Blessed.

Oh.my.gosh.  I am dying right now.  

So, in our church we have a tradition that the Father (or sometimes Grandfather) gives a new baby a special blessing during our Sacrament meeting.  Traditionally babies wear all white, but I kind of wanted to go against that.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the tradition, the other four kids wore complete white, but for some reason I couldn't get this out of my head.  I actually was picturing a brown or gray linen, but I couldn't find the "right" one, so I went with an ivory linen for the bottoms.  If I had more time I am sure I could have found something online, but I had less than a week to figure something out... but I am in love. 

Side note, but I pretty much learned to sew because I wanted to make the twins blessing dresses.  I taught myself while I was pregnant with them and even figured out how to size down and adjust a pattern in just a few short months.  If you are interested, there is a picture on Flickr as it was pre-blogging days.  Sewing satin and ruffle fabric wasn't easy or fun in the early days, ha! 

I am obviously obsessed with the Oliver + S Lullaby Layette Bodysuit, so that was a no-brainer that I would use it somehow in this outfit.  But I wanted something more, something special.  A while back someone (I think Sarvi?) mentioned how darling it would look with a collar, I definitely agreed and had been thinking about how to make that happen.  Well, guess what?  This was the kick in the pants I needed to get it figured out.

I used the basic shape of the Sketchbook collar, but made some adjustments being the bodysuit is a size 3 month and the smallest Sketchbook is 6 month, plus the necklines are different sizes.  I used a crisp white shirting poplin and the collar is almost too stiff even though I used a really light interfacing.  Oh well.  It could still use some adjusting, but I am pretty happy with it.

The suspender shorts, aren't they completely adorable?! They are from here.  I can't vouch for the instructions because I didn't like they way you were instructed to put them together, so I did my own thing... Also, the waistband was 1/2" too big and the pattern calls for 3/4" elastic but I could only get 1/2" to fit, which was annoying.  But oh my gosh aren't they cute?!

And for the bow tie I just used rectangles and my memory from when I had made one for Jack earlier in the year.

The shoes are completely impractical and silly, but (shall I say it again?) adorable!!

So Mr. Sam is ready for his first big shindig (tradition is also to serve a luncheon after the meeting) and I am just so happy with how this all turned out!

Blue + Green.

The fates aligned again today, Ben took the 4 oldest swimming this afternoon and then volunteered to make dinner (husband of the year), and Sam took a decent sized nap.  Decent enough that I was able to finish the outfit I had been slowly working on for the last three days.  Everything takes forever these days, but I'm not complaining.  

I totally love his other bodysuits and wanted a quick and easy project, so I again went with the Oliver + S Lullaby Layette Bodysuit.  Someday I will make the other pieces in the set... This one is a 3 month, he is currently one month old (tomorrow) and weighs 12 pounds and is close to 22", so he needed the length.  All my kids are giants though, so I wasn't surprised he was a tall one.

I tried print mixing with the applique, not quite sure if I dig it, but what's done is done.

Speaking of what's done is done, I totally screwed up on this one...

So I used this ever so soft and lightweight shirting, but the downside (other than it shifting like crazy while sewing) is that I couldn't really differentiate the right side from wrong side.  Well, I got sewing and not thinking and managed to sew the back of the bodysuit on wrong side out, so the pleat shows on the back.  Which would have been fine if I had flattened the pleat in the middle like I was thinking of doing rather than pressing it to one side like instructed.  So it looks a little weird, but there is a dang good chance I will be the only one who notices, oh, and Ben being I told him.  Normally I would have pulled out the seam ripper, but I had already sewn + serged the shoulder seams and completely sewn on the binding before I realized my mistake, so I said screw it.

It is amazing how fast their little faces change.  He is starting to look so different to me, his hair is lightening up and he is starting to get cheeks and thunder thighs.  Also, he is so much more alert and has even smiled a time or two.

But not today, he isn't a fan of the momarazzi.

Hide + Seek, 3 ways.

Way back in the first part of June I measured and made Abby a Hide + Seek Tunic.  I wanted to make the dress, but she isn't really in to them right now, and I wanted her to actually wear it, ha!  So I enlisted her help to design it.  She has worn it ever since and so I decided to assembly line two more tops, especially once I realized school starts in less than a month!!  

I have been working on those two for over a week now, you know, something about having a newborn... but it was like the stars aligned today- the three youngest were all napping at the same time, Jack had walked to Grandma's and Abby was reading a book, so of course I had to finish up!   

First up, the original.  This is the size 8, no mods.

I picked out a stack of fabrics and let Abby choose which she liked best, I think she did a great job.  I actually had suggested a pink, but she picked the blue and I think she nailed it. (it is hard to tell, but some of the little specks are the exact blue she picked).

I really enjoyed this pattern, I didn't do any of the bells and whistles (welt pockets) so it was a quick and easy sew.

Girlfriend requested snaps as she hates her hair getting caught in buttons.

This one is a yummy Lisette lawn that I had used the blue colorway last year for me.  I love this stuff.

This one is kind of fun.  Before I started sewing seriously I bought this amazing purple fabric on a super close out, it was just so neat and I thought I would make myself a skirt.  Well, that obviously never happened, and it became a top for a kid instead.  I don't think Abby was born when I bought it, or if she was she was only a year or two old.  Aaah, stash fabrics.  In fact, all of these were stash fabrics. That makes them free, right? ;)

The white with raised dots was bought originally to make her baptism dress, but I ended up using this gorgeous eyelet.

I swear that I used purple thread, not the exact purple as I didn't have any on hand, but it looks like it is glowing here, ha!

She is so cute and told me she likes each of them for different reasons.  The first one is just so pretty, the second is so soft and she loves the texture of the third.

I didn't measure her in between the first of June and the first of July and it turns out she went up a whole size, what?! So she wont get as much wear as I had hoped, but they are a good start to the school wardrobe.

For the lake.

I have managed to sneak in an itty bitty amount of sewing time since Sam was born, first up was a new swim suit for Abby.  She and Jack were headed to Lake Powell and I wanted her to have a rash vest for a little more sun protection (Jack has a purchased one).

I wanted to use the Field Trip top, but I didn't have time to make more than one if it came out too big, so I used the Peekaboo Pattern Hang Ten and for the bottoms the Coney Island.  I made the CI last year and she wears that one all.the.time. It is starting to wear out and the bottoms are getting too small.  I made the size 8 for both pieces, I think they fit well, but she says she got a rash the first day from the bottoms being too big and the way they rode up when jumping in.  Who knows, I wasn't there and never saw the rash.

I am also working my way through 2 Hide-and-seek tops (and have been for over a week) that we are both excited about, if we manage to make it out of the three week growth spurt alive...

Meet Sam.

Sam was born 6/26/14, he is 3 weeks old today! 

He was a little chunker, 9lbs3oz and 21" and was born at 39 weeks exactly.  Kinda glad I didn't go longer, ha!



We are surviving, hoping I am past the worst part (but isn't there a growth spurt around 3 weeks?).  Luckily the kids are out of school so the older two can help with the twins and that means I can usually sneak a shower in before the twins go down for a nap in the afternoon.



He nurses like a champ and is growing perfectly, in fact, at his 1 week appt (actually at 11 days) he had just regained his birth weight and when I went in the next week (at 18 days) he had shot up to 10lbs6oz!  That was 1lb3oz in a week!



Luckily he hearts his pacifier because if he is awake and doesn't have something in his mouth he is angry.  Very angry.  Ha!  But we sure love him.


Being he is my last little one, I am trying to take life slowly and soak up every little moment.



P.S. taking your own newborn photos is exhausting!  I have done it before for friends and family so I thought it wouldn't be a big deal to do my own, but it is so nice to have someone to pass the baby to while you are setting up a shot or to calm the babe down.  So I didn't get very many (not nearly as many as I had planned in my head) but I got some that I love, so that's what counts, right?

Remember this little outfit?  He wore this one home from the hospital, and this is him at one day old.  

And this one?  It is pretty much my favorite thing to put him in, he gets compliments every time he wears it out of the house.  He was a day shy of 2 weeks here. 

A few weeks before he was born I slowly worked on some essentials.  I never managed to blog them (or the 4 maternity tees I made either), so here they are now.

A nursing cover.  I looked at a bunch of different tutorials online and combined my favorite parts about them, nothing special, but it works great.  I have only used it once at church this week, but it did the job great.

I made these single layer receiving blankets by making them square (either 42x42 or 44x44), rounding the corners and doing a rolled hem on the serger.  They are really nice to have.  I did end up splurging on a set of Aiden + Anias blankets (which I totally love and recommend, definitely worth the $), but he spits up a crazy amount and these get plenty of use too as there are always a few in the laundry.

Then some burp cloths.  Not just some, like 18, I think.  They were crazy tedious, but I am so glad I made them, we go through so many!  I just used some flannel on one side and chenille on the other.

I have managed a bit of sewing here and there, turns out school starts in less than a month! AAAAGH!  So even though it takes me a week for one item worked on in 5 minute spurts, it has been nice to sort of feel creative again.  I did manage a whole swimsuit for Abby yesterday though (she and Jack are headed to Lake Powell as I type), but more on that later, someone's starting to stir...

Polka dot shorts.

Girlfriends need some new shorts, and what better short pattern to start with than the Oliver + S Puppet Show Shorts?  I have made them lots before and just love the look of them. 

Girls measured in to a 2T (Izzy) and 18M (George), so I went with 2T so they could both wear them.

I used a lightweight twill from Jo-Ann I picked up last season, they love their "polka ots shorts".

They are both recently obsessed with pockets.  They wont put anything in there except their hands, but they walk around most of the day with their hands stuffed in them. 

I am guessing because they are 2T they are still sized for diapers, which finally the girls are no longer in!  So we get a droopy bum, but that's a-okay!  I also have 2 pairs cut in denim waiting in the to-sew pile, but first a Hide and Seek top for Abby.

Shandiin Tank.

Miss Abby needs some new tops, so here is her first one.

This is the Shandiin Tank, size 8.  I rarely buy a pattern the first time I see it, but after seeing Cindy's versions (especially K's) I immediately bought it.

I found this awesome sauce lace at Jo-ann last time I was in and just knew it was destined to be paired with this pattern. 

(P.S. she is also wearing her chambray shorts)

I love the unique back, and that it doesn't show too much skin.

It is sort of washed out in these pictures, but it is a cream top, not white.

My only complaint is the arm holes are quite low, low enough that she has requested a shirt to go under it so she feels more comfortable.