creative baby projects

well, it looks like another summer has come and gone and i feel like i barely have anything to show for it (creative-wise)!  but i have been busy in the past few weeks making and embellishing baby clothes and making a quilt all in preparation for baby #3!  it's a boy (you can tell by the blue-grey-red-brown theme below) and he's due december 30.

i was bitten by the sewing bug when i realized that i really really hate boy clothes.  as soon as i found out i was having a boy, i went to the mall and started browsing the very unfamiliar territory that is BOY clothing.  walking into each store, i immediately, out of habit, would veer to the bright, pink, colorful, frilly GIRL stuff that i am used to buying for my two girls.  it was weird venturing to the boy side of each store after all these years!  and what i found is that boy clothing is dominated by trucks, airplanes, cars, zoo animals, sports and cheesy "mommy's little rock star" type sayings splayed across the chest.

so i decided to take matters into my own hands and make some things that i thought were a little bit more my style.  when he's older, of course he'll be able to choose his own clothing.  but for now he'll be sporting a mix of randomness that appeals to my creative, artist eye.  so i searched on etsy for ideas and found some very cute applique patterns.  the VW bug above comes from kip & fig and they have the most awesome PDF patterns i have ever seen.  clean and crisp designs that have a very modern feel.  i'm not all that into "cutesy"  so it was nice to find some fun designs to spice up a few plain onesies!

i also rummaged through my collection of vintage baby/toddler sewing patterns and i found one from the 50s that included a cute kimono-style top.  for the fabric, i reused an old, flannel baby blanket and bought some bias tape from the fabric store.  the blue pjs are made from a pattern and fabric i found at the thrift store for $3 (total)!

the onesies have been fun to work with, too.  i received a bunch of 0-6 month sized clothes from a friend, but they were mostly short sleeved.  my baby is due in december, so i needed warmer attire.  instead of donating them, i took some of the sleeves off of the clothes that weren't quite my style and added them to the short sleeve onesies.  and i added fabric patches from the left-over fabric i had from his quilt.

the quilt was another fun adventure in sewing.  i chose mostly fabric from joel dewberry and a little bit from amy butler to make a navy-aqua-grey-black-and-yellow creation.

my boy style is definitely all over the map!  i really do love the sweet, baby blue hues with cute and simple animals.  above was a thrifted onesie embellished with a fabric patch made from a flannel baby blanket (the kind you find in 4-packs at target or baby stores.  i think they are called receiving blankets. you can also just use flannel fabric)

and here i jump to bright, primary colors!  the red top has sleeves added to it from fabric made from my daughter's leggings that she had outrgown.  the patch and star is from fabric i had on hand.  the panda and polka dots were found in my fabric scrap pile.  this is a great way to alter shirts with stains or that have images or words that you don't like.  (for me, it was probably a fire truck and "mommy loves me." not to say i don't love my baby, but i don't need a shirt to say it for me!)

another applique from kip & fig.  they range from complicated (like the VW bug) to very simple (like the rabbit above--if you couldn't tell.  i kind of sewed the outline a bit wonky.  i'm still learning!)

and this is just an owl applique that i drew myself.  the polka dot fabric is from a thirfted flannel baby blanket and the other pieces were scraps.  to get the applique really secure, i used the sewable kind of heat-and-bond that you can get at any fabric or craft store.  so once you trace your pattern onto the heat-and-bond, you iron it sticky side down to the back side of the fabric and then cut the pieces out, peel the paper backing and iron everything in place onto the shirt.  i sew around the edges to define the image and also to secure it in place.  they also make a non-sewable heat-and-bond for thicker fabrics or for when you don't want a sewn look (like the VW bug above).

so that's that!  i still have a few things baby things that i recently bought at the thrift store that i'd like to add to.  it's been nice to have these projects to connect to the arrival of my baby.  what things did you do (creative or otherwise) to prepare for a new baby?

little green dress (and giveaway)!

my littlest one models her new green dress that i made for her the other day.  it was my first attempt at sewing an article of clothing and i think it came out pretty good! :)  (just don't turn it inside out to reveal all the funky stitches!)

i've always wanted to learn to sew clothes.  especially make them for my little girls.  one of my very first memories (may be my actual first memory!) is of my mom making a nightgown for me when i was 2.  i remember laying down on the floor on crinkly pattern paper so she could trace around my body to get the right size for the gown.

next i'll sew up something for my 9-year-old and then maybe even try to make a skirt for me!  it's funny how all of my latent math skills came in use while constructing the dress.  looking at the pieces, i couldn't believe a dress would be possible.  but i followed the directions and it just all started to make sense.  it also helped that i bought the kit pre-cut to size from this awesome etsy shop.  next up, i tackle a vintage pattern from the 50s!  i'll keep you all updated.

ALSO, don't miss out on a little giveaway in the previous post.  still open until the end of the week.  i'll send a lucky commenter a little packet of artsy fun just as a little way of saying "thanks!" and "enjoy the last remaining bits of summer!"

Birthday Party Fun...and more ART fun!

Happy 1st Birthday dear little Sureya!

(lookin' a little grumpy here...just woke up from a nap!)

Playing with the pull-string pinata

poking a dainty finger into her birthday cake

reaching for mom's camera. (getting lots of hugs from grandma!)

little ballerina baby.

i can't believe my baby is ONE year old already. seems like yesterday i was expecting this little one, wondering what it would be like to be a mama to a little baby again...running around pregnant to art festivals and classes (knowing it'd be my last chance for a loooong time!) and journaling my heart out, wondering what this little one would be like and how she'd fit into the family. now i can't imagine life without her! :)

i had fun prepping all the little details for her first birthday fiesta. it took me a while, but i just did a little bit here and there. i sewed up some goodie bags (with the help of this pattern from the talented artist-mama sharilyn over at lovely design)

i made some t-shirts with iron-on transfers of kokeshi dolls (kokeshi was the theme of the party!). i got these great designs from tracy ann digital art on etsy.

here's a peek into the girls' goodie bags. i found mini notebooks at daiso (japanese dollar store!) and made little journals for the girls. i printed out the kokeshi dolls on sticker paper, cut out and stuck them onto the front of the mini journals. i printed out the smaller kokeshi circles on sticker paper, too, and cut them out for them to use as stickers. the little buttons i found here on etsy (i tell you, that site is a dream! especially if you're trying to find unique items for a not-so-common-themed birthday party!) ;) the candies i found at the japanese dollar store, too. and the little tank tops were a bargain at Target for $3 each.

this is a total side-note, but one of my friends gave sureya the cutest baby toys from a new line at Target (i swear i'm not being payed to promote this store--i just live there!) i think it's just called "B" and both gifts came with this little recycled booklet. of course when i saw it, i thought, "ooh! bonus gift for me!" and started thinking of ways to alter it and use it for a pocket journal.

it even has the cutest little quotes in it! i'm not sure what to do with it but i know i'll be gessoing some of the pages and pasting little things here and there.

now we're WAAAAY off topic, but i couldn't resist showing off a little vintage office supply collection i have started. it all started with this post from hope over at paper relics. once i saw her awesome find on Ebay, i had to go searching for my own. got a lot of great deals, too. you just have to be patient...

recycling at its best...the box from one of the "B" baby gifts makes a perfect little cubby to store my labels and things!

more journal love...this is a folded enclosure card from paper source. i just cut some papers down to size and hand stitched a six-page signature. (also inspired by hope at paper relics!)

pages waiting to be written in! i'm actually playing around with the idea of making a bunch of these little journals to sell on etsy. i opened a storefront but i haven't listed anything yet. still playing with ideas. but i thought this would be fun to offer as ready-to-go journals and as kits (for the more DIY types!) what do you think, art journalers? sound interesting? ;)

i started writing, "something so exciting about a new journal"

so true.

what i've been up to...

i was looking for journals on etsy one evening and after thinking, "hey, i can do that!" decided i'd try to make my own! i've done it once before using teesha moore's instructions (found HERE). but i decided this time to try the coptic stitch method. i found a great tutorial on youtube (HERE) and after the baby goes to bed tonite, i'm going to try to stitch the pages to the book covers.

these are some of the book signatures, or groupings of pages. i folded three papers together per signature. i used a variety of scrapbook paper, vintage ledger pages and music sheets.

these are the inside covers (front and back). i used some great wrapping paper i got from a workshop i took with Anahata Katkin last September. You can find some similar kinds of paper in her PaPaYa shop! (i think the paper on the right was designed by Pam Garrison).

here are the journal covers (front and back). i used vintage flocked wallpaper for the front (also found on etsy!) and for the back cover i used wrapping paper i bought at Cost Plus. (love love love!)

and i finished Sureya's baby quilt! i started this project waaaay back when and i finally finished it. ok, well, it's 99.99% finished. i just have to hand-stitch a little section closed and then it's DONE! :)

i used a pack of precut squares that i bought on etsy from materialgirlchic. it is a 5" fabric pack, precut and ready to go! it totally helps me to have all the squares pre-cut. i've bought a couple of other packs from her and it just makes sewing a breeze for me! the pattern is "ginger blossom" by sandy henderson for michael miller.

and that's all for now. here's a cute little easter cup i made for a swap recently. you can see all the participants' creations here!

LOVE is in the air

I don't know what to write these days...I barely have time to think let alone write a coherent blog entry. ;) So I will let the photos do the talking.


I've been busy with the little one. She's crawling like a pro now and just started pulling up to a standing position--even letting go and standing for a few seconds (!). She will be walking soon for sure. And she's only 8 months old! We are baby-proofing on the fly as her abilities increase. So besides baby stuff, I've had art on my mind a lot lately. I'm always dreaming of all the things I could be making and doing and sometimes I even find the energy and the time (both at the same time, even!) to start or finish projects.

My "Remains of the Day" journal with Mary Ann Moss

I have been taking a few online art courses. Perfect for moms of wee ones who can sometimes only find a few minutes in the middle of the night or between naps to piece together a few things. I love the online courses because I can start them and stop them whenever I want and I can watch the videos over and over and over until I really GET IT (because my brain is pretty much mush these days with only 2-3 hour chunks of sleep!).


I participated in a mini book swap hosted by the ever-so-talented and inspirational Julie Collings. I have just recently discovered her blog and I must say that I love every post! Not to mention her very lovely Etsy shop. (I also dream of attending an Art Nest retreat some day.)


I also have a Valentine post card swap to finish up that my art sister Carol is hosting. I'm hoping to make it to our next meeting which is on Valentine's Day! But my mom will be in town that weekend (hopefully!) so I might have to wait until next month to meet with my lovely and talented Bay Area Art Sisters.


I should get some sleep! Baby is sleeping--actually, everyone in the house is asleep right now. My most treasured time of the day. But the longer I stay awake, the more I will be miserable in the morning!


And regarding the art vs baby thing...I've decided not to sweat it that I don't have as much time for art these days. Sureya and Maya are growing so fast--TOO fast. I will always have time for art when I'm old and my children are grown. I want to enjoy my time with my kids and really soak up the goodness of this time. Looking back, I don't think I'll regret not making more art or taking more classes.


But I know I will be sad if I feel I've missed out on the little things: walks to the park, playing "Go Fish" with Maya, Mommy & Me sing-alongs at the library...you know that kind of stuff. But I will continue to scribble here and there in my art journal or help Maya make cute little valentines for her class. Gotta find that right balance. And right now it feels good to let go of the art part--not worry so much about it, at least--and just be happy with the little things in life.

Quilts for my little girls

I took Maya to the craft store the other day to pick out fabric for her quilt. I thought it would be a nice project for her to get ready for her own room. To get her all excited about it, we're going to make a quilt together for her new bed and we'll fill the room with bright colors and whatever theme she wants. The theme for her room, she says, is "Nature." So the colors she picked for her quilt represent each season (red/autumn, blue/winter, green/summer, pink/spring--all her idea!) So sweet.


She helped pick out colors for the quilt for her sister (due in May). (I guess it's still possible it could be a brother. If so, the quilt will be a gift! Someone I know is bound to have a little girl some day!) I can't wait to get started. But first, I have to sort out my studio! It has become such a nightmare, I don't even want to walk inside. But the sorting must be done because we're all switching rooms around in preparation for our little one's arrival. So it cannot be avoided any longer!