More Uno Party

Ah, Uno. (Continued from the first Uno post.) What a great theme and such a fun game. Check out this awesome Uno deck. We made party hats and then ate... there were corn dogs, beer battered fish, aunt Darlene's awesome broccoli salad, mini caramel apples, cotton candy, all manner of melon, Red Vines, Skittles from the candy dispenser that used to be John's grandpa's, orange chocolate cupcakes, and sparkling lemonade. Yes, crazy too much sugar.

What?  Time for gifts?

My babies are Converse babies.  I'm pretty sure they're the only shoes Corbin could walk in now.  Well, Chucks and mud boots.

The thoroughly overwhelmed birthday boy.  Notice his hat?  Not one, but two 4s.  And nothing else.

I LOVE that my mother in law knits sweaters for the kids.  Corbin is cool like Mr. Rogers. And that's saying a lot, I love Mr. Rogers.  Corbin's favorite gift by far from the party?  The green fold-out T-Rex card that came with Aunt Darlene's gift.  He's been carrying it everywhere and the night of the party he slept with it under his pillow.  There was almost an incident when he brought it into the bathroom and Petra splashed it after he bath.  That was a close one.

Petra found her own presents and dug through them, stopping only to read books and play with this pop-up card from Auntie Karen.  She got this beautiful dress from my sister.

She stood for the longest she ever has and she seemed very pleased with herself... but she still wouldn't walk to mama Tasha.

Sweet happy birthday girl.

Well, crazy straws really are the best.

Those who were willing to expose their age showed it with Uno cards. That's my daddy.

I scanned my Uno cards and made little prints that I taped to toothpicks for cupcake toppers.  I've got files of scanned Uno cards if anyone wants them.

Corbin had a green 4 on his cupcake, but Pete needed help blowing out her Uno.  Petra's trick candle was the only one that kept re-lighting.  Corbin got a kick out of that.

SMUSH...cupcake time.  She did NOT like the super sweet frosting, and Corbin only ate his frosting, so Petra ate both cake parts.  First sweets?  Yeah, right.

Snuggles with grandma Tricia, it's tiring being the center of attention.  And what are John and his dad doing?

Still going strong, much later.  Nice baby.

I really love balloons.  Such simple decorations... so cheap and beautiful.  It was a great party, fun was had by all.  But even my new party-sized table doesn't hold parties the size we have, apparently.  That's why we have zillions of other chairs.  Sometimes it looks very strange having all the chairs when our house isn't mid-party.  Another year passed... it hardly feels like it.  But things are well at the Kelley home.  Very well indeed.

$0 Per Gallon

I like my kids in t-shirts. Especially if they have something awesome on the front like a patch from Microcosm. I just used one of Petra's shirts to make the pattern and whipped up this little number in just a few minutes. No, I didn't mean to put the patch on crooked, as my husband asked me when I showed him. And yes, I did catch the fabric a little when I sewed on the patch. But it was my first try. And it's not half bad.

Baby Leg Warmers

I've made about a zillion pairs of these fantastic little guys.  I firmly believe that they are one of the most important and functional pieces of clothing a baby or toddler can have.  But why pay $12 for Babylegs?  I have NO idea.  Instead, you should make them in just a few minutes for a dollar or two (completely depending on how much you paid for the socks).  There is a great tutorial at Sew Much Ado if you want to learn how to DIY your baby leg warmers. These are one of my go-to baby shower gifts... simple, inexpensive, and awesomely useful.  Note: always use knee high socks, calf length are way too short.  Happy sewing!

Purple Tweed

Notes on this baby coat: never again make a lined coat without a serger. It's simply too much fabric. I broke needles. The serger fund is officially started.

Purple tweed coat fully lined in a super soft fuzzy something. I don't even remember where this fabric came from. Made with a Butterick 3785 pattern I quickly realized I didn't know how to read. Patterns. Psh. Who needs em? Well, probably me, but the pattern promptly turned into a loose guide because it wasn't meant to be a lined coat. But it needed to be... because it's very cold here. Balmy today at 6 whole degrees as I write this. The jacket turned out nicely enough, but alas, I misjudged sizes and then put the buttons on in such a way that made it seem even bigger. The coat that was intended for a 9 month old went to the 2 year old. And it fits her well. Oh, boy, the things I have to learn about sizing.

Toile Jumper

I made this dress last week for my niece and realized as I was starting it that the last time I made a jumper I did it the long way. Not just the long way, but the difficult, tedious, and ineffective way. The way, as my 3 year old Corbin would put it, that was "not better." Apparently the right way to make this little number requires only three seams, two hems, and some buttons. I'm amazed at how I realize better ways to do things nearly every time I sew. Silly as I feel to admit how painfully wrong and slow I was doing things before, learning the right ways makes me feel like a bigger, stronger, and faster sewer. :) And I realize that natural light becomes photographs of things like this, however, the window of daylight now is far too small for me to always remember to take my photos. Because I'm a distracted person. Come soon, summer.

Fancy

What makes fancy ketchup fancy? Nicer tomatoes? I don't know. Must be. What makes fancy skirts fancy? Nicer fabric... and that's about it. When I make them, anyway. :) This is a Christmas gift for my year and a half old niece. Simple and lovely and fun for a pretty little blond baby.

When I stock up on super inexpensive fabric at thrift stores, sometimes I come across fantastic finds. Like massive amounts of dupioni silk for nearly free. I think I'll be making myself a skirt out of that pink fabric next, I love it so much. I'm still not a great seamstress, but I do enjoy all this sewing. However, every time I sew lately I seem to only end up pining after a serger to make the clothes making simpler and faster and make seams less bulky. Oh, Lord, cleanse my covetous heart.

This is just a simple skirt made out of a few rectangles of fabric with an elastic waist and a wide hem. I lined it because the dupioni silk can be a little stiff and scratchy... especially on the soft baby legs. The flower is on a pin so it is removable, I found a tutorial for making them over here. I then proceeded to make a bunch for myself... because... well... they were just so happy.

I think I need to make more of these for the other babies in my life this Christmas. They're so easy to make as gifts. Now I just need some ideas for things for boys... yikes. They're so much more difficult to sew for than girls.

LMNOP and Kiwi

I love magazines. I especially love magazines that I can read without wasting gobs of paper and cluttering my house. I even more especially love reading magazines that are free. My favorite magazines have, in recent years, morphed from fashion magazines to those directed toward families and parents. Even better if they have a focus on living simply and being environmentally responsible (but really, what magazine doesn't lately?) LMNOP is a way cool free online magazine that is just... happy. You can subscribe and they'll send you an email notification when the next issue is published online. Latest issue is out today, by the way. Kiwi is a print magazine that is also way cool and always read immediately at my house. It's about, as they say, "Growing families the natural and organic way." This magazine isn't usually free, but it is if you sign up for Moms Meet! Woohoo for free magazines that are awesome! Also, you can find a free download of the magazine from Kiwi's main site here.

Tutu Time

There aren't many things that embody happiness like a tutu. I found this idea over at Plumtickled. She's got a simple tutorial to make the tutu. Maybe every little girl should have one of these. This is for Corbin's friend who is having a birthday party today. She's going to be 4... I can't believe it! These kids around me are growing much too quickly.

It took me a matter of minutes to make, it was SO simple. My son absolutely refused to try it on for size, however, so here's hoping it fits well. "I'm NOT a princess, mom. I'm not going to put it on." He shook his head furiously at me. I pleaded with him, but he wasn't about to let me put that tutu on him. He then proceeded to go get one of his ties, put it on, and tell me how he was a man and NOT a princess. Good for him.

You should make one of these for the little girl in your life. It's so simple, and so much fun. No little girl? Maybe you should be a ballerina for Halloween. :)

Newborn Gown from a Band Tee

My sister-in-law just had a baby girl. I made the baby a sleeping gown out of a shirt from the mama's favorite band, Showbread. It was super simple, and I found the pattern over at This Mama Makes Stuff. I added an extra band of about two inches to the bottom after I cut out the pattern because it just didn't seem long enough. The project was a success, and my sister-in-law loved it. I'm sure baby will, too. :)

Mr. Owl

I have a friend whose boy is turning a whole year old, so I thought I'd try my hand at making something a boy might like. I've never made a stuffed animal before, let alone stitched anything by hand (the face), but I was pretty excited about this. It's a simple rendering of a great horned owl, and it's made from old tweed jackets and wool coats, plus some scraps of fabric I had laying around. Only time will tell how sturdy it turns out to be... the ears were already starting to wrinkle by the time I took these photos because my children got a hold of it and were playing. But, let's face it, what they're going to be used for are handles for bopping siblings with the owl. One of the fabrics I chose for the eyes (the brown base) is going to fray, I thought kind of like feathers. Maybe it'll be cute, maybe it'll fall apart. Like I said, we'll just have to wait and see. It's a pillow... it's a stuffed animal... it's a friend. A very wise friend.

My First Infant Car Seat Cover

We were recently given an infant car seat for our daughter, but it was made out of that homely standard beige and blue check material. It simply wouldn't do. So I made a new cover for my sweet Pete's car seat. I decided to try this because of the great covers I saw over at MADE. And in my humble opinion, I think it turned out pretty fantastically for my first try. I'm starting to realize that I really need to test out designs on my own children and things before I give them away, but I've got some pretty great friends who are loyal and honest testers as well. This cover is made of some green, pink, brown, and tan cotton paisley that I cut from a fitted king-size sheet that I bought years ago to use for fabric because it was only a couple of dollars. I'm a sucker for great deals on any sort of fabric, if you haven't caught on yet. The shade and binding are brown canvas. It took me about four hours total, and I'm so happy with it. Paisley, by the way, is John's favorite pattern. Makes it easy to find awesome vintage ties for him. During this little project, I learned plenty about how to make the next one, and I only encountered minor problems that were eventually remedied. Now I know I need a binding maker. And that I can make car seat covers. Success!

Can't Have Too Many... Polka Dots, That Is

That belated baby shower gift I spoke of during the flower hat post has become more and more belated. I get more and more forgetful... meaning to deliver it, and then forgetting over and again. So, out of my guilty forgetfulness, I made this as an addition to the package for the little girl for whom the shower was held. This is the same pattern I used to make this dress for Petra... not coincidentally also in polka dots, which, if I may say again, I LOVE. It's a pattern that I made myself... and I think I really should somehow get it on to the computer to share with... well... anyone who would like it, I suppose. This is the same material from which I made a kimono for Petra, also. I think it's way cute. And I did it from start to (almost) finish in the time Petra took a nap this afternoon. It's a pretty basic pattern, and the more times I do it, the faster I'm getting, and the better it turns out. I just hope the sizing is right. Fingers tightly crossed. I still need to make labels for my baby clothes. Just one more thing to put on the remember-to-do list.

Ruffles are a Girl's Best Friend

Thanks to the lovely J. Crew, I've been on a bit of a ruffles kick. Especially when it comes to ruffles on plain stretchy tees... and things made from plain stretchy tees, like this skirt. I made it thinking that it would fit my little girl, but again, I vastly misjudged sizing. Way too big. But perfect for another little girl I know.

I learned a few things while making this skirt... like where to place the ruffles, and to use more pins than I think necessary. The first one always has more problems than I want. This material was very slippery and extremely stretchy, which makes it fantastic to wear, but a little difficult with which to work. However, it was extremely simple. I simply cut off the bottom of a stretchy XL woman's tee that I found on excessive clearance at Stuffmart (seriously, cheaper than buying fabric) and cut strips from the leftover material that I ruffled end on end, then sewed it to the skirt. Not exactly in the right place, mind you... but now I know how to make the next ones. :)

Purple Polka Dots

So... has this officially turned into my sewing blog yet? I'm pretty compulsive about sewing things lately. I really love it. I especially love making sweet little girl things, and even more especially love polka dots. Like... really alot. If I had to pick a favorite pattern, polka dots would be it. I made this for my Petra, who is almost five months old. She's a pretty stylish girl, if I may say so myself. :) Really, why would I not sew? It's fun... inexpensive (that is, if you let it be) and I love having little original clothing pieces running around on the children in my life.

This dress is made of cotton, fully lined, has some pleats of some kind in the front... that was a little problem, I'll be Googling that next time. And the final touch? Vintage buttons from Susie's stash at Susie's Sewing Corner - now the only place to buy (new) fabric and thread by the full spool in town. Seriously? Yes. The only place. I must say, I'm very disappointed with Walmart for taking away their fabric section. But, we do not live by Walmart alone. Actually, I find I rarely go there anymore, which I think is fantastic because it's just one giant time and money sucking building of stuff. Stuffmart. That's what it is. However, that's not what this is about.

I enjoy sewing more and more... now all I need is a room fully dedicated to the art, so my dining room can have peace again. But, that will happen exactly whenever it is that we buy a different house.

Flower Child

Well, my sewing machine broke last week. Yes, I know, it was horrible. But, alas! My wonderful mother-in-law had one that she had been saving for me. :) So, I was only without a sewing machine for a matter of days. Even though one of those sewing machine-less days kept me from getting baby shower gifts made. Dang it. Oh, well. Better late than never when gifts are concerned. So, the first thing I made with my new sewing machine (which is like a tank, by the way, heavy and metal... it gives me confidence) was a flower hat for my love. I had a black rib-knit tee that didn't fit very well, so it is slowly becoming baby hats. Baby hats with funky flowers, that is. I think one of these will make its way into the belated baby shower gift. Yes. Definitely.

Fuzzy Skirt

I made a haul on fabric samples the other day at a local thrift store. The best thing about these fabric samples? Other than being three for a dollar, even if they're just tiny, I can always get a little skirt or two out of them. This one I gave to Mia. It's perfect for her. Her dad is basically a rock star and her mom is one of the coolest girls ever. So, for their offspring, a cool rocker-chick skirt is just the ticket.

4 Months is my Favorite

I am so enjoying my little girl. Especially this month... 4 months is my very favorite age. She's so smiley and interactive. She giggles at me, which I must say is quite more like a squeak. She's got constantly sweaty feet and hands that get so sticky I'm fairly certain that if she had the coordination she could climb walls. Corbin still loves his baby sister. He gives her kisses on the head... NOT on the mouth. Apparently her kisses are much too slimy for him. :) He gives her hugs and talks to her. She watches everything he does. She likes to hang out in the Bumbo from Ben and Tasha (fantastic thing!) She's a sweetie. And yes, that's red hair. Weird. I hope it stays red!

Blue Ruffles

I made this yesterday intending for it to be a dress for my Petra. However, since I'm ridiculously bad at making things the correct size, I think it might instead turn out to be a shirt for Mia. The arm and neck holes were just a little too big for the 4 month old.

I made this out of a t-shirt that I got at the local thrift shop for a quarter. It was even brand new... creases still intact! I used another dress as a pattern and simply took a few strips of the leftover fabric to make some ruffles for the front... which turned out a little crooked in the end because I didn't pin them before I sewed them. Whoops. Forgot. I'll do that next time. But they don't look bad like this. I mean, they're ruffles, really. I think I'll make another one today that will actually fit sweet Pete. It was pretty fast to make... I went from start to finish with time to spare while John was practicing his sermon. Pretty sweet turnout for a 25¢ t-shirt, no? Well, I think so.

20¢ Gingham Dress

One moment a pillowcase, the next moment (well, 15 minutes later) a dress! One of my favorite fabric sources is vintage pillowcases from thrift stores. They're basically free, have 3/4 of the seams in place already, and are generally very cool. I didn't do anything impressive to this one... just gave it some elastic for the top and some straps. It already had the ruffle around the edge... that's one reason I love the old pillowcases, they've got such character built in, eliminating time-consuming detail work for me! Voila! 20¢ and 15 minutes later... a baby dress. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Disposable Income

Before Petra was born, I made the admittedly bold decision to switch from disposable diapers to cloth. Now, there were plenty of people who did and still do tell me that it's too much work, time, etc... but I'm a stay at home mom-I can do it. And the diapers I found are absolutely fantastic. They're called one size all-in-one pocket diapers. (I got Coolababy ones off of eBay and I love them.) Brilliant little things, if you ask me. They've got the liner attached to the waterproof outer layer, with a pocket that you stuff absorbent liners (and really any other absorbent material) into. Beautiful. It's such little work... I'm doing laundry constantly anyway, what's one more load, really? They're really very cute, too. They come in a rainbow of colors. Another thing I'm in love with is that they're one size fits all. That's right, you heard me. One size. They've got a system of snaps that adjust the diaper to every size the kid will go through in her diaper-wearing life. I'm sure I'll still use disposables for the few times we're out of town for a few days at a time and don't have access to laundry, but it's working for us so far.

But, I must admit that beyond the positive effect this has on landfills, my other reason for doing it is cost. Disposable diapers are ridiculously expensive. 20 bucks every time I go grocery shopping on diapers? No thanks. I'm done with that. I won't succumb to the consumerist trap any longer. For a one time investment of about 150 dollars, I'll have 2 dozen diapers plus inserts that I can use for the whole three years (roughly) that Petra will be needing diapers. That's in contrast to about 7 disposable diapers a day at about 20 cents apiece for about 3 years... that's $1533, which means over three years I'm saving $1383. Not to mention wipes. And I'll be making my own cloth ones. That's pretty great, and makes a big difference for us.

I've been doing away with all disposable things that I can in this house. Replacing paper napkins with cloth, using cloth bags at the grocery store, not using as many baggies and re-using them, I got a DivaCup, and we are being gengenerally less wasteful. Just about the only thing we're stuck with is toilet paper. Can't see another solution for that. I still need to break the paper-towel habit that we've acquired. We simply don't need to dispose of our income. It feels great not doing it, and it's better for us all.