Library Tote

Perusing book shelves, whispering to each other, and hunting down favorite reads, has become Elle and my favorite way to spend a Tuesday afternoon. We usually head home with a tote bag so laden with books, audio books, and DVDs, that it’s too heavy for Elle to carry. Good thing we carry a sturdy (and adorable too) tote like this one made by the very talented Red Marionette! One of Elle’s friends happens to enjoy the library as much as we do, so a tote of her own made a special birthday gift. It’s an easy project, a good excuse to use some of your favorite fabric, and makes a thoughtful gift when paired with a good book or two.

So here you go, a simple tote that’s just the right size for the smarty pants in your life:

1)Measure. I measured one of Elle’s largest books and added 2 inches to each side to come up with the measurement for my tote. Mine was 12” x 15” but you can make it in whatever size you like.

2)Cut two of the outside print and two of the lining (I ironed a fusible stabilizer to the lining pieces before I cut them… you can skip this step if you’d like. It makes it a bit sturdier though, so I prefer it) the size of your measurement from #1. Cut two strips of your outside fabric 8” wide x however long you would like the straps to be

3)Press the strips into double fold bias tape (press it in half, open it up and press each edge into the middle, fold it in half again, encasing the raw edges)

4)Sew body of the bag. With right sides facing each other, sew 3 sides of the two pieces of the outside fabric together. Leave one of the short sides un-sewn. Repeat with the lining fabric, leaving a 3” opening in sewn short side.
5)Sew straps. Sew along the edges of each long side of the straps

6)Bottom of the bag – With right sides still facing, open the body of the bag up and squeeze the bottom corner together so that the side seam and the bottom seam are touching each other. Sew perpendicular to the seams about 1.5” from the corner (the blue line in the picture above). Cut off the top of the triangle to lessen the bulk. Repeat for both bottom corners of outside fabric and lining.

7)Pin. Flip the outside fabric right sides out and place it inside the lining pieces so that the lining and the outside fabric is right sides together. Place the handles between the outside and lining pieces and pin them on both sides of the bag with the ends about 2.5” from the side seam. Pin the rest of the top raw edges together.
8)Sew around the top of the bag.

9)Pull the outside of the bag through the opening in the lining. Sew the opening in the bottom of the lining shut. Push the lining into the bottom of the bag.
10)Top Stitch around the top of the bag (You don’t have to do this step, but it gives the tote a finished look and rounds out these instructions to 10)

Bo Peep

Why do I always forget how much I dislike sewing clothes from a pattern? If I decide to do it again in the future I really must take a class because there has got to be some secret trick I’m missing. They NEVER fit according to the size indicated on the pattern. Every time I make an outfit I try it on once I get the main pieces together and it’s always off by a mile. Elle’s Bo Peep costume was no different. Here’s what it should look like according to the pattern I bought (McCall's M5728):

I started with the vest. When I tried it on her, I could grab about 8” of material in the back. If I tried to make the back smaller the arm holes got too small. So, I decided to cut the sleeves off and make it a strapless top. I finished the top, made the white shirt, and the hat. I would’ve made a white tutu, but I’ve been seriously busy lately and decided to just cut down a long tutu I made for her for another costume she wore… even though it was sort of purpley… I figured “it’ll be dark when people see the costume anyway” (except for on my blog… duh!).

I finish everything and try it on her… the vest without sleeves (a.k.a. a strapless top) isn’t long enough. If she wears it up under her arms the peplum thingies stick out from her rib cage. Sooo, she had to wear it low Oktoberfest/slutty Halloween costume bustiere style:

So it didn’t turn out exactly like I had envisioned, but I’m happy with it over all. She got so many compliments on her costume! She spent the entire night saying “Thank you. My Mommy made it for me” and “Mommy, everyone loves my costume!”

Oh, and apparently sewing your own Bo Peep costume is the only way to do it these days because you can’t purchase one at a Halloween store. I thought we would be able to pick up a crook somewhere, but no... knives that spurt blood, bullet shot wounds,and machetes yes, wholesome story book character accessories no. Daddy had to get creative and heat up some PVC tubing, bend it into a crook, and put a rubber stopper on the bottom. I sewed a white satin sleeve for it and hot glued ribbon & bow around it.

Of course there also has to be a sheep… in the stroller. Cotton balls glued to a onesie with fabric glue and a cutesy lamb ear hat crocheted by Grandma made for the cutest sheep around.

I love this picture! I need to add the caption "Ha ha very funny... have you had your fun yet... hmmm??"

Halloween Treats

Do you have a little one who needs to bring Halloween treats to friends/schoolmates? I found this template for candy corn cones on a blog I follow. Just print the template on card stock, cut them out, double side tape them into a cone shape, double side tape a strip of tissue paper to the inside of the cone, fill, add a little tag & tie.

I found the coolest treat to fill them with in the cracker aisle… Kraft Jet-Puffed marshmallows! They come in individual packets, in chocolate, strawberry, or regular marshmallows. YUMMY!

Tissue Pom-Poms

Okay so everyone has seen these tissue pom-poms… right?? They’re everywhere these days, and for good reason. Not only are they a super cute decoration, but they’re cheap and easy to make too! They would be adorable in a nursery, but since I already have a mobile hanging from the ceiling in Liv’s room and a pink polka dotted flying cow from FlyingZoo hanging in Elle’s room, the ceilings are at their max. Soooo, I was excited to incorporate the pom-poms into a party I planned. Here’s the link to the instructions on how to make these yourself. You can pick up tissue and wire for pretty cheap, but Martha Stewart has a kit for these at Michaels, and I think it’s worth the extra money. The tissue in the kit is heavier weight than you typically find at a party store, which makes for a fuller, sturdier pom-pom.

We hung these with 3M hooks (gotta love those things!!) & invisible thread over the food spread and outside the front door. They were a big hit at Liv’s party and one of the easiest party decorations ever!

It's That Time!

Time to draw names if you’re doing a Christmas Gift Exchange!

My parents, my siblings, and our spouses always exchange names for Christmas. My Doug and I… and now one of my brothers is in school here too… are in Fl and the rest of my family is in IL, so it’s not easy to draw names long distance. This year I found an awesome site that is going to make it easy for us, but has some really cool features that will make you want to use even if all your gifters/giftees are in one spot. It’s DrawNames.com and it’s FREE!

Here’s how it works. You set the number of participants for your gift exchange, type in their names and email addresses, set any exclusions (like spouses shouldn’t draw each other’s name) and the site sends an email out to everyone with a link. They click on the link, fill out a wish list, and once everyone is done with their list the site emails everyone their person to buy for. Okay, so that’s great, but the things that really sold me on it were that you can update your wish list whenever you want, so if you think of something between now and the exchange you can let the person who has your name know. You can also send questions to the participants anonymously, so if you have a question about something on your person’s wish list, you can ask them without them knowing who is asking the question. And, if you’re the person who organized the exchange you can send an email to everyone in the group at once if you have a change in the details of your exchange. Oh, and I also like organizing the exchange online because my wish list contains “Anything from my Etsy favorites would be wondermous!” and the link to my favorites is right there, so no excuse for not checking them out :)

What would we do without the internet?!

Giveaway Winner!

The winner by random draw is AStarrA!

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 22
Result: 15

Thank you to everyone who left a comment to win!

Celebration Giveaway!

Tiny toes, pudgy cheeks, sweet cries, wrist rolls, and finger squeezes have filled my days of late and been a distraction (although a pleasant one) from sewing/crafting/Elle Belle and pretty much everything else. But some semblance of a routine is emerging and I’ve eagerly returned to my sewing machine and blog. I’m happy to be back and have lots of fun stuff to post about but first, a celebration is in order. Let’s celebrating the return of my creative outlet, my guilty pleasure, and all Mommies who have something they’re passionate about in addition to their families! What better way to celebrate blog style than with a giveaway?!

Just in time for Halloween, I’m giving away a trick-or-treat tote bag! This isn’t just any trick-or-treat bag; it’s constructed with felt and has sturdy felt handles. A cutesy punkin face is appliquéd on the front with sheer black fabric … “why sheer?” you ask… because it GLOWS! There’s a pocket behind the pumpkin face for a glow stick.

So here’s how you win this bag + glow stick for yourself or a little punkin you know:
Required entry: Check out my Etsy shop (it’s sort of slim pickin’ right now, due to that little distraction I mentioned) and leave a comment about your favorite item.

Get extra chances to win by leaving comments about the following (1 additional entry per comment):

• Give me a suggestion for Halloween costumes I could dress my girls in this year… I’m thinking they should go together in some way like Bo Peep and a sheep… they’re 4yrs and 8weeks old.
• Follow my blog
• Follow me on twitter

Leave your comment(s) by midnight EST Oct. 15th, the winner will be contacted and announced on the 16th.

A Handmade Welcome

So much handmade goodness awaited the arrival of our sweet Liv!

So if you haven't been following this blog *gasp* while I've been pregnant, you missed a lot! I've been busy and even keeping some other wonderful crafters busy. Here's an overview of many of my creative endeavors of late and links to blog posts or shops... so you can catch up :)
1. Pregnancy note cards made by Serendipity Beyond Design
2. Messenger Diaper Bag, made by Mommy (MBM)
3. Doilie made by Nedra's Sphynxlover
4. Applique outfit MBM
5. Nursery Wall Art Made by Daddy
6. Cover for swing MBM
7. Applique soft blocks MBM
8. Kimono booties MBM
9. Car seat cover MBM
10. Owl Mommy and Baby stuffies made by Boogiebead
11. Modified onesie sleep sack MBM
12. So this adorable bunny isn't exactly handmade... but I had to include it because Elle, Liv's big sister, "made" it for her. It's from build a bear and Elle recorded a message on a button you push in the bunny's paw of her saying "Hi Liv, it's your big sister Elle. I love you!" Seriously sweet!!
13. Shabby Chic fan pull made by Maggie Girl
14. Amy Butler Play Mat made by Mommy and her friend Ann
15. Zipper pouch and matching sling (sling not pictured) MBM
16. Personalized tag blanket MBM
17. Retro Ruffler made by Rae Gun
18. Ruffle butt onesie MBM
19. Applique top and bloomers MBM
20. Liv's coming home from the hospital bubble suit and bonnet MBM
21. Modified onesie sleep sack MBM
22. Baby bow clips by Baby K Designs
23. Booties made from a My Sweet Little pattern, to match Liv's coming home from the hospital outfit MBM
24. Curtains for the nursery MBM
25. Personalized onesie was a gift from Bloomhill Baby as part of the EtsyBaby team shower. Bloomhill Baby doesn't appear to have a shop on Etsy anymore :(
26. Kimono set from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones MBM.
27. Poofball hat by Kamieos Creations

Nursery Wall Art

Pictures of the nursery are coming soon, but I wanted to highlight a simple to do and inexpensive art project we did for the wall. I love the vinyl wall decals that are all the rage right now, but we have plaster walls that are textured so the decals won't stick. Soooo I picked up a plain stretched canvas on a frame at JoAnns for $8, painted it pink (it's the Restoration Hardware color - Rose. You can buy a little 4oz sample for $4 which was more than enough paint for this little project), and applied a vinyl decal I fell in love with from The Vinyl Studio on Etsy. The project cost less than $35 and makes a big impact in the nursery!

Liv is here!

Liv arrived last Friday morning. We're all doing well and already madly in love! More posts when it won't interfere with cuddle time.