Experimenting with chenille

I loved working on the hand cut faux chenille baby blanket project from last week so much, that I tried some new tricks like cutting the rows in a modern pattern, or around an animal shape to see if it worked. Although fun, all turned out 'flops' as the chenille does not work unless it is cut exactly on the bias of the fabric, or else it frays too much. Oh well, I had fun anyway!


PS. Don't forget to comment on the Stamp Set giveaway, I will announce the result tomorrow, Wednesday June 1st. Thanks for playing!

Giveaway - Secret Garden Stamp Set

We created this custom stamp set for Borders. It has 8 stamps, and 3 inkpads in a wooden box. Leave a comment if you want to win a set!

Baby Blanket Part 2

I loved making this! I made a few changes though, I got bored quilting in just one direction, so did it in 2 different directions, both against the bias, and left some blank areas as well, and the result is... interesting. I also added a fabric logo label that I had. The muslin turned out super soft and cozy. It's going to make a sweet baby gift!

Baby Blanket

Today I am attempting this amazing project using the fabrics below. Will let you know results and attempt to take pictures along the way.

Thrifted

New treasures - a lovely soft handmade sweater for my daughter, and a new favorite mug for me.

Meet Baby Lulu

I spent the morning with the most adorable baby is St Pete. Baby Lulu is our new wee model. Don't you love those eyes?!! Which is your favorite picture from the photoshoot?

Red Curry Spaghetti

I felt like having my spaghetti sauce a little different this time, so I experimented by adding some thai red curry paste in which I browned the ground meat first. I also added some turmeric (for health) and red chili powder to make sure it was spicy! Then added the jar of spaghetti sauce, and cooked it on low for about 45 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, and serve over spaghetti. Delicious!

Fun jewelry for little ones

We got this little ocarina bird warbler at our local Saturday Market, and when filled with water it whistles with the most beautiful warbling sound. These are I understand common in South American countries - this one was from Equador. My daughter loves wearing it around her neck and going about her day whistling. My son got a little magic flute which requires a little more skill to play, which for his age is appropriate, but the little bird whistles are great for the young ones as they are so easy and provide great results.

On the note of jewelry, check out Irene's new line of Neon Kids Jewelry.

New to me Artist

Today's Print and Pattern post introduced me to an artist I previously didn't know about, Leah Duncan. As you know how partial I am to hand-drawn cute, I was immediately drawn to her work. You can check it out here.

 

Image taken from Leah Duncan's website.

Compartmentalizing

Inspired by this post on Ohdeedoh, I decided to organize my fridge drawer into a snack drawer for the kids. Making use of the yogurt containers I've stashed away to create little compartments made my fridge drawer look cute and made it easy for the kids to choose a yummy snack for themselves.

You're the best!

As Mother's Day arrives, I think of my own journey as a mother, and how it is beyond anything I imagined it would be. In terms of difficulty, responsibility, fulfilment, joy, and plain day to day intensity. I am probably not all that I thought I would be at beginning of my journey, but I realize that doing my best is all that I can be. To celebrate that, I would like to give all you moms (and dads) a set of downloadable coloring cards. Like us on facebook, send me an email at suryasajnani@gmail.com, and I will send you a printable pdf. Wishing you the best Mother's Day!

Vintage Purse Makeover

I bought a little black purse from a thrift shop - beautiful, but one of the sides had a little surface damage. So I added a little leather pocket in front, also cut from a vintage leather bag, and the cutout face area has my contact info in case it's lost. Now it's usable! I am using the same idea to make backpack or luggage tags for my kids. I will post them tomorrow.