Quick and easy present for a new baby

My step-brother and his wife are having their first baby soon, while we aren't at all close, I still wanted to give them a hand-made gift.

I decided on a floor blanket - I made great use of these for both my kids right up until they could walk really.  Also a great thing to take with you when you go out so at least you know your blanket is clean - unlike where you might be going!

I decided to purchase some 5" charm packs from etsy - this automatically saved so much time as I didn't have to cut out (hence why Thea's quilt which I started six months ago is still in the very much unfinished pile!).

I chose Amy Butler's Soul Blossom which I thought was nice and feminine for a baby girl.  At first I was going to do the whole blanket in 5" squares but it was going to be a bit more than I wanted to spend so I purchased 2 charm packs and one yard of coordinating fabric (so maybe $25-30 all up?).  I have quite a few squares left over and heaps of the spots so I am happy.



So, how did I do it?  It was quick and easy - perhaps 3-4 hours in total.

1) I spent a bit of time laying out the squares in a pattern, but this was up to you.  Then I cute 5" wide strips from the coordinating fabric.
2) Sew each square together in a line  - no need to backstitch at either end (use 1/4" seams)
3) Sew the coordinating fabric to the line of squares
4) repeat as above as you gradually join each line.  It's REALLY important to iron regularly - this gives a really professional finish, plus you want to iron the seams all the same way.
5) lay your fabric on your backing and cut a piece big enough.  Amber suggested sweat shirting as it meant the blanket could be washed, and she had some spare pink which I used.
6) Pin right sides togeher and sew (1'4 seam) all the way but leave a space for turning.
7) trim edges and cut off corners, turn right wayout
8) IRON!!!
9) Top stitch all the way around making sure you close that gap you left for turning.  I used two different threads - pink in the bobbin for the fleece and then blue for the top.



So there you go - quick and easy baby present...pretty neat eh!

'Till next time, Melissa

Hand-made Christmas

We are approaching the last few days of October which means Christmas is just around the corner!  I long ago did a list of presents as I like to make as many as I can which means being pretty organised.

I have almost much finished my non-Christmas projects for the year so am now starting on the presents.

I can’t give too much away as many of my family/friends watch this blog but I will give you a list of the general crafts and then after Christmas I will do a mega photo/link post!

So, on my ‘to do’ list is:

·         Hats

·         Skirts

·         Door stop

·         Rubbish bag holder

·         Hand made accessories for Christmas day

·         An organiser thingy (that’s nice and vague isn’t it!)

·         Key rings

·         Wine tote

·         Kobo cozy

·         Handwarmers

·         Accessories

·         Beach robes

·         Crayon roll

·         Journal cover

·         Wee bags

·         Doll accessories

I ALWAYS struggle to think of hand-made gifts for men – I don’t think I have ever made my husband anything! 

Do you have any ideas?  Or any ideas on other fabulous hand-made gifts that have been well received?

'Til next time, Melissa

Its a Small World

Hello lovely crafty people
I have been truely amazed this week. Recently we did our lucky draw for the Origami Bag after we reached 50 likes on our facebook page. The winner was an awesome quilter and crafter from the USA, named Lynne. Both Melissa and I didn't know this person and set about contacting her to let her know she had won. We both wondered where the connection lay between who we knew that knew Lynne. Most of our other 'likes' and followers are friends of friends or family. We were both pretty stoked that it appeared we had a random 'like' that wasn't connected with either of us. Little did we know, we were right......almost.

A short time later, my mum emailed me and a group of her friends about a quilting retreat she had recently attended, an old girls weekend. She also sent out a pic of Macie and her baby cousin - bit like Grandma's brag 'email'. From these two emails, several women replied to all....so one morning in my inbox was an email from our facebook winner, Lynne. I was totally blown away. Lynne is a friend of my mum's! A quilting buddy from the USA. Pleased to know who Lynne was I assumed she had followed prettyneateh? because of mum so I emailed and said who I was. She replied and explained that she never knew that I was part of prettyneateh? and hadn't made the connection that I was Pauline's daughter. So it was a random follower to begin with!!! Funnily enough, Lynne and I met each other a couple of years ago at a quilt festival here in NZ. Such a small world.

It amazes me that crafting can make our world such a small and familiar place. It draws people and family together from across the world. It provides inspiration, joy, love and opportunity to each of us. I think that it pretty neat. A xx

Library Bags A Must Have

My mum, Pauline, is super super talented. She is known nationwide for her quilting skill and knowledge. Many of our friends and family have at least one of her gorgeous quilts. I have a 21st quilt, a wedding quilt, a picnic rug quilt and the children have orders in too. Mum is generous to a fault with her time, her materials and her fabric. She is also very clever and never fails to gift her creations. Macie is the latest to receive.

We are weekly library goers and Macie was missing a library bag. Mum decided to custom make a bag for Macie. It is stunning.

This bag won't go missing I am sure - not with her name on it.

It even comes with a little label just from Grandma's! And check out the wicked stitching on the handles.

Pretty clever Grandma! Pretty lucky little library girl. Thanks Gamma! xxxx

Its Birthday Week!

Its birthday week in our house. Macie and I celebrate our birthdays 8 days apart. Its a special time for us because Macie was born on my Grandad's birthday. Grandad had passed away while I was pregnant with her and he knew that his fifth Great Grandchild was due close to his birthday. For my whole life the 6th and 14th of October have been special.

For her birthday this year we decided to go with a butterfly theme. Macie, mad on butterflies, made this an easy choice. She received the butterfly wings and dress (previously blogged), a cool butterfly hoodie and we borrowed more wings from kindy so that all her little friends could be beautiful butterflies too.

We have been lucky to go to a few other crafty birthday parties recently and in the little party bags were gorgeous hand made gifts. Personal one, well thought out. With butterflies being the theme, I decided to make little stuffed butterflies that hang from a clip. Macie's little friends could attach it to their bags, belts, baby prams, where ever they choose.
I found a little template for a butterfly in Amy Bulters Little Stitches for Little Ones. The $2 shop had lots of clips to choose and I have 2 boxes of scraps perfect for this project. I just added a tiny strap to hang the clip from. Check out the results.

Zipper Critters

We are smack in the middle of birthday season. Lots of our wee friends are turning 5, 2 or 3. Its special. And birthdays are a great excuse to sew sew sew. One of my favourite little person's gift is a Zipper Critter.

A year or so ago, my Mum was gifted a pattern. Knowing that it would be right up my alley, she lent it to me.

Zipper Critters are a wonderful way to use up scraps to make a super special gift. I have made the little dog and cat that hang from a clip. Oscar's was my first creation and I believe it went down a treat. Last week, a little friend of Cullen's turned 5. He was visiting from overseas and instead of trying to work out what to buy him I decided to give him some spending money while he was here. Money fits perfectly in the mouths of these little critters. He told me he would hang it from his bag when he started school so he could remember which bag was his.
Our local $2 shop sells these little clips, four for $2.50. They are plastic not metal but definately do the trick.

You can use anything to create these colourful little guys. Old buttons, old zips or cheap ones from op shops. The ears have pipe cleaners in them to make them bend. Am thinking it might be a great pass the parcel prize for another up coming birthday..... pretty neat eh? A xx