#4

When I told my brother I was expecting again, his response was the race to four is on. He and his wife beat me by months, which was expected. So I made them this blanket and stocking.

I love the embroidery on this blanket, it looks so jaunty, which I feel is fitting for the name. 

And here is the stocking, I really love how it came together, I hope she liked it. 

In their family they have two red stockings, a green stockings, a blue stocking, and then another mostly green stocking, so when i found this fabric I hoped this stocking would sort of tie everything together. 

Very long time ago

A very long time ago my sister had a baby boy. A not quite as long time ago I made her a blanket and burp cloth.

I really like this bird material. 

Baby Girls

I know two girls that are about to have baby girls. So of course I made blankets and burp clothes. Then I made cards with the fabric scraps.

Winter Baby Blankets

These are the exact same baby blankets I always make but for winter babies.
I knew a lot of people who had girls this past christmas season, and a few that had boys too.

My sister in law had daughter, and I was so looking forward to this baby.  I feel like I was waiting for this baby longer than I was waiting for baby A.  Ok I was, because baby A is four months older.  But seriously I've been waiting years for this niece and my baby, I hope they had fun in heaven laughing at their moms.

I can not tell you how much I love this material.

Like I said, boys too.  A friend up the street had a boy.  When I dropped off the blanket she was very grateful, it made me feel good.  Sometimes I wonder why I make these blankets for people, so its nice to know people appreciate them. I've seen the blanket in a few Facebook pictures, like I said makes me feel good.

My cousin and his wife had their first child.  Based on the material obviously it was a girl.

My good friend also had a baby. I saw this material, and I just thought the yellow was perfect for her. I was very nervous about giving her this blanket, because she knows how to sew, and it seems like the harder I try to do an amazing job the worse I do. Thankfully she likes it too, its always on the carseat. This one and the green hippo have flannel on the back.  I guess since they were christmas babies it put me in a cozy mood to use flannel.

Fall Blankets

This post is eternally late.  Which is the reason I started posting crappy cell phone pictures on my blog.  The pictures are worse quality, but I actually post timely.  So back in September I started seeing cute festive holiday material.  I make stockings and other such christmas items, but I never have a reason to use halloween or thanksgiving material.  Until this year, I wrap my baby up in a blanket every day and night, so I made seasonal holiday blankets.  I halloween colors.

 Then on November first, I put away the orange, and started using the turkey blanket.  I love those turkeys, plus its fun to say my turkey boy.

I think I might keep using this blanket, its not as in your face as the Halloween   If not, then I'll pull them out both next year during their respective months and put them on my couch as a lap blanket. Not only do I love those turkeys, I love the yellow polka dots.

And no, I do not plan on making a christmas blanket.  There are plenty of christmas decorations without needing a blanket.

Last Summer Blankets

About three weeks after my baby was born, my friend had the last of the summer babies.  I made the other three girls I knew who had summer babies blankets so I figured I should make the last of the summer babies a blanket.  The gender was a surprise until he was born.  She had a boy, and I made this blanket.

 Close up, I love the barn wood material and the tiny stars.  I love this blanket. This is the first blanket I sewed along the middle instead of using ties.  It was easy since the blanket is covered in lines.

Oh and it turns out I never posted the picture of my baby's cousin's blanket.  Brent's sister had a baby like three days after us.  But as a disclaimer I have an obsession with making Brent's nephews rooster blankets.  Brent's family likes to keep their own chickens, so I can't resist.  Brent is planning to get chickens in the spring, so we'll see how that goes...
Back to the blanket.

 Ignore the chalk around my embroidery, I'm sure it came off when my sister in law washed the blanket.  Plus I thought this might match her rooster lamp.

By the way my baby and my sister in law's baby were the last of the babies for my mother in law this year.  She got four grandbabies this year, it seems like a lot! Lucky her.
On to the winter babies....

Girl Baby Things

My friend has been pregnant along side me.  Its been fun, our 6 year olds were in same Kindergarten class together, and so we saw each other every afternoon until the summer.  Her due date was two weeks after me, so we have been at the same stages together.  Plus we were in a competition to see who could be the smallest pregnant lady ever, always arguing who was smaller.  We were both convinced the other one was.

Anyway, I made her this blanket and burp cloths.  I'm missed her shower, because I'm recovering from having my baby.  (I typed this up before he came.) And now that I'm looking at this picture I realize its hard to see what it is.  A blanket with a corner turned up, and three burp cloths, with chenille.

 Oh well, I'm not taking new pictures, here is a close up on the material.

My Baby's Baby Blanket

I had a baby two days ago.  He is really wonderful, and really big.  Ok, 9 lbs 2 oz, is not HUGE, but it is for me, my other two were 7 lbs 8 oz.  Thankfully he was induced 10 days early or he would have been 10 lbs! I couldn't birth that.  Like I said though he is really wonderful, and smells wonderful.  I'm too tired to go get the camera and upload pics, and I'm too tired to write details on my other blog, so this is what the announcement is for now.  Here is his baby blanket.  

 I have been saving this material for a few years now, no baby seemed good enough for this cute tractor print until I found out I was having a boy.   I found it nearly impossible to find a matching back.  I went to at least three stores, which is a lot for material.

 Oh, yes, I'm madly in love with my baby.  Just for information I picked the first name months ago, and my husband finally picked the middle last week.

Guess What My Mom Brought?

My mom was out visiting in the beginning of the month and you'll never guess what she brought?!
My baby quilt, I had mailed it to her to have her friend quilt it.

 Its beautiful huh?  I don't mind saying so myself.  Here is a close up.

 Here is the back.  Oh I love it.  Its a shame it will be too hot to use when my baby first comes.

Much Simpler Project

I made a much simpler project for my next pre-baby project.  A baby sheet.  Remember these and these?  Well its just a yard and quarter of calico with a hem on the ends.  Only one layer.  I think this material looked so baby luxe to me.  I love it, when I showed it to my husband, I said it sort of looks like tie material, he said oh yeah, that is what it was reminded me of.
After finding the first link, I wish I had a baby toile material to make another one out of.

Shower

I'm going to a baby shower tonight.  My friend is having a girl next month, I made a blanket, and two matching burp cloths for her.

The burp clothes are the calico on one side, and striped chenille on the other side.

Two finished

I have a new niece, the only one born this year, we just saw her last week. She was about four weeks old, I think. Here is the blanket I made for her.  For some reason this blanket was my Eleanor.  Normally I whip out these blankets, but for some reason I really struggled with this blanket.  I love it though, because I like purple. Luckily, her mom seems excited to receive it.

 By the way, for the sake of privacy, I use to not post pictures with the names of my nieces and nephews that embroiderer on the back of the blanket but now looking back I can't always remember what blanket went to what baby.  So privacy is going the way of privacy online, sorry.
My daughter absolutely loved her new cousin, and want to be very helpful.

She also adored her new boy cousin who is two month olds.  There are still two more boys to be born both in August.  Its a race to see who wins! (I'm sure I'll lose, I go late, and I'm due a week later.)
Oh no, I just tried to link up the last baby blanket I made, for the two month old, but I couldn't find it, turns out I didn't post it, so here it is.

I have had this green material for so long.  Its been waiting for the right baby boy, a baby boy born to parents who wouldn't mind wrapping their son in beetles, frogs and lizards. I will also say it was hard to find a backing, but I think the orange polka dots are perfect!

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.

Baby Stella

My cousin just had her first baby, and in fact the first baby in their family, so everyone was obviously super excited-- the first grandkid.  Since I had been with them during my others cousin's wedding.  I had to make her a baby blanket, in a way to relive the fun of the wedding.

Back by Popular Demand

Yes, one request of pictures a baby blanket is popular demand. Here it is, a little more colorful than the previous one I made for this mom, but not as loud as the first one I made her. (That was before I photographed my art work, it was purple with cartoon ballerinas everywhere.)  Since I made it before the baby was born, my sister in law was not able to change the name after she was born. Sorry for the inconvenience.

This picture is awful, and makes the materials clash, but I wanted the entire blanket in one picture.

Here is the question, obviously I have the blog so I can show off my crafts no matter how good or bad they may be. I think I'm a fairly good hand embroidery, but I'm always nervous about posting it because I don't want people to be annoyed that I posted their child's name on the internet, even though I never post a picture of said child to go with the name.

Not quite Thirty

Between the two of us, my husband and I have 29 nieces and nephews.  Can you believe having 29 cousins before you are even 5?  That is the life my children lead, I only 13 and I am way older than 5. They aren't even done getting cousins?!  Anyway, so last month my brother's wife had another baby.  Here is the blanket I made her. 

But then when you name your kid, themed name you are likely to wind up with a themed blanket. 

I can't help it. (I should really crop my blanket pictures.)

See, little patriot hearts and stars with the word Liberty. (My corners are really starting to look beautiful.)

And remember if you ever want to make a fabulous sized receiving blanket, get a yard and quarter of cotton calico of two different materials.  Sew them together without batting, and either tie them or sew them in the middle.

My one and only sister

I'm really lucky to have a great sister and be friends with her, even though we didn't grow up together, (she is 9 years older than me, and graduated high school a whole decade before me). Unfortuantely she isn't so lucky, because she has a crafty sister who makes her homemade presents. First present, a half apron, I was in a big half apron mood this summer.

And then another baby blanket! She did not just deliever her baby, she is not pregnant, in the words of my father she needs another baby blanket like she needs a hole in her head. But I couldn't resisit.

Its strawberry shortcake!