flannel rag quilt

Most of my blankets are limited to only two fabrics. This blanket is where the fun really began! After putting a couple of layers of flannel together with batting sandwiched between, I trimmed the edges, laundered it, and it made an even fuzzier blanket for a friend's new baby.
The technique is very similar to making chenille, if you're familiar with that fabric. I made another one using a denim on one side - just think of how well a pair of ripped jeans soften up when you put them through the wash. It's the same idea. Warm and cozy! The only problem - it was a lot thicker and heavier to work with!
I also realized the big squares would be a great place to embroider some different designs. Maybe next time.

bucket hats

These hats were a quick and easy way to start getting to know my new embroidery machine.

independence day

4th of July has now come and gone, but I just wanted to share a couple items with you. One was for my son, one was for my mother. My son's shirt had glow-in-the dark stars. He loved those when it was time for fireworks! My mother's shirt has variegated thread (red, white and blue) and the stars cascaded down her short-sleeves.

special cape

My son received numerous hooded towels when he was born. The one that has lasted the longest and is now loved the most is the one handmade by a friend's mother. I have slightly adapted her pattern and made a "special cape" for my adorable son.
He zooms out of the bathroom and loves every minute of bathtime leading up to his choice of hooded towels.

baby wall hanging

Add another new baby in the world and inspired parents and you get a beautiful new creation!
I created this unique wall hanging for the little girl's nursery, soon to be painted light pink and dark rose. The wall hanging itself was constructed much like a quilt or table runner. I then used puffy foam and embroidered the letters around a contrasting fabric. The edge of each letter sticks up a little, and the letters pop.

blankets aren't just for babies!

Recently, my brother-in-law got married. His fabulous new wife :-) ordered a blanket to celebrate the day. Her sister-in-law saw it, loved it, and ordered two more blankets. Which made me think, blankets aren't just for babies!!!!

fuzzy fleece blankets

One of my most favorite fabrics available now (besides minkee and flannel) is fuzzy fleece! It is the softest stuff around, and it just makes you go "ahhhhh" when you touch it. It is warm, cozy, and just screams "cuddle me!!!". So naturally, I wanted to use it on baby blankets. It works best when paired with flannel or minkee.
On this one I used a white fuzzy fleece and a bright green minkee backing. It was sewn to match a sleep sack. My customer chose to use a specialty stitch to dress up the edge rather than satin binding.

flannel blankets

The pictures you see show the blanket made with satin binding. The customer chose a plain flannel and a patterned flannel. Although this repeat customer loved this particular font, I'm going to start digitizing some fonts and I can't wait to try them out! (In the originals I used the child's name too, but to protect their privacy I cropped the names out.)

minkee sleep sacks

I saw this idea for custom sleep sacks when perusing a cute little baby shop and have changed it a little to make it my own. Minkee is the name of the fabric used for the bottom half of the sleep sack, and I used store-bought onesies for the top. I'm not sure I love how it's gathered in - that's going to take some refining.

ladybug blanket

When I was in 2nd grade I wrote a poem about ladybugs that I saw at our cottage on Lake Michigan. My mother has always loved that poem. She recently found this fabric - it already had the cute ladybugs appliqued on it. Using my alphabet stitch, I meandered the poem through the ladybugs. I also added a fleece binding to make the perfect picnic blanket!

flannel choices

I love flannel. Now what am I going to do with all of it??!!!

minkee

There is a lot of this lovely, soft minkee fabric to be had. It is one of the most popular baby blanket fabrics available, and I LOVE IT! These are just a few of the more popular colors that I keep on hand.... the dot is my most popular fabric. The heart minkee and striped white minkee is also a fun variation.
I've scrounged around a lot of websites and there are so many other color and design options. I have so many ideas of things to make!!!

soft fabric choices

This fabric is a shaggier but oh-so-soft option that adds a little bit more of a funky flair to your project.





Speaking of funky - try this pink or purple shimmy-shimmy-shake stuff on top! I also use more fun textures for the fuzzy cubes - chenille, textured fleece, and terrycloth.






These are fabrics you just can't keep your hands off of!!! The dark purple on the top left and the white on the top right are short poodle-curls that are SO soft. The purple polka dot on the bottom is as soft as minkee, but with a bit more weight to it.


These are so thick and cozy they are almost a blanket by themselves. So scrumptious!

rows and rows of ribbon

Besides buttons, I think ribbon is my next favorite embellishment. There are so many gorgeous satin ribbons out there to be found, and standard grosgrain with that special ridged texture. This is just a sampling of what I have currently...

totally thread

I have a large assortment of threads to choose from, and my stock is continually changing. I enjoy seeking out specialty threads, such as these variegated threads and metallic threads.
The variegated threads add a little variety to what could be an otherwise bland design. See if you can spot it in some of my examples!

The metallic thread does exactly what you would think - it shines from the fabric!

Not pictured here is another favorite - my glow-in-the dark thread. It was perfect for my son's 4th of July fireworks shirt!

sewing techniques

I realized that not everyone is necessarily familiar with some of the sewing techniques I use. I want to give you a place to check out some of them.

Fringed applique - this gives the flower's petals a little something extra.

Variegated thread - allows for shading in a large design, or just a little fun variety on a border stitch.

Fun Foam - makes the edge of your design pop up from the fabric.

Applique - It's not just an outline, it's a fun fabric on top of the original item. It adds pattern to your project.

Photo Printing - this allows you to add a personal photo to your special item. It works perfectly to help your child learn about their far-away relatives while playing with a toy.

gift certificates

Do you know a new baby that's on the way? Is that all you know about the new baby? If you think the new parents would like to pick the fabric themselves, pick the design, or pick the item - then feel free to order a gift certificate to celebrate their special occasion!

Perfect for custom orders of any size or shape!