Girlie Baby Gifts

67 Comments / February 20, 2010 February 22, 2011 / Sewing

Well, boys and girls, I hope you’re having a good weekend! I had an awful week at work — had to work until 9 p.m. three nights this past week, so as a reward, I took Friday afternoon off and spend some time in the dungeon. Yipee!

SweetiePie’s sister-in-law will be having a baby girl in May and I wanted to make her a few things. SweetiePie gave me three words to work with — pink, brown and butterflies. I didn’t do much with the butterfly part, but I think I excelled with the pink and brown.

Two receiving blankets made with seersucker instead of flannel. This will be an Oklahoma summer baby — and having had one of those myself, flannel seemed too warm to me. A simple cotton worked beautifully for keeping the sun and wind off of the baby.

Three bibs. I debated about whether the chenille should be the front or the back.

I finally went with the front — it’s sooooo soft and I thought it would be perfect for wiping the baby’s little face.

My very favorite — Mary Jane booties made from this pattern. These will probably stay on the baby’s feet all of 15.3 seconds, but I don’t care. They make me want to squeal from their cuteness. There WILL be a Thimbleanna granddaughter someday to wear booties just like these. I hope. ;-)

Throw in some little bunny tub toys, and we have a pink and brown baby gift for a girl!

I think I love making baby gifts more than any other kind of gift. They’re small and quick and fun!

Now, I need to go tackle a UFO. They’re aging while I keep playing around with fun, quick little projects. Please send self-control and perseverance my way!

XOXO,
Anna

Little Projects

54 Comments / February 13, 2010 February 22, 2011 / Crafting, Sewing

Well….how is your smiley hunt coming along? Thanks to Leigh for pointing out this really fun Faces in Places blog in my comments. I could spend hours looking at all the super cool smileys that people have found and submitted to that blog. I think this is an especially fun activity if you have kids too!

I’ve had a fun two days here in ThimbleannaLand. Yesterday was CrazyBIL’s birthday. CrazyBIL is crazy about Nutella (being German and all.) In the past, I’ve made him Nutella cakes for his birthday and this year I thought it would be fun to make him some Nutella ice cream. I wasn’t able to be here for his birthday dinner, so I packed up a little ice cream party kit (ice cream, cookies, silicon cupcake liners, spoons, candles and matches) and took it to his office for him and his co-workers to have on a little afternoon birthday break. I really don’t like Nutella, but I thought this ice cream was pretty tasty!

After I dropped the ice cream party off, I drove a few hours to have a sleepover with TheFirstChild and SweetiePie. I had to go see half of my sweeties and take them a Valentine goody. For TheFirstChild (and TheSecondChild too) I made some boxers. I didn’t find any Valentine fabric that I liked this year, so I went with traveling gnomes instead.

Because nothing says love like a gnome and his kangaroo. TheSecondChild got the kangaroo gnome front and center on his boxers — in honor of his semester in Australia a few years ago. And here is SweetiePie, modeling TheFirstChild’s valentine boxers.

There’s even a secret message stitched near the hem. I can’t tell you what it says though, because…well…it’s a secret!

And for SweetiePie, I made a little necklace. After seeing these all over blogland, I couldn’t resist making her a little bauble with my nickname for her on it. My technique needs a LOT of work, but this was really fun to make — I’m seeing many more of these in my future.

I had a GREAT time with the kids, and I hope you’re having a good weekend too. I also hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. And in the famous words of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” To me, that means YOU. Be good to yourself. Treat yourself to a little Valentine goody!

XOXO,
Anna

Soap Bottle Love

55 Comments / January 31, 2010 February 22, 2011 / Sewing

Everyone having a good weekend??? A certain little someone is having a birthday today! {Pssst….run over there and wish her a Happy Birthday and maybe she’ll post that Spanish Rice recipe that I keep nagging her about!!!}

Happy, Happy Birthday Brigette!!!

While Brigette has been celebrating her birthday weekend, I’ve been wasting my time keeping myself busy making little hand soap/sanitizer bottle covers. (Otherwise known as avoiding the real work that should be done around here.)

Here’s a little close up of some of the details. Look at that ADORABLE little silver flower button that Mrs. Pebble sent to me a few weeks ago. (I Looooove Mrs. Pebble’s silver creations, and don’t worry, that button is far too valuable to languish away on a soap bottle — I just thought it would be cute there for now, until I find a proper home for it.) Also, ’cause someone will probably ask, the Little Red Riding Hood ribbon came from Sew Deerly Loved, although she appears to be out of it now.

What to do with all those little bottle covers? I suppose they’d make a nice gift in this cold and flu season. And it is almost Valentine’s Day, although I’m not really sure what kind of a signal it sends to give your loved one a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue.

You’re full of germs,

But I still love you!

Do you think it’s too mushy???

XOXO,
Anna

A Black & White Birthday

51 Comments / January 10, 2010 February 22, 2011 / Family, Sewing

How can it be that another weekend has gone so fast? Did you all have a good one? It was a busy weekend here – but very relaxing. I managed to get in a bit of sewing and knitting which made it all the better!

Today is my youngest niece’s birthday. MyDadLovesMeBestSister had a family dinner for her tonight and she made a delicious Sweet and Sour Shrimp dish. I should have taken a picture! Anyway, YoungestNiece is 13 today. A Teenager! Can we please have a moment of silence for MyDadLovesMeBestSister and MyCrazyBIL? They have three teens in the house now. Yikes!

Oooommmmm.

Thank you. Although, I don’t think they really need it — their teens are cherubs. YoungestNiece’s Christmas present was to change over her bedroom from little girly pink to more sophisticated black and white, with blue. She has a cute pink pottery barn fabric basket holder, and in order for her to keep using it, I decided to make new baskets for her birthday.

I used the old baskets as a pattern and the fabric is from Michael Miller’s Plain Jane line. (Super Big Thanks to Brigette for finding this for me! And speaking of Brigette, she’s posted a few new recipes — one of which is a fabulous looking White Chocolate Bread Pudding — you might want to go check that out!) I stuck some labels in the little label holders, and of course I had to tease her.

Here is what they look like, hanging on the basket holder. The holder will be hung on the wall – for now, it’s just leaning against the wall.

And just because we saw the little cutie tonight, here’s a new pic of Teddy Rose. He’s growing like a weed, but still sleeping like a baby. Currently in the new birthday chair!

Ok – I’m off. My doofy self left my purse at the birthday house, so now I must brave the cold again and run to get it. Hope your week starts of right!

XOXO,
Anna

A Clean Start

65 Comments / January 7, 2010 February 22, 2011 / Sewing

Ha! Are you thinking this will be a post chock-full of my goals and dreams for 2010? Nosireee. I fell for that old blogging new year’s trick the first January I was posting. Most of those crafty goals for that new year are still undone. I’m perfectly happy to live vicariously through all of YOUR fun posts full of lists and new year’s resolutions. I did, however, do a one-word pick. As I’ve told some of you, my one word for 2010 is … chocolate. (I defy you to find a better word – it’s a healthy new habit!)

So, my clean start refers to a new ironing board cover. I luuuuuv fabric with words on it and this Authentic fabric is right up my alley.

When I saw that this fabric was available in home decorator weight, I knew it was a match made in heaven. The only way it could be better is if the black fabric with white letters would have been available in this weight. This white option will probably show the water stains a little more, but, oh well.

This was one of my quickest-ever projects – 30 minutes, start to finish. 4 easy-peasy steps: 1) smooth out the old cover on the top of the wrong side of the fabric, 2) cut the fabric an inch or so wider than the old cover, 3) fold the edges of the fabric around the edges of the old cover, and 4) sew a simple straight stitch along the edge of the fabric, being careful not to catch the drawstring in the stitching. (My ironing board took 1 1/2 yards of fabric and it’s enough to make two covers.) So much easier than sewing a casing and then threading the string through the casing! Do you like it as much as I do?

And loookieeee! We got more snow!

It snowed most of the day today. Isn’t it pretty? Good thing we don’t live in the gingerbread houses — we’d have to climb out of the second story windows!

Have a great weekend!
XOXO,
Anna