nanaCompany

Join in the 2012 Holiday Tag-a-Long!

Let's sew some pretty little tags this holiday!  My friend Kristyne, of Pretty by Hand, and I want you to join us!  Every Wednesday we'll be making three new tags and trying out different ideas... These are my first:

Now check out the pretty tags Kristyne made.  Awesome, right?  Best part is, there are no rules to this.  Use ribbon, buttons, felt, jingle bells, whatever you like.  And to make it even easier, Kristyne drew up some templates and I whipped them into a pdf for you.  Download the 2012 Holiday Tag-a-Long templates here.  The pdf looks like this:

Next, head over to Kristyne's blog for the simple step-by-step tutorial on how to make them.  Then, join the flickr group to share photos of your wonderful tags... I'd love to see what you create!

Tag ~ you're it!  xo amy

Making it bright...

Whew!  We went to Las Vegas to visit family for Thanksgiving and it was relaxing, amusing as always, delicious, and just good plain fun.  Well now that Thanksgiving is over, it's officially... tada... drumroll... the most wonderful time of the year!!!  Christmas!  And yes, it flies at me faster and faster each year, and yes, I might occasionally roll my eyes when someone here mentions how they can't wait for Christmas (in the middle of June), but now that it's here, there's no denying it ~ I do, I love Christmas.

Some of you may remember this pillow I made for Livi last year.  It was a full-size pillow sham for a standard bed pillow, and right now it's lying beneath sweet Olivia's head.  This year I made a fun-size version at 16" x 12" and I think it came out pretty cute...

So cute, that I'm offering four Christmas patchwork fabric packs in my etsy shop.  Each pack contains the fabrics you see in the patchwork above as well as the crochet trim (to make your own 16" x 12" pillow).  You'll have to cut your own squares but the fabric will yield more than you will need.  Also, you'll receive two solid pale pink strips just like I have in my pillow.  You provide your own batting, embroidery floss, and backing... plus a mug of cocoa and a few holiday tunes, if you like.

The pillow is easy.  It consists of 32 - 2.5" squares.  8 squares across the top.  A strip of solid pale pink.  Two more strips of 8 squares across.  Another solid pale pink.  Then one last strip of 8 squares across.  Couldn't be easier.  The font I used for the embroidered lettering is called Learning Curve.  Print out the wording of your choice on a piece of paper and tape to a window.  Hold the pale pink fabric over the lettering and trace.

In the meantime, at my house we're busy getting ready for Christmas ~ and doing our best to make it bright.

xo amy  (p.s. I'll be back on Wednesday with something fun!)

A ruffle baby bib tutorial :: by nanaCompany

At last, here's the how-to on how I made these ruffle bibs back in February, for my little girl Mia.  Have fun sewing!  Here's what you'll need:

• bib template, download the pdf template here
• 8 1/4" x 9 1/4" base fabric
• 2 strips:  1 1/2" x 12" for the ruffle
• 2 strips: 1 1/2" x 12" for the bib ties
• 8" x 8" backing fabric
• small pieces of fabric for a patch, if you choose to add one

Let's get started!

Step 1: Fold your base fabric in half and press to create a crease.  Open the fabric and draw a line 1 3/4" to the right and left of the center crease.

Step 2: Press the two long ruffle strips in half, lengthwise, right sides facing out.  Line up the raw edges of one ruffle strip to the inside of the right line and stitch in place, tucking the fabric under and over to create ruffle.  Repeat on left side.

Step 3: Next, fold the fabric snugly over the raw edge of the ruffle on the right and press with your iron.  Sew a 1/4" seam down the fold.  Repeat on the left side.

Step 4: Press both ruffles so that they are facing outwards.  Then top stitch.

Step 5: Center the bib template onto back of the base fabric.  (Fold your template in half, lengthwise, and use the center fold as a guide).  Trace with pencil or disappearing ink pen.  Cut around the bib shape leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 6: Make your ties (or forget all this and just use ribbon).  Fold your tie fabric pieces in half lengthwise, right sides facing inward.  Sew along the length and one end with a 1/8" seam.  Turn right sides out.  Top stitch, if you like.  Sew to top of bib.

Step 7: Pin bib front to backing, right sides facing one another.  Secure the bib ties to the center bottom of the bib, the same spot where you will be leaving a 2 1/2" opening for turning the bib right sides out.  Stitch along your traced line.  Pull the bib right side out.  Press with iron.

Step 8: Top stitch bib about a millimeter from outer edge, all around entire bib.  This will close your opening and the bib is now finished... unless you'd like to add a little patch.  I am definitely a fan of the patch ~ all it takes is a little scrap of some cute fabric.  For this bib, I appliqued two stacked patches using my trusty Wonder Under and a zigzag stitch.  Tada!

It's ready to get dirty!! ha!  Fyi, for this bib I used Fandango by Kate Spain for Moda for the base fabric, DS Quilts collection Fairground Modern Texture in yellow for the ties, and the patch fabric is a Sevenberry print, I think.

Now go ahead... get started!  You know someone who's having a baby, right?  Happy sewing!

xo amy

in preparation...

We've got some serious drool to contend with from this little punkin' but have I also mentioned that she's started eating solids?

I've been trying to fatten her up.  A little banana here and there, and rice cereal are now a part of Mia's diet.  Bibs are suddenly more than just 'pretty little things' ~ and I need lots of them.

So... in preparation for the ruffle bib tutorial (which will be here within a few days) I looked back at some of my fave bibs I've made over the years:

1. french general ruffle baby bib, 2. ruffle baby bib patch, 3. handmade patchwork "schoolhouse bib", 4. rocket boy bib, 5. little apple bib, 6. eat up baby bib, 7. handmade bib for miss o, 8. more oranges, please!, 9. strawberry picnic bib, 10. linen and patchwork baby bib, 11. blue bib, 12. baby j, 13. pretty baby bib

And I thought about materials I like to use:

I mean, besides my huge supply of quilting cotton, these are my favorites and all can be used in any combination:

1. Chenille.  It gets softer and fluffier once you've washed it.  I've used it tons and seen how it lasts wash after wash.  Love it ~ I get mine from JoAnn's but you might find an old bedcover made of this stuff in Grammy's closet and I bet she won't miss it.
2. Knit.  This particular print is Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic that I found in a shop, but JoAnn's has a small knit selection and you have a ton of it in the form of outgrown tops and tshirts, even dresses.  I love to re-purpose material this way.
3. Gauze.  Okay, so this stuff is hard to find ~ it's usually from Japan (expensive) but comes in the cutest prints and is soft and light as air.  Just perfect for baby things.  I've mostly gotten mine from Superbuzzy, but you can search it on etsy, and every once in a while a friend might send you some as a gift (wink wink, Annie).
4. Flannel.  Of course, you can find tons of this stuff at JoAnn's and online but if you happen to receive one too many flannel blankets at your baby shower, you might just cut up one of those and repurpose it.  Easy peasy.
5. Terry cloth.  I got mine from, yes, you guessed it... JoAnn's.  It may look matted and unappetizing in the store, but once you get it home and wash it... aah, soft.  Or you could cut up an old towel ~ just sayin'.

So, you might wonder what I've left out.  Well, I don't care for laminated fabric, I haven't loved how linen looks after a lot of wear, and I am not a fan of minky (not absorbant) ~ to give you a few examples.  I think my favorite combo is gauze and chenille, like these burp cloths I just made: 

They're oh so buttery soft.  But since gauze is kinda costly, I think quilting cotton and chenille is my actual real fave combination.  Last week I made this bib with prints from Tasha Horsley's new line, "The Simple Life"...

I also made a ruffle bib, but it's going to be the star of the tutorial that's taken me eons to write for this blog.  Sorry.  I'm off to a soccer game!  Oh and here are my recent flickr faves:

1. Stars, 2. Happy Chair: flower applique pillow, 3. New blue & green floral fabrics, 4. wool, 5. silver caddy, 6. pretty florals, 7. mug mat houses, 8. Untitled, 9. IMG_0582, 10. Bag!, 11. 8 looks I love, 12. bird wings for halloween, 13. Spring flower

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Have a great weekend and check back in a few days for the ruffle baby bib tutorial!

xo amy

boo!

Did we scare you?