Under the Sea Play Mat

Yes, another play mat.  This time for my daughter's sister-in-law who is having a baby boy.  She is having an underwater theme for the baby, so I decided to make another toy set like the one I did for my granddaughter, Annie.  I did not make a mat and arches for Annie, but I did for this baby.  The toys are from the same patterns, but I made more toys for Annie since I didn't have the arches and mat.

The mat is made up of different underwater creatures, seaweed, grass, and rocks.  It even has a diver.  All have been cut out and sewn onto the mat.  Some features have been hand sewn or drawn on to add affects. I also made a dolphin for this set, like I did for Annie's, to store the mat and toys when not being used. As with all my play sets that have arches, this can be used on the floor, or it can be hung across a crib to be used as a mobile.  My neighbor has used her set for Olivia strictly as a mobile. It looks really cute that way and Olivia loves reaching for the animals.

I have made a taggy blanket for this baby.  I haven't made one of them in awhile, so I decided to do one.  I had some left over Red Sox and Patriots fleece that made a nice one.  One side is the Red Sox and the other side is the Patriots. I used red, white, and blue ribbons for the tags.  I also had some nice baseball print ribbon and some striped red, white, and blue which I added, too.

The mat with the arches and the hanging animals.

The mat without the arches.  I'm not really happy with the material I chose for the whale, but it is going to have to be as is. It would be way too much work to change it.

I adore this little Sammy Sea Star and he is super soft.

Oscar Octopus has a crooked smile and big green ringed eyes.  I thought I was using black because it is so hard to see some dark colors down in my sewing room.  In natural light, you can see that they are green, but I like them that way.

Freddie Fish is the tiniest of all the animals, but he does have character with his big yellow fins.

Teddy Turtle has to hang upside down by his tail and his legs are all different sizes, but he is still sweet. I love his little googly eyes that stick out of the side of his head.

Stanley Seahorse sports a multicolored body which was not so easy to do, but he does look handsome in his coat of many colors. I had to sew him from the outside so you could see his curvy outline, but since he is made from fleece and felt, it was okay to do it that way.  Neither fleece nor felt fray.

Donny Dolphin lays flat without any toys inside.  Actually, I decided to stuff his tail and the fins which I had not done in this shot of him.  It makes him look fuller when the toys are inside. He has a zipper in his belly so that the mat and the toys can be put inside of him when they are not being used.

This is Donny Dolphin with everything inside and with his stuffed tail and fins. He kind of looks grumpy all stuffed.

The Patriots side of the taggy blanket.

Of course, the Red Sox side.  I couldn't get a place the size I needed that had the logos centered for this side like I was able to do for the Patriot's, but that's okay. The ribbons have two textures, some are satin and some are ribbed.

I will be making quite a few more things for the baby.  I have a Snugly Friends blanket almost finished.  I also want to make some novelty bibs and a changing pad.  I may also make some bath puppet pals, which are wash clothes that look like little animals.  I will see on that one because they are actually better for kids that are a little older, but I still think they are cute, so I just might do some.

Two for the head and bib overalls for Corduroy

I recently received an order for another headband like one I previously made and for yet another one of the charcoal gray hats like Rhonda's.  Although it isn't the season for wearing wool hats and wide headbands, this order was to be done now so she would not forget to have me do it when they will be needed.  That was good for me because I have the time now.  Also, since I am donating any knit product of choice for the silent auction for next Sat., I figured she could just bid on it and if she wins, she can pay the money to the Young Women to help support going to camp. If she doesn't win the bid, then she can just pay me later.  Either way, I win in the long run.

The hat rib shows nicely, but the headband does not.  It actually has a twisted cable rib stitch down the middle.

I never know when my grandson (5) is going to ask me do make something for him, but when he wants something, he wants it right now.  He knows it doesn't take me long to make something, so it all works out for him in the end.  Yesterday at school, he heard the story of Corduroy the Bear and made a model of one with paper.  He was so happy with his bear. Last night he found one of his stuffed bears that looks sort of like Corduroy and brought it to me today to ask me if I could make him the bib overalls to make him really look like Corduroy.  I of course told him that I could do it, but I would have to go shopping to get the material. I knew I didn't have any green corduroy around.  I almost couldn't find green corduroy, but I finally did.  It wasn't cheap, but I only needed a very little for the project. Joey called me a little while later and asked me what I was doing right now.  I told him that I was fixing lunch and then I was going to make his overalls.  He kept thanking me, but his mom said he was so excited all day that he could hardly enjoy the things they were doing, like going to the daffodil hill to see all the pretty flowers and to the playground (one indoors and one outdoors) and all sorts of other things outside in the first really beautiful Saturday we have had in a long time.  Well, here is his Corduroy Bear with his brand new overalls (even with a pocket).

I couldn't get a great shot of the overalls while the bear was sitting, but he is pretty cute anyway.

This shows the overalls much better. Even the pocket shows. Joey really loved the pocket because he has also heard the story of Corduroy Gets a Pocket. It was supposed to be purple, but I couldn't remember, so I just gave him a green one. Joey said it was fine because it was really neat that I actually made a pocket in the first place.

My next project is going to be back on the sewing machine.  I have another baby to make some things for, and one is going to be a play set with a mat that will be a sea theme.  I made a play set for my Annie that was also a sea theme, but I never made a mat to go with it.  The animals are machine sewn instead of knitted and they fit inside a big dolphin, much like the cow in my last set.  I will probably also make some more bibs and other things for the baby.  I do love making baby things.

Portia and Totes

Portia was down from Maine last week, so I was able to get a picture of her wearing the dress I made for her for Easter.  She was a little bit late getting it, but it was perfect for her to wear to church last week.  She really liked it.

Portia wanted to button the sweater, but I convinced her to let me take a picture of the dress first so that the bow would show,.

The Young Women at church will be having a silent auction at the ham and bean supper that they are having next Saturday as a fund raiser for girls' camp.  I have made two totes to go on the table.

This tote is made from left over chunky wool that I used for making the sweaters for Rhonda and Donn. It is done in a cabled front, with a stockinette stitched back. The tote is lined with black felt and it has the four buttons across the front.

This tote is made with cotton yarn.  It is also lined with cotton fabric. It is made entirely of seed stitch.

Baby Hats

Well, I guess I will blog these eight hats. I don't think I will be making any more right now.  I will send these off, along with the others that the Young Women have completed.  I really don't feel like making any more right now.

These are the girl hats, all made with a different pattern. Hope the pink and purple ones won't be too big for a newborn.

These are for the boys, also each made from a different pattern.

I'm not sure what I will be working on now, but I will get onto something pretty soon.  I'm sure of that.

Vest + two

Well, I made the vest for Ezra, but since I made my own pattern, it turned out to be too small. Since it was so small, I said Annie could have it and I told Ezra I would make another one for him, but it probably wouldn't have the cow print like Dot's and like the first one.  I used the last of what I had to make the first vest and I didn't think I would be able to find the same cow print material, but I did.  I bought more of it and the leather looking material for Ezra's vest.  I didn't think Lucy should be the only one without a vest, so when I was getting Ezra's material, I saw some Indian looking material that I thought would make a nice vest for Lucy.  I also found a pattern for a Western looking vest so that I could be sure they would fit.  Vests are so simple to make that it took me hardly any time at all and now I have three vests made this afternoon.  I hope Dot won't feel left out, but she already had a nice vest which she got for her birthday.

This is actually the second vest that will be Ezra's.

Lucy's

Annie's. This one actually has pockets which I did not put on the other one so that they would look different.

I think that will be it for sewing machine sewing again for awhile.  Now that I have the baby things finished and the Easter dresses and the vests, I'm not sure what I will work on, but I know it will be something very soon.  I really need to be doing something all the time. I am thinking about what I will make for Christmas presents for the men and for the kids.  I already have the lady's presents done, but will not show them at this time.

Easter Dresses

My son told me the other day that he didn't want his kids to have any candy this year for Easter, but it would be nice to have dresses.  I, of course, got right on the task.  I couldn't make dresses for his three without making them for the other granddaughters, too.  That meant that I needed to get six dresses done in just a week.  I started last Sunday and today is Thursday.  I just completed the last one.  Here they are. I bought sweaters to go with the dresses since they just have capped sleeves and it is still too cold for that.

Baby Annie's dress. Her's is the only one from this pattern.

Annie's with the sweater.

Lucy's

Lucy's with the pretty yellow ruffled sweater.

Dot's

Dot's with the sweater.

Zoe's

Zoe's with sweater.

Portia's

Portia's with sweater

Lexi in hers.  I don't have a shot of hers hanging.

Lexi with the sweater.

Annie is getting to be such a big girl now.

Dot and Lucy showing theirs off. Ezra is wearing the shirt and pants I bought for him.

All four of the cuties. Ezra put the button down shirt on that he wouldn't wear in the above picture.

I have one more request for Ezra.  Ever since Dot got a cowgirl vest and hat for her birthday, Ezra has been wanting a vest, too.  I am going to make him one tomorrow.  I had to get the dresses done first, and now I will be able to get to his vest.