Ilan's Birth Certificate Cover

Passport Cover

I found a sweet tutorial by Chubby Hobby  and used up some scraps and unbleached cotton. I really like this heavier weight natural cotton I purchased at a quilt shop in Eureka. Of course I would love to use linen but can't always find it in these rural parts. I was happy with the results however after I was done I realized that Ilan's birth certificate didn't fit in with the passports. Sigh....oh well. I will have to make somethng for him.

Ticker Tape Quilt

I have alot of scraps I can't bear to throw away....they are so tiny that in a larger project putting it all together would be tedious. I found this tutorial on making a doll quilt out of small bits that are sewn directly on to a main peice of fabric. No seams to press...kind of like easy applique. The only thing is I think I will make a stroller blanket instead of the doll size.
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=2311

Recent Projects

It is has been a long, long time since a new post. I have started back to work as a Mental Health Clinician on a part time basis....I am just now getting the hang of juggling work, motherhood and keeping up with sewing. I ordered the new edition of Stitch magazine and set out right away to make a purse similar to the one on the cover. I haven't completed the stitching at the bottom and it isn't quite the same but it is my version anyhow. I will post another pic when it is completely done. I really want to keep it for myself but I am saving it for a potential christmas present. The little boots were an experiement and I thought I followed the pattern for size three but they are tiny!!! Likely for 0-3 months. Luckily there are lots of babies being born in my neck of the woods so they will make a cute gift. The blanket with the "taggie-like" petals was for a friend who had a baby shower to attend. I had a lot of fun coming up with the idea but unfortunately ran out of camera battery before I could take a larger pic.

Ilan's birthday quilt and hanging bookshelf

Ilan turned 1! I have this plan to make him a quilt every 5 years. Then my husband suggested just adding on to this one as he grows! I am already planning in my head how to do it. I have already stashed away some of the remaining scraps to add later on with new bits as the time comes. Ilan had an awsome time and we had even more fun watching him. We Love you Ilan!

The other side of the hat....forgot to post....

More Bella Dresses and a Little Hat

Here are some custom orders I have finally finished during nap time. the red one has a reversible hat that can be adjusted for size. I also used a linen cotton blend for the fabric flower and the straps for a different contrast. The pink and yellow dress is decorated with a fabric flower but a bit bolder in size. I have also changed the straps from a halter style that ties behind the neck to one that crisscrosses and ties at the back. This too can be adjusted as the child grows.

Just a few things I have been working on...

I think the little blankets are my favourite thing to make. They come to life intuitively, without much planning and I usually like what I see in the end. I really, really would like to get my hands on some Anna Maria Horner prints to make similar stroller blankets. She also has wonderful free quilt patterns on her blog http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com

Oh Manitoba!

Summer holidays usually include a trip to one of our favorite destinations....Seatte, WA. This year we opted out on Blue Jays VS Mariners, shopping and wandering downtown the beautiful harbour city. Instead, we headed out to Manitoba, my birth province. The drive across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba is flat, and flat means my husband finds various ways to keep himself amused (and awake). Usually that means playing a game where he states the contrary to everything I say. It amounts to whole lot of teasing, me pretending to be mad and then invariably, a smile I can't seem to hide. Ilan was an absolute angel...and I know that all you mums out there must be thinking I am making all of that up. How could an 11 month old tolerate an 12 hour drive with out much fuss at all??!!! Our first stop was Brandon, MB. It was a whirlwind stop, with group visits (was so great to see you Mama D!) and a mental inventory of all that is new in the city that I spent most of my young adult life in. The next day we headed to Winnipeg and yes, the drive between Brandon and Wpg is still tortuous. We exalted in the appearance of the halfway tree http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9dConrWQtU but disappointed in Winnipeg's new sign. The old one that said "One Great City" (and the title of a Weakerthan's song) has been replaced with a flashier sign boasting their longitudinal position as being the center of the Continent. It must be a great place, indeed!

With all the same references about Manitoba's cities aside, I love Manitoba. Brandon is amazingly manicured, with beautiful mature trees on every street, booming instead of busting in troubled economic times. Winnipeg always seems to have the same feel about it and the same places I always thought were cool, continue to be so. We arrived at the hotel early, threw on our bathing suits and headed for the pool to reward a super patient baby. Ilan kicked and splashed with all limbs and enjoyed himself completely. Tomorrow we will head out to see family but will make time for some of our favorite haunts, this time with a baby in tow and Mom and Dad K.

Camping with the boys...

Camping has always been a favorite activity for me growing up. Up until I met my husband, I had only been "front country camping". He enlightened me to multiday backpacking trips but now that Ilan has come along, we have blended the two with car camping and day hikes to satisfy our craving to see what is on the other side of the mountain. A couple of weeks ago, (i have to include that as I never seem to blog on time) we spent the weekend at Summer Lake, a windy two hour drive down a dusty logging road. Once there, we were greeted by friends and a fantastic view of the mountains I don't remember the name of and a blue lake. We set up camp while Ilan stood in his playpen, happily entertaining the group with big smiles and his winning personality. The next day, we hiked up to Renault Lake, about 6.5 km away. It was stunning! It was almost as spectacular as Floe Lake in the Kootenays. Someday I will blog that. Ilan was happy as usual in his backpack and even had his toes dipped in the glacial waters.

I like this one....in my size please....

I really like the pillowcase dress. I would like to make one for myself.

"Bella" dress

The Bella dress is a clever gal. It serves as a halter dress for the tiny, then can be let out with an adjustable bodice to be a tunic as the child grows, and finally can be worn as a skirt. I can put a halter style strap on it or two little ties. Bella can be fashioned with contrasting fabric bands or with patchwork inserts and fun applique.

"Gracie" Sundress

I decided to catagorize the dresses according to style and give them a name. This little number has ties at the shoulders and a ruffle at the bottom. The ruffle can be made out of the same fabric as the body of the dress or a contrasting fabric.

Comfy Pants

Did I mention we love comfy pants in our family? All have adjustable waistbands and can be rolled up or down for your growing babe.

Floor Mat

I resisted the idea of painting a sign for the Market. Instead, I made a floor mat out of a heavy quilted beadspread that I had bought from Winners. I found it too heavy for my bed, but it was perfect for Ilan's mat. I appliqued the tree and lettering and put a patchwork border to complete the picture. I put a peice of non slip backing underneath and it is perfect! Once it serves it's purpose at the Market, I will put it in front of Ilan's crib. I would like to make this hanging bookshelf from this tutorial to match. I bought the brackets but I am waiting for the right fabric to catch my eye.

New Clothing Tags

Hello All! I haven't been blogging lately as I have been busy getting ready for the Mountain Market. In fact, this post is after the fact. I will get to that in a bit....but back to a few weeks ago....I ordered these really nice fabric tags from here
I love the tree design and it has become my favorite pattern for applique. I also stamped hang tags with a wooden stamp I bought in Eureka, Montana, just across the border from us.