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.

Tummy Time Couldn't be Cuter!

Ann finished binding and quilting the play mat I pieced for the new baby! It was so wonderful to have it all finished to perfection and not have to do the “dirty” work :) So here you have it, our collaborative effort, the super puffy, super fun play mat from Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little Ones book:

Spring is in the air... and fabrics!

I must have fully embraced the start of Spring this year because every project I've done since has been in fun vibrant Spring colors and flowers flowers everywhere! I can't get enough of this wonderful line of fabric by Melissa Averinos called Sugar Snap. It's her debut line, so check it out in person at Fiberologie (for you locals) or online at Free Spirit, and snatch it up so you can say "I've been addicted to her fabric since her very first line!". By the way, Melissa also has a great blog at www.yummygoods.com!

Okay, so my latest bit of handmade goodness for the baby to be (in Sugar Snap none the less)... a play mat! I’m cheating a bit and getting some help, but I can justify that easily enough. I’ve only made 1 quilt since I started sewing. It was an I Spy quilt I made for Elle’s 2nd birthday. I was very adamant about completing the quilt from start to finish all by myself despite the fact that it was a very ambitious undertaking for someone who had never quilted anything. So I did. I cut, embroidered, pieced, pinned, quilted, and bound the quilt all on my own. Been there, done that, I don’t ever need to do it again! I actually like doing the piecing, I don’t even mind making all the binding & pinning the layers together, but the stitch in the ditch quilting and sewing the binding on is just not for me… it takes way too long!

Enter my good friend and partner in crafting crime, Ann. Ann makes all the lovely quilts for Elle Belle, has a ton of quilting experience, and does an amazing job at it! All of about 3 minutes after I finished piecing this play mat, from Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little One’s book, I had an email out to Ann begging her to quilt and bind it for me… I even bribed her with making and sending the perfectly pressed binding along with the top, batting, and backing. Being the sweet quilting genius she is, she agreed! Yea me!

It went so quickly, I didn’t think to take pictures of the full work in progress. But, I had to give you a sneak peak of the top I’m sending off to Ann just as soon as I get time to sit in front of an episode of Martha Stewart to cut and press binding.