Jane’s Wardrobe

BLM-1823 copyBLM-1827 copyBLM-1861-2BLM-1873 copy-RecoveredBLM-1899-AnnouncementBLM-1911 copyI believe I may have sewn more this summer than I have ever sewn before. You can blame it on the pregnancy insomnia if you want or the nesting, I’m sure that had something to do with it, but the truth is I am on a personal mission of my own. I promised myself that by the end of this year at least 90% of the children’s wardrobes would be handmade. (I am fighting fast fashion one garment at a time, but that’s a story for another day…) As far as Jane, Madeleine, and Kilian are concerned I have almost reached that percentage. The older boys are a bit harder to sew for, so that may be a bit of a lofty goal, but we’ll see. I plan on sharing each of their wardobes over time, and as I add to them… so what better place to start than with Jane’s! You can refer to my last post to see her wearing each item.  Below are links to the patterns, fabric and accessories I used. (Some of the outfits I made without using a pattern… if you have any questions on those just ask and I’ll try my best to answer!)
handmade (to make)
handmade (to buy)
  • paci clip
  • the sweetest knit baby socks
  • bonnet and bonnet (not pictured here but shown in last post)
  • sandals (These have been sold out, but every pair they sell is adorable. Handmade in Nicaragua!)

Meet Baby Jane…

BLM-177020953389_10104837835665470_6339398875301675065_nBLM_0001IMG_3035IMG_3096IMG_311421105860_10156543067192738_2842019455428319780_n21433253_10156583395302738_4694087569060645354_nMommy and Girls_PSBLM-0957AKilianJane PSProfile_PSLittle FIngers_PSjaniesmiles2Janie Mads_PSKiddies_PSSmileyJaneTestDaddyJane_PSMommyJane_PS_1Jane Anastasia.
She arrived in the end of August, right on time and perfect as can be. My sister-in-law, Marie, came down to stay a couple of weeks, and made my life a dream come true. She arrived 6 days before Jane’s birth and completely took over everything from cleaning to stocking our freezer chock-full of food. She offered such a sweet companionship that made those last few days before labor, which can be dull and dreary for me, really fly by.
Early morning of my due date, my water broke at 3am… I literally woke up dreaming that I was trying to keep my head above water. After a quick call to my midwife I went back to bed and woke up to a nice strong contraction a couple of hours later. They weren’t coming regularly yet, so my husband and I took a mile and a half stroll around our neighborhood. We talked to a couple of neighbors and stopped every now and then to let those contractions roll on in. That walk kicked everything into gear and little Jane arrived that afternoon at 2:38 pm, August 26th. Such a wonderful and exciting day for our family!
On a side note.. I completely unplugged this summer. I took a break from most forms of social media; blogging, instagram-ing, e-mail, etc. With #5 on the way, a traveling husband and preparing this year’s homeschool, I wanted to enjoy a summer without any outside distractions. Now that Jane is here and we are well into the school year, and are somewhat back into a daily rhythm I plan on posting more on here again. However, I plan on using this space for more than just sewing and crafting, as I mainly have in the past. I hope you will continue to join me in this space, and share your stories and comments as well.

Made for Baby Blog Tour

MFB Banner 1Good Morning, my friends! Welcome to my stop on the Made for Baby Blog Tour!
Let me first tell you a little story. In our house we read lots, and lots, and lots of books. All the children have their own way of listening. Some listen attentively, some climb all over me or the back of the couch, and some prefer to “fix” (run their sticky fingers all through) my hair while listening. Finn, though, likes the pictures. He will make me read the same page over and over just to continue to look at a certain picture. After studying it fully, he will finally look up and exclaim, “I love this picture, Mommy! I want to go there! I want to be in this picture!”
I’m Pretty sure I’m Finn every time I look at Ayda’s pictures. Ayda Algin blogs over at CafenoHut and both her blog and Instagram feed are bursting with beautiful and inspirational photos, projects and ideas. She has an ability to sew “cute” into everything she makes and photograph it perfectly.
Those of you who have been following me on Instagram probably know that we are expecting our fifth little blessing (Baby Jane!) in a couple of months. So, I was thrilled when I saw that sweet Ayda was coming out with a book of 22 little projects… just for baby! Her book Made for Baby, published by Tuva Publishing, encapsulates all that she does best… perfect projects and beautiful pictures. _BLM7828 copy_BLM7650 copy_BLM7674 copy(A)I fell in love with these peter pan collars the minute I saw them. Perfect little addition to spruce up an outfit, and they are even reversible! Sigh… _BLM7736 copy_BLM7735 copy_BLM7708 copyThe “Pillow with Tents”  is a perfect scrap busting project, and a fun way to mix and match and bring together different prints and colors. Although it’s made to be a pillow, I think it would make an adorable wall hanging, too! _BLM7951 copy.jpg_BLM7793 copy(A)_BLM7776-2 copy_BLM7825 copy 2_BLM7940 copy(A)… and the teether above? It is sewn with an oven roasting bag so it makes a fun crinkly noise when played with. Genius!
Ayda is giving away a copy of Made for Baby as well as other exciting goodies over on her blog. Be sure to hop over and enter! You can also purchase your copy of the book here. Enjoy!!
Be sure to check out all the other exciting stops along tour! Here is a full schedule:
May.03
Ayda ALGIN
www.cafenohut.blogspot.com
@cafenohut
May.04
Jemima Flendt
www.blog.tiedwitharibbon.com
@tiedwitharibbon
May.05
Sarah Edgar
www.alittlehappyplace.blogspot.co.uk
@sarahedgarprettyfabrics
May.08
Lisa Cox
www.aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com
@aspoonfulsugar
May.09
Ange Hamilton
www.alittlepatchwork.wordpress.com
@alittlepatchwork
May.10
Lauren Wright
www.mollyandmama.com.au
@mollyandmama
May.11
Melissa LeRay
www.ohhowsweet.com
@ohhowsweetco
May.12
Minki Kim
www.minkikim.com
@zeriano
May.15
Faith Essenburg
www.SaranaAve.wordpress.com
@faithessenburg
May.16
Kristin Esser
www.kristinesser.com/
@kristin_esser
May.17
Lauren Guthrie
www.guthrie-ghani.co.uk/blog
@guthrieghani
May.18
Bridgette McNay
www.thefamilyhearth.com
@thefamilyhearth
May.19
Torie Jayne
www.toriejayne.com
@toriejayne
May.22
Constanca Cabral
www.constancacabral.com/blog
@constancacabral
May.23
Stacy Olson
www.stacyolsondesign.com
@stacyolsondesign
May.24
Caroline Husle
www.SewCaroline.com
@SewCaroline
May.29
Nadra Ridgeway
www.ellisandhiggs.com
@ellisandhiggs
May.30
Wynn Tan
www.zakkaArt.blogspot.com
@zakkaArt
May.31
Sedef Imer
www.downgrapevinelane.com
@downgrapevinelane
June. 01
Lauren Nash
Www.transientart.com
@transientart
June. 02
Jennie Pickett
www.cloverandviolet.com
@cloverandviolet
June. 05
Amy Sinibaldi
www.nanaCompany.typepad.com
@amysinibaldi
June. 07
Kim Kruzich
www.retro-mama.blotspot.com
@retro_mama
June. 08
Elea Lutz
www.elealutzdesign.com
@elealutz
June. 09
Samantha Dorn
www.aquapaisleystudio.com/blog
@aqua_paisley
June. 12
Ayda ALGIN
www.cafenohut.blogspot.com
@cafenohut
 Have a lovely week!

xoxo, Bridgette

Bunnies and Cream Blog Tour

Bunnies&Cream_Logo_Blog_Tour_WhiteBGGood morning, my friends!
Welcome to my stop on the Bunnies and Cream Blog Tour… I’m so glad you stopped by!
One of my favorite things is when a very seriously talented person turns their talents into adorable fabric. Bunnies and Cream is Lauren Nash’s first fabric line for Penny Rose Fabrics, and just like all of Lauren’s work, this collection is… simply… precious.
Mischievous bunnies,  sweet little baked goods, gingham and florals, strawberries and bows, all in the prettiest spring pastels… pretty amazing, eh?
BLM_BP_B&C008 (1 of 1) copyBLM_BP_B&C006 (1 of 1) copyBLM_BP_B&C007 (1 of 1) copyBLM_BP_B&C0010 (1 of 1) copyBLM_BP_B&C009 (1 of 1) copyA few of the prints actually have some of Lauren’s personal recipes on them which put me in the baking mood right away, so  I thought a cute little patchwork apron for Madeleine would be perfect. And ooh, I love the way all the prints play together.
Next up is a fun little mini quilt I designed using the floral and gingham prints. BLM_BP_B&C004 (1 of 1) copyBLM_BP_B&C002 (1 of 1) copyBLM_BP_B&C003 (1 of 1) copyAn April Showers bunny, because even though I love May flowers I love the April showers almost as much!!
Last up is a cute little tray using Noodlehead’s free pattern found here. I will probably end up using this one to store little odds and ends in my fabric cabinet, but I plan on using my left over Bunnies and Cream scraps to make a whole set of matching trays to fill up with Easter goodies and give away to the children’s friends. BLM_BP_B&C005 (1 of 1) copyBLM_BP_B&C001 (1 of 1) copyThank you so much for stopping by! I hear there are a few places who already have Bunnies and Cream in stock! Yay!! ( Fat Quarter Shop, Ministry of Fabric,  SunnyDaySupply,  SewStitchingHappy)
Don’t forget to make all the stops this week, I definitely will be! Here is a full line up:

xoxo, Bridgette

Quilt Petite Blog Hop

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Good morning! Today is my stop on the Quilt Petite Blog Hop and I am happy you have stopped by! Quilt Petite, published by Tuva Publishing, is the first book (hopefully of many) by the sweet Sedef Imer of Down Grapevine Lane and it’s absolutely stunning! (Sedef, you have some serious talent!) The captivating pictures, the adorable projects, the detailed explanations…  it all makes for a truly fun book. A sewist’s treasure.
book.jpgon-point-placemat_0003Sedef uses the term “small quilty things” to describe her book, so I knew it was going to be right up my alley. And how right I was! It’s filled with all kinds of patchwork projects from pillows and mini quilts to placemats and potholders, and brimming with all kinds of fun techniques geared at both the seasoned or the novice sewer. And with the excellent instructions on each project you’re sure to learn new techniques with ease.
 I had a difficult time making up my mind on which project to choose (so much that I actually had fabric pulled and ready to go for three different projects!) before settling down with the “Pretty On-point Placemat”. It was the perfect project to mix with this super cute Christmas fabric (Pixie Noel by Tasha Noel)  so… I made one for each of the children, because we all know Christmas cookies and milk and cozy hot chocolate nights are right around the corner. Yippee!on-point-placemat_0004dsc_0965-copyOn-point Placemat_0005.jpgdsc_1157-copyon-point-placemat_0002dsc_1212-copydsc_1063-copydsc_1011-copydsc_1035-copydsc_0854-copydsc_1263-copyon-point-placemat_0001
The blog hop continues until December 11th, and includes a long list of super talented bloggers! Check out the lineup below. Be sure to check out Wynn and Sarah’s stop and come back tomorrow to see what Heidi’s been working on! I can’t wait to see what each one has lined up!
Also, be sure to visit Down Grapevine Lane for a chance to win a lovely package full of all kinds of goodies, including a copy of Quilt Petite! 
November 6: Sedef at Down Grapevine Lane (intro + giveaway)
November 7: Wynn at Zakka Art
November 8: Sarah at A Little Happy Place
November 9: Bridgette at The Family Hearth
November 10: Heidi at Fabric Mutt
November 11: Minki at Minki’s Work Table
November 12: Ange at A Little Patchwork
November 13: Lauren at Molly and Mama
November 14: Michelle at Cole & Taffy
November 15: Nadra at Ellis & Higgs
November 16: Amy at Nana Company
November 17: Faith at Sarana Ave
November 18: Debbie at Happy Little Cottage
November 19: Erin at Why Not Sew
November 20: Amanda at Jedi Craft Girl
November 21: Melissa at Oh How Sweet
November 22: Stacy at Stacy Olson Design
November 23: Ayda at Cafe Nohut
November 24: Peta at She Quilts A Lot
November 25: Amanda at A Crafty Fox
November 26: Keera at Live Love Sew
November 27: Sharon at Lilabelle Lane
November 28: Kate at The Homemakery
November 29: Jemima at Tied With A Ribbon
November 30: Jodie at Ric Rac
December 1: Anorina at Samelia’s Mum
December 2: Alisha at Ministry of Fabric
December 3: Xanthe at Wife-made
December 4: Cheri at Tinker With This
December 5: Kristyne at Pretty By Hand
December 6: Kimberly at Fat Quarter Shop
December 7: Veronica at Vivid Felicity
December 8: Shari at Doohikey Designs
December 9: Jina at Jina Barney Designz
December 10: Emma at Emma Jean Jansen
December 11: Sedef at Down Grapevine Lane (wrap up + giveaway winner)

quilt-petite-blog-hop-square

xoxo, Bridgette

Our Homeschool Year – In Pictures

DSC_0023 copySchool Days _0006DSC_0036 copy1st day, 1st grade 1school-days-_0004School Days _0002School Days _0003School Days _0001DSC_0273-Recovered copyDSC_0304-Recovered copyDSC_0293 copyDSC_0296 copyDSC_0283 copy

  • We began our school year August 22. Liam is in 1st grade, and Madeleine is in Pre-School.
  • Madeleine’s white school dress was made using this pattern. I lengthened it to her knees, shortened the sleeves to mid-lenth and then added elastic instead of sleeve cuff.
  • Her pinafore was made out of  this linen and sewn using this pattern. I added a white lining and left the back open so as to work as a removable pinafore. Inspired by this pin.
  • Learning to press flowers was the highlight of the week. The children picked different weeds and flowers from around the yard and we plan to do this with them.

xoxo, Bridgette

Full Bloom Mini Quilt – A Free Pattern

Posy Garden Mini_0001.jpg

Good morning!
I am going to keep this post short and sweet.  Remember the mini quilt I made for the Posy Garden Blog Tour?
I now have a PDF pattern available for you! It’s a super easy and quick pattern that would make a great weekend project, and perfect to use up those last few scraps from some of your favorite prints.
Click here to download or print.
Tutorial - Full Bloom
If you have any questions about this pattern, feel free to e-mail me at thefamilyhearthblog@gmail.com, I am happy to answer! If you are on Instagram, share your progress with #fullbloommini, I would love to see what you make!
Happy Sewing!

xoxo, Bridgette

Pretty Playtime Blog Tour

Blog-Header

Hello! Remember when I told you about the Pretty Playtime Quilt along with the Fat Quarter Shop?  Are you sewing along? We are now on Week 14 of the blog tour and it’s my turn to introduce this week’s blocks…
Flowers! Tulips on LIne.jpgPretty PlaytimeFlowers2Pretty Playtime1.jpgFlowers
Aren’t they just adorable? They are so sweet and fun to make.
 If you haven’t started yet, pick up your copy of Pretty Playtime Quilts by Elea Lutz and start now! This entire book is chock-full of adorable blocks… dragonflies, pinwheels, butterflies, a darling teapot… and they can all be mixed and matched to make endless possibilities of adorable projects or quilts.
Here is a full list of all the amazing ladies sewing along:
Week 2 – Erin from Why Not Sew?
Week 3 – Wynn from Zakka Art
Week 4 – Anorian from Samelia’s Mum
Week 5 – Amy from Diary of a Quilter
Week 6 – Renee from Sewn with Grace
Week 7 – Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon
Week 8 – Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl
Week 9 – Debbie from Happy Little Cottage
Week 10 – Tina from Emily Ann’s Kloset
Week 11 – Erica from Kitchen Table Quilting
Week 12 – Kristyne from Pretty by Hand
Week 13 – Heidi from Fabric Mutt
Week 14 – Brigitte from The Family Hearth
Week 15 – Lorrie from Sew Mod Designs
Week 16 – Kristin from They Grow Up Too Fast
Have a wonderful week!

xoxo, Bridgette

Apple Farm Blog Hop

apple_farm_blog_hop_banner-600x130pxGood Morning! Welcome to my stop on the Apple Farm Blog Hop.
I have been anxiously awaiting this day. For those of you who have been following me for any time at all, I am sure you are aware of my fondness for Elea Lutz, her incredible talents and her adorable fabric lines. Just when you think fabric can’t get any cuter, out comes her newest collection… Apple Farm for Penny Rose fabrics. It pretty much sums up cute in one bundle; Gingham, plaid, tiny florals,  and the cutest bears picking apples and picnicking about.  So, needless to say, I was elated when she asked me to join in on the blog hop.
So, lets get right to it!Pinwheel Dress BPinwheel Dress CPinwheel Dress 2.jpgPinwheel Dress 1Apple Farm Patchwork HandkerhiefOne of my favorite skirts that Madeleine wears is the pinwheel skirt I made for her last year. She is just shy of outgrowing it, so I used the same idea in this sweet and simple play dress. (Made using this pattern. I added the pinwheels to the skirt panels and doubled the panels over to cover any ugly seams and work as a lining.) I made the pinwheels out of the smaller scale prints in Apple Farm, which I have to say make the most gorrrrr-geous pinwheels, and  I finished the outfit off with a fun little patchwork bandanna to match. Patchwork Apple Pillow 1Patchwork Apple PillowLeather TagSince we are just a week away from starting school here, I thought a few school themed projects would be in order!
For the patchwork apple pillow I just sewed together different sized fabric pieces into a large square, quilted the square patchwork to the batting itself, and then cut the shape of an apple out. I then used that quilted apple piece as a pattern for the backing and stuffed and added binding as normal. Lastly, I hand tacked the little leaf into place. Voila!
 I stuck to mostly the red and pink prints for Madeleine’s apple pillow. I plan on making a similar one in the green and brown prints for Liam. It is the perfect sized pillow for the children to rest their heads on on their desks during break time, and it makes for cute decor in our school room.
Last up is a fun little A-B-C mini quilt for our art wall in the school room.Tag
ABC QuiltcisforcakeABCFor each design, I drew the pictures and letters onto paper and then traced and cut them out of fabric, appliqued them onto the linen and stitched them into place with black thread. To finish it off I added a little tag (…because those cute little flowers!) and then hand quilted it.ABC Quilt_2AThank you for joining me today! I had so much fun with each of these projects and I am positive you will find just as much inspiration with the Apple Farm fabrics as I did!!
Be sure to also check out The Fat Quarter Shop today for their fun Apple Farm stop, and then the fun continues tomorrow with Taunja at Carried Away Quilting and Nadra at Ellis and Higgs. Yay!!
At the bottom of this post is the full line-up of the blog hop.

xoxo, Bridgette

 

8 August 2016    www.tiedwitharibbon.com
8 August 2016    www.sameliasmum.com
9 August 2016    www.fatquartershop.blogspot.com
9 August 2016    www.thefamilyhearth.com
10 August 2016  www.carriedawayquilting.com
10 August 2016  www.ellisandhiggs.com
11 August 2016  www.doohikeydesigns.com/blog/
11 August 2016  www.fabricmutt.blogspot.com
12 August 2016  www.fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.com
15 August 2016  www.alittlepatchwork.wordpress.com
15 August 2016  www.transientart.com
16 August 2016  www.euphoriajessica.blogspot.com
16 August 2016  www.prettybyhand.com
17 August 2016  www.ohhowsweet.com
17 August 2016  www.downgrapevinelane.com
18 August 2016  www.saranaave.wordpress.com
18 August 2016  www.VividFelcity.wordpress.com
19 August 2016  www.dollyhenry.blogspot.com
19 August 2016  www.jedicraftgirl.com
20 August 2016  www.elealutzdesign.com

Posy Garden Blog Tour – Maker’s Tote

FabricBundledGood morning, my friends! And welcome to my stop on the Posy Garden Blog Tour!
I am going to start by telling you one of my favorite adjectives… Crisp.
I tend to over-use it when I am trying to portray a certain sense or feeling to my husband. I stutter, “…you know that fresh, crisp, clean, crisp look!” or “It looks so crisp! It’s so beautifully… crisp!” Early in our marriage, he’d roll his eyes and mutter, “You and that word.” (I am happy to say he’s starting to finally get all the meaning it holds.)
I am telling you this because honestly I can’t think of a better word to use to describe Carina Gardner’s new fabric line, Posy Garden, for Riley Blake Designs,  other than…well, crisp!  It is a beautiful collection of florals and geometrics in a color palette that’s to die for.Makers_Tote_003Makers_Tote_001I knew right away that I actually wanted to sew something for myself with these prints and decided they would make a beautiful Maker’s Tote.  (Pattern is by Anna Graham from Noodlehead.) I made the larger of the two sizes the pattern comes in, and let me tell you…  I am in love with this bag. Makers_Tote_002Makers_Tote_004Makers_Tote_005Makers_Tote_006It is small enough so I don’t feel like I am carrying around luggage, but large enough to hold books, supplies,  probably a chocolate bar and maybe a random diaper or two. Perfect!
With some of the leftover scraps I decided to make a mini quilt. I love the way Posy Garden looks against pure white, so I sketched out a design that would incorporate the prints I had along with plenty of white. I also wanted it to have a soft almost flower-y look, so I came up with the following design  made from lots of half triangle squares. (And as you can see, I had chubby little Finian hands helping me.)ChubbyHelpingHandsPosy Garden MiniPosy Garden Mini_001Posy Garden Mini_003.jpgPosy Garden Mini_002Be sure to check out all the other amazing Posy Garden projects this week. Here is the daily line-up:
Monday, August 1st: My Sewing Haven with Carla Peicheff
Tuesday, August 2nd Happy Little Cottage with Debbie Homick
Tuesday, August 2nd The Family Hearth with Bridgette McNay
Wednesday, August 3rd Fort Worth Fabric Studio with Lindsey Weight
Wednesday, August 3rd Happy Quilting Melissa with Melissa Corry
Thursday, August 4th Pretty By Hand with Kristyne Czepuryk
Thursday, August 4th Out of the Blue with Sondra Davison
Friday, August 5th Samelia’s Mom with Anorina Morris
Friday, August 5th Free Time Frolics with Adrienne Woods
Monday, August 8th Flamingo Toes with Bev McCullough
Monday, August 8th Silly Mama Quilts with Brooke Sellmann
Tuesday, August 9th Snickerdoodle Stew with Jessica Stewart
Tuesday, August 9th A Little Patchwork with Ange Hamilton
Wednesday, August 10th Ameroonie Designs with Amy Chappell
Thursday, August 11th One Little Pooh with Tina
Thursday, August 11th Jedi Craft Girl with Amanda Neiderhauser
Friday, August 12th Stitching Revival with Christine Cook

 

Oh, and P.S… I also love the word Cherry Apple Crisp! 🙂

xoxo, Bridgette