what you've all been waiting for

OK, so maybe you haven't all been waiting for this, but a lot of people ask Matt why he doesn't take pictures of me.  The answer is that I am an unwilling subject and usually argue with him throughout, telling him he's making me do a ridiculous pose or that I can't possibly hold still any longer.  I decided to suck it up while I'm pregnant so we can document the growth of my tummy which is rapidly expanding!  We did two shoots a while back, one for five months and one for six months, and this weekend we're planning a seven month shoot.  

The five month shoot took place on Main Street in Woonsocket.  I know, kind of a strange location but I thought there would be some interesting backgrounds and I think I was right.  Last month we went to Newport for the night and took advantage of the sunset and readily available chowder at The Black Pearl.

This weekend we plan on going apple picking at Jaswell's Farm in Smithfield to capture the seven month bump.  I don't know if I'm more excited about the shoot or picking apples because after we pick apples we get to make apple pie... yum!

snug as a bug

Let me begin by saying that this snuggie wrap blanket (not to be confused with a snuggie) is my favorite baby project to date.  It was inexpensive, not too time consuming, and only a little frustrating, which is more than I can say for the everything bag.  Another one of Amy Butler's designs from her book Little Stitches for Little Ones, it was much easier than the bag and I wouldn't hesitate to make another.  

I lured Matt down Route 2 by telling him we could go to Harbor Freight Tools if he would join me at Joann's.  When we arrived I convinced him to pick out the fabric... I figure he should have some say in this child's accessories since I've basically been choosing everything.  I think the dinosaurs are pretty cute considering the usual selection available.

The blanket features a tie that slides through two button holes at the back for securing the baby once he or she is wrapped up inside.

It's lined in fleece for extra warmth and cuddliness...

and the hood is just plain adorable, or at least it will be once there's a baby's head inside of it.  I made the 0-3 month size and I'm planning on making one in the 3-6 month size for later use, but next time I'll pick out the fabric... maybe some of Alexander Henry's spotted owls!  We'll see what the next couple of months allow for.

back to school

image source

After fighting the feeling that autumn was approaching I finally have to give in to it... school is back in session as of tomorrow!  Fall doesn't actually begin until September 23rd but when that bell starts ringing regularly at 8:50 a.m. Monday through Friday it sure seems like the seasons have changed.  Even though I'll be at school (a.k.a. work... I call it both and people are often confused) during the week instead of gallivanting around town I hope to keep up with the tiny hummingbird.  Be on the lookout for more sewing projects, New England fall activities (hooray for apple picking!), places to eat in RI, nursery progress, and eventually the arrival of our baby!  It's going to be sooner than I realize, I'm sure.  So wish me luck as I attempt to maintain some of my carefree summer spirit as I begin a new school year with my third and fourth grade students.  I'm looking forward to a successful start for all of us!  

the everything bag

Operation Baby Preparation Project #2 was the everything bag from little stitches for little ones by Amy Butler.  Let me begin by saying that this project is not for the faint of heart, or at least not for a beginning/intermediate sewer (I still can't get over the fact that I must refer to myself and like-hobbied people as a system for transporting sewage) such as myself.  Luckily my cousin Shannon (who makes amazing children's clothing, for sale in her Etsy store Bella Couture Designs) wanted to make the bag as well so we worked on them together and after, oh, seven or eight hours we had completed both of them.  Overall I'm really happy with how mine turned out.  Two of my fabrics are from Erin McMorris's Park Slope collection, birds and flower field in teal which I used for the pockets and lining.  The main fabric is Anna Maria Horner's dance floor in teal from her Garden Party collection.  I didn't pay careful attention when cutting my side pocket fabric out of the bird print and thus ended up with bird flying north and south rather than east and west, but I don't think anyone would notice unless they looked closely.  Or unless I point it out, which I have done every time I've showed the bag to someone.      

The pockets are roomy and the divider is a nice feature, too.  I actually used the bag for about a week and loved how organized I was.  My usual bag has only two pockets and is large enough to fit a change of clothes complete with shoes and a plated banana bread (I've done it) including all the normal purse things so you can imagine how easy it is for me to lose things inside.  I can't wait to fill this one up with baby things.  Anyway, if you decide to try your hand at making this diaper bag make sure to check out the corrections here and get a good night's sleep.   

rock-a-bye

What do you get when you combine a hand-me-down cradle, a gigantic piece of leftover fabric from Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley collection, and a scrap of minky dot?   

A beautiful place for baby to sleep while he's teeny tiny!  My cousin Shannon and her husband Matthew very kindly gave us the cradle that they used for each of their three kids, but along with it came outdated tan and blue teddy bear bedding.  I decided to remedy that wee problem by going through my stash and was lucky enough to find some fabrics that I knew would work for a baby boy and a girl, too, if one ever comes along.

I recovered the bumper and made new ties for it with the help of my friend and teacher, Lorraine.  

She also showed me how to make a simple cradle/crib/bed sheet so now I can whip them up quite easily.  I plan on making a few more for the cradle so we can mix it up a bit.  Also in case of accidents (*wink).

Now all we need is the baby!