Baby Shower Gifts

Some time ago I was a guest on Gracious Threads for a virtual baby shower, so now I think I post it here.
I'm known as the go-to person when getting baby shower gift baskets ready. I get this type of mesasge on a regular basis...I'm going to a baby shower tomorrow, do you have anything on hand? I'll look in my stash and come up with what is needed to make this new little baby feel cozy and comfy.

Here are some of my favourite handmade gifts for a new baby. I start off with an oversized receiving blanket, a baby can never have too many of those. These blankets are over sizes so they do last longer than the store bought ones, JubeJube still has her favourite one that she snuggles with in front of the television or in the car when we go for a long drive. 

I use cotton flannel and cut it to measure about 115cm by 95cm (44 inches by 36 inches). I like using a bias tape to trim them out for extra durability and style. If you want a closer look on how to use bias tape here's a little tutorial I posted a while ago.

I'll add bib and washclothes to the gift basket, two more items you never have enough of with a baby. To make the washclothes I cut out a 7 inche square piece of a cotton print and another of cotton terry, both have been prewashed. Using a 1/4" seam allowance with right sides of fabric together I sew all around the edge, leaving an opening to pull them right side out. I then edge stitch all the way around. They're the perfect size for those messy faces.

The next little item on the list...These adorable little crib shoes! These are the Ruched Mary Janes, and the pattern is by PetitBoo.  The pattern shop has a nice veriety of boys and girls crib shoes.

Seriously They are addictive to make!

So now we have in this gift set, a blanket, bib, washclothes, crib shoes, and I also like to add a set of baby hangers, and wrap it all together with a pretty keepsake box. The box can be used to keep the hospital bracelet, that lock of hair from the first hair cut, some photos and many other cherished memories.

Once everything is put together I run to my friend Elena of Just ME, card maker and desinger extraodinaire,  and ask her to put a baby shower card together or raid her stash.

Until next time, xx.

Sew Sweet Bears by Ruby Jean's Closet

Ruby Jean's Closet has just released a new stuffed animal pattern, The Sew Sweet Bears, and they are cuties! For all of you deciding if anything can be made with your scraps of fabric the answer is yes, there's always something that can be made to use up even the smallest of 1" square piece. And guess what, Linda from Ruby Jean's closet has given me a couple extra copies of the PDF pattern to give away to a two  lucky readers! Be sure to read to the end to enter the rafflecopter giveaway.

This sweet little bear that JubeJube has named Rosa was made with the left overs of Amelia's dress (about the equivalent of a fat quarter) and the accent pieces like the bow, ruffle, inner ear and face were made with very small scraps.

In case you're wondering the pattern I used to make the dress is the Pansy PDF pattern also by Ruby Jean's Closet. The dress was first featured here, and the bear was sewn from the stash! (29 days left to go!) Along with the Sew Sweet Bears the winners will also recieve a copy of Pansy!


The face requires the most work but from begining to end including cutting time I spent 2 hours sewing up this little cutie. I used heat'n bond to help fuse the appliques in place and used a blanket stitch on my sewing maching to stitch them into place, you can use a zigzag stitch or satin stitch as well. The eyes are hand embroidered, I couldn't decide on the right buttons for the job.

Seeing that Rosa is baby friendly, no buttons to get loose, she is also the perfect baby shower gift. Even more fun is the fact that including in this pattern are printable cards for birthdays or baby showers for a boy or girl...how well thought out is that! 

Amelia just loves her new teddy bear!

Until next time, xx.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rose By Any Other Name

You've seen a lot of pattern reviews ans testings on my blog, but I also make custom orders. I actually jump at the chance to make something personalized especailly for a sweet little Rose. I suggested an over-sized hooded towel with a set of washies.

I used a fabric collection called Pirouette designed by Verna Mosquera for Free Spirits.

The towel is 36 inches by 36 inches (90cm X90cm) nice and big so that is can be used for years to come. The hood is layered with terry cloth and the cotton print fabric has been embroidered by machine with a simple satin stitch. Everything has been trimed out with bias tape for extra durability. I also pre-wash all my fabrics so they don't shrink and get all out of shape after one wash.

I cut out 7 inch squares to make the washies, they've all been lined with terry cloth. I used a variety of pirnts from the fabric collection just for fun, I love seeing the mix of these prints together. These washies are the perfect size for washing a little face after a meal (store in a wet bag for eco-friendly solutions for on the go).

I hope this makes bath time a little more enjoyable!

Until next time, xx.