Remember the green and black playmat I made the boys? A lady found it online and asked if I could make her something similar for her soon to be baby boy’s room. Seems she couldn’t find anything in those colors for a nursery!

I kept a similar block pattern, with numerals 1-4 at the top, letters A-D at the bottom, and “hop” and “jump” in the center, increasing the blocks to 20. The only “quilting” is the applique stitches around the numbers, words and letters, and there’s the same soft minky on the back.

I’m pretty pleased with how it came out!

I also made sweet new baby this little mini blankie to enjoy!

The boys’ Parents as Teachers Parent Educator is going to be a grandma for the first time next month! She asked me to create a set of bibs and burp cloths for her new grandbaby Elisha.

One bib has his name and a bowtie, and the other says “Grandma and Grandpa {love} me.”

I didn’t take a picture of the back, but they’re lined with super soft brown minky, the same I used on the back of Joshua’s blanket.

Her daughter’s shower is this weekend, so I got them done just in time.

I’m back from my little vacation from sewing over the holidays! My family had the best time in Florida with my parents and sister, and the break was just what I needed. I’m so excited to sew again!

I ended up being SO busy with Christmas orders (definitely a blessing) that I didn’t have a chance to blog much of them. I did manage to update the Facebook page much more often, so if you like more real-time updates, you might choose to follow us there.

Without further ado, here are many of the Christmas orders I fulfilled!

Many big/lil sibling shirts

A total of six tree skirts…

including a couple with quite unusual (but super fun!) color schemes.

Stockings for some friends (and now I feel the need to make new stockings for my family!)

A special stole for my friend Laura (detailed post coming for this one!)

Lots of blankets!

A couple of custom shirts ordered as gifts…

And TONS of Christmas and general bib/ paci clip types stuff, for two craft shows!

Come back later this week for some brand new designs!

This stole was made for one of my very best friends- one of those friends who I can not see for a year, and pick right back up where we left off when we do. Laura was my first college roommate and I’m so thankful that our college saw fit to put us together!

In December she accepted a call as pastor of a church in NC, and I immediately knew I wanted to make her something special for her ordination and installation.

Laura’s mom passed away when we were in college, so I contacted her dad, asking if he had any linens (a handkerchief, etc.) belonging to her mom I could sew into the lining of a stole I wanted to make. He responded that he didn’t really have anything like that but he did have her wedding dress that I was welcome to.

Gulp.

It was such an honor to be given this special fabric to use! After psyching myself up to cut into the dress, I was able to use it to line the entire back of the stole. I also used it to place this dove on the front, and the “branch” that the dove is carrying is lace from the bodice.

My time in NC for the ordination was short, but sweet. I was so glad to get to be a part of something so special! Looking at this next picture, of me and Laura and our good friend Jen who I actually got to spend a WHOLE DAY with, is bittersweet. It was such a great time, but I miss them so!

Here’s to many more big life events that we can share together, girls!

For Easter, Jack and Charlie wore their suits that they’ll wear in my sister’s wedding. I put green and navy striped shirts underneath them, and decided that I’d do myself a favor and only make one piece of clothing for Easter… a coordinating romper for Joshua.

Having never made a romper before, I thought I’d better practice first, so I made one for Charlie from some Thomas the Train fabric I got a super great deal on that I’d been saving for something special. I knew he’d love it. I drafted my own pattern and used snaps for the shoulders and crotch. I also made it big enough for him to wear through summer.

For Joshua’s I used a nice green fabric I found in my stash paired with one of my husband’s old shirts for the facing at the top and the pants cuffs. I used snaps in the crotch, but buttons at the top, and made them long pants.

Best part- my little model looked adorable! Of course, I’m his mom- I might be a little biased!

You might know that adoption, and specifically international adoption, are very important to the Monkey Stitch girls. The oldest of the our 6 kiddos, Kennison, is adopted from Vietnam.

A good friend of ours is in the process of adopting a baby or toddler from Ethiopia and the wait is just so long. Her family is a great and faithful example of obedience. This summer I made this shirt for her to encourage her in her wait.

It’s now listed in the Monkey Stitch Etsy shop.

For the month of October, all proceeds from the sale of this shirt will be donated to Reece’s Rainbow in honor of Kennison’s 6th Adoption Day. So pass the word. Let’s help some orphans find their forever families.

It all started with my friend Amy asking me to make her then unborn nephew Heath some cute Lego-wear and accessories. From her request was born this onesie

and this blanket/burp cloth/bib set (with imported Japanese fabric!).

From that has been born a Lego craze! I’m constantly getting orders in my shop for Lego shirts! I love the look of these- the simplicity of the Lego head, the name, everything!

When we took the boys to Disney this Christmas I whipped up some themed shirts the night before… definitely not my best work, but hey, I was using my mom’s machine, seriously crappy interfacing, and doing it last minute.

When a friend asked me to make shirts for her little guy’s birthday, I jumped at the chance for a do-over. She’s a lover of all things patriotic, so that’s the color scheme I went with.

So, in honor of Labor Day, I give you Mickey…

and Minnie Mouse!

The adorable birthday boy and his sweet sister.

You might get the impression from our sad blog that’s been totally neglected over the summer that we haven’t been doing any crafting. Not so! In fact, the opposite is true. It seems when crafting goes into high gear, blogging suffers.

I’ll try to do better.

Now, to get our craft on! Here’s a round-up of the blankets I’ve worked on this spring and summer that never made it on here.

See you much sooner than three months from now!

I adore giving meaning, personal, and usually handmade gifts for all occasions. But, as a former bride, I know that brides mostly appreciate getting gifts that they have chosen on their registries!  

These his and hers towels were a combination of the two. My brother-in-law is getting married this summer, and I made these for his fiancé’s bridal shower. The towels are from her registry, I just added the applique in coordinating colors.

The font is Cheri, and it’s one of my favorites for applique word projects.

On the hand towels I appliqued a lowercase “f,” so she can celebrate her new last name in style!