snap tape

I don’t normally post super simple projects like bibs and burp cloths, but I do have a few things to say about this set, so here goes. First, why didn’t anyone ever tell me about snap tape? It is so much easier to use than those crappy snap fastener things. Second, Juliette’s bib pattern is excellent. Fits a baby perfectly. Too small for a toddler – not enough coverage-but works wonders on my four month old. Which is probably why she calls it an infant bib, not a toddler bib. Third, text fabric in patchwork is great. She does it all the time – with a great deal of style.

So, what other little tricks and secrets do folks have that make sewing easier? I’m curious to learn whether anyone else has had one of those moments recently where they have said to themselves “If only I had known about this months ago!” Please spill it. I think I’d learn a lot.

mini quilt monday

This is a cathedral window doll quilt for my little girl.  All hand sewn. Excellent tutorial here.  I tried to stay away from contemporary fabrics to give this a more old-fashioned look.  I have an idea for a variation on this pattern using more modern prints that I may actually tackle soon. There is lots of folding and ironing and hand-stitching involved, but I enjoyed the process.  I don’t think I’d have the patience for a full sized quilt, though.

My mother’s aunt hand-made her a queen sized quilt in this style. When my mom saw that I had made this mini quilt, she said, “Now do you understand why I used to have a near heart attack when you kids would hook your fingers into the fabric to pull yourselves up onto the bed?”  Yes, Mom.  Now I understand.

Amanda has mentioned that she plans to try a cathedral mini quilt too. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with. More Mini Quilt Monday here.

bedhead and housekeeping

I love the way this little boy looks when he first wakes up.  He is so cheery, yet still in a semi-dreamy state.  And he has, in my opinion, the world’s best bedhead.  I would love to take a series of photos of him just after he wakes up.  You know, pop him outside on the doorstep first thing in the morning to take advantage of the natural light.  {Yeah.  I am a wicked nice mom like that.}

OK.  One small housekeeping item.  I’ve had a couple of very polite hints recently from family and friends that I haven’t been posting enough current pictures of the kids. If you are someone I know and want to bore yourself silly with tons of poorly composed photos (see above) of my two rugrats, please comment or send me an email at acyder (at) gmail (dot) com. I will put you on an email list that will give you access to our family photos without having to sign into a website.  The kids will still pop up on the blog on occasion, so if you are a “small doses” kind of person, you may not want to be added to the email list.

if there were more hours in the day

Values Quilt, pictured above, from Metrosupial Designs {Important note:  I DID NOT make this quilt, but would like to do something similar one day!}

Just in case you missed them, there are three great tutorials that have surfaced fairly recently that I would love to try. Metrosupial Designs has an amazing values quilt, a new Sew Mama Sew board member did up some great instructions for a bunch of fantastic handbags and Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts has done a brilliant job with a zig zag quilt tutorial for those of us who have a fear of sewing triangles.  I’d like to use the zig zag tutorial to do something like this.

Darn the interwebs for coming up with such great ideas.  And darn me for typing a post and complaining about not having enough free time when I could be making something.

the overly enthusiastic bridesmaid

My sister-in-law (I call her City Auntie on this blog) is getting married in about a year and I am honored to be a bridesmaid in the wedding.  I’ve been in three weddings before.  I was Alpine Auntie’s maid of honor and a bridesmaid for two of my best friends from college.  When Alpine Auntie got married I was living in Berlin, so I wasn’t able to get very involved in the planning.  I did get to chose my own dress and found the perfect one in a boutique in Luxembourg.  {Boy was my life soooo different back then.}  The details for the other two weddings were mostly handled by the brides and their mothers.  

This wedding is different.  Now that City Auntie lives so close to us, the opportunities to help her plan abound.  And, wow, am I excited to help.  I love coming up with all sorts of DIY ideas and badger City Auntie regularly with e-mails and links to lovely, lovely things.  I daydream about sewing up 200+ cloth napkins for the reception (unlikely to happen, but I love the idea) and assembling perfect little party favors.  I realized the other day that I could possibly be getting a little bit too into it.  Especially for someone who eloped.  *Ahem.*

Here is what happened.  My mom gave me a gorgeous bouquet of roses the first day that I returned back to work after maternity leave.  The flowers were incredible; they looked like this.  When the petals began to discolor, rather then throw them into the compost pile, I conducted a little DIY flower arranging experiment to see what I could come up with.  The result is the top photo. Another view of the arrangement is here. Not perfect. But not bad.  You know–for an overly enthusiastic bridesmaid.

On another topic, my baby girl is already getting old.  Notice how she can practically sit up on her own, on her handmade quilt, which was sewn with love by Alpine Auntie.  {How I love that quilt with it’s perfect colors, some of my most favorite dots, and it’s hand-tied pouffy goodness.}

“Hey Mom.  I’m not sure how I feel about this pedicure.  I think the paint on the toenails of my right foot is a bit uneven.  Can we go back to the salon?”

I’m not sure if it shows in these photos, but I have been fiddling with my camera lately.  Been trying to stay away from the auto modes and figure out how to use more natural light. The idea to capture her age each month with a tag comes from the lovely and talented Anna who works wonders with her digital SLR over at Hank & Willie.