Independence Day crafts from WGC!

We're always very excited to celebrate Independence Day. Here are some of the Americana-themed crafts we've shared!

Stars & Stripes 3D Stars

I think we'll be doing this for Make it Monday!

Patriotic Wire Shaping

Fourth of July Patriotic Word Art Printable

Patriotic Pinwheels

Festive Fourth of July Nails

Red, White and Spangled Candles

Red, White and Blue Baby Clothes Upcycle

More ideas

What will you make for Independence Day?

Fun and Easy Baby Shower Game: Baby Bingo!

I think this is the best baby shower game ever. Why? It's low key, people can still visit while it's happening, the honoree gets to open presents and it gives people something to do while opening presents. I like watching the honoree open presents but it can sometimes be a little long or awkward...Am I the only one who feels this way?

So at the shower I helped with the day before I gave birth (humblebrag) we played this game and it was a hit! Not everyone played but those who did had a good time. Those who don't like games just visited and it was great. The only downside is that you wouldn't want to play this game at a small shower: the honoree needs to get a lot of gifts!

Here's how to play: Guests fill in the blanks with different gifts you think the mom-to-be will receive at the shower. Ideas: Bibs, socks, books, stuffed animal, diapers, etc. Each board will be different! As the mom-to-be opens gifts, the guests mark off the corresponding box. Once a guest gets 5 gifts in a row it's a BINGO!

Download the Word Document Here!

Don't forget to pick up a few prizes! I just bought some candy bars and wrapped them in scrapbook paper and twine. 

Baby shawl #4!

I finished one last knitting project at the end of 2013: another baby shawl for another baby! But this time, Jaime is the proud mama!

I sent Jaime some choices and she picked the pattern: Haruni by Emily Ross. I had plenty of Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace Yarn leftover from my baby's shawl, which took less than a skein, so I started on.

The other choices on my list:

• Boscobel shawl
• Frozen leaves
• Omelet

I think Jaime chose well!

Once again, this one was down to the wire. I managed to get it in the mail and it arrived the day before the Baby Girl's blessing!

Monthly Baby Photos: Idea round up

I'm sure you have seen the monthly growth pictures on Pinterest but I thought I would compile a list of some different ideas and show you mine!

Some ideas from the pins below:

• Being held by mom with type on top
• Stickers added to onesies
• Stats written around the baby
• Compared to a stuffed animal
• Next to a chalkboard with stats
• In the tub (so cute!)

This last one is tips for capturing those monthly photos. 

Here are my cuties!

 It just occurred to me I don't think I have introduced you to my new cutie! Let's call her KZ or Kizzie. Here is the shot I took of her recently. Um...yes you read that right she is only three months old. She is nice and round. I think she is going to be tall like her daddy.

Here is PB at 7 months. This was taken TWO years ago! Can you believe it!? Each month I used a different font. In December it was a Christmas font, October a Halloween one, etc. The backing was glittery fun foam.

How are you keeping (did you keep) track of growth?!

You must have been a beautiful baby shawl . . .

My three daughters have all been blessed (christened) in the summertime, so instead of blankets, I've wrapped them in white lace shawls that I've knit for them. Last year, when I announced I was having my youngest, I asked for your help in picking out her shawl pattern.

And the winner was . . .

 Baby foot!

The Echo Flower Shawl!

Ravelry links: pattern | my project

This one came together on a tight deadline, and I was worried for a few days that I wouldn't finish on time.

Because we moved at the beginning of June, my white yarn went missing (at least I think that's why?), and I had to order new yarn, but of course I couldn't find the same yarn anywhere . . . Finally, I got the yarn ordered one month before the baby blessing. I finished and blocked the shawl the day before the blessing!

Something new I tried with this pattern: binding off with two strands of yarn held together. I really liked the result!

Something I don't know if I'll try again: I was so tired (and sore) from knitting those nupps (the little bobbles of yarn forming a zigzag in the bottom picture), I knew my next lace shawl would not feature that design element.

What crafting project/element will you not try again this year?

What Brave Brooke Has Been Up To

First of all I want to thank all of our readers from the bottom of my heart. You all are so loyal! You stuck around when the times got hard for us! So I was waiting to make this announcement and I never did but this is what I've been up to:

I was growing a baby ;)

Do you ever go through times in your life that you are just solitary? In the past year (mostly since moving) I feel like I have been regrouping. I didn't leave the house often and I just stayed inside and parented my 2 year-old and was happy with my life until I realized that I had become a turtle. Do you feel a little offended I didn't share my big news with you? Well I didn't share it with very many people until I was already half way done. Honestly, this pregnancy didn't come when we planned and I was bitter so I just kept it to myself and yet again retracted into the comfort of solitude. I was even quiet in my virtual life so please don't be offended. I just needed time. About 6 weeks ago I felt like I left my shell behind. I sought out friends and I tried to serve others and I started doing old hobbies again. It almost feels like a waste though, since after having the baby and the tail spin they put you through I will need to regroup again but for these two months I felt so alive and I needed that to recharge myself before retreating again (at least in my personal life. I won't put you through the silence again!)

Like I said, thank you for sticking around and thank you for your understanding. I am so excited to start this new direction for the blog. I feel this is a true reflection of my life and I hope you enjoy!

New Mom Gift Ideas!

So, if you missed it, I had a baby almost two weeks ago. Most of the gifts you get when you have a baby are for the baby (of course!). But sometimes I've had friends ask what they should get for a new mama friend. Here are a few suggestions for a New Mama Gift Basket (or a New Mom Survival Kit!).

Photo by storkbitesforyou

1. A book, especially one of short stories or essays. The shorter pieces are great to read while nursing, but novels are good too.
2. Want a really awesome gift? If Mom doesn't already have a tablet or eReader, a Kindle or Nook is much easier to handle than a print book, and they start as low as $70. (Obviously you'd have to be a pretty great friend to splurge on this!)
3. Mom not a reader? Try a small, handheld game--but make sure you can turn off any noises it might make (and play one handed!)
4. Cute nursing tops, if Mom's nursing. Baby isn't the only one who needs clothing! I never had body image issues until I had a baby, and new moms often spent a lot of their time feeling pretty gross. Something to make a new mom feel pretty & normal again is great!
5. Baby calendar & pen (archival quality!). Let's be honest: these things are mostly for moms, right? 
6. Along those lines, a journal, either blank or with baby prompts. All of these help remind us how far we've come in when the days can easily blend together.
7. Small treats. With this baby, my husband's company sent a gift basket from a local bakery to the hospital, and we got to enjoy some delicious treats there and at home. (Keep in mind that Mom might be worried about getting back to her pre-birth weight, so don't go overboard here.)
8. Meals! The traditional gift might feel cliche, but sometimes preparing dinner (even if Mom & Dad are the only ones eating) is just one thing too many for a new mom. Especially great: meals that can be frozen to use in the future.
9. Too far away to send meals? Look for gift certificates to local restaurants--especially ones that offer delivery or pick-up/to-go options.
10. Help. Most of the time, when someone says "What can I do to help?", a new mom will blank, or might be too afraid to ask for what she really needs. Try to be specific in an offer to help: "Can I clean your bathroom?" "Can I take your other kids to the park for you for an afternoon this week?" "When would you like me to watch the baby so you can shower/sleep?"
11. Adult conversation. Although a new mom's schedule can be crazy, and it's hard for new moms to find time to reach out, call, email, text or IM to help give Mom a lifeline to the adult world when she feels isolated with a child who can't even make eye contact. But if it's not a good time for Mom, don't be offended, and try again later!
12. Sanity! Especially if you've been there. Let Mom know that the first few weeks and months are often hard, and it's okay to feel overwhelmed but that things will get better. A handwritten note or an email can help. (NOTE: while feeling overwhelmed is normal, it can also be a symptom of postpartum depression or even postpartum psychosis. Never minimize a mother's feelings, and if ever you think a mental health professional might be necessary, please do get help!)
13. A date night. A new baby can be especially hard on a marriage. After my first was born, I felt like I'd never be able to spend time with my husband ever again. (This isn't true, but it feels true.) A stay-at-home date can be best: a DVD, a dinner and a dessert.
14. The healthcare basics: This might be a little too personal for some friends, but ibuprofen/acetaminophen, sanitary napkins (I've heard tampons are okay after C-sections), Tucks pads & Dermoplast spray (for vaginal delivery), ice packs (for C-section & nursing), a rice bag or heating pad, lanolin, nursing pads, and ear plugs for emergencies will all come in handy.
15. Although we're teetotalers for religious reasons, I hear that after nine months of abstaining, wine or champagne is a welcome gift, and a good way to celebrate the new baby.

What do you think? What's in your new mom survival kit?

What I've been working on

Even though she was a little later than we expected, the baby came just in time to make my 30th birthday the best ever!

Hazel

 
2 April 2013

We're all doing well!

Newborn Hair bows

I love hair bows. Currently the only ones PB will wear are clippies in her bangs. I jumped at the chance to make some hair bows for a new niece!

The total I spent on these was $1. I had all the basic supplies for making the bows but I purchased these headbands at the dollar store. I have found these at two different dollar stores so I would totally suggest checking out the hair section at your local store. I made these 12 inches long unstretched for newborn size. These are made for children so I think the elastic is extra stretchy since I only cut off the knot and glued the ends together. I didn't think the knot would be very comfortable for a baby.

I went through my hair bows and was very grateful to my self for making extra bows the last time I made some for PB. I completed all 6 headbands in less than an hour so these are super easy. Here they are:

I did a round up of hair bow tutorials when PB was born that can be found here. Below I referenced which ones I used. 

I thought that little bow on the green one would be so sweet. I happened to have the perfect color button to go in the center. The directions for the flower on the yellow headband can be found here (tutorial #1)

The pink bow can be found here (#5 the pinwheel bow). The crocheted bow on the purple headband can be found here. I didn't leave a long tail for the head band or the button. 

 The flower for the blue headband I made out of felt. I cut three layers, two with four petals and one smaller one with three petals. To make it slightly curl up I only used glue in the center and pushed hard each item I glued on. The flower for the orange headband is again tutorial #1 found here.

I just love making things for babies, don't you?!

Big news! (And help me pick what to knit next!)

I've been keeping a secret from you (and my mom & sisters have helped), and I'm sorry.

I'm having a baby! In about 8 weeks! And it's a girl!

Photo by Kristin Ausk of Meringue Bake Shop

And now I need your help—I'm putting out the CRAFT CALL! (It's like the Bat Call, but for crafters. Right?)

Naturally, having a baby means I have yet another reason to craft. This time, even more so. This will be my third girl and fourth child. I've started a tradition with my first two daughters. In the LDS Church, babies are traditionally given a blessing in church from a priesthood holder (usually their father). It's somewhat like a christening, but it's a blessing only, not a baptism, which happens later in life, when we believe children are old enough to be accountable for their actions.

It's traditional (but optional) for infants receiving blessings to wear white, and both of my daughters have worn the same Swiss dot blessing dress that my mother made me for my blessing, and which my sisters wore for their blessings. (My son wore the same little yellow suit that my father wore for his baby blessing.)

To go with the white dress, I wanted to make some sort of blanket for each of the girls—but my first two daughters were both summer babies, and most blankets would be too warm. So I had another idea: why not make a lace shawl?

I've always loved the idea of knitting lace, and I also love the idea of giving the shawls to my daughters on their wedding days.

For my older daughter, I bought the back-issue magazine with the Swallowtail Shawl pattern from Interweave Knits. Now, four and a half years later, the pattern is free. It took about three weeks to knit—including taking time off to actually have the baby!

Here she is, two weeks old, modeling my dress and matching bonnet, as well as the shawl. (I think she has on booties that were my mother's too!)

I kept up the tradition for my next daughter and made her a shawl too (she's a month old here):

This shawl is the Aeolian Shawl from Knitty online magazine. It's also free! I knit the shawlette size and omitted the beads from the pattern. It took me two weeks to knit.

Both of these were made from the same skein of Baruffa Cashwool laceweight yarn in white. (It was some of the only natural fiber laceweight wool I could find in white!) Each took a little over a third of the skein, so I hope I have enough left!

Since the day I finished my last shawl, I've been collecting patterns for another. I've got a collection of 18 patterns and now I have to choose one to knit!

A couple notes I used to narrow the selection down a bit:

• Both of the previous shawls feature "nupps" (the white dots, or little balls, on the shawls).
• Both of the previous shawls are triangular.
• Both of the previous shawls feature points along the edging.
• I love my lace light and airy. Large fields of plain stitching defeat the purpose of lace, in my opinion.
• A pattern with charts is a lot easier for me to follow.
• A minimum of yarn would be ideal. I'd hate to run out!
• I'd really like a free pattern!

My top choices (mine will still be white; clicking on the photos will take you to the Flickr page for that picture; clicking on the pattern name will take you to the pattern page on Ravelry):

Echo Flower Example by WoofBC	Percy Example by sand_and_sky
Frozen Leaves Example by ulygan	Fragaria Lace Example by designer, Alina Appasov

What do you think? Which of these four is your favorite? Come vote!

Poll closes 11 Feb 2013.

Want more gorgeous lace shawls? Check out the runners up:

Glasgow Rose Triangle Summer Cherry leaf pattern Filigrano North Roë Omelet Bitterroot

Regrowth Oceanspray Crinoline lace Haruni Lovely lacy heirloom Laminaria Wisteria Lace

Quick Homemade Christmas Gift Idea: toddler girl

I recently started to crochet. Well okay that's not the truth. I started 3 or 4 years ago but I always end up going back to knitting. This would be a great gift for a niece (or a few!) or friend you have on your list this year. It was very quick to make and very simple. This is the tutorial I used. The only problem I had was with the Magic Circle. She gives a tutorial example on her site but I like this one better

Here is the finished result:

Not so thrilled to be in the picture :)

What Christmas presents are you making this year?

The Fastest Crib Sheet in the West

This guest post originally appeared as a guest post on Creative Cowgirl last summer.

Flannel crib sheets are one of my favorite baby gifts. Although they're perfect for cold winter nights, flannel crib sheets are hard to find in stores (at least for me!), and even then, your choices are always limited. So I like to make my own!

Materials:

• 2 yards of 45-inch flannel (or any other fabric) (1 7/8 m of 1.1m wide fabric)
• 48 inches of elastic [I use 3/8 inch] (1.2 m of 1 cm elastic)
• Thread

Equipment:

• Washer & dryer
• Measuring tape
• Rotary cutter
• Iron
• Sewing machine

It helps to know exactly how big the mattress is—if you're making one for yourself, this is easy. If this is for a gift, the standard crib mattress size is 52 inches long, 28 inches wide and 5 to 6 inches deep (132 cm x 71 cm x 13-15 cm), and that's what we'll use here.

Wash and dry your fabric. I know, I know, I promised you fast and this will take at least an hour. It may not be lightning quick, but sewing with fabric that might shrink later is the fastest way to ruin the project and waste your time! Trim off loose threads on the end if they're too tangled for the fabric to lay flat. Measure the exact width and length of your fabric. If it's longer than 71 inches (1.25m), or wider than 45 inches (1.15m), you'll want to either trim it down to that size or take that into account when you cut out the corners.

Now, fold the fabric into quarters, matching all the corners carefully. Using a rotary cutter, cut out an 8 inch (20cm) square of the corner where all the fabric edges meet.

Zig zag or serge the raw edges. They raw edges are less than 30 inches (75 cm) now. I actually did a 1/2 inch (1 cm) hem, folded twice, in the example and I made the square one inch deeper on the side perpendicular to the raw edge to compensate.

Sew the corners together. In each corner, pin right sides together. If they don't match perfectly, line up the outside corners/edges of the sheet. Sew the sides together, backstitching at both ends. Trim the excess if the fabric isn't even. Serge or zig zag stitch over the edge. Repeat on each corner.

Pin in the elastic. Cut four 12 inch (30 cm) pieces of elastic. Fold a piece of elastic in half and mark the middle. Pin that to a corner seam. Measure 12 inches (30 cm) from that corner down one edge, and pin the elastic there. Repeat on the other side of the elastic. I like to pin all the corners before sewing any of them.

Sew the elastic. With a wide stitch width and a short stitch length on a zig zag stitch, tack down one end of the elastic. Once you have enough of the elastic sewn down, make sure the needle is through the elastic and lift the foot.

Turn the fabric 90 degrees (so the corner seam is closer to you) and lower the foot again. Make the stitch length longer. Hold the elastic and the corner seam where you pinned tightly with your thumb and index finger, and pull the fabric taut, stretching the elastic out.

Sew the elastic to the fabric until you reach the seam, ending with the needle in the elastic. Stretch the other half of the elastic to match the fabric and sew until you're almost at the end of the elastic. End with the needle in the elastic. Lift the foot and turn the fabric 90 degrees. Lower the foot. Switch the stitch length back to short and tack down the other end of the elastic.

Voila! You're done!

Don't want to make your crib sheets quite so fast? Here are some more custom details you can use:

• Hem the raw edges, or all the edges.
• Enclosed or French seams on the corners: pin them wrong sides together and sew a scant seam allowance. Iron. Pin right sides together, and sew a wider seam allowance.
• Full elastic: sew a tube or wide seam around the full length of the sheet, leaving the end open. Get a long piece of elastic narrower than the width of the tube. Stick a safety pin in the end of the elastic for better grip. Thread it through the entire perimeter, often redistributing the bunching. Tie the elastic ends together once you reach the end. Try it on the mattress if you can and adjust the gathers and pull the elastic so the sheet is snug. Sew the ends together and sew up the hole in the elastic casing.

What's your favorite fast baby gift?

PB's 1st Birthday Party: an ice cream party!

Here is PB's 1st birthday party. Can I just say first that I was really stressed the day of and things didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped but do you know why I threw the party? For the pictures. When PB looks back years from now she will know how much I loved her and wanted her to have a special day. We had an ice cream party. We also had hot dogs and chicken salad. We had it at a park since our house is currently on the market. 

I was running a little short on time so I just made one invitation, scanned it, and sent it out. The stickers are Martha Stewart and the bow tutorial can be found here. 

Recognize this? To get this up I had to throw the spool of ribbon over the rafter. I felt like I was TPing a house.

I painted these frames and glued the foam number ones inside. The centerpieces for the tables were balloons and candy jewelry. In each corner of the pavilion my tall dad taped up white table clothes and tied bows with tulle -under my close supervision ;) All together there were 9 tables with pink table clothes and I used 4 white ones- one for each corner.

Party favors. There was pink (white chocolate dyed) and milk chocolate popcorn.  Use quality chocolate and a bit of salt. To melt the chocolate I microwaved it for 30 seconds, stirred well, and put it in for another 15 seconds and that did the trick.  Decals were cut out with my Cherry Limeade Cricut font with miscellaneous number ones printed out for the center. 

Pink s'mores with kisses for the chocolate. If you look close you can see little bows on those skewers. Why yes I did stay up late (after 1 am...) the night before making tiny bows and hot gluing them to skewers.

Pink lemonade with lemon slices. Pink straws purchased from Michael's

The sweets table minus the ice cream which was in the cooler. There are butter mints and toppings for the ice cream. 

The A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. cake my mom made. Check out how to here.

The pillowcase romper I made her. Do you see her "1" button? She didn't take it off the whole time. It's a dollar store baby shower button I glued one of the favor decals on. I would share with you the tutorial about how to make the romper but guess what- it was far too wayward for me to pretend I did this the "right" way. You are far more likely to figure it out on your own! I would search for a romper tutorial and a pillowcase top one and combine them if you want to make a similar outfit. After all my searching I couldn't find one just like I wanted.

Look at that cutie!! Aren't those jellies just  the best?

Can I toot my own horn for a moment? So I about three months ago I featured this post. Soon after I went to a consignment sale in search of some dolls. It always go on the 75% off days because that's how cheap I am. I'm going to stop the story right there because I'm going to finish the rest next week. Just know I found a doll and I made her a matching outfit. Her little dress was just a pillowcase dress. 

Tune in next Wednesday to hear about PB's dolls!