Scrappy Baby Bib Tutorial

Who doesn't love a cute baby bib? I made these bibs to coordinate with some baby blocks I made for 2 friends who are expecting. Since I only had scraps of the fabrics left, I pieced them together to make a scrappy baby bib.

For my bibs, I needed my scraps to be about 8 inches by 20 inches. If you make a smaller bib, you'll need less.
Sew the pieces together the long way and press the seam open.

 Above photo should say, fold in half RIGHT sides together.  Sorry about that!
Trace your favorite bib. My favorite bib was a gift from my friend Roselee, and as you can see, has been well loved.Here's the best part, sew first, then cut. Make sure to sew just inside of your drawn line or you'll see the marker when you turn. Also make sure you leave an opening for turning.

Cut just outside of your seam and clip the curves.

Turn right side out and press.
Topstitch around the edge of the bib making sure you close the opening you left for turning. Add a closure, velcro or a snap works well.
Done! Paired with a baby soft block, this makes a great baby shower gift.

Upcycled Boy Pants

I had intended on getting this post up while Celebrate the Boy was still happening, but it didn't happen. So, better late than never.

I made some really cute pants for my son using this tutorial/pattern from Dana at Made, and some old pairs of adult pants. The pants above and below I made using some old cargo pants of my husbands. I used the existing side stitching and took off one of the back pockets and sewed it on the leg.

So cute! And even better in action, backpack and all.

I made this pair from some women's capri pants I picked up at Goodwill. For these I used the existing pockets in the front.

They ended up a bit long, but I'm sure he'll grow into them.

Shopping Weekend

I went to visit my sister this weekend and went on a bit of a shopping spree! We hit the mall and our usual spots, and I also stopped in to her local Joanns. Even though most Joanns stores are pretty much the same, every once in a while I'll find one or two fabrics that either my store doesn't have or has sold out of.

The fabric on the left is a retro floral knit that I haven't seen at my store. The owl fabric is one I've used a lot in knit, but my store sold out of the woven print a long time ago. The print on the right just jumped out at me and made me think of Spring.

We also spent 4 hours at IKEA! I absolutely, positively LOVE IKEA. Among some of my finds there was this white polka dotted laminated fabric, something I didn't realize they carried. This will probably become a little lunch tote for my mom's birthday next month.

The best part of my shopping trip was picking up a few things to reorganize my sewing space. Here's my messy space before....

And here's after. I got a new bookcase to store fabric and some magazine files for patterns.....and did some cleaning.

I am totally in love with this little rail and container set I picked up for $5. It holds all my scissors and pens etc, and is at such a nice angle that it's easy to grab stuff and throw it back in. I almost wish I'd bought the longer rail and gotten more containers. Oh well, next time!


I also did a little lighting upgrade. I've been using this light that I bought from IKEA a while ago. Only problem is, it just plugs in, it doesn't have a switch. So I visited Home Depot today and bought a little switch you wire in yourself.
I contemplated waiting for my husband to come home, but that's not my style. I'm a jump in and do it (and maybe ruin it) kind of person. And I'm proud to say that I did it! Maybe not the best job....I think the wires aren't supposed to show on the ends, but hey, it works! I did tell my daughter to stand back the first time I plugged it in and tried to turn it on. I was fairly convinced it might blow up.

No more climbing under the desk to plug in my light!


Hope you had a good weekend!