Baby, I'm Back!

I can't remember if I'd mentioned that a few weeks before MC was born my sewing machine jammed...and had to be repaired...and the repair guy was on vacation...and I didn't get it back until a few weeks after she was born? Perfecto timing!

Well...it's back and better than ever! And I've been completing those projects I'd intended to finish prior to MC's birth...(I'm learning there is time to do projects, even with three) and I wanted to share.

This is an old friend...who has been my faithful companion for the past five years. I bought it for MW and loved the size so I used it and used it and used it...through MW and T3...and now it's tattered and stained and though it functions, it's just not so pretty.

So I made a new one and I'm quite happy with the results! I used the old bag as a guide for the size, and plugged those numbers into this tutorial, which Darby linked me to a while back. The fabric is excess from the guest room and nursery (which I have yet to post on...).

I also have two bibs that I bought for MW, five years ago. They have been long time favorites of mine. They are the perfect size and they absorb spills beautifully. They too, are tattered and stained and literally, falling apart. (I didn't photograph them.) Being in love with the fabric pictured above, I decided to use it, along with an old cloth diaper that had seen better days, to make a new bib. I used the favored, but worn out bibs of MW's, as a guide. Check out the results!

I can't wait to make more! It's not perfect, but neither were the ones I love so much. It didn't take very long and with the cloth diaper, it's nice and thick, which I like.

And then...the long time dilemma...when MW was born, I realized how hard it is to find plain cotton gowns. Everything I picked up had something on it - like, "party at my crib" or "mama's little angel" or it would have a cutesy little scene printed on it...and those things are all fine and good (and we have some, in fact MC sported one just yesterday), but I also wanted to put my babies in something a little softer and sweeter. After MC was born, I decided it couldn't be that hard to make my own. Someone gave us a Mary James gown from Bellamia that was precious. It was simple and soft and quickly became one of my favorites. So while Katie was here, and since we both know how to follow a pattern (NOT!!!) we decided to make our own pattern.

We pulled out my thickest tissue paper and checked out a few baby gowns and began working. Since then, I've made two. Both, far from perfect. However, it's getting there. This is my second attempt. I looked for white cotton interlock, but am going to have to order it online, so for now, I'm working with pink. Aside from the fact that I botched changed the seams on the arms THREE times, and they're too short three-quarters length, I'm pretty happy with it. By the way, I've never put a gown together before this. I share that to encourage you to give it a try! It's been challenging, but a lot of fun and so rewarding.

After multiple failed attempts at free-handing a bunny, I traced a rabbit puzzle piece onto linen and used spray adhesive to secure it in the center, and then used the zig zag stitch to attach it.

The scallop stitch on the bottom is a pattern on my machine. (which is a Brother we bought at Walmart seven years ago.)

Happy Sewing!