful.

I was smiling ear to ear when I finished this project; Blankie is SO soft and light enough to be used all year. I think I have found another favorite project to add to my small yet slowly growing reperatoire of sew-skills. What was so hilarious about this gift is when she opened it she exclaimed, "oh my gosh, there is real stitching on this!" meaning, I am notorious for giving up on sewing projects and resorting to stitch witchery or glue because I'm such a sewing numskull. Another win for the gipper (in this case, me)!

(Shower goodies: fruit, veggies, quiche, the best warm-asparagus salad EVER, fresh sugar snap peas, and super delish chicken-almond tea sandwiches. Not pictured were the beautiful chocolate covered strawberries) Mommy Tiff and my cute mom in background) (Coldstone Chocolate Chipper Cake - I had 2 pieces)