DIY Project in action: Yard Panel Baby Blanket & Month to Month Onesies

My friend sent me this picture yesterday, showing her baby with the gifts I send them a couple of weeks ago. SO fun to see that they are getting use out of the things I've made for them. 

My friends baby, wearing onesie I've made, on the quilt I made.

Image via my friend, edited via my Instagram.

Here are the links to both the projects:
Quicky Yard Panel Baby Blanket
Month to Month Onesies

I just had to share the cuteness.

DIY Project: Tradewinds Quilt

Update: I added a double binding on this quilt. See the updated project here!

I'm sure nobody missed how much I loved the backing fabric on my last big quilt.

Tradewinds South Pacific Empress Yardage Lily Ashbury for Moda Fabrics

The rich colors, the exotic, vintage travel inspired print... all of it was perfect. In fact, I loved it so much, that I decided to make another quilt using this, and the other prints in the same series.

My 5th quilt - big thanks to the husband for playing quilt hanger.

This time I tried to not put a single print into the quilt that I didn't love on its own. I also wanted to try charms packs, so I decided to go with a simple square patchwork for the quilt top, and placed an order for a few charms packs containing the entire Tradewinds line. In each pack I got 42 ready-cut 5x5 inch squares, and I kept that size in the quilt. I mixed in some jewel tone solids, and as I had some of the backing fabric left over from the last quilt, I threw that in as well.

By the time I realized that I didn't really like the look of just the squares, I was pretty far into piecing the quilt top. I split a few seams and added the white stripes on a whim, and I'm glad I did, because I like it so much more this way. In fact, I LOVE it!

I was going to lay the quilt out on my lawn to take pics, but the though of all the neighborhood dogs constantly warring to be the last canine to mark my front yard kind of killed that idea. So, awkward tree branch it is. Rest assured, I will not actually be using the quilt in a tree.

This time, the process was not even close to as much of a PITA as the first time I made a quilt this size on my little sewing machine. The square patchwork invited a much simpler quilting pattern, which saved me loads of blood, sweat and tears. I went with a double grid, with gaps for the white lines, which was really easy. I was stoked it allowed for me to roll the quilt while working. It made getting this much fabric through my small machine infinitely easier. I also used lighter batting, which helped a lot as well. I really like the feel of the lighter batting, so I'll definitely be using a similar batting again.

The backside looks really similar to the last quilt, but sadly without the gorgeous diamond lattice quilt pattern!

Just as my last non-baby quilt, this one is queen-size. While the smaller blocks took longer to piece, I saved so much time on the quilting, the whole thing was faster. When it came to the binding, I decided to try an idea I had the other night. Instead of cutting all 3 layers to the same dimensions, I left an extra 1.5" on the backing fabric, and an extra .5" on the batting, compared to the quilt top.  Then to close the raw edge, I just rolled the backing fabric over the batting, and top stitched it to the frontside of the quilt. I did this for durability, and I'm planning on adding a bias-cut tape binding on top of this fake binding, having the bottom layer peek below the top one, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I'll update the post as soon as that's done.

 I'm still loving my new project labels!

Even though this technique involved binding the quilt twice, I will definitely use it again. The first binding, using the backing fabric, was super easy, and it made applying the top binding much easier as well. Hopefully the bottom layer will improve the durability of the top binding. And even if it does not, I would still do it this way again, because I absolutely LOVE the way it looks!

Now that both these quilts are done, I feel like I've made two sister quilts;  similar enough to be family, but each one unique enough to be beautiful in its own right.

Top: Busy Diamonds Quilt
Bottom: Tradewinds Quilt

Fabric:

Quilt top:
Tradewinds Empress Yardage, in South Pacific, Malabar Green, Tea Rose

Tradewinds Palace Garden Yardage, in Vanilla, Macaw Blue, Persian Rose, South Pacific, Malabar Green

Tradewinds Jaipur Yardage, in Tonal Macaw Blue, South Pacific, Tea Rose, Lemon Grass, Macaw Blue

Tradewinds Cambay Yardage, in South Pacific, Persian Rose, Malabar Green, Moroccan Red

Tradewinds Star Flower Yardage, in Macaw Blue, South Pacific, Malabar Green

Tradewinds Ornament Yardage, in Macaw Blue, South Pacific, Persian Rose, Malabar Green, Tea Rose

Tradewinds Kimmei Yardage, in South Pacific, Persian Rose, Tea Rose, Macaw Blue, Malabar Green

1 fat quarter Cotton Couture by Robert Kaufmann, Jewel tones

1 yard Cotton Couture by Robert Kaufmann, white

Backing:
8 yards x Tradewinds South Pacific Empress Yardage Lily Ashbury for Moda Fabrics

Binding:

bottom binding: from backing fabric
top binding: bias-cut binding strip

DIY Project: Yoga Mat Bag

I loath going on a trip without certain essentials, my yoga mat & travel foam roller being two of the most critical items that I've long since vowed never to travel without again. Of course, this morning, as I started packing for our next trip, I realized I have somehow lost the bag for my yoga mat. If you've every tried to bring a "naked" yoga mat anywhere without a bag to keep it manageable, you know what a total PITA it is. So, instead of doing that again, I whipped up this little mat bag, using some scraps of my favorite quilting print.

 Yoga mat bag

It is just a simple drawstring bag, measured to fit my particular mat. I added a double folded shoulder strap and closed the bag with a drawstring, for which I made a ribbon using bias cut tape also leftover from my last quilt. The bag is loose enough to not have to wrestle the mat into it, without looking like a completely shapeless sack. And, of course, I love, love, LOVE that print!

Yoga mat bag & travel foam roller pouch

For such an easy project, it turned out pretty well, and it only took 20 minutes. I also made a small, matching drawstring pouch for my little travel-sized foam roller, to keep it clean and lint free in my suitcase. Perfect!

Redux: "Quicky" Yard Panel Baby Blanket

I made another baby blanket yesterday, using the same yard panel as my first Quicky Baby Blanket tutorial, but in pink this time.

Pink Yard Panel Baby Blanket

I did change a few things, compared to last time:
           1. moved the location of my label, from the binding, to the body of the quilt.
           2. quilted the background in diagonal stripes

Image source: my Instagram

           3. this time I tried rounded corners, and used a very skinny binding, a left-over from another project

Rounded corners, skinny binding

         
              4. a different, but still coordinating, backing print

 Quicky Yard Panel Baby Blanket backing

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this blanket. It is very light, but still cuddly. It took a little over 2 hours to make from start to finish, and only that long because of the added trickiness of working with such a slim binding. While I might try the rounded corners again, I'll definitely stay away from super skinny binding in the future. So not worth the effort, but it worked well on this light little blanket. I sent it off with a set of my Month-to-Month Onesies, and together they will hopefully make a great, useful gift.

Fabrics:

Top:

1 yard (Yard Panel) Sheri McCulley Studio, Woodland Tails, Panel Pink

Backing:

1 yard Sheri McCulley Studio, Woodland Tails, Friends, Green

Binding:

pink bias cut binding - left over from another project

DIY Project: Iron-On Month-to-Month Onesies

It seems every single person I know have been pregnant this year, and now all those babies are starting to arrive in droves. Another birth announcement seem to show up every week, and this week there were two!

Now, what to give a baby that it wasn't already given at the baby shower? Instead of adding another beeping plastic toy to the inevitable collection, I really wanted to give a gift that would create something memorable for the parents. I first saw these Month-to-Month onesies online a while ago, and thought it was such a great way to document a baby's first year. Initially, I ordered some here, and when I received my order and realized how simple these are to make, I made a bunch of my own versions for gifts, using transfer paper and my printer. Easy as pie!

Welcome Baby Gift: Iron-On Month-to-Month Onesies 

What You'll Need:
Iron-on numbers, 1-12 - make your own (cheap, and very easy but you need transfer paper and a printer), or purchase ready-made
2 x onesies Size 0-3 Months (1, 2)
3 x onesies Size 3-6 Months (3, 4, 5)
3 x onesies Size 6-9 Months (6, 7, 8)
2 x onesies Size 12 Months (9, 10)
2 x onesies Size 18 Months (11, 12)

I added a gift card to a photo book printing company, to make a "Baby's 1st Year" photo book with the monthly pictures.

Directions:
1. Make iron-on number designs, using editing program of choice, then size and print. Make sure you print on the correct side of the transfer!
2. Cut around each design, removing any extra transfer material.
3. Arrange each number with the appropriately sized onesie, and make sure they are centered. Check & double check that you have them arranged and paired up correctly, because you can't undo them once they are ironed on.
4. Iron numbers onto onesies, making sure that the garment is completely flat and to put some thick paper in-between fabric layers to prevent transfer through the garment. Follow the directions on your iron-on transfer for appropriate ironing time and temperature.
5. Wash and dry onesies inside out, and fold so that the numbers can still be seen.
6. Add onesies to a gift box, in numerical order, making sure the numbers are visible form the top.
7. Add a card (and the gift card), and close lid. Tie box with ribbon.
8. The gift is ready to be gifted!

Iron-on number designs - 

I made a few different ones in several color codes, 

both very simple ones like these, some patterned, and a few themed sets.

These Month-to-Month Onesies gifts sets were VERY quick and easy to make, took less than 30 minutes start to finish, at a total cost of approximately $40 per set, most of which is the cost of the onesies, as iron-on supplies are very cheap if you make them yourself. I find the Etsy versions, of both the iron-on transfers as well as the completed sets (which are listed for more than $70), to be really over-priced for what you get, but maybe that's just because I've made my own and know just how easy & cheap they are to make...?

Month to Month Onesies, set of 12

Overall, I'm happy with these gifts, and hopefully they will give these busy new parents a chance to document the first year of their baby's life in a fun, memorable way. 

DIY Project: Motivational Gym Cards

This is definitely an odd one, and if you're one of those gym rats who just loves working out and nothing can tear you away from your daily cardio fix, this one is not for you. This one is for the people who find that making yourself spent 60 nominates in the gym every day is about as easy as dragging a dead donkey through an obstacle course; for the poor souls who feel time slow to a next-to-frozen-crawl as soon as your feet touch the exercise equipment; for the struggling gym-rats-in-progess who want to quit THE ENTIRE TIME, but continue anyways, usually fueled by an internal Smeagol-esque back and forth, which if spoken out loud, would surely qualify you for the psych-ward. This one, my dear fellow exercise-dreaders, this one's for you.

The inspiration for this DIY, besides the [obvious] CRAZY in my head, was twofold:
          1. A gift sent to me by a friend earlier this year, which contained a stack of lovely quotes
          2. A large collection of super motivational fitness quotes on Pinterest - which really isn't where you need them, huh?

A few of my gym cards...

Yes, you can laugh.

Motivational Gym Cards

There are a number of ways of making these, from writing on flashcards, to laminated cards, to photo prints. Choose the way that works for you.

What You'll Need:
A number of motivational fitness quotes - check Pinterest for ideas
Add any personal goals as well
cardstock, flashcards, or photo paper of desired size - my cards are 4"x6"
printer, photo printer, or marker
rubber band or small fabric pouch

Directions:
1. Collect your quotes, choosing those that speak to you. Add your personal goals, short-term & long.
2. Print quotes - either by hand, on your printer, or photo printer
3. Protect - initially I had planned to laminate mine, but as I printed mine on photo paper, they already have some protection, and I figured it would be a wasted effort as I'll probably change these out quite often, but to each their own. This is more important if you use paper, or want them to last a long time.
4. Make portable - I made a little drawstring pouch for mine using fabric scraps, which took about 5 minutes, but a simple rubber band to keep them together in your gym bag is fine.

Cards in action: from my latest workout:

This DIY is so odd and cheesy, I almost didn't share it. I made my cards on a whim, not knowing if I'd ever get any use out of them. However, I've actually found them pretty great, especially for those days when I'm sore and tired and just don't feel like working out, or during those last 15 minutes when I'm sprinting toward the finish with no energy stores left. I see these little messages, and I push a little bit harder, go a little bit further, and kick a little bit extra ass! So I decided to share them anyways, in all their crazy, cheesy glory, and they just might help motivate someone else as as well. 

Road Trip Menu - Post-Trip Notes

This was our first Road Trip where I made ALL our meals and snacks, and I've been sharing the recipes all week. To finish the series, I wanted to share how it went. Our Road Trip began with a 12hour+ drive to Utah, where we stayed for a few days for business, before we continued with another 8 hour drive to Yellowstone, where we stayed for 3 nights, before driving back home. We were gone a total of 1 week.

Again, here is my healthy Road Trip Menu, complete with recipe links:

Road Trip Menu:

Snacks:

• Hummus with veggies
• Homemade Trail Mix
• Baby carrots
• Beef Jerky
• Homemade dried fruit - recipe here
• Fruit salad
• Individually packed watermelon slices
• Yoghurt
• Kefir

Ready Meals:

• Salad in a Jar - recipe here
• Ham, Turkey & Dijon Wraps - recipe here
• Pesto Pasta in a Jar - recipe here

Quick-to-Assemble Meals:

• French Picnic Baguettes: - recipes here
•  - Ham & Cheese
•  - Brie, Walnut & Prosciutto
•  - Steak & Goat Cheese
• Homemade Egg Salad and Arugula Wraps - recipe here

Drinks:

• Unsweetened Ice Tea

Road Trip Menu: Success or Failure:

For our driving days, I packed our cooler full of the Snacks and the Ready Meals, so that we could avoid fast food, junk, and soggy gas station sandwiches, without having to stop to prepare food. It worked brilliantly. We ate Salad in a Jar, Ham, Turkey & Dijon Wraps and snacked on watermelon and carrots with hummus during the drive. When we arrived at the hotel late that night, we had the Pesto Pasta in a Jar for dinner, and fruit salad for dessert. 

While were stayed at the hotel in Utah, I restocked our groceries, and replenished our stash of Ready Meals for our drive to Yellowstone. I also prepared all the components for the Quick-to-Assemble Meals, so we would have some great meals while inside the park.  Last time we went to Yellowstone, we were stuck eating the park food, which honestly is absolutely HORRIBLE (if you're going, beware!), and that was not something I wanted to do again. Instead, on this trip we had delicious, varied picnics in the park every single day (including one day when we ate in the car while stuck in a sudden June snow storm!) and tasty dinners in our room each night. For our 1000 mile drive home, I once again spent a few minutes whipping up some wraps for the road. We also snacked on dried kiwis & beef jerky. 

By planning ahead, carefully picking my recipes according to the needs of each day of our trip, and doing a little bit of food preparation daily, I not only managed to feed myself according to my diet goals, but also feed my hungry Hubby food that he enjoyed, and that kept him satisfied. For the first time we managed to completely avoid unhealthy food options throughout an entire Road Trip, while also saving us time on long drives.

Overall, it was lovely. The food was delicious, healthy, fresh tasting and so easy. I was so happy my plan worked PERFECTLY! Even better, The Husband was majorly impressed, which alway makes me happy! When we arrived home, I'd had actually made PROGRESS on my fitness goals (woooohoooo!), instead of taking steps back. I'd call that a success.