2012 Scrappy Awards at DSP - I won in 3 categories

I am so excited, since I have never won in the Scrappies before :) All three layouts that had been nominated won in their categories. The full list of winner can be found here at DSP. And here are my winning layouts:

In the Nature/Scenic Layout category:

In the Layout with 1-2 Photos category:

And in the Layout with no Pictures category:

Bread Basket Liner

I have had this old basket for many years. When we moved into this house, I had an open shelf under a counter and this basket fit it's height, so I started using it as a bread basket. But the top of the basket starting falling apart and the crumbs from the bread were always falling through. So, for a while now I planned to make a liner for this basket and give it a fresh look. Finally I got to it. I looked at some tutorials online, but none of them was exactly what I wanted, so I kind of made my own drawing and pattern. I wanted the handle to stay exposed, so it could be used. This is the result:

I am pretty much satisfied with it, except that I took the inner measurements of the basked and the top edge is quite wide, so when the fabric is turned to the outside, it's not big enough and is pulled weirdly. I should have taken the outer measurements and then maybe tapered it off as I went toward the bottom of the basket. Next time, I'll know.

Just for fun, I used a ribbon instead of the sewn ties on the other side, so I can switch it if I get tired of the same look :)

Also, the liner is fully lined :), so that it is technically reversible. I used a bed sheet, since I didn't have any matching fabric. If I had something else, it would be prettier.

 

 And here is where the basket resides on a daily basis. Next to it is our cutting board that is used only for bread and to the left of it are my frying pans. 

I still have some fabric left over and am thinking of making a baggy holder, maybe a toaster cover and some pot holders (or even a small curtain).

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Scrappy Awards at DSP

I am so honored to be among the nominees for Scrappy Award at DSP (Digital Scrapbook Place). I have three layouts (labeled with TALYQ) nominated.

DIY Crib Top Changing Table

The first 6 months while our baby was sleeping in a bassinet, I was changing her on my bed while sitting down on it, since we didn't have a changing table. But my back couldn't handle that anymore, so when we moved her to a large crib, we decided to make a changing table/top for it. I have seen these here in Europe, something like these:

 

We built ours from materials we had around the house: Some pieces of wood left over from other projects and a sponge padding form an outdoor cushion that we no longer used (I too off the fabric cover and washed it). The only thing we bought was a small piece of new vinyl tablecloth that my husband stapled over the padding. And this is the result:

It is so much easier on my back to change my baby here. And I can reach everything without going away from the changing top. My diaper stacker with cloth diapers is hanging on the left side from the crib and the dresser with her clothes is right behind me when I change her. If I need to leave for some reason, I can just put her down into the crib - very convenient.

The changing top lies securely over the crib and can not move because of these two pieces of wood which are holding it in place from both sides. Yet it can be taken down when baby is sleeping in the crib.

And here she is - my sweet 7 month old cutie pie on her new changing table.

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Purple Velvet Dress

Elizabet didn't have anything to wear for Christmas, since she has outgrown her clothes, so I promised to make her a new dress. We chose a purple stretch velvet (or is it velveteen?) from my stash. I asked her what she wanted and with the help of Miriam's sketching, this is what they showed me:

 

I decided that a pattern I had in my stash (McCalls 2590 - OOP) would be the easiest to modify to achieve this. There was very little time before Christmas, but I managed to sew it - so glad I did, because she love the dress. 

 After I finished the dress, it looked a bit "empty", it needed some kind of belt or sash. I had some shiny thin silky fabric, so I made a sash and hand-sewed it to the side seams. That made a huge difference.

I also used that silky purple fabric to cover a headband the girls already head to match the sash. I used a strip of the fabric I had leftover from the sash, folded the raw edges in and then wrapped the headband with it, hand-sewing the end from the inside.

For a full review and explanation of the alterations I did, read my review on PR.

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