Nesting = Sewing

Apparently instead of nesting during the end of this pregnancy, I have found a need to sew instead. Which is its own form of nesting, I guess. Here are some of the many projects I have been working on over the last few months. I'll warn you in advance, this is a R-E-A-L-L-Y long post. Sorry 'bout that.

A nursing cover. I wished for one of these when I had Per, but didn't think about making one. This time around I found a tutorial, made several changes and (I think) improvements to the design, and here is my version. Voila!
This is a chew blanket/woobie for our new little boy. My wonderful mother-in-law bought this kit, which is just the minky, fabric, and pre-sewn binding, and I put it together. It's a good size, too, 30x30, which is the standard size of most receiving blankets. Perfect for a little guy. And yeah, there are lots of pinks in the paisley, but there's nothing wrong with pink for a boy blanket, right? Right.

This is a baby sling I made for fun. I am not sure if it will see much use, as I have an Ergo baby carrier and really love it. The only reason I couldn't use the Ergo right away after having Per was because I was still... ahem... a little bit too large to buckle the strap around my waist after giving birth. This time, I ordered a waist extension that will take care of that problem. But I thought this little sling might be nice for church. It's made from McCall's M5678.
This is a wet bag that I made, based on one that I was given. A wet bag? Yep. For cloth diapering. We are switching to cloth for our new baby, and probably for Per as well if he takes to it okay. The wet bag is a convenient place to store your wet/dirty diapers while away from home or until you can get them washed if you don't have immediate access to your diaper pail. Putting in the zipper was a bit challenging, since it has been quite a long time since I did anything with sewing zippers, but I think it turned out okay. In case anyone is curious, we are starting off with bumGenius 3.0 one size diapers, which come in a lovely array of non-girly colors, and seem to be one of the easiest systems, at least for us, since we will probably have two boys in them at least for a while. The adjusting from one size to the next is as simple as snapping a couple of snaps and using an extra insert for the older child.

This is a fleece blanket that I sewed satin binding on. It was sort of an adventure and I'm not really pleased with the final outcome, but it will serve its purpose as a blanket just fine. My perfectionist tendencies have to take a back seat to practicality sometimes. It was simply not practical to hand-sew this binding, which is the only method that would have produced my desired result. It's cozy, though, and I think it's pretty cute.
Ah. The clothing. Let me just make a disclaimer right now. I have never been good at sewing clothing. Even my first attempts as a budding seamstress under the tutelage of my mom were never very spectacular. But maternity clothes are really expensive. And I have a big stash of fabric that my mom sent me, and a few patterns that I wanted to try. So... this was my first attempt at a maternity dress. It's actually from McCall's M5640, and just made in a size that is larger than I'd normally wear. I made some modifications (always a bit tricky) that made me feel like I wasn't wearing a mu-mu. I put in the strip of fabric under the bustline and put in ties in the side seams so that I could pull it snug and show off that lovely baby bump. Maybe I'll get Zak to take a picture of me actually wearing one or more of the clothing items.... and maybe I won't.
I know, I know. This looks more like a MoTab choir robe than a dress. It's actually a nursing gown, made from Kwik Sew 3327. I wanted something to wear in the hospital and those first few days home that would be completely comfortable, but still modest. Let's face it, hospital gowns are just not modest. You have to keep pulling up and adjusting and hoping you're not flashing anyone. Hence, the choir robe. It may not be the prettiest article of clothing, but it's very comfortable and keeps me covered. Best of all, there is easy nursing access via two slits that are covered by the fabric tucks in the front. I added snaps to the bottom area of the slits in order to further preserve modesty. I have another one of these cut out and waiting to be sewn in a lighter pointelle knit fabric that has a pattern. I think/hope it will turn out to be a little more attractive than this little number.

This one is also from McCall's M5640, and I made modifications to this one also in order to make it a nursing dress. Where the strip of fabric lays, there is actually a line of snaps that keeps it in place while not nursing, and there are ties in the side seams to give a little shape to it. The bodice is two layers of fabric, with slits cut for nursing access. Did I mention that this is made from a fitted twin-size sheet that I bought at the DI and that I have curtains hanging in my front room from the flat sheet? I like it anyway.

This is from the same pattern as above, but it is the blouse version rather than the dress. This was the first one I made, so I followed the pattern exactly. It turned out fairly well for what it's meant to be - a maternity top - but the fabric that I used is too sheer for it to be worn alone. It was $1.50 a yard from JoAnn's red tag apparel aisle. And I didn't have the courage to even put in ties in the side seams, so it sort of just hangs. But it's functional and has definitely served its purpose by familiarizing me with the pattern. I have one more top/bottom combination in the works using this pattern. It's going to be pajamas to take to the hospital, with a top that ties back so that there's easier nursing access. I just need to get the pattern pieces cut out and sewn.

Back to some fun things. I made this purse over General Conference weekend. Well, really just through the first session on Saturday morning. It came together really quickly and I love it! It has three inside pockets as well as the front pocket on the outside, so it's convenient for stashing stuff. Plus, it's pretty roomy, so it's easy to throw in my stuff, plus snacks and a sippy cup for Per when we are heading out the door. I will definitely be making another purse from this pattern. (It was a pattern I borrowed from my MIL, and can be found here.)

This is my new church bag. This pattern (another borrowed from Barb -- thanks, you are the best!) was pretty hard to follow and had all this nonsense about freezer paper in it... which I just ignored. I made a couple of small modifications, such as lengthening the straps, adding an extra three pockets inside, and shortening the length of the two gathered strips of fabric from 36" to 30", because that was all I had left in these fabrics. I think it turned out really cute!

This was one of my first attempts at quilting that didn't involve sewing a straight line the whole way. Obviously, it's made up of straight lines, and required a lot of stopping and starting, but I think it's kind of a fun design!

So. There are several of the projects I've been working on. I also made a car organizer from Craft Apple that is currently in the car, which is at work with Zak. Hence, no pictures today. But maybe I will get some taken and post them later. This pattern was pretty easy to follow and though the Peltex 71 was sort of a pain to work with (as far as rolling and folding it to get it under the sewing machine), it gives the organizer a really nice shape. I was really pleased with the final result, and love that Per's books and toys, extra diapers, wipes, and the random box of tissues we keep in the car are no longer floating about the backseat of the car, but rather nicely put away in my lovely little organizer.

I finished a pair of fabric washable nursing pads the other day, too, which I don't have a picture of either. I found the tutorial here and followed it exactly. I had some PUL on hand for the wet bag and for the diaper pail liner that has yet to be made. I also bought hemp fleece and bamboo velour specifically for this project. I really like the way the nursing pads turned out, and will be making a few more sets so that I have extras between washings. Last time around I used Lansinoh nursing pads and loved them, but they are $8-9 for a box of 60. If you are going to use disposable nursing pads, these are definitely the ones I would recommend. I think that these fabric nursing pads will be a less expensive option (and far more comfortable one -- have you ever felt bamboo velour?? SOOO soft!) in the long run.

Congratulations!! You made it to the end of the post. I have loved making all of these things... well, most of them, though there were moments that made me feel a bit sweary (not that I actually swore, mind you). I have had a really hard time finding maternity/nursing clothing patterns, so if anyone has any recommendations, I would really appreciate it! Though, with new baby's arrival coming soon (in the next 47 days or sooner, not that I'm counting or anything), I am not sure I'll need maternity clothes too much longer. But there may be another baby in a couple of years, and it never hurts to be prepared. Thanks for hanging in there with me on this post! I'll try to be a little more regular about posting my crafties so that we don't wind up with a super-long post like this one in the future. No promises, though. With a new baby coming soon, it's probably pretty unlikely. Happy sewing!