Betty's Quilt

My mother in law recently found out she has colon cancer. I want to create a quilt for her to snuggle up with as she recovers. The plan is to do a ticker tape quilt as seen here. I figure this is the best way to put together any fabrics that are donated as well as the photos that will be printed on special fabric. This quilt is a surprise...I can't stress that enough....it's a surprise so please do not say anything about it to her or in front of her.

For more information on how to donate fabric please click here

Car Seat Canopy

About a week before my son and I were going to fly to be with family, I started seeing these nifty little canopies for car seats. Usually I just drape a blanket over the car seat but these are way cooler...and a good excuse to break out my sewing machine again.


And a shot of the fabrics I used:


If you want to make your own, here's a few things I discovered through trial and error:

• I used a fat quarter in a coordinating green for the straps that attach the canopy to the car seat. I didn't attach them to both sides to make the canopy reversible (like in a few tutorials), but even if I did I had more than enough fabric left to spare.
• Something I learned the hard way: if your fabric has a print that is horizontal (like both of mine) then you actually need 1.25 yards of fabric. The reason for this being is that you need the rectangle to be vertical in order to completely cover the car seat AND so it doesn't drag on the floor. I didn't figure this out until after I had sewn the two sides together, so I had to adjust the position of the straps so it would provide good coverage and drag a little less.
• If your fabric has a print that is vertical, or if it can go either way (ie dots, stripes, solids, florals, etc) then you only need 1 yard of fabric for each side.

The best part is that you can use whatever fabric you want. I did the top side in a cotton and the bottom in a flannel. But I might do another canopy with 2 sides of fleece for the chillier days, or one with 2 sides of cotton for the summer time.

The tutorial I used (there are a few out there) found here: Small Fry & Co

Alexander's Quilt

My son turned one in February and I wanted to give him something special for his very first birthday. I decided to make him a quilt when I found this adorable sailor puppy fabric and a matching anchor fabric at Joann's Fabrics. My husband was in the Navy and I was able to talk him into letting me use a few of his patches and cut up one of his old uniform shirts. This particular shirt was very sentimental to him, as it's been with him since boot camp and to him it represents his time in the military. The other fabrics I used were either fat quarters I found that fit the theme and some adorable sailboats I found on eBay along with a NWU top I bought at a thrift store. All in all, it turned out great for my first quilt but the best part is that my son loves to snuggle in it. Can't ask for anything more.

The fabric I used on the back is called "Rain Spots" and I believe it's from Alexander Henry. I got really lucky the day I found it, it has all the colors of the quilt in it and I haven't seen it in store since.

Update // You can see the quilt label I added here

Jen's Nursing Cover

A good friend of mine is having a baby this summer. When I found out she intended to breastfeed I offered to make her a nursing cover. My sister-in-law made one for me and it's been such a lifesaver. It actually has two layers, the swirly purple hearts is a cotton and there's a lilac flannel underneath. The cotton was a bit too thin for my comfort so that's why I added the flannel layer. This was actually my first time basting layers, I free-handed the swirls and I think they turned out ok for my first time.


The tutorial I used (there are a few out there) found here: Little Birdie Secrets

Roman Shades

For my first attempt at roman shades I actually ended up making three for my large living room window (which I sadly didn't take a photo of). But for my second attempt I made this shade for my son's room/guest room. It's very white, but we intended to repaint his room in a softer yellow and white trim but then we moved so..oh well. It's just simple white on white stripes in a cotton with an old blackout curtain that I used as the lining. I had to Frankenstein the blackout liner since it wasn't wide enough but you wouldn't know from looking at it from the front.



They do have kits complete with instructions and supplies, I found some at Joann's Fabrics, but Martha Stewart's tutorial is really easy to follow too. Check it out here: MarthaStewart.com

Cross Stitch

When I found out I was pregnant I decided that I wanted to do something for my child that would hang on the wall. My aunt did a cross stitch birth announcement for me when I was born, so I wanted to do one for my baby. I found this adorable kit at Michael's and the kit comes with everything you need, including the paint for the footprints. A word of warning, the design does not come pre-printed on the fabric. You actually have to draw it out yourself which can be quite tedious but the end result is so cute.

I didn't get it finished until after my son was born, so I ended up scanning the footprints that were done at the hospital and turned them into a iron-on transfer. But you wouldn't be able to tell from far away so it all works out. I got it framed at Michael's and now it hangs above my son's crib.

You can purchase this kit here or here