Baby J in her swimsuit

This is my cousin Daniel and his cute daughter.






































He sent me this pic of her in the swimsuit I made for her.
Seriously this little girl is darling...and already she loves the water.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer too!


Post about the swimsuit

A round of baby swimsuits

I haven't made any little baby swimsuits for what seems like years.
Honestly, I don't think it has been that long, but it seems like everyone was having boys for the longest time. And while I'm not opposed to making little swimsuits for boys, not everyone (or every dad) can appreciate a Speedo on their little guy. (Mostly I make them for a fun reaction!)

However, we might be back in baby girl mode now.
I recently made 4 sets of baby swimsuits and it was so fun.
My girls are done with any pink.  I may be the only one of us who ever wears any pink anymore.

Anyway, I had a fun time sewing up these teeny little suits for my friends and family and the new babies.


Size 2T suits.


Close-up of the texture of these BRIGHT pink suits.
No more embellishment needed.


Nothing like a good little skirted suit for the princesses.


I photograph these suits on my hand so you can get the ide of how little they are.
This is a 1T size suit.


Size 24-36 months


Love, love, love a good ruffle bum swimsuit for little girls!!

I have to say my friend Jenny, who received this purple suit, was dying!!.  She is having her first girl after 2 boys and she couldn't be more happy.  She told me she wished this suit was smaller so that she could bring her new daughter home from the hospital in it.  She's due the end of December and lives in MN--even if it did fit that might not be the best idea Jenny.

Details:

• Purple suit pattern is Kwik Sew 3606.
• Other 2 suit styles are Kwik Sew 2512. I've had this pattern for years! It appears that Kwik Sew no longer makes any baby swimsuit patterns. 
• Swimsuit fabric from the stash.  Bought from the thrift store when I find it.
• Used a 2.5 Stretch Twin Needle for the topstitching.

Swimsuit Model #2

Little Miss E. modeling her swimsuit I made.







Such a funny little thing.  She was loving being in the water.

Original swimsuit post HERE.

Black Tie Swimsuit Model

Here is a pic of little Miss C. sent to me by her mom Holly.
I gave her this suit last summer at her baby shower.

Thanks Holly for letting me see her.  She looks darling!!

Black Tie Baby Suit

Well, this is the last week of school around here, our local public swimming pool opens on Saturday and I haven't really made any swimsuits for my girls yet.  Life has been too hectic.  It feels like I've just been putting out fires for the last couple of weeks, or maybe months.

I should be making for my daughters, but instead I made another little baby swimsuit.  As I was going thru the stash of swim fabric I pulled out the "little" pieces that I couldn't really use for my daughters.  I had this striped black piece that reminded me of a tuxedo.  And thus was born the black tie (O.K. red bowtie) baby suit.





This suit makes me so happy.

Details:

• Used 3 pearlized snaps (one side--female end--only) as the "buttons" on the shirt.

Snaps on inside of the swimsuit

• 1 1/4 inch wide ruffle.  I ran 2 lines of gather stitches at 1/2" from each cut edge.  Then I went back and used these lines as the topstitch lines when attaching to the body of the suit.
• Topstitched with a small zigzag stitch.
• Bowtie is made from a piece of red grosgrain ribbon. Hand sewn on.
• Used my basic baby racerback swimsuit pattern from Kwik Sew 2512 (discontinued).

Pink Ombre Ruffle Bum Swimsuit

Don't know why I didn't think of this style for a baby swimsuit before......I mean ombre is THE thing of late.

I guess I just needed to find the right fabric (pink swimwear) at the right time ( after receiving another baby shower invite) and at the right place (my favorite thrift store).




Size 2T



This will be heading to Holly's baby shower later this week.  I'm super excited about this little swimsuit.

Seriously, anyone else having a baby girl here soon?!  I might have to make some more of these....they just kill me.

I've got another baby suit coming up tomorrow too. 'Cuz every girl needs at least 2 suits.

Time out for some swimsuits

Maybe, just maybe, we are done with Winter around here.  It has been difficult do get in the swimsuit mode with snow still lying on the ground.  We are done with that now and it appears the weather is going to stay warm.

I spent a day or two sewing swimsuits this week.

My 2 youngest were invited to our 5 yr. old friend's b-day party.
Whipped up some pink/purple suits for her.  Should make the princess loving Miss F. happy.

Cut a 3" wide piece for the yellow attached skirt and then hemmed it with a double needle.

Hubby's youngest sister is having her first baby later in the summer--a girl.  They live in Texas, so of course they are going to need some swimsuits for her.

One of these for my SIL and the other for my friend's baby shower.

Both are size 1T.
Black skirt was about 2 1/2" cut strip--then hemmed it with a double needle.

Cut a 1 1/4" strip for the neck ruffle.
I like to have the ruffle almost double the length that you are attaching it to--makes it nice and full.
I attach it with a multi-step zigzag stitch.
This allows it to stretch with the suit and not pop some seams.



Front above and back below.  We love the little ruffle bums.
I also cut these strips at 1 1/4" wide. (Size 2T)
These were more like 1 1/2 the length of the bum.  I wanted it fuller, but it still works.



Another little purple paisley-ish version (2T)
Those little ruffle embellishments just change the look of the suit so much.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.
I'll be back on Monday with a Prom dress update.
They were sewing yesterday, will do some today, and again tomorrow.
We are down to 1 week and they have to get it done.

Let's Go Swimming!

Yes, I know, it is only February, but I don't think it is ever too early to start thinking about swim season.  Especially after we just survived a sub-zero week last week here in MN.  It is 27 degrees outside this afternoon and we all feel like we are in a heat wave.  I actually saw a little boy at the store with his mom and he wasn't wearing a coat.  Yeah, we're crazy like that here in the frozen North.

I have two friends having baby girls here soon.  And even though this tends to be my standard baby gift, and probably not much of a surprise to anyone who knows me, I don't really care. These little girlie girls will be ready for the pool come June.

I just used my basic baby tank pattern from Kwik Sew. (discontinued pattern 2512--oldie but goodie)
And then added some embellishments.

Front view (size 1T)


Back view--3 rows of ruffles topstitched onto the back.
I just love a little baby ruffle bum!


This one I just added a little flower in front. (size 2T)
Used this tutorial to make the flower.

First time I've done it on a swimsuit and I think I'll be doing it again.


Then finally one more version--basic front with a turquoise ruffle bum.


Can't wait to give them away this week at the baby showers.  For one it is for her first and the other it is her 4th, but I think she'll be happy and surprised anyway because this baby is coming after twin boys.

Blushing Squares {A Finished Quilt}

The weather is wrecking havoc on my picture-taking these days.  We are finishing up an entire month of  hazy, snowy, cold January weather, which doesn't look to be changing any time soon.  I've been holding off taking pictures of my finished projects because they all turn out "blue" and weird-looking.  But it turns out that if I don't have any pictures, then I can't blog.

So, with the wind howling and the snow falling around me, today I am showing my "blue" weird-looking photos.  Hope you'll not be too critical. 

Without further ado, here is my finished Blushing Squares quilt.  

 It's been done since early December.

You'll have to click on this post to see it in all it's pre-winter prettiness.  I wanted you to see the light-colored border around each block but our yucky weather is not picking up any of the color details very well.  Boo!

 Once again, Lynn's quilting is amazing.

I gave her free reign and she did not disappoint.

 I had planned on using the remainder of the awesome bold pink stripe sheet that I used here for the back, but in the end used this (sorry, you can't really see it) tiny pink gingham sheet instead.  The other one would've required me to piece the back and I wasn't really in the mood.  Sometimes our choices are between two equally good things, huh?

The binding is some Amy Butler coriander that I reclaimed from a project of Leslie's wwaaayyyy back in the day. I'm not ashamed to admit that I totally cut up her skirt and used the fabric.  It was still in perfect shape!  Thanks, Les.

As for the recipient, originally I thought I might sell it, but a certain someone I know and love is having a girl in early summer, so I think I'll save it for her.  Can I get a cheer for baby gifts being done early?!  Hooray!

Hope your city is less "blue" than mine today!

Emily

Previous posts about this quilt are Here and Here.  Seems I've been working on this quilt for a very long time...

Emily's Finished Quilts (Version 2012)

   Another year, another round of quilt mosaics:

 

1. Grey and Yellow for Ashlee  2. Snippets Pinwheel  3. Paintbox Blocks

4. Wonky Crosses  5. Mad Hatter  6. Pinkalicious

7.  Grandma's Shirts  8. Mom's Mint Chip  9. Doll Quilt Solid Churn Dash

1.  Baby Grey and Yellow  2. Baby Blues  3. Nothing But Pink

4. Boys at Play  5. Aloha Baby (front and back)

6.  Pretty in Pink  7.  Scrappy Nine Patch

Baby Nine Patch

Let me start by saying that I am super pumped to have projects getting DONE at a faster rate than getting started!  This is finish # 5 of 5 on the baby quilt front.  WooHoo!  I'm Done!  Seriously, it has been so hard not to start new projects...  I hope next year I can keep my WIP list under control from the get go.  Fingers Crossed. xx 

Now onto the quilt.
Not to be confused with the big version I made back in the day, here is an equally awesome baby version of Amanda Jean's wildly popular nine patch quilt along. 

I got a hair brained idea to remake my original sometime around the time I was busting my way through my scrap bin on this quilt.  My enthusiasm was short-lived, though, so I only came up with enough blocks for a child size version.

But it's done. I love it!  Enough said.

 I chose this lovely grey from the Sherbert Pips line for the binding.
The backing is an equally yummy turquoise print from the DS Quilts line.  (You can see a little bit of it here and in the photo above.)

 Some of the last bits of favorite fabrics are in this quilt.
Can you ever go wrong with scraps?  I think not.


Happy Monday,
Emily

Quilt stats:

Blocks finish at 6 in. Started with 2.5 in squares.

Finished quilt measures: 46 x 54 in.

Lots of cross-hatch quilting done by the fabulous Lynn.

Yellow and Grey for Baby

Another baby quilt finish...

 This one is number 4 out of 5 on my list.   

Phew! Only one more to go before I am completely fineto!

It uses the leftovers from Ashlee's quilt.

I keep telling myself I need to make a yellow and grey quilt for me.  It's such a great color combo!

I'm pretty sure the block design came from Elizabeth Hartman's first book, but I could be wrong...

For the back I used my last big chunk of thrifted yellow gingham.

Let me just say that I have used that stuff over and over and over again.

It's been great, but I'm happy to be rid of it, if you know what I mean.  

 

I gave Lynn a bit of direction on the quilting (like: not to girly, no flowers or feathers) but mostly gave her freedom to make it look 'cool and modern'. 

I think she did a great job with that.  

It hasn't been washed yet, so I'm assuming that it will be nice and cuddly after it's initial bath.

But, that got me thinking.... I always take pics of my quilts before I wash them, but almost always love the look of them better after the wash.  I guess I keep using the before pics because I think you can see the details better.  I don't know... So I am wondering, are you a picture before or picture after kinda person??

Emily

Aloha Baby

Here's a little baby quilt I made for my husband's nephew and his wife who are expecting baby #2.  They graduated from BYU-Hawaii in the spring, so their baby (a girl) is a real Hawaiian baby.  (My 10yr old was SO jealous that they were living in Hawaii!!)  Luckily I still had a stack of leftovers from her quilt that I was able to use.  Hope they appreciate the literal Hawaii reference. 

For the back I opted for coordinating solids.
The cross-hatch quilting shows up well on this side of the quilt.  I know that this type of quilting is super simple (does simple = boring?), but I love how soft it makes the finished quilt.
I guess I'm a girl who likes less quilting.

It finishes at appox. 40"by 50"

Boys at Play Patchwork

Can you ever go wrong with simple patchwork?  I think not.  

I bought some FQ's of Children at Play last year with no real plan in mind.  They got cut into charm squares where they languished for the better part of the year.  As part of my "finish what you start" plan, I'm happy to report that those charms are now a cute little (finished!!) quilt.

I have to say that primary colors never get old with me.  These fabrics have a sort of Nautical/Americana feel to me as well.  Awesome!

I added some classic pieces; ginghams, polka dots, and plaids to give it variety.  You know I can't just go with a line of fabric and be done with it?!!

The back is a reclaimed sheet in yellow gingham.  I had Lynn do some orange peel quilting on it.  It really shows up nicely on the back.  I haven't washed it yet, but I'm sure it will be super snuggly after a spin thru the wash.

Finished quilt measures 40" by 50".

Pretty in Pink

This is the first of five baby quilts I'm trying to finish up.

It uses the leftovers from my blushing quilt.  

I like it's simplicity.

The backing is a sheet from one of my thrifting expeditions.  

Given the fact that it is a perfectly awesome stripe AND it's already super soft, it might be my favorite sheet to date!

The blocks are a mix of everything in my scrap bin.

 I LOVE how they all blend together so beautifully!  

Who says designer and non-designer fabrics can't live together in perfect harmony?

Lynn quilted it with some simple wavy lines and a flower detail in each block.

 After a spin through the wash it is incredibly soft!

Finished dimensions 40" by 48" 

Fabric Tuesday