3x3 Swap July blocks

This is the final month for the 3x3 Swap I have been participating in over the last three months. Here is what I sent out for July using the Heather Bailey Pop Garden and Amy Butler fabric.


May and June are here and here!

Changing Pad and Nursing Cover

I can't stop making baby items! I had to make the changing pads from the pattern included in the Nappy Sack pattern so these came into fruition yesterday. I still had plenty of the Pop Garden fabric leftover, and with 2/3 of a yard of terrycloth there is plenty of fabric for two pads. Actually, I still have a little over a yard of the Pop Garden fabric left, so you will keep seeing it pop up in projects to come.


These are really easy to make, and I think they will get a lot of use. They have two layers of batting on the inside, so they are really soft. I used batting leftover from previous quilts so it was great to use up scrap material for something useful!

I also made a nursing cover because I am planning on breastfeeding. It was pretty simple to make. It has boning along the top edge so it will stay out from your body, and you can see your baby. They are pretty expensive from the store, but easy to make for under $10. I found this pattern that I used as a guideline. I found the boning for 2.49 a yard at Joanne's.


I included little terrycloth pockets on the backside for cleanup and storage of pacifiers, etc. I may add a little velcro to keep the pocket closed, but I want to try it out first-8 weeks to go before that happens! The terrycloth was 6.99 a yard, but I used scraps leftover from my changing pad. Plus, I used a 40% off coupon on the terrycloth.:)

I think these would both make great shower gifts, and they are pretty easy to make.

Amy Butler Nappy Bag

I finished my diaper bag late last night and snapped some pictures this morning. I wanted a big bag, but this bag is huge! I used the Amy Butler Nappy Bag pattern with Heather Bailey Pop Garden-Tiled Primrose in butter for the exterior fabric. The interior fabric is from Joannes. It is lined with canvas so it seems really sturdy. It has a heft to it even when completely empty.

The outside has a cell phone pocket which is the perfect size for my phone.

The interior calls for 3 1/4 yards of fabric! I did have some left over but that is a lot of fabric! It has six pockets inside which will be great for organizing. There were two bottle pockets that were supposed to be on the corners of the interior of the bag, but the placement of these pockets would have made four of the interior pockets useless (weird design) so I left those out.

I added an additional velcro pocket for my keys and wallet to the center pocket on one side. I like the additional exterior fabric on the inside, and if I make the bag again, I will have the outside of the interior pockets be the same fabric as the exterior of the bag. I like the contrast.

I am very happy with the way it came out, and now that I have the pattern, I can make more! I will need to find fabric cheap because it does take a lot of fabric.:) Excuse the little fly in this picture. Next on the list is the changing pad!

Buttercup Bag

I made a new bag to carry around. I kept seeing the Buttercup bag appearing on various blogs and had to try it out. I used this free pattern from MadebyRae. It is small, and I think I will enlarge it the next time I try it out.



I used various fabrics from the Deer Valley by Joel Dewberry line for FreeSpirit for the outside, lining, and pockets. The outside is only one fat quarter so it is a very economical little purse to make. The bag matches my wall! Can you tell that green is my favorite color?


I am going to try to make a diaper bag this week so I will be going from little purse to huge purse-very similar to the transition of my belly these days!

Craftster Lap Quilt Swap Fall Edition Finished!

I finally finished this Craftster Lap Quilt Swap Quilt! It is the biggest quilt that I have made to date. It is 82 x96 inches and I could not find a place to hang it for a full on shot! Therefore, it had to drag a little on the ground.:)

This quilt was started last summer and it went through two rounds of the Craftster Lap Quilt Swap so I received 22 blocks from various quilters around the United States.


I pieced the backing together with a strip of the lavendar from the front and some scrappy strips that were left over. I used a 3" grid quilting pattern for the quilting. I am so happy that it is done and I love the way it came out! It now resides on our full size bed.

Happy Thursday!

sewconnected: June

I finished my blocks for the sewconnected group for June. These two are for krommama who always does these wonderful wonky houses. She asked that we make our own improvisational wonky log cabinish houses out of our scraps for her month. I had a lot of fun going through my scrap pile and pulling out strips. I think these little houses could easily become quite addictive!


I am calling this one the "money pit"-he he. I found the bathtub girl and the money and couldn't resist thowing them into this block together.

sewconnected2: May and June

I am catching up on my blocks! I have been on a roll this week with my sewconnected blocks. The one above is for Amanda for June. She asked for a 12.5 inch improvisational block including the letter strip. I love the letters she embroidered for everyone.

The next two blocks are for Tine for May. She sent these lovely solids and they just stumped me. I kept pulling them out of the envelope but could not figure out what to do with them until now. I don't know why the solids threw me for a loop, but they did! I used this pattern for the one above and made up the one below. I do like how they turned out and I like the boldness of the solid colors.


Happy Thursday!

Three by Three Nine Patch Swap: June Sent and May Received

I have been participating in twiddletail's three by three swap over the last several months. We have been sending 16 6 1/2" blocks each month and receiving the same back.

Here are the blocks I received for the May swap above. It is really interesting how diverse the color choices are from so many different people. I love some of these and a couple are definitely out of my normal color palette which is not necessarily a bad thing. There are a couple that are not big enough, so I am not sure what I will end up doing with them.


I sent these sixteen blocks out in June. I love this fabric! It is so bright and cheerful. I don't remember the fabric line these came from off the top of my head, but I really like that pink fabric with the gold and white flowers. I am working on other swap blocks today, so I will have those to share soon!

Dresses, oh my!

While my mom was in town, she taught me how to make dresses! I had never used a pattern or attempted to make a dress before, but it was time I learned. We started off with the Lucy dress above for our friends in New Orleans whose daughter is 3. I learned how to make buttonholes, sew buttons, and make a lining. It has been sent and received so I can share now. I found the Alexander Henry fabric at Joannes.

The next thing on our list was a pillowcase dress from a vintage pillowcase. It was really easy and it will be for our little girl next summer.


I then went overboard (and still am going overboard) making other cute dresses to keep for our little one on the way. This is the same Lucy pattern in a 1 year size using fabric from Joanne's. I love this fabric. It is so bright and cheerful.

I also picked up this lady bug type fabric at Joann's for around $3 a yard. I like the faux patchwork and pinks and reds.


Here is the summer wardrobe thus far. I have another one almost finished in pink seersucker. Can a little girl have too many dresses?

Baby's Room

My mom recently came to visit for a week-she left this past Tuesday- to help get the babies room together. Before she came, the crib looked like the picture above, and by the time she left, it was transformed into the picture below. The crib was a present from my mother-in-law, isn't it great?


My husband's grandmother pieced the quilt above the bed and it was our wedding gift from her six years ago. My mom and I went to the thrift store and purchased two bedskirts for $2.99 each and ripped and sewed them back together to make a bedskirt.

This white dresser was also picked up at a thriftstore about 3 years ago. It has since had legs added to it by my husband-previously it sat on the floor about 4 inches lower. He also added a rim around the top that holds the changing pad in place. It received a fresh coat of white paint and a little decorative painting along the top drawer.


Using leftover fabric from one of the bedskirts, we made a little pillow (that will eventually end up in a chair) and I learned how to make piping.


I already had these curtains but these were hemmed and blue tiebacks were added from leftover bedskirt material.

Everything is slowly coming together for a late September little girl! Thanks Mom for helping out so much and coming to see us!

We also made some little dresses- pictures coming soon!