DIY Best Bottom Diaper Tutorial

Hey guys! I was suggesting my diaper cover pattern + tutorial to a friend the other day and was saddened to find the link to the tutorial wasn't working. Granted, I am not a tech savvy person so fixing it will be an undertaking in itself. If anyone has advice on how to do that, I would be forever grateful! Until then, the most obvious answer was to post the tutorial into its own blog post and link it to the pattern. My main goal is to offer an inexpensive alternative to buying pre-made diapers and I hope this tutorial does that! 

Here we go!

First you need the pattern- you can find it at my original post HERE.

Who makes your clothes?: A fashion Revolution

Do you know who makes your clothing? 
Just a year ago 1,133 people were killed in a factory in Bangladesh- people who were working to create clothing, cheap clothing for consumers like us. It really hurts my heart to think that getting a "deal" means putting someone in danger. That our price points have created a situation where a mother or a father may not make it home to see their child, ever, because their work environment is so unsafe. Or, that they must live in poverty because the factory where they work pays them wages that are unthinkable.

Maternity Dress: handmade by ME

“Give Yourself a Raise” with Raise.com

I normally don't post about companies, but when Jessica from Raise.com (<--- click to check them out!) contacted me about their website, I was intrigued and went over to see what they were all about. Honestly, it's a pretty fun idea. You know when you get gift cards for places you don't regularly shop at? Now you can sell them online at their website. Then, anyone who frequently shops there can purchase the card for a discount and get more for their money. Seems a lot better than letting it sit in the drawer until it's lost, right? 

I especially loved the concept of rewarding yourself for all the hard work you put in every day, which is a focus for the "give yourself a raise" message. Even when that something is a Starbucks coffee that you normally wouldn't splurge on or a yard of gorgeous fabric that yells your name; giving yourself permission to indulge once in a while can really perk up your mood.

Maternity Dress in Floral

I told myself that this pregnancy would be different. That this time around, with my increased skills and determination I would make maternity clothing for myself ... and here I am, 29 weeks pregnant and posting the first maternity item. I will say, this isn't the first item I've sewn, but instead the first real success. Something I can and WILL wear. 

KCW Day 3 & Upcycle Challenge

Day 3 - A success! 

After mulling over a bazillion ideas that I wasn't feeling, I chose to make Archer a tshirt I originally saw on Pinterest that was similar to this but dip dyed in blues.  

Archer's Upcycled Long Sleeve Tee

Remember when I said I had some upcycles in mind? I didn't realize how quickly it would be, but here we are! I realized recently that Archer is outgrowing his 18 month shirts. He is especially in need of warm long sleeves. I'm super happy that my good friends know my love of sewing and frequently drop off piles of old clothing at my house. Not too long ago, a male friend of mine gifted me a pile of extremely nice mens shirts that had been shrunk in the wash. I have since used them to make quite a few items, but there were still a few left. 

Recess Raglan in Green & Black

I thought I'd shock you all by showing you Archer's newest Recess Raglan that is NOT an upcycle. 

Yeah, weird, I know. 

But, that's ok. I still didn't have to purchase anything to make it. All this was in my stash (and much much more yikes!).  One thing I love about raglan tees is that you can highlight a super cute print fabric by only using it for the sleeves. Great for seamstresses who tend to be print shy (like myself). And, it's exactly what I did ...

Conscious Living: Wrap Up

Hi guys, I am happy, but also sad to say that this is the wrap up for the Conscious Living Series. 

I had a couple of amazing guest posters and truly enjoyed sharing my journey to a more sustainable, conscious lifestyle with you all. Please visit both Autumn & Jenni's blogs to view some of their posts and thank you so much for joining me here to discuss conscious living. 

Conscious Living: DIY Deodorant Tutorial

Hi, folks!  My name is Autumn, and I'm blogging today with The Life of a Compulsive Crafter, but you can normally find me at Cottington's So Crafty.  Mae invited me to talk about conscious living, and I specifically chose to discuss how I make my deodorant. 

Conscious Living Wk. 3: Gardening and Canning

In our house my husband has the green thumb. He enjoys keeping varieties of plants in every room and though I appreciate them, I also have nothing to do with keeping them alive. So when this year our goal was to start a garden (without using any fertilizers/pesticides) and to learn canning basics for said veggies, I was unsure about how well I'd succeed. 

Fall Jumper in Polka Dots

Hi! 

I'm popping in for a quick project created this last week for my daughters fall wardrobe. 

I'm so happy to say that this project cost me all of 

$1.29. 

Conscious Living Wk. 2 Composting

 I hope you guys came back ready to get down and dirty because after over-hauling the basics of our lives and cutting our trash down significantly, we started to see something. 

Something we didn't really like. 

Conscious Living Guest Post by Just Stuff

Nautical Themed Baby Shower Gift

Good Morning! 

I have been putting together a care package for a close friend of mine who is due with her baby boy in October. 

She's got a gorgeous little girl who's nursery/room was Nautical themed. She'd like to keep what she has for this baby but needed a few items to compliment the room, especially more crib sheets. 

I went out to the fabric store and found this awesome sea& boat print that I really liked, but the bolt was too short for the required 45" that it needed for the width of the mattress. 

So I pulled out some elementary math skills and added contrasting panels to all four sides that would tuck underneath the mattress as the "pockets."  The fabric I purchased had a bit of stretch so I utilized it & made sure the direction of the stretch matched how the panels would be pulled over the mattress. 

With the remaining fabric I made a three pocket zipper pouch that she can use to carry baby items like extra cloth diapers and shells, diaper rash cream, etc. 

I made it a 10x10 square and sewed a pocket to either side of the lining. 

I even added one of my new little "Mae&Co." labels. 

I love them! 

If you are in need of a lovely handmade babyshower item look no further. 

You don't have to worry about the gender & they are USEFUL (a big plus!). 

Baby Shower Patterns & Tutorials

Here I've put together a range of FREE items that would make great baby shower gifts. 

For the crib sheets I used this tutorial by Dana at MADE . 

Diaper Cover pattern& tutorial also by Dana at Made.  

Fabric Ball Pattern & Tutorial  by The Pearl Bee

Upcycled Baby Bibs by A Little Tipsy

Pacifier Clip Tutorial by The Creamery

2013 Spring Wardrobe // Lily

Afternoon! 

Before we take the kids to the circus, I thought I would drop in and show you what I have been up to lately.
 Well, some of what I have been up to.

I keep alternating between birthday clothing (for lily's themed bday party in May) and spring wardrobe. Sprinkle in a few newborn presents and some fun projects and you've got my general movements in the last two weeks. 

Here  is the accumulation of lily's spring wardrobe at this time. 

Reusable Produce Bag Tutorial

Hey everyone, hope your week is going well. 

Ours has been full of fun, you know being sick with the flu and whatnot. BLAH! (bad joke)

Finally, everyone seems to be feeling better and we are back on the regular schedule today, which means a trip to our neighborhood Whole Foods. 

I love that grocery stores are helping their customers become more environmentally friendly by selling and encouraging them to use reusable bags. BUT, like others, I feel really silly using them only to walk into the produce department to use tons of plastic bags and ties to put my produce in. Especially because this is the area I buy most of my groceries. 

Homeschool : A day in the life of a secular homeschooler

Hey guys! So glad to be back and ready to show you how my teaching methods have changed since beginning our journey called "homeschooling" nearly a year ago. 

When I first began, I had the vision of a classroom and school set up like the public schools I had taught at for nearly six years. Why would I want that? I'm not even sure, I really didn't enjoy being micro-managed or scolded over mismatched chairs and curtains that were hanging long enough. It was exhausting how much was expected to be shoved into a day, and what was not included.

So, as the months progressed I came to the realization that this was my chance to make school whatever it was that worked for us. 

Project Run and Play Challenge 3 Boys Week

I'm off and running with a boys outfit for week three. 

Look at this guy, isn't he a ham?

Christmas Photos :: A Quick Look at a Simple Gift

Each year, me & the mom's club (as we like to call our little group of mothers) like to get together and have the girls photographed for their grandparents. Unfortunately, each Christmas, budgets also tend to get very tight for each of us. This year, for the FIRST TIME :), I was confident enough to give them a photograph of the girls that I took. We brought them together on a sunny day, laid down a white sheet facing one of the huge picture windows & snapped away. 

little man khaki pants

I don't know why, but I am so terribly obsessed with dressing my 7month old boy as a man. My heart nearly bursts when I find a tiny clip on tie or long sleeve button down. Those things are hard to find especially when you aren't willing to pay a LOT for them. Instead, I really do try to create the pieces that I can't purchase. Which is tricky since my last sewing class was in junior year of high school :/ . So I pin inspiration and have been trying to find patterns that follow along with the styles I like. (you can follow my little BOY fashion board on pinterest)

The newest pattern purchased (that I've finished, I've got another on the way!) is called "the unisex pants with adjustable waist," &I bought on etsy from The Lily Bird Studio.