Calling all crafty/nesting moms

cmbt2

I don’t actually nest in the typical sense of the word (cleaning, organizing, etc.), but I do get a large crafting bug while pregnant. 

So, we need a thread to discuss all things nesting and crafting. Has the bug hit? What are you currently working on? Any plans on things to do in the near future?

nnaelilak

I'm just at the pinterest stage because I haven't fully decided yet hahaha 

grapeskittles4lyfe

nnaelilak said:

I'm just at the pinterest stage because I haven't fully decided yet hahaha 

I've got like three boards all related to this baby. Exercises you can do at home while pregnant, cute reveal ideas, cute nursery ideas, cute quilt motifs.

....Makes me feel super productive but it's not quiiiite crossed into real life yet   

mrsinterweb

I just ordered yarn for knitting a baby blanket. It's a chevron pattern blanket and I made the same pattern for DS and a couple others for gifts in the past. This one will just be different colors.

That's as far as I've gotten with the crafting bug so far.

emily1052

We have been discussing remodeling our kitchen.  Getting pregnant definitely made me get the project in high gear.  What I thought was going to be a 2 week project turned into 6 weeks.  About 98% finish!!  
Thats about all the project I have energy for right now 😂😂

cmbt2

I have done this crossstitch for all of my kids. I slightly modify it so each one is different (DS1 is blue border with all blue wording and handprints. DS2’s is shades of green. DD’s is purple). I’m halfway through DD’s though, technically, it won’t be finished until she’s born because I need her birth date, and her handprints will get done sometime between 1 and 2 years of age. DS1 and DS2’s are hanging on the wall, and hers will get added once complete. We stamp their actual prints instead of just cross stitching it in

Each of my kids has a step stool with their animal (I put their initial with an animal attached on their door) and name. DS1’s was a gift from a former coworker, and I made DS2’s to continue the tradition. I started DD’s today. DS1 is monkeys, DS2 is giraffes, and DD will be owls. It all relates to the nursery theme. 

I also got the idea to make a headband holder off Etsy, so I’m working on that, excepting im
making it so she can also use it to hold other things as she gets older

If I get around to it, I’ll make a ceiling mobile for her room, but not sure if I’ll get to that. 

sammygirl18

The pantry got a complete overhaul this weekend and the baby room’s closet got cleaned out! Of course all the things that were in the baby room are now in the hallway, but it feels like progress. I am not much of a crafter. I’ve got a ton of half done projects...maybe when I really get further into this pregnancy I’ll finish something.

prpl11butterfly

Until this baby has a room, nothing I can do 😭😭

geminigirl16

@mrsinterweb I started knitting a blanket recently and am interested in doing another if I have time. Is the chevron one very difficult or is the pattern available?

I would like to be doing things but since we are moving at end of July, it all has to wait until
the new house. I hope my energy holds up in 3rd trimester!

quidditchcapn1120

You all have reminded me to start a Pinterest board for this baby!  It will be a while before I start making anything though.  😜

nnaelilak

@cmbt2 ohmygosh 😍 my mom cross-stitched that for me when I was little and did pink paint handprints! I still have it!! 

mrsinterweb

@geminigirl16 the pattern is free and I consider it pretty easy. I did have to unknit from time to time if I lost track of where I was in the pattern, but that was it.  Here's a link to it on ravelry and also the direct pdf if you don't have access to ravelry.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chevron-baby-blanket-19

https://espacetricot.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/chevron-baby-blanket1.pdf

cmbt2

nnaelilak said:

@cmbt2 ohmygosh 😍 my mom cross-stitched that for me when I was little and did pink paint handprints! I still have it!! 

We had them, too! I wish I had mine, but alas. 

I scowered the internet to find the pattern when I was pregnant with DS1. amazon came to my rescue lol. 

I actually managed to get two copies of the book because, for a while, I thought we had lost it while I was pregnant was Ds2 and was determined to do it for all kids 🙈 it comes in handy when family comes to visit because I’ll hide the copy I have marked up with the name haha (we’re not sharing)

galentine

@cmbt2, I love that! My mom also made me a cross-stitch when I was born. I forgot all about it until I found it recently and took it home with me. I'd love to carry on the tradition but I've never done it before. If I picked a super simple pattern, is it something I could pick up in the next 5 months?

geminigirl16

@mrsinterweb Thank you!! That pattern doesn’t look too difficult to follow. I may just give it a try!

 @galentine I am not cmbt2 but I believe that cross stitch is pretty simple to pick up granted you don’t start with something too difficult to begin. I used to cross stitch with my mom when I was young and have been debating picking it back up again myself lately. There are some cute, simple patterns on Etsy.

nachellebeck13

mrsinterweb said:

@geminigirl16 the pattern is free and I consider it pretty easy. I did have to unknit from time to time if I lost track of where I was in the pattern, but that was it.  Here's a link to it on ravelry and also the direct pdf if you don't have access to ravelry.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chevron-baby-blanket-19

https://espacetricot.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/chevron-baby-blanket1.pdf

I've had this saved in my patterns forever!
For some reason I can't nail down crochet chevrons, maybe I should try knitted. haha

nachellebeck13

Oh man, the list of current WIPs (works in progress) I have for this little....

A lap sized blanket in rainbow colors that I'm knitting (Although I may now frog it (rip out the sititches) and do the chevron pattern linked above. 

A 50 page cross stitch pattern I started before I got pregnant. I'll probably get it finished by the time this little graduates high school.   
ETA: Pic of cross stitch:

I have plans to make some crib sheets. ANNNNNND I just found the pattern for the quilt I'm going to make. 

I was crafty before, but adding a babe in makes the itch stronger.  

mrsinterweb

@nachellebeck13 that quilt is gorgeous!!

emily1052

@galentine cross-stitching is super easy and fun.  I totally think you’ll be able to pick it up easily.

@nachellebeck13 I LOVE that quilt!!! 

cmbt2

galentine said:

@cmbt2, I love that! My mom also made me a cross-stitch when I was born. I forgot all about it until I found it recently and took it home with me. I'd love to carry on the tradition but I've never done it before. If I picked a super simple pattern, is it something I could pick up in the next 5 months?

Most definitely! This may sound silly, but I recommend getting one of those beginner learn to cross stitch $4/5 kits that they sell for younger girls. I learned from one of those then moved on to adult kits. I found the ones geared towards kids explained the basic concepts way better

emily1052

cmbt2 said:

galentine said:

@cmbt2, I love that! My mom also made me a cross-stitch when I was born. I forgot all about it until I found it recently and took it home with me. I'd love to carry on the tradition but I've never done it before. If I picked a super simple pattern, is it something I could pick up in the next 5 months?

Most definitely! This may sound silly, but I recommend getting one of those beginner learn to cross stitch $4/5 kits that they sell for younger girls. I learned from one of those then moved on to adult kits. I found the ones geared towards kids explained the basic concepts way better

I agree and also YouTube is really helpful. 

cooaladolly

@cmbt2 that cross stitch is pure sweetness and @nachellebeck13 I'm in love with that quilt!

jcbh2018

I miss being crafty. Before I had my son, I did all sorts of things. I love embroidery, making dream catchers, knit, macrame, hemp/friendship bracelets/anklets..you name it. I feel like being a SAHM I don’t enough time for myself and tap back into my passions. People always tell me to make time for myself, but it’s so hard. I put my son to bed at 8pm. After he goes to bed, I clean the house, start dinner and pray that I have enough time to shower. I just don’t see myself being able to have “me” time for a really long time. 

steminist

I have the bug, especially since we've been (finally) unpacking boxes from when we moved about 2 years ago and all of my yarn and paints and fabrics came back to me! I haven't started yet, but tomorrow is the last day I'll be at the school for the summer, so I'll likely start some projects soon. Not sure what yet, but it'll come to me!

Cass005

Yes! I am a huge nester. I was with DD but like in the first trimester. Right now I'm trying to work on spring cleaning which is very hard because I'm so tired, and I don't want to be around cleaning products too much. My main focus right now is our bathroom. I'm trying to get it cleaned up and organized. Its a super tiny room with shelving that is barely accessible so we need to be creative on how we store things.

marbellie

I knit two hats in weeks 8 and 10 because I'm crazy, but haven't felt inspired to keep continuing. I'm going to make another hat soon though. And disclaimer: I taught myself how to knit using 3 YouTube videos because (like I said before) I get crazy.

Here's a pic of my second hat:

andrawrmeda2

The biggest thing I've done is finish up my kiddos baby books some more and getting this baby's book ordered 😂 I'm crafty but more with like jewlery and artsy things(art major) sewing/stitching/crocheting are not my things 😂. Ut all of your things look amazing! I want to make some canvas prints for the baby since I only found one set on Etsy I think that matches the colors lol

emily1052

@marbellie that hat is adorable!!!  😍. Makes me want to learn how to knit!  

nnaelilak

@jcbh2018 that's me too! I feel like I have no time to myself to do projects and when I do, I honestly just wanna sit on the couch on my phone in peace lol

cheznet

I am knitting a baby cardigan! It's a nice way to relax or knit while I am watching a show.

cmbt2

I’m mostly done with DD’s stool, and i‘m pretty unhappy with it. DH thinks I’m silly, but I’m super tempted to just go get another one and do a redo 😪

nnaelilak

@cmbt2 oh no! Can we see to help judge? Or does it have her name on it?... 

cmbt2

nnaelilak said:

@cmbt2 oh no! Can we see to help judge? Or does it have her name on it?... 

it does. I could try to blur it out. 

It comes down to a couple things- I’m not a fan of the overall base color scheme I used. I used a stencil for her owl, didn’t like it, so tried to fix it. That didn’t work out too well. I then tried to sand it down and redo, but it still didn’t work out right. I don’t like how her name has come out. I tried twice and can’t get it right. It’s just blah to me. I’m thinking I’ll just start over and sand this top down to do something else with it

nnaelilak

@cmbt2 that sounds like it mag be the easiest thing to do as long as the stool wasn't too expensive! 

You could also try stripping it, but you'd probably want DH to do it and it can also be PITA 🙃

perfectlove09

I’m crafty but I have a really hard time with follow through 🤦🏻‍♀️ I have a blanket I started for DD1 when I was pg with her (she’s 6) one for DD2 (she’s 4), I started 2 new ones for them last October to give them as Christmas gifts...still not done. 

I made a beautiful mobile while very pregnant with #1 and could never figure out how to hang it up so it’s been sitting around my room for 6+ years losing the beautiful butterflies I made for it. 

I did make 3 sets of crib sheets for #1 that we still use (DD2 has the crib as a toddler bed) oh actually...2 sets, one didn’t make it past about 1 year ℓσℓ 

i get these really fun ideas ideas and I get motivation to do them and then I don’t know what happens but I give up and it drives me nuts. 

This baby won’t have its own room any time soon and will be in my room for a while so I’m not feeling like I can’t  really make things to “decorate”. 

trapperkeeper87

Has anyone ever tried screen printing using Cricut stencils? Along those same lines, have any of you seen the new Cricut infusible ink that is coming out? I'm itching to try it, and trying really hard to convince my husband to let me buy the Cricut EasyPress 2 bundle on HSN today. I saw the ad online and the bundle I want is $150, which seems like a great deal to me!

My crafting prowess runs the gamut ( hence my business name having the word hodgepodge in it) and doing more with clothes is something I've been incredibly interested in for a while now (getting an embroidery machine, learning screen printing [I saw a demonstration 15 years ago at nerd camp], sublimation, etc.).

cmbt2

nnaelilak said:

@cmbt2 that sounds like it mag be the easiest thing to do as long as the stool wasn't too expensive! 

You could also try stripping it, but you'd probably want DH to do it and it can also be PITA 🙃

I ended up redoing it lol. We’re both much happier with this one! Once we move to a PG or FB, I’ll post a photo since her name is front and center ☺️

nnaelilak

cmbt2 said:

nnaelilak said:

@cmbt2 that sounds like it mag be the easiest thing to do as long as the stool wasn't too expensive! 

You could also try stripping it, but you'd probably want DH to do it and it can also be PITA 🙃

I ended up redoing it lol. We’re both much happier with this one! Once we move to a PG or FB, I’ll post a photo since her name is front and center ☺️

Yay!! 

nnaelilak

@meagan-t I've always wanted to do screen printing! I find the whole process so cool and fascinating! 

Cass005

@meagan-t I saw a small video on the infusible ink and it sounds soo interesting. I have never tried the stencils, i have a very old cricut that's not supported anymore, but man I would love a new one!

@cmbt2 I can't wait to see it!!

trapperkeeper87

@Cass005 I was incredibly fortunate to get mine with a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon combined with a gift card I bought through Raise and cash back I earned through eBates (I, uh, really like to save money...). Unfortunately they no longer sell them and I don't think anyone else ever takes coupons on them.

They're definitely an investment, but maybe you can find one used somewhere? I have seen them on OfferUp before. Mine is an Explore Air and I really like it. I even used it to address all of my wedding invitations last year (definitely a be-aware-of-the-time-involved craft).