A Few Sewn Gifts for Baby

Here are some goodies that my sister, Mandy, and I made for our cousin Shelby's baby, Maya. We waited until the last minute to make them, but I think they turned out pretty well. I really think the hardest part is picking out the fabrics. Close-ups are after the main picture.
As you can see, we made everything coordinating.


This is the onesie I did. I cut it out with my Cricut, and then zig-zagged stitched around the edges. I accidentally kinked the handle of the rattle, but a piece of ribbon stitched over it fixed a bit.


This is the bag. You can probably tell that this is the Hip Mama bag, again. We used interfacing this time, and it was much stiffer. Something odd though is that there was no interfacing on the back side, so next time, I will definitely add this in.


Here are two burp clothes I made, using extra fabric, ribbon, and cloth diapers. I then folded them up and tied them together with a ribbon. I got the pattern from here:


Then, I had to make a coordinating card to go with everything. At this point, it was about 3:00 in the morning, so I just pulled out the cuttlebug for the tag and some inking around the edges. The tag says, "For you with love."


All in all, I think it was a success, or at least fun to make at any rate.

Dipped Glitter Brads

This is for my aunt and my cousin. We were talking about how to make your own colored brads, in any color, with glitter or not, and I realized I told them the wrong directions. Here is the right way, from Okieladybug on the Cricut messageboard:

"I hold the brad with tweezers, put it in front of the heat gun, count to like 10, dip in the red, put in front of the heat gun again if needed, then dip it in the white glitter powder and put the brad in front of the heat gun again if needed. It sounds like it takes a long time to do them but I did a couple dozen in no time."

I haven't tried this, but the pictures look cute. Give it a try!

My New Bag!

So, we got the bags finished, after a lot of trial and error. I think next time, it will go a lot faster, now that we know what we are doing. Here is mine:


This is the applique I cut out on my Cricut. I think I need heavier interfacing, because it wiggled around quite a bit. Also, the fabrics match better in real life. Again, I need to learn to take better pictures.

This is the front with the flap lifted. There are two large pockets on the front and two pockets on the side. There is also a large zipper pocket on the back.


The bag calls for a lot of topstitching, so I used a decorative stitch for it. This picture makes it look messed up, but it really turned out cute.

This is the interior. There are three pockets on one side and two pockets on the other. They are a little puckered because there is elastic on them.


So, what do you think? I think it turned out pretty well. Here are a few notes and suggestions:
-We didn't use interfacing, so it made the bag floppier, but I kind of like the look. If you want a stiffer bag, definitely use the interfacing.
-I would like to try it with the vinyl next time. I think this bag would do pretty well in the washer though.
-Cut the strap out FIRST. Otherwise you might end up with a strap that is a little shorter than you would like.
-The snaps on the body of the bag are kind of high. The top just kind of flops over, and doesn't really meet up. Maybe if the bag was full of stuff or if it were stiffer, it would work better, but if you make a floppy bag like this, I would recommend putting the snaps lower. Also, with the regular notions at Joann, you get one snap for $4.50, but they have a special purse section with 3 snaps for $1.49. They might not be as nice, but seriously, how long are you going to keep this bag?
-I used the serger on some of the pieces. Mandy didn't, and mine seemed to go together more evenly.
-This bag is a lot bigger than it looks, so don't be fooled when you are initially cutting out the bag pieces.

All in all, this was a fun bag to make. If you would like me to make one for you, just let me know (you supply the fabric), or if you want a fun project, try this one!

Oh, here is the link to the tutorial:
Hip Mama Diaper Bag

Time Out for Tasty Goodness--Spinach Pie

After working on our Hip Mama Diaper Bags for about 6 hours now, including a trip to the store, Mandy and I realized that every once in a while, you have to stop and take a break for some food. Periodically on this blog, I will share a recipe with you. I made this Spinach Pie a few nights ago for dinner, and everyone in the house loved it. The best part is that it is super easy and hard to mess up, which is pretty much a prerequisite for me. I found this recipe in the September 2008 issue of Family Circle, that I read while waiting (and waiting) for my doctor to see me. Here it is:

Spinach & Swiss Quiche
Makes 6 servings
Prep 5 minutes

1 refrigerated piecrust (from a 15 ounce package)--Don't you love how versatile and easy these are!
5 large eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (1/2 cup)
4 ounces of Swiss cheese, shredded (1 cup)--I used cheddar jack

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimping edge.
2) In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Spread the spinach into the bottom of the prepared piecrust. Pour egg mixture evenly over spinach, then sprinkle with the cheese.
3)Transfer quiche to 375 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue to bake for 20 minutes, until crust is puffed and browned (cover with foil if browning too quickly). Let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Let me know how it turns out for you!