At Home My Way

Even big girls need Easter baskets and this year I made my girls a couple of fun Beach Bags to hold their treats.   I'm not going to include a pattern.  Just a link to this great used 2004 pattern book that I bought at Amazon: You can find it on Amazon HERE ! A friend of my older daughter had one of these bags that her mother made for her to use as a diaper bag.  The body of the bag is quilted and it has pockets galore.  I knew it would make a fun project and a perfect beach bag for summer.  I begged and pleaded for my daughter's friend to ask her mom where she got the pattern.  She sent me a picture of the book and I searched Amazon until I found it.  I don't believe it is in print anymore, but the directions are easy and the book was cheap. You start by cutting all of the pieces out and quilting the main body of the bag.  I had never done any quilting, machine or otherwise, but I figured it out with no problems. On the aq...

Remember the Strong Man Quilt I made for my niece?  Well, I was right.  Her baby is a strong little man!   This strong little baby decided to make his grand entrance into the world six weeks early. The baby arrived at a wopping 3lb 8 ounces and 17 inches long.  Tiny but healthy! The little booger is strong as an ox! The hospital said they usually keep babies until they are 5 pounds, but this little baby needed nothing from them so they sent him home.   The only thing this little guy really needed  at home was that he had to wear hats to keep his body warm.  My niece commented one day that she only had one hat and that she needed to wash it.  I told her "You needed only to tell me that!  Aunt Gigi and her crochet hook to the rescue!"   Overnight I was able to crochet for him four little hats of various patterns.   I made one like a football (Just a simple double crochet beanie changing colors for the white str...

My niece is due to have a baby boy soon.  We're all getting very excited! This past Saturday was their baby shower. I like to sew something special for baby gifts when I can and I knew I wanted to make something tailored especially for her. My niece told me once she really likes "repurposed" things and my initial thought was to make her baby quilt with soft flannel shirts that I picked up at the thrift store since she would really have liked that kind of fabric even better than anything I could buy new at Joann's. My niece is very artistic.  She has tremendous talent.  She painted this incredible Batman mural on her nephew's bedroom wall.  It's a view of Gotham City and it takes my breath way.  She is also one incredible little tattoo artist. I knew I really had to up my game with whatever I decided to make for her!    I have no doubt that my niece will be the very best mother.  She has a heart of gold and more comp...

My daughter was in a wedding last summer with a friend she had grown up with.   Rebecca and I love Pinterest!  A few pins we've seen especially have gotten our attention - making baby blankets out of bridesmaid dresses.  We loved the idea!  What do you do with all of those beautiful bridesmaid dresses anyway, but hang them in the closet or sell/donate them?  Making a baby blanket for a friend using the bridesmaid dress you wore at her wedding seemed extra special and a wonderful keepsake.  Rebecca wanted to give it a shot! Rebecca has worked on a couple of baby blankets for her friends.  A couple of years ago, I showed her how to make baby blankets using two yards of fabric for the front, two yards for the back (solid front/back), and polyfil quilt batting for the middle; cutting 5 inch square pieces from extra fabric that are folded in half, pressed, and folded in half again and pressed to make little triangles, which are then pinned and sewn in...

I made some very special pillowcases a few weeks ago for a friend at work.  My friend's mom has been battling bone cancer.  She just found out that the battle will now include leukemia.  When I heard this diagnosis, I was so sad for my friend.  It was about that time that I saw some beautiful pillowcases on Pinterest.  I was in the midst of a crochet phase and decided to drag out the sewing machine and see if I could do it.  I decided that I would make them for my friend's mom because if you have to be sick, you should get to lay your head on something pretty and cheery.  I had a great time making these and my friend was so touched when I brought them in for her to give to her Mom.  It sure made my heart feel good to give them away and to know that they might bring my friend's mom just a little bit of comfort. I thought this green and pink flowered fabric was about the cheeriest fabric I could find.  I love it! This is th...

My daughter, Rebecca, and I spent the day before Winter Storm Virgil sewing.  It was so much fun!  I never expected this child to be interested in sewing.  She and I haven't always had so much in common (she tends to act, eat, and want to do everything just like her father-sigh!... but I guess I picked him out, right?  ). These days (and thankfully for the most part due to Pinterest), I still get to sew FOR her and even better, AFTER I sewed something FOR Rebecca's birthday, she wanted to learn how to make it herself!  We have made fairly simple baby quilts together and she took Home Economics in high school so she has some basic knowledge in using a sewing machine, but I was surprised at how eager she was to take on this project. Rebecca turned 25 this month and for her birthday I wanted to make something special.  She loves to cook (well... I guess we have that in common now don't we LOL?) and now that she works ...

Last week my niece sent me a facebook message asking if I could make her baby son a football beanie (crochet)?  "Uh.... YEA....!". I'm always looking for someone who actually WANTS some of the busywork that keeps me occupied.  I whipped this up in only about 20 minutes and its so adorable! From the picture that my niece found on Pinterest, I searched for a basic double crochet baby beanie pattern and found a terrific blog that actually had beanie patterns for different sizes.  Perfect! This is what I came up with.  Turned out cute and fit her baby's little head perfectly!  And we think he liked it.  He didn't even jerk it off his head like my babies would have done. Here's the blog I found with the instructions for the beanie.  Easy peasy! http://familybugs.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/basic-beanie-free-crochet-pattern/