Changing Table Topper

In our house, we have a changing pad that adheres to a surface rather than a changing table with something built in. We actually have two, one for changing downstairs and one for changing outside the kids' bedrooms. Before our little guy was born, we had one in our daughter's room. We never got a cover for it because it's vinyl-y, which makes it quite wipeable. Some of you may cringe at the germs that must lurk on it but I do disinfect it regularly and clean up anything visible. 

However, because of this, when our daughter would spit up on it, it would have nothing to absorb into and it would run into her hair and outfit. Basically, it made her messier than necessary. We started using a folded receiving blanket under her head. (I don't know why everyone thinks they make such great gifts. We rarely swaddled her in them and this was our only other use for them. I don't give them to people for the sole reason that as a parent, I never found them useful or handy. If any of you do use them, please tell me what I'm missing out on). It just simply folded in half and then it was absorbent enough that we didn't have a problem anymore. It was just placed on the head end so it wouldn't get in the way for the diapering process. Then we could wash these and put another one on. I realize that a cover would've done the same thing but if I had to change the cover every time I got a drop of pee or poop on it, I would go crazy. It was much easier (and less laundry) if I just wiped it up from the table. 

Now that we have two changing pads, we found that our very small stash of receiving blankets was not enough. So I decided to make a blanket topper. Now, with the size I chose, this could definitely not be used as a receiving blanket. Mine is about 11 inches by 30 inches. This was my first sewing project after our son was born (and I barely got a chance to sew at all since our daughter was born) so I was a little rusty and it's not perfect but it gets the job done.

I took two pieces of flannel and cut them to be about 11 inches by 30 inches. I put them right sides together and sewed around the edge with a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving a gap to turn. Then, I turned it right side out, poked out all my corners, and hand stitched the gap closed. Finally, I top-stitched the whole thing and voila! I was done. Back in the day (not that I was ever a very efficient sewer, but better than I currently am), I could probably have this done in about 25-30 minutes. Today, it took more like 50 but part of that included clearing off my cutting mat, where I had been piling things for the past few months. So for those of you experienced, this is a pretty quick project. 

Here is the final result: 

So the brown (bears) are the back side (folded over so you can see) and the green alphabet that's impossible to tell that it's green or an alphabet are the main fabric. So then you just lay the baby's head on this and all your problems are solved! 

Spare Pacifier Bag

At night, sometimes on purpose and sometimes on accident, my daughter's pacifier ends up outside of her crib. Or my eyes haven't yet adjusted to the dark and rather than turn on the light to find her pacifier, I grab a new one. They used to be stored in her diaper caddy thing by her changing table but since our changing station is being moved to a more central location for after the baby is born, that is no longer an option.

I saw you can buy these little pouches to store the extra ones that come with a tie so you can tie to the crib or around a doorknob or something but I figured I could sew one pretty easily. The one I made is actually for Little Boy's room but our daughter is using it for now until I find the time to sew hers.

I used flannel because I had some remnants of it in really cute baby prints but you could just as easily use a cotton. I wanted to use more than one print but you could use the same fabric for the inside and outside. I cut two pieces (one of each flannel) about 10in x 14 in. With a 1/4in seam allowance, I folded each in half (separately) and sewed around 2 sides (one side was the folded side so that doesn't need to be sewn and the other side is your top, which you want to leave open. Be sure if you are using directional fabric to keep track of which side the top is). Then I trimmed the excess off the seams to cut down on bulk (just cut close to your stitches, sort of like making your seam allowance smaller). I should also mention that for the outer fabric, you sew it right sides together and flip it. For the inner fabric, you sew it right sides together (and don't flip it). This way, your seams are in between the two pieces and hidden. Then put your inner fabric into your outer fabric. It should basically look like the end result now. Turn the top of your inner fabric over your outer fabric and tuck under the edge and sew all the way around (so you don't have a raw edge at the top of your bag).

To make this easy to tie to something, I cut a piece of ribbon (I guessed on the length. I think mine ended up about 7 inches long) and I sewed the middle of the strip to the top of the bag. This will show your stitches but it was the easiest method I could come up with and I was making this up as I went along.

My finished product looks like this:

I know it's not really fair to take a picture of a green bag next to a green wall but it was the best I could do. I hope the picture also clears up any confusion in the instructions because I realize they might be a bit hard to understand. Any questions, leave in the comments below and I will try to help!

My Daughter's Stocking

Back in October, I made my baby a stocking for St. Nick but I, without thinking to blog about it first, put it with Christmas storage. Well, it's finally back out again and I have pictures!

It was so much fun to make. I pulled out all my red, green, winter, and Christmas themed fabrics. Then, I found a pattern for a stocking I liked (but in reality, it's a really odd shape and I wouldn't use it again). I made all my strips of fabric, sewed them together, and then cut out the stocking pattern. The inside matches the top fold over fabric and the back is just a solid piece. My strips are all about 2 inches (with seam allowances) but some got a little skinnier, depending on the size of the fabric I started out with. This was a great scrap buster!

My mother in law has an embroidery machine so she embroidered my daughter's name on it but for her privacy, I have covered it up with some tracing paper (so it may look a little strange in the picture). The white looking fabric (for the fold over and inside) is actually a creamish-white with gold dots on it. This whole thing turned out wonderful. It wasn't too much work but the end result is huge. I will definitely find a different pattern for my future kids.

Here are the pictures!

This is the front, with the piecing. Sorry it's sideways.

This is the plain back. The white specks are actually stars.

Family Cloth

For those of you who don't know, family cloth is reusable toilet paper. I actually don't like the name family cloth because it seems like the family just finds a new corner on the rag you keep in the bathroom. It's not like that at all.

In fact, it's really comfortable and even luxurious feeling. I actually started it from an environmental and frugal standpoint. Toilet paper is expensive and just because you flush it down the toilet, doesn't mean it goes away. Plus, the amount of trees and energy it takes to make toilet paper is unfathomable. You can look up the statistics for yourself. Some people think that the water it takes to launder the family cloth defeats its purpose but that just simply isn't true. It doesn't come close to what it takes to make the toilet paper in the first place.

The best part is, it's really simple to make. You could use whatever you want. Cut up pieces of old clothes, wash cloths, whatever but I wanted to use up some flannel scraps I had. I cut them to about 6 inch squares, two layers. Then I sewed them wrong sides together and just zigzagged the edges to avoid fraying. I read on other people's blogs that about 50 (per person) will last a week before needing to do laundry.

I also made a bucket (using that really awesome tutorial I found a few weeks ago with all those different buckets---the one with the clothes pins) to hold all the clean ones. It sits on the back of the toilet tank. Then I took a plastic bucket with a cover) for the old ones. It's smaller than an ice cream bucket but that could work too, especially if your whole family is participating.

In my family, it's just me so far but I'm working on convincing my husband about it. Either way, we are currently still buying toilet paper but we are going through much less of it, meaning we buy it less frequently thus saving us money. Every little bit helps!

To me, there's no ick factor when laundering them because I am not putting anything worse in the washing machine than what my baby produces. Or if you use cloth diapers, it's the same thing. It's really not a big deal.

Grocery Tote

I have been wanting to make a bag to take to the grocery store for quite a while now. We have a few of the cheap ones that are practically free at the store but they're rather small and weak. Then, we have a nice one that David's mom made us at Christmas but we use it for taking stuff up to the cabin. I had the perfect fabric for it. I had fabric with a bunch of oranges on it and then a different fabric with pears and apples on it.

I had searched patterns but everything big enough needed more fabric than what I had. I only had 3/8 of a yard of the pears and apples and just under a yard of the oranges. I also wanted the oranges to be a lining, rather than a second bag. I discussed this with David's mom and she helped me figure out a pattern for a big bag that uses both fabrics (with the addition of canvas for the bottom and straps).

We used the entire 3/8 of a yard because I didn't know what I would do with scraps of such a big print. My pears and apples was 42 x 15. My oranges were 42 x 20. And my canvas was 5 1/2 x 42 for the bottom part of the bag and 5 x 32 for the straps.

First do the straps. Take your two strips and fold the long ends into the middle and fold in half again. Top stitch down both sides. (That sounds a little confusing. Lay your strap fabric down, fold up into the middle hot dog style and then fold the other half to the middle. Fold in half again (so everything is contained on the inside. I hope that makes more sense.)

Then sew your canvas to your outside piece along the 42 inch edge. Iron seam to one side. Then top stitch, making this seem like one piece of fabric. Now fold in half (right sides together) and sew along the side (opposite your folded side) and sew along the bottom (the canvas side). Do the same with the lining piece but leave a gap (to turn) in the bottom.

Keep both pieces inside out and then square off the bottoms. I did mine 8 inches wide.

Now attach your straps. Turn your outside piece right side out and let the straps hang off the top about 1 1/2 inches. Sew right across the strap. Then place your outside fabric into your lining, right sides together. Sew around the top. Turn, using the hole in the lining. Close the hole in the lining, either by hand or by machine. Now, top stitch the bag and secure the straps even further by sewing X's across the part you had left hang off.

You're done. I know it sounds complicated but it's really not. Maybe I'm just not the best at explaining it.

(Normally it doesn't hang on the bathroom door but that was the best place for a picture.)

I took it to the store this morning and it can hold more than a basket can! It's a huge bag.

Clothes Pin Holder

We have recently set up a clothes line in our laundry room. I have been waiting for it for basically two years now and we even bought it a long time ago (months? a year?) and now it's installed! I'm not sure what took it so long but I couldn't be happier. This especially comes in handy for drying my new cloth pads.

Anyway, I need something to hold my clothes pins because the packaging they come in is rather annoying. I thought about just buying a bucket but I thought it would be nice if it would hang on the line too. I used this tutorial and found it very easy to follow and very simple!

I had to adjust my fabric size just a little bit because for some reason, most of my fat quarters are 18 x 21 instead of 18 x 22. I don't miss that one inch though. The only problem is I used the plastic embroidery hoops and those don't tighten. I think it'll still work out though. I also had David construct me an S hook out of wire and then we hung it on the line.

The tutorial says you can use interfacing if you want but I think mine is stiff enough without it. Your preference of course.

There is the finished product sitting on my ironing board! I'm not sure how it happened, maybe when everything got folded over around the hoops, but the front of mine is lower than the back. I actually like this because it makes it easy to reach in and grab the pins. I will also mention that the yellow and black (outside fabric) was actually one of the first fat quarters I ever bought and I'm finally using it!

Since yesterday, I have actually made another one of these, although much smaller for a different purpose. These bags are so handy and I can see myself making about 50 more for various things. I also think they would look nice if you did install a rod like in the tutorial and made about 5 or 6 of them to store various supplies above your sewing table. I might just steal my own idea for my own table!

I struggled with the square corners for my wet bag but on this project, it was somehow a lot easier and I didn't have any problem. Maybe that just means I've acquired that skill.

My Official Reusable Pads

I have finally found the perfect combination of layers and absorbency for my reusable pads. I have discussed using them before but I never got it quite right. Then I took a hiatus on it for a while, got pregnant (rendering anything I made untestable), and just recently got back to it. So far, I only have 2 made, 1 one of each size (regular and overnights) but these are just so perfect! As I find more time, I will be sewing more. Although, I also recently ordered a Moon Cup so with that coming, I'm not sure how many more I'll need.

I know this probably grosses out some readers but you would not believe the difference reusable pads make! Even if you ignore the money you'll save, the environmental factors, and the fact you can make them to your specific needs, these are great! They are more comfortable, I have heard they shorten your cycle, you're not putting chemicals anywhere near your body, they are cute, and I just find them a huge improvement! You can google more about it if you are curious about the other factors.

Since I only have one for now (for daytime), I am still using disposables. I can tell there is immediately a huge difference when I switch from my reusable back to my disposable or vice versa. Mine are just about as thin, don't make that awful crinkly noise, don't have the wings stick to my legs (I can't be the only one with that problem), and just feel more comfortable!

I made my daytimes 10in x 4 in but that includes a 1/4 in seam allowance (and some room for trimming since my layers didn't end up exactly even). It is very important to prewash all fabrics you will be using or you will experience some shrinkage in the wash, and all the fabrics will shrink down to the same size.

I have a flannel layer on top, then a layer of t-shirt (literally, I cut up an old t shirt), followed by a microfiber cloth (like the kind you get the automotive aisle), a layer of vinyl-y type stuff, and lastly a layer of pretty polyester (I'm sorry I can't get more specific than polyester but it's thin and reminds me of a linen). I know that sounds like a lot of layers but since most of them are really thin, I promise these pads won't feel bulky. So you cut all of those layers to 10x4. Then layer it all out and sew with your polyester layer and your flannel layer right sides together (so you can sew all the way around, leave a gap, and flip it out with your seams on the inside). Sew closed your gap. Then figure out how long you want the wings (I measured what I would need using my underwear). I used a flannel layer for the top and a polyester layer on the bottom. Right sides together, sew, flip, sew closed. Attach wings to the back of the pad by pinning and sewing the square where they overlap. Add a snap to the wings and boom! You're done! I do take it one step farther because I have a problem where mine like to slip around so I write something (usually my name) in puffy paint on the bottom.

The only difference between my day times and my night times is length. My night times are a couple inches longer and the back flares out just a bit, giving me more coverage. If you are a sewer, these are so simple to make. They are also easy to care for. I wash mine like how I wash everything else but then I hang them up to dry instead of putting them in the dryer. I also know some people soak them in cold water between the time they are done using them and the time they do laundry and the time they do laundry and then use the water as fertilizer for their flowers. It's actually a really healthy thing for the plants.

I can't rave about these enough! I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do. Of course if you don't sew, you can always have me sew you some (for a fee of course, but I will try to be as cheap as I can about it) and just let me know in the comments what you're looking for!

Wet/Dry Bag 2

Once again, I am inspired to make my own pads (and maybe actually do it this time!) but first I needed a place to put them. So I made a wet/dry bag because I ended up using my divided one for nursing pads. I used this tutorial with a few minor changes. This was a really simple bag and I could easily make a lot of them (or more in different sizes!). In my previous post, I had mentioned I had learned how to do a boxed bottom by using the seam and cut method and it was with this project!

My outside was part of a cotton fat quarter and my inside is a vinyl-y type of fabric I got at a fabric garage sale a while ago. I figured both of these make the bag washable, which may come in handy if I really do end up storing used reusable pads in it for on the go.

I did make mine a little smaller because I wanted it to fit in my purse, plus the zipper I had was only 9 inches, rather than 10. Then I had intended to leave out the part of the zipper to make a cute little tab for it but for some reason, mine didn't work out that way. I think it had something to do with my sewing over the little metal pieces at the end of the zipper. This also causes not only a broken needle (boy, was that a mess to fix!), but also the end of your zipper doesn't line up so there is a teeny tiny gap when you close the zipper (meaning it doesn't close 100% of the way). That's okay though. It's good enough for me! Plus, it's easy enough I could make another one if I wanted.

As you can tell from my size comparison with a computer mouse, this is a small bag! But I think it'll be perfect.

Book Tote

Over the weekend, I made a really cute book tote. I actually had all the pieces cut out and sitting on my ironing board forever but I finally finished it! I did make a couple changes to the pattern to make it easier. For one, I cut all my pieces to the same size (when you get to the pinning step). So this means when you line up your 7 inch piece with the 7 inch side of a different piece, they are both 7 inches. The pattern calls for one of them to be 7 1/2. Same with the 9 inch pieces. This actually made me really mad that I didn't catch it sooner because I had accidentally cut the pieces at 9 inches, instead of 9 1/2. Then I discarded those pieces and it turns out I could've used them instead of cutting new pieces! Oh well. I'm over it.

The other annoying thing about this tote is actually having a bottom piece rather than making a boxed bottom with seams and cutting the corners (a technique I actually just learned this weekend while working on a different bag!). That would've made this project immensely easier.

I do like the end result though. It perfectly fits about 2 books, depending on how thick they are. I think it's adorable and could have many uses (some that don't even include toting books around!).

I would like to make a whole bunch of these but I should probably find uses for them first. Eventually, when my little girl is older, they'd be cute for her to cart around her stuff in.

 I'm sorry I don't have a size comparison for them but let's just say they would fit a Bible (or a similar sized book) perfectly!

Circular Coasters

My mom had asked me to make her a set of coasters because the fabric ones absorb the condensation and her cork ones just let it run off the sides, onto the table, defeating the purpose of a coaster. I have log cabin square ones (that I have previously blogged about) but I wanted to try something new. I decided to do circle ones.

First, you take 4 coordinating fabrics, each about a 4 inch square. Then sew them together into a block, forming the top of the coaster. Be sure to sew right sides together. Make a circular template from a cup or dish (I used my breast pad one) to trace a circle on the block how big you want the coaster, plus a little bit for seam allowances. Cut out the coaster. Then cut out the same shape from a piece of fleece (what I use for the insides, you can use whatever kind of batting you want), and the fabric you have selected for the backing. Then stack them so the top and the back are right sides together and put your fleece on top of that. Pin and sew around, leaving a gap to turn. Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end.

Then, turn right side in, iron, and invisible stitch (by hand) the gap closed. Iron again. Then top stitch however you choose. I decided to just do a stitch along the perimeter but you may also choose to top stitch wedges.

Lots and Lots and Lots....Part 2

As you can see from the title, this is a part 2. Be sure to scroll down to read all about part 1. Part 1 is recipes. Part 2 is projects!

I have been busy making stuff! A while back, I had found a yard of the perfect fabric for my mom. She is obsessed with bikes and my fabric had vintage bikes all over it. I wasn't sure what to do with it for the longest time but I finally settled on a hanging toiletry bag. She loved it of course but I will mention, this was not easy to make. First of all, make sure you have a machine that can handle vinyl. I started this project on my mother-in-law's Bernina machine and that couldn't handle it. I ended up using my old, really heavy sewing machine (remember my Goodwill one?). That thing can handle ANYTHING but obviously most people don't have a 75 year old (seriously) machine  laying around. I suppose you could hand stitch if necessary. Here  is the tutorial. A few things got a little confusing for me but it still turned out okay! (Although I will admit, I am awful with binding.) I apologize for the bad, shadowy pictures but I was in a hurry.

This is the bag all rolled up and velcroed.

This is the inside of the bag. The colored strips are the zippers. There are 4 of them (it's kind of hard to see the top one since the gold blends in so well. I'm so lucky I can get zippers for 10 cents at our flea market!)

This is the back (the side you don't put stuff in).

 I have considered making myself one but like I said, it was really a lot of work and patience. It also didn't turn out perfect, especially because the bikes are a directional print and when I was assembling this, I wasn't sure which way everything was supposed to face (so if you notice in the second picture, the last pocket of bikes is upside down).

Next, I made a chinese waves pouch. The original pattern makes a really small bag so I made it bigger. I casted on 45 stitches and went until I ran out of yarn, sort of. I had used a sugar 'n cream yarn with stripes (notice that the stripes are different than the color variations). This was a VERY simple pattern to follow until the end. I had learned how to crochet in girl scouts but since then, I have completely forgotten how to do it. I assumed I could just make the i cord and add buttons (I needed more than one button since I made my pouch wider). Little did I know, the i cord is easiest when your yarn is still attached to your project. I was able to whip stitch the sides (although I do admit what the pattern calls for with the crocheting is much prettier) but still needed the closures. I finally had David make little twisted pieces to go around my hand-sewn on buttons. It works but next time, I'll come up with a new solution.

This is the perfect project for the amount of yardage that comes in a sugar 'n cream because you knit the pouch until you have one color stripe left in your ball of yarn. Then use that to finish it off with the crocheting and such. It's perfect! That makes these really cheap and the pattern owner even says you can sell them! I'm thinking of selling them at a craft fair next summer. It hardly took me any time at all to make (until my button closure dilemma)!

This is it closed. If you notice, it still doesn't quite work out with two buttons but I think it's the way I spaced them.

This is the pouch open. Please ignore my baby monitor. 

Lastly, I made a swim cover up for our upcoming beach vacation! We are going to a Club Med in the Dominican Republic (treated by David's grandparents. About 30 people are going in all!). I do not have a picture of this yet since I am technically still in the middle of it (and we leave this week! eek!!) but it's actually a very quick project. I was just having a hard time having a baby free minute that I could wrap this up ( no pun intended). This is the tutorial. It actually does not use any machine sewing or hemming, making this super easy! I did mess up a couple times but it was okay because I had two yards of fabric and ended up only needing about a yard and a half. The butt is still a little saggy but that is okay with me. It's very comfy and I can't wait to try it out at the beach! I suggest reading some of the comments below her tutorial if you are confused, especially when cutting the tank top holes. I was glad I had the extra fabric though because she asks for fabric scraps a couple times (for the straps and for wrapping around the straps) and without that extra half yard, I hardly had anything. Cotton scraps do not work for the braiding of the straps. I tried and it was a mess. Definitely use jersey scraps if you have them!

That is the end of all my updates! I hope that didn't get too crazy. So I'm getting ready for vacation now so obviously I won't blog for a while (at least a week and a half) but I hope these two posts (part one and two) will tide you over until you hear from me again!

Recipe, Running, and Sewing

This is going to be a bit of a long post (just a warning) because I haven't blogged in a few days.

First of all, I am back running again. I haven't ran since I was about 5 months pregnant. I only did about a 1/2 mile. I actually could've gone longer but I got a side stitch I couldn't breathe away. Also, one of my knees has really been acting up a lot lately and that makes it hard to exercise (running, wall sits, squats, etc). I am excited I am back though because I have actually missed it. I don't have a jogging stroller so I have to wait for David to come home from work before I can go out.

Secondly, I made a pacifier leash/clip last night! It took me about 5 minutes, but I did have a piece of binding for the fabric so that made it go fast since I didn't have to make the bias tape or anything. You use a suspender/mitten clip for one end and since we have Soothie pacifiers (they have tiny holes), I used a loop of 1/4 inch elastic.

So you take your strip of fabric (11 1/2 inches by 3 inches), and fold in the raw edges. Then fold in half (like you would to make bias tape. If you have a bias tape maker, now is the time to use it). Then, take about 3-4 inches of 1/4 inch elastic and put one end through the hole in the pacifier and make a loop. Put the ends of the loop in one end of the fabric (maybe I forgot to mention you keep your two short sides raw, not folded in). Next, top stitch around all 4 sides, going over the elastic a few times to secure it well. Then loop the other end through the suspender clip and stitch (have the fold be on the backside of the clip). And you're done! I hope that wasn't too confusing without pictures. If you have questions, you can ask me in the comments. I'm a little out of practice of doing tutorials.

Lastly, I found a good recipe for Meatless Mondays. It's even vegan!

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 small-medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• oil, for sauteeing
• dash of paprika, chili powder, thyme, and parsley

Heat up your oil and saute the onion with the bell pepper until soft (about 5 minutes). Put the beans and the saute veggies into a blender and combine just a little (you still want chunks but you want it well combined). Mix in spices, flour, and corn starch.

Then the recipe says to put it in the fridge for a half hour. We did this but found it totally unnecessary. Also, the recipe then wanted you to form into patties and fry. This didn't work at all. No matter how much flour and corn starch I used, I couldn't make patties. I recommend dropping them on a greased cookie sheet and broiling, flipping once. I also would add garlic next time.

These are very quick and easy (especially if you don't refrigerate). The spices can also be substituted out for ones for your liking. We didn't add any extra salt since the beans were canned. 

Fabric Bucket and Diaper Changing Mat

Last night, I was able to get some sewing done while baby napped. The other day, I had started a fabric bucket that I had found in a sewing pattern book I had gotten from the library. I decided to finish this. Because it uses upholstery fabric, I needed to use my heavy duty sewing machine that I got at Goodwill (my first sewing machine). After breaking a couple needles, I realized I was using light weight instead of heavy weight needles so I sent David out to buy me more. I also discovered the easiest way to thread the machine for this project was to have upholstery thread for the upper needle and regular thread for the bobbin. I only have one spool of upholstery thread that I had bought for the pouf so it's brown and didn't really look good on my dark blue fabric but that's okay. This bucket is for personal use anyway.

Boy oh boy was this project a pain! I thought it would be easy and it sort of was (after figuring out the broken needle problem) but sewing circles onto rectangles (the bottom of the bucket is a circle, to attach it, you sew it onto a rectangle) is not all that easy. Plus, the instructions were not very clear. I'm not very happy with the end result and it's smaller than I first thought it would be (as you may be able to tell from the picture, it's shorter than an iron). I would make a lot of changes if I were to make it again.

The other project I worked on last night only took 20 minutes, and most of that was spent tracing and cutting out the pieces. Our diaper bag came with a portable diaper changing mat. We have a changing table in the nursery (upstairs) but sometimes you want to change the baby downstairs. We had been using the mat from the bag but it's been a bit of a struggle to remember to put it back in the diaper bag every time. I decided to make my own.

I had some vinyl-y type fabric I had bought with no project in mind (it was really cheap and I liked the look of it---that's how I get most of my fabric). I decided to use this for both sides (top and bottom). Then I cut up an old blanket (the same one I used for my tree skirt) for the padding in the middle. I sewed it with the same idea as my burp cloths. Vinyl facing up, vinyl facing down, blanket on top. Leave a gap to turn. (I will note that because of the vinyl I used my heavy duty machine with the upholstery thread again). Then I top stitched it. I should've hand sewed the gap closed like I normally do but I decided the top stitching would be enough. Well, that ended up kind of messy to get all the ends tucked in and secure. It's okay though since again, it's just for personal use.

After I sewed it, I realized I should've sewed in ribbon to close it since it's really easy to roll up but there's not really a reason we would take this one on the go instead of the other one.

The lines you see going horizontal are just creases in the fabric. I wasn't sure how to iron vinyl without melting it. I also decided against putting a pocket on the bottom since I'll probably still be using this when baby gets bigger and I wanted there to be enough space on the mat and thought the pocket would take up too much space. Plus, we just keep the diapers and wipes on the end table right next to the mat anyway so I'm not worried about it.

To size the mat, I based it off of the one we already have but for those of you interested in making it without one to go off of, this mat is 12 inches wide by 24 inches long.

Cocoa's Scare and Fixing a Shirt Cuff

Due to a freak thing while we were away for a weekend at my parent's, Cocoa didn't have access to her cage for a few days. She had enough food and hay outside of her cage, as well as her litter box, to make it okay on that front but she got severely dehydrated because she couldn't get to her water. We had made the decision when we got her that except for her getting spayed, we would not take her to the vet for emergencies. We would do our best to fix it at home and if necessary, put her down. We read online what to do, which mostly included making her comfortable, making sure she is drinking, eating, and pooping, and checking her abdomen for any unusual lumps (which would be blockages in her intestines). After that, all you could do is wait and see what happens.

She started drinking right away but it took her longer to eat and poop but she is doing both of those things now. We don't think she is out of the woods yet but she is definitely improving and that gives us hope. Usually, rabbits would've died by now.

In happier news, I fixed a shirt cuff for my dad. He had taken the shirt out of its packaging and the sleeve had come out of the cuff about two inches on one side. I seam ripped open the seam on the cuff, about an inch bigger than the rip on each side, pushed the shirt into the cuff, and restitched. My thread didn't match exactly but it is close enough. Both he and my mom told me what a great job I did! I've never (successfully) fixed clothes before but I sure would like to do more in the future!

I'm Back...Sort Of

Hey everyone! Thanks for remaining patient while I was trying to figure out life with a new baby! I had a baby girl back in January and she couldn't be cuter. She is actually pretty well behaved too, at least for the most part. Life can be pretty hectic with having to take care of her all day but I am trying to find a way to make it all work out. In other words, when I find time I will blog but I'm not sure how often that will be, certainly not every day. She does seem to have the uncanny ability to need something the second I try to get anything done (including showering or even eating).

I have managed to get things done around the house, usually after David gets home from work and it's his turn to watch her. In the beginning, my mom was here to help and that was a huge relief. It was especially nice because I did end up needing a C-section so recovery wasn't that easy (and I am still recovering. My abs are completely shot so carrying her around all day can really cause some pain. I'm not supposed to exercise til 6 weeks post partum and I'm only 5 so hopefully things improve in the next week. I did have a pretty good recovery though and could even do stairs after just a couple days.)

In addition to trying to keep things running around here, I have also taken up knitting! I have gotten some help from David's mom (who has been knitting since she was in college) and then additional help from YouTube. I started out making a washcloth for practice but since I had no desire to make a washcloth, it was just easy, I decided to find a different project once I learned the stitches. So now I am working on leg warmers using double pointed needles (DPNS). It's not as hard as it sounds but is definitely a new skill. I'm almost done with my first one though! Too bad I still have to make another one. It's fun and something I can work on for just a couple minutes and stop whereas with my sewing projects, you have to start with a pretty decent chunk of time (I'd say at least 10 minutes if you want to get anything accomplished) and then a stopping point isn't always obvious. With a baby, that's just not do-able anymore.

However, I am still sewing. I have needed to make more nursing pads (breastfeeding is actually going easier than I expected!) and I am working on a bag bag (using my previous pattern) for my mom. It's quick projects like these that keep me interested and happy with my progress but it's not taking too much time away from the rest of my life.

Hope to talk to you all again soon!

Goodbye For Now

After 3 time changes, my c-section is (hopefully) officially tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1:30pm. I have to be there at 11am and can't have anything to eat after midnight tonight. I can have sips of clear liquid until 6am. I'm really mad about this because when my c-section was scheduled for 7:30am (getting there at 5am), I couldn't have any food or drink after midnight tonight. So instead of going 7.5 hours without food, I am now going 13.5 hours without food. I don't get it but I'm going to starve! I'm sure the baby will be worth it and everything but still. I'm not sure why that didn't get changed. Plus, sips of clear liquid (examples given were water, apple juice, and 7 up) isn't really going to do squat because I can't have enough to equal anything worth having but I suppose anything could be better than nothing.

Anyway, rant over. Since I will be in the hospital a minimum of 3 days and unable to stairs, bending over, etc plus I'll have a new baby (and my mom here to help out, although David is also taking off of work), I will not get to blogging (or doing anything worth blogging about) for a while. I'm not sure when I will make a come back but I am fairly confident that this isn't good bye forever.

I have been nesting a lot lately. I've been making more burp cloths, nursing pads, and a crib sheet. I never did get around to making enough cloth reusable pads (for bleeding, not nursing) but everyone always says that there will always be things you wanted to get done but didn't, even when you know exactly when your baby is coming (of course, there is still a chance I could go into labor before then but I really highly doubt it. Teeny has shown no signs of coming anytime soon--which makes me wonder if I wasn't having a c-section when Teeny would come.)

So for those of you who have wished me luck, thank you and I will try to keep everyone updated as soon as I can but please bear with me and understand it may be a while, even months. 

Water Resistant Fabric

I am getting frustrated at my fabric. There were some specific ones that I bought as the top layer of my reusable pads. Some are cotton, some are flannel. Currently, if you pour water on them or lay them in a puddle of water, the water beads up and pools or runs off instead of being absorbed into the material. This is true of new things, especially towels. So I washed them. I tried hot water. I tried cold water. I tried using (homemade) detergent. I tried using no detergent. I tried a vinegar rinse. I tried no extra rinse. I tried using dryer balls. I tried air drying them. These things got washed a LOT. If washing them was going to help, it would've by now. We never use fabric softener (which is what most people online seem to think the problem is). I also tried beating them up (twisting them, rubbing them, crumpling them). I am seriously out of ideas.

I am very disappointed because for once, I had a specific use for my fabric and it just isn't working out. Plus, I'm now not sure what to use to top my pads because this isn't working out. They're all different brands. They're from different stores. They weren't all bought at the same time. I truly don't get it. Some of the flannel topping I used for the burp cloths are from this bunch and after my excessive washing, they got absorbent. I'm not sure what makes those ones different from these ones. They were even washed together!

If anyone has ANY advice, I would really, greatly appreciate it because I am at my wit's end. I'm going to end up having to use this fabric for something else and I really don't want to.

The one thing I haven't tried is sun drying them (but that's because it's winter and we don't really get sun here in winter. I'll have to wait til spring).

DIY Burp Cloths

I have a variety of flannels and cottons with baby/nursery prints that I had planned to use to make things for Teeny. Most of these are fat quarters so I knew it had to be a small project. I decided to make burp cloths because they sounded really easy and I could get 3 burp cloths out of one fat quarter. We also need more burp cloths because we only bought a 4 pack and I hear you need more like 12-20 (depending on your baby and how often you do laundry).

Online, it appears most people use those pre-fold diapers and either use them plain or add a decorative strip. My mom used these and swears by them too but I didn't want to buy something in order to make mine so I used what I had on hand: microfiber towels (like the automative cleaning ones--you can get 2 for a 1 dollar at the dollar store).

I prewashed all my fabric (I usually skip this step but since it was going to be for a baby and their skin is so sensitive I thought it was necessary. It also added absorbency to the flannel). Then I cut each microfiber towel in half so it was approximately 7x12 inches (these sound small to me but if you put it on your shoulder, it actually covers a lot of space so I'm not worried about it. Plus, the store bought ones aren't much bigger either). Then I cut a fat quarter of flannel and a fat quarter of cotton in thirds the long way (in other words, cut the 22 inch side into 3 pieces, about 7 inches wide). I found this wasted the least amount of fabric and towel. You could technically do it in half and have 11 inches wide but then you waste 2 inches of your towel.

Then pin your three pieces together: cotton right side up, flannel right side down, and the towel on top (if you put the flannel on the bottom like I did, it gets stuck in your machine and you miss stitches. I'm not sure why but it's VERY frustrating so leave the cotton on the bottom. My machine didn't have a problem with the towel). Sew around the whole thing (I used about a quarter inch seam allowance) but leave a gap to turn. Turn it, iron it, and hand sew the gap closed. Then I top stitched about a half inch around the whole thing. Some people also say to top stitch it twice across the middle (cutting it in thirds) but I didn't find this necessary. Then you're done!

I made two last night because I ran out of time to finish my third one. The feet are my flannel side and the animals are my cotton side. I'm also not entirely sure why they ended up two different sizes (this was true before I even sewed them) but that's okay. I am very pleased with them. I did a water test on them (since I don't have a baby to do it for me yet) and the flannel and microfiber both absorb really well (and dry quick!) but the cotton for some reason is repelling the water, which is why I thought it would make a good back. It takes a good half ounce (in the same spot) before the cotton starts to feel wet.

End of the Year Updates

I am back! David went back to work today. I find it really hard to get anything done when he's home just because we don't have a schedule anymore so my blogging kind of fell to the wayside. I apologize.

As always, the end of the year is a busy time but I managed to get a lot done! The main thing I am most proud of is reading 85 books in one year! Around the beginning of December, I had gotten sick and wasn't reading as adamantly as I was before and I got really behind. I managed to catch up and I finished two days early! My goal for this year is only 30 because with a baby, you never know what your day is going to be like. I doubt I'll be able to spend entire afternoons devouring books after Teeny is born.

I also sewed our curtain tie backs for the living room. I'm sorry I don't have a picture but maybe I will add one later. Since our curtains are gray and turquoise, I used turquoise fabric for the tie backs. You need almost a whole fat quarter, at least if you make them as wide as I did. I didn't taper them or curve them. They are just rectangles. I designed them after a headband I had made the previous night (that I'm also excited about!). I wanted them to be 2 inches wide with a quarter inch seam allowance so I cut three strips of 4.5 inches (I had three spots that needed a tie back). Then I folded them in half, sewed along the long, open side and flipped them. Then I ironed them with the seam down the middle of the back. The edges got folded in (to hide the raw edges) about a half inch (but you can do however much you like) and pressed. Instead of using interfacing, I top stitched a quarter inch around the entire thing (which will catch your folded in edges). Then I hand sewed on little plastic rings we had (you could also do d rings or anything similar) so they can hang on a hook by the window when you want them to hold the curtain. I think they look great and I regret not having a picture. They were really simple and a lot easier than what I found some other people doing online. Hopefully, the directions are clear enough.

We had the chance to freeze more meals before Teeny comes. We now have the quinoa with vegetables, chili, cream of potato soup with brats, and empanada filling. I'm hoping for more but this is a great start. For those of you interested, this is the empanada recipe I used (http://www.turntablekitchen.com/2012/02/argentinian-beef-empanadas-a-return-to-calm/) We did make a few changes and I would by no means call them authentic. Our dough wasn't working out (we only got 7 circles out of it anyway) so we decided to stack them (i.e., make a circle, fill it, put another circle on top and seal the edges) and that worked out better. We still ended up with a lot of extra filling and not enough dough (but that's fine because we just froze it). We didn't put an egg wash on top and we also left out the capers and the hard boiled eggs. It was still really good and we were really impressed with how they turned out.

I think that's enough updates for today. You can hopefully expect another blog post tomorrow and then returning to my regular schedule.

Finished Christmas Tree Skirt

Please ignore the dirty floor. The tree is in the foyer, which is still considered a construction zone. As you can see, it's not perfect but that's because it is nearly impossible to sew a circle without something bunching somewhere. It was almost really difficult to sew the binding to the inner circle (the one that goes around the tree stand) so if you look at it in person, it's a disaster. I may fix it next year but it's good enough for this year.

I didn't really follow a pattern for this that I can share. I wanted to make a different tree skirt but it ended up being too complicated to finish anywhere close to Christmas. Plus, it was only 18 inches across because it was meant for a table top tree. I extended the wedges to make it bigger for our tree (our tree bottom is 60 inches but it has a lot of room between the floor and the first set of branches so it didn't need to be that big). This skirt is 36 inches. Then I cut out 16 of my wedges (this gave it a little overlap over the opening that allows you to put it around the tree) from my fabrics. It's hard to see in the picture but I have a plain white, red poinsettias, gingerbread men, red and white polka dots, red swirls, red and green plaid with shiny gold, and red with branches. I originally had more green in there but red was still going to be too dominant because I don't have all that much green fabric left since making my leaf hot pad so I decided to do a green binding instead.

The binding actually worked out perfectly because I had made too much for my brother's blanket and this was almost the exact right size (I had just a little extra). This also made it less work for me since it was already folded like a binding.

All my fabrics were at least a fat quarter if not bigger. It was nice I could use the fat quarters though. I planned that on purpose because the original way I had extended the wedges made them 18 1/2 inches. I knew I wanted to use some fat quarters because they were Christmas-y so I cut the wedge to 18 inches instead. Of course, if you are using only bigger pieces of fabric, you could easily make the wedge bigger to whatever you want.

For my batting, I used an old fleece type blanket that was nice and thick. I decided not to do a backing on it because nobody seems the back of tree skirts anyway and the blanket was thick enough. It does look a little funny when you're sewing it though because the blanket is blue but that's okay.

Looking back, it was actually pretty easy to make, once you have the wedge (if you want to make a tree skirt but need a wedge, you can either use a wedge ruler (which I don't have) or find a pattern to a tree skirt that uses wedges and adjust it to your size). The hardest part was probably binding it. This is only my third ever binding I think plus it was on a circle. I'm not that technically gifted yet! I think it all turned out really nice though.