Last weekend I traveled to my home town for a baby shower.
It's not really far away from where we live now, only about 2 hours, so "travel" and "home town" feel like very formal words for it all. But it felt nearly like traveling back in time as suddenly I looked around the room and saw friends of mine from high school, old coworkers, and parents of friends whom I haven't seen in years (and in some cases years and years!). It's fun and a bit sureal, talking to friends that you used to gossip with way back when and now suddenly chatting about labor and delivery and nursing and spit up clean up!
We had a lot of fun! I helped (a teeny tiny bit) with some of the decorations, mostly recycling some of Violet's Woodland birthday decorations, which happened to match perfectly with the hostess' dining room and the parents-to-be nursery theme!
The shower was for one of my oldest and best friends. She often reminds me of all the things I can make for her when she has a baby, funny girl! But really, I found myself getting so excited about making her little bitty baby things that I had to force myself to stop!
I started with a Noodlehead Divided Basket. I knew she wanted something like it (because she asked me) and I was thrilled to finally have the chance to sew one up! I have seen so many lovely ones around the internet and have one of my own thanks to Courtney, but hadn't yet had a chance to make one myself.
The outside fabric is Knotty Bois from Birch fabrics, she used this fabric to make a crib skirt for their nursery so I knew that this would fit right in. The pocket is Heather Ross, Far Far Away clothes line, lined with denim essex linen.
I've had this Heather Ross hanging around here for quite some time, but I've been hoarding it and "afraid" to use it! Ha, you know how that is, right. Anywho, this little pocket seemed like the perfect use for some of this laundry day fabric, right...
The inside is lined with Lotta Jansdotter Bella Sunspray
Fun and cheery!
And then once I had the basket complete it was time to fill it up, of course...
A Charley Harper Cardinals baby gown (pattern from Growing up Sew Liberated) and baby hat.
Another hat...
a Buzzmills tree appliqued shirt...
and baby Fancy Pants made with organic Monaluna, Woodland knit...
I really had to contain myself and stop sewing up those teeny tiny clothes, they were just so much fun to make! But then, I told myself I'd just sew them up some more after baby arrives and I know if I'm sewing for a baby girl or a baby boy!
I added in some "woodland animal" baby bibs using my favorite baby bib pattern...
And backed them with super soft organic terry cloth, this stuff is heavenly soft! I made some burp cloths with it when Henry was a baby , he fell in love with them so much that he has been snuggling with them since he was a little baby. And, Violet snagged a scrap the other day to snuggle with too!
Plus a laminate pocket bib for when he/she begins solids, the pocket is a must for catching those peas and cheerios! I scored the Summersville laminate from Courtney during "the great fabric destash" and thought it was perfect for a baby bib!
Of course, what's a baby gift without burp cloths (tee hee)!
Most of the time, I used inexpensive prefolds as my burp cloths. That's what my mom used and what she suggested to me. But then, when Henry was a baby I was gift some pretty fabric and terry cloth burp cloths and I just loved that they were "pretty"! Obviously they didn't stay pretty for long, but that's not the point, it was just nice to have something that wasn't covered and stained with breast milk all over.
Anywho...I digress...I made some simple burp cloths...
I bought inexpensive prefolds and cut some quilting cotton (also obtained through "the great fabric destash" these fat quarters from Maureen) to the same size as the prefolds.
I sewed them together with right side of the cotton facing the diaper and leaving a two inch opening, turn right side out.
After the burp cloth is right side out, press and stitch around the edges. Next, I "quilted" the burp cloth ever so slightly by stitching up the lines of the prefold... Last, but not least...a fabric beach ball...
I used all of the fabrics that I used for the rest of the goodies in the ball to tie it all together. These little fabric balls are one of my favorites!
And, just because I love Manzanita Kids so very much...a little fox rattle to match... Oh, it was so much fun putting together this little basket of goodies!
I haven't sewn for babies in such a long time and now, all of the sudden, I have so many babies to sew for! The only trouble with making little baby things...that I sort of wish I was making them for me! Don't let my husband hear me say that!
Have a great day!
