Happy birdie birthday

Little sweets turned three this February. Wow that was fast. For her birthday we had a small family celebration. The theme was birds and I had a lot of fun getting together the decorations and activities.

 I made the floral arrangements from tissue paper and wooden dowels. I used make these types of flowers all the time as a kid so it fun to do them all over again. I also cut out a small happy birthday banner and put it on the table along with a few river rocks.

The flower vases are cut off soy milk containers with animal and plant pictures decoupaged with mod podge. They came together quickly and it was a good use of an old calender and recycled cartons.

The felt blue bird masks were a big hit. I made those using a pattern I purchased from Handworkstudio on etsy. I sewed the masks with eco felt using a sewing machine. They came together really quickly. The cape pattern is from Biglittle on esty. I used a variety of fabrics including satin, knit and vintage sheets. We did a little circle time activity and everyone had fun running around and pretending to be birds.

Speaking of birds, the favors for the party were bird seed ornaments. I found a recipe from Eclecticallyvintage for the ornaments that did not contain gelatin. I made the ornaments in muffin tins with hemp twine in the middle. 

 Wall decorations included birds of course. My hubby has access to a big plotter and he printed out some lovely bird photos. I also hung up water color prints from little sweets that were cut in the shape of birds. The birthday banner is from her first birthday. We will see how many years it works but it definitely fit in nice with this years decorations.

Her big brother decorated the chalk board with lots and lots of happy birthday wishes. He also made her an origami yoda and a fortune wookie. She was very happy with both. 

I made gingerbread cupcakes with fluffy vanilla frosting. I tried to make cupcakes in a heart shape by putting a marble in one end. It would have worked fabulously if I hadn't overfilled the cupcakes wrappers. They were yummy though and lovely with the little creamy heats. The recipe is from Vegan cupcakes take over the world which is my go to book for birthday cupcakes.

Little sweets had a great party and of course enjoyed her cupcake. So much that I wound up giving her a cupcake with candles for two more days after her birthday. Always good to make a few extra cupcakes. Little sweets is wearing her 3 crown that I made for her older brother when he turned three too. It is so fun to pass things down and she looked lovely in her crown.

Goldenrod, chamomile and lavender cold process soap

I finally took the plunge and started making my own soap. I am sticking to the cold process method and only using natural ingredients for scents and colors. I have made quite a few batches of soap including goldenrod and lavender, eucalyptus and almond, and lemon balm and lemon grass.

My latest batch is goldenrod, chamomile, and lavender. It is my first attempt at a layered soap. Very excited about the results.  It smells lovely and has a wonderful golden color on the bottom and a beautiful green on the top. I used dried goldenrod flowers that I picked from a nearby field. The kids went with me and we had a grand adventure to find goldenrod. The smell of the flowers is really wonderful. It has a fruity mango scent that goes nicely with the chamomile and lavender. My inspiration for using goldenrod is from The Nerdy Farm Wife. I also bought her soap making ebook and it is a really great resource for making natural soap.

To make the soap I first infused the olive oil with the dried goldenrod. I filled a small mason about half way loosely with the flowers and poured olive oil on top. I then put it in a water bath on the stove for an hour and allowed it to steep over night. I did the same thing to make a goldenrod  and chamomile tea using water instead of oil. The next day I strained everything. The tea smells really wonderful. I added the spirulina powder by first mixing it with two tablespoons of reserved oil and then added it at trace. The candelila wax is optional but I think adds hardness to the bar and reduces the curing time so a nice addition. Below is the recipe I used to make the soap. Please make sure to use all the safety precautions for making lye based soap including protective gear and plenty of ventilation.

For this soap I used two wooden molds made by the sweet hubby that measures 2.75" x 2.75" x 6.5". If you have a different size then feel free to use a soap calculator to adjust the quantities.


Btw, I am selling the soap in my etsy shop Natural Violet. So if you are looking for handmade soaps that are vegan, palm oil free and all natural then feel free to check out my shop.

Sweet little recycled sheet dresses

 Pattern is playgroup dress by Fresh Stitch Patterns

So what I have been up to this Summer sewing wise? Besides all the fun pool and kiddo things I managed to sew a few more sheet dresses for little sweets. It is so fun to find colorful sheets at the thrift store and reuse them to make cute little dresses. Here is s quick sample of a few of the dresses modeled by little sweets of course. The main body of all of the dresses are from recycled sheets. The prints are cotton quilting prints. Too fun!

Pattern is Clara without the arm ruffles and reduced width skirt by Violette Field Threads

Pattern is another Clara without the arm ruffles and full skirt by Violette Fields Threads

Pattern is from Burda Kids Style Special magazine Spring/Summer 3/2015

Recycled sheet Celestial Dress and the less than a dollar dress

Here is my less than a dollar to make dress. Well, technically the dress cost more than a dollar to make if you include the pattern purchase and all the sewing goodies. However, the fabric was less than a dollar. I found the 100% cotton plaid sheet at the local thrift store for a dollar and tax. I used about half of the sheet to make the dress so the fabric cost qualifies as less than a dollar. A little about the sewing pattern. It is the Celestial Dress from Pattern Fantastique. I made the size 8 and it fits perfect. The dress comes in different length options from top to maxi. I made the midi length and added a band. I am so happy with how it turned out and I matched the plaid so that is a bonus. I love the pattern. It is really comfy and also modern. The directions are great and the bag pocket detail is a clever and unique design addition. The whole pattern is actually very creative and well designed. I plan to make more in different lengths which will reduce my cost point even more. I can wait to make the sleeveless version in the maxi length.  So much fun for the summer and really cost effective. Who says sewing has to expensive. Happy stitching!

Dresses from recycled sheets

I decided to use a few sheets I have laying around the house to make dresses for both me and little sweets. I figure if they are comfortable for sleeping then they are going to be awesome for clothing. Also, they are free and what is better than free fabric. I did take a trip to the local thrift store and found a few more cotton sheets to add to my stash. They were $2 a piece so I can make a dress for about $1 if I stick to the sheet fabric only. If I add in a quilting cotton for contrast then it is still really inexpensive.

I used pattern from Tina Givens for my dresses including the Sugar Slip and the free Bloom Dress. I love her style. It is so romantic and really comfortable for summer. I did make a few adjustments to the patterns since everything is over sized to start. For the Sugar Slip the only thing I did differently was shorten the straps by a few inches and raised the back yoke. With the Bloom dress I wound up removing 2 inches from the the middle of the dress and then resizing the neckline. I also curved the sleeves a bit to make it easier to sew with the serger and bound the edges. I really like both dresses and I plan to use the use the patterns a lot this summer. For fun and also for practical reasons I made the free Pilka pants to go under the dresses. I did make adjustments to this pattern. I took off a 2 inches from the bottom and the top. I also made the back a little wider than the front. I added a frilly border and now I have some sweet bloomers peeking out from my dresses.

For sweets I made her a sheet dress using Fresh Stitch Patterns Playground Dress in size 2 and the remainder of the blue sheet from my dress. The bodice is from a button down shirt. The dress is a little big for her so the next version will be a size down. The second dress is made with Too Sweets Baja Dress. It is also a bit big for her so I will need to size it down a bit with the next version. The floral sheet is from the thrift store and great find. I really love the flowers and butterflies. She looks so cute in her comfy dresses. I have plenty of the floral fabric to make more. I will likely combine it with a cotton print in the next version. I also need to make her a few pairs of matching bloomers. Great start though for her summer wardrobe.

Start of Summer and Alice Dress

I am finally back to posting again about my sewing adventures. One more week left before summer vacation starts for the little guy so maybe this will be my one and only summer post. It has been a long time since my last post so probably best to not make any promises. I do have an excuse though. I have been sewing a lot for Jouby. Since I last posted I made over 150 pairs of baby shoes. Crazy I know. Well, it will come as no surprise that I have decided to stop making baby shoes. I am having a hard time motivating myself to sew another pair. I still have a few pairs to complete and It is taking a lot of will power to finish those so on to new projects. My son is also going to be on summer vacation soon. His little sister and I am really miss him a lot during the day and it will be nice to have him home for the summer. I am of course feeling pressure about keeping them both busy and having fun so we will see what great adventures come our way.

My focus this summer is sewing for the family. I am well on my way to making a new wardrobe for both me and the kids. I am a bit addicted to buying pdf patterns. They are so convenient and instant gratification. Before I buy a bunch more I really need to use the ones I have already purchased. I also need to post about patterns I used during my no post on the blog hiatus. First up is one of my favorites so far, the Alice Top and Dress from Tessuti Patterns. I have made several versions of this dress and I love it. The fit is loose and comfy but not too big. I wound up making the size XXS. This size fits really well in both the dress and top even though I am still nursing my daughter. So on to the pictures. We bought a fantastic new camera so my pictures will be a lot better or at least they will be once I figure out how to use the camera.

 


The first dress is made with a lightweight grey chambray from Fashion Fabric Club online. The second one is made with Bethany Reynolds Stack and Whack cotton print. The third version is a top and it is made from a recycled button down shirt and Cynthia Rowley Paintbox. The final version is made from a recycled cotton spandex maxi dress and Tina Givens Opal Owl Bark. Happy sewing!

End of summer

I have been on hiatus for the summer. I spent the summer immersing my self in being the mom of two incredible little beings. Summer was really nice with both kids home and I really miss my little guy now that he is back at school. I know little sweets misses her big brother also. It has given me time to work on a few things. Here is a peek at some of the items I have made over the past few weeks.

Teeny knicker pants

One size fitted cloth diapers

 Baby and toddler shoes

Jouby

I am in the process of starting to sell again. I decided to come up with a new name, Jouby. Cute I think. It is a combo of my two little sweets. I plan to make teeny pants, cloth diapers, dresses and quilts of course. We will see how it goes. The process is slow at the moment, but fun to think about possibilities. I registered my business and name so I am legal. I completed the paperwork and record keeping so my business is fully compliant and meets CSPC guidelines for selling products for children. If you haven't read up on the newer guidelines then please feel free to do so. The process is not too complicated and it feels good to have the business compliant. If you would like to receive updates on Jouby then please follow me on my Facebook page. I am still going to blog under Natural Violet. Here are the quick links to all the fun stuff for Jouby.

Jouby Facebook Page
Jouby Hyena Cart
Jouby Etsy Shop

Happy Sewing!

Homemade soy milk, soy yogurt and okara lemon scones

I bought a soy milk maker finally. Very exciting news. It is a Soyajoy G4 and it is fabulous. It not only makes soy milk but also hemp, almond and rice milk. I bought it a few weeks ago and I have made just about every variety of milk so far. The Fat Free Vegan blog has a post on homemade soy milk and also for making tofu. She suggests adding a few tablespoons of oats along with salt to reduce the bean taste when making homemade soy milk. I haven't made tofu yet but it is on my list.

I do make yogurt now though using all the wonderful homemade nondairy milk varieties. The recipe is based on the one from the Artisan Vegan Cheese book. I use a nondairy yogurt starter by Belle+Bella.  I start by pouring hot water in two quart mason jars along with the lids. I then add 1 teaspoon of agar and 2 tablespoons of organic corn starch to a saucier pan along with a half a cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick. Add this mixture to a blender along with 2 cups of nondairy milk and 2/3 cup of soaked cashews. Add this mixture to a sauce pan along with an additional 1 1/2 cups of nondairy milk. Using a thermometer, bring the mixture to about 105 F. Turn of the heat and check the temperature again. If it is over 112 F then let it cool a bit before adding the starter. If not then add the starter and pour the mixture into two quart mason jars. Cover with a warm blanket and let it sit for about 24 hours. Put it in the fridge and enjoy.

The interesting thing about making all the of the nondairy milks is I am left with quite a bit of pulp. Since I make a lot of soy milk it is typically okara. I have a composter in the back yard so that is definitely an option but I also like to bake a lot so I figure why not add it to scones. Here is my recipe for okara scones. It also works great with almond pulp from making almond milk which by the way tastes fantastic and is so much better than what I used to buy at the store.

Okara Lemon Scones

2 cups of okara or almond pulp
1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest of one or two lemons
1/4 cup of maple syrup, agave or brown rice syrup
1/2 cup of nondairy milk
1 tablespoon of chia seeds, hemp seeds or ground flax
1/4 cup of canola oil or nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of whole grain spelt flour
1 cup of oat flour
1 cup of white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Add the wet ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix again but don't over mix. Using a 2 inch cookie scoop place the dough on a oiled cookie sheet or use a silpat. Bake at 400 F for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Hybrid one size fitted diaper with tutorial

Hybrid fitted diapers are very popular these days and fairly easy to make yourself. It is basically a fitted diaper with a layer of water resistant polyester fleece. An explanation of a hybrid diaper is in the nighttime one size hybrid diaper post. This diaper is suitable for daytime use and does not require an additional cover as long as it is not used for long periods of time. So that means the really cute prints on the diapers can be out in open view for all to admire.

The pattern I used is the Rocket Bottoms One Size Diaper. The pattern includes fold over rise snaps to make it one size. I added a front snap rise adjustment instead. I like both methods, but I use less snaps for the front placing rise adjustment. I used my own contour soaker pattern, but any design is great. Here is how to make the diaper.

 1. For the diaper layers use woven cotton print for the outer layer, polyester fleece for the hidden layer and hemp/organic cotton fleece for the inside layer. Mark the placement of the snaps on the outer layer and add the front sockets prior to assembly to make them hidden. Mark the placement of the elastic to the outer layer. This is optional but you can add an additional layer of polyester fleece in the wet zone and sew it to the inside hemp fleece layer. Mark and add the snap in soaker sockets to the hemp fleece layer.

2. Cut the layers for the snap in soaker. Use 6 layers of hemp fleece and one layer of cotton velour for the top. Add the stud snaps for the snap in soaker to the bottom two layers. Cut two 6.5 inch pieces and one 5 inch piece of 3/8 inch braided elastic for the legs and back.

3. Sew the outer woven fabric with the polyester fleece and the hemp fleece inner fabric together with wrong side facing outwards. Leave a small gap at the top of the diaper to turn. Sew on the ends only of the elastic to the markings on the legs and back.

4. Turn the diaper right side out. Stitch around the entire diaper closing the open edge and making sure to not catch the leg and back elastic. For the legs and back, stitch a half inch casing making sure to not catch the elastic in the sewing. Add the wing snaps to the outside of the diaper.

5.  To make the petal soaker, first serge the three bottom layers together with the snaps on the bottom. Serge the top three layers together with the cotton velour on top. Sew the two petal pieces together at the top corners. Diaper is all done!

Here is the inside of the diaper with the snap in soaker.