Thursday, December 31, 2009

Rolling Purse Pocket Organizer Thingie

My Mom told me the other day about a purse organizer she saw on t.v. and although she wanted it, was able to refrain… which I’m told is quite a feet once you’ve experienced the pull of the home shopping network. I did a little snooping online and I’m not sure if I found exactly what she was referring to, but it seemed like something that would be best custom made. So here you have it… a rolling purse pocket organizer thingie:

Cut two strips of coordinating fabric & a piece of quilt batting 8” x 25”

Place your batting on the table with a piece of the fabric on top, face up

Place your second fabric face down on top of the other fabric and batting

Sew the fabric and batting together, leaving a 3” opening in one of the long sides to turn it through

Turn your fabric right sides out and top stitch all around

Fold the bottom long edge up 3 inches and sew the sides together (like you’re making one big pocket)

Now figure out what you want to keep in your handy new accessory and line it all up in the pocket

Mark where the edges of the pockets should be with a pin and draw lines from the pocket edge to the fold

Stitch on your lines to create the individual pockets

Fill the pockets with your goodies & roll it up.

Now it’ll be super easy to rotate all those handbags into your wardrobe… accessorize to your hearts content!

A Pink & Green Welcome

The birth of a baby is an occasion to be celebrated… even if they’re the 2nd or more to join the family. I couldn’t let my little Liv come in without fan fair! We didn’t need tons of new baby items, I wanted everyone to meet our newest addition, and a party should include men, women, and kiddos too. An open house was the perfect solution!

With all the sewing I did in preparation for Liv's arrival, is it any surprise that fabric was the inspiration for the party theme?! Specifically, this bright and cheery Michael Miller print called Disco Dots in Sorbet:


The party was planned for 8 weeks after Liv’s birth, so sending the invites with her birth announcement was perfect timing. GreenApplePaperie designed and made the invitations, favor tags, & thank you notes in the same colors as the fabric.


The decorations were my favorite part! I made the oh so popular and super easy tissue pom-poms (see the tutorial here). My Doug hung them from the ceiling above the food and at the front porch with invisible thread and 3M hooks.

Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts inspired the lime rind candles (I used wax left over from tea pot candles I made for Elle’s party… post coming soon).

I also picked up the quintessential party décor; balloons and crepe paper.

The food was pink and green too. Chip dips were served in huge wine glasses rimmed with colored salt. I made guacamole (get the recipes and the serving details here), a pink potato chip dip, and because displays are always more aesthetically pleasing in threes, I added some store bought green salsa too. I served pink lemonade in a glass jug with lime slices floating in it & cupcakes frosted in colors that matched our theme perfectly (I brought a fabric swatch to the baker… I’m not afraid of being “the crazy lady”.)


Since fabric was the inspiration for the theme it was easy for the girls to coordinate with the party. A simple pillowcase top for Elle and an appliquéd onesie for Liv made for cute pictures.



I made sure we got a picture of each of our guests. A photo album with space on each page to write a little something, served as the guest book and commemoration of the day.

No party is complete without a thank you for your guests. I got a huge container of powdered lemonade mix, poured it into ball jars, and topped them with the theme fabric embroidered with “thank you”.

This isn’t the first party I’ve planned around a color and dots (check out some posts about Elle’s 2nd birthday party here and here), it’s a fun theme and one that’s easy to run with!

I’m always on the look out for great party ideas. Leave me some links in the comments!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Guacamole

I usually keep this blog all craft related, but I have the recipe for the yummiest guacamole ever and I’ll throw in a crafty bit for gifting and/or serving it. Justification accomplished, here’s my yummy guacamole recipe:

4 ripe avocados
2 lemons
6 green onions
1 fresh red chili
1 clove of garlic
A drop of Tequila
2 envelopes of guacamole seasoning mix (I use Old El Paso)
Tortilla Chips

Squeeze the lemons’ juice into a cup (if you warm the lemons in the microwave for just a bit and roll them on the counter top before cutting & squeezing them, you’ll get more juice). Scoop the insides of the avocados into a bowl and pour some of the lemon juice on top to keep them from discoloring. Add the smashed clove of garlic, a drop or two of tequila, & the spices. Combine with a hand mixer (I like it a little chunky, so I don’t blend it until it’s completely smooth). Remove the seeds from the chili & cut into really small strips. Cut the onions small too. Mix the chili and onions in. scrape the sides of the bowl, smooth the surface of the guacamole, & cover it with lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve with tortilla chips.

We used to have an avocado tree in our back yard that produced an insane amount of fruit, which presented a wonderful opportunity to make friends at work. While you’re at it, you may as well show off your crafty skills! Print the recipe on cardstock, cut it out, punch a hole in the top and thread a ribbon through. Toss 4 small or 3 large avocados in a brown paper lunch sack, fold the top down, punch a hole in the folded section and attach the recipe card. If you’re feeling especially generous you could even include an airport sized bottle of tequila (I don’t recommend that if you’re handing them out at work!).

Liv’s “welcome to the world” party was a pink and green theme so of course even the food needed to be pink and green. I made this yummy guacamole and served it in an extra large wine glass (you can pick one up at Michael’s… it’s not really for drinking from… unless you drink an entire bottle at once and use both hands to lift the glass). I dyed some rock salt pink by shaking it up in a zip top bag with a couple drops of food coloring, dumped it onto a paper plate, wet the rim of the glass, ran it through the salt & poured the guacamole in.

Don’t forget the corn chips!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Advent Paper Chain Kit

Just in time for December 1st I’ve put together an advent paper chain kit to make as a little Thanksgiving treat for the kiddos. It’s a fun project to put together and a visual way to count down the days to Christmas. I even made some templates so you can DIY. I LOVE this idea!

Step 1 – Print this document on the back side of some Holiday themed scrapbook paper (there are 7 pages)
Step 2 – Cut out the strips
Step 3 – Print the Thanksgiving bag topper & the Paper Chain Kit Instructions on card stock
Step 4 – Cut the bag toppers so that there’s room (about 2 inches) above the design to fold it over like a name tent
Step 5 – Put the Dec. 1st-25th strips & the instructions in a zip top baggie. Fold the bag topper over the top of the bag and staple

I don’t think this is the last you’ve seen of this advent paper chain idea… the wheels are turning… stay tuned.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Library Tote

Perusing book shelves, whispering to each other, and hunting down favorite reads, has become Elle and my favorite way to spend a Tuesday afternoon. We usually head home with a tote bag so laden with books, audio books, and DVDs, that it’s too heavy for Elle to carry. Good thing we carry a sturdy (and adorable too) tote like this one made by the very talented Red Marionette! One of Elle’s friends happens to enjoy the library as much as we do, so a tote of her own made a special birthday gift. It’s an easy project, a good excuse to use some of your favorite fabric, and makes a thoughtful gift when paired with a good book or two.

So here you go, a simple tote that’s just the right size for the smarty pants in your life:

1)Measure. I measured one of Elle’s largest books and added 2 inches to each side to come up with the measurement for my tote. Mine was 12” x 15” but you can make it in whatever size you like.

2)Cut two of the outside print and two of the lining (I ironed a fusible stabilizer to the lining pieces before I cut them… you can skip this step if you’d like. It makes it a bit sturdier though, so I prefer it) the size of your measurement from #1. Cut two strips of your outside fabric 8” wide x however long you would like the straps to be

3)Press the strips into double fold bias tape (press it in half, open it up and press each edge into the middle, fold it in half again, encasing the raw edges)

4)Sew body of the bag. With right sides facing each other, sew 3 sides of the two pieces of the outside fabric together. Leave one of the short sides un-sewn. Repeat with the lining fabric, leaving a 3” opening in sewn short side.
5)Sew straps. Sew along the edges of each long side of the straps

6)Bottom of the bag – With right sides still facing, open the body of the bag up and squeeze the bottom corner together so that the side seam and the bottom seam are touching each other. Sew perpendicular to the seams about 1.5” from the corner (the blue line in the picture above). Cut off the top of the triangle to lessen the bulk. Repeat for both bottom corners of outside fabric and lining.

7)Pin. Flip the outside fabric right sides out and place it inside the lining pieces so that the lining and the outside fabric is right sides together. Place the handles between the outside and lining pieces and pin them on both sides of the bag with the ends about 2.5” from the side seam. Pin the rest of the top raw edges together.
8)Sew around the top of the bag.

9)Pull the outside of the bag through the opening in the lining. Sew the opening in the bottom of the lining shut. Push the lining into the bottom of the bag.
10)Top Stitch around the top of the bag (You don’t have to do this step, but it gives the tote a finished look and rounds out these instructions to 10)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Bo Peep

Why do I always forget how much I dislike sewing clothes from a pattern? If I decide to do it again in the future I really must take a class because there has got to be some secret trick I’m missing. They NEVER fit according to the size indicated on the pattern. Every time I make an outfit I try it on once I get the main pieces together and it’s always off by a mile. Elle’s Bo Peep costume was no different. Here’s what it should look like according to the pattern I bought (McCall's M5728):

I started with the vest. When I tried it on her, I could grab about 8” of material in the back. If I tried to make the back smaller the arm holes got too small. So, I decided to cut the sleeves off and make it a strapless top. I finished the top, made the white shirt, and the hat. I would’ve made a white tutu, but I’ve been seriously busy lately and decided to just cut down a long tutu I made for her for another costume she wore… even though it was sort of purpley… I figured “it’ll be dark when people see the costume anyway” (except for on my blog… duh!).

I finish everything and try it on her… the vest without sleeves (a.k.a. a strapless top) isn’t long enough. If she wears it up under her arms the peplum thingies stick out from her rib cage. Sooo, she had to wear it low Oktoberfest/slutty Halloween costume bustiere style:

So it didn’t turn out exactly like I had envisioned, but I’m happy with it over all. She got so many compliments on her costume! She spent the entire night saying “Thank you. My Mommy made it for me” and “Mommy, everyone loves my costume!”

Oh, and apparently sewing your own Bo Peep costume is the only way to do it these days because you can’t purchase one at a Halloween store. I thought we would be able to pick up a crook somewhere, but no... knives that spurt blood, bullet shot wounds,and machetes yes, wholesome story book character accessories no. Daddy had to get creative and heat up some PVC tubing, bend it into a crook, and put a rubber stopper on the bottom. I sewed a white satin sleeve for it and hot glued ribbon & bow around it.

Of course there also has to be a sheep… in the stroller. Cotton balls glued to a onesie with fabric glue and a cutesy lamb ear hat crocheted by Grandma made for the cutest sheep around.

I love this picture! I need to add the caption "Ha ha very funny... have you had your fun yet... hmmm??"

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Halloween Treats

Do you have a little one who needs to bring Halloween treats to friends/schoolmates? I found this template for candy corn cones on a blog I follow. Just print the template on card stock, cut them out, double side tape them into a cone shape, double side tape a strip of tissue paper to the inside of the cone, fill, add a little tag & tie.

I found the coolest treat to fill them with in the cracker aisle… Kraft Jet-Puffed marshmallows! They come in individual packets, in chocolate, strawberry, or regular marshmallows. YUMMY!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Tissue Pom-Poms


Okay so everyone has seen these tissue pom-poms… right?? They’re everywhere these days, and for good reason. Not only are they a super cute decoration, but they’re cheap and easy to make too! They would be adorable in a nursery, but since I already have a mobile hanging from the ceiling in Liv’s room and a pink polka dotted flying cow from FlyingZoo hanging in Elle’s room, the ceilings are at their max. Soooo, I was excited to incorporate the pom-poms into a party I planned. Here’s the link to the instructions on how to make these yourself. You can pick up tissue and wire for pretty cheap, but Martha Stewart has a kit for these at Michaels, and I think it’s worth the extra money. The tissue in the kit is heavier weight than you typically find at a party store, which makes for a fuller, sturdier pom-pom.

We hung these with 3M hooks (gotta love those things!!) & invisible thread over the food spread and outside the front door. They were a big hit at Liv’s party and one of the easiest party decorations ever!

Friday, October 16, 2009

It's That Time!

Time to draw names if you’re doing a Christmas Gift Exchange!

My parents, my siblings, and our spouses always exchange names for Christmas. My Doug and I… and now one of my brothers is in school here too… are in Fl and the rest of my family is in IL, so it’s not easy to draw names long distance. This year I found an awesome site that is going to make it easy for us, but has some really cool features that will make you want to use even if all your gifters/giftees are in one spot. It’s DrawNames.com and it’s FREE!

Here’s how it works. You set the number of participants for your gift exchange, type in their names and email addresses, set any exclusions (like spouses shouldn’t draw each other’s name) and the site sends an email out to everyone with a link. They click on the link, fill out a wish list, and once everyone is done with their list the site emails everyone their person to buy for. Okay, so that’s great, but the things that really sold me on it were that you can update your wish list whenever you want, so if you think of something between now and the exchange you can let the person who has your name know. You can also send questions to the participants anonymously, so if you have a question about something on your person’s wish list, you can ask them without them knowing who is asking the question. And, if you’re the person who organized the exchange you can send an email to everyone in the group at once if you have a change in the details of your exchange. Oh, and I also like organizing the exchange online because my wish list contains “Anything from my Etsy favorites would be wondermous!” and the link to my favorites is right there, so no excuse for not checking them out :)

What would we do without the internet?!

Giveaway Winner!

The winner by random draw is AStarrA!

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 22
Result: 15

Thank you to everyone who left a comment to win!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Celebration Giveaway!

Tiny toes, pudgy cheeks, sweet cries, wrist rolls, and finger squeezes have filled my days of late and been a distraction (although a pleasant one) from sewing/crafting/Elle Belle and pretty much everything else. But some semblance of a routine is emerging and I’ve eagerly returned to my sewing machine and blog. I’m happy to be back and have lots of fun stuff to post about but first, a celebration is in order. Let’s celebrating the return of my creative outlet, my guilty pleasure, and all Mommies who have something they’re passionate about in addition to their families! What better way to celebrate blog style than with a giveaway?!

Just in time for Halloween, I’m giving away a trick-or-treat tote bag! This isn’t just any trick-or-treat bag; it’s constructed with felt and has sturdy felt handles. A cutesy punkin face is appliquéd on the front with sheer black fabric … “why sheer?” you ask… because it GLOWS! There’s a pocket behind the pumpkin face for a glow stick.





So here’s how you win this bag + glow stick for yourself or a little punkin you know:
Required entry: Check out my Etsy shop (it’s sort of slim pickin’ right now, due to that little distraction I mentioned) and leave a comment about your favorite item.

Get extra chances to win by leaving comments about the following (1 additional entry per comment):


  • Give me a suggestion for Halloween costumes I could dress my girls in this year… I’m thinking they should go together in some way like Bo Peep and a sheep… they’re 4yrs and 8weeks old.
  • Follow my blog
  • Follow me on twitter

Leave your comment(s) by midnight EST Oct. 15th, the winner will be contacted and announced on the 16th.

Monday, August 24, 2009

A Handmade Welcome

So much handmade goodness awaited the arrival of our sweet Liv!

So if you haven't been following this blog *gasp* while I've been pregnant, you missed a lot! I've been busy and even keeping some other wonderful crafters busy. Here's an overview of many of my creative endeavors of late and links to blog posts or shops... so you can catch up :)
1. Pregnancy note cards made by Serendipity Beyond Design
2. Messenger Diaper Bag, made by Mommy (MBM)
3. Doilie made by Nedra's Sphynxlover
4. Applique outfit MBM
5. Nursery Wall Art Made by Daddy
6. Cover for swing MBM
7. Applique soft blocks MBM
8. Kimono booties MBM
9. Car seat cover MBM
10. Owl Mommy and Baby stuffies made by Boogiebead
11. Modified onesie sleep sack MBM
12. So this adorable bunny isn't exactly handmade... but I had to include it because Elle, Liv's big sister, "made" it for her. It's from build a bear and Elle recorded a message on a button you push in the bunny's paw of her saying "Hi Liv, it's your big sister Elle. I love you!" Seriously sweet!!
13. Shabby Chic fan pull made by Maggie Girl
14. Amy Butler Play Mat made by Mommy and her friend Ann
15. Zipper pouch and matching sling (sling not pictured) MBM
16. Personalized tag blanket MBM
17. Retro Ruffler made by Rae Gun
18. Ruffle butt onesie MBM
19. Applique top and bloomers MBM
20. Liv's coming home from the hospital bubble suit and bonnet MBM
21. Modified onesie sleep sack MBM
22. Baby bow clips by Baby K Designs
23. Booties made from a My Sweet Little pattern, to match Liv's coming home from the hospital outfit MBM
24. Curtains for the nursery MBM
25. Personalized onesie was a gift from Bloomhill Baby as part of the EtsyBaby team shower. Bloomhill Baby doesn't appear to have a shop on Etsy anymore :(
26. Kimono set from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones MBM.
27. Poofball hat by Kamieos Creations

Monday, August 17, 2009

Nursery Wall Art


Pictures of the nursery are coming soon, but I wanted to highlight a simple to do and inexpensive art project we did for the wall. I love the vinyl wall decals that are all the rage right now, but we have plaster walls that are textured so the decals won't stick. Soooo I picked up a plain stretched canvas on a frame at JoAnns for $8, painted it pink (it's the Restoration Hardware color - Rose. You can buy a little 4oz sample for $4 which was more than enough paint for this little project), and applied a vinyl decal I fell in love with from The Vinyl Studio on Etsy. The project cost less than $35 and makes a big impact in the nursery!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Liv is here!


Liv arrived last Friday morning. We're all doing well and already madly in love! More posts when it won't interfere with cuddle time.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Easiest Curtains Ever & A Sneak Peek Into Liv's Nursery

The nursery is done except for one bit of art work I'm still waiting on. It wasn't quite as fun as designing Elle's nursery because Liv's nursery is in a room that should be an office or other common living space, so I didn't want to make the bones of the room too "nursery" and have to redo it all when we decide to move… but it was still fun to put together and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I'll post all the pics and a run down when I get that last bit of artwork on the wall.
My least favorite part of the project = deciding on a style of curtains and picking the fabric. We have wide plank white blinds on all the windows in the house except for Elle’s room, and that minimalist feel fits our uncluttered space well, so I’ve managed to steer clear of making the big design decision of window coverings for the most part. We wanted something that fit the shabby chic feel of Liv’s room but we didn’t change the paint color in there, so it needed to go with Restoration Hardware’s Silver Sage, which is a hard color to match! That room also gets a lot of light, so we needed something that would block that out during nap time. And, since one window in that room is on the front of the house, we didn’t want to replace the blinds so we could maintain the continuity of the look from the outside of the house. That was a lot of factors to take into consideration, Sooooo we decided to take a simple approach… an uncomplicated paneled drapery, lined with black out fabric, hung on cute rods, with tie backs trimmed in pom pom fringe. Behold the world’s easiest sewing project:


I have to tell you, the curtain rods were the deal of the century! They're cracked pink glass bulbs on the ends of silver rods. I found them at Target on clearance (I had to go 4 different Targets... thank goodness we live in a major metropolitan area... who has 4 Targets within 30 minutes of eachother?!). The small rod for $5 and the large one for $8... I couldn't believe it... we spent $40 each on the rods in Elle's room... crazy!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Applique Outfits

Since I’m not in love with making clothing, I’ve done several projects that partly consist of embellishing existing pieces. The latest are these three little outfits, 2 for Liv & 1 for a sweet little birthday boy.
I used the bloomers pattern that was part of the pattern from Liv’s bubble suit (once I had them finished I compared them to a pair of 0-3 month store bought bloomers and the waist and legs look like the right size, but the butt part looks huge… she may be super poofy in these, we’ll see) to make the bloomers from a Michael Miller fabric I adore, and then just appliquéd a piece of the design on the little orange American Apparel tank top.


This second outfit also started out with just an American Apparel pink top that I appliquéd another fabric that keeps popping up in my projects. I used my machine’s blanket stitch around the appliqué (you do know how much I loath hand sewing right?!), and made the matching elastic waist pants from the kimono pattern in Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little Ones book.

This last outfit was for a first birthday. I had some unique import fabric that was just waiting for the right project and this was it. I appliquéd the 1 on the top, used my machine’s blanket stitch again (this time set bigger) and modified Amy Butler’s kimono pants pattern for a bigger size.

You gotta love quick and cute projects!

Monday, July 20, 2009

We're Ready


My hospital bag is packed and my toenails are painted... we're ready!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Liv's Sweet Messenger Diaper Bag

I love how this bag turned out! I modified a really simple messenger bag pattern to incorporate some features that I think will make it especially useful as a diaper bag. There's a lot to go over, so I'll just get to the nitty gritty.
I embroidered the flap of the bag with an Urban Thread's scribble design. Robots aren't particularly girly, but I thought it was super cute in pink and went really well with the fabric I lined it in, which is Melissa Averinos' design from her Sugar Snap line.

The side of the bag has nylon straps the length of the bag with D rings attached at the top so that the double sided strap is removable and you can clip the bag to a stroller with two carribeaners or by wrapping the strap around the handle and then clipping it back into the D rings.


One of my favorite features of the bag is the removable changing pad/messenger bag flap. Four snaps on the back of the bag snap onto snaps sewn into the changing pad... if I ever feel particularly ambitious I may even make multiple flaps/changing pads so that I can go with a different design when I want.

The inside of the bag has two large pockets, they're the perfect size for a travel size wipes container and all the odds and ends you need for diaper changing. There's also a ribbon loop sewn into the top side seam that I can clip a wristlet to or my keys and it can hang on the outside or inside of the bag.

Also on the inside of the bag are these elastic straps that are sewn in front of the pockets and work great for hanging onto things that usually get wadded up in pockets, like diapers and burp clothes... I was pretty proud of myself for thinking of that one :)

So that's it. I packed it up as soon as it was finished and it's all ready to go to the hospital... now we just wait for Liv to be ready.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Handmade Holiday Bazaar - Call to Crafters

I've partnered with Kelli of Red Marionette and Karrie of Fiberologie to organize, promote, and host the 2nd year of the Handmade HolidayBazaar craft show in St. Pete at Fiberologie on Dec 5, 2009. We're looking for edgy, interesting, amusing crafts and crafters to be vendors at the show. If that's you, check out our blog for the nitty gritty details. Stuff like booth and table space sizes and fees, the vendor agreement, our plan for advertising the event, and pretty much everything we could think of that you may want to know about participating is in the Vendor Application.

We had a blast and got a ton of great feedback from the vendors at last year's show (I posted the wrap up on my blog here)! We're excited about bringing a handmade alternative to mass manufacturing and traditional craft shows back to the burg again this year!

Monday, July 13, 2009

CHECK!

In my life before sewing, I was a scrapbooker. It was one of my first creative hobbies and the 13 albums I have to show for it are among my most prized possessions. However, the creative challenge sewing presents and the vast array of projects to be made has kept me intrigued from the moment I brought my machine home. I hadn’t scrapbooked a page since. My poor 3 year old’s baby book only went up to 6 months. When I found out I was pregnant with our second daughter, I made a list of all the things I’d like to make for the new baby and forced myself to add “finish Elle’s baby album” to the list. I’m beyond happy to announce that I did it! Here are some of my favorite pages:
Now I have to remain committed to making an album for Liv’s first year and then I’ll allow myself to switch to the less time intensive, but still archival, electronic scrapbooks. I must keep in mind that I need to record what a wonderful time in our lives this is and that my children need to be able to look back at pictures from their childhood … how else will they remember how all those handmade goodies I sewed for them looked in their prime?!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Cutie Booties


I found a really versatile pattern for baby booties on Etsy and decided my first set (I’m already envisioning many more variations on these to come… a girl can never have too many shoes right?!) should be for Liv’s coming home from the hospital outfit. So, now her outfit is complete: bubble suit, bonnet, and booties. Cross your fingers with me that it all fits!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Soft Blocks

Yes I have an embroidery machine… no I haven’t used it for the majority of the projects I’ve made for Liv. I get “in the groove” of making something and having to stop, create the design on my computer, setup the embroidery arm & foot, hoop the stabilizer, stitch the design, and remove the embroidery arm and foot to continue the project breaks the “flow” of the process and I end up breaking it up into a two step and possibly 2 day project instead. I think that’s as much evidence as I need to justify buying a 2nd machine. I can have the embroidery function of my current machine set up all the time and I can sew on a 2nd machine so there’s no disruption. That makes perfect sense right?!

If you have more than one sewing machine, show me some love and leave a comment, it wouldn’t hurt to have supporting evidence should I decide to make the case to my Doug :) Okay so that was a bit of a tangent because I felt the need to explain why I went with appliqué letters for these blocks instead of embroidering them… back to the regularly scheduled post.

These are the soft blocks
from Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little Ones book. I added the appliqué letters, but other than that, they’re by the book. If you decide to do them my word of caution is to be sure you take heed to the note about starting and stopping ½ inch from each end when you’re constructing the sides of the blocks. As long as you do that, putting them together isn’t hard at all. If I make another set, I think next time I’ll cut out a bit of the foam they’re stuffed with and insert a bell or rattle of some kind. However, future sets aren’t terribly likely because I so DON’T love hand sewing! You have to hand sew two of the sides together, so it’s not a lot of hand sewing, but the perfectionist and instant gratification junkie in me complained the entire time… annoying girl!

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