kenna.

a new little leaf has fallen this fall!


kenna mckay
7lbs 13 oz and 20.5 inches long
sunday nov. 23rd

by far, my best homemade endeavor yet! (and i definitely mean the baby, not the quilt, which i finally finished two days before my water broke).

baby wish quilt- part two.

after a rather long pause to order polka dotted bias tape for the binding, progress is back in motion on the baby quilt, and it's almost done! i'm so excited to see how far it's done, and it feels so good in my hands just bunching it up to carry it around, i know it's going to be the perfect quilt to snuggle up my little wee one in. i hope it's the kind of quilt i have to peel the ancient threads of away from my daughter when she goes off to college...

all the hand embroidery was time-consuming, but turned out so much prettier than the machine embroidery, i really wish i had done it all by hand!

more embroidery and starting the piecing:

more piecing, adding in the dark brown strips (with all the embroidery done!):

suddenly, i have a quilt top! (this one is darker because i had been working late at night and couldn't stand to wait until the morning to take a photo):

i decided to add a border to make the quilt a bit bigger and to even out the edges some from where the machine embroidery had made them a little squished. the border matches the backing print.

lining up the quilt top, batting, and backing fabric and trimming to size:

pinning all three into a quilt sandwich to start quilting!

i added an appliqued handwritten quilt label on the back for posterity and so baby K will know the significance of why i wanted to make the quilt for her:

starting to sew on the bias tape binding! i went vintage so that i could get brown polka dots, and it wasn't easy to come by! current bias tape is so boring, but i didn't want to take the time to make my own. thanks to my stubbornness however, and my absolute desperation to have the brown polka dots on the edges, i did discover how obnoxious it is to refold and re-iron single fold bias tape instead of using double fold... not recommended!

as soon as i can get the rest of the binding done, it will be all finished. even the batting i used was inherited from my mom. it's already so soft and snuggly feeling, i can't wait to see it finished!

***edited to add: i wrote this post 3 days before going into labor. i finished the quilt literally the day before the baby came!***

nesting... definitely nesting.

my nesting instinct with this baby on the way finally reared it's head at my crafting... which resulted in my getting several things made! in a matter of about 3 hours yesterday, i managed to try a new craft, make a bib for our baby, and make 3 bibs for our nephew which will be part of his christmas present! i even got them photographed just in time before i lost too much sunlight (always a frustration if i'm not totally on top of my game... many times i end up making one day and photo-ing another!). here are the spoils of the day:

delicious pink fabric covered button hairclips:

christmas gift bibs, with monogram appliques:

a monogram applique bib for my little k:

and an embroidered k wall hanging, inspired by an m that i couldn't justify affording instead of making myself:

my next plans for before the baby get here are to finish the quilt and i've also bought fabric to try to recover the cushions of my second-hand glider rocker. the fact that this could even be possible is only because of this tutorial where i'm still not sure how she makes it look so easy! i haven't started that one because it's just so intimidating! any suggestions are welcome. i'm definitely not planning to do anything tricky like a zipper or tufts, but still... intimidating.

craft epiphany!

why is it that i have yet to, until today, discover the ease, simplicity, and pure joy of fabric covered buttons? i don't remember at the moment what it was that inspired me to try making these little wonders (except perhaps these adorable clips or this enticing mix) but i have found one of those delicious craft epiphanies where you want to make stacks and stacks of something... and who cares if you don't know what to make with them yet?

i had so much fun i even got inspired to make a tutorial! it's so easy that really you don't need 7 steps, but i was having a blast, and i love a super-detailed tutorial... i hate it when you feel like you're missing a step!

fabric covered button tutorial:

step one: purchase an obscenely cheap button starter kit set and extra refill sets if you like (got mine at hobby lobby for $2.99 and $1.99 respectively. having a refill kit on hand is highly recommended- see step 7 for details ).the starter kit will have one blue plastic tool (pusher) and one white plastic tool (mold) and the refill kit is just the metal button backs and fronts. my starter kit also included fronts and backs for 4 buttons.

step 2: cut about 1.5 inch circles of the fabric you'd like to use. there is a pattern on the back of the package, but you can eyeball approximately how much you'll need based on the size of your button (these are 7/8 inch buttons that i used). think of all the scrappits of fabric you love that you'll no longer have to waste!

step 3: center your fabric circle right-side down over the white plastic mold, and gently hold it taut with one hand. with the other hand, put your button top (the smooth side down) on your fabric circle and push gently down into the mold, making sure the edges all stick out around the button top like a little skirt.

step 4: now you're ready to add the little button back. if you plan to glue the finished button onto something, you'll want to pinch the little metal loop off with some pliers at this point. if you plan to sew the buttons onto things, make sure you keep the loops!

step 5: make sure all the edges of your fabric are tucked carefully under the flat button back (loop side up), and center the button back over the white plastic tool. you'll want to push the button back in until you hear a slight snap, either using the blue plastic tool or with your thumb (or a pen cap or any other tubular item that suits you). when it's all the way snapped, the button back should go all the way into the white plastic tool until the fabric edges are visible.

step 6: turn the white tool over and pop the button out like you would play dough out of a mold. you have a button!

step 7: squeal with glee and imagine all the lovely things you want to attach them to! immediately make 10 more...

fall colors.

orange is such an under-appreciated color to me, until it comes out in full-force in the fall! it's not usually a color i am drawn to much, but i can't seem to get enough of it this time of year, especially as the leaves start changing and the pumpkin creme candies come out in stores!



and a little puppers who loves the outdoors! (although not so much a fan of the wind in the mountains):

(funny that you can't even tell i'm 8 months pregnant in that sweater, hmm...) happy fall!