I love chevron and Mabel loves loveys so I figured I’d combine the two!  If you aren’t familiar with what a lovey is, it’s a tiny blanket, like a security blanket that is easy to stuff in a diaper bag or stash in the stroller!  The measurements of this lovey will be approximately 16.5 inches x 16.5 inches.

I’ve tried my best to write this tutorial for beginners, so please leave a comment or email me if you have questions that I can try to help with!

Charm Pack Chevron Lovey Tutorial

Supplies

• 2 charm packs – one should be prints and the other should be a solid color (if you choose not to use charm packs then you will need to cut 5×5 squares).  I buy my charm packs from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
• 1/2 yard of minky fabric (make sure whoever cuts it gives you exactly 18 inches!)
• thread that matches the color minky you’re using.
• an iron
• rotary cutter and mat (scissors will work but it will take you forever).  This is a a great starter kit if you don’t already own a rotary cutter and mat.
• walking foot for your machine – OPTIONAL (but highly suggested so that you don’t want to throw your machine out the window when it comes to sewing the minky)

Tutorial

*seam allowance will be 1/4 unless otherwise noted!*

These were the charm packs that I picked out:

These were in my stash from over 1 1/2 ago so I’m not sure if they are still available.

My charm pack had patterns in 4 colors: pinks, teals, blues, and greens…so I organized them by their dominant colors for the sake of having different color chevron stripes.  You don’t have to make different colored chevrons…you could mix all the different colors if you’d like.

It’s time to cut your charm pack squares into triangles.  I would recommend cutting no more than 4 at a time so that they don’t shift when you cut them with your rotary cutter.  Use your ruler and cut on the diagonals.

It should look like this when you’re done:

You’ll need a total of 36 patterned triangles and 36 solid triangles for the entire lovey (12 patterned and 12 solids for each row if you are trying to plan out specific colors for your chevrons).  You will have a ton of left over triangles from your charm packs but the left overs are great to use to make loveys as baby shower gifts!

Now it’s time to sew the triangles together.  I’m starting with the top row of my lovey (there will be 3 rows total) which will be a pink chevron strip.

Put the right sides facing each other.

And sew with a 1/4 seam allowance.

I like to chain stitch my pieces (feeding the pieces through the machine continuously instead of cutting each time)…it makes everything go faster.  All you have to do is cut the pieces apart once you’re done.

Next, I’m going to show you the whole ironing process that you’ll do throughout the entire lovey.  If you’re a seasoned quilter, than ignore the next part. 

Set the seam by pressing the top of your triangle:

Now press the seam open:

And finally press the top of the piece.

Once you have 12 of these squares for the top row, lay them out in the chevron pattern.  I make sure to not have the same two patterns touching.

Now, I want you to think of the row as three squares like this:

Start with one square at a time.

You’ll piece the top two pieces together, right sides facing.  And then the bottoms.  Also, try to match up the diagonal seam like below…it’ll help your pieces line up better.

Tops and bottoms after being ironed. 

Now, you’ll sew the middle of the square together.  As usual…right sides facing one another!

And this time, line up the middle seam before you sew.  I don’t use pins for this but if you feel more comfortable doing so, then go ahead.

Ta-da!

Continue these steps until you get three squares.

Sew these squares together to make a row.  Remember to line up the middle seam so that the row lines up perfectly (I’m a tad of a perfectionist!).

Repeat all steps until you have two more rows completed.

Sew those three strips together to complete the front of your lovey.  I did use pins for this step since the rows are a lot longer and tend to move when you sew the seam.  Remember to iron after each seam.

After the three rows are sewn together, this is what you’ll have:

This is what the back will look like, and try to make sure that everything is ironed nice and flat.

Your lovey quilt top front should be 18 by 18 inches.  Measure just to make sure so that you cut your minky the correct size.  If it’s not 18 by 18 inches, don’t worry!  Just cut the minky the same size that your lovey quilt top came out to be.

Take your minky and your lovey and place them right sides together.  You should now be looking at the wrong sides of the fabric.  Minky can be a pain to sew…so I use a lot, and I mean A LOT of pins.  It will prevent the minky from moving (since it tends to stretch and move all over the place).  I hope you can see how many pins I used below.

When you pin…leave about a 4 inch gap.  This will be the opening you use to flip your lovey right side out.  I tried to show the size opening I left below by placing my phone by it so it’s easier to see.

Here’s my secret weapon…a walking foot!  This helps guide your fabric through your machine evenly.  I have a generic one that I got off of amazon here and it works perfectly!

When you go to sew the around the edge, use a 3/8 seam allowance!  When you start, back stitch a few stitches since you’ll be leaving a 4 inch opening (don’t make the opening on a corner!) so the back stitching will prevent the seam from pulling out when you flip the lovey right side out.

Stop about a quarter inch before you get to the corner.  Make sure the needle is still in your fabric and lift your presser foot up.

Rotate your lovey to the next side, put your presser foot down and repeat these steps for each corner.

Once you get to the last 4 inches from where you began, stop and back stitch.  This is what you should have now:

Take your rotary cutter and clip the corners.  MAKE SURE NOT TO CUT THE SEAM!

Pull your lovey right side out.

Minky should never be ironed…but I find it easier to finish sewing/top stitch if I quickly iron the sides (just the sides!).  Make sure to use some scrap fabric to place over your lovey before putting the iron on the edges…and keep the iron on it for a max of 2 second…or you will ruin your minky.  Also, put your iron on a lower heat setting.

With your iron, press the seam of the cotton fabric so that it’s level with the rest of the fabric (about 3/8).  Do not try to press the Minky.

Then pin the opening closed.  I’ll show you two views:

Top stitch the entire outside edges of the lovey with a 1/4 seam allowance (this will close the hole that was left open used to turn your lovey right side out).  Remember to back stitch where you start and stop. 

And you’re done!  Some fabric shrinkage may happen the first time you wash it so I suggest you wash it on cold and tumble dry on low or just air dry.

Have fun sewing and if you create a post with the lovey that you made please leave a link in the comment section.  I’d love to see! 

Whether you’re a mom taking photos of your little one(s) or just someone who loves to snap photos of random things throughout your day, you’re bound to enjoy a few creative photo apps to jazz up your pics!  I get questions all the time about what apps I use so I figured I would share my top 5 that are on my phone. 

And a heads up!  In each title, I’ve included a link to take you to the app’s page so you can see more screenshots and features.

1. Instagram

Free – I probably didn’t need to mention this one since everyone knows about it unless you’ve been living under a rock.    But because this app has been so influential in the sharing of photos I had to mention it!  Not to mention that it’s the easiest way to share any photos that you will create with the next 4 apps that I’ll talk about.  AND it’s free…so if you aren’t using it yet, I suggest you try it out!  You can see my instagram feed here.

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2. A Beautiful Mess

$0.99 – This is the newest app that I’ve added to my phone.  The app lets you add text in fun fonts (compared to the boring fonts included in other apps) and you can also add doodles, premade words/sayings, and boarders to your photos.  There are some filters (the effects that change the color of your photos to black and white or other color hue) but they aren’t anything special.  They have more options that you can purchase within the app, but I’ve just stuck to using what came with the app.  See some of my examples below.

A super happy Mabel.

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 3. PicFrame

$0.99 – This is probably my favorite photo app after Instagram.  There are tons of options to make a collage style photo.  Not only can you put your photos in frames, you can add text, change the height/width of each frame, round the frames, and change the background frame color.  See an example below.

I used PicFrame to add the 4 photos of Mabel and then added the text ‘Mabel’ in the A Beautiful Mess app.

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4. Picfx

$1.99 – Ever see people’s photos on Instagram with neat little lights on them (or hearts)?  Well, this is probably the app that they are using.  This app has a TON of ways to edit your photos from filters, to adding texture, and adding frames.  This app is my other top favorite.  See an example below.

I couldn’t resist adding hearts…just don’t go overboard adding hearts to every photo you post!

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5. After Light

$0.99 – This is a really interesting app if you love vintage style photos.  Not only are there a ton of filters, you can add old film effects, heavily edit your photos, and add frames.  Check out the example below.

I remember accidentally getting these effects back in the day with my film camera as a little kid.

Are there any neat photo apps that I missed?  Please share any that you love in the comment section!  I’m always looking for new apps to play around with!

]]> http://modernmommyhood.com/2013/05/my-favorite-photo-apps.html/feed 3 http://modernmommyhood.com/2013/05/weekend-roundup-51913.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-roundup-51913 http://modernmommyhood.com/2013/05/weekend-roundup-51913.html#comments Sun, 19 May 2013 23:40:40 +0000 Morgan http://modernmommyhood.com/?p=2869 Read More...]]> This weekend wasn’t too eventful but…

Hubby’s home!  After being away for a week due to training, I was more than happy to have him home…and so was Mabel. 

I also began a new project:

It’s going to be a shabby chic lovey for Mabel.  A lovey is a small blanket, pretty much a tiny security blanket and will be close to 17×17 inches.  And if you want to make one yourself, stay tuned for a tutorial that will be posted later this week (thanks for all the feedback in Instagram and Facebook!).  It is a great project for a beginner/someone who wants an easier project to try out on their sewing machine, yet it’s fun for those of you who have experience too.

And this arrived:

The ‘starter kit’ as seen on the commercials….the bottles are small!

I’m going to try Proactiv again.  I tried it two years ago and swore I’d never use it again since it irritated my face so badly that I looked like I had a horrible sunburn.  BUT I’m really hating that my skin has decided it wants to be the worst in my life.  I figured I’d give it one more try but this time I’m going to try only once a day/every other day.  These are the directions for people with sensitive skin that I somehow missed the first time I tried it out.

I’ll keep you updated on what happens.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

My nerd admission…I love to read, always have…always will.  I was the kid in middle school who always had a book shoved in her face and yes, I took some grief here and there for it.  And up until recently, I could knock out several books a month!

Then Mabel happened. 

This past year I haven’t read anything (other than baby books) and it’s made me desperate to get my hands on a novel…so this Kindle was destined to be mine.

After searching a ton of books on Amazon, pinning book ideas on my Books For Me board, and stalking the pages of Oprah’s Book Club (I love that woman!)…I finally found a winner:

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

How did you pick Life After Life by Kate Atkinson?

Well, it’s one of Oprah’s suggested books.  Enough said.  She always picks such amazing and moving books so I figured I couldn’t go wrong.  Click here to read Oprah’s preview of Life After Life.

How are you going to find time to read this book?

I figure if I have an entire month to finish, a chapter a day should do.  Anyone could manage that!

See…It’s on my Kindle all ready to go!

What type of Kindle Fire do you have?

I have the smaller Kindle Fire HD that is 7 inches.  I wanted the smaller size since I thought it would be more comfortable to hold.  Plus, I didn’t need all the bells and whistles that the large ones have since it will be primarily for reading.  Mabel will be keeping her little sticky fingers off this one since she’s already declared ownership of the iPad.

I’m hoping that some of you might want to read this book too!  Paperback, hardcover, electronic…it doesn’t matter which option you choose!  I would love to have a discussion at the end of the month and find out what everyone thought!  So if you’re up to the challenge, please join me! 

Getting in the ‘healthy’ mindset.

I’ve always been envious of those super fit ladies you see running around the neighborhood, you know, the ladies that look amazing in their brightly colored workout clothes and sleek ponytails…and then there’s me in my baggy sweats, old logo tee-shirts and hot mess for hair.  But hey, it’s fitness…not a beauty competition. 

In my dvd drawer you’ll find a ton of workout dvd programs that I quit shortly after starting.

Friends say join a gym…and I say, I don’t want the fees, not to mention my lovely little town in Delaware doesn’t have many options (especially gyms that have childcare).

My husband bought a jogging stroller…so why not run?  I’ve never been a runner and I hate it….lol, I’ll leave the jogging stroller to him for his exclusive use.

And lately I’ve been feeling that I’m way overdue to get back to the shape I was in when I met my husband.  I felt good about myself, I ate decently and my metabolism was through the roof.  After having Mabel I’m not thrilled with my body, I eat junk, and my metabolism has jumped off a cliff.  I’m not going to be too hard on myself though, my BMI is within the healthy range for my body type and height…but I know I need to take responsibility for my health….it’s time.

There’s a lot of motivation.  I want to feel good, I want to go shopping for clothes that will fit (I’m guilty of hardly buying anything new since Mabel was born since I refuse to buy pants that fit my current size), and most importantly I want to be in better shape when the time comes for getting pregnant with our next baby (it will be at least another year away so I have plenty of time!).

I don’t want to lose a ton of weight…I just want to be healthy and happy.

Here is my plan of attack:  healthy food in the house (I can’t promise that I won’t occasionally sneak something ‘bad’ for me or order out because depriving myself of those goodies just can’t be tolerated, lol!), starting TurboFire and sticking to it, and    tracking my sleep, calories and steps with my FitBit Flex (it was just released so they are a tad hard to find right now).

My TurboFire straight out of the box.

Stocked my fridge with healthier options for snacking.

My FitBit Flex in Slate.

TurboFire is a 90 day program and I’ve already taken my ‘before’ pics (which are super embarrassing) and I plan on doing updates during the 30 day, 60 day, and 90 day marks.  Not sure if I’ll be brave enough to post comparison pics…but I’ll think about it.  I also bought my copy on Amazon since shipping was faster than buying it directly through BeachBody and so far, I’m 5 days in to the program.  There is a learning curve for those of us who are challenged when it comes to choreography, but I’m slowly getting it and getting a super intense workout each day.  Also, I’ve found it enjoyable so far.  Gasp…is that really possible??  Other videos that I’ve tried in the past, I end up dreading doing on a daily basis, but TurboFire has been different.  The music is fun and Chalene Johnson is enjoyable too (I’m the type that if I find the host of the dvd annoying, I will turn it off).

I will not give up!

Okay, so stay tuned for updates.  I promise to not flake out this time!

Are there workouts that you absolutely love?

This Mother’s Day wasn’t exactly what I had expected but I won’t complain.

Hubby was gone due to training for work…so no photos of Mabel and me.  And then Mabel has been battling a tummy bug for the past few days.  I’ll spare you the details but it’s safe to say I was wearing some of her troubles…yuck.

Anyway, let me show you what I finally had the time to create from all of her first year monthly photos; my reason for being able to celebrate Mother’s Day:

I finally got around the creating her year of photos (you gotta love Pinterest ideas!).

She’s mastered the super happy, squinty smile by months 11 and 12.  Gotta love it!  And don’t ask about some of the crazy hair pics, especially month 11.  Hubby thought he was doing a pretty good job at putting her hair in a bun…but to me, it looks like some kind of Sumo wrestler hairstyle.    I’m just thankful he tried!

This little girl brings a special joy to my life that I didn’t know existed before she joined our family.  So even though my husband wasn’t here to celebrate and Mabel wasn’t feeling her best, it was still an awesome day of one on one time with Miss Mabel

How was your Mother’s Day?  Did you get to do anything special?

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And my friends were posting more specifically about controversial comments that Abercrombie’s CEO, Mike Jeffries has said.  If you have no clue what I’m talking about, read this article on Business Insider and then come back to this post.

Did you read it?

Um, wow…

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids.  Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

Those comments were made in 2006, so why am I just reading them now?!  And of course this isn’t the first time Abercrombie has been in the news for scandalous things (almost naked models and illegal hiring preferences)…so I’m not sure why I’m really surprised.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was by no means popular in high school…so maybe that’s why this bothers me?  Also, I maybe owned three shirts from Abercrombie in my entire life.  I had hips at 16 and their pants just didn’t cater to those of us who have any sort of shape.  I wasn’t overweight at all but I could never find a pair of their jeans that would fit me.  I also found (this may have changed since I was in high school) that their clothes always ran small…like a medium at any other store would be a large at Abercrombie.  That did amazing things for my self image in high school…note the sarcasm.

I can understand why a company chooses to make certain sizes (or not make certain sizes), and that’s their prerogative.  BUT what I don’t like is that he puts down everyone who isn’t “cool” or “popular“.  Does that mean just because you don’t have washboard abs or aren’t the lead cheerleader that you’re ugly, overweight, and a loser?  No!

I’m honestly thankful for seeing this article because I know where I’m not letting Mabel shop…and that decision isn’t based on me being a crazy mom, it’s based on morals and not wanting to give my hard earned money to Mr. Jeffries.

Mabel will not learn that her self worth, popularity, and beauty is determined by clothing labels or size.

I rarely speak badly about anyone but I suggest you head over to Google and image search Mike Jeffries.  And I’m betting the first word that will pop into your is hypocrite.

What’s your take on this?  Agree?  Disagree?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

This was her first time ever in an outside swing:

She wasn’t quite sure why we were strapping her into this new contraption at first…

She soon forgot her skepticism…

She is such a Daddy’s girl…

And then she of course had to ham it up for the camera. 

And this was her biggest smile of the day (the super happy, toothy grin!)…

Mabel’s first time on her swing was a success and those giant smiles were priceless.  We’ll be outside a lot this summer and this swing will get a lot of use…so it was a great purchase!  I have to thank my husband for taking the initiative to buy the swing without telling me. 

*And in case you’re curious, the swing in the photos is the Step2 Infant to Toddler Swing.

With the weather finally warming up…do you have any awesome outside toy/activity suggestions?  Please share! 

We spent a total of 3 nights and 2 days in DC and its wasn’t enough!  There is so much to do that you honestly need at least a week to even just scratch the surface.  We got there on Monday night and grabbed some dinner after walking a ton of blocks to a Mexican restaurant.  But much to my dismay, I had forgotten my ID in our hotel room…what?!  That meant no margarita!!!  But after listening to my sob story and promising that I was closer to 30 than 21, our server brought me one. 

Tuesday was a big day, it was our anniversary!  It’s been two years already and it’s gone by pretty quickly…I’ll be cheesy and give you all the line:  Time flies when you’re having fun.  Seriously…it does.

For the day we headed to the National Zoo.  I’ve been there a bunch of times but it never gets old.  It’s a must see if you travel to DC (even if you don’t have kids!).

The orangutan exhibit is the best.  They have wires and ropes that they can actually climb on above zoo visitors to go to a different area with more play things and activities for them.

And a giant tortoise…I made Hubby stand in the picture to try to show off exactly how big the tortoise actually was.  Huge!

That evening we headed off for our anniversary celebration:  Fleetwood Mac!

So I learned that the iPhone doesn’t take great photos in dark rooms…but we had good seats and we were pretty close.  Stevie Nicks is amazing in person and the entire band sounds exactly like they do on cd.  They are that good…

The concert let out late, we fought the crowds at the metro and we were able to catch the last train back before service was done for the evening.  Because of this we headed back to the hotel to end the night with some wine at the hotel bar.

Our last day in DC we decided to do the whole touristy gig and head to the museums.  Surprisingly, I had never been to the American History Museum so that was on the top of our list…and then we headed to the Air and Space Museum.

After the museums, we headed over to Georgetown because I was dying to finally visit a Lush store.  It was heaven!  I’m working on a haul post so stay tuned!

And after all day out and about we decided to conclude our trip with a nice sushi dinner at Momiji.  It was delicious and if you love sushi and are in DC, find it and eat there!  I couldn’t help myself and had to order a lychee martini.  Yum!  But on a serious note, I promise you that I’m not an alcoholic even though I drank every night on this trip.  Lol!  You gotta take advantage of the nights that you’re childless!

Dinner was promptly followed by a movie at a very nice movie theater.  Our local movie theater is horrible so almost anything is better.  And being that we never have time to go out to the movies since Mabel joined our family, I jump at any chance possible to go to the theaters and enjoy some popcorn!  I let Hubby choose the movie and I knew even before I told him to pick what he was going to choose…Jurassic Park 3D.  It had been forever since I had seen it.  How often do you get to see it on the big screen and in 3D?  It was pretty good.  Nothing is better than seeing Jeff Goldblum…haha!

And with that, our mini anniversary trip came to an end.  The next morning we headed back home to our little Mabel and my in-laws. 

We’ve been trying out Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers with the new SureFit* Design and they boast a long lasting fit for 12 hours of leakage protection.  That’s the perfect amount of time for a good night’s sleep for Mabel…the only problem is getting her tired enough to go to bed in the first place! 

I like diapers that can multitask for active day use and are also absorbent enough to last all night.  I also liked how soft to the touch these diapers were and that they were thin, not adding any extra bulk that would get in the way of this active little toddler and her desire to explore, lol!

Here’s a glimpse into her active day:

She did laps around the house.

She did squats to explore all the goodies she found in the house.  The SureFit* Design and SnugFit waistband moved with her every bend, allowing her to do what she wanted without being uncomfortable.

And she made Tater the pug’s water bowl her own personal splash pad.  She got everything in the kitchen wet but her new Huggies kept her dry!

And the best part is that Huggies Snug & Dry were able to keep up with her every move!

With a day as jam packed as Mabel’s, I don’t know how a baby wouldn’t sleep peacefully at night!  After some dinner, a bath and then getting changed into a clean diaper and comfy jammies, she was ready for bed. 

And just so you know, the she woke up dry the next morning.  No leaks!  Score!!  No extra sheet washing for this momma!

If you’re interested in coupons, helping children in need and having the chance to win prizes, check out Huggies Test Town to become a Huggies Tester yourself!  It’s completely free and there are some fun little games to play too.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies®.