A hobby

For a long time, anytime someone has asked me what my hobbies are, I have never known what to answer. I never felt like I had any hobbies. I've always loved to sew, though, thanks to my mom teaching me the basics. I certainly am no seamstress like she is, but I do enjoy it. I've been sewing a lot more over the past few months, mostly making baby shower gifts and mending clothes. Anyway, here are a couple of my latest projects, that I really had fun making. Pardon the terrible cell phone pics on the unmade guest bed, haha :)

This is a diaper changing pad with pockets in it that I made for my friend Kate. She's due with a boy in January, and her diaper bag is grey. When I saw this fabric, I knew it was the right choice! Just looking at it makes me feel cozy. I couldn't find a pattern online that I liked well enough (too small, too simple, bad fabric suggestions, lame finishings, whatever). So, I thought about what I would like for myself and just made that :) It's a little bit bigger than most of them that you would buy at the store, which I wanted since Annabelle always squirmed all over the place. I also chose to use a natural batting in the middle instead of the artificial stuff, because it was more firm and less "fluffy," but still soft and cushy. It has just plain quilting cotton (the elephants) on one side, and super soft mint green minky on the inside, and grey edging. I used a fun button and elastic to close it. 

The other project that was super fun to make were these soft taggy letters for my friend Courtney. I'm SO glad I didn't start it til after the baby was born, because up until when she came out, her name was supposed to be Ruby...they changed it to June when she came out. I made the letters out of pink minky fabric and stuffing, and used different ribbons for the tags. I strung them together with thin ribbon which had velcro on the ends. That way she can use all of them hanging from her carseat like a banner, or take them apart to have one or two in her hands. 

I also made a couple of sleep sacks for my friend Tiffany, but I never took pictures of them (and one of them I am STILL working on because I keep screwing up the zipper. Thank goodness my mom is coming tomorrow to help me finish it, otherwise he'd be like 10 before I figured out what I'm doing wrong!!)

For a few of the projects I've done over the last year or so, I had been wishing over and over and over that I had a walking foot for my sewing machine (the presser foot that is normally on a machine is just flat. A walking foot feeds the top fabric through at the same pace as the bottom fabric to help prevent slipping and bunching). Anyway, for the changing pad project I just did, I finally just bought one. It was only $15, and I am SO HAPPY that I got it. I cannot figure out how I have sewn basically anything without it before. Anyway. Nerdy sewers unite!

So, I think I can say that sewing is my hobby. I love the challenge of trying new things and coming up with my own patterns, and it really is relaxing to just sit there by myself and listen to the hum of the machine with Grey's Anatomy on in the background.