Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!

It's Giveaway Day!

Today I'm giving away two knitting books: Stitch and Bitch Nation and Knit Two Together. 

They're both very good books, with many good patterns, and a few silly patterns each, but just not right for me right now (when nearly all I make is baby stuff).

Giveaway open through Friday, I'll do a random drawing Saturday morning, and I'll ship anywhere (shipping time may take longer overseas, as I can't use the automated machine).

Let me know what you want for Christmas (or if you don't do Christmas, your birthday), and you're in.  I'm reverting to childhood and hoping for a bicycle, a basic cruiser with a big comfy seat, to hitch the trailer up to and haul the baby around town. Preferably in purple with a bell and maybe streamers.

Why am I not using these knitting books now?  Well, I've been busy... I make monkey hats:

Sweet baby dresses (and a sweet baby):

Traditional quilts:

Historical costumes (worn at Dickens on the Strand last week):

And all sorts of other things - I have a making compulsion :)

Happy giveaway week :)

Anyone need to hold something?

For a while, the only pacifier clips I saw were designed only for the pacifiers with handles, and the baby likes the Soothie ones.  I've since found out that they make ones that are Soothie compatible, but first I made these:

(Nearly) Universal Pacifier/toy Clips

(Nearly because we've found one pacifier with no holes or any other way to attach it, but that's the exception.)

Mine have a stronger clip, I've found, than your typical store-bought variety.  I used Goody hair elastics for the loop and clips from this Etsy supplier, as they're cuter than the old-man suspender clips!

And you're not limited to pacifiers, either:

Pink with a teething ring attached

Apples with a Soothie attached

Black and white with a standard pacifier

Gears with a German triangle toy attached

Yellow plaid with a Go Ball

Apples with a standard pacifier

They've been remarkably useful (not pictured: two quite grubby ones we've used non-stop), often with a pacifier on one and a toy on the other, clipped to her sleeves or the baby carrier.

(All of the above available in my shop)

Itty Bitty Baby Dresses

I made the baby several of the Itty Bitty Baby Dress from Made By Rae.  It takes two fat quarters to make a dress in the small-baby size.  They're all now too small, so I took some photos before putting them away. 

This one was my favorite - my father-in-law actually suggested the tiny pocket.  (He missed his calling in life, as a party planner and fashion designer.)  The first time she wore this, instead of just a little white shirt, and I swaddled her for sleeping...when I unwrapped her when she woke up, I was overcome by how adorable she was.  What a cute little baby!

I added extra bias binding from an old project - had exactly enough (it's actually red, not orange).  The top is quilting cotton; the skirt is a bit of black linen; and the button is a little cherry.


I like it when mothers and babies dress alike, but I haven't got the drive to make clothes for myself now that I have someone small and cute to sew for.  So, I went to my closet and found dresses I'd made myself in the past, and I'm making her ones to match.  This one actually is roughly the same style as the one I made myself, down to the shoulder ties (because the Monique dress was a bit short in the shoulders, so I had to add a bit on contrast, and made ties while I was at it).  I made the piping myself, as well.  We got so many cute comments when we wore our dresses!

This was the husband's favorite.  It was a bit larger than the others, so she wore it over a long-sleeved baby shirt at first, and it lasted the longest.  Two fat quarters and pre-made piping and bias tape.  I found it most successful if I sewed the piping to the top before doing the side seams in the skirt (unlike the instructions), for then it would be caught in the seam and stay flat.  If I wanted (I sometimes did), I could catch the lining of the bodice by hand, keeping the skirt gathers hidden on the inside.

I made two others that I don't seem to have photographed - one in blue (top) and red (skirt) bandana fabric, and one in purple stripe (top) and solid (skirt) quilting cotton.

Might have to make them again next spring a bit larger, although it'll take more than a fat quarter now.

Hand sewing

Must love this kid, if I'm hand sewing hems for her!

Blockbase

No matter how the election turns out, I made a fun purchase at the Quilt Festival, and by next week I'll be able to celebrate or drown my sorrows with BlockBase!
(Been benefitting from Barbara Brackman's free things long enough; figured it was about time!)

Blue and White

There may have been an exhibit of blue and white quilts at the Houston Quilt Festival.

I may have gotten carried away.

Rick-rack edging technique

Noticed this on the sleeve of the baby's dress - serge the rick-rack at the edge of the sleeve, then turn, press, and topstitch - hem, trim, and finish all at once!