Tag Archives: handmade beginnings

Girly Handmade Beginnings pants this time!

I was so happy to get to pick out some fun and girl-ish stuff to make for the lovely baby Samantha.  I also got fancy and appliqued some t-shirts to go with the reversible pants.  Needed a nice thoughtful gift and a break from being a pillow factory.

You can’t really see but there are little brown, pink and white birds on the first pants.  I added some brown with white polka dot fabric to the inside to make rolling up the pant legs more fun.  On the second pair of pants I actually cut the leg shorter and added that bank of green apple fabric so when she grows bigger and can’t roll up the pant legs they’ll still look like they have a fun contrasting cuff.

Now I just have to get her counting book all done! :)

Curse you Handmade Beginnings, and my creative brain!

I’ve been crazily crafting lately!  I think of something, make it, and as I’m finishing or ironing or stitching new ideas about it pop into my mind, modificiations/enhancements/things to change . . . OR just a whole other project idea entirely!! It’s hurting my head.  It’s also starting to take it’s toll.  Last night, despite promising myself, ‘just 1 more show while I craft’ I ended up heading to bed at about 1am.  Which is ok if your 19 month old doesn’t wake you up at 6:20 :/  I’m hoping I can just keep going until my sleep in day on the weekend, at this rate it will need to be Saturday.

So here are some of the things occupying my time.

I’ve also been working on passport covers.  Not sure what lead me in that direction, I suppose I want to travel.  In the past 5 years I’ve been to so many places – Cuba, the Netherlands, Egypt, England (a few times), France, Germany, Spain on the last day of school everyone was asking me where we were going over the summer and I said ‘nowhere’.  People were surprised.  We were in England and Spain last December but I hadn’t returned to work yet so they didn’t really know about it.  So I suppose instead of traveling this summer I’ll feel like I am and create us some cute passport pockets, and some for my shop!

Made these for my boys, the print is super cute it’s all full of Canadian things, maple leaves, beavers, moose, fish, and landscapey things it’s super fun.  I’m making Nate some reversible pants out of it as well.

Initially I made this one for me but now I’m amending my design and might have to create another one for me.

The little cut out felt is for a monogram but I’m not sure where to place it without covering a cute animal peeking out!

Finally a beginning to the Handmade Beginnings projects.

Finally decided to take some time to tackle a project from Handmade Beginnings. I vowed to use things I had on hand so while they aren’t as colourful as the ones in the book they’re equally as cute once they’re on my little sweetie. I used some IKEA fabric and some red with little white polka dots and just plain yellow.

It’s been pretty hot lately so Nate sort of objected when I snagged him to put some pants on for a photo op. So it only lasted a few shots. I had to distract him with toys and stealing his suckie to get him to stretch up for a nice back shot.

The instructions were really easy to follow.  I was surprised by the way they laid out the patterns, to save paper I understand, and I had to tape it all to a window and trace the pieces onto graph paper.  I went with the 24 month pattern, even though Nate’s only 18 months, they’re a little big so they’ll fit him for a while.  I turned the cuffs up twice so they wouldn’t be too long.  He was napping when I was finishing them up so I used Wesley as my model.  The pants would fit him perfectly if there was another inch or two on the bottom.  I’m hyped to make some more.

I’m not really this slow!

So while it seems I haven’t been very crafty lately I have been working on stuff, honest! The sad part is some of the projects are secret gifts so I can’t share my progress, which is icky. So I’ve been puttering on other little things as a break from the bigger crafts. I finally used my lovely bookplates and stuck them in my crafty/sewing books. Now that Handmade Beginnings has arrived I’ve only got 1 bookplate left! Time for another visit to Cabin and Cub.

I was almost afraid to actually stick them somewhere, they’re so lovely. Now that I’m a bit addicted to collecting fabric I’m noticing that sometimes I can’t bear to cut a piece! It’s so silly, why have it if you’re not going to use it?

Thanks to Ravelry I started a cute little apple cozy only to discover (after taking it apart 3 times) that I crochet really tightly and I’ll need to use a bigger hook so that it will actually fit an apple and not a plum!

So is it ‘cosie’ or cozie’ or ‘cosy’ or ‘cozy’? I think I use a different one every time.

I’m famous . . . . ish.

Here’s what happened this morning, I logged into my SewTara email and oh what’s this a new message. Oh from the publisher of Handmade Beginnings, oh you found my blog and saw my post and WANT TO SEND ME A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK!!?!?!?!

Click ‘reply’.  ‘Why yes that would be lovely!’  (Note: not what I said at all I was way more excited and goofy)

So how cool is that?!?!! I can’t wait to get it and start a project . . . or two!

Also, I’ve gotten my first sponsor spot over at Wild Olive. I’m also being featured this month . . . . Wow, life’s getting eventful.

Handmade Beginnings = want!!

Went to the bookstore Thursday while Wesley was at pre-school, figured I’d let Nate play at the Thomas table there without a big brother taking all the fun toys.  Strangely enough, he usually just ends up playing beside some 3 year old who acts like Wesley.  Or wandering around.  I swear he doesn’t really know what to do with toys he is usually being ordered around or redirected.

I flipped through Handmade Beginnings while I waited.  I must have it.  Lots of willpower was used in the non-buying of this book.  There’s been too much shopping lately.  It is however near the top of my wishlist now!  There’s a great pillow pattern in there and an awesome hide and seek quilt as well. Anna Maria Horner also have a nifty little blog as well as another book.