Projects

This summer and now into the fall I've managed to get a little crafting in.  It's a lot different now with a baby especially now that she can crawl and get into everything!  Sewing is especially dangerous.  I try to keep most of my stuff in our room where I can close the door if something is left out.  Which often means a very messy bedroom.  Crochet and knitting are better because the basic materials needed for that are not as easily swallowed.   I did lose a button the other day that was going on a crocheted vest and worried Joan had eaten it...  Thankfully Dan found it when he got home and we didn't have to look for it in her diapers.

Here's a pretty simple project.  I re-purposed a vinyl tablecloth and old fleece blanket into a picnic blanket.  It rolls up and stays in our stroller for park outings.  It has also been useful as a rain cover for the stroller in a pinch as well.

  

Last weekend I had two baby showers to attend for baby boys.  They were both beautiful showers and very creative!  For the first little man I crocheted this blue and green sweater vest.  It was fun to try as the stitch was pretty new to me and I've never made a vest before.  

For the second little guy I made a tiny little puppy hat.  His family has a friendly fluffy cream-colored dog and I wanted him to match!  This was also a new pattern for me and I'm excited to add animal hats to my repertoire. 

For our anniversary Dan surprised me with an iPad.  Of course one of the first things I thought about was what kind of case I was going to make for it!  A friend of mine stopped here for a night before flying out of O'hare and she had just won an iPad herself.  So I whipped together a little sleeve for it out of felted wool.  I learned a few things from making hers and made my own a few weeks later.  Actually it was just a day or so before I was leaving on a trip also.  I guess I need the last minute deadline to motivate me!  This is mine.  I added a cotton liner because the sweater can leave a lot of fuzz on the screen otherwise.

But a sleeve only offers so much protection if I want to stick my iPad into a bag when out and about.  I really like the cases I've seen that were made out of an old book.  I decided to try making one myself. 

This is the inside of it without the iPad.  Notice the left side is covered in a soft velvet.  Luxurious, no?

The book was originally a children's book titled, "Rain in the Winds."  I liked the cover with the boy riding an elephant.  I used one piece of elastic for the whole thing.  I found buttons that had big enough holes that I could thread it through them but they offer enough hold to keep the elastic tight on the inside even when it's not wrapped around the outside of the book.  I also used the buttons to secure the ends.  I weaved the elastic through the buttons and then sewed it to itself with a little bit of glue as extra reinforcement.  The back looks a little beat up from the holes I screwed through it.  I'd like to figure out something to put around the large hole which is there for the camera.  The book got pretty torn up around that spot.

And there it is holding the iPad with a picture of a little cutie on it.  If you look closely you can also see the reflection of her hand.  I had to fight her off while I took these pictures.  She wants to be involved in everything I do.  Who can blame her?  I should enjoy the days when she thinks I'm super cool while they last, right?