baby quilt for my bff

This quilt is for my best friend’s baby-number-two who should arrive in mid-June. The sewing bug hadn’t bitten me when her first born hit the scene almost two years ago, so I didn’t quilt anything to mark that very important milestone. I am slightly embarrassed about that. Though I’m not entirely ashamed because I haven’t yet quilted anything for my own first born. Now, that’s pretty bad. I have a twin sized quilt all planned out in my head, and in my sketchbook. It will be all ready for his second birthday. I promise.

I was in search of fabric to match a sage green, blue and yellow nursery. I scoured the quilter’s cotton selection at my favorite local fabric store but wasn’t able to come up with any combinations that I really liked. Then I came across this gorgeous print on the remnant table of the home decor section and changed gears. I fell in love with the fabric and quickly realized that I wouldn’t be cutting into it too much.

[These next three paragraphs will bore you to death if you aren't that into quilts. I felt the need to document the process. Consider yourself warned.]

To make the quilt top, I cut the fabric into large rectangular pieces and sewed the fabric up again in the same order that it was in originally. This way, I didn’t disturb the design but was able to add some texture by piecing the rectangles. I selected a matching cream-colored cotton chenille for the backing, but when it came time to do the quilting, I decided that I didn’t want the quilting stitches to interrupt the nice soft lines of the chenille. So, I made a quilt sandwich using the quilt top, a layer of batting, and a piece of muslin. I quilted the quilt by following the inside lines of the rectangles and tracing some of the leaf shapes. I added the chenille afterwards and anchored it onto the back of the quilt by quilting again, this time through all four layers. I ran three straight lines across the quilt, stitching in the ditch, to secure the chenille in place. You can see those three lines in the photo of the back of the quilt (below).

I make my binding strips by using this method. I goofed at first. I sewed my second seam on the wrong side of the fabric so when I cut out the long strip, some of the seams were on one side, while others were on the other. Argh. I had to re-cut the strip in parts and sew it together again.

Normally I machine stitch one side of the binding strip to the front of the quilt and then flip it over and hand stitch the back. I was very weary of hand stitching chenille because of it’s fuzzy, bumpy nature, so this time I machine stitched on the back of the quilt and hand stitched the binding to the quilt top. I was very careful to make nice small stitches like my sister makes on the mitered corners. (I was so impressed with her hand stitching when we worked on a quilt together during my recent visit with her.) I think these were my best corners yet. It was really nice to feel the weight of this blanket on my lap when I stitched up the binding. Those four layers add some serious heft. This Florida family is either going to have to turn up the AC or move to New England. I vote for the latter, of course.

What I love most about this quilt is that it is for my BFF and her wonderful family. It has been so much fun beginning the adventure that is motherhood with her and I’m glad I’ve finally made her a gift that marks this important step in our lives and in our friendship. (Our kids are six month apart so our first pregnancies overlapped.) My second favorite thing about this quilt is that it isn’t very babyish. The color palette is youthful, but this blanket will grow with the baby and become a lap blanket. Finally, I love the feel of the cotton chenille. It is so soft to touch. This was the first time I tried using it, and I’m glad I did.

Here are a couple more shots of the quilt, and for those of you who don’t really give a hoot about the crafty stuff, a recent photo of my guy helping out in the yard while I conducted the quilt’s photo-shoot. Click in for a better view. And if I don’t get to another post before Sunday, have a great Mother’s Day!

gone fishing

The little guy has been sleeping consistently until 6.30 am these days, so early morning blogging is quickly becoming a thing of the past. (Brilliant!) No offense to my little blog.  As much as I enjoy boring everyone with the details of my-so-called-life*, I enjoy sleep even more, so I am very happy about this recent turn of events.  Besides that, I don’t have much to say today, but I did want to share some images from the kiddo’s first fishing trip.

And here is a little hand stitching detail from my functional felt project.

*Did anyone ever watch My So-Called Life?  Loved that show and all its teen angst. 

nose to nose

The little guy took a trip to the zoo with Grandmama, my godmother, and two friends recently. My godmother took this shot. She’s taken many photos of my siblings and me over the years so its nice to see her continue the tradition with my kiddo. I am pretty sure she took these photos of my sisters in 1984.

Over the last few years, I completed three projects that involved digitizing tons of old family photos. Two projects, a cookbook for my mom and an album for my dad, used photos of my family; the other featured the Cydermaker’s family. It is great to have these files at my fingertips because I am able to create all sorts of little personal gifts and decorations using them. Christmas ornaments, note cards, advent calendars, cake toppers – you name it. I’d like to make those images more accessible to the rest of our family members because it is so much fun to browse through them. For now they sit idle on my hard-drive and backed-up on disc. I’ve added that task to the to-do list. Family members, stay tuned.

On the sewing project front, Mother’s Day gifts are coming along nicely. One down; two more to go. I am enjoying my new adventure in felting in particular because it has presented the opportunity to do some hand stitching — a great change of pace. I am also getting ever closer to completing my BFF’s baby quilt. Finally, two people (with great crafty blogs) asked about how I made Adventure Auntie’s charm bracelet, so I updated that post and explained the process. The sidebar now has a link.

In BIG family news, City Auntie has plans to move closer to home! We will miss our visits with her in New York, but are so thrilled that we will be able to see her more often around these parts. If anyone knows of anyone looking to hire a talented and hardworking newspaper layout editor/designer, I know of a lovely gal who is looking for a job in the Boston area.

charming namibia

The reason why I call my sister-in-law “Adventure Auntie” is because she saw all this (and more) in person when she spent a semester abroad in Namibia.

While in Namibia, Adventure Auntie conducted field research with this organization and worked to save endangered rhinos. She’s certainly earned her nickname, don’t you think?

At Christmas time, Adventure Auntie put together an amazing photo slideshow using our computer. Lucky for me, she left copies of her images on our hard drive. So to celebrate her birthday earlier this month, I made her this little gift. The toughest aspect of the project was choosing the images I wanted to reproduce. They make you want to hear the story behind each one. If you click on some of the photos you will see a tiny ant with an orange background, a soccer match, a giraffe, a fish carcass lion skull (semi-gruesome but I love the color), the moon….

I made a little bag to hold the charm bracelet and necklace. The lining of the bag has a safari theme. Redhead Auntie pointed out that the bag looks like it is intended to hold a single can of beer. It is perfect for all those elegant college students, like Adventure Auntie, who require only one can of beer to get them through a Friday night. Man. Pretty soon people are going to think this is a blog designed to showcase custom beer totes.

HAPPY HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, ADVENTURE AUNTIE! Glad you liked the silly gift and thanks for your comment letting me know about my original misinterpretation of the lion’s skull. (I should have been paying better attention during the slideshow at Christmas.

***UPDATE***

Here’s the how-to for this fairly straightforward project. I purchased Shrinky Dink brand shrink plastic for ink jet printers at the craft store. Make sure to carefully follow the directions they provide. The resizing of your photos is important. In order to get charms that were the size I desired, my original images were 1.18 inches (H) x 1.78 inches (W). They say that images will shrink to three times their original size after the baking process. If you use the same brand of shrink plastic that I used, and use the same dimensions for your photos, you will get a small charm that works nicely for a bracelet. You also have to adjust the saturation of the photos–the instructions explain this crucial step. After you print the images on the shrink plastic, you must cut out the charms and use a smaller sized hole punch to punch two holes on the top of each charm. You do this so that you have a place to thread the charms when you are ready to assemble the bracelet. I made a little template and used it as a guide so that all of my charms had their holes in the same spot.

I baked the charms on a piece of corrugated cardboard (the back side of a legal pad) and sprayed them with an acrylic glaze after baking. The baking process really is the neatest thing ever, just in case you didn’t already know. The Shrinky Dink people recommended a particular brand of spray glaze in the instructions. I don’t recall what it is, but just read their notes thoroughly. They also say that you can use clear nail polish, but I’ve tried that before and it doesn’t work as well. The images, when coated with nail polish, were cloudy. With the acrylic spray, they were crystal clear.

A clever way to set up your charms before you spray them is to roll packing tape so that the sticky side is all around the outside. Stick the “tape roll” onto the bottom of a shallow cardboard box and then affix the charms to the side of the tape that is facing up. This way, the charms will stay in place when you spray them. I don’t think I am explaining this well. Here is a photo:

Let the charms dry for 24 hours. Take a piece of thin leather or hemp cord and string it through the charms. Once assembled, add clasps to finish off the bracelet. You can buy the leather or hemp (I used leather) and clasps at a craft store. I bought extra cord and clasps so that Adventure Auntie could string a single charm on a necklace. I mean, if you are going to the trouble, why not throw in a necklace too?

 

random swirling thoughts

Lots of random little thoughts swirling around in my head. First the bad news. Creamsickle kicked the bucket yesterday. She lasted more than two months so I think that is respectable as far as the life of a goldfish goes. The sad thing is that “fishy” is one of about seven words in the little guy’s vocabulary. It looks like we might be in the market for a new family pet. One that looks like a creamsickle.

I’ve started up my running habit again. There was a very long hiatus (November-April) but my scare-the-townfolk-pale-legs are pounding the pavement with the kiddo once again. It feels good. And it fits nicely into our routine. My jogging partner is a lot heavier than he was last October, but he is also a lot more fun now, pointing out the trees and cars and houses and fellow joggers/bikers/walkers as we go. Last fall, he was guaranteed to snooze.

I have several little projects in the works and a plan to try something new. Felting. Motivation comes from here. My plan is to “up-cycle” a bunch of old wool sweaters by felting them and creating something useful. As far as I can tell so far, felting is accomplished by washing and drying wool in high heat. If local folks have any 100% wool sweaters they are looking to get rid of, the donation bin is open.

I missed the opportunity to say goodbye to a work friend who moved recently. And I don’t have her new digits. You know who you are, so if you are reading, could you shoot me a quick email so that I can be in touch? Oh, and I know that other friends of yours are scouring the internet looking for you too because some of them end up at this blog. Poor people do a search of your name but all they find here is a bunch of hokey crafts and photos of cute kids!

I just heard some big news today that my idea of utopia may be coming a little bit closer to reality by the fall. (A VERY BIG YAY!) More on that great news later.

weekend in review

A very quick rundown of weekend highlights includes:

-watching our garden grow

-catching the little guy kissing the oven and then giggling hysterically afterwards

-visits from not one, but two, aunties

-a great outdoor dinner with two girlfriends (gourmet ice cream sandwiches included)

-a bonfire for the guys; a good long chat for the girls

-a visit from the BBQ (steak and ribs) fairy - thanks Grandpa!

-a fishing trip with friends for dad

-a long nap on the lawn with the little guy for mom.

Hope your weekend was great too.

clever little cape

I made a clever little cape.

And guess what? You can make one too.

Because I also made a “clever little cape” pattern and tutorial — just for you. Click on the link, print the pdf, and give it a whirl. Then put your clever little cape on a clever little person and watch them whirl. Fun. Fun. Fun.

The last time I made a bunch of these capes was on Valentine’s Day for the kiddo and his pals. Different versions of this cape could be made to celebrate any holiday really. They could also serve as birthday party favors or be included as part of a gift. The one pictured here has been sent to the little guy’s good friend Goose. (Say that one five times fast.) I adorned it with a goose applique in honor of his nickname.

There are some other excellent cape-making tutorials residing in Bloglandia. Mine is not better, just different. One that I found has pleats and another offers an actual superhero applique. I looked at both of them when I first wanted to make a cape, but decided that I 1) was too chicken to try pleating and 2) wanted to incorporate grosgrain ribbon and a collar. And that, folks, is how apple cyder’s clever little cape was born. Yes, I know. Another riveting story to power you through your adventures in crafting. (Oh, and you can find another example of a kid’s cape here.)

If you decide to make a cape and find that the instructions are difficult to follow, please be in touch and let me know. Also, I’d love to see what you come up with, so send links/photos of your capes.

One last thing and then I’ll shut up. If you are going to give this a shot, keep in mind that this cape is meant for play. If you make a small error or two, don’t worry about it. Pardon the lecture. It’s just that I am guessing there are others out there like me who sometimes have trouble parting with their inner perfectionist when it comes to sewing. Does that ring a bell?

OK. Once again, here is my “clever little cape” pattern and tutorial.

progress report & local news

I’ve finished the sewing part of Adventure Auntie’s birthday gift and hope to finish the other (really fun) part this weekend. The photo below gives a peek at part one. Part two of the gift is inspiring me to make a slightly different version for our little guy. It’s turning out to be an excellent little project. I think Adventure Auntie is really going to dig it. Next up will be Mother’s Day gifts. I have ideas for both grandmas as well as the newest mom in the family. I think I may even try to make something for myself if I can squeeze it in.

I have also been working on a new pattern/tutorial for those crafty readers out there. I’ve reaped the benefits of the countless free tutorials that other bloggers offer and have been wanting to contribute something of my own. A recent post at Sew, Mama, Sew announcing a tutorial contest was the kick in the pants I needed. I’ve been wrestling a bit with Adobe Illustrator and am learning a lot along the way. A few more tweaks and the pattern/tutorial will be ready for its debut.

In local news, Phillabusta has moved back east–just in time for fishing season. It is great to have him back. (He’s the looker wearing glasses in the center of the above photo. Alpine Auntie is just in front of him and Island Auntie is the only one who isn’t facing front. My oldest brother is just behind Phillabusta.) Redhead Auntie is coming over this weekend for a sleepover and Roxy is going to come hang out with us too.

Oh, and that crazy Italian pastry fairy struck again today. (Thanks Grandmama!) Have I mentioned before how awesome it is to live within a twelve mile radius of all four grandparents? Indeed.

cabin camping

This weekend we went camping for the first time as a family of three. We slept in a cabin, not a tent, which was a very good thing because there was (surprise!) a good amount of snow at our destination. The adorable one-room cabin had a roomy front porch and was furnished with a wood-burning stove, beds, a table and chairs. We went hiking, goofed around at the camp site, and on Saturday afternoon, the little guy and I went for a road trip to Williamstown, MA while the Cydermaker went fishing on his own.

We were surrounded by the beauty of nature all weekend long, but the only half decent shots I managed to capture were a series of photos of the kiddo chomping on the dregs of a bag of Doritos. In my defense, it was the most entertaining part of the trip. Can you tell that he enjoyed himself?

Yeah. Pretty disgusting. But kind of funny too.

Oh. And if you were hoping to find something crafty today, join the toy makers on their journey to Australia and fashion yourself a paper kangaroo or a dizzy koala.  Gotta love free paper toys!

play dates and previews

We had a quick little play date with my BFF and her sweet little girl before they head back to Florida. It was the first truly spring-like day around here. The kids had fun tossing rocks and golf balls on BFF’s parents’ manicured lawn. And the moms had fun chatting about whatever, just like we did in high school. I’ve mentioned before that my BFF is expecting her second baby in June. Well, she has nine weeks to go and looks great.

I have a quilt in the works for the baby-to-be. The colors of the nursery are sage green, pale yellow and light blue so I was thrilled when I found some beautiful fabric in that color scheme at my favorite fabric shop. There is something about this fabric that I love so much, so I bought some extra yardage for myself.   I still haven’t worked out the final design of the baby’s quilt, but I think it will mark a departure from others I have made recently. I know I want to showcase the fabric this time, so I don’t think I will be cutting into it too much. I’ve purchased some super soft chenille that coordinates nicely, so that will come into play.

Below is a preview of the fabric I am using to make Adventure Auntie’s belated birthday gift. Since I am more than a week late on this one (I blame my sister’s new baby, of course), I figure the least I can do is give her a peek at her present. Once the project is finished, I will show it off and will also tell you all about how Adventure Auntie earned her nickname. It’s a good story and the accompanying photos are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!