Baby Sewing Week - Gift # 3 Comfort

Living in Pennsylvania, the most comfortable day I could imagine involves sleeping in on a cold winter morning with a warm blanket rapped around me. That's why I chose to make a baby quilt for my third and final gift to the triplets. 

The great thing about quilts is that they are both functional and decorative. A beautiful quilt can make your whole room feel more comfortable. I've always enjoyed the luxury of owning a beautiful handmade quilt or two, but up until a week ago, had absolutely not interest in learning how to make one myself.

In fact, I honestly believed that the only way to make a quilt was to spend months or even years meticulously cutting and sewing tiny little scraps of fabric until your fingers bled. Silly Me! In fact since finishing this project I've found lots of other quilt patterns that can be finished in less than a week. 

This particular quilt is one of the many projects that I made while taking a single Craftsy Class taught by the author of Make It Sew Modern .

The class had so many projects in it, that I knew I would find something that I liked, and the way it is organized lets you do the projects in any order that you like, on your own schedule. If I decide to wait 10 years before starting the next project I will still have access to it. 

I love how thorough the instructor was, and how quick she was to respond to any questions. I've already signed up for my next class, The Ultimate T-Shirt. I'll let you know if it is as beneficial as the first one, once I get around to doing the lessons. I can tell you that it came with a free printable Vogue pattern, so I'm looking forward to it. 

Now that you have seen all three of my baby gifts, tell me about your gift giving style. Do you give practical, sentimental, or decorative gifts?

Baby Sewing Week - Gift #2 Tradition

My second gift to the triplets is the gift of tradition. I am giving a handmade baby bonnet that turns into a wedding handkerchief on her wedding day. When she has her first child she can turn it back into a bonnet.

This easy to make sentimental gift can be passed down from generation to generation. 

You Will Need

• Fabric and Lace Fabric - I used a new standerd pillow case and a table cloth, but look for vintage for an extra special gift.
• White Thread
• Colored Thread - For Decoration
• Sewing Machine
• Cutting Tools
• Ribbon 

Tutorial/How to Make

Cut a 12 inch by 12 inch square of both fabrics and lay them on top of one and other. Attach with a straight stitch close to the edge. From this point forward they will be treated as a single piece of fabric.

Sew a narrow hem around all four sides. Work in parallels. After hemming the first side go to the opposite side and hem. Then do the two remaining hems.

Remove the white thread and bobbin from your machine and insert you decorative color. Choose a decorative stitch from your machine (I used a feather stitch) And sew one inch from the edge in a straight line around all four sides. You now have your wedding handkerchief. 

Now we will form the bonnet. Fold two parallel sides under 2 and 1/2 inches each and press.

Adjust the setting on your machine so that your stitches are slightly larger. Sew a few small stitches on each of the four inside corners (see picture below) to hold the folds in place. These stitches are in contrasting thread so they will be easy to find and snip on the wedding day.

Insert a length of ribbon into one of the casings .

Gather the ribbon and fabric and tie it in a bow to form the back of the bonnet.

Now slide two pieces of ribbon into the front and stitch each in place to make the ties for the bonnet front. I chose to switch back to white thread because the ribbon would make these stitches easy to find and snip, but you can use contrasting if you prefer.

Now your bonnet is complete. You can include instructions in the gift, or use the poem below. There are many versions of this poem so do a quick Google search for the one you like the best.

For a special baby

Loving thoughts and nimble hands

Created this little bonnet

Of fine lace and ribbon bands.

At first it was a handkerchief

But with some stitches small

A bonnet was made for downy head

To be admired by all.

Mother will carefully store it

Gently pack it away

After years she'll take it out

Before her daughter's wedding day.

She'll snip the tiny stitches

Place it in her daughter's hand

To carry, as a hanky, down the aisle

And receive her wedding band.

Mother's Son will find good use

For the square, when he's a young man

He'll give it to is sweetheart 

When he asks her for her hand.

If you missed gift # 1 you can see it here. Don't forget to look for gift # 3 which will be revealed later in the week.

Baby Sewing Week - Gift # 1 Versatility

It’s baby sewing week at The Lachman Collection. My sister’s triplets are coming home soon! I’m so excited. While she is busy preparing her house, I will be preparing the gifts.

I've never really enjoyed sewing the same thing twice, let alone three times, so I’ll be making a different gift for each baby. While I’m at it I’ll avoid the color pink, just to give the boys in the house a break.

Gift # 1 – Versatility

The first of my three gifts is the gift of versatility, an important trait for every girl to have. I’m sure her mother will appreciate it as well. Everyone knows that when you have a baby girl, you have to have a ton of baby dresses. There for when you have 3 baby girls you have to have 3 tons of baby dresses. Imagine if every one of those dresses was reversible. Then you would only need 1.5 tons. That’s much more reasonable.

You can find a free pattern and tutorial for this versatile baby dress here. My version included the following changes.

• Fabric – Used two men’s dress shirts, rather than fat quarters
• Bottom – I pressed 5/8 inch of the hem to the inside and applied ric rac to the grey side so that the red stitching would not be visible.
• Then I sewed another row of ric rac above it because ric rac is adorable.

Stay tuned all week. I have two more DIY baby projects coming up. Be sure to subscribe because you don’t want to miss it. 

Gift # 2 - Tradition