{Projects: Ruffled Pillow w/Zipper}

Sorry, no tutorial for this project (I'm a bit lazy today), but I thought I'd share it with you all anyways. It's a pillow cover with a ribbon ruffled detail. The fabric is Amy Butler (of course!) from the Midwest Modern line, it's called Garden Maze. It was my first pillow cover that I used an actual zipper in and it wasn't as daunting as I'd imagined. I'm definitely going to have to practice putting zippers in more, but this was such a basic project I managed not to screw it up. I thought the zipper would be a good idea as it is sitting in Ella's nursery on the glider, and will no doubt need to be taken off the pillow and cleaned at some point. Doesn't it look fantastic in all it's hot pink glory?!

P.S. only 6 days until Due Date!!!

{The Girly Hospital Hat}

OK, so here's a tutorial I've been sitting on for awhile. I can't believe that I only have 10 (yes, TEN!) days left before my due date and our little Ella June is to arrive. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll grace us with her presence before the 26th, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. Meanwhile, I've been enjoying not working, and finishing my laundry list of things 'to do' before she arrives.

This project is very girly [sorry boys], and very easy...in fact I actually made it a lot harder than it needed to be, but I like a finished, polished look, so I spent the extra time and did it the long way. I'll share with you how I did it, then link you to a quick version tutorial.

Materials needed:

Two [2] hospital issue newborn beanies

Scissors

Ribbon

Thread

Needle

Step #1:

Cut the bottom 2-2.5 inches off of one of the hats. This bottom portion will become the 'bow' part of the hat. The remaining top portion of the hat isn't used and can be discarded.

Step #2:

Fold the cut edges [the rough unfinished edges] into the middle of the hat. This is hard to explain so hopefully the picture clarifies it better. You don't want any of the frayed edges showing on the outside so you fold them into the center leaving the finished edges on the outside...make sense? Hopefully...

Step #3:

This next step requires being a little finicky with the bow, but basically you want to pinch the fabric in the center and tuck a bit of the surrounding fabric back so that it looks like a bow. Then set it on the second hospital hat. Make sure that the second hospital hat has been folded up 2 or so inches at the bottom to make a band. You can also cut a short length of ribbon which will go around the center of the bow in a later step.

Step #4:

I took the bow and flipped it over then put a few stitches in the back to help it keep its 'bow' shape. These stitches will not be seen once the bow is flipped around, covered in the ribbon and attached to the band of the hat.

Step #5:

Take your ribbon, cut to length and wrap it around the center of your bow. Then put a few stitches in the back of it to keep it in place.

Step #6:

Position the bow on the front folded band of the second hospital hat.

Step #7:

Sew the bow to the folded hospital hat band, just a few tacking stitches should be good.

All Done!

So...this is the final product, a hospital hat fit for a girl! No more mistaking newborns for the wrong gender [which is easily done]. This project really only takes a few minutes, but if you feel the need to be super quick about it, there is a shortcut version here.

{Baby Bird, Baby Shower}

Here are some photos from the lovely baby shower my sister in law hosted for Travis and I. The theme was "baby bird" and it was such a good time with family.

Aren't the nest cupcakes adorable? And the mini bird eggs? So cute!

Love the flower choice...ranunculus right? So pretty!

The yummy sandwich bar, my favorite was the quinoa curry salad. Soooo good!

Me @ 31.5 weeks...my belly is getting HUGE!

{Springtime...Almost}

Happy Friday! I'm sooo glad it's the weekend, and even though it's currently stormy here in Northern California here are some pics of flowers from our front yard. Easter is Sunday, and I'm looking forward to celebrating at church and spending time with family. I can't wait for Spring to officially start, and the cold and rain to finally fade away. The tulip bed I planted last year is currently fighting the wind and rain, hope they make it through!

Have a great weekend!

{Guy Made Nursery Mobile}

Look at this mobile....don't you just love it?! A mass of crisp white butterflies floating in suspended air? Ahhh...yes. It's gorgeous...and expensive...It's from Pottery Barn Kids. Travis and I saw it one day while window shopping (a favorite past time of ours) but couldn't justify spending the $75+ dollars on it for Ella's nursery.

Travis had been wanting to do a project of his own (what a sweet guy) to contribute to the nursery. Perhaps all my crafting and incessant project doing surrounding the nursery the last 8 months was wearing off a little on him. He snapped a few pics on his iPhone and proceeded to pick my brain about what materials he would need and what construction methods would work best for creating his own version. This is what he came up with...

Metal wreath form, spray painted white, clear fishing line, a 1.5" flower craft punch, white card stock, craft glue, and a hot glue gun. It was a simple project to do, and he completed it in one evening in front of the TV. I think the effect is the same and it looks SOOOO cute hanging in the corner in her room.

Didn't he do a great job? Gosh I love him.....

{Projects: Bibs}

Ok, I debated on whether or not to post this project because since I made these months ago I have changed the design to what I think is now a much improved version. There is no hyping these bad boys up - they are your basic snap closure terry backed bibs. Purpose--keep spills and spit up off baby's cute clothes. I used patterned cotton for the front, and terrycloth (think towel material) for the back. They should be very absorbent for a messy baby.

The patterns you can find for bibs are numerous. Just google "baby bib patterns" and a bunch of different styles and such will come up. I just freehanded the pattern for this one, sewed my fabric right sides together (leaving a gap for turning), flipped inside out and top stitched (for durability and to close the gap). Lastly I added a snap closure at the top (better than velcro in my opinion, however you could use velcro if you have it handy). It's a very simple project. Like I said earlier, I have a few jazzed up versions to share later on, but for now i'll leave you with a link with a great basic template and basic instructions for making your own bibs. Just click HERE.

{Changing Directions...}

I've been going back and forth about this for a very long time. What exactly is Abstract Grace??? I'm referring to the blog, and it's focus specifically. I originally started the blog because everyone I knew kept telling me that I needed to share my work with others. At that time I had quite the blog-roll going (it has since tripled in length), and I was such a fan of the blogs I was reading daily and the "blogosphere" that I knew it was a perfect outlet for sharing my ideas and work.

Most people that read my blog or know me in real life say I need to sell the items I make, which spawned my Etsy shop. Well...I soon found that grad school and full time work keeps me soooo busy that a new adventure such as a small business on Etsy was just not practical. I have yet to put a single item in there (so sad), and I have grand plans for that to change very soon. (I say that now but we'll see if it really happens once the little one arrives.)

Back to the focus of this entry...I get such joy out of reading the "lifestyle/design" blogs. You know...ones like this , and this, oh...and this one. All fabulous examples of crafty women who share their projects along with their lives. I think that I like this format better than "craft-only" focused blogs. I'm not sure why anyone would want or care about my life, but for some reason I feel that Abstract Grace would benefit from a slight shift in focus.

So...I'll start slowly. Adding pics and posts about my daily life. My personal likes and dislikes. Things I love. Blogs I love. Fashion. Makeup. Design. Life.....we'll see where it takes us!

{Nursery Design}

I've been working hard these last few months getting things together for our little one's nursery. I'll be honest, giving up my craft studio space was kinda disappointing. We moved all my stuff into an armoire, which has actually worked out quite well. One day i'll have a larger house and a whole room dedicated to my sewing and crafting...wouldn't that be nice.

Onto the new use...designing a space for a newborn is HARD. Everything is impractical (what does a newborn really need design wise anyways?). Nevertheless, everything is so CUTE, and expensive. I'm finding if it has the tag "baby" on it, that's a green light to charge a fortune for it. There are a few more touches to the room that I couldn't get on the idea board, but you get the gist of the room.

The idea board above is an actual representation of the things we have thus far. I'll give a run down of my sources:

4 x 6 Green Rug- Urban Outfitters

Crystal Curtain Holdbacks- Urban Outfitters

Brown Linen Curtains- previously had

Rock-a-Bye Rocker in Ivory Chenille- Babies R Us

Bananafish Lily Bedding- Target.com

Hot Pink Ribbon- Michael's

White Footed Dresser- previously had, refinished ourself

Pink Glass Knobs- Look In The Attic

White Wallflowers- Umbra.com

I can't believe we only have 12 weeks to go!!!

{Projects: Owl Stuffy}

Here is the stuffed owl I made for Baby Evan (who finally made his grand debut last Tuesday, Happy 1 Week B-Day Evan!). I just freehand drew a template for the owl and added what I thought were the right touches; a circle of brown felt for the belly, a small triangle of yellow felt for the nose, and for the sweet little closed eyes I used embroidery thread.

Sorry no tutorial for this one, maybe at a later date I'll scan the template I made so you all can use it. It's not perfect by any means (especially the slip stitching on the bottom, really not pretty) but I'll fool myself by saying it adds to his charm. My favorite part of this little guy is the Joel Dewberry Faux Bois fabric (from his Aviary collection). I've been dying to use it, and I think it fits this little woodland creature well. Hoot!

{Projects: Wipes Case}

Ok, by far my favorite tutorial is this next one. Maybe I like it so much because it's more for mom than for baby. Poopy diapers are not exactly a glamorous part of parenthood (maybe when it's your own baby you don't mind so much, i've still got 4 months until I know...) but with a wipes clutch like the one I'm about to show you I can't imagine it being that bad--until you get poop on it. Ew.

The wipes clutch is getting to be a rather popular item as of late. They are just too cute, and very non-babyesq. Great for on the go, and looking good. I know a lot of crafters and etsy-ers making these and selling them (maybe one day i'll even put some in my store and you can save yourself the hassle of making your own, even though it is very easy to do).

Again, I'll save myself the hassle and post a link to an already fabulous tutorial from homemadebyjill. I've made several myself and they are EASY to do! And don't worry if your sewing challenged, it is a no-sew project. Don't wait, make one soon. Your sanity after 6+ diaper changes a day will appreciate it!