Young Daddy's Gifts

The Time is ticking away....
Baby Girl's due date is looming large and so is my Baby Girl...
All signs of imminent birth are beginning and Grammy is gearing up.
Even though I had other pressing things in the sewing room, anything for BG/BG's seemed to take precedent due to the time constraint. From the very beginning of the pregnancy, BG's Hubby has been insistent that he wants to be the very involved, very connected papa.  When BG started going through my Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby, her Hubby was close by selecting  t appropriate accessories.  He particularly wanted a Mei tai baby carrier that reflected him and not someone else's idea of a Man Mei Tai.  Grammy Deb convinced him that he would be able to tote his newborn babe around comfortably with a signature statement.  We selected this one.
And to make it, I used some pretty nice heavy weight cotton in a blue not quite denim but not too light of a shade either. The lining, which was very important since Grammy's little sweetie will be surrounded by it, was a compilation of Hubby's old flannel shirt scraps, worn soft by years in the factory.

Young Daddy Young really needed a bag that would suit his mobile lifestyle.  Something that he could be productive with as well as being nurturing.  He sat down and wrote all the Bag Needs that he had.  I sat down and looked through Anna Maria's book and altered her Dad Bag pattern to suit my more demanding son in law.

The Daddy Bag is made of two colors of suede and is lined with the softest vinyl Crazy Don could share with me.  The pockets are lined with scraps of Unca Joco's trousers that suited the softness and durability requirement.  I used webbing from a part of an old belt to trim out the zipper and the side pockets.

All in all, there is nine pockets, enough for solar chargers and cords of all types and maybe even enough for a few didies, wipes and clothing changes.
Hubby had brought home a passel of straps procured from Who Knows Where, complete with shoulder padding and open clips.  On my last visit to the Amish Leather Shop, (pretty awesome place indeed) I picked up some wonderfully durable brass attachments that probably belong to a horse bridle.  They became the attachment to the strap.                        
                                                           There was something extraordinary about making these things for Young Daddy Young.  There was the creative challenge.  There was the technological challenge.  There was the material challenge.  But aside from these practical things, there was the awareness that I was making these things for a man that is the father of my youngest daughter's child.  A man that had been prayed for and over and about for as long as BG took breath.   Knowing his deep love for BG and his preborn daughter, this task took on a more transcendental feel.  A grand thing to say about something so mundane as a diaper bag and carrier, but truly, profound things are usually spotted in the usual.  I truly felt honored to be supplying for this new daddy, tools that can help him provide nurturing for his newborn.  I felt pleased to be able to send the obvious message through the doing of it, 'I support you in how you support my daughter and granddaughter'.  I want him to know that I am here for him to help in whatever way, from babysitting to help in interpreting my daughter's needs and moods.  
So it was with great excitement that I delivered it to him on Wednesday as we drove to their home to celebrate a very special Pre Birth Thanksgiving.  I was overjoyed to be there and I think he was pretty stoked as well....
.Don't you think??                                                                                                                  

Population Explosions...!

It appears that my future in Diaper Bag Making could be secure.
It appears that pretty much everyone I know is pregnant or newly mothered.
And it is a pretty exciting time for me.
As you know, Baby Girl is due in December.  Her diaper bag creation is on my mind and cutting board as we speak.
Rabbit Rita's daughter is expecting.
The 2 G's mama is due in April and she is due for a new bag by then.
E/A's good buddy, Chicago Sewist Mama, delivered her new little daughter last month.
PDK has a toddler Will and nearly five month old Oliver who needs a mamas collection bag as well.

In the photo above is my slant on Anna Maria Horner's take on her Here We Go Bag featured in the most wonderful Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby book.
And this one goes to Editor Friend, who, this past Saturday morning, while the rest of us were ready to enjoy the Persimmon Festival that she worked hard on all year as Festival Chairwoman, was busy delivering her fourth son into this world.  Welcome Emery, you little Persimmon you!

So here's to all the New Babies, Born and Yet To Be Born!
Really enjoy this seemingly endless supply of New Little Lives around me!
Thank You Jesus!

Simple Sewing Saturdays: Volume Twelve: Resourceful Resources

You are never too old to learn something new.  Daily, yea, hourly, I find new things about life and all that is this earthly adventure. That's what keeps it so darn exciting.  Even though I have been sewing since 1971 ('70 if you count an elective Home Economics Course that I cheated through), I am amazed at the amount of Sewing Knowledge that I do not possess.  In that regard, I am gratefully appreciative for those that can instruct me in the basic and the advanced type of sewing that I so admire now.  I remember my first How To guide; a Butterick published book; spiral bound and full of helpful illustrations.  This book stayed close by my in my Early Adventures in Sewing.  I am now infatuated by the young women that are incredibly talented and possess an incredible amount of technological and business savvy.  I am their biggest fan,standing in awe of how they do it all.  Pictured are some of my current Sewing Crushes.  I LOVE these books and know that you will too.  Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching by Heather Ross.  heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/  A wonderful book promoted by all my favorite bloggers and referenced often.  This past week whilst on my vacation, I stumbled across this sweet little fabric/pattern store,http://www.patternhutch.com/, absolutely jammed  tight with amazing fabric and the patterns that I see online all the time.  And there, waiting for me to purchase the Perfect Vacation Souvenir, was Heather's exceptional book!  I got to look it over and see why so many love it.  Hubby was more than willing to let me purchase it.  It was vacation, after all.  I spent the evening pouring over the patterns and recipes, (yes, Heather has wisely added some yummy recipes for those heavy sewing days!)  I'm telling you, no respectful Sewist should be without this book.

And then there is my new hero.  Anna Maria Horner annamariahorner.blogspot.com authored her book, Handmade Beginnings, last year.  I snatched it up after previewing it AND finding out that Baby Girl was expecting.  I believe she wrote it just for her. It is filled with great baby/mama making things and great sewing instruction.  Then, just as I was standing in awe of her mothering (six children) sewing, designing, business expertise, she goes and wows me with her writing skills. annamariahorner.blogspot.com/2010/08/bridge.html.  So amazing.  Bring your tissues. 

This next book arrived while I was gone on vacay.  I feel like I know about it from the countless times it is referred to in my favorite bloggers writings.  I have admired the quilts made from this pattern: www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2009/04/log-cabin-promises.html .  I knew that I had to make this quilt.  Fabulous.  This past year, I have acquired a Pretend Granddaughter that absolutely loves a quilt that my mother in law made for my Eldest Son many years ago.  The poor quilt is worn to pieces but she is smitten with the love woven into it.  I want to make a quilt woven with love for her.  But I need help with fabric artisans far ahead of me, so I purchased Suzuko Koseki's book. I LOVE THIS BOOK.  Beautiful projects.  Great illustrations.  It shall get passed down to my progeny worn out. 

While this Simple Sewing Saturday's Volume is not really a  practical instructional, it indeed references books that we all need as sewists/newbie wannabe sewists.  Learn something new in sewing today.  Sewing develops patience, detail, understanding of procedure and the importance of being careful.   These skills leak over into all areas of our lives, so utilizing them  in the sewing realm helps me to see the importance in all those other areas.

So, I thank all the brilliant authors that have shared their knowledge with me so that I can share it with you.

P.S.  I have a secret.  I have a friend that is coming out with a book soon and wonder of wonders, privilege of privilege, she has invited me in on it!  Coming Soon!  Watch this space for more details!www.craftleftovers.com/blog/

Biding My Time Well....

I needed a place to keep Miss Dixie corralled while Bob the Counter Man worked in the kitchen yesterday.  Miss Dixie, Guard Dog that she is, does not cotton to Strange Men in her house.  She is pretty protective of her "Mom". If someone gets in between her safe parameter of the three feet that she allows, she will warn you of her displeasure.  And most of the times, I correct her; letting her know who is 'permitted'.  But workers in my home, strangers that I pass on a late dog walk, salesmen that think maybe it's a good idea to come to my door; she can bark all she wants at them.  No correction.

So, BCM got her corralled but not necessarily corrected.  I just decided that if I had to keep her away from the workers, I would just join her.  My upstairs sewing room would be the perfect place.  I could put the baby gate in the doorway so I could hear if BCM needed my input but yet keeping Miss Dixie carefully barricaded.  Oh, and did I mention that it would not bother me In The Least, to be absconded to my beloved Work Room?  With no interruption by the things of the world, since I had to be attentive to the Kitchen Progress.  Yes.  Nearly three hours to play with my fabrics and sewing machine, with my faithful, yet barky assistant, next to me, protecting me from who knows what. I had recently purchased Anna Maria Horner's newest book, 'Handmade Beginnings' http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com for my newest Grandbaby's Mama to be.  Just as I went with Amy Butler's book for her big sister's pregnancy, I saw that Anna Maria was simpatico with Baby Girl's eclectic taste. I do believe I could start right through the book, creating beautiful things from Anna Maria's wonderful patterns.  I began my journey with the Early Empire Cinch.  Extraordinary.  Drawing attention to the Burgeoning Belly, not hiding it as in days past.  Wonderful idea!  Let's get that Baby Out There and Celebrate His/Her Journey from the Beginning!   It was with great enthusiasm that I started on my first project for Baby Girl's first baby. The thoughts that went through my mind as I created this wonderful accessory for My Second Grandbaby's Wonderful Mama.  I thought of all the ways that she would wear it, even after the pregnancy.  I thought of the expanding waistline and all the implications of it.  I thought of all the many sewing projects that I will have with and for my grandbabies.  I thought about all the many dresses that I had made for Baby Girl, real and dress up. The simple act of creating something with detail and practicality and good design for a celebratory occasion, certainly is balm for the soul.  I couldn't have been more content.  It was a good day.  First Item for the New Grandbaby.  New Counters.  Faithful Dog.  Room to Sew in.  It's all Good.