Fun with Onsies

Monday I will be 39 weeks and once again, I have much baby on the brain.  I am even dreaming about giving birth...or falling asleep during labor and waking up to a new baby.  Could that ever even happen?  It did in my dream last night!  Needless to say, I am ready.  Come on baby!  Let's go!!!

For the second time, Steve and I don't know if we are having a boy or a girl.  It is all very exciting.  The mystery, the wonder, the predictions you hear from complete strangers and the reasons behind it--you're carrying low, you're carrying up front, you had heartburn, you had morning sickness, you have nice hair, you aren't breaking out, you crave chocolate, you don't eat your vegetables, you blah, blah, blah...

The downside?  You have to have all "gender neutral" things.  No bruiser blue or princess pink here.  That will all come after.  In the meantime, we have to rely on the yellows and greens that retailers offer.  OR...

make our own fun baby onsies...

which I did...

With some colored felt and no-sew Heat n' Bond ironed together...

I traced some fun pictures...

Cut them out...

Ironed them on...

And finished some with Sharpie.

We are even prepared to be festive for Independence Day!

And what is a baseball season without...

You bet!

Even though it feels like the end is not nearly near enough, soon we will meet this baby and see if there has been a little man or lady pummeling me these past months.  The rest of me is ready to get this show on the road so, again, I can enjoy:

• A Sahlen's hot dog (I love these Buffalo-made hot dogs and my last one was in October);
• A full cup of coffee (I end up dumping everything after the first 2 sips down the drain because it just doesn't do it for me);
• A turkey sub (or any other deli meat...another thing taken for granted when you can eat it whenever you want);
• Sushi (love my raw fish);
• An ice cold beer (probably a Sam Adams Summer Ale, with my husband, on my back deck on a nice hot day);
• A 5 mile run (I think I may already have my next half-marathon picked out...ichin' to get back in those running shoes);
• Touching my toes (goes along with running, I can't wait to be able to stretch and bend like the good ol' days).

:)

Anne

Flower Tote Bag

It's official...I can't think about much else other than this baby coming.  Hence the last week off from Circus Berry.  Now let's be clear, it doesn't mean I have stopped cleaning, baking, crafting, etc.  I think I may have even gone overboard with some of the cleaning as if I was trying to induce labor or something.  I just can't think of what to do with what I have cleaned, baked, crafted...etc...and with my mother being here for the week to help out with 'stuff', my hours were filled with fun Grandma, Mommy, Moira things to do.

I finally decided to share my Flower Tote Bag I whipped up a couple of weeks ago, since I seem to get lots of compliments on it lately.

It was super easy and cost very little to do.

Besides the straw tote from Target's dollar section I used (it cost me $2.50), I gathered some scrap fabrics, random beads, and my hot glue gun, of course.

A tutorial for the flowers can be found here, but any fabric flower should do.

I attached some beads to the center of the flowers, hot-glued, and ended up with a cuter-than-I-ever-realized straw tote for the summer.  Now, don't you want one to coordinate with every outfit???

:)
Anne

  

A Coupla Shirt Refashions

I am getting into the home-stretch and running out of clothes to wear.

Home-stretch...that just rang funny to me, since I have 5 weeks to go until baby is due to arrive and my belly keeps stretching...and since my shirt refashions involve some nice, stretchy, long and lean tank tops from Target.

Love them...they cover my belly, I can wear them post-pregnancy, and they aren't as expensive as maternity wear, especially when you get them from the clearance section for a whopping 2 dollars each.

These were super easy to make, each one requiring 2 shirts that match.

Cut the bottom of one shirt into strips.  I cut the bottom hem off plus 3 strips.  (And I have a lot of the top left over after cutting...will do something with that another day.)

Create your crazy design, pin, and sew with a zig-zag stitch.

I really did make a sort of random design here...one strip twisted, folded, and turned for each side, plus one strip turned into a bow and sewn somewhere near the middle.

The second shirt was a little more "organized".  Cut the bottom hem and then 3 strips off the bottom again.  I made the strips thicker this time.

Create pleats, pin, and sew with a zig-zag stitch.

Add a little fancy flower.  I made this one by gathering a piece of the third strip of fabric, sewing the ends together to make a flower, tying a piece of the bottom hem I cut off into a knot, and stitching it to the middle.

Good thing you don't really need to be long and "lean" to wear these...they fit my growing baby bump just fine!

:)
Anne


Today's Creative Blog

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is teacher appreciation week!  Although Moira is not in "preschool" yet, she has been attending daycare since she was 3 months old.  At that age the caregivers are not necessarily called "teachers", but I know that Moira is learning every time she is there...after all, our babies are little sponges!  In that spirit, I have taken to acknowledging the hours my daughter spends in the care of someone other than myself or my husband and showing our appreciation for all that they do.  (I know what it is like to spend hours with one two-year old...they have a room full of them!)

This year's small token of appreciation...cute little post-it note holders.

I made 8...one for each teacher in the room.

It was quite simple, with only a couple of supplies needed, and I am sure I will use this again down the road someday.

My post-its were 3"x3" and 100 sheets.  I cut a piece of paper 3" wide.  Moving along the length of the paper I scored at 3", 3 3/8", 6 3/8", 6 3/4", and cut at just a teensy-weensy bit over 8 inches (sorry, I didn't snap a photo of that part).

I glued the post-its to the back 3"x3" square.

To make the "enclosure", I put 3 dimensional stickers at where the top flap ended.

When I put my tag on top, it created a little notch-sort-of-thing to keep the holder closed.

Wrote a little note of thanks inside to finish it off.

Now, I am also in the custom of bringing some sort of "treat" to these fine ladies...I just haven't decided what it will be yet!

:)
Anne

Maternity Shirt...sort of

 Last week was a busy one at the Circus Berry household, with hubby away on business then a visit from my mom (filled with lots of DIY talk and food).  I did manage to do some refashions during Moira's bedtime...a little here and a little there.  Here is one of the results...

A little background first...couple of weeks ago I went through my wardrobe to get rid of some stuff and ended up with the crazy idea to refashion some things instead of giving them to Goodwill.  The refashions have been going on since then, giving me 2 'new' articles of clothing so far (well, 3 but one is not included in this post).  These are what I will call my (enter air quotes) "maternity shirts".  I do intend on wearing them after baby arrives, hence the air quotes.

They are simply made from a top of one shirt, a bottom of another shirt (or nightgown, in the case of the other shirt I made in the same fashion...not pictured here).  Here is what I did:

Tried on my "top" and marked where I wanted it to end and cut across there.  (I also ended up cutting of  the sleeves and shaped the neckline a little differently).  I cut the "bottom" right under the arms (maternity here people...I need that extra fabric to cover up the ever-growing bump).

Sewed a basting stitch around the top of the "bottom" fabric.

Gathered the top of the "bottom".

With the right sides together, pinned the top to the bottom

Adjusted my gathers so the bottom side seam lined up with the top side seams and stitched the two together, 1/2 inch from the edge, using a zig-zag stitch.

Tore out my basting/gathering stitch.

 Suppose I could have stopped here, but noooooo.....

 Took the bottom remaining fabric of my "top".

Pinned the remaining fabric to my shirt, to cover up the seam and gathered/scrunched it up a bit.

 Hand-stitched some of the gathers in place a the side seams.

 Gotta keep those scrunches in place (very technical, I know)...

 And here I have a finished shirt...but wait...

Gathered the shoulders a bit...I love gathers.

 Took some strips of the "bottom" fabric (not the sleeves though...saving those for another day).

Stitched the ends together to make long strips.

Made some rosettes.  I also love rosettes. (GREAT rosette tutorial at Little Birdie Secrets if you are not sure how to make these cutsies).

Stitched the rosettes along the neckline...DONE!

Thank you Momma for the photography! And for not making me stand and pose for too long!

:)

Anne