Bunny Cakes

Toddler Quilt

I am not the seamstress in our family.  That title is maintained by sister (and mom).  I prefer to do more crafty/graphic design type stuff which is usually paper based.  Over time this difference between my sister and I has worked itself into a nice exchange system.  Anything I need sewn my sister willingly does for me and anything she needs designed and printed I do for her.  It has become the perfect give and take relationship.  There are no complaints and only feelings of great gratitude and a happy-to-help mentality (speaking for myself).  I assume my sister feels the same way, because if she didn't she would certainly let me know.  This is all to say that I really don't sew and don't have a need to.  So I was surprised to find myself at the sewing machine last Friday night.  Yes, sewing!  I was inspired to make little B$ a quilt so he could have a nice snuggly blanket when he transitioned from the infant room to the toddler room at daycare.  I was also inspired use up some of my fabric stash which hasn't seen the light of day in years.  I promised myself I wouldn't go out and buy any fabric and that I would make do with whatever fabric I had even though it may not be perfect.  And even though I wouldn't call the quilt perfect, it gives me great joy to know that little B will cuddle with something which I made everyday at school (don't worry sis, our perfect arrangement will stay as is).

The inspiration for the quilt I made came from two sources.  My main source of inspiration were the quilts my aunt made for my twins when they were first born.  They were high loft quilts and the boys loved them (they still do, even though they are too big for them).  My aunt told me she was slightly embarrassed that they were high loft quilts, but I don't think they boys would have loved them so much if they weren't.  My other inspiration was blabla's new coverlets: simple and sweet.  I ended up using three different Japanese inspired fabrics.  I had to sew together two pieces of fabric for each side of the quilt (not bad at all).  Then I sewed the sides together, inserted my high loft (3/4") batting and then sewed up the last side.  To keep the batting in place I tacked down the corners and middle of the quilt using embroidery floss.

This is my favorite picture of the quilt posted in my IG account.

-K

Baby Blankets

It’s been a while…a very long while.  As I sat down to write this entry, I honestly had no idea where to begin. If you have been reading BunnyCakes for over a year and half, you might know me…if not, I am A (K’s sister and [new] mother to O). After taking a little bit of a breather (tough pregnancy resulting in a precious baby who doesn’t nap), I am back. Well, back for the time being.

My first post back is not surprisingly baby related, although, not my baby.  My group of friends is experiencing a bit of a baby boom. Exciting stuff! Baby boom equals baby quilt boom. In my opinion, nothing says welcome to the world like some handmade love! Although my free time is now very limited, I still try to do a little something for friends who are having babies.  My old standby was a knitted baby hat and although I still enjoy knitting, I have been lured away to the world of faster gratification that quilting offers (yes, I am a turtle slow knitter).

The first baby blanket is a pattern called “Winner’s bouquet.” I originally discovered this pattern in my local quilt shop and fell in love.  After being convinced that “it’s really not that hard” I decided to take the plunge (which resulted in a generous down and dirty lesson from said quilt shop---I bet they don’t tell anyone that “it’s really not that hard” anymore!). After learning a few quick tricks, the quilt pattern and I came to an "understanding." Since my co-worker is having a girl she wanted a color palette of pink. Luckily for me, my baby is a boy, and so the stash is well stocked with pinks. A majority of the fabrics are from Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern and Midwest Modern II… fabric lines that I just love! 

The second baby quilt is a slightly modified version of a pattern in Jodi Barrow’s Square in a Square booklet. This quilt is also for a co-worker (I seriously stopped drinking the water at work…it’s spiked with something). This was one of the first time I used the square in a square ruler and I have to say, it lives up to the hype! This quilt top came together in just a few short, enjoyable hours. The fabrics are: Alexander Henry’s Teeny Tiny Zoo and the green fabric is Michael Miller’s Zen Garden (in pear).

~A

I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends

Geez, I really don’t know what the deal is with me using Beatles' songs/lyrics as blog titles. Sometimes the Beatles just sum it up so perfectly.

As any new mom to be, I have had a good time getting the nursery/nest together. It’s been fun to look at the catalogs and play and imagine the “what ifs” of nursery creating. Ok, I will be completely honest…while I like doing this, K loves it (which is an added bonus to get free advice/personal shopper---my non-existent ankles will only carry this bloated body so far in the mall these days). K is a really great resource, but was never really keen on my choice of seating (which was a glider). So, while the cat was away at the beach, I made “un-authorized” (hehe) purchase of a glider from craig’s list.

Although the glider that I purchased was in immaculate condition and the cushions were custom made, the cushion fabric definitely was not something that went with my color scheme. A cushion re-cover was definitely in my future. The one big problem was, well, I am more of quilter and not really a sewer (there’s a big difference between the two---I am definitely in the quilting camp, but I am interested in the signing up for the sewers’ summer sessions).

Like a deer in headlights, I was confused, dazed, and didn’t know which way to turn. What to do? Call in the reinforcements of course! Mentioning the glider dire straits to my girlfriends, they felt confident that we would be able to pull something respectable together. (I calmly nodded my head and thought, oh, crap, I hope this isn’t a disaster, but if it is, the baby won’t really care---I am told that babies are non-judgmental like that). I brought the cushions to the next hangout session and where the cushions received a through examination (and were deemed very well made). I was told how much fabric to buy (and being that I am considering doomsday scenarios in my head, I buy a lot more than what I was told).

Armed with the required materials and my machine (less the all important cording foot that I had purchased ---Mommy’s brain is for REAL), my wonderful (and brave) girlfriends, Andrea, Pam, and I set off. My back-up plan (to just use the current cushions and throw a blanket over the glider) was quickly discarded when Andrea handed me a stitch ripper and calmly announced that we would use the existing pieces of the cushions to create our pattern. *GULP*

I had thought that I would be making the cushions on my own, but getting advice and help from my Andrea and Pam, however, the girls would not hear of it. On top of the free labor and pattern creation, any time questions, concerns, or despair entered my mind, Andrea and Pam were there to soothe away the negativity and keep me on track. While I was making piping, Andrea and Pam were sewing up ties or planning out the next move. It was an awesome moment when you realize how great your friends really are! 10 yards of piping and many hours later, the covers were complete! AMAZING!

This is definitely one of those projects that you think to yourself, “I can’t freaking believe I made this!” Instant project love. Thank you so much Andrea & Pam! Couldn’t have done this without you both! I will think of you both when I am gliding the baby to sleep.

~A

Help Me, I’m Nesting and I Can’t Stop (aka The Post with Two Left Shoes)

So, I have hit the third trimester and the end is in sight. I have to say, that knowing the end is coming is a great relief.  I feel HUGE and when I express any dismay over my ever increasing size, inevitably my girlfriends with children shake their heads and tell me “just wait----that (pointing at the over inflated beach ball that is my stomach) will get much bigger.  Last month, during my check-up, I was informed that I had gained 8 lbs in the short span of a month….this was quickly followed up with the whipping out of a tape measure and the comment “yes, you have grown quite a bit.”  The Master of the obvious comment did nothing for my ego.  But I digress…

So, I have started nesting, well, at least my version of nesting.  Instead of nesting in a traditional clean the house productive manner, I have started collecting baby related craft patterns and began pumping them out at surprising rate (nothing is “fast” when you are this size).

Here are some of the highlights:

Heather Bailey’s Effie & Ollie Elephant:

Notes: Used fabric from Heather Bailey’s new line Nicey Jane. The pattern was well written and pretty easy to understand. You can buy the pattern here. (side note: Shipping was very fast---I had my order in a few days)

Difficulty level: some swearing (mostly due to inexperience with making 3D objects). 

Terry cloth Bunny

Notes: From my beloved book Baby Stuff.  Made from terry cloth that I picked up from the local fabric shop and felt purchased from Heather Bailey’s store.  Deviations from pattern—I really stitched the eyes down using my sewing machine.  I am paranoid about the baby choking.

Difficulty level: Very easy and fast (under an hour). The only swearing involved was trying to cut out the terry cloth.  (I was told by one of my sewing mentors that if you sandwich the terry cloth in between tissue paper and then lay your pattern on top, the terry cloth doesn’t shift as much.  If anyone tries this and it works, let me know).

 

Nursing cover

Notes: I used a free pattern online that I found to be a bit difficult. The pain of the pattern eased when I decided not to follow it anymore.  I am not going to post a link---it was well intentioned, but I am not spreading the pain to others. The fabric was from Amy Butler's Nigella line.

Difficulty level: swearing and head scratching---lots. However, the project was pretty straight forward.  If you decide to make a nursing cover using a free pattern online, make sure you ready it through first.

*sorry for the lack of pictures on this one, but this project is not the most photogenic. It is the background in the top photo.

Kimono Shoes

Notes: Used a free pattern by Aimee Larsen of www.homespun-threads.com (pattern here). I used another fabric from Heather Bailey’s Nicey Jane collection as well as a scrap fabric from a quilt. These shoes are very cute and quite quick.

Difficulty:  The shoes are small and have curves, so the sewing can be a bit fussy and slow (but not super hard).  The only issue I had was that I neglected to properly switch out the way front overlaps and ended up creating two left shoes (I blame it on the hormones-hehe). The project was quick enough that I decided to create a right shoe and thankfully did not end up with another left shoe.

 

That basically summed up my last two weeks or so.  I am hoping that for the sake of harmony in the house, that a more “traditional” nesting urge kicks in---the feds might find out the state of affairs and condemn the place if something doesn’t happen soon.

~A

Easter Peeps Bunny Pin

Yesterday after I posted on the very cute Peeps Garland from Dana of Made I got to work on making my own Peeps creation.  I knew I didn't have the time to make a full garland, so I shrunk the template and used it to make little Easter pins.  It turned out to be pretty quick and cute!  Thanks, Dana, for the inspiration and template!  **EDIT** I have altered the pictures below to install a 'Peep Blocker' so I can be in line with licensing restrictions from the Just Born company. **

 

My technique is slightly different from Dana's so I will describe below (but of course, do what works best for you!):

1.  Shrink Dana's Peep template to desired size and cut out.

2.  Pin template to felt.

3.  Using small sharp scissors, cut out around the template.  Unpin template and set aside.

4.  Pin felt bunny to another piece of felt.  

5.  Slowly and carefully sew around your felt bunny, leaving a very small seam.

6.  Cut out the bottom layer of felt by cutting around the top bunny.

7.  Use brown fabric paint to make the eyes and nose/mouth.  I used a wooden skewer.  I made my eyes a little too close, so be sure to check out a real Peep or Dana's pictures right before doing the face.  Let dry.

8.  Glue pin back to Peeps bunny.  Hold in place with clothes pin while it dries.

9.  Enjoy!

P.S.  The pins make sweet Easter gifts to give to relatives and friends with little ones.  It also gives you a nice excuse to bust out your rubber stamps.  Once you stamp your card all you need to do is punch two holes to attach the pin.  **EDIT** I have altered the picture below to install a 'Peep Blocker' so I can be in line with licensing restrictions from the Just Born company. **

  

 -K

Oh, Sweet Nothings…

Well, it’s been a while.  For many people who are new(er) to the blog, you are probably also new to me.  My name is A and I am K’s younger sister (little is not really appropriate in this instance).  I might have been mentioned in a post here and there, but to the disappointment of a certain un-named sister, there have been no blog entries for several months. I do try the patience…

In my defense, I have been a little busy:

For many pregnancy is a wonderful thing, sadly for me, it has been a long period of constant sea sickness. Needless to say, there has been little to post about.

My entry back to the world of upright life/crafting was in the form of knitting baby hats for several of my friends who had babies (3 babies in February alone!).  For me, knitting baby hats is chicken soup for my soul, soothing and in an odd way a bit healing.

With a few hats under my belt and my crafting legs feeling a bit sturdier, my crafting interests took a turn.  I was luck enough to receive a copy of Baby Stuff by Aranzi Aronzo.  If you haven’t checked this book out, I highly recommend it---its filled with wonderful, cute, sweet projects.  One of the projects that caught my eye was a selection of really cute items to embroider.  (For some reason, babies are heavily on my mind. Go figure.)  Now, I will readily admit that my needlepoint work is not that great, however, the animals are so cute that the end product still comes out really nicely (even if I do say so myself). These sweet little nothings were a lot of fun to stitch up!  Even at my snail’s pace, I could knock one out in about an hour in front of the TV (well, non-Olympic TV).  For those of you who really enjoy instant crafting gratification, this is a great project for you.

Project details:
All three of the animals in the top photos are from Baby Stuff, as is the bunny in the image below.  The cloud design is from Doodle Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery for Beginners (another great book for those who want to learn how to embroider).  The bottom monster was a Baby Gap rip-off that K kindly sketched up for me.

For the most part, I used just the standard DMC floss---three strands as recommended by Baby Stuff. The fabric I used was Kona cotton that happened to be in my stash.  I really love the way the white fabric looks, however, if you are not very careful and neat on the wrong side (sorry, that is a knitting term, but you get my drift), the thread will show through. 

Now, I am no embroidery expert (and if you are, maybe you can weigh in on the “correct way” in the comments section), so I just used some Misty Fuse on the back of the embroideries, turned the edges under and then stitched down the sides.  The Misty Fuse might be overkill, but I thought tacking down some of the stitching wouldn’t be the worst thing.

~A

Vampire Love

If you remember my Twilight Fever post from early September on the boys' Halloween costumes, then you will remember I was trying to convince the boys to be twin Edward Cullens (aka handsome Robert Pattinson Vampires).  Well I am happy to report the boys decided to be Vampires for Halloween.  It was mostly because they couldn't find anything else they wanted to be and less because of my (fading) All-Powerful-Mommy-Influence.  I followed Martha's instructions for making the capes and added an embroidered patch to personalize each cape.  Overall the cape project was pretty easy and I would highly recommend giving it a try (you only have to sew two straight lines per cape).  I had a lot of fun doing their hair...check out my twin vampires:

And of course this post wouldn't be complete without my other Vampire Love fresh from the Vanity Fair photo shoot...

Photo by Bruce Weber

-K

The Theo Quilt

It is hard to believe the summer is over.  It started out with great expectations and lots of promise.  I had many projects earnestly queued up on my to-do list, but sadly most of them stayed there.  One of the projects was a quilt for a dear friend who [many months ago] 'just' had a baby boy.  To be honest, the quilt should have been finished up before summer even started, but it wasn't.  Then something went bad.  A dark cloud came into my life--Lyme's Disease.  My hair started falling out, my hands and feet hurt, and I was worried about the disease all the time.  And then after many weeks of antibiotics things were suddenly normal again.  My craftiness returned and the quilt was finished.  So it is with much happiness that I share these pictures of a long overdue quilt and other goodies (monogrammed photo album & burp cloths)...

I really love how the blues and greens turned out together.  

-K

P.S. Use sunscreen AND bug spray. 

Pesonalized Burp Cloths

When I was a new parent I loved receiving personalized gifts for the boys.  Perhaps it was a mother-of-twins thing, but I think it was more because personalized items seem so....well...personal!  They say 'Here, this was made especially for you because you are the best.'  And because I appreciated personalized gifts so much, I love giving them.  Here are some burp cloths I made for a friend of ours who recently had a baby girl...

-K

Old Fashion Square Exchange

A couple of my girlfriends and I decided during a quilting session that we should have an old fashion square exchange.  Having never participated in a square exchange I wasn’t sure what it was all about…but the ladies quickly filled me in.  We decided that our exchange would be an appliqué square from book called Circles of the East by Kumiko Sudo. 

While I was game for the square exchange, I was a little nervous about the project.  Prior to this exchange, I had only done appliqué once…a pillow that my friend Pam (who was also participating in the exchange) had literally held my hand through…not a slight thing considering the near melt down I had when picking the fabric out and the huge mulligan I had with the wonder–under (don’t ask). Appliqué makes me nervous (I can’t even spell the word---I STILL have to look it up). Sensing my apprehension (or perhaps it was the cold sweat I broke out in), the ladies took some pity on me and I was allowed to pick the square.  I went with the gingko leaves pattern, which I thought was not only very smart looking, but also one of the more simple patterns (okay, it was the easiest….).

Along with my slight fear of appliqué, one of my other quilting terrors is batik fabric. While I think batik fabrics are amazing, if you asked me to create anything from batiks, you would get the same reaction if you asked me to do 20 push ups (which would be me laughing so hard I would probably well, you know).  I don’t know why I thought throwing the batik wild card into this project would be a good idea, however, I seemed to recall day dreaming about how impressed everyone would be when they saw that I had not only conquered appliqué on my own, but had slain the batik beast as well. What can I say? Sometimes you just want to run with the cool kids.

I won’t bore you with the details of the multitude of trips to the fabric stores or the loathing and self doubt I went through, but at the end of the day, my homework somehow managed to get done on time.  I have to say, after I made a slight adjustment to the pattern (shhh---don’t tell anyone) the appliqué was pretty easy.  The batiks, well, we will probably never be BFFs.

The exchange itself was really a lot of fun.  When we decided on the project, no parameters were discussed which gave everyone the freedom to do what they wanted.  It was really cool to see everyone’s take on the squares---all the squares were so beautiful and different!

~A

PS- Thanks for the pictures Pam!