Mattie Sewing

Ya'll are really loving the Mattie Diaper Pattern !! It has been downloaded over 500 times since it was published late last year. I hope that means lots of super cute and fluffy bums out there.

 

If you haven't tried it yet... the pattern includes FOUR sizes: Newborn, small, medium, and large. Enough sizes to fit your baby until potty training!

 

Best of all...it's FREE. No reason not to try it out right?

 

Download it for FREE HERE at Craftsy

Christmas Comes Early

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season! Christmas is coming early for my readers...

especially my fellow "Crunchy Mamas".

 

I have a new pattern available...and it's FREE!

 

Download Here

 

If you've been around here a while you know that I'm obsessed with cloth diapers and how cute and soft they make the little hineys in my house.

 

I sewed a lot of newborn diapers for baby boy, and am now starting on a stash of bigger overnight fitteds for him. Fitted diapers are real workhorses, but they are expensive, so buying up a good stash can really cut into your budget.

 

 

However, sewing them is a real money saver, and you can make them unique and fun!

 

Hubby is completely obsessed with this diaper. What's not to love?

RealTree Camo and a Clemson Tiger Paw.

 

And for my techy baby.... "iPood"

It's the closest he'll get to an iPod anytime soon.

 

The beauty of fitted diapers is that they can be embroidered with no risk of hurting their absorbency. Perfect for feeding my new personalization habit.

 

The Mattie Diaper Pattern includes 4 sizes:

Newborn, Small, Medium, and Large.

 

This pattern guides you, step by step through making a fitted or All-In-One diaper from start to finish.

 

Here is an All-In-One I made for baby boy. It fits great around his skinny legs and chunky belly.

 

How much do you want to pinch those fat rolls? It's a miracle I get anything done around here with all of that cuteness crawling around.

 

 

The e-book includes ideas on making soaker pads as well, from materials to layers.

This version is a quick-dry soaker to take less drying time than other All-In-One diapers.

 

If you've thought about cloth diapering, or love to try new patterns of diapers on your baby...(always looking for the perfect fit!) then give the Mattie Diaper pattern a try!

 

What can it hurt, it's FREE!

 

Download the printable pattern HERE at Craftsy.

 

While you're there, check out the other free patterns, classes, and great tutorials they have to offer!

 

Sweet Little Diapers

 

Almost exactly a year ago on our Facebook Page, I posted a picture of these little babies I was sewing up for my upcoming little one. I am a lover of cloth diapering, but the expense of the cute little newborn diapers was not as appealing as how cute they were. So I sewed a lot of my own.

 

 



 

 

I mentioned that there may be a pattern in the future. I didn't forsee it taking over a year to actually happen, but I'm now working on getting it drafted for YOU! Even better...it will be FREE.

 

My goal is to have 4 sizes: Newborn, small, medium, and large to sew all-in-ones and fitteds.

(You can also make pockets, but I won't include instructions for those)

 

My sweet boy doesn't fit in these anymore, but he's almost ready to try fitteds for night time diapering, so I'll be sewing up some new diapers soon.

 

Hopefully it doesn't take me another whole year to get this one out to you.

The Great Cloth Diaper Change

Last Saturday, we had the priveledge of participating in the second annual Great Cloth Diaper Change. This is a Guinness World Record event for the most babies simultaneously changed into a cloth diaper. It's an international event with Lots and Lots of babies!! We didn't get to participate last year, so I was super excited to go this year.

Our location was a Natural Baby in Greenville, South Carolina. Gray and I made a little road trip for the occasion. 

We were lucky enough to get there early, and snag a swag bag of goodies for the event!

We had some time to kill after registration, so we walked around beautiful downtown. Gray found somewhere to sit and play with the flowers. This girl loves to smell flowers. 

We took our seat in our little "box" mapped out on the floor for changing. There were about 60-70 babies at our location. It was seriously LOUD in there!

Gray wanted to bring her orange diaper to change into.

Happy Heinys are definitely one of our favorites. Daddy likes the large tabs and Gray likes the bright colors. 

I haven't heard any official numbers yet on the number of babies who actually participated, but I'm excited to see the results. Last time I checked there were 305 locations in 16 countries hosting events. Woohoo!

Diaper Sewing... Take 2

On a recent trip to Rock Hill I had to stop in at my second favorite Hobby Lobby to see if they had anything "different" than ours at home. (Any excuse to go to Hobby Lobby!)

I found THE most adorable piece of minky microfleece in the remnant pile marked 60% off. It had to come home with me.

Since lime green with polka dots is my all-time-favorite color and pattern combination, and I love to put Gray in MY favorite colors....It needed to become a diaper. Something soft and fuzzy for her little butt.

I changed my pattern a little bit from the last diaper I sewed her. I like the fit of the first one better. This one fits fine, but she will outgrow it quicker.

I lined it with one of Hubby's old undershirts, so it's suuuuuuper soft and worn in already.

Overall, It's pretty stinking cute.

And just for fun....some reading pictures.

She gets very excited to read her "Boooooks!!"

She "reads" them outloud. I always wonder what she thinks the book says.

Diaper Sewing

I wanted to try a new nighttime diaper solution for Gray. I have always loved the adorable prints of fitted diapers, but I knew Hubby wouldn't go for a two step system with having to put on a cover. Our Pockets still work great during the day, but I wanted something different at night.

 Instead of paying $20+ dollars a piece for fitted diapers...I decided to try my hand at making one.

I am VERY pleased with the result!! It's made from an old t-shirt and lined with fleece, with a layer of microfiber and terry sewn in-between the layers for absorbancy.

Super soft, stay-dry fleece on the inside...

And the best part.... Dale Jr. across the front! I tried desperately to get it across the back so it was more visible, but I couldn't cut the shirt that way.

I know...it's a little redneck country of me, but its such a soft and stretchy shirt!

We've got piles of old shirts that we'll never wear again that would be perfect for a whole stash of fitteds. And since they're already at our house...it's free!

It fits her little butt like a glove and looks Oh So Cute!

I get too excited about something my baby poops in.

Diaper Stash

I'm going to slowly take a step back from tutorial writing for a while and get back to some "mommy-business". Don't worry...there are TONS of projects in the works right now, especially with Gray's birthday coming up, and I have lots to share. I love sharing projects and turorials with ya'll.

I have been very proud of myself lately because I have not bought Gray a new diaper in a couple of months. This may not seem like a big deal...but they are soooo addicting. I decided to step back and look at my stash and see what I love and don't love about each diaper so that when I do buy some more, I can better choose what to get, or try something new!

I love this picture....all of her diapers (except the one she was wearing) so neatly organized by color.  All of our diapers are pocket diapers, because I felt it would be the best fit for us, and so far it has been. I have had the urge to buy some all-in-ones or some fitteds and covers for nighttime, but I'm hesitant to branch out.

We'll start with Hubby's Favorite...Happy Heinys. He won't admit that they're his favorite, but I know they are because he uses them more than any others.

We have 5 Happy Heinys in our diaper stash. I ordered them because they had the prettiest colors of all of the diapers. They are beginning to be one of my favorites too because they are the easiest to wash.

Pros: Huge velcro tabs- great for daddy's and caretakers to get on and off

Huge opening in the back to stuff the insert and take it out

Beautiful colors

Good fit, we never have leaks in these

Cons: The huge velcro is very grab-able...so Gray can almost get them off!

There isn't a "stopper" in the back of the diaper, so the insert sometimes peeks out of the top and you have to tuck it back in.

The diaper we have LOTS of are from Three Monkeys Cloth Diapers, a WAHM Etsy shop. We have 10 of these because they were our first cloth diaper and I fell in love. Hubby doesn't like them because of the snaps, but they are a good diaper.

Pros: Great fit and super cute colors/patterns

Comes with an adjustable bamboo cotton velour insert which I love

Cons: lots of snaps, not great for daddys.

The seller has gotten really popular, so there's quite a wait for custom diapers

Ahhhh BumGenius 4.0....the most popular of the One-Size pocket diapers. These are user friendly and come in some pretty great colors. I wish they had more bright colors, but I'm thrilled with the ones we have. There are 10 of these in our stash.

The gorgeous patterns are part of the "Tiny Socialite" artist series by Chelsea Perry. I have three of them, and I'm pretty sure I need the other two as well.  BG is another go-to diaper for us because of the velcro and adjustable inserts.

I bought some Kawaii diapers to use as swim diapers thinking that because they were cheaper, they wouldn't work as well. I was wrong!! These diapers sell for less than $10 a piece and they work just as well as all of our others. They are bigger than the other diapers, so I wouldn't put it on a small baby. Gray is still on the smallest setting. These also come in cute colors and the fleece on the inside is buttery soft. We only have 2 of these, but I think we will be getting some more, especially for the price!

The last diaper in our stash is a Rump-a-rooz. This diaper was free from Kelly's Closet with an order I made. This is the most expensive diaper we have, but I'm glad it was free because it's my least favorite! The colors are gorgeous, but the diaper is soooo small. It's a One-size so it should fit until potty training, but there is no way it will last.

I will be buying the "Lil Joeys" for newborns when/if we have another baby just because of all of the gussetts in this diaper. If you've  never seen breastfed baby poo...then you've really missed out! For those of you who have, you might know just how well disposables handle it...They DON'T! Look at all of the elastic and gussetts in this diaper to contain those messes!

Pros: Amazing Leg and back gussetts to contain messes

Great colors

Cons: Very small diaper, won't make it to potty training

If you're thinking about Cloth diapering, or just curious about it, I hope this has been helpful. I know it helps me to step back, see what we have, and make a better decision on what we may need or want.

What are YOUR favorite diapers??? I would love for you to give me some input on your favorite brands/styles to help me pick some new ones to try.

Here are some websites if you want to go shopping!

3 Monkeys Cloth Diapers

Kelly's Closet

Open for Business!!!

I am so excited to announce that Grits and Giggles' "Teething Pearls" are now being sold in Downtown Greenville! Grayson and I went for a stroll in downtown this week when we came across Natural Baby. I had never heard of this store, but it is a toy store for Mommies!!!! I love their slogan: "Pure, Simple, Smart."

The shop is simply gorgeous and full of everything you need to keep you and your baby trendy, natural and happy. They carry everything from cloth diapers, diaper supplies, nursing supplies, baby carriers, clothing, gifts, and soooo much more! I spent so long in there just looking at and touching everything because it was so soft and wonderful! I struck up a conversation about cloth diapering with the owner and we talked for a while. She noticed Gray chewing on her Teething Pearls and asked about them! I asked her if they ever sold from local people and she said "Absolutely!"

I have taken some of the most popular colors to the store and I have my fingers crossed that the people of Greenville love them as much as we do! They are on the same display as "Sophie the Giraffe"...and if you have a baby, you know that this is a BIG deal. I hope this is the start of a wonderful business relationship where people can have a more natural and trendy alternative to the plastic teething toys.

On my first trip there I picked up a couple of new diapers (couldn't help myself!) because I felt sure that Gray needed them. I have enough self control to limit myself to two at a time. When I went back to drop off the Teething Pearls, I saw a display of products from a company called Babee Greens, from Ashville, NC. I picked up a pack of their organic cotton/hemp doublers, and once I felt how soft they were, I knew I had to have them.

It's so nice to know that there are companies so close to home that are responsible for creating these wonderful, organic, good for baby products! I held them the whole way home because they were just too soft to put down. I wish they made "big people undies" out of this stuff. I'm sure I'll be picking up many more products from this company, especially once we decide to have another little one. They make organic nursing pads and I'll bet they're just as soft and squishy. Check them out HERE if you would like to learn more.

If you, or someone you know has a baby make sure to check out Natural Baby in Greenville! Pick up some Teething Pearls while you're there! If you can't quite make it to Greenville, visit us on Etsy!

Eco-Friendly Favorites

A few weeks ago I was accused of being a tree-hugger (Thanks Dad!) and I took it as a compliment. Why is there such negative thoughts surrounding being "eco-friendly"?? I guess some of the older folks think of "going green" as the people in the 70's who chained themselves to trees and did some less than practical things to "save the planet".

Well it's a new generation, and taking care of the planet and ourselves is becoming easier, more fun, and more popular!! I want to share with you some of the things that I enjoy doing to do my part in keeping the planet a little greener!

We'll start with two of my favorite things that you've all read about by now....Cloth Diapers and Homemade Baby Food!!! I won't go into great detail, because there are several older posts about my love for both of these topics, but I just had to mention them! It is so nice not to throw away bags of diapers and poo every week, along with a trashbag full of baby food containers! I would imagine we would probably go through 5 or 6 containers a day if we used them! YIKES!

One of my new favorite eco-friendly practices is line drying! NO....I don't have a gigantic clothesline in my back yard with sheets hanging from it. I use two small wooden racks to dry Gray's diapers when it's sunny outside! They dry super fast and the sun keeps them bright and white!! When it's in the 90's outside, just doing one load of laundry without running the dryer saves the house from a lot more heat! And it give me an excuse to get outside and get some sunshine!

My next two favorite things are products I have fallen in love with that I want to share with you! I know I just mentioned line drying...but hey....I do most of my laundry at night. A girl has to use the dryer some time! I hate, hate, hate dryer sheets! They end up all over the house, I find them in my shirt sleeves, and they fill up my garbage can. Not to mention I can't use them with our diapers! I heard of dryer balls a long time ago and have seen them in stores. They look like whiffle balls with holes in them, and I'm sure they make a horrible noise in the dryer!! NOT THESE!!

I found this great little shop on Etsy called Clean Sypria. They sell hand-felted wool dryer balls in sooooo many colors! You can also get them scented with all kinds of fragrances to give your laundry a super fresh smell! I just knew I had to try them and get rid of those stinking dryer sheets! I ordered a color combo called "A Day at the Carnival" which comes with these 4 gorgeous colors!

I got them scented with Vanilla-Pomegranite, which is just heavenly! It's light and clean and smells sooo good! They make no noise while tossing around in my dryer, and my clothes come out fluffier! And the icing on the cake....These will last for years and I never have to buy dryer sheets again! Talk about a money saver!

My next favorite thing might be better for the environment than some alternatives, but I wanted to write about it because it's better for ME!  These are organic and vegan soaps from DeShawn Marie HandMade Soaps on Etsy. I stumbled across her shop one day and stopped by because the soaps looked so pretty!

After I started reading about her process, her ingredients, and still seeing how pretty they were, I decided to buy some samples, because I just couldn't decide on which ones I wanted! I ended up with 5 and they are amazing! These tiny little bars of soap have lasted me forever! I bathe every day and one little sample bar is lasting me about 4 weeks! I've been using Bath and Body Works for years, and have had dry skin....for years! Not anymore!

The soaps are so creamy, smell so delicious, and leave my skin baby soft! Below are the two I haven't tried yet. You can SEE the ingredients in the bar! Poppyseeds in the Lemon Poppyseed bar, and an oatmeal crust on the Grapefruit bar. I will definitely be going back to this shop over and over again!

Thanks for letting me share some of my favorite eco-friendly things with you! Being eco-friendly doesn't have to be a chore, and you don't have to turn your life upside down to do it! Just little changes make a big difference! Start with green-bags at the grocery store if you need a starting point. They hold way more food and they're so stinking cute! Have a great Saturday!

Guest Blogger

I am so excited to announce that I am the writer for the guest blog for "The Cloth Diaper Whisperer"! I love reading their blog. It is crammed with useful information and great stories. The name of my blog post is "It Started With One." Check it out HERE !!

                
My first cloth diaper for Gray!
         
  
       I love our stash! It's so bright and shiny!

Toes in the Sand

We are back from the beach and it was a wonderful trip!! Grayson slept through the night every night...which has never happened!! It was amazing to get 8 hours of sleep again. Lets just see if this continues into this week. We got to try out her "swim diapers" too. I made one of them and we used her Kawaii diapers for the others. I made her swim tops too. I wanted them to be loose and long so I made this with some scraps of knit I had laying around! Matt wouldn't let her wear a regular 2-piece anyways. He thinks she should start being conservative at a young age. Yeah right.

Gray loves the water and the sand, and thoroughly enjoyed her first SlimJim on the beach! (Don't judge me, the kid loves spicy food.) She got a little angry playing in the sand because every time she would find something cool we would take it away....You know, sticks, seashells, cigarette butts. Yuck!! Fortunately she didn't eat any of her new-found treasures.

Here are some of the pictures from our little family vacation:

Splashing in the Atlantic Ocean

My first sand castle!!

Don't you love Gray's little dress!! You can find the tutoral HERE  . It's the Mod Sailor Dress by Happy Together!

Every time we take Gray to the beach she changes so much! The first time she was 2 months old. Last time she was 7 months and not crawling yet. This time we were chasing her around the condo!! She's growing up so fast!