Colourful Infinity Scarves

By now you all know I like to make personalized pillows for my kids' friends' birthdays.   But what do you give for a repeat birthday?

These two little recipients have already received pillows one year, and recycled cotton skirts the next.  This year, I had to come up with something different.

After consulting with my daughter, I went with infinity scarves.  She chose the fabrics out of my scrap bins and a couple selected larger pieces.  I have to admit, some of the combinations she chose were not something I would have chosen myself...

Colourful scarf for colourful Miss L...

Some strange combinations for Miss O, but 100% approved by a 6-yr old!

This one's for my own girl

It's like a reminder from my daughter: Don`t be afraid of colours!

These were a lot of fun to make.  There are tons of tutorials out there, and I don't remember which one I followed the first time, so I am not going to share one but one thing I am going to share is the dimensions I used so that the scarves are better suited to little girls.  I used various strips that were 12" wide to make a piece of approx. 12" x  48"-50" which was then folded and assembled.  My daughter tried it on and it was perfect.

Since we are on the topic of infinity scarves, here is one I forgot to share, made by my friend's 10-year old.  (In case she reads this, yes, I know she is 11 now, but she was 10 when she made it).

The first time Miss Z came over to our house and saw my sewing room, she showed a lot if interest for all the pretty fabrics.  She had definite tastes so I told her to set aside some that she liked.  The next time her family was over, I took her to the sewing room and showed her how to make an infinity scarf.

She did it all herself, except for a little hand sewing at the end which I know she could have done by herself, but we ran out of time.

Proudly showing her creation

Sewing with kids takes patience, but is always rewarding.  I am looking forward to more sewing with Miss Z.

And speaking of things to look forward two, I am also looking forward to making more infinity scarves, and maybe getting some more colour advice from my daughter!

All The Baby Quilts

Baby quilts are fun to make.  They are small, quick to make, portable...  I have made a few baby quilts over the last couple of years, but there has been a baby shortage in my circle.  Close friends and cousins are all past that baby age, and the next generation is nowhere close to having babies, so baby quilts have been accumulating.

The stack

And then, all of a sudden, everyone is having babies!  a colleague, a kids' teacher, a former babysitter and her sister all had babies or are expecting.  Time to send some of the quilts to good homes where they will be loved!


My colleague J and her husband L are expecting their first child.  It's a girl!  J is well known for her sense of style, so I figured I'd better ask which one she wanted.  After consultation with her hubby, she chose one of my personal favourite: my rendition of Up, Up and Away, by Amanda Jean Nyberg.

Previously blogged here

Next, one of my kids' teacher is expecting a girl this summer.  I wondered whether a baby quilt was appropriate.  Should I be giving a "baby" gift when it is her work as a teacher I want to acknowledge?  I decided that she would probably appreciate the quilt more than the baby would, so the gift is really for her.   Plus, it is kind of fitting:  She took time all year to polish my "diamond in the rough" and guide him towards becoming a more mature pre-teen, and in turn, I am wrapping her little one in hand made love.


Previously blogged here

Next is my former babysitter, B, who just had a baby boy a couple weeks ago.  I haven't see the baby yet, but little S is getting this blue-green quilt.  I love simple squares patchwork!

Blogged here

Finally, that former babysitter has a sister, A, who also had a baby boy just a few weeks before.  I don't know her very well, but I am just too happy to have an occasion to give another handmade gift!  Plus, I really, really want to see the baby next time she comes to visit her parents!

Despite having a big pile o' quilts, I decided to make her a little something - my classic "quick" blanket.  It's 1 meter (or yard) of flannel + 1 meter of cotton, put together envelope-style, then quilted.   My stash is lacking in the boy or gender-neutral department, but I "happened" to be at the fabric store when I stumbled upon these little monkeys (in flannel).  Had to have them!  I found a cute polka dot cotton to complement it and there you have it!

Couldn't resist the monkeys



Perfect match

I love the texture and versatility of these soft snuggly blankets (I hesitate to call them quilt, though they are technically quilts).  Each of my own kids had one, they went from the stroller to the playpen to the car, to the park and at the beach, and everywhere in between, well into their toddler years. 


So happy to be a quilter and being able to welcome little ones into the world with something soft, warm, made with love!