Baby Shower Favors

While home on spring break, I've been preparing for a baby shower that I'll be hosting in May. Here are the favors I've been working on. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the little packages as well as print the "Sugar and Spice," saying, using their Silhouette sketch pens. Inside are a few sugar cubes and a variety of tea bags from The Republic of Teas. The Silhouette Cameo is my new favorite tool! I'll be using it to cut out shapes from fabric so guests can make hair bands and barrettes for baby girl.

Crochet Cuteness

I may have to treat myself to this little goodie. Maybe it will inspire me to get out those hooks again. Craft time is non-existant right now.

Baby Spa Mural

These are the paintings I recently completed at Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL. They are redoing their entire mother-baby unit and asked me to add a few paintings to their "Baby Spa," area. Families can watch their new born babies being bathed here. Awww.

Pinafore

This pattern is actually for an infant dress, but I think it makes a really cute toddler top. I used I Love This Cotton yarn from Hobby Lobby. It's nice and soft, but does seem to get a little fuzzy with wear, but it hangs well.

Crochet Christmas Gifts

Veggies for Eleanor's new kitchen (patterns here)

Cap for Joe's cousin (pattern here)

Matching drawstring bag

Crochet Baby Gifts

The pattern for the sweater is the Cecily Baby Cardigan by Alicia Paulson. I used Rowan Yarn Cashcotton DK in Clear. I loved this yarn and I don't know that they even make it anymore. I found it in the discount bin at Nina's in Chicago and haven't been able to find it on the Rowan Yarn website. It's very soft and the color is my favorite. I'm always drawn to soft blues.

The pattern for the booties was from this Etsy seller.

Projects I've Been Up To

Baby Gifts

A crochet wrap sweater for Eleanor. (A little too big)

A crochet dress





Projects to come: Eleanor's pirate costume and a dress for her baby doll that has been naked for about a year now.

No glue gun, no yarn? What's a girl to do?

I realize that it's been a while since I've posted anything "crafty." Unfortunately, all of my supplies are sitting in our POD right now. That sounds so sci fi. No, Joe and I are not about to depart for space travel. We've packed up 90% of our home, using PODS (portable on demand storage). For the time being, it's all in storage. When it's time for us to move in, they'll transport the storage unit to our new home. At that point I'll be able to start crafting again (if I don't just go out and buy some replacement supplies in the mean time).

Here are some pics of my last two projects that I forgot to post. I found the most adorable patterns for infant shoes.

I'll have to make a pair a size bigger pretty soon since they just fit at the moment.

Also, I've been making a couple of headbands. Anything to keep all that hair out of the eyes. I like the way the crochet flower looks rather than those neon silk flowers I've seen in a few stores.

Pair of Booties and Hat

I made these little items for a friend's new baby girl. I'll be sending them off this week along with a few items of clothing that Elle grew out of before she even wore them. I just couldn't bear to pack away clothes that still have the tags on them.

Round 1: Ch1 *sc, ch3, 3dc, ch3, sc*

I've been working on a few crochet projects lately. The green flower above has been steadily growing, mainly while I drink my coffee, watching the Today show. I plan on stitching it to a circle pillow for Elle's bedroom. I like the idea of these fluffy crochet flowers adorning little pillows and will probably make a few more for her room.

I also finished up this hat for Elle. I found the pattern online here. We still need hats in the springtime, living in Chicago. I made the flower larger than suggested in the pattern, and used a tan, nylon tape.Ew, I hate pictures of myself. Anyway, I've had two balls of this green, wool/nylon yarn laying around for almost 4 years now. I finally decided to make myself a hat with them. I crocheted a simple single stitch, concentric hat, and then added a small brim to the front. I'm not sure if I'm extremely happy with how the brim came out. I'll have to try a different approach next time.

Cutie Booties

I finished crocheting the baby booties that I mentioned the other day. I love them. They look so cute on her little chubby feet. (The pictures are a little blurry, because she doesn't keep those feet still for long.) I used a pattern by Kelly McCaleb, but altered it a bit. I followed the pattern the first time around, but I wasn't pleased with my outcome. It turned out big and bulky, and didn't really look like the example picture. I'm not sure where I went wrong. I may have used a heavier weight of yarn than I was suppose too. So, on my second try, I used the same weight of yarn as I did before, but used a smaller hook (the pattern calls for a G hook, but I used an F instead) and used a single stitch on the last row instead of a half-double stitch. Also, I'm not sure how a baby would keep these little slippers on her feet, so I added the suggested tie. They work up pretty fast and just look so darn cute. I'm stopping myself from crocheting all day and making a pair in every color. Is she really going to grow out of all these cute little baby things one day?

You Should Be in Pictures

So Grandma Betsy is insisting that we enter the Beautiful Baby Search on Live with Regis and Kelly. Not that she had to twist my arm too hard. I obviously love taking pictures of the little sweetie. If you have a babe between the ages of 6 months and 48 months, I suggest entering a pic. What have we got to loose? The winner gets $125,000 towards a college scholarship. Sounds good to me. Now, the only problem is that I can not decide which picture to choose. I narrowed it down to these five. Please help me! Let me know which one you like in the comment area under this post. Deadline for the contest is February 13. Click on the picture to get a larger view. Thanks.

Oh, by the way, she's wearing one of the jumpers I made, using a pattern by McCall's, M5416. I also made the shoes she is wearing with the same fabric as the jumper. I'll post some better photos of them later.

At it Again

Yesterday, while Joe and I were watching a movie, I made a few more hair bows. Some of the ribbon I recently purchased to try to make the bows, while some of it was from past projects. Pretty soon Elle will have one for every out-fit. They are actually fun to make. I love seeing the finished outcome. I know, I'm such a dork. I'm going to have to try something a little fancier than the basic bow.

Here's a shot of the non-slip grip I put inside. These are never sliding out of that red hair.

Baby's Room

Well, the room is ready and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new baby. Although I'll try, I don't think it will ever be this neat and organized again.

I hung paper lanterns above the crib instead of a mobile. I just couldn't find a mobile that I liked. Unfortunately, the nursery market is full of affordable cheesy and obnoxious decorations or over-priced unique and modern ones. I painted the room two colors. The ceiling and about a foot down the wall is a creamy color that almost has a pinkish hue to it. The rest of the wall is a mocha color. You can't see the bedding in these pictures, but it is the Ava Nursery Bedding from Pottery Barn Kids.