Just call me Martha

Max's family likes to call you a Martha (or Martin) if you are doing something particularly crafty or fancy in the kitchen.  Hence, just call me Martha :)  I have been doing my best to make things myself for this coming baby and I do have to say I really enjoy this crafty business!  I didn't take any play-by-play photos while I was making any of this... sorry, but I can show you the finished product!  My Ass Bank friend Erin was kind enough to help me through the beginning stages of figuring out my dang sewing machine and reading the patterns.

Most of my projects I found on pinterest.  You just have to love that site right!  So many ideas and DIY tutorials on there!

Here is my new hooter hider for nursing.  I can't seem to find the blog where I found the tutorial for this but it was very easy.  I adjusted the pattern a little bit to suit myself... I have two layers of fabric instead of one and I don't like having the boning in my hooter hiders so I left that out was well.  The blue with the flowers is the outside, the light blue with the polka dots is the inside.  It's nice and big so when baby is moving all around under there, there is no risk of a nip slip.  If you've used one of these before you know what I'm talking about.

Next on the list was a carseat canopy.  I know you can find these cheap enough online but it's so nice to be able to pick out your own fabric and customize it to what you like!  Here is the site we used for the tutorial.  Isn't it beautiful!?  I just LOVE it.  I have only gotten to test it on Angel's carseat since Caitlin still has mine but it looks like it will work great :)  The brown polka dot material that makes the straps is also the backside.  No bright sun in this baby's face!

Next up, burp cloths.  Now I hated those little ones you'd get at the store.  Seems like after one time at the boob and the stupid cloth would be soaking wet.  Dumb.  I found the tutorial for these here.  These were honestly the easiest things ever to make.  Someone who knew the basics of working a sewing machine could do these.  It's just a Gerber cloth diaper on one side and flannel on the other.  Takes less than 10 minutes to whip one of these bad boys up.  My package of diapers came in 10 so I now have 10 top of the line (and super cute!) burp cloths for cleaning up after feedings.

Here is the diaper side.  

Another pinterest find :)  I know we won't stay at this house forever so this seemed like a great thing to make to keep for the kids growth chart.  We haven't been able to hang it up yet since we are doing all these home improvements and I don't know what's going where yet but I can't wait until we can hang it up!  Again, tutorial here.

I didn't get this last one off any tutorial.  I start crocheting this blanket for my baby and I had no idea what I was doing.  I just made squares and crocheted them together.  The result was cute, but an obvious newby had one it.  I put the circles on there to hide the corners.  They didn't look so good!  I really like how it turned out though and I love that I made this blanket for my little bug.  Crocheting takes so much more time than whipping up a blanket with the sewing machine.  This blanket was definitely made with a lot of love.

My squares were made up with a single crochet and the border I did in a treble crochet.  This was all super easy to do.

For the circles I just chained 3 and started a circle.  Followed that around until I had the circle as big as I wanted.

I still have some projects that I want to get done before baby.  Erin and I are going to have another sewing day to whip up some boppy covers (here), and I found this playmat that would be great as well (here).   I have been using cloth wipes on Dexter since we started using the cloth diapers but with baby's appearance, I think I'm going to actually make some nice ones.  I found this tutorial last night which I think I will follow.  I also plan on making some nursing pads instead of buying so many this time.  They seem super easy to make and you can just toss them in with the towels for washing. 

I think I'm getting a bit ambitious with all the projects I want to get done since I have so many other things going on with the house and the daycare prep.  I will find time though.  Who needs sleep, right?