Personalized Healthbook Covers

Hey there!

It`s only a short entry today. A couple of weeks ago I've made some healthbook covers for the babies of two dear friends of mine. In spite of trying not to do so they've turned out boyish and girlish... But you shoudn't blame me - or don't you have certain associations when you are holding some fabrics in your hands?

Happy Easter to everyone!!!

Hallo Ihr Lieben!

Heute nur ein kurzer Eintrag. Vor ein paar Wochen habe ich für die Babies zweier Freundinnen U-Heft-Hüllen genäht. Und obwohl ich es eigentlich vermeiden wollte, sind sie doch sehr jungen- bzw. mädchenhaft geworden. Aber geht mich Euch nicht auch die Phantasie durch, wenn Ihr den ein oder anderen Stoff in Händen haltet? Ich kann mich offensichtlich nicht wirklich dagegen wehren. 

Frohe Ostern Euch allen!!! 

Another one!

Summertime!
But it seems that we had our "summer" in may already. It was cold and rainy lately but a few weeks ago we were able to go swimming and enjoy the sunny hot weather. It was then when I realised that I needed a light summer sleeping bag for Lucas. And as the pattern for the last one was nice and easy to sew I made another one.
And here it is (this time with an application):

Appliqué!

Sometimes I'm really bored with all those clothes that look the same. But to find something original you have to search intensely or spend a lot of money. Unless you make your clothes unique by appliqué!

I bought some unexpensive basic shirts, digged up some fabric remnants and started to applique. I don't know if I told you earlier that there is an adhesive film called "Vliesofix"  (at least in Germany) which helps you to fix the fabric on the shirts before you start with the zig-zag seam. I really recommend to use it as it makes appliqué so much easier. Otherwise the fabric is constantly moving or crimpling. 

I used cotton shirts and for the applications cotton fabric or nicky/velour. (Everything prewashed, of course.) 

For the motives just let your imagination run wild. (But consider that many details will take time!)

These are mine (click to enlarge):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Boy!

Yesterday my little baby boy turned 1! Unbelievable! But I don't wanna bore you saying things like "time rushes" or "they grow so fast" :-). But let me say that being a parent you become more aware of what that really means.

Anyway I wanted to show you a little goody I made for Lucas. It's a birthday crown that we will hopefully use the next birthdays, too. You can replace the medal at the front and actualize it each year as the kid grows older. This year he found the crown funny but sometimes annoying, I think. But I'm sure that in the future he will be the proudest little birthday boy with the crown on his head :-).

Saturday we will have the family birthday party and when I'm done with all the preparations I'll show some more goodies.

But for a start the crown:

front

side

back

 

 the medal

 the birthdayboy :-)

Appliqué Skirt

It´s been a while now since the last post, but I needed some time to finish my new skirt. And tataaa! Here it is:

It's the pattern of my first skirt. (You can find it here.) It's the Burda pattern 7531. But this time I used a thick wool fabric. I liked the colour and it turns out that you can simply cut the seems without sewing. That's practical :-)

The skirt consists of four parts: Front, back, and two inner borders (also front and back). The zipper is on the left hand. After sewing the skirt I ironed the applications on to the wool fabric Therefore I used "Vliesofix". But I don't know if it's called the same in english. Afterwards I fixed it with a zig-zag stich. The appliqué fabric was a printed and knitted cotton fabric.  I just cut out the elements that I liked.

This is the front:





And this is the back:




After the sewing and application work came the part that took me really long: the embroidery. Most of it was done by hand but for some edges and the decorative stiching in between the applications I used the machine.

Although I would like to embroider some more ornaments I'm happy with the result already.
Here are some detail-pictures for you. (click to enlarge) As you can see it's a real mingle-mangle of stiches but I wanted it to look a bit messy... And I have to say it was great fun and a bit liberating to sew wild! This wasn't the last time for sure!

Handmade Christmas Presents # 2

Today I finished these cute tiny embroidered lavender bags for a friend. I'm glad that some didn't look perfect enough to give it away - soooooo I can keep them :-)

Look who I found in my garden today :-)

Do you know him?








It's "My neighbour Totoro" - one of my favourite figures of the Studio Ghibli films. He's so cute and calm and slow and cozy...
So I decided to make a Totoro music box for the baby. Who wouldn't be calm and balanced with a music box like that? :-)

I ordered a special baby music box - one that you can wash (The melody is "Somewhere over the rainbow" by the way). And then I made the stuffed Totoro all around it.

It took me some weals on my fingers and a lot of time, but I'm really proud of the result. I could keep cuddling him all the time :-)

Here are some more pics. For the last ones I turned him around, so you can see his back, too.