Sewing For Baby: Bandana Bibs

It has been getting a little moist in here! I guess that's what happens when you have a two month old, but this came as a surprise to this still new mama. You see, when I had walked by those teeny bibs in the baby stores I laughed them off as unnecessary accessories. Decorative props for photos. Baby billboards. A Santa bib for Christmas, a Menorah bib for Hannukah, a jack-o-lantern bib for Halloween, or those silly little "I love mama...give me cookies...I'm a boob man" sayings. One for all occassions! Bibs were really for protecting baby clothes from solid food, right? That was months away! We were lucky to avoid spit ups for the first while, and I thought the whole drooling thing held off until teething began. We bought one, and only because it had a monkey on it. It wasn't until the bird turned two months that I realized just how much spit up and drool could come out of such a tiny human. We were doing a crazy amount of outfit changes so he wasn't sitting in a wet top and it was time to embrace the bib.

A good friend from over seas had sent me the most wonderful care package after Josh was born. It was filled with cloth diapers, hand dyed muslins and onesies, teas and goodies for me, the most thoughtful card (and one from her little daughter too!), and some other lovely gifts. Included in there was a little rainbow striped bandana bib. Maybe it's because I don't run in the cool mama circles, or because they're much more popular in the UK, but I had never seen one before. I loved it! It was practical, but also super cute, and actually looks like part of an outfit. Instead of running out and buying a bunch of bibs, I decided to break out the failed cloth diaper making supplies again and make some myself. This time I got to use the snaps too!

These are so quick, which means I'm at the sewing machine several times throughout the day trying to make a few more while the baby sleeps. We go through these things fast! They're as easy as cutting out a triangle of fabric and a matching triangle of the organic cotton velour that I still have mountains of (polar fleece would be a good option for these since it will wick any wetness away from baby's skin so the bib can be worn longer), sewing them right sides together with an opening to turn, turning and top stitching (I closed the opening with the top stitching rather than doing it by hand), and attaching the snaps. If you don't have a snap press, velcro or a button & hole should work fine.

To get the right size, measure loosely around your baby's neck. Add about an inch on each side for the snap, and then enough seam allowance. If you wanted them to last longer, do a larger triangle and add an extra snap or two so you can loosen the bib as your baby grows.

If you do decide to invest in a snap press, do yourself a favour and get a proper one. I got this hand held one at a tiny fraction of the cost, but it is finnicky and cracks 75% of the snaps I put in. It also isn't as effective so some of the time one side will pull out when opening. If you plan to use it a lot (like to make your own cloth diapers!), the proper one will pay for itself.

These won't sit flat like a typical bib, but I actually like that as the folds tend to catch the more serious spit ups better than a flat bib. Much love for the bandana bib! Now to make that pile bigger.

*Of course, don't keep anything around your baby's neck without supervision.

Let's Talk Thrifting

I love thrifting, and get asked questions about it from time to time, so I wanted to make a post that would hopefully answer them. I want to address the idea that you should only shop at thrift stores if you fall under a certain income bracket. I have seen some harsh judgement on thrift shoppers over this, but it is not true at all. Most thrift stores are charity organizations. The profits made from sold items are donated to charities and/or put into community programs. The more that sells, the more the community benefits. Most stores put what doesn't sell into dumpsters. Some things that are never even put out on the shelves are thrown into dumpsters because there is so much donated. Aside from saving some cash, maybe you shop at thrifts for environmental reasons, maybe you just like vintage. There are many reasons to thrift, and anyone is welcomed to.

What I hear most often is 'I don't know how people find all this great vintage stuff. I went to my local thrift store and all I found was crusty old clothes.' When I first got into thrifting I felt the same way. I had gone in expecting to be greeted by a meca of beautiful vintage goodies, and that just wasn't the reality. On my first trip I came away with two pieces of not really that great Pyrex. For every time I find something really great, there are several times I've gone where I've found nothing at all. The simplest answer is you have to go a lot, and you really have to look.

Here are a few helpful tips..

Don't feel like you have to go early. Many stores put things out throughout the day rather than stock the shelves early in the morning. Stores will be less busy on weekdays during typical work hours, unless it is a special promotion day (like 20% off for seniors on Tuesdays), so if you don't like crowds and are free during those hours, go then.

Don't give up on a shop if you don't find anything for a while. I have several favourite locations in my rotation where I tend to find more, but occassionally I will find something amazing at shops I don't usually see anything at.

Pay attention to the neighbourhood the shop is in. If I want to find name brand baby clothes in excellent condition for the bird I'll shop at a location near a more upscale neighbourhood. If I want to find antique mason jars for under a buck I'll shop at a location in a smaller town surrounded by farm land. If I want to find mid-century furniture I'll shop in an neighbourhood with homes built in the 1950s/60s where residents may be clearing things out. For the best records and vintage clothing I'll go downtown. That isn't to say you won't find these things at other locations (last week I saw a shelf full of antique mason jars at 99 cents each in the more upscale neighbourhood location), but it can pay to be aware of where you shop. I find that friends who live in the Mid-Western US find the absolute best stuff.

Be open with what you're looking for. I always have a list of things I'm looking for, but I like to look at all the shelves and sections when I'm at a shop because I really never know what I'll find and fall in love with.

Bring a friend and make a fun day of it. Even if you're looking for the same things it can be more fun to shop with a friend. Lucy and I have gone on some great thrifting trips, hitting up several stores in a day, and my mom is a favourite thrifting buddy. It's great to have a second pair of eyes and a second opinion.

If you aren't sure, put it in your cart. You can always put it back later. Most times when I pick an item up and put it back on a shelf, someone else grabs it before I've had much of a chance to step away. If I think I may want something, it goes in my cart. Now, if you are trying to avoid buying things you aren't completely in love with, putting it back can be a good strategy. If someone else picks it up, you can't buy it.

Don't buy something just because it's inexpensive or you think it's worth a lot. If you won't use it and you won't see that money, it's not worth anything. Only buy things you actually like.

Don't be afraid to ask for discounts on poorly priced items. Some thrift stores fancy themselves boutique vintage shops lately with how popular thrifting has become. Prices can get pretty outrageous. Let a manager know that something is priced poorly.

Go when you travel. You never know what you'll find at a new to you location. Just be aware of how much space you have in your luggage.

Do an online search for locations. There may be stores near you that you never even knew existed.

Some other places to look for great vintage items: antique malls, estate sales, church sales, flea markets, garage sales, craigslist/kijiji, etsy/ebay. Do an internet search to see what's in your area, check craigslist/kijiji for garage sale/estate sale/church sale postings, check your local newspaper's 'what's going on this weekend' section, and use the saved search function on ebay.

Have fun!

If you can't get what you want, make it yourself

I love most things about living in this country. I am very lucky. In the grand scheme of things this is a very minor, slight annoyance, and hardly a blip on the radar. I'm talking about Canadian shipping and the many, many places that just don't do it. A while ago a certain store with sometimes very cute home decor and accessories pulled Canadian shipping from that section of their website. Around the same time the same store stopped selling any home stuff in Canadian locations. This happened just after the cutest pintucked pillows debuted, and just before I decided to order a couple.. of course. I thrifted a cute little red corduroy version a year or so back, but the velvety versions in lovely colours were just too much. I took to Etsy, sure that a talented artisan or two would have an even better version, but surprisingly I didn't find much. Ebay? Nothing. Google search? Again, nothing but the same store and many, many blog posts about how adorable these pillows are. There was also this.

I've never smocked before, but with instructions that straight forward this was totally doable. I could have my pillows, and even better, I could make them myself!

Then came the challenges. Oh, the challenges! I couldn't find my pink velvelty fabric. After some searching online I found a close match on Etsy, but it wasn't exactly cheap. Round pillow forms don't seem to exist in any store near me, so again I had to order online. The forms were under $4 a piece, but shipping for those babies cost a pretty penny. A doll making needle to pass through the pillow for tufting? Nope! Every craft store, fabric store, specialty store, and craft section of a big box store failed me, which I'm sad to say is not an uncommon occurance. I'm beginning to wonder if these shops are useful for more than cute scrapbooking supplies, cake pop kits, and a limited selection of novelty fabrics. Most online shops who carried the needles didn't ship to Canada. Etsy saved me again, and my pack of 5 to 7 inch doll making needles were on their way. The only part of this project I actually found in person were the button making parts.

It's not perfect, and I can't even claim to have saved some cash by making it myself after all of those shipping fees (I will save on the second since I just need the fabric!), but I have my pretty pink round "pintucked" pillow and plans to make a plum version to go with it.

It's just a pillow, and a silly thing to get worked up about, but I'm glad to have been able to make it, and I do love the way it looks on my chair (I really did need a pillow for this chair since it stops halfway up my back and it's where I sit to breastfeed the baby bird..it's the comfiest chair otherwise). I'm so glad for crafty bloggers who are willing to share tutorials with the rest of us.

A is for Apple

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Fall? I really, really do. I'm a sucker for a fun Fall outing, and apple picking is one of the classics. On Saturday I convinced Jer that we needed to go. Unfortunately for us, about 80,000 other city dwellers had the same idea.

The parking lots were full and cars were parked up and down the road for at least a km. Don't get me wrong, apple picking is a lot of fun, but never in my life have I seen an apple orchard actually crowded. I don't know what it is about this year. We made the drive, so we decided to join the cars and take a nice walk to the orchard.

I chose this specific orchard for one reason..HONEY CRISPS. The most delicious apple of all the apples! Sadly, those delicious honeys were at the far end of the property and the line for the wagon ride to get out there was ridiculous. Josh was comfy in his baby hawk, but I wasn't sure he'd last that long, and oh, the crowds! We decided to forget the $10 per person admission fee and buy a bag of apples in the ready picked shop.

It still counts, right? I really wanted to keep one of the baskets, but they weren't for sale. After purchasing our bag of apples, I took some pictures over the fence so we could at least pretend we had the orchard experience.

Next time we go during the week, on a crappy day. Eventually, we plant our own apple trees and skip the crowds all together. At least this boy is too young to be disappointed with our change of plans!

We finished up the experience with some Fall baking (ok, that was really just me). I love that apples & cinnamon baking smell!

I grew up with one of these contraptions in my kitchen, and found one for myself at a thrift shop several months back. If you don't have one, you need one. If you have one, you know what I'm talking about. No more chopping. You've never had so much fun with apples in your life!

Apple slinkies! Harder varieties will produce more epic slinkies. The Honey Crisps kept breaking.

Usually I'd go for a pie, but I don't like the crust so I decided to make an apple crisp instead, and it was good. I used this recipe. If you're using sweeter apples, cut back on the sugar. Serve it warm. Add vanilla ice cream if you're feeling extra decadent. Of course eating the apples right out of the bag is always good too, and that's what we'll do with the rest of them.

If you enjoy a challenge, make sure you bake when you're home alone with the baby who will definitely need to be held as soon as you're halfway through slicing up your apples (leave your wrap in the car that is out with your husband). For added fun, make sure you drop as much as possible on the floor so you have to shoo the dog and cat away with your foot while trying to finish what you're doing. One handed, one footed baking! It's really fun, I promise. These guys really do make life much more interesting, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

To Market, To Market!

One thing I do love about this city are the awesome markets that pop up every now and then. There are the well established ones, like St. Lawrence, but there are also newer, smaller ones that are quickly growing. This was the third month we've (Lulu & Lolie) done the Leslieville Flea (you can check out our posts on their blog here and here), and it keeps getting better and better. We always take time after setting up to go around to the other vendors, and although it ends up being a bad thing for my wallet, it is so much fun! I've found a few things I had been searching for for a long while. This time I came away with a retro play table and chairs set that was actually Lucy's. She was planning to sell it in our booth, but I snagged it for Joshie instead. I also got an adorable handmade quilt from Broody Hen Designs (who have an Etsy shop you can check out. Is this monkey onesie not the cutest thing?).

When we started up Lulu & Lolie we hadn't really talked doing shows/markets, it was all about setting up our booth in the Pickering Antique Mall. The Mall was just opening, but there was a well established Flea Market and Farmer's Market next door and Pickering is just a few minutes drive from Toronto, so we thought there'd be a good sized crowd coming in. Unfortunately, that hasn't quite been the case. We're still enjoying the booth, but moving on to these markets in Toronto has been a great decision (as well as Leslieville we've done a Harbourfront Festival and the Parkdale Flea). Set-up/take down is quite a bit of work, and much more complicated with a little one, but it is worth it and I am lucky to have so much support. There is no way I could do this otherwise. We've met so many great vendors with a variety of vintage, antiques, and handmades, and lots of great people coming through. We also get visits from some of the sweetest pups out on their morning walks. Customers who weren't able to get out to Pickering can get around the city much easier.

We like to change things up, so our display and stock is different each time. This month we brought out the wool blankets, sweaters, coats, and hats since the weather is getting cooler. Next month (the last month of the year for Leslieville) I'm going to pull out the holiday stash and bring putz houses, mid-century Japan ornaments, and santa mug sets. We both agreed we liked having two clothing racks instead of one. Much more room to browse!

 

Next Flea I need to take pictures of more of the booths. I always mean to, but I get shy about asking the vendors permission and taking photos in public. At least I took pictures of our booth this time! I will work on that.



 Here's a better view of the baby bird's table. The polka-dot trim is new and I imagine was added to cover up some imperfections, but I love the way it looks. He probably won't use this for a couple years, but I can't imagine I'll find another like it before then.

 



This is actually a find from the first Flea we did. The two smaller mixing bowls were two of the first Pyrex dishes I ever got, but I hadn't found the larger two at a thrift, or at an antique mall for a reasonable price. I'm still missing the largest bowl, which may be the trickiest to find of the lot.

 I cannot wait for next month's Flea!

Crafting

I had thought it would be impossible to do much crafting with a new baby, but the opposite has been true. Every time he's not in my arms and there isn't something that desperately needs to be done, I find a project in my hands. I have just had this need to make and create. When he needs a break, the husband plays guitar or a video game, this is just my thing I guess. I kind of love it.

Here is what has been made recently..

The ladies needed new fleecey tubes, so they got a pair with a cute heart print that I picked up the last time the fabric shop was having a sale. I was able to make two in one nap period since they are so quick. The ladies love taking naps in these.

I finished up Birdie's adorable whale sweater. Even though I tested the gauge on this one, I think I was off a little since it is huge. I made the 0-3 month size. Hopefully it'll fit him by the Spring, or maybe even next Fall!

This was my first time knitting images into a project. It really wasn't as difficult as I had thought, although making sure to carry the yarn along and twist it in was a little annoying. The anchor buttons are vintage and came from my stash. I have a bit of a button problem. When I see a bag of vintage buttons at the thrift shop, it usually comes home with me even though I have way too many, and may have promised Jer I'd stop bringing home more. The great thing about it is that I can usually match buttons that are missing from vintage clothing, and there are always some to go with my craft projects (that's me trying to justify it!), but there are way too many.


We have tons of what are essentially butt wipes (for baby). My favourites are a set I ordered that are cotton velour on one side and cotton or jersey on the other. I have the dozen I ordered, plus a few hand me downs from a friend. I like that they're really soft and also a bit thicker, and would always reach for those first.

I had some cotton velour that was another left over from my failed attempt at cloth diapers (I am so regretting that one), so I paired that with some cute cotton prints and made up a bunch of my own. This is a great stash/scrap busting project since you can make these any size you like. I don't have a serger, so I just zig zag stitched around the edges and added an extra seam. I probably could have spent a bit more time on them and turned them, but I don't mind the unfinished look.  It may be silly to spend time on something that will end up cleaned up poop, but I like cute.

I also knit up this little gnomey hat for Josh. Can you see a theme in my crafting? It was super quick and cute. The only thing I don't like is that it's not tapered towards the bottom of his head so it sticks out a bit in the back. Making a bigger size may have fixed that.

The yarn I used for this is Luna Grey Fiber Arts in the mushroom colourway, and is an absolute dream to work with. So soft! It is my new favourite by far.

I have no idea what to work on next. So many ideas!

350+ Tiny White Dogs

I found out about the Toronto Westie Walk the year we got Lola. It was too late to make it that summer, but we were there the next and every year since. A special day each year for our girl to frolick in a field of her own breed. A sea of tiny white Westies. Truth be told, the first year she wasn't so sure about the frolicking, the next she was overwhelmed by all the look-a-likes that she didn't know what to do with herself. She preferred sniffing other dogs to running in the races, she was often more interested in the dog owners rather than the dogs, and she never liked the treats in the goody bags. The novelty was mostly on us, and she probably wouldn't miss it much. Don't get me wrong, she has seemed to enjoy herself every year, if only for all the attention and all those new butts to sniff.

I've been doing the photos for the walk for the past three years. Corey (the lady who runs the rescue) found out about the cat portraits I did for Toronto Cat Rescue and asked if I'd do her walk. Obviously I'm no pro, but I'm cheap and willing to do the work. This year, with my due date having been so close to the walk, I signed off. I promised we'd try to make it anyway if we were feeing up to it, mostly because I felt guilty over things changing for Lola with the new baby and I didn't want to take this away too (again, probably more about me than her, she has been amazing).

My parents usually tag along, but this year it was just Jer, Joshie, Lola, and myself. I love getting the chance to go out just our little family. We didn't stay long (not long enough for the adorable Westie races photos), but we had such a great time. Both Lola and Josh slept the entire ride home and for a long while after that.

Josh was dressed for the occasion in a little Westie onesie. A little silly, but if you saw the amount of Westie license plates in the parking lot you wouldn't think twice about it! I cannot wait until Josh is a little older and can enjoy the Westie Walk with his dog a little more.