We Are Family - My Brother, Sister and Me!

We are getting ready for another week here at our house. It was a lovely weekend, and I managed to get a few things done in my sewing room. My brother's baby shower is coming up very soon (April 26th), so I am trying to get many projects done now to avoid a last minute rush. Remember that cute "Lil Bro" onesie that I posted a while back? Well, the cuteness continues! I have finished the t-shirts for the big kids too. I still haven't decided if I should wrap them up and give them as a gift at the shower, or if I should give them to the kids to wear when they arrive at my house for the party. Regardless, I think this set of t-shirts will be great for the older kids to wear when baby arrives in May. Have a look! Don't they look so sweet all together?

My brother and his wife finally decided upon a name for said baby boy. They sent me a nice email with all the details, which I just happened to open in the grocery store. Content with this new tidbit of juicy knowledge, I ran through the aisles fulfilling my list as quickly as possible so I could get home and start planning all the personalized baby things I want to create.  Now that I am finally in possession of this much anticipated information, I can get to work on the diaper bag and little goodies for his nursery. So, I will save the name announcement until I have his new tote bag all ready. So exciting! Tomorrow I plan to get the fabrics all set to be cut out, planning the linings and pocket colours. Hope you all had a great weekend!

A Very Exciting Day - My Tote Bag Featured on Susieddesigns! Also, Happy "Bark"-Day Rosie!

Remember a few days back when I told you about my favourite new pattern? Well, I let the pattern designer (Susan Dunlop) know how much I enjoyed working with her pattern, and she featured my work on her own blog. Thank you so much, Susan! Here is a link to the post: http://susieddesigns.wordpress.com/2014/03/22/the-millie-nappy-bag-another-fantastic-customer-creation-to-share/ . If you are interested in sewing a lovely bag for yourself or someone you know, do check out Susan's patterns, you will be running off to your sewing machine lickety split!

In other exciting news here at our house, we have a birthday to celebrate today. Tonight we will have a "bark"-day party for our littlest, and furriest family member. Our Ganaraskan pup turns 5 today. Happy Birthday, Rosie! Better head off to the kitchen and get to work on the pup-cakes for our party festivities.

I am working on a pattern from Noodlehead http://www.noodle-head.com, called the 241 Tote. Here is the link to check it out: http://www.noodle-head.com/2011/03/241-tote-pattern.html. I have most of the pieces sewn up, however, I just need to find a bit of time today to put the finishing touches on the tote. It's looking good so far! I will post some pictures when it is all done. I must be anxious for spring because I chose a pink and brown combo for the tote. There might be a few polka dots involved...would you expect anything less? Have a happy day!

Baby Onesie Cuteness

The sun is shining today, albeit a bit chilly still. But it's Friday, and that makes me so very happy! It's pizza night here at our house, which leave the entire afternoon free of meal planning, cooking, and the dreaded after dinner clean up. I plan to watch a movie with my hubby, and hang out with my gals. Clearly, I have big plans for this first weekend of spring. Can you guess what else might be on the agenda?

I thought you would never guess! That was a tough one, right? I am finishing up a whole bunch of little things in my sewing room. Putting the finishing touches on the many baby items I have been sewing will keep me busy for sure. The baby shower is coming up in a few weeks, so I have to be all ready for the party. 

I just finished one of the baby items and can't stop looking at it hanging in my sewing room. There is just something about the baby onesie, isn't there? I always loved the way the fabric across the belly stretched out on my babies, leaving this adorable little paunch just perfect for a kiss or a tickle. My girls will be so mad at me for such reminiscing! Anyhow, I have indulged my love of the baby onesie in anticipation of my nephew's arrival. Despite not having yet met him of course, I am already aware that he is a pretty special little guy. He has a big job, and responsibilities, because he is......

Oh.My.Goodness. So cute, I can hardly stand it. I chose a onesie that was sized 0-3 months, thinking it would be perfect for a photo once Baby chunks on a bit of weight in that most important belly button zone : ) The newborn size only went up to 7 pounds, and I imagine he will be at that weight when he arrives. Even more exciting, is that this onesie is part of a three piece set. Why, you ask? Well, I have yet to create the "Big Sis" and "Big Bro" t-shirts. That is part of the weekend plan. I see a pretty sweet family photo in "lil bro's" future, don't you? Off to my sewing room to get to work. I will share some photos soon so come on back to check it out. Happy weekend, Friends ! 

My Favourite Bag Pattern Ever!

Yesterday I had a little nudge from a dear friend, asking my why she hadn't received any blog posts arriving to her in box lately. I decided that she was absolutely right! Time to share a few more pictures. Well, ok, a lot of pictures in this post!  It's not that I haven't been creating, I sure have! However, I have also been busy doing other things. Like, a trip to Florida with my entire family! All 10 of us made the trek from our snowy homes to visit the Sunshine State. To say it was delightful would be such an understatement. We had so much fun swimming, visiting with Mickey Mouse and just plain hanging out together. I really love  having time when we can all just catch up with each other and few responsibilities come between us all. We played all day, and at night we cooked together and sat up chatting on the couch while having many good laughs. I really hope we can all do it again someday soon.

While I was away, I tortured my poor husband by insisting he drive me all over to various fabric and craft stores. He did so willingly, so I have to add his patience with me to the list of reasons why he truly is the best guy ever : ) I wanted to get some unique fabrics to create a diaper bag for my nephew who is arriving in May. Just before we left on our trip, I had an order for a diaper bag made from a new pattern. Well, I have to tell you that it is by far one of my favourite patterns ever! Just the perfect combination of form and function, with several sweet little features added in. The outside pockets have a nice little dart that gives them structure and shape. The pattern also allows for the combination of many coordinating fabrics, which is one of my absolute favourite things to do. I actually get very excited to create the bag as I purchase the fabric. I can just see it all coming together in my mind's eye and can hardly wait to get sewing. I also used a bit of Decor Bond, which is a product by Pellon. It gives the bag a nice amount of structure, and will also assist in providing durability for a heavily used tote such as a diaper bag. I purchased the pattern for this bag on Etsy. If you would like to make one yourself, here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/115389267/diaper-bag-pattern-pn408-millie-nappy?ref=shop_home_active_1. The pattern was a delight to work with, and included very precise directions. The shop SusieDDesigns is full of many PDF patterns that might tickle your fancy should you want to spend a bit of time with your own sewing machine.

This order was for a little girl. The family hasn't chosen a name, so they requested that their last name be added to the front. Pink and black are so striking as a couple, don't you think?

This diaper bag can add more than just cuteness to its list of impressive features. In addition to the two generous exterior pockets, there are three deep pockets lining the back of the tote. Wide, polka dot (of course!) handles will be able to withstand plenty of use. Pretty, functional and durable - a great combo! Here are a few more pictures to let you get a feeling for how all of the coordinating fabrics match up with this bag.  I just happened to have some matching flannel so I whipped up a few burp cloths for the new baby as well. That "S" on the burp cloths? Well, that is another little gem I made with my new Scan and Cut. For my nephew's bag, I have chosen grey, lime green, cobalt blue, and hints of orange. I am just waiting on confirmation of his name before I go ahead and start. I'll just have to be patient I guess! 

Soon I will share another bag that I recently made. Coincidentally, it is also pink and black. It was made as part of a blanket/bib/bag combo to welcome a sweet new baby girl. Have a happy day!