It’s Baby Season!

Alright it’s not really baby season. I know there is no such thing. But it sure feels like it! I know lots of folks having babies. And a couple of them are fellows I work with. The first is a die hard Cleveland Browns fan. His girlfriend is having a boy and they are doing the little one’s room in a Cleveland Browns motif. This weekend I made up a few gifties for them.

First is this 2-in-1 Bag: Stroller Bag into a Messenger Bag designed by Ashley of make it and love it blog. Unfortunately I didn’t have any snaps so you’ll need to check out Ashley’s to get a feel for the cool straps she designed. They are made so that the bag can be hung from the handles on a stroller and then they convert to a shoulder strap for carrying.

I lined it with that cool iron on vinyl because if I remember correctly, babies are wet!

A few people have asked about that vinyl which I used to line my doggie lunch box, too. Here’s the scoop…

The product is called Therm O Web. If you didn’t see the label, you’d think it was clear Contact Paper. And just like Contact Paper, you cut the size you need and then peel off the paper. Unlike Contact Paper, Therm O Web is only slightly tacky. You position it on your fabric and iron on with a medium hot iron. You need something between your iron and the vinyl and you can use the paper you peeled off or you can use a pressing sheet like I did. Then you sew! I found it stitched quite easily, but if you line a bag like I did which must be turned, it is much easier to turn while the vinyl is warm. It is a little stiff when cool. Also, the vinyl will crimp when you turn and look pretty awful, but you can iron out those wrinkles using your pressing sheet and it will look good as new.

I was inspired to make the football applique on the front of the bag by this really neat textured vinyl I found at Joann Fabric. I used a satin stitch to create the white lacing on the football and added lettering with my embroidery machine.

Then I made a little Taggie Football using this tutorial by Kristin of Grace Violet blog. Isn’t it cute? You wouldn’t know by looking at it that it took me all morning, would you?

Lastly, I made up this baby mat. Can you see the football I sewed in the center?

While I worked on the football and the mat I let my new embroidery machine work on my jeans again. Remember this stitch out?

I really was not pleased with it at all.  It is too light. Hardly worth the effort. So today I rehooped that leg, pulled that pattern back up, flipped it around, and stitched it again. Then I painted it and added sparkly gems.

I am much happier now.