Baby Gear, Pt. 1

Wow - I can't believe how this week has gotten away from me! I get so busy doing that I forget to share what it is I've been up to. Today, I'd like to give you a quick peek at a couple of projects I've sewn for Baby Bee. Ready?

Jumping Bean Nursing Pillow:


I don't know why this was the first thing I had to sew. Maybe because I knew it would be quick and easy, which is sometimes exactly what I need. The fabric is from my stash - Scaredy Cat by Moda. I picked it up out of the remnant bin at Bolt a couple of years ago. I think at some point I was going to make it into a jumper for myself, but just never got to the project. Anyway, it seemed like a fun choice for the pillow.

Here's a closer look at the fabric.

The pattern I used is from Lotta Jansdotter's book Simple Sewing for Baby, which I've sort of had out on continuous loan from the library. If you have sewing skills and an hour to kill, use Lotta's pattern and make one of these instead of buying a Boppy. Much cheaper, and very satisfying. I'm told that not only are these fantastic for using while nursing/feeding, but that they also make a great place to prop up baby when she starts to sit up.

Next up, the Patchwork Sleep Sac:


This pattern can be found in Anna Maria Horner's book, Handmade Beginnings. (As an aside, this book is just stuffed with must-make patterns, including several for the mama-to-be. You'll definitely be seeing more projects from her book before I'm done!) For those of you paying attention, yes, you did just see this fabric on the throw pillow behind the nursing pillow, above. It's another Moda fabric that has been lurking in my stash for a few years now, part of the now discontinued Shangri-la collection. (Full disclosure, the fabric came pre-pieced.) I originally used it in panels across my living room curtains and on the throw pillows for the love seat, but had a fair amount left. "Why am I dressing my baby to match my curtains?" you may be wondering. Well, I switch the curtains each spring, so she won't actually match what's in the windows when we welcome her to the world. And then, we're planning to have moved by the time I would be putting the fall curtains up again, which will probably mean new curtains for new windows. Besides, I really love the fabric...

So, back to the Sleep sac... I used the pieced fabric on the front, a green and cream polka dot fabric for the back and the under panel, and super soft cream-colored flannel on the inside. (All of the fabrics came from Fabric Depot.) Anna Maria recommends adding a few inches to the hem for use up to about 5 months, so I did just that. I lengthened all of the hems by 4 inches. Hopefully that will do it.


The construction was really easy. Anna Maria gives very detailed instructions, so there are lots and lots of steps, but everything is very clear and I had the whole thing put together by 4:00, including the time it took to trace the pattern and cut everything out. I'm thinking I'll have to make another of these, so that we can rotate them through the wash. You can see, above, that the sac closes easily with velcro - Easy = good! The next one should really work up in a snap, since I have the pattern ready to go and am familiar with the process. I can't tell you how taken I am with this. It is just so sweet. After finishing it up, I found myself picking it up and hugging it to my chest every time I'd walk by.

So, that's all of my show-and-tell time for today. You might be wondering where all of the baby knits are. Hopefully I'll have them for you very soon. I've knit several little items which just need a bit of finishing work before I share - things like ribbons and little buttons need to be found and attached. Don't you worry, there will be plenty of knitted cuteness headed your way very soon. And what's next from the sewing room? Diaper bags for both myself and Ryan, a stack of changing pads, some little bloomers for her to wear when the warm weather finally gets here, and hopefully some nursing tops for mama.