Sometimes I am very short on time and don't have much to give to a handmade gift. But, I have a hard time giving a gift without a little something handmade. So, a handmade bib is the perfect addition to a baby gift. Here is one I made recently. I always seem to use this pattern from juicybits' blog.
I was lucky enough to be introduced to Bridget's blog - Mint Green with Envy a while back and even more fortunate to be asked to guest post over there about two weeks ago. For that post, I created a tutorial for a personalized pillow case. I made two - one for my six year old son and one for my four year old daughter. I will admit that I haven't made anything for my boys in quite a long time and I was thinking that my son wouldn't think much of the pillowcase, but I was wrong because he LOVED it. He is sleeping on it everynight. My daughter loves her's too, but I was expecting her to because she gets enamored with anything new...at least until the next thing comes around! 
The directions are simple and if you head over to Mint Green with Envy you can get the full tutorial. But, basically, you make a simple pillowcase and use the pattern found HERE to make the child's face and hair that best suits the child you are making the pillow for. I drew these and hope they work for you. You applique them on to the front of the pillowcase using the basic technique of Heat N Bond or Wonder Under to adhere them to the fabric and then stitch around the edge of each piece for the child face - head, hair, eyes, hair bows, etc. You can also applique the child's name using 2 1/2 to 3 " letters of your choice. It's all simple and a fun way to add some personalization to their beds. *Remember - the applique pattern is for personal use only*
Right now the Louisville Family Fun Blog is hosting a contest to give away one of my soldered charm necklaces. The necklace in the contest has two soldered pendants that have a Kentucky Derby theme and a silver chain included. Go over check out the rules and enter the contest. It ends Thursday, April 7th, at midnight. Good luck! 
I listed several Easter soldered charms in my shop a few days ago. I also have some Kentucky Derby charms I am about to list soon. I tried to get them in the shop before I headed to San Diego last week, but I was too rushed for time. In San Diego I was able to meet my niece, Velzy, and catch up with my parents and siblings. It was so nice and relaxing. I just took daughter with me while the boys stayed at home with dad. We hit In N' Out, Konos in Pacific Beach, and I got to shop at Trader Joes. I always have a list of a few places I need/want to go to when I am out there. I came home to some very cold weather and was told I missed snow while I was gone. I am so looking forward to Spring. I have Spring Fever which means every day when I get dressed, I just look at my capris hanging in my closet and wish it were time to put them on. Then, I head to the jeans and longs sleeves and just stare - wishing it just wasn't so. Soon, right? In the mean time, I will keep going knowing that Spring weather is just around the corner! 
Since I don't post over here as much as I would like, I thought I would try posting on Bridget's blog - Mint Green With Envy! I am posting a tutorial for a child's Personalized Pillow Case. My kids are already using theirs and tonight had a pillow fight with them. So, they are a hit - ha! Check it out.
I have had Noodlehead's Lil Cutie Pouch book marked for quite awhile now - wondering if I could make something with a zipper. I know, I know...it's not too hard to sew with a zipper, but I have this fear you know. One of the first dresses I ever made (which was a Sew Easy pattern by the way)had a zipper in the back and I struggled putting it in such a small 12 month sized dress. That might have scarred me a little. 
Anyway, the directions for the pouch were so clear and it was easy to make. I made it for a friend for her birthday and filled it with chap stick and gum and then made a matching key fob to go with it.
I have been finding images to put on the back of these new stick pendants. So far I have New York (Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building), Utah (vintage beehive), Paris (Eiffel Tower)- (not shown) and California (the beach and a few others). I am hoping to find great images that will represent many of the places you all might be from! Let me know what you might like on the back of these charms. I am interested in hearing. I will list the ones I have just made soon in the shop. 
Don't tell, but she wore it for two days straight just so that she could wear it to preschool on the second day. It made me feel good that she liked it that much.
I tried to put the snout up high enough to make room for a mouth, but she said her pig didn't have a mouth because, "pigs don't talk mom." Then she said they "oink" out of their noses. She said she just wanted a bow on the top of the pig's head so that she would look like a girl pig. So, pigs don't talk, but they wear hair bows? 
I appliqued the pig face and snout on using my usual method - wonder under (or Heat n' Bond) and stitching around the fabric for securing it and adding detail. I used dots of fabric paint for the nostrils on the snout and for the eyes.
But, I never got a great photo of her wearing it. They were all blury. She was too interested in playing on the computer instead of posing if you can believe? Then, when she came home after wearing it that day at preschool, she had blue marker all over it. I have tried to soak it in Oxy Clean, but there are still marks of blue. So, it's sitting on my dryer waiting for me to try something new to it. Soon... Oh, and the bird applique is from my drawing that I have a pattern for on my side bar.
This time I only officially appliqued on one of the onesies. I found a cute doggie silk screened shirt in a catalog and made my dog to look similar. I love this little dog and re sized him a few times with the copier so that I could add him to a few other items in the future. 
On the other I used a freezer paper stencil that I made from the image I found here (The Boy Trifecta Blog) and stenciled him on with fabric paint. I added a button for the heart. Don't mind the wrinkles!
This year, I found some for my nine year old that folded in to paper airplanes with 4 different styles. He thought they were cool, therefore, I was happy. For my six year old, I turned an easy Valentine cross word into a Valentine postcard. We added sports themed pencils to the cards for the boys and plastic heart bracelets for the girls. We just wanted these to be a bit better than the commercial ones where they just sign their names. Hopefully the kids will like the word search as well as the additional trinkets.
As for my four year old...she goes to preschool, so her Valentines were full of candy!
These aren't necessarily for little girls, but for hometown girls - Little stick charms to remember your roots. I am a Kentucky transplant and have been here over 11 years, but I grew up in San Diego, California and still consider myself a California girl. I am starting to feel like a Kentucky girl too since I really love everything about Kentucky. These stick charms are only 1/2"X1 1/2" and are perfect for adding them to a chain that already has an initial charm. I am going to make a few more and stick them in the shop soon.
