DIY Wedding Invites and Programs

I've mentioned that my cousin/one of my favorite people in the universe got married in October.

I made her these family photo cookbook sheets as an engagement gift awhile back.

And I already shared with you the awesome Bridal Luncheon Invitations that my mother made for her.

She then asked me to help with the design of her wedding invitations and programs,

and since I was due with Michael the day before her wedding and therefore couldn't be there in person,

I wanted to be involved in any way that I could.

(Michael, as it turned out, was born during her rehearsal dinner, so I'm glad I stayed in Pittsburgh)

:)

I love the way the monograming turned out. We used a font called "rage" which is actually many different designs for the different letters. It just so happened that "A" and "E" are the same design.

It's like Amy and Erik were meant to be or something. :)

So we ended up using this same monogram for some place cards and thank you cards as well.

She chose beautiful colors and papers for the invitations,

so I wanted to something really classy and along the same lines for the programs.

We found some really antique grey card stock for the outside, some textured ivory paper for the inserts, and of course bakers twine. I'm such a sucker for baker's twine.

My mom designed the document for the programs in Photoshop, and then we got to work on printing, cutting down, and assembling them all…

About 20 trips to Michael's and many hours later,

my mom and I finished these guys up.

Luckily, we love this type of thing,

and it kept our minds and hands occupied while we were waiting for Michael's arrival.

I suppose we could have finished a lot earlier if we weren't so neurotic about square vs. rounded corners and font selection and sizes… but then what would be the fun in that?

Thanks, Amy, for letting me be a part of your day even though I couldn't be there in person!

Love you lots.

Modern Take on the Granny Square

Is it me, or is the granny square (kind of) back in?

Just me? Well anyway,

I wanted to work on a new project awhile back (while pregnant) that I could do sitting/laying down/being lazy

and also that I could pick up and bring with me anywhere.

I toyed with the idea of doing a hexy quilt like Jodi… but you know… it seemed a little too daunting at the time, so I landed on this granny square afghan. 

My inspiration and granny square pattern came from this post of a BEAUTIFUL rainbow blanket by Tangled Happy.

You can find the crochet pattern here.

I should also mention that the inspiration blanket was made with really gorgeous purl soho fibers, and you can even buy a kit here.

But here is my take on it.

I used a thicker yarn and larger needle and used fewer colors, opting out of the pinks and purples since I wanted to use this in the boys' room.

My fiber choice was Vickie Howell's "sheepish" collection by Caron.

They are nice bold colors and super soft.

The inside of the squares are the following colors: Gunmetal, Grey, Navy, Robin Egg, Turquoise, Teal, Red, Coral, Pumpkin, Yellow, Olive, Chartreuse, and Lime.

The border of each square is White (which is really an off white). I also used that to crochet my squares together.

This turned out to be a fairly large blanket. I hate it when blankets don't cover your whole self.

So all in all I used about two skeins of each color, and a heck of a lot of the white (I lost count, but maybe around 9 or 10?).

As mentioned above, I love granny squares because they're portable. Just my yarn and a crochet hook (size H/8-5.00mm), and I was set. You also don't have to bring the whole project with you to keep working.

I'm stoked with the way it turned out.

It just invites you to relax and have some more coffee, am I right?

Speaking of…

Until next time!

Our Intro to Montessori and DIY Place Setting Mat

 

I’ve often beat myself up about not having a super specific focus for this here blog, but here’s the thing:

I don’t have just one specific focus in life.

And since this is really about things that we do and mostly things I make in my life, there is bound to be a huge variety of topics. Not just that, but as our family life evolves, so too will my posts and the projects I share within them.

Which brings me to Ben’s preschooling.

He is two and half. We’re not quite ready for “real” preschool (he nor I), but anyone who has had a two year old knows that this time can’t be taken for granted. He’s a sponge, I tell you. He is learning to explore and do things by himself, and without trying to sound too much like the overly-mushy mom, it’s really fun to witness.

While I’ve adopted more of a Montessori method for awhile now in how his learning toys and play space have been organized as well as how we treat our belongings and our approach to toys and learning in general,

with the start of this “school year”, we are taking on a more specific Montessori approach.

If you want more information about the Montessori method, there are plenty of great resources and explanations out there. I’m not going to tackle that here. At least not yet. What I will say is that Ben and I are learning as we go. We’re taking on new “works” as they seem to fit with our life (right now, he is obsessed with dry pouring, and we’ve just introduced transferring with tongs which he seems to really enjoy as well). I am amazed every time I introduce a new work to him. He often needs no explanation which is part of the beauty of Montessori. Every work has a built in control, so learning comes very naturally.

 

And now for the DIY bit…

 

Montessori works can be really expensive (and sometimes confusing)… for me anyway, and I really don’t think I’m the only one. Luckily I’ve been able to find many ways to put materials together from things I have around the house, purchases from the dollar store, or simply by making them myself. So I’ll be sharing them with you all as we go in the hopes that you can benefit from our successes and failures.

The first thing I wanted to share is

Ben’s Place Setting Mat

 

 

 

 

I’m starting simple and with materials many of you no doubt have around your house

Construction paper, glue, a pen, and laminate material or clear contact paper (optional but suggested)

 

 

 

 

There is no need for step by step directions here. I used Ben’s plate, cup, and flatware as a template,

cut them out of colored paper

labeled them

and glued them on in their appropriate places.

 

 

 

I have a laminating machine which I LOVE but this was too big to fit through, so I just used clear contact paper so it will wipe clean. Then I put all of the materials in a separate bin and put the mat and bin on his shelves. No lie, when he found them in the morning, he didn’t even wait for an explanation. He just saw something new and dove right in, immediately putting everything in its place and then told me, “I did it! Bweak-fas?”

 

 

 

 

 

You can buy these pretty cheap from the store, or really beautiful cloth ones on Etsy, but all in all this cost me under a dollar, and I didn’t have to leave me house. Craft hoarding for the win!

 

 

So that’s all for now. Keep checking back in for more DIY Montessori ideas!

Bridal Luncheon Invite + Thank You Card

 

 

 

 

and now for the newest installation of “Meg is busy doing random things, so here’s something her mom made”

 

 

 

 

yes yes. More cards from my mom. She is so talented with the paper-crafting, I can’t help myself, ya know?

 

 

 

 

 

First off, this super cute thank you card.

 

 

 

My mom has a knack for making thank you cards for people that are exactly his/her taste. Now, that, is the gift-giving love language, am I right???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a thank you card for me since I gave her a divided fabric basket for Mother’s Day (made from this awesome pattern by noodlehead) to hold her paper-crafting materials.

 

 

Did you get that? I made her something to hold the things that she makes, so she made me this card to thank me for the thing that I made. I love my family.

 

 

 

 

 

And next up, this super intense bridal luncheon invite which she made to semi-match the bride’s invitations and wedding colors.

 

The front. So classy.

The band with the text slides off so you can open the invitation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The back (with the bride’s monogram).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The inside

with pull cards for the details and RSVP information.

 

 

 

Super cute, right?

 

 

 

 

Great job once again, mom!

And I CANNON WAIT to share more of the wedding details from Amy’s wedding! We’ve helped her design the invites and lots of other pretty details like the place cards and programs! so stay tuned! :)

My Old Crib to Ben's New Toy Chest

 

 

 

 

 

I meant to write a post oh... a year ago about this transformation,

and you know... I didn't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This turned out to be a good thing because Ben ended up breaking the thing anyway... more on that in a bit maybe.

 

 

I've written many a time about how awesomely creative my family is,

and here is yet another example.

My uncle, after hearing that I was expecting (the first time), offered to give back to me the crib that my brother and I slept in when we were babies.

And while I was tempted, it was only for sentimental reasons

as the thing is... well... old (we won't say how old).

It's been through at least 3 babies as a crib and had definitely seen better days.

Not to mention my uncle lives in GA. I live in PA. Shipping the thing to me didn't seem worth it.

 

So I moved on, my mom bought Ben his nursery furniture. Done and done.

Broken but not for long!

 

 

 

 

 

Then I get this toy chest in the mail.

My uncle turned (half of) my old crib into a toy chest.

He did the hard work,

and I put it together when it arrived at our house.

 

 

 

 

 

Clearly I didn't do a good job, because once Ben was climbing all over everything, it broke.

In a number of ways.

So while I've been getting prepped for baby number two,

I decided this thing must come back to life.



After first coat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood glue,

some reinforcing screws,

some paint,

and we were back in business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't usually paint wooden things, and in some cases am adamently against it.

However, this had so many scratches and teeth marks, it really had to be done.

 

 

Apple/ Fire Engine Red. Always a winner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the most part, you can see how it went from crib to toy chest above there.

I'm thinking that you could hypothetically squeeze two chests from one crib.

 

The bottom and the top are pieces of plywood.

 

The top, I upholstered with some 1 inch foam, batting, and coordinating fabric.

And added a handle with cotton strapping material.

 

 

Cute, yes?

And always nice to hide the ugly and obnoxious toys away.

We love it.

:)

Semi-Homemade Birthday Doll Set

Unsolicited frugal tip of the week:

Do your gift shopping after Christmas.

For obvious reasons, yes? EVERYTHING is on clearance.

I have a huge tupperware bin in my studio that is devoted solely to unassigned gifts,

things that I know I can gift eventually for birthdays, showers, and such.

Pretty much everything inside is something that I've purchased on way way way mark down.

And pretty much everything inside is something that I've purchased at post holiday clearance sales.

Being that there are so many children in my life,

and I seem to spend almost 3/4 of my time at baby or bridal showers,

here is what I always have in my magical gift bin,

and therefore what I'm always on the lookout for when searching the clearance aisle:

1) Bridal shower gifts.

Think kitchen utensils, tea towels, pyrex, wine glasses, cookbooks, etc.

Even if I buy something off the registry, I always jazz it up with utensils and some towels.

Way bigger bang for your buck.

2) Baby items.

Unisex newborn clothes for showers, swaddling blankets, little infant toys, etc.

See above about jazzing up a registry gift.

3) What I call "universal" toys.

These are toys like dolls, trucks, blocks, and the like.

Things that pretty much every kid plays with.

Not specific (Sorry kids, you will almost never get that crazy specific action figure on your Christmas list, but it doesn't mean Aunt Meg loves you any less).

Not to mention, have you seen the girls' toy aisle lately??? ick.

I mean really.... gross.

I've never seen so many overly curvaceous, bug-eyed, mid drift-showing dolls things in my life,

and frankly, I'm horrified.

So anyways...

I snagged this normalish baby doll after Christmas last year at Target for $2. Yes. Two.

She wasn't bug-eyed.

She wasn't wearing make up.

I know what you're thinking, newborns don't wear make up.

Ah yes, I'm a grown woman and at this point I rarely wear it myself,

but for some God-forsaken reason, there are (many!) baby dolls that are wearing eyeshadow?

Okay I'm done. Maybe.

Anyway, she came with a pacifier and a bottle and outfit and whatnot,

but I always like to add to a handmade touch to every gift,

so I made her some new clothes,

some dollie diapers with velcro,

and some itty bitty bibs.

The pattern for the dress can be found here.

I used velcro for all of the fastenings, so it would be easy for a 2 year old to change her.

For the diapers and bibs, I just drew a template first on paper and tweaked it to fit her.

As for fabrics, I used some that I had on hand,

cotton for the dresses and cozy flannel for the diapers and bibs.

Ben was psyched to give this gift to his friend, Lucy, for her birthday.

And he had a crazy good time, as always, at her house for the party.

For other ideas on how to "dress up" a doll gift, head over to my Pinterest board

"Education and Just for Fun Toys".

There are pins for baby doll carriers, bassinets, and all kinds of fun stuff.

Till next time!

Wedding Flowers

Bride's Bouquet

Maybe I missed my calling.

Who am I kidding? I just enjoy way too many hobbies.

A number of months ago I was asked by a family friend to do her wedding flowers,

and I was soooo psyched and honored.

I did the flowers for my own wedding which were really simple

(not to mention we had a smallish wedding party),

but that's it,

so the fact that Christina even asked was super exciting.

Her faith is great is more than one way.

Twine-wrapped boutonniere
with rose, hypericum berries, and bear grass

Corsage

So I got busy pulling some ideas off of Pinterest and such, talked it over with her,

and decided to give it a go,

and I am so glad I did!

For anyone who hasn't worked with flowers before, it is so fun and addicting.

Once I started, I couldn't stop

which was great, really, because her wedding party was HUUUUUUUUGE!

The wedding party was so big,

I ended up making these kraft paper tags just so I could keep everything straight.

They worked out perfectly, and helped me keep everything organized.

I love the twine and the burlap with the greens and white roses!
Perfect mix of rustic and elegant.

Altogether, I made 20 boutonnieres, 14 bouquets, 2 altar arrangements, and I don't even know anymore... maybe 8 corsages?

It was a little grueling, but I was so happy with the way everything turned out,

and I would definitely do it all over again.

You can see some more details about the wedding and wedding party over on Ana's (sister of the bride's) blog.

Christina had all of her bridesmaids pick their own dresses, and they were all different shades of green,

so I stuck with mostly white and lighter green flowers and foliage

with lots of roses per Christina's request.

The bouquets were most definitely my favorite.

I wrapped the stems in burlap and then ribbon,

ivory for the bride

and all different shades of green for the bridesmaids.

The bridal bouquet had a lot more white flowers,

with the green hypericum berries and lily grass framing the bottom.

So that's that!

I hope I'm asked to do wedding flowers again.

It really was so much fun,

and such a privilege to do for an amazing couple.

Best wishes, Christina and JW!

Nursery Bedding Project [Links to Free Tutorials]

A friend asked me to make some custom nursery bedding for her firstborn.

She picked out all of the fabrics to match the nursery,

and I've been chipping away at making the different pieces for the past few months between other orders.

Nursery bedding, I have found, can be frustrating to purchase because the affordable sets are all pretty ugly, and the pretty stuff is expensive! I was lucky enough to have my mom make a whole set of crib and cradle  bedding with extra sheets and matching blankets to my exact taste. I know. She's the best.

So I totally understood the request for something custom made with her choice of fabrics.

Everything came out so well,

and, even better, I was able to use some free online tutorials for everything.

So I thought I would share the wealth and pass the tutorials along to you all.

Altogether, I made three fitted sheets, a set of bumper pads, a window valance, and an adjustable crib skirt. So here we go!

Bumper Pads

Had to start with these because they were the most fun to work on.

You can find the free tutorial here.

They were actually easier than I anticipated, and if you're a newbie to piping, this would be a great project for you to try it out, in my opinion, because you work with the piping in small sections instead of one long continuous strip. Also, if you want to make the piping super simple, you can use pre-made bias tape.

I also liked that you can utilize two different prints for the bumpers and a third fabric for the piping and straps.

Because the pads are separate, they are easier to fit in the washer, and if you're tired of one print on the inside, you can switch them around, alternate them, and whathaveyou. I know, I'm wild.

Fitted Sheets

These were pretty straightforward.

You can find the directions here.

The one thing I will say about these is that you want to double check that your fabric of choice is at least 45" wide, because you'll need all of it including the selvage.

Standard width fabrics won't cut it... Actually, you will have to cut it and piece it together and it's a pain... trust me. I did it.

Valance

Sorry... the only pic I have of this is with my iPhone camera.
I have to say, while this one wasn't very complicated, it was pretty tedious... especially for the impatient sewist of quick projects (me).
The bright side, though, is that it is a genuine "real" window treatment, and you'll appreciate the quality the design even after all the extra steps and hand sewing.
Click here for the tutorial.

Adjustable Crib Skirt

This was SUPER simple. And great considering that more cribs nowadays have all different heights and stuff.

Essentially, you just make fabric panels for each side of the crib (be sure to get accurate measurements), and then you clip them or pin them to your mattress spring or board. Adjust as you go. Awesome.





How to measure for you fabric cuts: for the long sides of the crib, measure from one side of your mattress spring or board to the other. Add 2 inches. For the short side, do the same. These will be your cut lengths.
For the height, you'll want to measure from the floor to the highest setting of your mattress. Add 6 inches. This allows for your hemming and an additional 4 inches so you have something to clip underneath the mattress. The height will be the same for all four sides, obviously.
Cut your pieces, then finish each side by ironing over 1 inch (twice) and top stitching for each side. You should have four simple rectangles that fit nicely on the bottom of your crib. :)

So there you have it!

I'm happy with all of these tutorials, and I'm happy to pass them along to you!

Sewing for babes is fun, yes?



Another Milestone: Sewing Garments

Was anyone else out there totally inspired and motivated by Kids' Clothes Week

a few weeks ago?

I certainly was, and if you follow me on Pinterest or Instagram,

you've probably noticed that I've been somewhat addicted to finding some simple garments to sew

in order to boost my confidence in the pattern department.

For some reason kids' clothes seem so much less intimidating.

Luckily, I found these bubble shorts by Elegance and Elephants.

Not much needs to be said.

They are beyond cute and also beyond easy.

(!!!)

Which means they were perfect for my first try at sewing a real garment.

The pattern also comes with a variation for sailor style button front, which is so incredibly adorable, I can hardly stand it. That may be next on my list.

I don't have any female offspring, so I've been churning these shorts out for my nieces and Ben's little lady friend, Lucy.

I also found a free pattern for this toddler swing tank.

I added the peter pan collar with some extra fabric I had left over from the shorts.

For the shorts, I opted for a linen blend which gave me the look of linen, but more ease of care,

and the shirt is a quilting weight cotton print (both from Joann).

Super cute, right?

This endeavor went so well, I'm actually considering sewing something boy-friendly for my own child! haha.

I'll keep you posted.