Crafty things that I have done lately... don't get your hopes up too high

Long ago I posted links to castle peeps fabric and the pattern for a mei tai carrier. Lo and behold, I have finally made said carrier and I love it. I managed to get it done before Alma was born (she's actually snoozing in it as I type!) and I think that so far it has been my favorite and most useful baby item that I have made. She rides in it when we run errands, walk the dogs, while I do the dishes, run laundry down to the laundry room. And the total bonus: it puts her right to sleep!

Sorry for the mirror picture. I'm at home alone so I couldn't cajole Alex into taking pictures of me.

The first sewing project that I've undertaken since Alma has been born was this awesome changing pad. When we embarked on our first outting I realized that I didn't have a changing pad for her but my mom found this great tutorial on HomemadebyJill (posted for last year's Celebrate the Boy... which I am kind of obsessed with despite the fact that I have a girl. Isn't it the coolest idea, though?). I had a fair amount of the Castle Peeps fabric left and since Alma's first real adventure was to the fabric store, I bought some awesome laminated cotton fabric to use as the waterproof inside. The pattern was really easy but I kind of botched up the corners with the bias tape (which, by the way, was made courtesy of my little sister and given to me in my Christmas stocking!) - don't look too closely in the pictures. I think that this changing pad would make an awesome baby gift for someone.

But my most recent (and most favorite) project has been these awesome buttons! My local crafting team went together to buy a shared button maker (hallelujah!) and last week I took my first go at it. Instead of a baby shower for Alma, we had an open house for her at a new local coffee shop - the District Coffee House - and Alex had the genius idea to make "it's a girl!" buttons with little cigars on them. My mom and I made about fifty of them and we passed them out at Alma's party. Along with those pins, I made a bunch of bellefourche pins, plus fun vintage map pins. I'm trying to borrow the button maker again this week so I can go crazy and make a bunch more!

As seen on Alma's diaper bag - she loves sporting the bellefourche pride.

My pile of buttons that I'm not sure of what to do with now. I just like admiring them!