Make Room for Baby

The Greatest Show on Earth!

 

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen . . .and big brother, meet Baby Cade! 

 

 

I had so much fun planning this cradle for my friend June.  The creative wheels were spinning.  

My favorite place to check out the latest trends is Macy's Bedding Department.  This is where I found the small print for the main fabric. Sheet fabric has a high thread count and a king or queen set can give you plenty of fabric for a crib bumper, crib skirt, 2 fitted sheets and a baby quilt and pillow.

 

 

To add some whimsy I made small triangles for the 'flags', holding them in place with masking tape. 

I had been saving the large circus theme print for that special project which turned out to be Cade's cradle.  I decided use the print as an applique, using iron-on fusible web. Cutting out each print with a quarter of an inch edge for a small zig zag stitch to secure the iron-on applique. 

 

 

Masking tape also makes a perfect guide line when using trim or topstitching.  I then secured the 'flags' with a straight stitch, using a wide zig zag stitch to secure the chenille cord. It is best if you don't iron over the tape.  I finished the top edge with a bright orange ric rac.

 

Yes, Punky . . .Cades' a keeper!

 
 

 

 

SEW MANY 'SITES' TO SEE

http://www.makeandtakes.com/dollar-store-tie-dyeing

How does your garden grow?  With Hello Kitty bows all in a row.  Marie LeBaron at Make and Takes is one talented mama and she 'shares' her ideas and offers tutorials. She also has lots of give aways! 

These little barrettes are a snap to make with many more styles to try.

ONEsie + Tissue Paper = DOLLAR Store

Dollar Store Tie-Dyeing without much mess.  This should help get the timid crafter to come out and play.  I'm not sure how Marie 'happened' upon tissue paper staining cotton knit.  She shoots straight from the hip (with a water pistol!) when it comes to being innovative, check it out at Make and Takes.

The Travel Pillow

Maya Donnenfeld is another crafty lady, who came up with this idea and many more at mayamade.  

Can't you see your toddler carrying this little pillow to the car and imagine them sleeping all the way? Even craftier would be... promising a surprise in the pocket after the nap!

A daily dose of Craftzine is a good place to start the day. 

This is where I came across Luvinthemommyhood and I am luvin it! Shannon Cook has introduced me to a whole new community, I need a bottle of 5 Hour Energy everytime I check out her blog, it's loaded with ideas, crafts and the latest in books, and I want to do them all.

The Cat Dress

Jessica at Happy Together 'designed this.  This is one of the reasons I so wanted a baby girl. I imagined sewing and dressing a little princess. 'Congratulations, it's a BOY!' knocked PINK right off my colorwheel.  My crafting energies went instead to suspenders, funky shirts and sneakers. Thankfully he didn't end up dressing like Mork in his adult life! Back to this cutie-pie and her little cat dress.  I would call on grandma to do the embroidery!

Jessica took a regular T-shirt and cutting it down, sewing it up and making the flowers, a real J.Crew touch.

For all the 'new moms to be', may I suggest right under crib and stroller comes 'Sewing Machine' as most needed item.  There is nothing as rewarding as sewing for your own. As little as they are they know you made it for them.  Save and sew as they grow.  

MY MOMMY MADE IT!

For Goodness Snakes!

Catchy title, and what does it have to do with bumpers?  It's a tie-in to a great mom story. Check it out.

The Antique Mommy   shares about 'a teachable moment' with her son.  I won't spoil the story or put it in my words when hers are the best!  But you have to visit her blog.  I totally got into the story, because I hate snakes, felt the pain and knew the gain!  There is nothing like being a mom!  

 Yesterday I had lunch with June, a mom of a little one who also blogs, (check out Lizzard spit!').

Lunch with June is always a treat, which unfortunately, doesn't happen often.  June commented that it must be nice to put something on and not worry about 'baby spit up and leaky diapers'.  I sort of nodded and didn't think too much about it.  After all, my son's 27,and I havent' even used the word 'spit up' for quite some time!  But I could smell the memories!

I remember as new mom of only a few weeks, going out to dinner,(dressing up for dining out had not been eliminated, yet!).  Half way to the restaurant, my behind felt 'wet'. Great, I was sitting on, and soaking up an open pack of wet wipes. The memory made me smile. It also made me realize that I miss those days and they go by so fast, (depending on your perspective).  

Or how about the time on our way to Brazil, Adam was a toddler, I figured I would fill him up with dinner and get a nice sleepy child.  A good thing on an all night flight.  Finishing his dinner, he took a drink from daddy's glass of water, NOT, it looked like water, but was a bit stronger!  (his father thought it was funny).  A look of revulsion, bulging eyes and... 'dinner was on me'  literally.  Only 5 more hours to go! Not to worry, I always had an extra change of clothes for 'my babe'. (note to moms - diaper bag is stuffed - and your stuff doesn't count anymore!) 

The memories get sweeter and the hard times become laughable as you pass through the seasons of life.  Why is that?   Some would say it just takes time, take it from a mom... what happens in that time is called catching up on years of sleep deprivation.  Everything looks better after a good nights sleep.

p.s.  no pictures due to nature of blog

Mr. Peanut

This may be a long stitch...but I keep thinking of the peanut and it's usefulness.

Stay with me, this will connect somewhere down line.

The amount of ideas I have trying to escape my brain and turn into 'rocking' crib sets is keeping me up at night. You could say I am sleeping like a baby, not.  I'm also starting to stockpile fabric (like I did when I was quilting!)    There are just so many beautiful colors and combinations out there. Heather Bailey keeps adding to that!  LIVE Textile offers organic and Spoonflower will print your own design.  

In a nut shell... Make Room for Baby is there to swing the creative door wide open by personalizing your baby's room.

Start with an 'Island story' using tropical prints and a grass crib skirt  (buy a twin, cut it down, any left over can be trimmed and used as fringe on a throw pillow for the glider, not in the crib). You can also design your own print, sketching with fabric pen and paint.  Simple palm trees and sailboats would be darling.  You could sew hand drawn patches on a backround print, or make a border.

Another expression of surrounding the baby in love is having brother and sister decorate the fabric by using their own 'handprint'.  Kind of like finger painting, creating an all-over design.

If you are not the sewer and could care less about the DIY pleasure, but know what you want and can find the means to have it done, the kit works well to pass on to your designer-workroom.  They will be grateful that you come with the solution.   Many a workroom has put in hours of constructing a bumper only to be disappointed in the finished results. Let them know Make Room for Baby has the formula!  

Now, to connect the dots  to ...  Mr. Peanut!  

George Washington Carver found over 100 uses for the peanut, (of course, I stick with peanut butter, never mind).

Another use for the bumper inserts!  Restore your favorite bumper, fatten up a new one, revive the one you have now!   I love it, more ways to save money!  

Surf's UP in "March of the Tools"

 

My earliest venture in Arts and Crafts shows were baskets lined with gathered floral chintz. This meant the pressing of miles of ruffles & long ties for the bows. Feeling constrained with more fabric on the floor than the ironing board, I moved to my work table with a beach towel. Worried about warping my rotary cutting mat, I soon gave this idea up. 

I remembered seeing the padded tables at the drapery workrooms. A narrow version of that would do the trick. I could have made it myself, but I knew Lou who made cornices in Miami. He was the Wild West dude with one fast staple gun! 

I now had one mighty long ironing board....9" X 72", with 3/4" plywood.

Driving home with "my board", I was as happy as a surfer ready to ride the waves, singing California Dreamin!  (Not to be confused with ironing clothes! Totally different song). Years later, and miles of pressing, I simply add another layer of batting and fabric and "my board" is new. If you are making your own bias, or have ribbons to press, this is great.

I have since added a 25" square board for the designer pillows, and patchwork. I can tape work down or pin on it. Iron on fusible web presses much better on the board than the softer top of the ironing board. It's also great to move a work in progress, and stores easily leaned up against a wall.

An inexpensive way to speed the work up and get a more professional finish. I now consider it a staple in my workroom. What an honor to be invited to contribute to Heather Bailey's "March of the Tools!" Thank you Heather!

Make Room for Baby Salutes Heather Bailey!

Heather Bailey  is leading the Parade for all of us who " March" to the beat of a different drum. She has inspired thousands to dream, create and make beautiful items.  But let me back up to connect some dots.

I was ready to launch Make Room for Baby and needed to be with "like-minded" women (who could relate to sticking your finger and lip together with hot glue, among other injuries we suffer).

I attended the Creative Fest  in Toronto. The Canadians seemed to have a corner on crafting. Some of the women I met had been meeting for the past 15 years at this Festival for a "girls only" weekend. I felt like I had been living in a cave. How could I have traveled the world and missed out on this? It was really a spectacular, inspiring time.

I was laughing hysterically with hundreds of "crafty women" listening to a speaker named Elinor Peace Bailey".  She was  "on a roll"  with a TRUNKLOAD of beauties. Her family of dolls.

She would pull one out and introduce us. Telling us how they came about and their many escapades.  As she wove their stories we all knew we had met them personally at one time or another...some we raised an eyebrow at and others we wanted to join for a cup of tea.  She honored us by passing them around the room so we could actually inspect the incredible workmanship from dyeing her own fabrics, to sculpting their faces and bodies.

Elinor Peace Bailey, (Heather's mother-in-law) had us laughing until we thought we would split a stitch. She enjoys people and life in BLAZING COLOR! She also let us know that "if you have even looked at the fabric, it counts as using it!". (We know who we are and where we have hid all the boxes.)

She was kind enough to give me a moment and pass on her words of wisdom. Suggesting I visit a blog that called HELLOmynameisHeather.

Like the chicken and the egg, you don't know which came first "Heather" or "Blogging". Her site is what blogging is all about and why I look forward to her posts!