Baby Bonanza

Hey guys! So, I'm in the middle of another baby season and there are a few babies coming into my life this year and so I've been on the internet searching up lots of tutorials for things to make for all the new bundles of joy. I found a few tutorials that I am going to be trying out as well as coming up with a few of my very own. So in the next couple of weeks you guys will be seeing lots of baby crafts on Photographer ...Naturally.

Today I would like to share with you a tutorial I found on one of my absolute favorite crafting blogs, Make it and Love it. They have SO MANY cool things over there and I recommend everyone check it out.  Today I spent the day working on their receiving blanket and baby hat tutorials.

For those of you who havent seen the post, a few months back I bought a sewing book to try and learn how to master the art of sewing. Since buying the book I have rarely had the chance to sit down and actually practice. This tutorial was a good one because it is super simple ...unless, of course, if your hand is unsteady as mine. Complicated for a photographer and an even worse sewer ...wait, that can't be how you spell sewer, that's sewer like where the dirty water is. Is sewer, as in a person who sews, even a word?

I have no idea. Moving on... so my stitches aren't quite straight and it's going to take practice to get them there. But enough with the disclaimers, here is what I worked on today.

Cast of Characters:
Interlocking knit in any pattern you like. How many colors you need depend on how many styles you would like.
Ribbed interlocking knit for your blanket edges
Sewing/Quilting ruler
Baby hat to make a pattern
Scissors
Pins and Needles
Chalk (optional)
...and of course, your sewing machine!


Starting out with the receiving blanket, cut a rectangle of about 36x36. Round off the edges using a bowl and chalk to draw the lines.

Then cut 2 inch wide strips the length of the fabric with the ribbing going right to left not up and down.

Then fold the fabric strips in half the long way and then the outsides into the middle to create long strips or bias tape. I added an extra step here from the original tutorial and ironed the bias tape down so that it would stay in place and be easier to pin onto the blanket.  I made four strips but only used three.

Pin the ribbing all the way around the outer edge of the blanket with the fabric inside to hold in place. When pinning the bias tape, make sure to pin the end of one inside the end of the other to keep the tape continuous. It helps if you fold the very tip of the outside bias to hide the frayed end. Then get to sewing!

Sew all the way around the inner edge of the bias tape. Make sure you're catching the blanket fabric AND the back side bias tape because, believe me, this can be a pain to tend to if you miss a spot :-\

...and that's it! I skipped the letters from the original tutorial and kept this blanket simple as I have many more projects to make for the little munchkins.

Then I moved onto the hats. I used a store bought baby hat to make my pattern. I cut all the way around the hat adding an extra 1/4 inch.

Then I cut a strip 14.5 inches long 5.5 inches wide.

Sew around the outisde of the hat leaving the bottom open. Fold the strip in half and sew along the outer open edge.

 Next you want to fold the strip into itself to create a band. Stuff the band inside of the hat with the frayed edges all on the outside. Pin the band to the hat with three folds on one side and three folds on the other so that the hat can be opened and sew around the outer circumference of the hat securing the band inside.

When you're done turn the hat right side out and you are going to want to open the hat and iron along the inside to keep the inner seam down. Also you can hand stitch the side corners just to make sure the inner seams lie down (picture to follow)

Now you can choose to embellish your hat with these simple little fabric flowers. Start by cutting 5 larger circles from your fabric (5 inch circumference) and 4 smaller circles (3 inch circumference). Fold four of your larger circles in half and then in half again and lay them down on your fifth larger circle.

Hand stitch the tips of the folded fabric to the larger circle to keep them on. Repeat this with the small four circles folding them and laying them slight askew from the 4 bigger folds and hand sew them on and your flower is complete!

Handsew the flowers to the hats in the spot you would like them and you're all done!! You've completed the Make it and Love it baby hats and receiving blanket!

~Stay tuned for more baby tutorials coming your way in the next couple of weeks!!

p.s. SEAMSTRESS!! That's it!