Baby Book #1

I only have a million and half projects to do before August.  Nothing like a baby to get my crafting in high gear.  Some of the projects for children who were born years ago.  Like three baby books for my daughter.  What?  Three baby books is over load, I agree but my son has three and I feel obligated to meet the challenge.  He has a baby book, that you fill out and glue the pictures, that I did not finish until after the second baby was born.  He has a baby calendar where you know I recorded important events, and he has a small 3-d 6 page scrapbook that I gave him before his sister was born, so he wouldn't feel TOO slighted by the new baby. Which you can see at that previous link.  Well I'm not that far, I still have to completely fill out my daughter's baby book, and make her small scrapbook (she absolutely LOVES her brother's book). But I at least got the pictures glued in her baby calendar.  The baby calendar is the easiest because I already filled it all out her first year, I just had to glue in pictures.  Tah-dah!  I feel so accomplished.

Don't you hate when as far as you can tell the picture is completely rotated correctly, and then it uploads sideways!

Have no fear I already bought this new baby a baby book and a baby calendar, so I wouldn't give up.  I think I have a sickness. I find it important to over chronicle their first year of life, so I give up on the next five years. Actually I made an important decision years ago, to not do anymore for my son until after his 5th birthday, I've been spending the last 14 months deciding what to do now.  I think I've decided. His generation will never have any printed photographs.  My husband once said their generation will be like our great grandparent's, they'll be happy to have three pictures from their whole life.  I was originally going to make a photobook, from snapfish or shutterfly, or winkflash, but I changed my mind. I'm going to print up a couple hundred photos, or maybe just 50 from the first five years, and put them in an old school photo album.  So in twenty years when he gets married he actually has real live photographs. Plus it will be easy enough to keep up with for all my kids over the years, and more cost effect then photobooks.  We have family photo books for every year.  

Baby Quilt Preview

I'm making a baby quilt aren't you excited?

I'm using my daughter's baby quilt as measurement.  I figured the easiest way to measure was to lay it on top.

My mother made my daughter's baby quilt, and my sister in law made J's baby quilt (the one without a girl on it).. I'm pretty lucky that my sister in law likes her brother (my husband) so much, because back in the days of number one, I had no idea I even cared about baby quilts.  But now I do. Although maybe my sister in law converted me, after giving us the quilt.
Part of me is all giddy that I'm making my baby a quilt, but I'm not sure why, its not my first baby quilt.  I made one for my sister.

Princess Cape

My son's cape has thankfully made a resurgences, and this has fascinated my daughter, so it was high time to make her one of her own.  I have only been planning on it for about two years.  I had material sitting waiting for me, but unfortunately I forgot to bring it to Texas, so we bought new stuff at walmart.  Can I just say I'm jealous my mom's walmart has fabric.  Our does not, plus I live in a small town, its 40 minutes to JoAnns! Crafts, Sams, and my OB, are the only reason I leave my small town.

 I will point that my mom made the majority of this project, while I was busy napping, and feeling generally pregnant.  Maybe she did everything other than cut the interfacing.
I used the crown pattern from the same site as we made J's cape from, but used this pattern for the cape this time.

Never miss an opportunity to look fabulous. By the way one of the tings I love about my daughter is she has great expressions all from her eyes.

A quick story: While my mom and I were working, my husband said, you guys are sure spending a lot of time on this cape.  I said, I spend no more or less time on anything I make for the kids.  This is a completely normal amount of time.  He seems to be genuinely surprised at how much effort I spend on projects for my children.  Sure it was actually my mom's time this time, but nonetheless, the point is true.  I put great care into making lovely things for my children. I would rather spend 3 hours for a nice finished project, then 40 minutes on crap.

Mermaidens

My husband is a stellar man and suggested we visit my parents a few weeks ago, so five days later we were in the car.  While I was at my mom's we of course did a bit of sewing.  One of our projects was these mermaidens: 

It is easy to let my mom do all the creative work when doing a craft with her, but I was determined to pull my share of the weight.  I thought these little girls were intensive to make, my mom said as far as dolls go these were fairly easy.  Phew, good to know, for future reference.  Also I should point out I'm terrible at symmetrical free motion sewing, but I already knew this.  Also one of their fins got terrible messed up and my mom had to finish it for me, after me unpicking it three times, and a attempting it twice.
They are cute fun dolls, I'm glad I made them for my daughter, but even gladder my mom helped me.
And please no one look at my free motion sewing.

We are Crumby

My husband was worried our brooms and mops would rip our drywall, so he suggested putting a board on the wall with screws instead of in the drywall.  I decided I wanted it pretty.  This is what I came up with.  I thought it was perfect, my family is SO crumby!  It actually helps to see the board every time I bring out the broom.  Instead of despising their messiness like I was, I just sweep and think nothing of it. 

 I wish my camera would have focused on the wood instead of the dry wall, but its cheap. I thought we could mass produce them and start selling them on etsy, I haven't ever seen anything like this. By the way I have no cricket or silhouette so I must do it the old fashion way.