Baby Shower Prep--Americana Style!

 I have known Mel since 9th grade drama class and I'm thrilled to co-host a baby shower for her along with her sister-in-law, Tracy. I have been wanting to make a pennant banner since seeing them shown off on Pinterest  and I never mind an excuse to try a new pattern...well, as long as it involves sewing straight lines! LOL Mel is decorating the nursery in "Americana" colors and after making a few rounds over the past few weeks checking out fabric options at Joann's, I finally committed. I bought extra of each, hoping to use it in other baby shower decorations, as well.

I used the tutorial over at Sugar Bee for how to make a simple but beautiful pennant banner. A key tip I learned was to use  fusible interfacing on the pennants. I went for the thickest I could find. I also liked her suggestion of sewing the pennants to double fold bias tape. Genius!

The project did not take long and here's a sneak peak of the banner. I had planned to add the letters of the baby's name to the banner but now I'm debating if I will or not. I have a few weeks before the shower to decide.

I found some other terrific ideas on Pinterst for baby shower decorations that I will be working on this weekend, as well as attending the wedding for one of my dearest friends. What are you up to this Memorial Day weekend, fellow crafters?

Ruffles and Aprons and Brides, Oh My!

Mylinh over at hidden in the hem made over a dozen ruffle-ly aprons for our good friend's "50's Housewife" Bridal Shower The pattern she chose had a bib to it (see bride-to-be modeling!). Isn't she AMAZING?! The matron-of-honor made everyone a (fake) pearl necklace so the guests got quite the take home gifts! The shower was a blast, made all the more memorable by Mylinh's handiwork.

Several guests had to cancel at the last minute so Mylinh thoughtfully took the leftovers, added bibs, and sent them to my nieces! E is already quite the accomplished cook so she will put hers to great use!

Con"Grad"ulations

My dear sweet friend, Alexandra, graduated from college this month! I'm so proud of her for her accomplishments. A good student and a talented artist, I made her a messenger bag to double as either a sketch book bag or a grad student book bag! It would also fit a laptop, should she feel so inclined.

I got the pattern and instructions from Mommy By Day. The exterior pieces have fusible webbing ironed onto them to help make the bag more sturdy. The materials are from a Home Decor line, which are already thick, so I had a number of layers to sew through in spots.

Alexandra was thoughtful enough to take a photo with it for me! Gorgeous as ever, she makes the bag look fabulous. Her future is bright, can't wait to see where she goes and what she does next!