Ada is already walking!!

Yes, I know..I did not published anything since quite a long time… I am so sorry.. but well I have to say I have an excuse… but I am not going to talk about it … yet..

At this moment, I wanted to share with all you how my little baby is becoming a toddler! She is starting to walk!!

Quite good, isn’t it?? She started 3 weeks away.. till now she has still not made big improvement, she just makes a few steps from time to time.. but it is so awesome! And we have no hurry at all!

I will keep on sharing her improvements with all you!

Have a nice week!!

firma Ada is already walking!!
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Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

This days had been reaaally cold here! I think that we just had a maximum of -5ºC on the lasts 15 days!! Hard to believe, isn’t it? So it has been hard to go to promenade, it has been like an adventure!. I was completely concerned about: is my baby getting cold, is she to hot?? And I had also discovered how difficult is to put winter clothes to your baby! You cannot imagine how much my baby hates it! And had you ever tried to put some gloves to your baby?.. The one that has succeeded, please, give me a clue!!!… Well, in conclusion, I cannot imagine who has been the clever one that thought a baby is able to put her fingers inside the holes of a glove!

After thinking a bit on it, I decided I could make better gloves or mittens to my baby girl.

First important thing: a baby barely needs gloves with fingers. Mittens are fairly better!

Second important thing: baby clothes should be extremely easy to put on!

Third important thing: even you make the perfect mittens, be sure your baby will lern how to take them off! So it is necessary to put a ribbon from one glove to the other. This ribbon will go inside the jacket from sleeve to sleeve, so, even if the baby succeeds to take off the mitten, the ribbon will kip it hanging from the jacket.

So here I show a couple of solutions I found could be useful. At the end of the post I will tell you wich one I found to be more useful.

  1. img leeoz1th.120x120 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby
  2. img 7oquvjb2.120x120 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby
  3. img 1e7ijveh.120x120 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby
  4. img vw8u4bwa.120x120 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Do you like this mittens?

I will explain you how to make the elastic version.

{Material }

- Fabric of two coordinated colors.
- Fleece or polar fabric for the lining.
- A piece of elastic trim, 0,2 inches (0.5 cm) wide.
- A 1 yard long ribbon.

{How to make the pattern}

There are two methods. Either you take a glove from your baby, you put it on a paper and trace it with a pen. Make the wrist wider.

fabric mittens01 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

fabric mittens02 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

The other option is to put your baby’s opened hand into a paper and trace it with a pen, without marking the fingers.

On my case, the glove’s option has been much more easy!

{Method to follow}

First step) Cut your pattern and trace it twice in each of the coordinated fabrics and 4 times in the lining fabric.

fabric mittens03 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Second step) Cut the fabric pieces, with a 1/4 inches (0.5 cm) of seam allowance.

Third step) Each of the mittens is formed by: a piece of external fabric in one of the coordinated colors two pieces of lining fabric, and another piece of external fabric on the other coordinated color. You should decide wich of the two external fabrics will cover the upper part of your baby’s hand and wich the internal part. Cut a piece of elastic trim 3/8 – 1/2 inches (1.5-2 cm) shorter than the mittens wide on the wrist. Sew it on the reverse of the fabric that you had decided will cover the upper part of the hand. Sew the trim stretching it to cover the entire width of the piece. If you have a sewing machine, use a zig-zag stitch.

fabric mittens04 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Fourth step) Put the two external pieces of each glove together, right sides together. Pin them. Sew following the mark. Turn the mitten to the right side.

fabric mittens06 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Fifth step) Make the same for the linning. This time do not turn it.

fabric mittens07 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Sixth step) Put the lining inside the glove.

fabric mittens08 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

fabric mittens09 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Seventh steo) Turn the seam allowances of the different mitten’s layers in the space between the external layer and the lining layer. Pin it. Add the ribbon that will maintain the two gloves together.

fabric mittens10 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

fabric mittens11 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Eighths step ) Sew along the mitten’s wrist. You can use a blanket stitch.

blanket1 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

That is all!! You have a beautiful gloves for your baby!!

fabric mittens12 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

fabric mittens14 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

And now, I have to recognize that I had to make some modifications to this mittens. I needed them to be much more wider to be able to put them into my baby’s hands.. not because they were to small, but try to put them on a moving baby!!

On my second trial I changed the elastic trim and repeated this side of the glove, making this piece much more wider on the wrist. I added a strip of fabric wich passes through a fabric ring and has some velcro to regulate the wrist width.

fabric mittens17 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

If the velcro is fastened off the mittens are much more wider, so it gets easy to put them on. When the velcro is fastened on, the wrist gets really tight so it gets difficult to lose them.

fabric mittens16 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

fabric mittens15 Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby

Hope you liked them and have a really nice cold week!

I’ve published this post here

firma Tutorial: How to make a fabric mittens for your baby
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Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique – Several free motion quilting projects!

As I said on my post Quilting a patchwork quilt for babies, before starting to quilt the beautiful quilt my mother has done to my daughter, I’ve been practicing the free motion quilting.

Having this objective in mind, I started reading some posts from Leah Day’s blog. It is so great, I really recommend you to read it! I bought a book about free motion quilting that Pepa from el Talleret de la Pepa recommended me. And finally I read too Scandinavian Stitches, What a wonderful book that I still don’t own..hehe..(you can take a look on it with amazon’s preview!).

Well, with all this information, my free motion quilting accessory for my sewing machine and some ideas in mind, I’ve started to practice.

First I made this little cushion. Do you like it? I really love it!! I’ve used some little fabric scraps to make the little quilted flowers.

free motion quilted cushion1 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!The cushion I made with the free motion quilting accessory for my sewing machine

free motion quilted cushion21 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!A detail of the cushion

free motion quilted cushion31 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!A zoom on two of the little flowers of the cushion. Have you seen how small are the little round shapes I quilted?

free motion quilted cushion41 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!A last zoom to one of the little flowers

I also made this little panel which is not as beautiful as the cushion but that technically is much more difficult:

practicant free motion quilt Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!

And last but not least, some panels I made for my daughter’s room. I believe they are so cute! They have some litte felted animals appliqued and a lot of details made with buttons and hand embroidery. Do you like them?

free motion quilt1 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!

free motion quilt2 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!

They are not super perfect, but at least they are colorful and really cute, isn’t it?? I love them..(jeje..)

Do you want to see the view I see from my window? We are at -8 º C! And it is expected that in all week the temperature will not be higher than -9ºC -7ºC -8ºC, lol .. In life I had lived this!

Its snowing1 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!

Its snowing2 Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!

Well I wish you a happy weekend cold snap!

I’ve published this post here

firma Improving my Free Motion Quilting technique   Several free motion quilting projects!
Posted in Patchwork, Practice, Techniques | Tagged , , , , | 13 lovely comments

We learn German by playing a game: We are in Switzerland since one year… and we still don’t speak German!

This last 7th of January was our first anniversary in Switzerland. How fast time goes on!!

When we look back, my husband and I, and we see how many things had happened in this elapsed time, we cannot believe it! We’ve moved to another country, we got married, we’ve met new people, a new culture….but the most important, we are parents now. Yes, really, the most important thing this last year is that we are now parents…

Being parents has been such a big challenge, not to talk about being parents on a foreign country, with little friends and no family at all! So we had to prioritize, and we could not achieve big improvements in some of the challenges we where facing this year. What I am talking about?..its all about German..yes one year later we are just in the basis…

So, I decided there is enough, we are stronger than all that! We can manage to learn it! So thinking a bit about what are mine major weaknesses in German I found I need much more vocabulary. I know, more or less, the basic gramatical rules, but when I try to talk I always get stack on words I don’t know how to say.

Furthermore, for those of you that don’t know yet, German has three posible genders, that is: feminin, masculin and neutrum. Which don’t follow any logical rule. And also, the plural can be made in 6 different ways! So when you learn a new word it is really important to learn also its gender and plural (I’ve learned that to late….snif…)

My solution has been to invent a game. I have created some cards which have in one side a picture and on its back the name of the image with its gender and plural. Till now I made cards with the following topics: the body, kitchen hardware, clothes, fruits and vegetables. Not much, but it is a beginning

aprendre alemany1 We learn German by playing a game: We are in Switzerland since one year... and we still dont speak German!All the cards I’ve already made

aprendre alemany2 We learn German by playing a game: We are in Switzerland since one year... and we still dont speak German!In the front an image and on the back the name of the image with its gender and plural in red.

I am still not sure about how we will play this game, although I have several idees in mind. One option can be to use a Trivial pursuit board and instead of using its classical cards, use mines. Another option is to make more cards, this time with verbs and adjectives, so the game can be to make sentences. I think this option can be rather funny, depending on the chosen cards!

This cards can be useful for those learning german (on a basic level). So I’ve decided that everybody that wants to have them can download the cards from the following link: cards for learning German.

The document you can download from the previous link is a word document and has this aspect:

aprendre alemany3 We learn German by playing a game: We are in Switzerland since one year... and we still dont speak German!In one page the images and on the next page the names.

To make the cars you just need to print them by duplex printing. I’ve used a paper a bit thicker than the normal one. Be careful when printing the cards, so the name is placed just behind the right image.

Once printed, you just need to cut them and the funny (and educational) part can start!

I’ve thought they can also be useful for those learning other languages ( it doesn’t maters if you are learning German or Chinese, you will always need to say apple, isn’t it?. In this case, just download the file, and change the names for the corresponding names on the language you are learning!

Hope it can be useful and you have a nice week!

firma We learn German by playing a game: We are in Switzerland since one year... and we still dont speak German!
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Quilting a patchwork quilt for babies

I finally did quilted the patchwork quilt my mother hand-sewn for my baby daughter!!! And I have to say it is beautiful!!

At the beginning I was not completely sure to be able to do so…and it was such a big responsibility..

On my birthday, I got as a gift an accessory for my sewing machine to make free motion quilts. And I thought I was going to need it for my baby quilt. So I’ve been some time practicing with it..making some nice little stuff.. (I will show it on a future post..).

quilt ada2 Quilting a patchwork quilt for babies Free motion quilting accessory.

Nevertheless, I keep on not finding the moment to start with the hard work, that is to quilt my baby’s patchwork quilt.

Back from Christmas holidays with my power “renewed”, I decided it was the right moment.

As a model I was having a picture and a stencil for the quilt.

Look the picture of the original quilt:

manta ada Quilting a patchwork quilt for babiesI am not sure it is posible to appreciate the quilting…

I transfered the stencil into board and I cut it out. I also bought a special pen with ink that disappears after some days.

quilt ada1 Quilting a patchwork quilt for babiesNotions I used

Once I had the stencil I just needed to transfer it to the patchwork quilt with the special pen.

I finally traced the pen marks on the sewing machine, with a sewing thread of a color similar to the quilt. The point was that at the end I did not used the free-motion quilting accessory!!! I decided it was easier with the normal food! Nevertheless, I feel I learned a lot while practicing with the free-motion quilt accessory…so “je ne regrette pas..”

Whant to see the result?? I hope you like and that you can see the details!

baby quilt1 Quilting a patchwork quilt for babies

baby quilt2 Quilting a patchwork quilt for babies

baby quilt3 Quilting a patchwork quilt for babies

What a wonderful day here today…it is .. 3º C!

Hope you have a nice week

firma Quilting a patchwork quilt for babies
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Some things I bought in Barcelona…and that I almost lost..

Every time I go to Barcelona for holidays I plan all the places where I want to go. As we don’t go there that often, to forget a shop get’s “critical”! I suppose you know what shops I am talking about, isn’t it? Craft stores, obviously! At Spain things are much cheaper so it is a good opportunity!

This time I went to a yarn shop in the Born, a neighborhood from the old town of Barcelona. (It deserves a visit, if you have the opportunity!). The shop is called All you knit is love and I know it since a short time, although every time I go there I buy something! Want to see what I bought this time?

malabrigo yarn Some things I bought in Barcelona...and that I almost lost..

I loved this yarns because its colors, gradations on blue and green.. Are “Merino Worsted” from Malabrigo (they have plenty of patterns on their web, check it!). Nevertheless, I still don’t know what will I do with these beauties, maybe a hood for my jacket..

I also bought this yarn to make a dress for Ada. Do you like it? I love the feeling, it is made on viscosa and hand dyed.

malabrigo yarn2 Some things I bought in Barcelona...and that I almost lost..

And last but not least, I felt in love with these amazing buttons, they are so beautiful…they are from Eli Morató and are made of stoneware and then glazed. Every one is different and I believe will made unique complements, don’t you think so?

handmade buttons Some things I bought in Barcelona...and that I almost lost..

The thing is that just after buying these beauties, I went to meet Gus and Ada to a bar (yes, I could not convince Gustavo to enter to a yarn store…) and we proceed with our endless procession trough Barcelonas’ shops ( toy stores, clothing stores, kitchen supply stores..). Later at home we reviewed everything we had bought but my wool did not appear… I felt like sh…., not only because the money but also because they where so beautiful, with such a gorgeous colors, these so special buttons…and well also the money made me sad..

Nevertheless, as you can appreciate with the pics, the history ended happily. We made a mental plan for all the places we had been and we decided that, unless we had lost it on the street, the only place the yarns could be was on the bar where I met Gustavo and Ada. So there we got, and the bar’s owner, who was a really nice person, give us the bag back. .. How lucky I was!!!! And how nice was the owner of the bar!!

Changing the topic, I would like to chow you some crochets I “inherited”. They are so cool! I still cannot believe something like that exists! They are form the number 00 till 16 ( 00 is the thicker and 16 is super small). I truly have no idea on what can be worked with such a thin crochet!.. (I have just had a mental image of myself working with hair….).

extremely small crochets Some things I bought in Barcelona...and that I almost lost..

Hope I will be able soon to show some things made with this marvelous stuff!

Have a nice week!

firma Some things I bought in Barcelona...and that I almost lost..
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Back after holidays

After 15 days of complete disconnection, we are back to Switzerland! This holidays had been a bit special..and so stressing, from one place to another, first to Barcelona,, then to Burgos and finally one last day to Barcelona.. What you thing, a bit moved, no? And all that with a little baby that is just 10 months.. poor baby..I believe she is the one that has arrived more tired.. Fortunately we are back to reality!!

You know, Ada will walk really soon! Yes, soon I will be able to give the new she is already walking!

Ah and before missing it: Happy new year! (a bit late..hehehe…)

PD: From now I will regularly publish again!

firma Back after holidays
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Last minute Christmas Tree – Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

For those that still don’t have a tree I want to show how to make this beautiful last minute tree. I made it by sewing together some fabric and painting it.Look at it:

last minute christmas tree09 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

last minute christmas tree11 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

Do you like it? Want to learn how to make it? Keep reading:

Tutorial: How to make a last minute Christmas tree, fast cheap and easy

{Notions and tools}

- A piece of green fabric 80 x 80 cm (0.9 x 0.9 yards)
- Some batting 40 x 80 cm (0.45 x 0.9 yards)
- Fabric painture
- A quilting pen (this kind that disappears after some time)
- A paint brush
- A sewing machine with a free motion quilting foot

{Procedure}

Step 1) Join two pieces of paper with tape and draw on it a Christmas tree shape. Cut it, use is as an stencil. Take two pieces of fabric of about 80 x 40 cm (0.45 x 0.9 yards), fold them in two so you have a 0.45 x 0.45 yards pieces of fabric. Transfer the stencil into the fabric.

last minute christmas tree01 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

Step 2) Make a sandwich like that: put a piece of 0.45 x 0.45 yards of batting in between the folded fabric. Pin it, so it does not moves when stitching.

last minute christmas tree02 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

Step 3) Add some details to the tree, can be some christmas ornaments, work as desired.

last minute christmas tree03 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

Step 4) Quilt all around the draws you made on the fabric. End by zig-zag stitching the border of the tree. Cut all around the tree. Repeat for the second sandwich of fabric.

last minute christmas tree04 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

Step 5) Measure the size of the tree from top to bottom and divide it by 2. On one of the trees draw a line of this size from the top till the middle and on the other from the bottom till the middle. Zigzag stich around this line, like if you where doing a button hole (that is, stitch on both sides of the line). Cut along the line.

last minute christmas tree05 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

last minute christmas tree06 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

Step 6) Lay flat the two trees on some newspaper and paint all the ornaments with fabric paint. When the paint is dry turn and paint the other side.

last minute christmas tree07 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree
last minute christmas tree08 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

Step 7) Mount the tree by joining the two trees trough the middle opening. To fix the two layers together on the desired position, you can stitch a couple of stitches on the top and on the bottom.

That is!! You have a beautiful, fast, easy and cheap little Christmas tree to decorate your home!!

Hope you enjoyed it!!

last minute christmas tree12 Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree

PD: I’ve published this post here.

firma Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree
pixel Last minute Christmas Tree   Make a fast, cheap and easy Christmas Tree
Posted in sewing, Techniques, Tutorials | Tagged , , , , , | 6 lovely comments