A Homemade Gift for a New Baby

A friend recently had her 3rd baby.  A little boy.  He is a very lucky little man with 2 older sisters - at 8 and 5 years old, he is sure to be looked out for.

I couldn't bring myself to buy him a birthday gift.  Mostly because I like to 'make'.  But also because I know that no one else will have given the same thing if I give him something hand made.

So, I bought two 3-6mth sized white body suits and embellished them with spot creatures.  Coloured body suits would have been more fun, but I couldn't find any at the time.  It was really easy...all I did was cut out 2 circles of Bondaweb and fuse them to my coloured fabric.  Then I cut out the circles and fused them to the body suits.  I sewed the circles on with a straight stitch on my sewing machine.

For the black lines I used a Crayola fabric marker pen.  Stupidly, I drew the lines on with a blue water soluble pen first.  I have had issues with soluble pens where once ironed the pen doesn't wash off, so I tried to remove most of the blue before ironing the black pen.  Stupid, silly me...of course the black pen would bleed with the water.  So...if you are going to give this a try - I would use an air marker...one of those that vanish by themselves.  Know the ones I mean?  Like this one?  Also, it is helpful to slip a sheet of sandpaper under your fabric to stop it from slipping around while you draw.

I am really hoping that the worst of the bleed will wash out.  Sorry little guy, I hate to give a sub-standard gift.   Here are the, um, fox (?) and the bee.

I also made a special co-ordinating pair of my baby hot pants for the little chappie.  This is the bum view, with the label nicely located so it isn't scratchy on is lovely soft skin.

As he is just about 1 month old, he should have some wear of these during our summer.  That is, if the weather ever heats up!

For his big sisters, they each have a circle skirt - made from two of the lovely soft Pat Bravo fabrics that I have in my shop.

I loved making all the goodies...fingers crossed that they all fit and are enjoyed...

Vintage Crochet {Book Review} and a Big Boo Boo

I have recently borrowed Vintage Crochet from our library.  I borrowed it because I just loved this garden 'tent'.  Thinking that it could make a cute awning to hang outside our back door [that is if the Flower Daddy would ever allow me to get away with it!]...and maybe hook a few fairy lights or bunting or something else fluttery and colourful and summery in there.

Both girls were with me at the library, so I barely had time to flick through the book to see if there was anything else of interest in it.  Well, it certainly doesn't disappoint!  Just look at some of these projects:

Honestly...I really don't have much time for those yucky white doilies that my gran used....but these I could live with.  No convincing required here!  Is it the colours, or the design...I don't know.  They are just lovely.

I never thought that I would ever speak this sentence: I want a crocheted tablecloth for my garden table.  Balls and all.  I think that it would also make a lovely blanket or shawl...minus the balls...

A few weeks ago I was wondering about crochet paeony's...well Here You Go!

Then there are some great pattern instructionals (is that a word??)

Taking crochet to a totally funky place!

How to do vertical stripes.  I have been wondering how to do this.

There are so many really different projects in this book.  Maybe because it has numerous contributors.  The projects range from a baby/toddler cardigan to necklaces, a dog coat, purses and bags to shawls, egg cosies, curtains and so much more.  I love the range.  And I love the book - and I promise that no one bribed me to say that!

Oky doky - on to the Boo Boo part of this post...

I have given the doily salad bowl cover a go....the instructions weren't fantastic.  But then I still consider myself a bit of a crochet novice.  Especially when following a pattern.  I mostly got stuck when starting a new round, as the instructions were not that detailed.  If you kind of know what you are doing crochet-wise, you'll be ok figuring it out, if not, play around with a well illustrated crochet circle project first.

Anyhow...my doily....I used COMPLETELY the wrong yarn!!  Talk about taking too long to figure out that what I was crocheting was totally and utterly fugly.  The yarn was Rico Creative Cotton - again - and the hook a 4mm.  Talk about me being Stupid in both yarn and hook choices.  I am going to unravel the revolting thing and start again with some pretty purple Patons 100% mercerised cotton yarn.  I will share the new version when I am finished.  In the meanwhile - do you want to see the revolting chunk of crochet that I spent ages crocheting??

Please don't be ill....

It is chunky and coarse and wavey and really, the Creative Cotton is too 'stringy' to really suit this kind of thing that is meant to be delicate and pretty.  And the colour choice - ick - Ick, ick, Ick.  I can only stomach sharing one photo of this icky thing.  You really do need to experience its awfulness in real life.

Just looking again at the pattern, it calls for Be Sweet Bamboo {Hey!  It is a South African yarn!!!!!}.  Which is a DK yarn.  Oooooooh...see these colours that it comes in!!

[Oh dear, I think that coke and biscuit I just ate have kicked in...I am getting all over excited...sorry]

I have to get my dirty paws on some of that yarn.  If you know anywhere in the UK that stocks a good colour selection of it, please, please, please let me know.

Time for me to go burn this sugar rush off on some sewing related projects.

Have a great long weekend!  Fingers crossed that it is braai and mielie bread sort of weather...