Wool Diaper Covers

We've finally made the switch to cloth diapers. It's a different experience than disposable. I think I'm going to love it though! I didn't realize how little attention I payed to when she went potty! I would pretty much just change her at each feeding since with disposables she never fussed no matter how full her diaper was. But now she's started fussing when she's wet which is really helping since she's a heavy wetter. I just feel so much more in tune to her body. Hopefully dad warms up to this soon, he's not liking how quickly her diaper will soak through.

I've gotten 2 wool covers that fit done. Still have a couple more in her current size I want to do and then some more in bigger sizes. 

Pattern: Fancy Pants. Click here for the website. And here for it's Ravelry page.

Yarn: Sensation Kashmira. I still have plenty for another cover. 

Because this pattern was meant to be a larger size I used a thinner yarn, smaller needles and made it a bit shorter than what the pattern calls for. This fits a bit high in the front but it's nice and trim and is just right around her legs. So far I really like this one. 

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Pattern: WHW Plain Wrap. You can find it here on Ravelry where you can download the pattern for free.

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool. 1 ball make both that you see here.

This is the newborn and the small sizes. Idk if my gauge was off or my little girl is just that much of a skinny mini. But the newborn is more like a small and the small is more like a medium on my little girl. The pattern calls for velcro but I've been using pins and it works just fine. But I don't think I'm going to make any more of these. They are to loose around the legs and doesn't cover her diapers all the way and I've already had several items get wet because she soaked her diaper and the exposed fabric got other things wet. 

Here are the other 2 balls I have for the other covers I intend on making. I've got a couple more patterns I want to try out. And the favorites will be the ones I make bigger sizes with. 

Car Seat Cover and Blanket

I love Winnie the Poo but I just couldn't stand the generic pastel cover. So I made this awesome bright yellow fuzzy cover. I love the color and it's nice and cozy but not to warm for this abnormally warm winter we are having.

 

And with a seat cover I just had to make a matching seat blanket! It's got awesome tabs that velcro to the handle so it's not going anywhere. And I lined it with the same yellow fuzzy fabric to help keep the heat in and help block those not fun winter winds.

  

And yes this floral fabric is a coordinating fabric with my diaper bag! I couldn't resist the color combo and those beautifully fun flowers!

Shell Stitch Beanie Baby Hats

  

Aren't these cute! This pattern is so simple and easy. It took, at the most, maybe 45 mins each to make these. I made a few different sizes but even the smallest one doesn't quite fit my sweetie's tiny little head yet. But I'm excited for when they do! They are just so cute!!!

This pattern is wonderful for those project leftovers. The yarns I used where: Mint Green: Caron Simply Soft. Dark Green: Bernat Softee Chunky. And Purple: Patons Classic Wool Merino.

Diaper Bag

I love this diaper bag! It's huge, has tons of pockets and actually holds all baby's and my things very easily. This tutorial isn't for the beginner but looks much more daunting than it really is. Once you get through it once it seems easy. I fully intend on making another one down the road! 

Inside: Divider and lots of pockets.

  I used quilting fabric (from JoAnn's) instead of home decor like the tutorial calls for and just used extra interfacing to make the fabric hold it's shape better. But do make sure you get extra of any fabric that is directional. This is something that any experienced seamstress knows! But this girl in her, at the time, 8 months pregnant brain completely forgot. *facepalm* So I did have to get creative and switch out what pieces I did in what fabric. But personally I think it turned out amazing despite.

Introducing.....

This is the little angel that has been keeping me and her daddy very busy and exhausted. She came a few weeks earlier than I was expecting (Dad was right on the ball) but I'm so glad she's here. It's been the best 5 weeks imaginable. You can't not be happy when you look into her little face. I wouldn't change this for the world. But I've actually gotten lots of crafting done over the last few months, mostly knitting and crocheting mind you, and I'm going to finally start getting some of these fun projects posted.

Baby Sling

I love the idea of baby wearing but I don't really want to buy one of those bulky looking backpack looking carriers. And I want a carrier that doesn't look so modern so I can use it at renaissance faires. So I did my research and what I really want is a Moby Wrap! The seem very safe but still cute and comfortable to wear. My second choice was a baby sling. Now this is something I could make! So I did.

Pretty cute huh? I'm going to have to wait to see after baby is born whether I like the Moby or the sling better. I think they will both have their place and time.

Here is the tutorial I used to make this sling.

If you want more information on baby wearing, Baby Wearing International is a great starting place. It has a great safety page and gives you a general description of the different kinds of cloth carriers.

Baby Mobile

First it's fabric show off time!!!!

 

I love them! Don't you? I found this fat quarter bundle at JoAnn's and knew I had to have it for baby! The colors fit in perfectly with our theme and it's just the right amount of girly that I love it and the hubby doesn't feel like puking from girly overload.

What's our nursery theme you ask? Oh that's right I haven't mentioned it yet, have I? Well it was a fierce battle between my husband and I and the winner was........... my hubby. I let him win this once, with the stipulation that for the next baby I get my Dr. Seuss nursery. This dear little one gets Where The Wild Things Are, my hubby's favorite children's book! Still so much fun and I'm looking forward to making all sorts of stuffed monsters.

Remember last week when I mentioned the mobile I wanted to make. Well here it is!

I decided to not paint the beads like stated in the tutorial. I think they look quite good unpainted and I think the multicolored beads make it a bit more visually stimulating for baby.

And yes, it's hanging from the side of lamp. I didn't have a good place to hang it up and I wasn't gonna try to get it hung from the ceiling since my hubby and I are moving in a few months. But doesn't that fabric just look awesome with this? I can't wait to see how the nursery ends up turning out.

And a thank you to Jaime of Sew She Sews for sharing the awesome tutorial with everyone.

Hubby Made My Day!

Adam: I thought of something today.
Me: Oh really and what is that?
Adam: *pointing at my belly* I realized today that someday she's gonna have sex and I don't like it!
Me: *giggled hysterically, gave Adam a kiss* I love you!
Adam: What?
Me: You're cute.
Adam: But it's not right. There are good convents around here right?
Me: *giggling* I don't know.
Adam: Or how about a Buddhist temple, there are good ones in Nepal right? I think we should encourage her in that direction.
Me: *still giggling* But I want grandbabies someday.
Adam: But that means she'll have to... I don't even want to think about it.

I love my husband! He's gonna be such a good daddy!

IT'S A..........

This is a side view of our healthy little miss. The dotted circle is her head. She refused to let us see her face, all we could get was a profile or a forehead and eyeball shot.

This momma to be has been waiting to make any baby items until we knew what we were having! And I'm so excited to get to make all the cutesy girly stuff I've been eying! But of course I couldn't resist making something before knowing! What crafter can wait when they are expecting?

But aren't these booties cute? It's a short cuffed version of the Lion Brand's- Easy Booties. This leftover bit of cotton yarn has been taunting me and I just had to use it up! I love the colors. Might have been a bit to girly for a boy but that doesn't matter now, does it?

And what baby craft shall be expected first.... I'm thinking this mobile from Sew She Sew's. Time to hit the craft stores!

Picture from Sew She Sew's mobile tutorial.

Goodbye Grandma Bev

This past weekend my husband and I made a very sad trip to Iowa to say our final farewells to my husband's wonderful grandmother. The visitation and funeral were beautiful. And I will tell you now, pregnancy hormones make it just that much harder to deal with a loved one's passing. It's still very hard to believe she's gone. We are very grateful that we got to see her a few weekends ago, right after they found the tumor that took her life. But despite the reason it was a nice trip. We got lots of much needed family time in and got to see a friend of ours who was back home for the month between his military assignments.

The flowers we got from the bouquet at the very end of the funeral. The poor pink rose started wilting right away.

Step-Grandpa had already started going though her things so we got to take 3 of grandma's house plants home. He told me I could take as many as I wanted because if people don't take them they are just going to die since he doesn't have a green thumb like grandma had. And my husband got to take an old cigar box that had belonged to his grandpa (whom passed in 1999 from cancer). Inside was an old safety razor and pipe that had belonged to great grandpa. He was very happy to get those things.

A very beautiful peace lily, violet and ivy. I love the little behind and legs pot hanger, I hadn't even noticed it was there till we got home. But for some reason I find plants to be one of the best things to get from a passed loved one. I think it's because you know all the love and work they put into that plant. And keeping that plant alive and well can be a very meaningful way to keep someone's memory.

Today I'm 20 weeks pregnant. I think what has been hardest of all for me is knowing how excited grandma was to be a great-grandma. She was dropping some not so subtle hints last Christmas at my husband and I. My husband being the eldest grandchild (21 at the time) and first to get married.

Well tomorrow morning we find out the sex of the baby. We are very excited. But with this excitement there is some sadness and a bit of apprehension. My husband and I are going to be happy with whatever the baby is but since this has all happened even my husband who wanted a boy very badly is now hoping for a girl. Because if this baby is a girl, she is getting grandma's middle name Ann. My husband and I decided to wait till we know before we decided if it will be her middle name as well or if we will use it for her first name over the name we currently have chosen.

4 months!... Really?

So it's been nearly 4 months since my last post! EEEK! What a bad blogger I am! But what a busy and exciting 4 months it has been! So lets start at the beginning.....

April and May: I spent April in on mass sewing mode getting ready for the start of my husbands and my Renaissance Faire Season! And at the end of April we started our 8 out of 10 weekends of Faires! Gone on the weekends and sewing during the week. What fun it was but talk about exhausting. Speaking of exhausting....

May, not so exhausting part: May 1st was my husband's and my 1 year wedding anniversary! Yay! One year done, another 50+ to go. But look at what he got me!  

He got me Syphillis, Mono and a White Blood Cell to fight them off. Aren't they cute! They are Giant Microbes! They are on ThinkGeek.com. And my husband bought me the book "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", which I've just finally started reading. And if you are wondering, yes my husband and I are geeks!

May, the exhausting part: Aside from the nonstop traveling and sewing I had something else tiring me out all month. On May 24th my husband and I found out I'm pregnant! It wasn't planned, I was on the pill and until both the lines turned pink I swore up and down that I wasn't pregnant and it was just stress! Hahaha, the joke was on me! After a few hours of shock my husband and I got super excited. We wanted kids we were just planning on waiting a few more years. But now we wouldn't change a thing! 

June: The day before I found out I was pregnant I started getting all day  nausea... And it stayed and the exhaustion got worse. Way worse. I managed to make it through our last two weekends of faire mostly unscathed beyond a sore foot from a bench falling on it. And for most of the month I took the great liberty of doing not much more than sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom and watching movies. But midway though the month my husband and I went to our first Dr's appointment and we had a sonogram and got to see our little 9 week old gummy bear and it's heartbeat! It's amazing just how real that little picture made things!

July: I finally started having some more energetic days and my all day nausea was now just evening nausea. And it was just in time for me to actually enjoy our 4th of July weekend at my parents house! Where my already showing baby bump just made my family gitty. My parents are so excited for their first grand baby and both of my sisters are super excited for their first niece or nephew. And my dog Jack Jack, whom has been staying with my parents since we moved, finally came home with us. And we brought home one of the kittens that one of my parent's momma cats had. His name is Puck. I'm so happy to finally have fuzzy babies at home with us again!

August (aka:now): As of today I'm 16 weeks pregnant! And yes, relief has come! The nausea is finally gone and I'm getting my energy back! I finally feel like a real person again! YAY! And even more exciting news; I've started feeling the baby move. In fact little one is wiggling about right now!