Smile And Wave

Baby on the Way E-Course: Now Available

Baby on the Way is my newest E-Course offering 12 handmade projects that will help prepare your baby's space for his, her or their arrival! This course was designed for moms and dads who enjoy customizing their surroundings to fit their unique aesthetic and want to create a special space for their child to grow. Projects build on each other so that even beginning sewers can gain confidence as you follow step-by-step photos and instructions.

 

Project List

* Colorful Burp Cloths            * Fabric Fringe Garlands       * Quilted Changing Mat

* Oilcloth Diaper Case                * Reversible Bibs              * Customized Crib Sheet

* Plus Sign Plush Mobile          * Pillows Three Ways           * Hanging Hamper

* Shoe and Toy Organizer    * Baby's First Photo Album     * Herringbone Crib Quilt

On top of twelve sewing projects I've also included chapters on designing your child's space, shared rooms, and transitioning through the years. I share tips on how to include vintage furniture and flea market finds as well as ways to expand on projects as your child grows.

  Baby on the Way will satisfy that urge to feather your nest and give you all the instructions to complete projects that will not only save you money but streamline your baby's space and allow you to personalize things you'll use everyday.

Of course these projects are not only for brand new or expecting moms. Moms with toddlers who love a new DIY or grandmas that love to sew for their grandkids will enjoy tackling an original Herringbone Quilt pattern, creating helpful storage pieces such as the Shoe Organizer or hamper, or adding to their own photos to a Soft Photo Book to gift to their little ones.

E-Courses include all of your projects and step-by-step instructions upon purchase so there's no waiting or hurrying to catch up on a class! It's a go-at-your-own-pace course that you'll have access to forever.  

Purchase your Baby on the Way E-Course now and get a head start on handmade Christmas gifts for your nieces and nephews or your best friend who just found out she's having a boy! 

Baby on the Way was designed with boys in mind. Each of the projects are customizable but have been created in a color story boys can get behind. Swap out the white and yellow herringbone pattern for two shades of grey and finish it off with burnt orange binding for a completely different look. Arrows and plus signs are another boy friendly icon that can easily be enjoyed as baby boys grow into big boys. Stitch up a plus sign pillow in a bold floral, however, and you've got yourself a stunning addition to your little girl's bed.

This course was designed with beginning sewers in mind but if you've never sewn in your life or just got a new sewing machine but aren't familiar with it yet, I might suggest trying out Home Ec. It's an e-course that is 100% focused on teaching brand new sewers and has a lot of troubleshooting built into it to help you figure out why your thread is stuck, etc. Once you've gotten comfortable with the basics such as threading your machine, back-stitching, and basic hemming you'll be ready to tackle Baby on the Way!

Baby on the Way is available through Red Velvet for $32.00. It's one of the most affordable E-Courses out there and offers simple, step-by-step photos and directions to walk you through each project so that you don't get left halfway through a project wondering where you went wrong. For $32 you get access to all of your tutorials in one place with a strong design and directions you can trust as well as instructions to original project designs that aren't available elsewhere.

I've put all of my thought and energy into creating this course as if I were making it for a baby of my own. It's full of the kinds of projects I have used with one or both of my kids or will set aside for the possibility of inviting another little one into our home some day! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

xo,
Rachel

p.s. I'd like to thank Janae Hardy again for lending her talent and her baby boy, Ezra, for the photos above!

Baby on the Way E-Course

Baby on the Way is my newest E-Course offering 12 handmade projects that will help prepare your baby's space for his, her or their arrival! This course was designed for moms and dads who enjoy customizing their surroundings to fit their unique aesthetic and want to create a special space for their child to grow. Projects build on each other so that even beginning sewers can gain confidence as you follow step-by-step photos and instructions.

Baby on the Way will satisfy that urge to feather your nest and give you all the instructions to complete projects that will not only save you money but streamline your baby's space and allow you to personalize things you'll use everyday.

This E-Course will be available for purchase through Red Velvet on Wednesday, October 19th at 10:00a.m. CST. Full details including a project list and price on Wednesday!

xo,

Rachel

 

Baby On The Way E-Course Coming Soon!

I've been working hard in the studio finishing up the last of my projects for my newest e-course, Baby on the Way! Included are twelve handmade projects to outfit your baby's space plus advice posts on how to decorate shared rooms and how to create a space that transitions well from baby to toddler. It's going to be sold along with Style Your Space and Modern Patchwork at Red Velvet. Great for expecting moms who need to nest or as a baby shower gift.

More details coming soon!

xo,
Rachel

 

Oh, Summertime

I'm not wondering where the summer has gone and I promise not to complain that it's almost over. Ours was laced with fun moments, most of them close to home.

Today we took S to meet his Kindergarten teacher and I finally decided I'm ready for this next season. Give me that mild weather and a pumpkin-spice latte. Venti, please.

On a rather personal note, I really can't wait to have another baby. We've decided to see what happens with Brett's orders (mid-September) before we decide how soon to start trying but that heart swell I get every time I think about doing this again sometimes stops me in my tracks. I'll keep it in my heart for now.

Are you looking forward to this next season or holding on tight to the last days of summer?

xo,

Rachel

 

A Rite of Passage

She's growing up fast, ya'll!

She's petite, she's expressive, she greets everyone with a "Hi-yee" and kisses her food. At almost 20 months, it doesn't get much better.

This week's reminder that she's a busy toddler soon-to-be angsty teen was her repeated request to have her nails painted. She had asked me, her Big Papi, and her Grandma Mary to help a girl out with the polish. I wasn't sure if she'd sit still long enough to cover one foot much less get them all done and dried without a mess but the squeaky wheel gets the grease, err, polish.

We did her hands in a light pink and her toes in red and after getting over the sight of her pretty little toes being covered in Lady-of-the-Night red, I was smitten. Anything that cute is even cuter with red nail polish. Age appropriate? Does it matter?

Umm...why haven't we done this before?

See! Adorable.

She can't stop staring, either. I think I have a new hobby.

Ruby's wearing: Top, c/o Misha Lulu. Skirt, handmade from vintage placemats. Bloomers, thrifted.

How old were you when you first got your nails done?

xo,

Rachel

Day Three

The perfect capture of how things sometimes feel. I should title this one 'Holding it Together' or 'Smile and Wave Flail'. Taken by Sebastian.

I think my kids are turning into little photographers.

xoxo,
Rachel

 

Easy Summer Outfit - Bloomers to Romper DIY

I've been wanting to make a cute sun suit or romper for MONTHS now but couldn't find a vintage pattern in Ruby's size and wasn't willing to cut up an old one to make my own. The other day I thrifted this gingham pair of bloomers and it hit me. Add a simple bib and straps and it's a romper! The tricky part is already finished!

This light bulb moment has probably already hit a few other creative mamas out there. It has to have because it's such a simple way to make something adorable while reusing something cute! I'm hoping to make a few more before summer escapes us.

Grab a pair of bloomers at your local thrift store that are roomy. If you can't find anything you like you can always try to make a pair. They are pretty simple but I suggest finding a pattern. Mine already had the eyelet trim attached but it's a fun way to embellish something plain.

You'll also need a cut of fabric for the bib measuring about 1" less than the width of your bloomers (when lying flat). To find the length, measure from where the bloomers hit your toddler's waist up to their arm pits and double. Then add 2". You'll fold this over for extra sturdiness which is why it feels so long.

You'll also need two long strips of fabric for the straps and a 3" length of ribbon or lace.

Place the bib piece of fabric right side down. Iron the long sides of your bib in about 1/2" and then iron the short sides in about 1/2". Fold this in half and iron.

Next, center it on the front of your bloomers. Pin in all four corners and in the center. Make sure the bottom folds sandwich over the top of the front of your bloomers.

Stitch from the top of one corner all the way around to the top of the other corner. Remove pins. Iron flat. Be sure to stitch about 1/8" from the edge.

Cut two strips measuring roughly 3.5" wide. To get the length, measure from the natural waistline up and over the shoulder to the chest and add about six inches. Fold in half lengthwise with right sides facing and stitch down the long edge, curving in at the other end as shown. Trim edges. Turn right side out, tuck raw end in about 1/4" and iron flat. Repeat with other strap.

Add a button hole on each of the top corners of the bib. Make sure not to get too close to the edges.

Place the tucked in ends of the straps on the back of the bloomers so that they are slightly angled in and pin. Stitch to bloomer. Carefully slip the other end through a button hole and tie a knot according to how long your strap needs to be. Tie a double-knot if you need to take up slack. Repeat with other side making sure to criss-cross your straps.

The bloomers I found already had lace on the back but that would be a fun step to embellish your bloomers before you start turning them into a romper.

Add a strip of ribbon or lace about half way up one of the straps (on the inside) to use to hold the other strap in place. Try it on for size!

Ruby played in hers all afternoon and got lots of attention from older ladies when we ran errands. Sun suits, or rompers, are perfect for those hot summer days and make for some adorable photos!

If you make a romper from a pair of bloomers using this tutorial I'd love to see a photo of them!

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Rachel

The Watering Hole

I had my ISO set way too high on accident but I still love these overexposed photos for what they capture. We've been having a little bit of fun with our puppy.

I hope you're having a great weekend!

xoxo,

Rachel

Sharing Love, One Dress At A Time

As you may know, this week is KCWC over on Elsie Marley's blog. I'm sure some of you have been squeezing in an hour a day over the last two days to make something for your own little ones to wear. I started early and took a break on Sunday to sit down and work on one of the simplest of patterns out there, the pillow case dress.

I thoroughly enjoy making things for my kids. They don't always understand or have the capacity to appreciate handmade things right now but I hope they'll look back at photos and old blog posts and see it as another way their mama loved on them. (There is that pose again!)

For this pillow case dress I used a vintage floral pillow case from my collection, extra-wide double fold bias tape, and grosgrain ribbon. The trim on the bottom was already there. I used what I had on hand and it took me about twenty minutes to figure out the logistics and put it together. Twenty minutes, folks!

I love me an instant gratification sewing project!

The thing is, our friends Katy and Adam are headed out to Haiti in June to take clothing and necessary supplies to orphans that attend a school that their church, New Bru (or Center City Church) helps sponsor. The organization that started the orphanage, Center of Hope, celebrated it's opening last October. New Bru is hoping to send over as many pillow case dresses as possible for the little girls that attend the school as well as ones in surrounding communities.

So, one pillow case dress turned into three.

And three turned into five. Five dresses took me an hour and a half to make but will be enjoyed by a handful of girls at the school for a long time.

I would LOVE if you would join me in making a pillow case dress (or two, or five) to send to these girls in Haiti. If you're participating in KCWC, or just really like to sew, think about taking an extra twenty minutes this week or next to put together a simple pillow case dress for an orphaned girl in Haiti.

My friend, Katy, has more information on the work their church does through members that live and work there if you're interested in finding out more. You can contact Katy Shatto at did2613(at)hotmail(dot)com to find out where to send your dresses when you're done.

Standard sized pillow cases will fit most elementary age girls in Haiti but they are also passing them out to younger girls in surrounding communities so they have a need for smaller sizes as well. The only guideline is that they aren't made from solid red pillow cases or any fabric with patriotic (American flag) prints. You can find a variety of tutorials to make your own including this one, this one, or this one.

For every dress sent to Katy, a name will be added for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Fabricworm! If you send five dresses, you have five chances of winning $50 worth of fabric! All dresses must be post marked June 1st in order to arrive in time and the winner will be announced later that week.

What a great opportunity to share love in the form of something so essential to daily life. I'm looking forward to hearing Katy's stories of passing out dresses and supplies this summer and will happily report back to share what your kindness helped accomplish.

Again, for more details and an address to send your dresses to, e-mail Katy Shatto at did2613(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart!
xoxo,
Rachel

> Their New Pillows

>

I purchased these two pillows on Etsy a few weeks ago to add to the kids' Easter baskets but only got them unloaded from our road trip this weekend. The bird pillow is from Skinny Laminx and the lion pillow is from Sass and Peril. Both shops are full of beautifully designed product if you aren't familiar with them.

Ruby is so much more affectionate and attached to her dolls and plushies than Sebastian was. He's definitely BFF with his latest Transformer and loves to act out scenarios with the Autobots and Decepticons and he still sleeps with his teddy bear but it's kind of a casual friendship.

Ruby on the other hand gets her dolls in a death grip when she squeezes them. She passes out kisses like candy and has no favorites. All are loved equally. Part of her bedtime routine is saying goodnight not only to her dollies but to the girls in the two art prints near her crib. And the globes. And sometimes Teddy when she feels like Sebastian hasn't given him enough attention.

Do your kiddos have a favorite stuffed animal or doll? I got one of mine back from my parents' house over Christmas. I'll have to share soon.

xo,
Rachel