Hey, Hey We're The Monkeys

This past weekend I was all over the Monkey theme.  A friend of mine has a daughter that is due soon.  She wanted a outfit for newborn baby boy to wear home from the hospital.  I gave her a few choices, and the picture below is what she wanted.

This turned out so very sweet and I fell in love with Mr. Monkey.  I have made this outfit with long sleeves, but this is the first short sleeved version.  I really like the long sleeves, but the short sleeves look great.  I may try this one again.  We will see if there is any interest.

So, after making precious outfit #1, I decided that Mr. Monkey needed to be on another gem of an outfit.  So, I made the one you see below.

This one turned out even better.  It is a 0-6 months size.  Can't you just see your newborn baby boy wearing this home from the hospital or for those first pictures.  I love this monkey.  He just looks so sweet.  Also, the colors of this one turned out great.  It is a brown plaid, and fully lined with cream batiste.  I just have to add buttons and some snaps.

So, now that I have grown attached to Mr. Monkey, I am toying with the idea of doing him in girl colors.  So, I guess he would be Ms. Monkey.  I am thinking that a pink monkey with a white face would be very cute. 

Well, I do have to put Mr. and Ms. Monkey aside for a few days.  I am wanting to make a Christmas version of the dress below.

This dress is one of my favorites and it always looks so beautiful.  I just know that in Christmas colors it would look awesome.  So, be looking for pictures and listings on Etsy for this one.  I can't wait. 

"Let's Hear it for the Boys"

It was an exciting time in my life.  I was pregnant with my first child, and could not wait to be a mom.  The big question that was asked of me at the time was, "Are you going to find out the sex of the baby?"  We thought about it a little bit, but honestly we didn't have any strong feelings either way, so, off we go to the big ultrasound.  They asked if we wanted to know, and we said, "Why not?"  We were told that our first child was going to be a boy.  Well, now that we knew, it was time to get things ready.  The big question that is always on the mind of a mom to be is, "What is my child going to wear home from the hospital?"  Every mom wants that outfit to be special.

That is what I have been working on this week.  Special outfits to have baby wear home from the hospital.  I have made some beautiful Bishop Smocked Dresses for newborn girls, but not many boys outfits have been constructed on my sewing machine.  This week, I had the great pleasure of making the outfit below for a friend of mine.  She has a grandson on the way.

I have made this particular outfit before, but it was long sleeved.  I think I like the short sleeve.  I thought the monkey was so cute that he may be a part of some other outfits.

Mr. Monkey has stole my heart.  His little sleepy eyes are so cute.  Today, I decided to start a bubble romper for his 2nd appearance.  The romper is in a brown plaid material and the monkey will be displayed on a cream appliquéd circle.  I am still trying to decided if the outfit will have sleeves or not.  What do you think?

Christmas has also been on my mind today.  I know, it is several months away, but in the children's clothing area, you have to start thinking early.  You want that special outfit for your child to wear in the family pictures. Right?  Every little girl needs that beautiful dress.  So, I am working on something to incorporate the Christmas color theme.  I don't want to leave the boys out of the picture, so I may be recreating the outfit above in a Christmas theme.  However, I am not sure what kind of embroidery to stitch.  Do you have any ideas?  Feel free to let me know in the comments. 

A Back to School Item that You Just Got to Have!

This Summer, I have learned to make Cinch Sacks.  They are also known as Drawstring Bags.  They are loads of fun and have so many options.  You can make them in all sorts of colors and fabric choices.  Here are two samples that I have made:

The Barrel of Monkeys sack is $15.  The Auburn sack is $20.  If you are interested in having either one monogrammed or embroidered with a name, it will cost $5 more for each monogram or name.

Barrel of Monkeys Sack

Auburn Sack

 Do you have a favorite team?  Well, these bags can be made with fabric from your team.  Auburn, Alabama, USC, Clemson, Florida, etc.  These may not be your favorite.  Who is your favorite team?


These bags can also be monogrammed or embroidered with a name.  Appliqué is also a nice touch.  There is no end to the possibilities.  I have played around with the idea of making these bags in school colors.  What do you think?  Would your child like a bag that shows school spirit?

How about a Cinch Lunch Sack?  When shopping for lunch boxes for my kids, I have found it hard to find one that is big enough for the food they need, or big enough for the water bottle they carry.  I know, most people probably send juice boxes or Capri Sun with their kids.  I tend to send water.  Yes, it is a little boring, but it is healthy.  Also, I know most people have their kids buy lunch, but imagine the money you will save having a cool lunch bag.  We took the time the other day to total up the cost of lunches from the time a child begins Kindergarten until they graduate High School.  It was a little difficult.  Here is what I can tell you: 1. Lunch for one day at school is $2.10, 2. Multiply that times 5 days and you get $10.5, 3. Multiply that times 4 weeks in a month and you get $42(I am aware that some months have 5.  I just picked 4 because most have 4.), 4. Multiply that times 9ish months and you get $378, 5. Multiply that times 13 years of school and you get $4914 that you could spend on lunches over the course of your child's school life.  WOW!!!  What do you think you could do with $4914?  Having a Cinch Lunch Sack for you child will save you money, and you can actually fix what your child likes to eat.  Now, I have not made a sample Lunch Sack yet, but that is my plan.  So, let me know if you are interested in saving your family some money on lunches.