Design Inspiration from an Old Friend

When Bug was born an old friend of mine named Katie sent me a couple of boxes of beautiful thank you cards from her new stationary line. Well, she just had her third baby. I'm so excited to finally be able to return the favor!

Katie and I are high school softball teammates. Here is a picture of us and the other two seniors on the team at our senior prom. That's me on the left with the blue dress. Katie is next to me in black. Don't we clean up nicely? It is tough to tell but we were on the field just hours before.

Like many of us with our high school friends, college and life got in the way of keeping in touch but facebook and motherhood reconnected us. A year ago, she posted this photo on facebook: 

Her daughter's pillow inspired some cards in her (then) upcoming spring line. Her picture inspired me too. I have been holding this idea in the back of my mind-until now. It is finally time for me to bring my idea to life. Here are the tees I made for her kiddos: 

I made Madeline's a little more girlie with a turquoise tee and coral fish...

...and made the brothers' shirts using a light blue tee and orange fish.

With Owen's tee, I decided to experiment with the placement of his name. Which do you like? The name in the middle, like Madeline's or off to the right like Owen's?

I've never been a huge fan of onesies (all those snaps) so with Colin's I thought I would try the lap shoulder tee.

I love the way they turned out! I may have to make a version for Bug and her cousins or a BFF version. What do you think?

Upcycled No Sew Baseball Apron: A Heat N Bond Project

Sooo it is now two days past Valentine's Day and I just finished my husband's Christmas present. Sigh. Wel,l to be fair, all of my gift making time last holiday season was spent on our DIY Doc McStuffins check up center. 

 Sorry for the blurry picture. It was dark, 6:00 am and my camera is just awful. I wish I knew Santa had left me a new DSLR under the tree. I would have used that camera.

Back to the apron. I purchased the blank apron on Amazon because the reviews said it was a good length for tall guys. (My hubby is 6'5".) I agree. It covers him well. 

I cut out the numbers from an old baseball jersey of his. I have to admit, there was something very satisfying about cutting up an old Padres' jersey. (I am from Los Angeles.) ;)

Then I used (permanent) heat n' bond to attach the numbers to the front. Easy. I don't know why it took so long. Oh wait. Yes I do. I have a three year old.

 

I also don't know why it took me so long to discover Heat N Bond. Have you used it? On what? 

Shop Announcement: February 10, 2014

As some of you know, we are building a house. The builder is moving crazy fast. Which is awesome but we have soooo much to do to our current house in order to get it ready to rent.

In order to get things done in time without losing my mind, I am temporarily taking all made to order items  (mostly t-shirts) out of my shop.  I'm leaving my quick ship items (toilet targets and zipper pulls) and digital items (printables) available for purchase.

Thanks for your patience!

DIY Doc McStuffins Inspired Felt Band-aids

The first time we asked our daughter what she wanted for Christmas she said she wanted a bike and helmet for Mama and Daddy. My heart melted. But...we live in Colorado and we will probably not take any family bike rides for a few months. I suggested some more Magna-Tiles since she likes to build with those and it is one of the toys I can tolerate playing with too. I also suggested some more art supplies since the kid seems to go through glue sticks and watercolor paint like there is no tomorrow. She agreed.

I thought I was getting off easy until...she sat on Santa's lap and told him she wanted Doc McStuffins everything. Great.

A quick Pinterest search revealed a ridiculous amount of Doc McStuffins merchandise but then I remembered I had pinned some felt band-aids for stuffed animals. All I had to do add a pink heart. So I present to you my DIY Doc McStuffins felt band-aids. Note: I am sharing with you how I made these with the materials I had on hand. At the bottom of this post I also share some other options.

Materials: 

• brown felt
• white felt
• Heat n Bond (permanent kind)
• 3/4 inch beige Velcro (scratchy side only)
• pink glitter heat transfer vinyl 

Tools:

• heat press (or iron*)
• Silhouette Cameo 
• scissors
• pick tool 
• paper cutter

Directions:

STEP 1 Cut out all pieces to size.

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the heart. I used "4 hearts" by Lori Whitlock (Design ID #20253). The exact size is 0.815" by 0.950".

STEP 2 Apply Heat n Bond to white felt pieces and the Velcro pieces.

To learn more about Heat n Bond, click here for .pdf instructions or watch their YouTube video here:

STEP 3 Assemble parts.

I centered the heart on one side. (This is easy since the heat transfer vinyl has a built in transfer tape.) On the reverse side, I centered the white felt rectangle and placed the small strips of Velcro at both ends. (see picture)

STEP 4 Apply heat.

Option 1: I set my heat press  (I use one in my shops) to 320 degrees and pressed for 15 seconds. 

Option 2*: Now I do realize that not everyone has access to a heat press.You can use an iron too. Use a scrap piece of fabric and cover the band-aid. Then set iron to cotton setting and press firmly for 45 to 60 seconds to adhere the heart.  Flip the band-aid over and iron on the white rectangle and Velcro for another 8 seconds.

STEP 5 Use scissors to round the corners.

That's it!

Of course the band-aids need a storage box. Here is the one I created with a little spray paint (leftover from my hopscotch project) and an Altoids box:

I got the idea from Pretty Things by Keren Dukes.

Other Options:

If you have a sewing machine, check out this tutorial from Little Bean Workshop and this tutorial from Pink and Green Mama. But if you are more of a glue gun girl (or guy), check out this tutorial from onelittleproject.com.

Whatever method you use, I hope you and your kiddos have a blast "taking all the ouches away!"

P.S. Here is the matching Doc McStuffins headband I made from a purple headband and some flowers I got at Joann's. I just used my glue gun to attach one of the flowers to the side of the headband.

I also bought a lavender stethoscope from at a medical supply company for only $3.39!  I'm hoping to share the DIY Doc McStuffins check-up table my husband made soon. Stay tuned!!

When a Pillow-Obsessed Aunt Misses Her Nephew.

Seriously. I spend way too much time browsing for decorative pillows on Etsy, West Elm and Target's websites.  When I came across this pillow from Target, I was tempted to throw it in my cart, but I (proudly) stopped myself. We are saving for a new house and to be honest, I would rather have hardwood floors. 

Threshold™ Car with Tree Decorative Pillow

As I reluctantly closed my laptop I thought, "That would make an adorable Christmas sweater for a Luke." Luke is my nephew. On my last trip home, he told me I was his best friend. Don't you just wish life came with a pause and replay button?

A week later, I came across a gray and white striped long sleeve tee in the clearance section at Target. The gears in my brain started turning. Maybe I could just make Luke a tee? (Whenever Auntie Caroline misses Luke, she makes him a one-of-a-kind tee.) Maybe I could use a pick-up truck like his daddy's?

Isn't she pretty?

So during my LO's nap, I busted this out. I love love love the way it turned out!

Now my daughter wants one. Which means my niece will want one too. I'm off to find more inspiration!

UPDATE: Here is the tee I made my niece.

Wardrobe Wednesday: I Heart Colorado Bodysuit and Bib

It seems like the latest trend for couples is to wait until birth to find out the sex of their baby. Not me!  I do NOT have the patience for that. I was dying to get confirmation at our 20 week appointment (although I knew Bug was a girl from about 8 weeks) because I just had to know what color baseball/softball glove to get. With this new trend comes a need for cute unisex clothes like my I Heart Colorado bodysuit. It is perfect for babies born in Colorado or for parents who are from Colorado and are a little homesick.

Of course, the new mama will need a way to keep the bodysuit clean. How about this adorable bib from Denver based Hip Violet? I especially love the patterns (polka dot and gingham) that owner Jesi chose when designing this bib.

Colorado Baby Gift - Baby Bib with Snaps

Item description from Hip Violet:  The back of the bib is in moisture-wicking and super-soft red fleece. Top-stitched in red for added cuteness and durability. Easy-on/Easy-off (and toddler-proof) red snap closure with two settings to fit all neck sizes. All Hip Violet bibs are oversize measuring about 11" wide by 13.75" long - they actually COVER their clothes while they eat! Machine wash and dry.

Wouldn't the two make a great gift set? You can purchase an I Heart Colorado Bodysuit (and others) from my Etsy shop here. You can purchase the bib from Hip Violet from her Etsy store here.

Happy Shopping!

Wardrobe Wednesday: Target's Toddler Long Sleeve Thermal T-shirt

Target has white long sleeve thermal tees for just 5 bucks right now! They are perfect for layering under any of my short sleeve tees.

Thermal tee available at Target for $5! 

Here is a shirt I recently made for a new mommy blogger partner who is going to review my personalized airplane tee. (Review coming soon!) I love the way the white sleeves make the airplane pop even more on the navy background.

With and without the thermal tee layer. 

These thermals are in the toddler boys section. I bought one for my girl to wear on Sundays under her Charger's jersey so I can personally testify that these tees are soft, comfortable and should make it through many laundry cycles.  (Yes we are San Diego fans living in Bronco territory.)

Checking her fantasy stats.

I'd love to see how you layered any of my tees. Post them on my facebook page or send me an email: BluewaterRoadDesigns@gmail.com. If you are an independent handmade shop and think something you make would coordinate with my tees, let's work on a feature together! Email me or send me a message on facebook.