The Train To Crazy

A Very Go To Christmas: Dragon & Rhino Stuffed Animals

Every child loves stuffed animals. I, personally, have had a lot of fun sewing some for my kids. There is something extra special about a homemade stuffie (or fluffy or whatever you call them!). Amy from Naptime Crafters & Peekaboo Pattern Shop is sharing the adorable dragon and rhinoceros stuffed animals she made from DIY Fluffies patterns.

Handmade Costumes: DIY Baby Dinosaur Costume Tutorial

Amazing, adorable, baby dinosaur costume tutorial from Mama G. & Co. Gwen is here today to show us ho to make a dino costume! I love this tutorial. Adorable and simple yet looks so much better than store bought! Thanks for the tutorial Gwen!

Check out our whole Handmade Costume Series for tons of great tutorials!

Hi there, my name is Gwen, I’m a stay-at-home mum of two cute munchkins and love to sew, knit and do other crafty things in my spare time. I blog about family and crafts over at Mama G. & Co where you’ll find tutorials like the Maternity Belly Band and how to convert a cardboard box into a toy box, as well as recipes like these French butter biscuits. I’m really excited about guest-posting here today and I hope this tutorial inspires you to make some cute costumes for your babes.

Handmade Costumes: DIY Ladybug Baby Carrier Slipcover Tutorial

And now for the most genius baby costume ever! Sarah Jane Sews makes a baby carrier into a ladybug! This tutorial is perfect for babies in arms! Check out all the other DIY costume tutorials in the Handmade Costume Series!

Hi! I'm Sarah of Sarah Jane Sews, where I blog about sewing (of course), knitting, and occasionally other craft projects.

I love making costumes -- since I've been blogging we've had a Jedi and a bee, Abe Lincoln, and the whole family as Harry Potter characters -- but we tend to decide what they'll be at the last minute. We're still finalizing plans for this year, so I thought I'd show you how I made my daughter's very first Halloween costume. Since this week is also International Babywearing Week, the ladybug baby carrier slipcover is especially appropriate!

Patchwork baby sleep sack

Sewing a present for a mom-to-be before knowing if the baby is a boy or a girl can be difficult! I was so conflicted last week when I had a baby shower to attend. Should I make some baby sleep dresses? A blanket? I couldn't decide and I was uninspired. Then I remembered this pattern so I made a soft little sleep sack. The pattern was from Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner and went together easily. It could be made with a solid panel in front, color blocked, patchwork or anything you want really. 

I used aqua, green and red to make it neutral. It is lined with flannel and closes with velcro. For colder climates just line with fleece. I used store bought bias tape for the binding but I imagine it would be even cuter if you made your own binding.

It made me wish I had made a bunch of these for my babies! Too late for me but I'll be making more as gifts in the future for sure! I think this, combined with Megan from Sorta Crunchy's new book, Spirit-Led Parenting: From Fear to Freedom in Baby's First Year, would be a perfect gift! 

Incidentally, I've now made 5 projects from Handmade Beginnings and I highly recommend the book if you are wanting to sew for baby. 

A doll for Blessing

After sewing the Eddie doll from Wee WonderfulsWee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love I knew I wanted to make a doll for my niece for Christmas. The Storybook Doll was the perfect fit. Except I changed it. Because I didn't want a white doll with yellow hair. I wanted this doll.

She's a cutie, right? I hope you enjoy her Blessing! 

E Dog gets a shirt

A little friend turned one recently. We've affectionately nicknamed him "E Dog". Little E Dog has a special place in our hearts and even though we don't live near him we like to think of him as my little guy's best friend. They haven't seen each other since they could move but that doesn't stop their friendship. So on little E Dog's birthday he got this shirt.

I loved it so much I almost couldn't bear to part with it. Seriously. I mean, how great is that E tag?? 

He got a pair of coordinating pants, of course.

I can't wait to see our little friend in his outfit. Hopefully soon. Hint, hint.

Feel free to make your own E Dog (C Dog? R Dog?) shirts. If you need the pattern I could certainly upload my drawing. Though I'm sure you can draw a few wonky circles on your own. Remember, imperfect is better.

How do you feel about this E Dog? (feel free to shower me with praise, I don't mind)

P.S. Sometimes I link here.

holiday sewing for boy: handmade doll

I try to make Christmas as handmade as possible around here. It's just more fun (for me) that way. I started the sewing last week with a doll from Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love

This is the Eddie Doll. 

I think I love him.

Even if I made his eyes a bit wonky and larger than they were supposed to be.

His hair is my favorite. 

Seriously. Uncanny, right? (smile)

That's fake fur hair. 

Eddie was easy to sew and he passed the test. The baby saw him and let out a huge squeal, ran to the doll and hugged it. I almost gave it to him then and there it was so precious. But I was strong and put it up for Christmas.

All in all I highly recommend the book. Full of great patterns and so far they are easy to make. I have 3 more planned.  

What do you think about handmade dolls? I was not a fan of them when I was a kid. I'm hopeful my kids love them. They each have a crocheted doll from my grandmother that they love. What say you?

seersucker pants for boys. really?

I happen to love seersucker. I know not everyone does. I especially love the stripes in seersucker. The problem with seersucker is that it is a thin fabric. Not quite robust enough for a new walker. This is easily fixable by lining the pants. Easy enough. I used my new 12-24 month pants pattern (I really should find a better name. Any ideas?) and they turned out adorable. 

Last time I mentioned this pants pattern you couldn't really see the details of the pants. I love the huge front pockets and I rarely make pants without a fake (or real) fly. It just adds a little something I think.

The contrast waist band is fun as well. In this case I matched it to the cuffs.

Nothing quite as adorable as little feet. Except maybe chubby hands.

The pants have room for a big diaper bum as well. I think the big tummy is just there to keep him from tipping backward. 

(No actual babies were harmed in the making of this post)

Is anyone looking for a pants pattern of this description? I'm totally willing to share it if there is any interest. It works well for boys or girls, obviously.

Adorable toy sewing patterns at DIY Fluffies

DY(S)G: Guest Tutorial- How to Sew Ottobre Patterns

Please welcome Melanie from A Sewing Journal! Melanie has a wonderful blog and is always sewing beautiful things for her girls. She's here to take the mystery out of Ottobre patterns!

Hi there, I'm Melanie and I blog over at A Sewing Journal. I have three girls (this year all attending school) ranging in age from 4 years to 10. I like making clothes for them for fun, as a creative outlet. I love that they all still want mom to make them clothes, so I will enjoy it while I can. (Though, I have to admit, it's getting a little challenging to make clothes for my oldest.) 

I love Ottobre Design sewing patterns. They are stylish and offer a large variety of styles and sizes in each issue. Each issue includes clothing patterns for babies to tweens so there is a lot of information packed in there. While you could say that Ottobre Design doesn't have a lot of instructions, I would argue that all of the important and necessary information is there for you. I think the patterns are great for advanced beginners and up, but also for what I'd call adventurous beginners. If you're not afraid to look something up in a book or online when you come across something that you are unfamiliar with, well, go for it! Also, there are patterns in each magazines that are more difficult and some that are easier. Start by choosing a pattern that uses techniques you are familiar with, or maybe that introduce you to one new thing instead of multiple new techniques. Follow along as I show you how to decipher (it's pretty easy, really) an Ottobre Design sewing pattern. 

This is the information page. So they don't have to repeat everything 40 times, most basic information is here. There are no cutting layouts, so this is where you read up on that and more. As with most European patterns, seam allowances are not included, but hem allowances are. Read this page before you get started.

1. Measure your child's height in centimeters.
2. I like this part that reminds me how to determine the right size. I struggle with this all the time as my kids' measurements never seem to correlate nicely with the sizes listed on patterns and in books.
3. When choosing your pattern, look for the little diagrams on the page, usually in the corner or along the side of the photos. These tell you the sizes for those clothing pieces.
4. The diagram also gives you the pattern number.

1. This is the pattern instructions. That's it, it's all there. Short, clear and concise. Along the top, from left to right, you see a drawing of the clothing; drawings of the pattern pieces (see #2, too), instructions for the pattern pieces including how many to cut; which pattern sheet to use and the color of your numbers and lines (more on this in a bit); and your materials (listed in centimeters). There is a conversion chart in the magazine, but I prefer just to measure everything in centimeters when using Ottobre patterns otherwise I keep forgetting whether a number I wrote down was in inches or centimeters. Below that are the instructions for cutting and constructing.
2. This is not the pattern I'm using, but I wanted to show you how a more complicated pattern has more information. For example, the parts shaded in grey are to be interfaced.
3. Here are the instructions for the pattern pieces. We need pattern sheet C and our markings are in red.

1. Look, there's C, right on top! Take note that the reverse side of the sheets have different letters.
2. This is pattern sheet C unfolded. Don't freak out! There's a system here, really. (I think this is when Ottobre loses a few people). Don't feel lost, this makes sense. Can you imagine how much paper they would have to use for each issue if they didn't overlap the pattern pieces? This really makes a lot of sense.
3. Remember how we need pattern sheet C and the color red? When we look along the bottom of the pattern sheet we see a series of multicolored numbers. We need numbers 1, 2, 3 (the numbers of our pattern) in red. There are 1 and 2.
4. We trace our finger straight up from the numbers on the bottom and find the corresponding numbers and lines on the sheet. 

1. I like to use low tack tape to secure my pattern and tracing paper. I usually use Swedish tracing paper or Kwik Trace paper to trace patterns. I just use a pencil and ruler for the straight lines. 
2. With a bit of concentration the lines are easy to follow. I do not add seam allowances at this point as I feel with all those lines it's just too distracting for me. I add them on the fabric.
3. Don't forget to check the key to see what the different lines mean. Ottobre does not use dashed lines and dots to indicate different sizes as you sometimes see on American patterns. All sizes use a solid line and the dashed lines indicate something else, like fold lines or grainlines.
4. Be sure to label your pattern pieces with the piece number, size and pattern name and number.

1. The nice thing about Swedish tracing paper (and Kwik Trace paper) is you don't need pins or pattern weights. They make a friction (so to speak) with the fabric and don't move around on you.
2. I add a half inch seam allowance (oops, I guess I don't do everything in centimeters!), just because I think it's easier than 3/8ths. You are free to make your seam allowance whatever works best for you. I usually use tailors chalk, but again, there are many different types of marking devices. Use what works best for you. (And remember, seam allowances are not included, but hem allowances are. It's always best to remind yourself of this).
3. I like to cut my pieces out of the fabric with a rotary cutter. I'm just not very good with scissors.

This is as far as I'm taking you here. Putting together the garment just requires following the instructions, which are very clear. Let me know if you have any questions about Ottobre Design sewing patterns, I'd be happy to help!

If you'd like to see a review of the specific pattern I used, head over to my blog: A Sewing Journal. Here's a picture of the final product.

Find Ottobre Design Magazines here.

Thanks so much Melanie! I think we're all ready to dive into Ottobre now!

Don't forget to check out the Flickr group for Dress Your School Girl & Boy! 

Other DY(S)G posts

 

Football Softie Tutorial

I'm sure you've all been stuck at one point or another wondering what to make for someone's new little baby. You want to make something that will be useful, cute, and get used. Many handmade items don't always fit into those categories. But here is something that does. The football softie tutorial!

The perfect way to use up some scraps of fabric and ribbon. I used flannel scraps here but quilting fabric or even minky would work great. I think the taggies on the football make the toy super cute and a bit more interesting for babies. Of course, you could omit those and it would still be just as useful! I've also added jingle bells inside the football but feel free to omit those as well.

Gather your supplies:

• Print the football template, or draw your own
• Cut 4 pieces for the football (I like to use freezer paper to get the job done quickly)
• Cut 1 ribbon 6.5" long (if you use a different size football cut ribbon accordingly)
• Cut 8 ribbons 3" long
• Jingle bells (3-5)
• Cut a small scrap about 2" x 4"
• Stuffing

1. Pin ribbons onto one piece of the football 

Turn ends under on the center ribbon. Loop the other ribbons and tuck them under the center ribbon. Sew center ribbon along edges.

2. Sew the football pieces together, right sides together. Use a 1/4" seam allowance. Stop sewing 1/4" from the ends.

3. Sew the next pieces of the football together (right sides). Edges should join as so:

(notice how the points meet in the middle and don't overlap?)

4. Leave a 2-3" opening when joining the final pieces. This will allow you to turn the football right side out and stuff.

5. Turn right side out

6. Use the small scrap of fabric to encase the jingle bells. It doesn't have to be pretty it just needs to hold them together.

7. Stuff the football, placing the jingle bell pouch in the middle of the stuffing.

8. Hand sew the opening closed.

And finally, present your special taggie football to a little special guy or gal.

Baby In The Hood

I made this jacket a year ago and posted some cute photos of the matching booties as well. Which reminds me... where are those booties?? So now my guy wears the jacket and I can give a much better pattern review!

Pattern: Baby in the Hood from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. I've also posted about her patterns here, here, and here.

Size: This jacket is size 6-9 months. I believe the sizing runs a bit large, as I mentioned about the pants. However, the length isn't especially large, mostly just the sleeves and the width. Plan to roll the sleeves (which is cute anyway). On a whole, the sizing isn't too bad. 

I had mentioned that I wanted to make 2 or 3 more of these in different sizes. I might, if I have the time. It is actually the jacket I use for him all the time and I remember liking how easily it came together when I sewed it. 

Things I'd change: Get rid of those toggles. Cute, in theory, but the jacket always comes unbuttoned. Regular button holes, please. I might attempt a zipper, actually. 

Has anyone put a zipper in one of these? I'd love to hear how it went!

Overall pattern rating?

More pants

We're enjoying more of our "laundry miracle" pants.

Pattern: Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby

Fabric: main fabric is unknown from a discount fabric store. Anyone recognize this pattern? The upper octagonal print is from JoAnn Fabric.

Now they've been worn!

Last year I sewed a couple pairs of pants from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings. I finally had a chance to put them on baby!

Baby is wearing 6-12 month clothing right now. These pants are size 6-9 months. Yes, these pants are baggy and long. I love the length. Perfect for rolling the cuff. I'd make the elastic smaller in the waistband next time. I followed the guidelines but didn't have a baby model.

When my husband saw him in the pants he said, "Those are some funky pants little man. I bet your mom made those." Um, yes I did. 

Like I said in my original post, these fit my daughter when she was wearing 18-24 month clothes. I was curious, so I put them on her again. She now wears size 2T and is 34.5" tall (for your reference).

As you can see, these pants are big. This size isn't long enough for a 2 year old, but if they are rolled up they are so adorable.

Now I'm thinking I need to make a bunch of these for Spring!! Clothes that fit my 2 year old and my 4 month old? And they're reversible? A laundry miracle?

Overall pattern rating?

(I'd give it a 5 star rating if the sizing was better)

The ever useful drawstring bag

Having two babes in diapers means that leaving the house takes a bit of preparation. Well, more than a bit! In my effort to keep things quick I've managed to create a solution that works for me.

We always have a "Jack bag" and a "Maggie bag" ready to go. A couple diapers and wipes. An extra outfit for Jack, bandaids for Maggie. This works perfectly, especially if I'm taking one kid one place and my husband is taking another kid a different place. No need to worry about diaper bags, they each have their own! They are small enough they tuck right into my handbag with no trouble. Such a time & mind saver!

Just a simple drawstring bag. There are tutorials all over for them. The fabric I bought at Ikea a couple years ago. I used printable fabric to print their names and sew it on the bag. I've had a roll of printable fabric for a few years and it comes in handy for all sorts of projects. 

UPDATE: This is a very good tutorial from Purl Bee for an easy drawstring bag. Mine is similar except I didn't make boxy corners on the bottom.

So, how do you manage to get out of the house?

Merry Christmas from me

Do you know how hard it is to photograph 4 kids when nobody can hold the baby and you want their clothes in the pic?

Yes, every item in the picture is me made, save the little red skirt in the middle.

On left:

Shirt & skirt designed by me. There is a lot of detail missing in the photo above. Shirt is a cotton interlock, skirt a cotton shirting. If you like this you can vote for it for Project Toddler Runway!

I'll get a better shirt detail soon...

Middle:

Shirt pattern from this Japanese pattern book. The fabric is linen. 

Right:

Shirt is, of course, the Somerset Hoodie. Check back tomorrow for a SUPER ONE DAY sale from Mama Stellato. Fabric is a cotton interlock. The fit is fabulous, highly recommend the pattern. Very quick and no serger required.

The skirt is corduroy with inset plaid pleats. Adorable. Pattern is mine. You can see it a little better here.

Baby:

I'm sure you recognize a 90 Minute shirt. It was the first time I've made one and, while I constructed it differently than the tutorial suggests, it was easy and took much less than 90 minutes. I like the contrast stitching so I did a little of my own on the bottom.

The pants are made from a cotton plaid shirting. My favorite part is the faux fly. He doesn't NEED it but it sure does add a little something to a pair of pants. There are pockets and cute cord knee patches as well. The pattern is mine.

So THERE! I completed Christmas outfits with weeks to spare! Now I'll let them take them off because long sleeves in nearly 90 degrees is uncomfortable.

The little things

I made this long sleeve onesie for Jack before he was born. He was bigger than expected and has grown out of it. Oh well. It made a cute picture! 

To make this I used a short sleeve onesie and a long sleeve t-shirt as a pattern. Then I added the hand covers. It was a fairly easy project. Definitely worth a try if you've got some special knit fabric you want to see on your little one. I still have more of that fabric so I'm sure you'll see it again.

Interested in winning $20 worth of fabric and a cute pattern? Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

The never ending piles of fabric....

I sewed for baby a bit this week. Sticking to the De-Stash Challenge I used only what I had.

I reaffirmed my distaste for sewing satin. But really, what baby doesn't love satin?

I made swaddle blankets by simply serging the edges of a giant flannel square.

I made over our very used burp cloths.

I made a couple changing pad covers using Prudent Baby's tutorial.

My mom says a brown changing pad cover is a bad idea. She may be right!

I used Cluck, Cluck, Sew's tutorial for the car seat cover she so aptly calls the Greeter Deterrent. 

I bought this baby flannel 5 or 6 months ago for around $1.50/yard. 4 yards has gone a long way. I've used it for a couple other projects this week as well. 

All this sewing and barely a dent in my stash! I'll share more of this week's projects in the coming weeks.

Linked here

Baby Kimono Top Tutorial: Guest Post

Have you met Narelle from Cook Clean Craft? She's dropping by today to add a little sewing fun to Sewing For Baby month. Thanks for helping out Narelle!

Over at her blog, you can find her sewing up incredibly cute little clothes:

Teaching you how to make a box pleat:

Giving tips on how to clean as you go (so very helpful).

And she's always full of great looking recipes. Don't you want some of these Apple Cinnamon Pancakes?

Hello! When searching for an outfit to make for a friend's baby, I came across a very cute baby kimono pattern at the Martha Stewart website. I loved putting kimono-style rompers on my son when he was a bub as you don't have to worry about pulling anything over his head (which was always a challenge). However, there were a few comments complaining that it was difficult to follow the instructions on the Martha Stewart tutorial. So, I thought I'd put together a detailed photo-tutorial of my own. Also, I decided to use buttons for the closure at the front rather than ribbons (which just seem too fiddly for me when you're dealing with a squirmy or screaming baby!) 

Head on over to Cook Clean Craft for the full tutorial for this Kimono top! 

Thanks Narelle! The top is adorable and this is such a great tutorial!

Sew an odd sized sheet: Quick & Easy Sheet Tutorial

There are so many crib sheet tutorials available. But what if you have an odd sized crib, pack and play, or basinet? What if you just want a quick method?

I have this great portable crib that I've used with babies 2 through 4. It allows the current occupant of the regular crib to take her time outgrowing it while the baby gets a cozy sleeping spot in mom and dad's room. The problem is, it is difficult to find sheets for this size of crib, let alone cute sheets. 

What if you just want the quickest method and don't care to spend time making a casing for the elastic that won't be seen anyway? Well, look no further. This is your quick and easy tutorial.

I've made this easy sheet tutorial for all your different sized crib needs! It is attached it as a PDF. Go ahead and download it so you'll have it when you need it.

Download Easy Crib Sheet Instructions

Please keep in mind that this tutorial was intended for thinner mattresses. If your mattress is thicker than 2 or 3 inches, please add to the length and width accordingly.

Any questions?

Linking HERE

Urban Hoodie

A couple months ago Heidi & Finn sent me the Urban Unisex Hoodie pattern to review. Well, I finally had the chance to whip one up and I love it! 

This is size 6 mo. and was made from a pair of maternity sweats I never wanted to wear again in my life. It is fully lined with some green knit fabric. You might recognize it from this popular dress. The pattern is for knit fabric and has instructions for how to sew this with just a regular sewing machine. No need for a serger. I believe this took me about 2 hours to sew. Maybe a bit more or less. I'm thrilled with how it turned out!

I do have a confession: I haven't sewn on the buttons yet. I'm seriously considering sewing the buttons on the outside and doing velcro underneath instead of button holes. It is for a 6 month old, after all. Quicker is better.

Confession two: I didn't change a thing about the pattern. Not one thing. That's unusual for me, really. So, Now I'm trying to decide if I should go rouge and change up the buttons. What do you think?

UPDATE: Now that I've put this on my baby I believe the pattern runs a bit small so make a size up for your little guy or girl! The sleves are long enough (a bit too long?) but they are snug. Some people complain the body is too short as well (compared to the arms, definitely).

Noodles & Milk Giveaway (CLOSED)

Let me introduce you to one of my sponsors, Noodles & Milk. You may remember when I made her Diaper & Wipes Carrier. I can attest that her patterns are easy to follow and turn out looking great! She makes some patterns especially for new parents. Speaking of new parents, hop on over to her blog and congratulate her on her brand new baby!

The reversible nursing cover is a great gift for all nursing mothers.

The nursing cover is a great pattern for a new sewist. I love how there are pockets at the bottom. Perfect for nursing pads or a paci!

The Nursing Pillow Cover is fabulous.

Don't be afraid of zippers! Now your nursing pillow can be as cute as everything else you have for your baby. This pattern will walk you through the process and you'll be pleased with the outcome! 

Noodles & Milk also sells adorable little girl patterns. Here are a couple of my favorites that would be great for Fall.

  
 

Whether you are new to sewing or an old pro, you'll be pleased with these patterns!

Don't forget, Noodles & Milk is still offering $1 off every pattern in the shop until Oct. 1st! Just mention The Train To Crazy at checkout and you'll receive a refund.

Want to win a pattern of your choice? 

Congratulations to Rebekah for winning the Noodles & Milk Pattern!

Little Cap Sew Along Day 3

 

Making the Little Cap is really easy, right? Please add your photos to the Flickr group so we can see what you've made! Are you interested in making a smaller cap for babies? Interested in seeing another little change I made? Jump on over to the Day 3 Instructions.

The kids are starting swim lessons here today. Wish us luck! We may need it!

A special thanks to those of you who have added your Go To Dresses to the Flickr group! I love seeing what you've made! Thanks to Elsie Marley for including the dress in her roundup of Fall clothes inspiration for her Kid's Clothes Week Challenge coming up next week. Are you joining along? 

Little Cap Sew Along Day 2

I intended (or hoped) to make another cap last night because some of my pictures are sorely lacking for the sew along. I didn't do it though. I've declared this vacation week around here. We'll be swimming and reading and doing a bit of math and spelling but that's about it! 

This is the lovely (non) recipient of the hat I didn't make:

She is my adorable, hilarious niece. You know how some kids are just exploding with personality, even at a very young age? That's her! Here she is modeling a cap that clearly doesn't fit. That's okay because it only stayed on for about 3 seconds. Just long enough for me to snap one picture. 

She is modeling the altered size 0-6 month hat. Stop by tomorrow to find out how to alter your pattern for that size.

You might notice the hat matches the booties I showed off earlier.

 

You'll also want to stop by to see how to make sure your hat looks like this on top:  

Ready to finish up your cap? Day 2 instructions are HERE. 

I'm linking these finishes to a few other blogs this week. Go check them out. There are also more pictures of finished hats in the Day 2 instructions!

Little Cap Sew Along Day 1

The Little Cap Sew Along is finally here! This is such an easy project, it hardly needs a sew along, but it's fun to make things with others, isn't it? I'll also be showing you some pattern variations including size variations. So, are you ready to join in?

If you haven't bought your pattern yet, go to the Leila & Ben etsy shop and buy the pattern. Mention The Train To Crazy to get $2 refund until the end of September. It is a PDF pattern so it will be emailed to you and you can join us right away!

Now, head on over to Day 1 Instructions!

Meet Max & Lola

 

These pillows would be adorable in any kid's room, don't you think? Virginia at Ginia18 Etsy shop is offering a Max PDF Pattern and a  Lola PDF Pattern to one lucky reader!

Check out her other patterns as well. She has great lunch bags and art supply holders!

Enter to win these PDF patterns!

Contest Closed!

Check out the other current giveaways and discounts in honor of Sewing for Baby month!

Guest Post: Moses basket bedding tutorial

Welcome to week 2 of Sewing for BABY month! Today we have a fabulous guest poster. I hope you get a chance to check out the tutorial she prepared and see all the wonderful things she does on her blog! Thanks for stopping by Cheryl! 

Hi Everyone!  I'm Cheryl from:

I'm a homeschooling mom of 3 who started sewing & crafting two years ago and hasn't looked back since!  My blog is all about my adventures in making fun stuff on a little budget and what I've learned along the way.  Here are just a few things: Shop Around Felt Playhouse

Fabric Garden

Pretty Plaits & Leia Hairdo Hats

Today I'm sharing my tutorial for making your own Moses Basket Bedding.

The baskets themselves are pretty inexpensive, but if you want some pretty bedding, whoa Nelly, are they pricey!  So I've got a quick & easy way to make your own so you can have the designer look without the designer price tag.  And using less than 2 yards of fabric!!

Just click here to get the full step-by-step tutorial.  Thanks so much for letting me stop by Andrea!!

Diaper & Wipes Carrier

What parent doesn't need a small case to hold a couple diapers and wipes? I'm sure I do! Noodles & Milk sent me her Diaper & Wipes Case with Strap pattern to test. Let me just tell you how easy this pattern is! I think I cut out the fabric and sewed this up in about an hour. Now I have a perfectly functional carrier that I can toss in a purse,

 

strap to the stroller 

or just carry around

It was great for the airplane. Perfect size to keep in a carry on.  

I made a few changes. The pattern calls for a snap on the strap. I didn't have one on hand so I used velcro. I also changed how the strap is attached. It's a very small change. I think I prefer how the pattern is written rather than my variation.

Noodles & Milk also sells other patterns for little girls and parent accessories.

For the entire month of September, you can get $1 off each pattern at the Noodles & Milk Etsy shop! Just mention The Train To Crazy when you check out and you'll receive your discount as a refund! 

Could you use a diaper & wipes carrier?

Little booties

A couple months ago I made a pair of booties for my baby. They turned out really cute but the process of making them was a bit tricky. Last week I tried out a new bootie pattern and let me tell you, these are easy. Easy and cute!

Lena's Patterns sent me the Flower Power Booties pattern. 

I, of course, am having a baby boy so I opted not to put ribbon on the top of my boots. First, I started out making a set of these.

I made them from fleece and lined them with flannel. Yes, I used Handmade Therapy's booties as a reference for adding this strap and button. 

 Then I made these denim booties.

 

I considered adding some red stripes on the side, but decided against it. Maybe next pair. 

All in all, this pair took less than an hour to sew. 

September is Sewing for Baby Month

Welcome to Sewing for Baby Month!! I hope you'll enjoy my pattern reviews, giveaways, tutorials, sew alongs, guest bloggers and roundups! There is a full month ahead! Subscribe in a reader so you don't miss anything! Grab the button to share on your blog.

Want to join in the Little Cap Sew Along? 

<a href="http://www.thetraintocrazy.com/little-cap-sew-along/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/thetraintocrazy/littlecapsharablebutton.jpg" border="0" alt="Little Cap button"></a>

September 13-17 I'll be doing another sew along with this cute little unisex hat from Leila & Ben. The pattern can be made in sizes 6 mo-5 years and it is perfect for little boys or little girls. I'll be showing off different variations of the hat so you can get some ideas. I'll also show you how to make it small enough to fit your tiny guys and girls. I can testify that this hat is great for beginnings. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to complete and is so cute when you're done! You won't want to miss this one.

And, as always, if you are joining this sew along you get a discount on the pattern! This $2 discount is available for the entire month of September to my readers. Mention The Train To Crazy in the notes and you will get your $2 refunded to you after purchase. You can buy the patterns at the Leila & Ben Etsy shop. 

Stay tuned for many more discounts and giveaways to come this month! 

Are there any patterns or tutorials you are especially interested in hearing about? Any product giveaways you'd love to see (or give)? What have you been sewing for baby lately?

Sewing for boy {pants}

I'm still loving Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. After sewing the hoodie and booties I moved on to the pants.

The, oh so cute, pants. They are reversible and have a cute little panel on the bum.

I fell in love with these fabrics. They are bold and cute and I'm hoping they look good on a little boy. 

And these little ones are corduroy on one side and cotton plaid on the other. Oh, and they just might go with the booties and the hoodie.

The pants are the size 6-9 months. They are definitely intended to have the cuff rolled up. When it is unrolled, the pants fit my 19 month old. And she's not tiny so if you are planning to make pants just be aware that they are baggy and have the potential to grow with your child. That's a bonus in my book.   

Linking HERE

Sewing for baby

I ordered Anna Maria Horner's new book, Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby a couple weeks ago and finally got around to sewing some of the projects from it this weekend. I have to say, I'm loving the book so far. There are a couple projects for maternity wear or nursing wear and the rest are baby clothes, toys and quilts. All of them equally eye catching.

I made the Cute-as-a-Button Booties

Definitely true to their name. I used a brown corduroy and a cotton plaid on the outside and a soft cotton knit on the inside. Would I make these again? Probably not. They are really cute, but I'm not a fan of how the inner sole was attached to the shoe. It is supposed to be fused in using a light fusible interfacing but it just didn't work well for me because of all the layers (probably just an issue for me since others have had success). I ended up sewing what I could in but since it is the last step I couldn't sew under the toes. If I could figure out a better way to insert the sole I'd definitely do them again.I 

I also made the Baby-in-the-Hood jacket.

There is no baby in this hoodie so I have no idea how well it fits. But it is so cute I'm sure I'll be making at least one more, if not two or three of these in different sizes. I used a cotton plaid and a solid for the outer fabrics and a soft cotton knit for the lining. The lining of a baby's jacket should be soft, should it not? I love the toggles and buttons as a visual effect. For practicality I'll probably omit the toggles next time and opt for snaps.

Can't you just see a chubby little baby face in there?

He won't be old enough to sit in this chair when this jacket fits but it just looked so cute hanging there I couldn't resist. This jacket is size 6-9 months. I'll have to borrow a baby to check how accurate the sizing is.

And, now he's ready to head out for an adventure. Crawling, of course.    

Linking here

A bitty dress

I have to show you the dresses in the matching set that so many of you commented on.  This is the little owl dress I made for Maggie, my baby.

Pattern: Simplicity 3511

I love the use of corduroy for this pattern. It is hard to find cute dress patterns that have sleeves. I think this one works very well for the colder months and the warmer ones as well.

Overall I would recommend this pattern. It was pretty easy to cut out and put together. No big issues.

Things I'd change:

• The neck opening is very wide for the size. This should have fit little Maggie according to her measurements but it just doesn't. She'll grow into it though.
• The method of putting elastic into the sleeves is overly time consuming. Next time I'll use my own method. The one I used on the cutest little shirt. On a related note, I'm still considering selling this shirt pattern. It won't happen any time too soon though so you'll have to hang in there!

But really, it is super cute.

The back detail makes it.

  

Do you think I could pull this off in my size? Which reminds me, thank you still for all the great comments on my dress!

UPDATE: The Clothing Sew Along starts today!! Please join in the fun! Also, week 1 of Make it, Wear it begins this Thursday! Link up anything you've made that can be worn!

This post is linked to Do It Yourself Day, Just Something I Whipped Up, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Make your Monday, Make it For Monday, Motivate Me Monday