Carousel Lap Quilt, Baby Sized

I recently found out that I'm going to be a great aunt in August. I'm so happy. My nephew is a doll and his wife is a sweetheart and they're going to make fabulous parents. Even better, they have just relocated right near my son and his family, which means I'll be able to swing by to visit them when I'm in town to see the grandkids. More babies to cuddle, yes!

I was so excited that I popped out a quick quilt for Baby Girl. I used my favorite quilt pattern book, Cozy Modern Quilts, by Kim Schaefer. She includes a lot of easy patterns that use big pieces; good for playing with cute kid prints. This pattern here is the Carousel Lap Quilt.

I thought I'd do an animal theme, so I went to Hart's with my advising aesthetician, Jessica, and together we tore apart the animal print section of the store. The nice Hart's ladies were probably glad to see the back of us that day.

We came up with some very cute options though; to wit:

Tigers on an orange background

Octopuses undersea

Skateboarding bears

and greedy gators.

This pattern is super quick and easy to put together. The finished block size is 8 by 8 and the offset corners mean that you don't have to actually match anything. Well, not precisely anyway.

I pieced the top in just a few days and, during a quick stop in Pacific Grove, I found a very cute animal print fabric for the backing.

I'm hoping Baby Girl Niece will spend happy hours pointing out all the little animals romping on her quilt.

Later, Gator!

Petite Peg Legs

For most of my life I had no female children in my orbit. I have a son and three wonderful nephews. My local extended family has sons but no daughters. My closest friend with children has two boys; they feel like my nephews too. Yep, the kids in my life have pretty much been all male.

Then this year I went from zero to sixty in the girl baby department. I have a beautiful new granddaughter, there are two new granddaughters in my extended family and one of my best friends is about to become the grandmother of a female. At last I can knit and sew girl stuff! So, with the holidays coming up, I decided to pump out some Peg Legs.

This is the free Petite Peg Legs pattern from Patterns for Pirates. As they're baby-sized, there are only 4 pages to print out and tape together. One pattern piece, plus a waistband, and very good instructions. I made 5 pairs in about 2 hours, start to finish.

The pattern includes 6 sizes, from preemie to 12 months, and I made 3 of them.

The little roses are the 3 month size. they're for the girl baby who isn't quite born yet. Currently, her mother is tapping her watch and and telling her to please get on with it.

The pink cactus ones are the 6 month size, made from the leftovers of this dress. Cactus are kind of a thing for her big brother, so how could I not grab some pink cactus jersey for her when I saw it at Stone Mountain Daughter?

The little frogs are the 9 month size. The grandmother of this girl baby has a major thing for frogs. When I saw the fabric, I just had to.

The leggings were simple and streamlined to put together. By the 5th pair I was getting pretty darn good at it. There's no elastic in the waistband, which I really like. First, who likes to fiddle with elastic? And second, it seems like it will be more comfortable for a baby to wear.

Will these leggings fit an actual baby of any age whatsoever? Heck if I know; I don't have one available for a fitting. They look reasonable though, and reports on the pattern are good, so I'm feeling like I'm ahead of the game for holiday gift giving.

While I was snagging this pattern I also downloaded the free adult version. I doubt that a woman of my years should be wearing leggings in public, but if it's as user-friendly as this baby version I'd like to make a pair or two just for lounging in front of the fire on crisp winter evenings.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Brindille & Twig Onesie

My granddaughter's due date just got bumped 10 days closer, which means I might meet her in two days (gulp!). Still enough time to make a little something to take down south with me, right?

I fell hard for this pattern when I saw it in an email from Brindillle & Twig. That little skirt was just so cute! Guess I'm still all in on the girly sewing.

Brindille & Twig Bodysuit Dress

The Grandson's theme was cactus. I've made him cactus quilts and cactus hats and cactus shorts and cactus shirts. I've also knitted him a barrel cactus and a saguaro. I guess I went a little overboard. Maybe that's why the kids told me they don't really have a theme for Baby #2.

But it just so happened that I came across this cactus print knit in a pink colorway. And it also just so happened that I had used the same print in green to make the Grandson a shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

I just couldn't stop myself.

Skirt seam finishes to the outside, rather than against the kid's skin

I like Brindille & Twig patterns. The styles are cute but practical and they include finishing techniques that are quite nice. This pattern, for example, has you attach the skirt in such a way that the seam is on the outside, hidden away under the gathering, rather than inside against the baby's skin.

I also liked the way they tell you to apply the binding for the edges. It was pretty easy to do and came out nice and neat. The instructions were good, though I had to read through them a few times to grok some of the sewing origami.

The kids live in Southern California, so they have no need for warm clothes. No knitting of little hats or sweaters for me. They do put The Grandson in a lot of onesies, so I hope they'll get some use out of this little number.

This is a fun pattern with a pretty cute result. If you're not into the skirt action, you could easily leave it off and make a nice, basic onesie. Seems like a lot of my friends are graduating to Grandma these days, so I'm sure I'll be using this pattern again.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Baby Hats

I set up the sewing machine yesterday to make a couple of sun hats to take down to the kids in Manhattan Beach. I began with an Oliver + S bucket hat for The Grandson.

I made him the smallest version of this hat last winter and he's worn it a fair bit. He lives in a beach town, so a little sun protection for the old noggin is a good thing.

It's gotten a bit small for him now that he's one whole year old, so this time I sized up to the Small (12-24 months).

This is a free pattern, and a very nice one too. It includes sizes Extra Small (6-12 month) through Large (6-8 years), so it will keep your kid's head covered until they're halfway through primary school. Plus, it's a great project for using up scraps of fun fabric.

I hope you're not too creeped out by seeing my hat model in full frontal mode. Believe me, the hat looks a lot cuter on a cheeky baby.

I used a Cotton and Steel cotton lawn called "Owl and Cactus." He has a cactus theme going on in his nursery, so I pick up every piece of cactus paraphernalia I see.

Fabric print close up. Cute, yes?

The Grandson wears his current version with the brim turned up jauntily.

Like so. See, it does look a lot cuter on a cheeky baby.

My exciting news is that I am about to become the grandmother of a girl baby. She's due towards the end of September and I can hardly wait. It's been all boy babies in my family. This is my first shot at crafting things for a girl, so there will be some pink overload going on for the first few months.

Since she will also be basking in that Southern California sun, she will be requiring a sun hat year round. This is the Baby Sunbonnet from Purl Soho, another free pattern. It comes in sizes 0-24 months.

Side view

Prepare to be super creeped out by this next shot. I thought about drawing on some eyes and a smiley mouth, but that would probably be even worse.

Scariest hat model ever

I used a girly pink flowered cotton lawn for this one.

Rear view

Baby things can be a bit fiddly to sew because of all the little pieces and opposing curves. This hat was very easy to put together though.

Lining shot

I lined it with a light cotton lawn in ivory.

I highly recommend both these patterns. They go together easily and both sites include great instructions. Plus, free.

My pattern reviews are on PatternReview.com: Bucket Hat and Sunbonnet.

Cactus Shorts

My grandson has a cactus theme going on in his life. His bedroom features cactus lamps, cactus murals, cactus fairy lights and cactus pillows. Plus, his loving grandma has sewn him a cactus-rich wardrobe. Here's the latest item:

Cactus Shorts!

I kept it a bit more subtle than my usual. The shorts are a neutral navy twill with a tasteful saguaro patch on the left leg.

The pattern is the free Sunny Day Shorts from Oliver & S. I highly recommend the pattern. You can download a huge size range in two pdfs, one from 6 months to 4, the other from 5 to 12. I figure I've got the kid's shorts needs covered until he enters high school. It's a very straightforward pattern. If you're after pockets or ruffles or other bells and whistles, you'd be on your own. But this is a nice blank slate; you could do a lot of fun things with it. Plus: free!

Cactus closeup

I was lucky enough to find a packet of 6 cactus patches at a local gardening store. I plan to trickle them into his wardrobe one by one.

The Man has suggested that the kid may not like cacti. It's hard to know until he starts talking. Until then, it'll be all cactus, all the time!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

The Brindille & Twig Tee - Does It Fit?

In this post I reviewed the Basic Tee by Brindille & Twig.

At long last, here it is being modeled by the boy who is, in my estimation, the cutest baby in the world:

The Frida Kahlo print

 My new grandson.

As you may recall, I traced the 6 month size for my Grandma sewing spree. The Grandson isn't quite 2 months old, but these tees already seem to fit him pretty well.

The vintage VW Bus version; truly unique!

 It remains to be seen if he can squeeze into them in 4 more months. No worries though. I can just trace out a larger size for next time. I should have him covered until he starts kindergarten. This pattern includes sizes up to 6T.

Rocky Raccoon version

 The raccoons seem to irritate him.

But he seems to find Frida soothing. Though I hear he's peed on her at least once. The other duds are still too big for him. I'll let you know how they work out as he ages into them.

He is big enough to hang out on his elephant skin blanket though!

Little Hoodie

OK, this is absolutely the last piece of baby clothing I'm sewing until the kid is at least 18 months old.

This is the Brindille & Twig hooded raglan sweatshirt. I used a soft, gray cotton jersey and lined the hood with some frog jersey, left over from the Froggy Coco that I made for my DSIL for Christmas.

Frogs on lily pads for the hood liner

I've made a few Brindille & Twig patterns by now and I like them very much. Some of the baby patterns I've tried seem to have the same "excessive ease" issues that I've found with the Big 4 adult sewing patterns. Witness, Butterick 6364, which delivered an 11 inch inseam on pants allegedly sized for a 6 month old. I ask you.

The items I've made from Brindille & Twig look like they'll fit an actual child of the age the size suggests. Now, I haven't tried any of them on a actual child yet, but within the next month I should have my chance.

They're also easy to put together, and include the kinds of cute details that make the result feel special.

For example, this hoodie includes a functional front pocket. Not sure what a 6-month old will be wanting to carry around in his pockets, but he'll have them if needed!

Besides being very cute and easy to put together, this pattern is free. And it includes sizes from newborn to 5-6 T. What could be better?

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

I'll leave you with a very LA picture, taken while sipping a glass of wine in the garden with my DSIL after the baby shower.

Another Undersea Sleep Sack

This is another make from New Look 6310. This time around, I made the sleep sack from a soft cotton jersey.

I stuck with the undersea theme

The original pattern has the front made in two over-lapping pieces that tie (or snap) together at the top. I re-jiggered the pattern to cut the front in one piece with a V-neck.

I finished the neck with a band, like a regular tee shirt. I'm hoping the neckline is big enough to fit over one of those enormous baby heads.

In order to have quick access for midnight diaper changes, I left the bottom of the sack open and added a drawstring.

I totally have to stop it with the baby clothes now. They had the baby shower last weekend and there were 65 guests. It was a super fun party. I got to meet a bunch of new family members, plus a significant percentage of the guests were cute babies themselves.

There was a huge stack of presents still to be opened when I left. When I asked The Boy if they got them all upstairs and sorted out, he just kept saying, "Sooo many baby clothes..."

My review of this pattern is on PatternReview.com here.

Packing the Grandma Suitcase

Just so you know that I have been doing some sewing these last few months, here's a quick tally  of the baby swag I packed up to take down to Orange County with me on one of my recent visits.

This is a little sleep sack from New Look 6310, Babies Layette, including Romper, Bunting, Top, Pants, Diaper Cover, Hat and Blanket.

I used some soft, cotton flannel in an undersea print. The pattern would have you close the front with little ties, but I was after an excuse to try my new KAM snaps.

Close-up of sea creatures and KAM snaps

I also packed a couple of Brindle and Twig tee shirts. These are from their Basic Tee pattern.  Super quick, super easy, and uses hardly any fabric.

My sewing teacher, Sara Homan, gave me this little piece of super cool VW bus fabric.  Adorable, right?

And here's another one in a Frieda Khalo-esque Day of the Dead print.

I also threw in another pair of the Burdastyle MC Hammer pants, this time in a soft, grey knit.

When he saw this piece, The Man shook his head and murmured, "The poor kid." But I say, if you can't wear a novelty print when you're 6 months old, when can you wear a novelty print? I got this fabric at Britex on my holiday shopping spree.

And look, it even has the Britex sign on it. Along with tie dyed tee shirts, cable cars and fortune cookies.

To top it all off, I made a couple of swaddling blankets from some light double-gauze.

Whew! I'm putting finishing touches on a couple of items for me, and then it will be back to the Grandma sweatshop.

Tiny Little Overalls

Yes, it's more baby things. I'm heading down to visit the parents-to-be right after Valentine's Day and I'm trying to get my bag of tiny duds all packed to bring with me.

The latest effort is Kwik Sew 3145, Babies Overalls and Hat.

Front view with ruler tucked in the hip pocket

My friend Jessica kindly spent hours pawing through a sale pile of Kwik Sew patterns to locate this little gem for me. This is no baby jumpsuit; this is a full-on pair of overalls with all the grown-up details. Well, except that's a faux fly and the pants are roomy enough for diapers.

I made the the 6-12 month size because there was enough work involved that I didn't want the kid to grow out of them before I have a chance to take a picture. Though just imagining the cuteness in the 0-3 month size makes my grandma fingers start itching.

Kwik Sew 3145 pattern envelope. Might need to make that hat too.

The pattern wants you to be using real hardware, but I wasn't able to find overall buckles in our local fabric store, so I used buttons instead.

Close up of buttons

I'm sure a 6-month old isn't going to be able to make full use of all those pockets, but they're just totally adorable.

Hip pocket with ruler. That's a screwdriver in the bib pocket.

There's a bib pocket on the front, along with two nice, deep hip pockets.

Little hammer pocket holding a screw driver. All our hammers were too big.

And on the back there are two patch pockets and a little hammer pocket. That just slays me.

I used some lightweight denim from Hart's here in Santa Cruz. Even though there were a lot of pattern pieces for a garment this small, the instructions were super clear and the drafting was great. It was really fun to put all the bits together.

Oh yeah, the other difference from adult overalls is the crotch snaps. I used snap tape, which was no fun to apply. I used my zipper foot but it was still tricky to catch the edge of the tape without getting hung up on the snaps. I almost decided to just sew the danged things on by hand but I wanted them to be able to stand up to a lot of hurried diaper changes without malfunction. The proof will be in the pudding!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.