gettin' crafty

As mentioned earlier, I have been watching way too much DIY. And one of the shows that I tend to watch is called CREATIVE JUICE – the hosts, like most TV hosts, are a bit too cheery for me ….and the chick has red hair...
Has anyone else noticed that all the cool crafty people have red hair? i.e.: Vickie on KNITTY GRITTY, the Annie Modesitt, and in the blog world, Katrin at SewMad, Kristin at Kristin LaFlamme, and Yvette (who is also a costume designer I work with). Starting to think that I should have dyed my hair red instead of dark brown……..might help in the crafty-ness… though i have been known to be a red, rather burgundy, head from time to time.

Ok back on topic: SO CREATIVE JUICE had a baby things episode. They decorated a onesie with Buddha and made a baby sling. So I had to “follow the fold” and go for it.

Maxim has grown out of these onesies and I could not let them go to waste:

Since everyone else is having girls, I decided to lose the traditional car-boy themes and appliqué some cute birdies over the original design:


Added a little glitter paint to the wings and sparkle for the eye…so cute for the girls. Must pass on to the next cute baby (somebody shoot me!)

I also felt the need to make a baby sling:



I needed something classy to help carry the baby (as well as be able to breastfeed in plain view, but not) while at a wedding this past weekend.


I have the Baby Bjorn (eBay purchase) and that works too. I also tried a New Native Sling that for the first few weeks. Unfortunately, both caused some back pain after awhile. Although the Baby Bjorn is a bit awkward to adjust, it is great for more active roaming with the baby and fantastic once I get it right, but bulky and unattractive when all dressed up. The New Native Sling is more of a pouch and not adjustable at all – moving on to the sling!

I followed these instructions and am really happy with the end result. You can find plenty of different versions of how to make a sling, as well as other carriers, here.
Normally these slings cost way too much (that is, if you can sew, have a crazy stash of fabric and trust your own mad skills). Instead of buying (and wanting one NOW) I made a gorgeous and comfortable Baby Sling for under $10.00. I used a silk from my stash that I bought off a $1/yard table in college and the rings are very inexpensive (ordered from www.slingrings.com)

Must make more!!!!

Finishing the unfinished

More finished objects!

The time between late night feedings has become very productive. And now that my serger is back from the Bernina repair guy and my sewing machine is out on the kitchen table…I am flying through a few sewing projects:



This lovely wall hanging was started in 2004. I think? I decided to take a quilting class over at Capital Quilts in Gaithersburg based on the sample hanging in the shop. All the piecing was done but none of the quilting or the bias edge. I am still thinking about stitching around the dragons and castles in gold or silver metallic thread – but that will most likely NEVER happen. I thought about passing it on as a gift but Fritz really liked it and thinks I should hang it in the baby’s room.
Apparently, I liked the first one so much, I started this one:



Now this one has been quilted, but I have yet to do the border pieces….I am sure there is something in my stash that would lend itself to trimmings. Something in a lovely red maybe? To match the back?

And last but not least – a needle case for straights, circulars and dpn’s along with a pocket for stuff…






Any takers? Seriously. You want it, I’ll mail it. I cannot remember who it was for - if anyone. Email me first and it will be sent out to you this week!!

oh and there is more Unfinished yet to be finished..those baskets are scary!

Wow! One whole year!!

Can you believe it? This piddly little blog has been up for a year! And not yet 100 posts...been busy :)
And even more amazing, I finished a sewing project that i started with fabric that I bought last year this weekend.



this is my very first pieced quilt! The finished measurement is about 45" x 36". The few others quilts that I have made were done with those "tops" you can buy at the fabric store and have some sort of character (animaniacs, harry potter...) and then a few blocks of matching colours around them to make them bigger.

So last year, I started with this:


I sliced the rows on the bias, then re-stitched the bias strips into the center rectangle.

The majority of the fabrics are Denise Schmidt - and a few others filling in the blanks. I finished the center portion last summer and then it just sat and sat in one of my many baskets of many unfinished projects. So last week, while finally unpacking a few things, I found the beginnings of this quilt and felt it was time to finish. The top only took another 2 hours to put together (baby napping - yeah) and pinned like crazy to the back fabric. The not so perfect hand quilting was done by the light of the tv inbetween the 4 am and 6 am feedings. No reason to try to sleep for 1 hour :)
The pictures are all a bit blurry since I used my cell phone camera to take pictures (Fritz left the digital camera at the theatre)

I loved the end result so much, that I started another one!



the fabrics were given to me by Vivi, last year during our fabric swap. The colours are very fall-like: browns and rusts with some olive green and a bit of gold. The stripe is something from my stash. There was another fabric, but it is living a happy life as a purse lining. Expect to see a post one year from now with the finished project.....

Tiger ducks unite!

And now for my latest creation, a TIGERENTE army!!!!


There is no pattern...something that I made up in between midnight feedings using Lion Brand Microspun and a size F crochet hook. Hence, the "no 2 Tigerentes are the same" look.I should have used something like this pattern for a little more consistency. That would have meant planning and thinking ahead. The wheels are a bit "off-road" as Fritz likes to tell me.

I need to put a ribbon and snaps or velvro on them so I can hang them from the car seat handle or on the stroller...but for now they are just their own little army.

Happy mother’s day…a bit late

So this was my first Mother’s Day – not all that different from any other Mother’s Day before, except this time I had a baby to show for it!!

My sister came down with her daughter and boyfriend (who is also a “Fritz”). Since my sister, Jan, is seriously allergic to cats (so strange since we grew up in the same house with cats) they always stay at a hotel –which means HOT TUB!!! And POOL!!!!
This also means:



No not baby-porn:) Maximilian is sporting the finest in baby swim suit bottoms/built in diaper. He is a bit perplexed...





Maxim’s first swim!!! And still is perplexed. He cannot hold his head up all the way yet but he seemed to take to the little inner tube as well. We floated in the water a bit here and there and he accidentally dunked his own head (My Fritz will tell you that I did it on purpose). He coughed and blinked and was fine! I am so happy that this water baby might have her own water baby!!!
There is a pool at our apartment complex, so I cannot wait to take him swimming every evening after work once it opens and is a bit warmer. My niece will be down for a week of summer camp at the theatre, so she is also looking forward to taking the baby swimming.

One of my MD presents was a package from Annie Modesitt!!! So very cool! She must have called my mom to get my address…or maybe I gave it to her?....so spacey these days – whole lack of sleep thing. Anyway she sent a couple of very soft sleep onesies for Maxim and cool stuff for me:






Fritz kept playing with the flip books and “giggling” – that is, if a 40 year old fuzzy man can giggle….so cute!
I am so excited about the millinery/hat making book – am seriously thinking of making the Ascot Hat for a wedding we are going to in 3 weeks….maybe, possibly…all depends on how much more lack of sleep I am up for….

Too much DIY

It starts with sitting in the dark, feeding the baby and thinking “…hmmmm wouldn’t it be cool if the bassinette was a pirate ship?” At first you think that it was all the vicodin combined with lack of sleep. But soon you realize – No it is your own insanity without the aid of drugs or sleepless nights, you are just that wacko.

The basic bassinette really lends itself to Pirate Ship. Don’t you think?
Here is the before:

Stare at – in the dark with tired eyes…Doesn’t the hood just scream to be a flag with skull and cross bones? And maybe something pirate-y on the skirt? Hmmm, must find the perfect fabric for the skirt…oh, and I did - and let us not forget the sheep mobile….




Pirate Max!!!!!!

I thought about a naked girl or a mermaid at the front, but that required way more effort and probably wouldn’t be done until the kid turns 2. Of course, I could find a Barbie or Little Mermaid doll or something…..no, stop.

It took several naps and one evening of Fritz completely taking over the evening cranky-pants attack. (around 7 or 8pm every night there is a cranky-pants attack – sometimes full blown screaming and tears, and other nights just incessant whining that nothing other than over-feeding or bouncing or rocking or shooshing or sling or baby bjorn or…well you get the idea…)

It is not my best work – but hey, I have the excuse of caring for a newborn (we shall see how long that one lasts)

Have you seen the sheep mobile? Check out the close-up of each them here and here.

SOOOO much better than STITCHES!!

I know I am a couple days late with my report but I have got to say that it was soooo much better than STITCHES when it comes to vendors and food!!!!!

Okay food I did not get to partake in the food‘cause the lines were way too long – but this poster might tell you how it was:

"and don't forget the mint!"


There were sheep of course:



just a few feet away from the lamb gyro and sandwich stands....hmmm better win!!!


And there was yarn – lots of yarn and fleece:


The funny thing is that I bought more of this:



Than I did yarn. Maxim, of course, will not fit into these until next MD SHEEP AND WOOL but I could not help myself.

The only yarn I bought was some hand dyed wool for the afghan I am crocheting – nothing special and some hemp/wool blend from someone I cannot remember. I just realy enjoyed walking around for way too long and checking it all out. I ran into people I had not seen since before the baby was born – so he was properly admired :) Heck – he was admired by those I did not know. If I had a dollar for every person who commented on my sweet pea, I’d have bought A LOT of yarn!!!

There are pictures of the baby there too – but I need to edit those – came out a bit bright.

Other amazing items:



People do some fantastic things….

so big!!!!!

finally a cute outfit that i made! this lovely picture was taken by JILL this past sunday at the Woolwinders baby shower....he was such a good baby that you would not believe that he doesn't rest during the day when I want to sleep :)

But one of the lovely ladies gave me a BOUNCY CHAIR!!!!!!!!! do you know the magic of the bouncy chair? Well - let's put it this way, I am blogging again and knitting/crocheting again!!!!

He is so easily amused with the Elephants and the Lion...

argh!!!!! (frustration - not pirates)

i had written a very clever post and the computer crashed just when i was finishing up
lots of cute pics too....my time is precious- so i have learned with baby...i mean look at this gray hair!!!!



but really look at the cuteness that is Maxim:


there is more - really - even a bit of crochet...thinking about an afghan... 'cause i have all that free time...and way too much yarn.....