Crafty Mermaid

Another crochet cardi for a future little person.  I think this one is currently unassigned :) Yarn: NZ Merino wool and pattern:  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/emmys-baby-cardigan I had a few late nights after LP's arrival and wanted to make something I'd made before so would be relatively easy to work on and put down without concentrating.  I even got LP to model half way through to see what the sizing was like.  I never made her one as the season's didn't quite line up with the sizing!  (yes that is my Christmas jumper and yes, it wasn't Christmas!)

There's been a bit of baking going on here over the last few months.  I've been ravenous sometimes and having some baked goods about the place has been so helpful.  That said, this is about 6 months worth of baking (though the scones were repeated a LOT!).  My little helper isn't quite as helpful as the photo suggests and I'm back to work again so less time for food play! These scones were a God send in the weeks after LP's arrival.  The lovely Gemma of 66stitches  passed on the recipe - lemonade scones .  Only 4 ingredients and with the added bonus of using up the leftover cream for serving - Yum! Banana bread.  I think this was edmonds but I wasn't a fan.  I really would like to get a good recipe with sultanas. On the plus side, LP was very interested in the project.  She also really liked playing with the sieve afterwards.  Though I reached the end of being able to bake while wearing LP. I made have al...

I'm rather pleased with this make. It was one of the last before LP (little person) arrived and was actually requested by BM.  Its a padded tote bag with spaces for growlers so he can cart his glass contrainers to the bottle store for some craft beers.  It also used up quite a bit of random stash including some buckram, padding and two different grey fabrics. I self drafted based on the measurements of his growlers ( here's wikipedia if you're not familiar with beer culture terminology - which I wasn't but have now been indoctrinated!).

Last year before things got hectic and while I was in Melbourne for a few months, I decided to put my sewing skills to the test and resize a fairly basic vintage vogue pattern I fell in love with and purchased off etsy.   Its a quick and easy pattern so I thought it shouldn't be too hard to do a FBA and resizing. I made a muslin and then sewed up the final version.  BUT by the time I'd finally added a zip (as I'd fallen out of love with it) I was a bit too pregnant and it still doesn't fit!  Gah!  The FBA needed more FBA for my current feeding baby size so at some point in the future I wonder if it'll work again. However, I learnt loads!  And think the pattern on the fabric is a little too busy for my liking on me (though I still love it in the abstract).  I can't remember what I did with my resized pattern pieces as it occurs to me that I'm in need of tops like this for work (but don't think I can quite face how much work it would take to get it...

I can't quite believe how long ago I finished these - I think it was a Christmas present last year for my niece.  The fabric is merino/nylon from levana fabrics and the pattern is from Sewnz and also purchased at Levana - pattern available online at levana .  I made one for my little person and one for my niece making use of one of the embroidery panels in the fabric. I really like the neck - easy to get on and off for a little person and also a nice design detail.

In the mad rush to finish things before BoJ's arrival, I made a rice filled hot pad and a cat toy.  The second is more understandable when I explain that a lovely lady from Fabric Hoarders gave me the cat toy mostly finished and I just needed to stuff it and sew it.  The hot pad uses up my london purchased liberty fabric.  It and the coordinating grey fabric were used for a pair of PJ bottoms that are still in circulation ( blogged in 2012! ). Here's the hot pad in my delivery suite.  Pretty sterile looking, eh?  I was glad of the small homemade touches as was in there for quite a while.

Pattern:  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fan-bookmark I have no idea where I got this yarn - I think I may have inherited it.  I cleared the stash a little and finished these up and turned them into some cards for friends.  I used spray starch to get them a little less floppy!

In preparation for BoJ's arrival, I made a few bandana bibs.  Annoyingly, I can't find the pattern to share - but the lovely Emma of thetakahebites blog passed it along to me and its great. I used up some skeleton quilting fabric purchased in the LA garment district last year and some other quilting cotton I've had since soon after I started to sew.  They're lined with old towels passed their display date.  The backing fabric was flannel from spotlight I think (or a cheap hand towel in one case).  I originally used a hammer to add the snaps but then the very lovely Wendy of  http://wenznz.blogspot.co.nz/ let me use her Kam snaps tool.  I got slightly addicted and bought one myself.

Continuing the hat theme - these merino knit (from levana ) hats are for ickle new born babies.  Quick sews on my overlocker and all ready for BoJ on arrival.  I'm pretty sure this is the link I used for the top knot and rounded versions: http://zaaberry.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/baby-hats-tutorial-and-pattern.html But don't hold me to it - it was quite a while ago!

One of the first things I managed to finish after BoJ's arrival was a shirt quilt.  I'd cut out the pieces a while ago - recycled from a few old shirts (mine and BM's), a pair of PJs and fabric left over from an early dress. I've made a few of these - but haven't blogged them yet.  My straight line sewins is really coming along!  I've even managed to iron the seams. I machined sewed around the edge of every second square to quilt it.  I used fleece as backing and padding and made my own binding. I love the centre square as I managed to keep the pocket from one of my old shirts.  I'm sure BoJ's will enjoy it when she 'discovers' it in future.

Another free craftsy pattern - although crochet this time: I adapted the Newborn Baby Bear Hat from Tampa Bay Crochet .  BoJ is rapidly outgrowing some seriously cute hats we were gifted and I wanted to up my crochet game.  The yarn is Peter Pan Merino Baby wool DK from Knitworld in Wellington. I made the head size bigger by putting in another increase row and given how tight my stitching is also increased the hook size to 7mm.  I also changed the ear pieces into circles which I then sewed on - not sure how effective that was.  The original folded half circles might have worked better. Of course, now its finished I'm convinced its too big.  We'll have to wait and see when winter arrives.  I'm tempted to crochet up another one using a smaller hook and see which will work better.

I went on a fabric finishing binge before BoJ arrived and used up most of the remaining map fabric I had on wash bags.  Most of these were lined with normal satin lining and the padding came from old towels (clean (obvs!) but at the end of their displayable life!). The pattern is the 1 hour Dopp Kit pattern ( free from Craftsy  - just search).  I had to adapt it slightly as the towel padding was a little thick for the neater finish they suggested.  Zips, fabric and padding from stash!