Quilt Be Done!!!

I finished the Mommy Monster quilt. It is so nice to have completed this project. Quilting it on the frame by hand, embroidering Phoebe's childhood drawing, and finding the fun fabrics made it so fulfilling. This is the first quilt I have made and completed all on my own.
Many of the fabrics are Michael Miller. They were in a scrap bag! All of it except the backing, batting, and binding for $5.95. How totally cool is that!?!
Mike helped me buy the wood to make a quilt frame. It made all the difference for it. I do have other projects that need the frame, so this little quilt wasn't the only factor for making the frame.
I quilted ladybugs in the squares around the monster and they are an added cuteness.
Now, the drawing Phoebe did when she was 4 and it has many components that reflect how she viewed me at that age. While I must admit being personified as a monster isn't that fabulous, I must note that she was doing a lot of monsters and they were all nice monsters. This Mommy Monster has 4 ears because Mommy hears everything; 12 toes because she moves so fast; a big brain on her forehead because she is so smart; and 3 eyes because she sees everything. I don't know what to say about the teeth. Maybe I eat a mean ear of corn.

Organized???

Melissa commented that I am organized. Proof of this untruth is
revealed. Here is the shambled state of bedroom #3. Sewing is not so
easy in this current state. Walking isn't either.

World & WonderWash

Trying to regroup and get into a routine is a hard thing to do! I miss Phoebe during the day now that she is off learning.
I am getting the third bedroom ready for the girls. That means all of the sewing needs to be moved and projects finished.

I completed this one very simple project. I shouldn't even call it a project as it required the minimal of effort. Most of the effort needed was to actually start it! There are some more of those types of "projects" rolling in there.
I got a "world" panel from WalMart. I put chambray fabric backing I got during the $1/yard sale at my favorite fabric shop, Memories by the Yard. That cool pink/green/purple fabric was also there on sale. I couldn't pass it up! I really like it as a play rug. The world is also working fabulously as a play rug. They launder easily.
Speaking of laundering and saving the world, I got my WonderWash! Sarah & Grant got it for me in Colorado from Craigslist for $20. That is so cool. Thanks, Sarah & Grant!
Mike & I figured out that we are using quite the gallonage of water for our wash. We also figured that approximately $30 of our electricity bill is coming from laundry. That is almost a quarter on our average month! This site helped us do rough calculations.
San Antonio water is very hard. I soften the laundry with Calgon, but holy mackerel, it is not cheap stuff! Since the WonderWash needs less than 2 gallons to clean & another 2 gallons to rinse, I am saving on water, electricity, and moulah! I use much less chemicals to clean, soften, and finish off the cloth.
All of the cloth diapers get washed in it. Using way less water and getting them cleaner than ever before. So far, I haven't needed to strip them.
Mike's dark colored polos get worn too quickly with the machine. I am hoping to keep them looking better without all the harsh agitation. Plus, I can add starch to the rinse water without having to use cupfuls!
My first wash was a decorative blanket that I have put off washing in the machine because I didn't want to ruin it. It was dirty, but it came out looking fabulous! The grey water draining off after wash proved it was clean.
Next up will be the spin dryer complement.

Serger woes

My serger started acting all bizarre while Sarah was here last August. I disassembled it and figured out what was the cause, fixed it, and off I went making more and more baby items. I am sure I serged miles of lengths of diapers, wipes, and washcloths.
I use my serger at least twice a week and it is by far the most versatile tool I own. It started making a horrible hammering noise last night after I made an Infinity Dress. I noticed that my throat plate was cracked and switched out for my narrow hem plate, switched up to 2-thread serging, and moved onto hemming off a lightweight material. One side into it, the hammering got crazy noisy and that was it. Off went the power, trimmed up the best I could with the project, and now I am trying to figure out what the heck is going on. The feed dogs almost look like they are timed off-or-are jumping up to high-or-hitting/missing/catching the plate. Considering (1) how much it costs to repair, (2) how mechanical Mike & I are, (3) and how totally cheap I am, we shall fix it! I did it once and it shall be done again!
Wish us luck!

More mobile mischief

We expanded the options for the ring mobile this week. I have massive amounts of hook and loop tape from a grab bag and I am putting everywhere! I took 1/2" lengths of loop tape, folded and sewed them to our exisiting soft toys. These now can hang from the mobile and, since I made them looped, can be attached to the stroller. Expandability, baby! That's what it is all about.

Now, I am just waiting for my 12 year old Tatami sandals to completely fall apart so I can use the buckles for a practical life frame and fix the sandals with resin snaps.

iPhone again

While visiting the doctor today, my iPhone fell and quit working. Not quite 20 days old and dead. I realize I dropped it, but just hear/read me out.
I miss my Edge iPhone. It was indestructible until I found out that toilet water will kill it. It fell from the top of our truck while driving. I saw it tumble in the road pebble and thought for sure it was going to be useless. Oh, contrare, monfrare! It had a little bump on the corner but none the worse. It later got a cracked screen while in my purse because my keys lodged in the speaker hole. It had a little part in the upper right that was fidgety, but still worked just fine. It took a lickin' and kept on tickin'. It just couldn't hold its liquor.
This 3G isn't the same quality at all. 2 totally different planets. I am disappointed with it and just get sick that I ruined my Edge one. I miss it. I miss the money I spent for this new one.
Apple gave me a new one and I appreciate the no hastle swap I got at the store. I didn't like that I had to wait all day long without a phone until my Concierge appointment. I tend to be very cranky when I have no communications.
I decided that I am going to make a little hip purse similar to this one. It will zip up to hold my phone and wallet, Renée's pacifier, and sunglasses. Nothing should fall to the ground even when I go to the bathroom. I have some tea towels I got on clearance that are too cute to be towels. Hip sling it will be!
I'll let you know when it is done.

Nursing unmentionable alteration

I hate bra shopping!
Absolutely hate it!
I hate it so much that if you need a bra, I will go shopping with you just so you don't have to hate it so much. Go with me and you will never have to leave the dressing room. I will hunt through racks to find exactly what you need. For myself, though, it is an outing in futility.
There was a parody song made about my bra shopping experience once: "I like big cups and I cannot lie..." Well, I can lie, they suck! I also have lost enough weight in the last 2 years that trying to find my size band with my cup is futile! "Shopping is futile," said the Borg Queen. Sure she did, she wasn't nursing and her outfit had built in support.
That being said, even conventional nursing bras are hard to come by. That is why I altered my existing non-underwire underwear. I got some swim suit bra hooks at Hancocks and sewed them on! I also picked up some extender that attaches to the hooks in the back. I can really adjust for whatever my water retention is for that day. Plus, it gives me plenty of play to fight fat back.
Best part: cost me $1.19!

Make your own baby legs

Baby Legs are the coolest! Little leg warmers for babies! How cute! Whoa, momma, stop the truck. Did I read that price right? Yep, you did. Gotta learn to knit, crochet, or hey, reduce!

Socks, socks, socks.
Them I love.
Striped and pictured.
Toes that are warm.

When a beloved pair of socks can no longer be repaired, why not reinvent them? I asked myself this question concerning my toe socks and came up with this tutorial.

Items you will need:

wide elastic (You don't want it too thin as it might really cut into those precious little baby legs. I used 5/8" braided and it works.)
toe socks (These have no heel section, they are a straight tube)
sewing skills (You could hand sew these, that is why I put skills and not machine. Heck, even if you don't have skills, you could hack at this and still get it right!)
scissors (Again, not actually something you need. If you are hungry, don't value your teeth, and don't have them, feel free to gnaw at 'em)
pins
willingness to make it through one pair

Cut off the toes. Notice the sad little piggy. :-(

Seal the ends with a serger or zig zag stitch. Pictured here, I am serging, but found the zig zag to produce a better finished edge due to the stretch.
Measure around the fattest part of your baby's thigh (for us it was 8-1/2 inches). Cut a length of elastic measuring 1 inch more than your measurement. Sew that length into a loop, overlapping each end 1/2 inch. Lay this over the end you previously sealed, fold over the elastic toward the inside of the sock, and pin. The fold should extend past the edge of the elastic by at leat 3/8". Using a stretch stitch (zig zag, triple zig zag, long length straight stitch), sew the folded edge down ensuring you don't catch the elastic. You might have to stretch the sock or elastic a bit to make it fit properly. If it gets wonky, don't worry as the sweater-esque fabric will hide it. The picture shows the pinned in elastic ready to be sewn on the machine.
Repeat process for other sock.

These can be worn with the original band or the newly created band on the thigh. It offers a bit change. Here is another pair I made but held off on the elastic. They need elastic if that end is going on the thigh, but these are the same pattern either way you put them on.

Collapsible pouch

Along with the Onbag I made (previous post), there were instructions to make this sling pouch. It is so danged cool! It lays flat and expands to house what you need.
I made one for all my baby wearing items. I also made more to provide storage for our stuff. Here is one flat and another one filled with my winter gear. We get frustrated looking for our hats and gloves and scarves!

Mike can use them for his upcoming Big Bend hiking/camping trip to house raingear. I can install some snaps or attach them to his pack with pack ties.
I love organizing accoutrements like this, especially when they fit the bill so perfectly, and these do. They puff out into a boxy shape that appears neat.

Onbag and wet bag

I have completed many projects. One of which was a diaper bag. The hospital sent us home with a simple black Similac bag that I used after I removed the labels. It really wasn't big enough for outings with the cloth diapers plus I was lugging around purse, diaper bag, and baby. There are tons of great free projects on the web, some of which are free for a reason and others that should be making someone rich. The Onbag should be making some rich. It is genius; diaper bag with extremely long straps to be worn around your body and accommodate your baby wearing! My purse fits in in to boot! Here are some shots.


Wal-Mart $2 cotton with a bit of lycra. It is a cool charcoal color. I didn't want black but yet needed versatility in color. Grey. Who goes wrong with grey?
The straps are tied criss-cross, through the loops, across one another to go back through the loops, then finally knotted together. I think I need to make a little loop to go around the upper part of the straps to keep them closer in at my shoulder blades. I thought the 14" width would not be too wide, but alas, it is.


Opened up, here you can see the pockets and lining. I got a great deal on the salmon colored raw silk. Being one of my favorite colors and fabrics, I couldn't resist.


Here is a much needed wet bag for soiled nappies on the go. Here I used Baby Dry from Hancocks, quilting green cotton, and the remains of the zipper from the futon revolution.
I enjoyed sewing up the bag and plan on making the baby version, valuables bag, and sling pouch. I have fabric remains for all of the projects plus a few more.

UPDATED 4/20/09:
I have added a little iron-on frog patch that I have had in the stash for so long! I found the perfect spot for it on my OnBag. I also added orange and white resin snaps. When I initially made the bag, I didn't put on any hook & loop tape knowing that I wanted to do snaps. I was tired of metal snaps and they really didn't like going through this fabric. The resin snaps were a breeze to install and are far superior to the metal snaps I had.
On the front pocket are two sets of sockets in order to allow the flap to secure at different stuffing levels.
I also realized that the loops to pass the straps through had pockets that opened to the sides. So, the side pockets have been altered a few times to get the right depth for a water bottle.

I also added snaps to all my pouches. Those pouches have ended up all over my home housing toys, small items and collectables, winter clothing, camping gear, embroidery, and this one below: an entire change for the baby. It includes diapers, wipes, extra set of clothes, lap pad, and plastic grocery bag. It is grab-and-go if I don't want to take the entire bag.

baby wearing

I wore Phoebe in a ring sling all the time!

It was one item I specifically requested at my baby shower. At Church when she was 6 months old, I was given a hard time because they finally got to see her entire body. Rita has a great shot of us vacuuming. That sling was fantastic!
I wear Renée also. The best part is that Phoebe now wears her koala! I love seeing her parent her little fuzzy girl.

With Renée, I need a better selection of baby wearing devices and ones that keep her upright. Her spitting up and this mountain cedar pollen makes her unhappy. My friend has a Moby wrap. It is a long piece of knit fabric wrapped around the body to distribute the weight of the baby equally on the body. I wanted one and made my own! Hobby Lobby had some lightweight grey knit with silver sparkles on clearance from the holiday season. I followed the directions and got 3 wraps: one 20", one 25", and the remainder for Phoebe's koala. Total cost of fabric was $9.38 for the required 5 yards. Renée doesn't get too hot because it is such lightweight fabric.

There is the downfall for the wrap: it is 5 yards long and needs to be wrapped around my body. It isn't like I could go to the HEB and start wrapping in the parking lot and then unwrap when we are done. The fabric would get dirty!
So, I also wanted a simpler carrier that would distribute the weight equally but wouldn't require the wrapping. I made a Mae mei tai. I love it because I can change out the panels to suit my moods.

Renée and I are still working out the mei tai wearing. I haven't gotten her quite nestled comfortably into it yet.
The most exciting part of these added options for wearing Renée is that I can wear her on my back. We have a Kelty baby carrier for actual back packing, but she needs to be older for that. She can be worn for an outing in one of these.
Once I get some photos of us, I'll post.

Phoebe's sewed up a bib for PB&J!

Phoebe's Bend the Rules Sewing bib
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

I am so proud of her! She overcame her fear of the sewing machine and made up this bib! Lately, we have been working on facing our fears. She even climbed up the attic ladder to deliver tools to Poppa!

Fabric dollhouses

Fabric dollhouses
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

I made these cute little fabric dollhouses recently. I used some fabric scraps and cute $1 trim on sale to make them. Please note the use of the mangosteen fabric of which I have still have yardage!

Mangosteens are everywhere!!!

Mangosteen patterned Belle Epoque Tote
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

I had to make this cute, little tote for Phoebe's Christmas gift. I have a set of sewn items that should prove to be fun for her and the new baby upon Christmas morning.

Fabric Crawfish Boil

I have been working on some sewing projects to offer in my Etsy shop. Please check out my craft related blog for more info on this cute project!

Baby booties

Baby booties
Originally uploaded by Little Black Pot

When Phoebe & I went back to Natchitoches, Aunt Bonnie had dropped off her super cool embroidery sewing machine to MoMo. Phoebe fell in love with it and did one of the butterflies on the toes of the white shoes.

The instructions I found at Maked, Crafts Exposed also had a pattern. I took that pattern and modified it for different sizes. I had so much fun making these and want to get some more done. I am busy trying to create a pattern for Phoebe & I. We both have some big ol' paddles that need some tender lovin' geometry for these types of fabric shoes to fit comfortably.