A very crocheted blanket

A few months ago, I was bitten by the crocheting bug. I don't know why, but all of a sudden I just wanted to crochet things. It coincided with the end of school, so it could have been that I wasn't multi-tasking all the time at home so I needed something else to do!

I love crocheting for so many reasons. It's easy, it's fast, and it gives me something to do with my hands while we're just hanging out talking or watching tv. It also makes the time we spend watching a movie or a tv show feel productive, and you know I love to feel productive!

I saw some sweet baby yarn on sale at JoAnn's and bought enough to try this pattern, found on Pinterest, of course. I used Sensations Baby Cuddle yarn.  I loved everything about the yarn except the color selection. I used one skein of each color, and had a little bit left over to make some coordinating baby hats. 

I started crocheting the first week of May. I did it mostly in the evenings after dinner when Zac and I were spending time together. I also took it with me on a girl's night and got a few rows finished while we were gabbing!

In progress

I finished it about four weeks later. I'm not sure exactly how many hours it took, but it never felt long or overwhelming. In fact, it really came together quickly.

The pattern uses an alternating single crochet and double crochet stitch. It's crazy easy. I consider myself an intermediate crocheter, but you could easily tackle this as your very first project. 

The only change I made was to use five colors instead of six (because I couldn't find a sixth that coordinated). On the pattern, I used pink twice (as D and F). 

The blanket feels like it comes together quickly because you can finish a color strip in one sitting. When you finish a section you feel like you're making progress!

The stitch is so pretty and makes the blanket feel heavy yet stretchy. It's the perfect size and weight for a toddler to drag around as a security blanket.

I love the double border - it makes the blanket feel so much more "finished" than others I've seen. 

I'm in love with the whole thing. It doesn't belong to a specific baby yet -- I need a baby girl to be born who I love enough to part with it! I'm working on a boy version next, though admittedly much slower since temperatures have been in the triple digits here lately. 

If you've ever thought about crocheting but haven't known where to start, start here! I promise you won't regret it. If you have any other good crocheting projects to share, let me know. I'm not sure what I'll tackle next!

Click HERE to see the blog parties where I'm linking!

A beautiful rainbow birthday

My friend Vicki threw the most gorgeous birthday party for her sweet daughter Lucia, and as soon as I saw the pictures, I was begging her to let me share it with you. You might want to sit down for this -- it's incredible. Vicki and her husband adopted Lucia, and became her forever family earlier this year. I don't think I've ever met a happier, more loving family before. They're incredible.

And Lucia is one of the cutest babies I've ever seen. But I digress.

These were the outdoor decorations. How sweet! Vicki said Lucia's favorite part was the pinwheels!

Did you notice the rainbow flower boxes in the picture above? I know. Totally exquisite.

Absolutely everything was rainbow. And adorable.

Vicki made the sweetest garland with the weekly pictures she's been taking of Lucia. How cool is that??

This girl thought of everything.

The sweet dessert table... pun totally intended.

How cute are these??

How fun is this kid's craft table set up with pony beads, coloring, and fruit loop lollipops?

Vicki didn't miss a single detail. She is so adorable.

Even Mom and Dad dressed for the occasion! And seriously - how cute is that baby?!?

Is this not the cutest, most wonderful first birthday party you've ever seen? I love all of Vicki's homemade touches and the small details that absolutely pull everything together (um, flower boxes? To die for).

Happy birthday, sweet Lucia! Thanks to Vicki for letting me share the details of this gorgeous party. I told her she should go into business - I would totally hire her!

A Sweet Baby Boy Quilt for a Sweet Baby Boy

When my friend Claire told me she was pregnant last summer, I was so excited! Claire and I met in college - actually, before the very first day of my freshman year. She's the reason I joined my sorority (she promised me cake. What can I say? I'm weak!), and we spent the next four years being inseparable. It turned out that our parents live about two miles from each other, and we helped each other get ready (in different years) for our first dates with our husbands. 


Claire and Brian found out they were having a boy in August, and I got sewing. I took this quilt with me to my gramma's house to quilt on the long arm, and it was the last one we did. Which means we did this one by generator during Hurricane Irene. Not sure it's my finest work, but Claire and sweet little Charlie seem to like it!


This quilt came from the same book as the animal quilt I made, and it's definitely worth the purchase. It's a great book. You can find it on Amazon here. You could get it from a library, but the templates are really big - I mean, really big - so copying them would be tough. This quilt for Charlie is one of the reasons I bought the book, and I was excited to finally get to make it!

I think the semi truck is my favorite part! I had a hard time finding fabric for the back, but once I saw this, I was sold. I love the road signs and the bright colors!

The sweet mama-to-be sure seemed to like it!

Charlie came almost a whole month early, so good thing this quilt was ready. The sweetest part of the whole thing? Seeing that darling little boy enjoying his quilt!

Nothing like cute baby pictures to make Monday feel a little less like Monday. Click HERE to see the blog parties where I'm linking!

Peace

I have a lot of cousins - and a lot of them have been having babies recently! My cousin Kristen is next in line, and she's having a baby girl next month. I wanted to send her a gift before things got too crazy, so I went with one of my favorite baby projects.

The peace sign is close to my family's heart. The PEACE OUTside Campus Foundation was founded in honor of my cousin Lindsey, and I wanted to make something for the new baby that would embody Lindsey's spirit.

I used a clip art shape to create the peace sign, and followed the steps I outlined here in the applique tote bag tutorial. I just love the funky stripe fabric for this sweet onesie!

And note to self - taking decent pictures before mailing gifts. Sorry for the iPhone versions.

Because this precious baby is a girl, I couldn't resist a finishing touch on the back...

Are the butt ruffles not to die for?? I made them before I got my new serger (which I still don't know how to use) so I just zig zagged the edges. I did use my new ruffling foot to make them, though. As a helpful hint, jelly roll strips are the perfect width for making these sweet ruffles, and they're extra great because the strips are so long.

I used this tutorial to learn how to make the ruffles, but it's pretty easy.

This little tag blanket is one of my favorites. I just love all of the bright, crazy colors. Perfect for little baby chomping on!

This has become my go-to baby gift because you can personalize it so easily, it's fun to make, and people seem to love them! 

Oh - and I had a little help.

What baby gifts are you giving to people that are a huge hit? Peace out!

Click HERE to see the blog parties where I'm linking!

Tag Blanket Tutorial

Thanks for all your kind words about the tag blankets I made for my cousins! This is becoming my go-to baby gift... they're fun to make, they're a unique gift, and they go together pretty quickly.

The tag blanket I made using this tutorial is for my wedding photographer, who has become a friend of ours. Her first baby is due this spring, and how perfect is this for the son of a photographer??

I promise this is a simple project - and it's also very forgiving. If your squares aren't exactly the same size, it won't matter! You're basically making a pillow, and then turning it inside out.

To start with, cut two squares out of any material. I like to use a soft minky fabric on the back to make it snuggly and add another texture. If you want to embroider or applique on one (or both) of the sides, now is the time to do it!

You can use any size squares. I generally use somewhere between 8" and 10", depending on the size of my fabrics. Any bigger than that and they'll be too large for a small baby to hold.

Next, cut your ribbons. You can use as many different colors as you want. I tend to alternate three. Three ribbons on each edge fit nicely without being too tight.

To achieve varied lengths, cut half the ribbons 4" long, and half 6" long. 

Fold your ribbons in half, and then pin them to the right side of one of your fabrics. Do this on all four sides.

Head to your sewing machine. Set your stitch slightly less than 1/4" from the edge so that the stitches will be hidden later. You can use any color thread here -- you'll never see it. Sew over the ribbon, then backstitch the entire ribbon. Sew over it one more time.

Ultimately, each ribbon will be sewn over 5 times, eliminating the potential choking hazard. Unless, of course, you let your baby play with the tag blanket and a seam ripper at the same time.

This is what they'll look like when you're finished.

Sewing the ribbons on all at once makes it easier to put the whole blanket together. Now's the time to cut any threads.

Put your squares together, right sides facing. Set your stitch for 1/4" from the edge, and stitch ALMOST all the way around the square. Leave about 2 inches on one side open so you can flip it.

This is what I mean about this project being forgiving. This doesn't matter. Love it.

Turn it inside out -- it's almost finished!

Head back to your sewing machine. Top stitch 1/4" from the edge around the whole square. If you're a really straight stitcher, contrasting thread would look fun. I'm not a super straight stitcher, so I use threads that blend in!

Make sure you fold the part you left open under while you're top stitching and sew it closed.

There you have it! A personalized baby gift that will be loved for a long time.

A closeup view for you.

And the back.

Good luck making many, many tag blankets for the babies in your life! Let me know if you have any questions -- happy sewing!

Click HERE to see the blog parties where I'm linking!

Tag Blankets!

Two of my cousins (who are sisters) had babies this past fall (three of them, total!). I was way behind on sending baby gifts, but better late than never, right?

I decided to make tag blankets for each of the girls. They're really cute, fun to make, and I wanted to personalize them for each baby.

I made the first two for my cousin Molly's two baby girls -- Reese and Chloe.  Everything is cuter in two's, I think!

I embroidered their names on the minky side, and used cute fabric for the back.

A close up of the embroidery.

My cousin Kate had Cara a few weeks before Molly's twins were born.  How fun to have three girl cousins so close together in age??

This is the back of Cara's. I LOVE this fabric. I bought it as a fat quarter a long time ago, and decided this was a good reason to use it!

I wanted the twin's blankets to coordinate without being identical. Mission accomplished!

One of the best parts about these gifts is that they're lightweight, so they're easy to mail. I just rolled them, tied them with a silk ribbon, and sent them on their way!

I'm putting together a tutorial for next week, so stay tuned!

A very OSU Baby Shower

I mentioned here that we threw an Ohio State themed baby shower for Erika, which was tough for someone like me who is most definitely NOT an Ohio State fan! In fact, as I was making Erika's gift, the following conversation actually happened:

Zac: "Mark and Erika are Ohio State fans?"
Me: "Yes, you know that. Erika is from Columbus."
Zac: "That sucks. I really like them."
Me: "You know we can still be friends with them, right?"

Sheesh. Boys are crazy.

I forgot my camera for the shower (must have been everything else I was packing to take with me!) but I stole some pictures from my friend Whitney to show you the spread. We went with a strictly desserts shower.

Another Pinterest inspired craft, these sweet streamers  were easy to make and were oh so cute.

I just noticed my face in the background. What am I crazy surprised about?? I guess it will remain one of the world's great mysteries.

A picture of the spread. Mini fruit pizzas on sugar cookies (thanks, Pinterest!), buckeyes, and red velvet cupcakes.

Strawberries filled with cheesecake filling and dipped in graham crackers. They were really yummy, but would be better in the summer when strawberries are sweeter.

Whitney brought these cookies. Aren't they adorable??

And what Ohio State shower would be complete without buckeyes as favors? I ate about 30 over the next week. So bad, but oh so good.

Us with the sweet mama to be:

                

I made this appliqued onesie and bib to fit the theme.

   

                    

The onesie was inspired by Pinterest (shocking, I know), and is just simple applique. It was a quick project because the letters don't have a lot of curves! For the bib, I traced a bib I had (that I keep for tracing, not because I have random bibs placed throughout my house) onto white terrycloth, appliqued the shapes on the front, and then made binding and finished it like a quilt. Which was a huge mistake because it took forever and I had to do most of it by hand. This is definitely where bias tape would be helpful in the future. The closure is just sew on white velcro.

It took everything in me not to add ruffles to the legs of that onesie, because of course, I've known this baby was a girl from the very beginning.  And guess what?

Sweet Anna Lee Robbe was born on December 1st. I should have added those ruffles!!

She is unbelievably sweet. What a pretty baby. I wanted to make sure she had something pink, so I made her this hat using this awesome free pattern. I have been hooked on crocheting lately. This hat took about two hours - it was super fast and turned out so cute! 

Congrats Mark and Erika on having the sweetest little girl. They had to pry her out of my arms. And I've already made her two more hats. I need to get a life. Or work on getting my husband ready for babies of our own?