sewing - I'm Topsy Turvy

Baby Boy’s Birth Annoucements

January 22, 2012 5 Comments

I created and mailed Baby Boy’s birth announcements at the same time as our Family Christmas cards. I figured they were going to the same people might as well save on stamps! But with as much time as both projects took I probably would have been better off doing one of the other. But I did get everything mailed by the 23rd so I BARELY made it before Christmas!

I created a booklet of sorts for his birth announcements, with the edges getting longer with each page so I could put his information on the sides. There were just TOO many good pictures to leave it to just a two dimensional announcement! I used pictures from my maternity photoshoot, the birth pictures Chelsea took as well as the birth story from Kim, his newborn pictures and finally his blessing pictures!

I used photoshop to create the booklets and printed them on brochure paper. Brochure paper is great, because it’s thinner than photo paper AND you can print on both sides. I created the booklets so I could print one complete book on a single 8.5 x 11 page. Notice I left 3/4″ on each side of the pages (outside edges) for the binding. Here are the layouts:

front: page 1, page 8 back: page 7, page 2
page 3, page 6 page 5, page 4

Then I cut out the pages, and used my sewing machine to “bind” the booklets together (use your sewing machine on the longest stitch for this to work best)! Voila!

Here is the full book layed out like you would see it if you flipped through it!

Cover

Pages 2 and 3

Pages 4 and 5

Pages 6 and 7

BackI am SO happy with them! Thanks again to Kim Olandini Photography and Chelsea Peterson Photography!

Filed Under: baby, crafts, family, paper, photoshop, pictures, sewing, thread

Oversized Ruffled headband

January 19, 2012 6 Comments

I made this headband last year for So you think your crafty, it was party of my 7 red items for red week (AKA the week I got voted off). But with the craziness of morning sickness that followed for the few months after that I actually haven’t posted MOST of the crafts I made for the competition! Never too late, right? (some of the ones I DID post were my ruffled quilted stockings and tree skirt, my 6 pillow refashions, my homemade aqua-sand, my ruffled camera strap and my boot-cut to skinny jeans refashion)

I honestly love how this turned out, but of course it matches my faux hawk and hair color really well!!! But even on my daughter (without “spiky” hair it still looks good, but it’s definitely a statement of sorts. Personally I like it big, statements are a GOOD thing in my book as long as it involves being mostly dressed…

This was so long ago I don’t remember my measurements exactly, but I eyeballed it anyway. This actually used to be a blue tablecloth that I dyed red (I love rit dye). I cut the first piece out at about 6 inches wide and 30 so inches long… I wanted a pretty rough, thick look so instead of serging the edges I used a long zig zag to add to the texture. Then ran it through my sewing machine with my ruffler foot attached.

I also cut some tulle at about 5 inches wide and about half the length, and ruffled that too, although not as much so they are about the same length ruffled. Finally I cut one last piece about 4 inches wide and 10 inches long also heavily ruffled. Notice I didn’t worry about ruffling it in the center all the way down, I wanted this to have off center parts where the fabric stuck out farther than others.

Layer all three together and I ran it through my sewing machine one last time down the center to join the layers!

Then I hand sewed it onto a comfortable headband! If you make your own my suggestion would be to put the blank headband on, then play with where you want to have it. Mark the headband with something, take it off and sew your ruffle into place! Wear and enjoy!!!

Filed Under: crafts, fabric, hair, headband, ruffles, sewing, so you think your crafty, thread, tutorial

Blessing outfit and pictures!

January 8, 2012 6 Comments

Baby blessings are pretty wonderful events! And Baby Boy’s blessing wasn’t any different. I’ve gotten pictures taken of each of my five (ACK! I still can’t get over saying FIVE) children in their blessing outfits. Some sooner than others, some I’ve gotten taken withing a month, sometimes it’s taken me a FEW months to get to a photographer and get them taken~! Love having my sister so close!

We just ran over to my sisters house one morning and she whipped these up! She got a new lens that she was enjoying playing with. She recently moved so we had to figure out the best room for lighting! I don’t mind being her guinea pig one bit!

It’s kind of amazing to me how different Baby Boy looks from laying down to holding his head up! From thin-ish to chubby-ish and back again! I love that he’s been smiling for so long now and we were able to get so many pictures of his various facial expressions! He is such a happy baby, and just a natural smile machine!

I love all his expressions. I love this picture, he’s looking up at me, and I just love love LOVE him! I love him trying so hard to raise his head up so high that even his eyebrows get in on the action! It’s like everything screams HIGH!

And this sweet little concerned look… He also has the best pout and a great whimper face just before he breaks out in tears when he’s really hungry. Kind of like he’s asking me why I haven’t already fed him! Why I’m letting him starve to death (as if he doesn’t eat every 20 mins or every hour!)

My mom made all the blessing outfits expect one (I made The Destroying angels dress). This time was no exception. She did an amazing job, I love the teeny tiny pleats in the front. The fabric she made was super soft and comfortable. Baby Boy is the only one who didn’t have a massive blow out all over his outfit too!

And we can’t forget the hat! We were having so much fun taking pictures he ended up getting a bit tired by the end. Seriously, even his yawn is adorable! Don’t you wish you had one of these to hold, and cuddle and kiss, and nurse and squeeze, and sniff, and rock and sleep with?????? I love this newborn stage so much. I love it all. I would have a newborn constantly if I could- this stage simply goes too fast for me (although I do love seeing them grow up too…)

Filed Under: baby, clothes, family, pictures, sewing

Baby Boy’s Birth Annoucements

Oversized Ruffled headband

Blessing outfit and pictures!

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