Baby Gift Idea: Hand-Dyed & Embroidered Swaddle Blanket

This is something I should have written about years ago, but I wasn’t writing the blog yet when I got this gift so I’ll use that as my lame excuse as to why I am just now getting to it!

When Audrey was born I received a very special package in the mail from one of my good college friends, Brandy. She is so very talented and can do any craft she puts her mind too. At one time she had opened a shop on Etsy but life with 3 girls, work, and school took precedence. Such a shame too because her knitted items are beautiful. Anyway, I was so thrilled when I opened the box to reveal two beautiful hand made blankets. They are probably sewn from a muslin cotton that she hand-dyed (the bottom right photo above shows the beautiful color variations in the cloth). One is purple and the other is pink. On the corner of the pink one is the most precious little bird that has been hand embroidered. It was done with variegated floss so that the image has a subtle variation in its colors. Audrey’s room had a sort of garden/bird theme to it when she was born so it was just perfect. She was also born in March in Texas which means HOT months were ahead so these light weight swaddle type blankets were awesome. I loved that she had made them just for my little girl.

The blankets alone were so thoughtful that they were a perfect gift unto themselves.

But just for fun I thought I’d pair it with some other items to show other gift ideas as well. Handmade gifts are always extra special and are the ones that become family heirlooms, but if you aren’t the crafty type that doesn’t mean you can’t give handmade. This little bunny below is from the etsy shop, Yarnigans.   I just love her hand knitted items. One day when I learn to knit; maybe once the kids are grown and I have more time, I would love to buy her patterns for making these adorable animals.  This little mermaid is just so perfect. 
But I digress, I found a little basket which of course could be used by the recipient afterwards for holding toys, diapers, etc. I rolled up the two blankets and tied a ribbon around them making sure that the pretty bird was showing. I added a few board books because who doesn’t love a good book? And last placed the bunny on top. You could put a pretty bow on the basket and give it as is.

And if you wanted extra credit you could give some personalized art for the new little one. How about a print like this to add to the mix since it matches the bunny? You could even have a bunny embroidered on the blanket if you wanted them all to match.

And of course you could customize these things to match any nursery. I have lots of animals to choose from in my shop. If you don’t see an animal available that you’d love to have then let’s talk. I’d love to be able to help you!

Have you hand-dyed a blanket before?  Have you ever ventured into doing embroidery?  You can do a lot with knowing just one or two different stitches.  With the tutorials online it is so easy to learn.

You Betsy: Tippy Thai

It’s been too long since I’ve highlighted any of the great shops you can find on Etsy.

Today I thought I’d show you my diaper bag from Tippy Thai!  You can see it sitting on William’s changing pad in his room in the picture above.

Back when I first had Josiah I picked out a bag from Babies R Us. Although nothing amazing, it did the trick for my first two kids. It got pretty beat up though and when I found out I was expecting a third I decided since I wouldn’t be buying anything new for the baby I would buy myself a new bag.  I was so disappointed by the selection out there though. Everything looked cheap, way too girly (and I want my husband to be able to use it) or babyish or was way too expensive for my taste. So I started to broaden my search to look at all types of bags. I ended up purchasing this bag from Tippy Thai. I had actually bought the purse I use from her a couple years ago. I have been very happy with it and knew her work was excellent.

One of the great things about her bags is that she makes them especially for you, so you can customize them! You can choose from many color options so I asked her about making my bag gray on the outside and yellow on the inside.  She asked if I’d be interested in making it out of nylon instead of canvas so that it would be water resistant.  I wanted the look of canvas on the outside but thought that the nylon on the lining was a good idea.  I wasn’t sure if it’d be too much to ask for two different types of fabrics but she said it was no problem.  Tippy also said she’d sew in extra pockets to hold bottles on the inside of the bag for no extra charge since she knew I was going to use it as a diaper bag.  I was really impressed by her customer service and speed at which she replied to my questions.  It took 9 days for it to be made and shipped and then it arrived 3 days later – not bad since it was coming all the way from Thailand!

The craftsmanship of Tippy’s bags is wonderful.  They look completely professional.  There is no way I could sew a bag to look that good.   The size of the diaper bag is perfect for me.  It has plenty of pockets and room to shove all the stuff I carry around with an infant.  It has a nice long (removable) strap so I can hang it around my stroller’s handles.  I love that it is manly enough for my husband to use without feeling weird and I love that it does not look like a diaper bag so that when I am no longer needing it as one I can use it as a regular bag.  An added bonus is that I am supporting an artist who does great work!  It felt great to be paying the same as I would for a substandard bag from the big box stores and mine was made specifically for me.

My only complaint is that the “mustard yellow” fabric is actually more of a pumpkin orange. It doesn’t look bad so I didn’t worry about it- it’s just not what I was going for originally.  I don’t know if it is a translation thing or what.  I had seen some other comments in her feedback questioning the yellow but the way they described it I didn’t think it’d be a problem.  So, just know that if you are wanting yellow you might ask her about it first.

Please take a look at Tippy Thai even if you aren’t needing a diaper bag.  She has over 100 beautiful bags and purses in all colors.  I’m sure I’ll be going back to her again when I need my next bag or purse.

Tooth Fairy Pouch

In December my son had his first loose tooth! We were shocked. It seemed so early. But I guess it is within normalcy…he is 5. It’s just that he isn’t in school yet so it feels young.

I had pinned this little tooth fairy pouch a long time ago for the day when we would need it. Well, even with it taking 2 months for that tooth to come out…(the boy wouldn’t let us near it)…I still didn’t manage to make it in time. And then on our recent spring break trip his second tooth got loose. This one only took a couple weeks before it came out. And, yep, still no cute little tooth with wings to hold it in. Now in all fairness we didn’t even end up needing it the first time since he woke up and his tooth was GONE! I was so bummed. We had spent so much emotional energy on getting that first one to come out and then nothing to show for it. Who knows if he swallowed it or if the tiny thing will show up one day behind his bed. Thankfully, the tooth fairy does take notes that explain why there is no tooth. She will even send one back with a dollar coin and encourage the boy to wiggle it a little next time.

Well, this past week I spent a few hours in a surgery waiting room and it was the perfect project to stick in my purse and keep my mind busy. It was so easy and fast.  I also loved the tip on how to make the smile.  I highly recommend making it.  Now it is ready for when the next one comes out.