Squirrelly Bottoms!!

Muchkin needed another pair of Longies, and I didn't like that his pants didn't have shirts to match to make a "PJ Outfit" so I did what I do best --  went ahead and made it myself!  Here's the result!

   

The top is embroidered with a happy squirrel with a bushy tail, eating his acorn!

And the pants were made from an angora sweater -- super soft.  

I was actually able to get 2 pairs out of the sweater and gave the other pair away. 

The waistband is leftovers from another wool sweater that was the perfect color!

Here's the second pair I made :-)

Cute Critters!

So I was looking back through some of my older posts recently, and can't believe I didn't share with all of you the amazing critters a dear friend of ours made for Munchkin shortly after he was born. After seeing how cute her turtle was (HERE), I commissioned them from her.  The octopus is one of the only softies in his entire collection of soft toys that he enjoys! (Lord knows he doesn't like any of the ones I've made for him!)  He used to have "Octi" in his car seat and would fall asleep sucking on his athletic sock before he got attatched to a silky blanket another friend gave him.

Aren't they amazingly cute!?  I refused to believe they were her first attempts at knitting children's softy toys!   You're amazing Candy.  Thanks again!

Introducing: CeCe Monster!!

I received an Evite from a friend for her daughter's one-year birthday party: a Monster Bash!  What could I possibly make for her other than a monster!?

I've been wanting to make one of these recycled wool handheld softies but didn't have the opportunity till now!  Munchkin did show a hint of interest in this toy, as opposed to totally ignoring ALL THESE TOYS I made him so far.  So maybe I'll make him one of his very own.

Quick Longies!

 I made these 100% Cashmere longies for a friend's daughter who turned one year old. They're made from thrifted sweaters, of course, and are SOOO soft.  They fit her perfectly, which was a near miracle considering I totally guessed how big they'd need to be!  I used the same design of the striped longies blogged about HERE.  My favorite thing about them is the lollipop appliqué!  I thought it would be more difficult with wool, but it went well.  I'll have to post a tutorial sometime. 

They were SO soft, in fact, that I felt guilty not making a pair for my son as well (pictured below).  Since Munchkin is cloth diapered I put a "butt-panel" (as I call it) into his pair.  It's basically a V-shaped panel in back that gives more room for his well-padded bum! And I did the same fold-over waistband and cuff for his pair as well, so they'd last him longer in both height and width.   

What do ya think!?

Functional Sewing!!

Functional Sewing is the best kind, but is great when the pieces are decorative as well

#1 Problem: MAIL EVERYWHERE!! Solution: Pocket Organizer

We have had a mail problem ever since we were married; but, in this house, which has no dining room, our unsorted mail has taken over our kitchen table time and again. So I finally just took a couple hours while munchkin slept and hubby watched basketball (BORING...) and made a mail organizer once and for all! For the mail itself, I probably only needed 3-4 pockets, but now I have pockets for magazines, bills, coupons, items "to be filed," items that "belong out in my car," and misc junk. I had never used bias tape so that was quite exciting, and EASY!! It made the project look so "finished" and store bought. I used leftover fabric from my window treatmenst in the living room. And since it's on the back of the front door (and I didn't want to do anything permanent like drilling holes, heehee) I used velcro.

#2 Problem: TOYS EVERYWHERE!!!! Solution: Toy Totes

And these "beauties" were an idea from the frugal mama inside me. But they were a bit of a flop due to haste! They could've been quite nice, but I couldn't find a good tutorial online and didn't want to ducktape ALL the seams, so I only used packing tape on some of the sides, skippin the corners. And well, I'll admit they're a bit flimsy. Yes, they were inexpensive to make, but if the fabric wasn't a steal, and had I actually bought the few rolls of ducktape, these wouldn't have been cost-effective to make. Oh well. they're done, and most of his toys fit in them which is really all the matters. What baffles me is how the mail sorter is nicer in person than the pic shows, but these boxes appear much nicer in their pic than they actually are in real life! Haha! His books will be moved eventually (they're too heavy for these flimsy totes), into a bookshelf similar to THIS ONE or THIS ONE (made by me of course)! But we'll leave that project "on the shelf" for now ;P

**Update 5/16/2010 : just found this little tutorial online for anyone who wants to try to make these. It's pretty much how I did them except I sewed them. I would suggest taping the entire way up and over the corners though.

My first of many Longies!!

These projects could've easily appeared in my previous post about how productive I've been lately. However, these 2 projects have been a LONG time coming; so, I felt they deserved their own post. I've been brainstorming them for more than a year.  No joke. Before he was born I researched how to make these, but had never really done much sewing where the pieces had to *fit.*  In other words..."I don't DO clothing!" I made munchkin some pants for his Halloween pumpkin costume, but it was too cold for him to wear it, and so they're buried in a bag somewhere and he never wore them outside the house. But the pants below thrill me to see them on his little bum!!  And, I didn't have the courage to cut up a wool sweater till now. 

They're called "longies." If you're not familiar with them, they are wool pants which have been felted (shrunk so they can be easily washed in the washer) and can be lanolized to repell moisture if the diaper leaks at night. They're mostly worn on cloth diapered babies due to their anti-bactierial, and water-repelling properties. Short versions are called soakers. Because wool has the property of absorbing up to 30% its weight, if the baby wore fitted diapers they can us soakers as diaper covers. On non-cloth diapered babies they're worn because they're static-resistant, super soft, largely stain resistant, and do not need washed after every wear. The longies I made (below) are from thrifted wool sweaters nonetheless.  "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" right!?

They are just the right warmth for nighttime PJs, even in summer!

Time flies when having fun!

Boy, have I been busy in the past month without even realizing it! But, before I forget, there are new pics in his photo albums!  So what have I been up to exactly? Gardening, Crafting, Sewing, Baking, you name it...Here's the tally!

1. Tag Blankie for a newborn baby in our family (plus a pair of booties I forgot to photograph, sorry)

I love when I ship thing to the recipient because I can finally post it to the blog for all to see it!

2. Pair of house slippers for munchkin.

I love how they crocheted up exactly the same, even though it was a variegated yarn.

3. About 10 onesies I altered into shirts so he can wear them with his cute, colored cloth diapers!

4. Pair of adorable pink slippers for a friend's little one!  The pic doesn't even do them justice -- so cute!

5. About 5 really cute bibs from some old flannel receiving blankets!

Plus, a few simple cloth wipes/burp cloths from extra bib fabric.

The pattern is inspired by the bibs that my sister's best friend makes for her,

but instead of using snaps, I just use a baby diaper pin so it's

tight enough around his neck that food doesn't end up down his shirt!!

6. I even managed to bake an Amish Friendship Bread that was passed along to me at a jewelry party I managed to attend, sans bebe ;-) I only found one taker for the starters though. I hope she likes it! I had them all ready to go in pretty bags and everything :( Oh well!

7.  And I CAN'T forget to mention this Buggy applique set for a friend's daughter who's turning one soon!

I had been planning out this outfit for her for months, hoping to do all the ladybug appliques by hand with a blanket stitch, but really wanted it to hold up in the wash better than handmade, so I machine appliqued all except the jean pocket. I had read lots of tutorials online, and had done appliques where you satin stitch your way around the raw edge, but this was just a simple straight stitch about 1/8 inch into the cutouts, leaving the raw edge exposed. The lady bugs were sourced from a fabric that I found at a goodwill. The little shorts with those cute buttons are definitely my favorite. On the back are 2 ladybugs: one sneaking out the side, and one really big one on the other "cheek!"  I can't wait to see them on her!!

AH, and as far as my garden goes, I chose not to do quite as much as in past years. Not due to money or motivation, but more-so due to time. It takes a lot of time to plant and water all the front beds, deck flowers, and the backyard beds as well. Time I'd rather spend with munchkin! (I only get to garden during munchkin's morning nap due to the afternoon heat.) But the tasks I have chosen to do, have certainly kept me going these past few weeks. Transplanting and uprooting some *mistakes* were at the top of the to-do list. Then, I was able to transplant probably 40 iris and 30 daffadils, some spiderwort, and some spearmint. The clematis vine (below) was in full bloom last week with over 100 blooms on it! Yes, I counted them! The mistake I referred to was approx. 95 gladiolus bulbs that I tried to grow in partial sun, knowing full well they needed full sun. Lesson learned: don't think you know better than the planting instructions!! So, some are still in the ground still and some are in pots, but ALL 95+ are looking for a new home. I may end up posting them on our local freecycle site in the fall.

Pictured behind the clematis is munchkin's new swing (a gift), which he has thoroughly enjoyed swinging in daily! It's in a nicely shaded spot so he's able to swing even in the afternoon heat after he gets sick of playing inside. I hope you enjoy the new pics in his photo albums (linked on the left side of the blog) and have a GREAT week every one! Thanks for reading!

And our Munchkin is ONE year old!!

Wow...he's one year old! I honestly didn't think I'd be this emotional. But, I look at him and see what a little boy he's becoming, and the floodgates open up! I know it's a good thing that he's growing as he should, that he's healthy, happy, and is loving life as every little muchkin should. But that said, his turning one has made me face the fact that he'll turn 2, and ...3, and... 4, and he'll grow, and his shoulders will broaden, he'll play sports, and get hurt in sports, and grow taller than me, and so much more. I'm glad life comes in slow stages, day by day, or it would overwhelm me how beautiful it is. Hubby reminded me today of all the stages of life we've gone through just since we've known eachother: the free-as-a-bird in college, the decision to get married, where to work, where to settle down, when to have kids. It's breathtaking how fast life goes by. It's no wonder why we take it for granted sometimes. But I try to be mindful of the blessings it brings, and we truly celebrate it when we remember to, and hopefully that honors it enough.

Munchkin's first birthday was celebrated by my making him a homemade "smash cake" for him to enjoy the morning of his birthday (after his breakfast, of course)! And then we held a party in Pittsburgh with almost all of our family. For this I handmade the cupcake decorations. Thank you to all who made the trip to Pittsburgh to see him turn one! It really meant quite a lot to my hubby and I. Your generosity was touching, as well. He loves his books and when he's not playing with his walker/train, he's following his big red ball or swinging on his outdoor swing! For those of you who were unable to attend, here are a few highlights of the festivities!! And my sister has posted additional pictures on her site as well, HERE.

**Now that he is one year old, and sure to be more active, but have less milestones, we won't continue the monthly updates (nor send out the accompanying emails) but we'll still be posting to the website as the whole family does interesting new things, including a trip to the NC Zoo this summer. I may throw in an informative post or two about things like why/how we cloth diaper, about my craft projects, my garden, and our never-ending house projects! (Fortunately, I actually enjoy staining decks and painting, thanks to my Dad!!)

So go enjoy your spring and summer, but be sure to keep checking back with us as you're able :)

Munchkin is 11 months old!!

So my baby is now 11 months old. When did this happen!?! I can still picture myself carefully adjusting his carseat to bring him home from the hospital. But he has grown more than in size alone, of course. He's on the go more than ever, and as a result, so am I. I'll submit the tardiness of this post as evidence ;) His personality has really started to emerge in the past 2 months and he's learning to do all kinds of little boy things like:

*he tries to wave to people (or the dog) when we say hello or good bye (most times)
*he 'walks' around the kitchen pushing a dining chair
*he picks up quickly on things from other people & kids (like sticking out his tongue, he mimics the sound of babies' crying, and he now mimics me when I sing my opera around the house, trying to hold notes as long, and as loudly, as he's able!!
*he feeds me his food from his tray when I say "Mama eat," to him! Melts me!
Unfortunately we haven't taken many pictures this month as I let the batteries in the camera die without having any backups in the house and bought the wrong type. However, that mistake was small compared to my phone slipping into my tea in the car, which actually brought me to a panic, then all out tears because all of Munchkin's dates were stored on it (first date he crawled, said mama, etc). The guilt of losing those whould never have left me, so I'm glad my husband is a miracle maker and got my phone working again! (Thank you, Hubby.) Enjoy the pics we were able to take...And my next post will be of him turning ONE!!

Greatgrandma came to visit him a few days ago.

She just loves his dark eyes!

Success...a picture where you can actually see his top teeth!!

They look a little scary here, but if you click on the picture to zoom in you can see them better! I can't tell you how many attempts I've made to get just this one picture!

What a nut!

He's thinking about going and splashing Elie's water --

And yes, since I had a camera in my hand, he indeed worked his way INTO Ellie's water!

What a cutie-pa-tutie!

During the past month I've been quite productive with my crochet! (Yes, I made the hat and mittens in the pic above.) Recently I've made a TarHeels hat for Munchkin (pictured below). After a failed attempt at felt superhero patches for my nephews, I made two cute hats for my nephews in the same style as his (one is yellow and black for Steelers pride; the other is green and black for the Green Lantern!) They're simple, but super cute! I also made a fun pair of slippers for a friend's birthday. They were pretty straightforward, but the flower made them more feminine! I've also made more booties than I can count, and given most of them away to various friends, but I managed to remembered to take pictures of some of those before giving them away. Enjoy!

Munchkin is 10 months old

So many "firsts" to share this month:

*he climbs the stairs (while we follow, of course)

*cruises along the couch, tables, stools, you name it!

*tried cheese, eggs, bread, pasta, beans, corn, dates, ........... and now eats 3 solid meals a day!

*makes fishy faces/kissing noises -- so cute!

*makes the "B" sound

*makes the "F" sound (now that he has his top teeth)

*feeds himself all kinds of finger foods now!

*he's into everything -- I finally had to baby-proof the cabinets!!

His new favorites are:

*"wresling" with dad when he gets home from work

*playing with 2 wooden toys Aunt Jess gave him underneath his exersaucer!!

*daddy's hand-puppet shows

*bouncing/squatting/dancing up and down every chance he gets

*swatting at a toy Aunt Bonnie gave him for Christmas (a big ball that has a chime inside and makes noises)

Other new adventures for us have been going to a great little music class (sort of like Musikgarten), in addition to our library times called "BookBabies." He absolutely lights up at the first few notes of a song, and loves all things musical -- bells, whistles, chimes, drumming/tapping, singing, humming, and shaking rattles. What is NOT new, but never ceases to amaze me is that positively everything he can get his little munchkin hands on goes straight into his mouth (those chimes and bells included) and he can find the tiniest speck of lint on his pants or it of paper on the floor. And how he can discover something new and study it as if he were a scientist. One of my most proud moments was our trip to Charlotte's IKEA store with a friend of ours. We had a blast, and the kids were such good sports about the drive, and being in strollers for extended periods of time! I found a few clever wooden toys for him, which we'll save for his first birthday, and lots of hand-puppets that will entertain him for years to come! (Yes, it was hard for me to buy something I could sew myself, but these were so cute, and much less expensive than buying all the needed fabrics, thread, etc. Not to mention the time creating patterns, cutting the fabrics and being at the sewing machine.)

Since we're on the subject of my craft projects...the snow we received last weekend (which forced us inside for 4 days) was quite a help in my getting some crochet projects finally finished! In total, I finished 4 pairs of booties, one caterpillar, his lion (to complete the animal set from Christmas), a wool softy doll for my niece, and a cute wool cuddly for my sister's birthday! Whew...that's a lot! The redeeming quality of crochet (and knitting, which I don't do YET!) is it's portability...I can crochet while he is playing with his blocks, or while I watch TV, or while he is wrestling with Daddy, or while we're traveling to Grandmas! Excluding a few choice projects I've all but stopped sewing for now. At least till he's older and can entertain himself even better, and for longer periods of time, than he's able to right now.

Many more photos are in his web-albums (links can be found on the left side of the page).

So glad you read these silly updates. I love making them!