We had this tub we picked up for Scarlet’s Indian Elephant 2nd Birthday Party that we were using for Toy Storage, but it was hot last weekend so I had an idea. It worked out really well! 
With lots of supervision a faux pool can be really fun, she didn’t want to get out! Do you feel sorry for my daughter because her sandbox and swimming pool are actually just tupperware? I’d be ecstatic if I could find a vintage claw foot bathtub (ooo, that would have a drain!) or a big copper washbasin, how cute would that be? Have you ever made anything into a pool?
Minneapolis, Minnesota or Bust!
Jaime and I are hitting the tarmac and meeting up in glamorous Minneapolis, Minnesota for Quilt Market. We’ve never been before and we can not lie, we are pretty excited. There is even an event called “Sample Spree,” Can you imagine? The fabric we will see… and sample?!?
We are finally meeting some online friends face-to-face, including the fabulous gal behind fabricworm and the fine authors of this little gem.
And we are totally geeking over an invite to a book launch party for this
and this
and this
. [note from jaime: AND we are staying with my big brother, the amazing photographer who wrote our 25 Tips for Taking Better Photographs] Eeeeeee!
How about you? If you’re headed that way, let us know, we’d love to say hello! You can’t miss us, we’ll be the two in the rented Ford Fiesta grinning over our lack of children for the weekend! Meep, meep! And if you can’t make it this year, no worries, we will come back with a detailed report including whether or not we hop into the backseat of some friendly-enough looking couple’s car to get a tour of the local hang-outs. It’s happened before but hopefully we are older and wiser and all of the fabric will keep us out of trouble.
And if you aren’t part of “the trade” don’t fret because International Quilt Festival is open to the public and there’s plenty of time to plan to get to Long Beach by July 23-25! Get all the info on Quilt Festival here!
If you love that quilt pictured above, you’re in luck because it’s Anna Maria Horner’s Birdcage on A Chain quilt and on her website she offers a FREE downloadable pattern for it! Get it here!
Pretty Pleated Purse Pattern
It’s been a minute since we dropped a new Hot Mess Mommy tutorial on you. Why not, it’s mother’s day after all right? Don’t we deserve a little DIY treat? This is a clutch/shoulder bag that I thought would be fun for summer walks – just big enough for an ID, a granola bar, a wipes case, and a diaper.
If this purse isn’t up your alley, you might still enjoy learning how to make a purse strap, which is useful for any bag (or even belt) you might want to whip up. This one is made with Tanya Whelan Dolce Lana and Dolce Marilyn in orange from trusty Fabricworm.
Get the full Pretty Pleated Purse Pattern & Tutorial after the jump…
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Canton Scores!
This past weekend, the girlies and I, along with my mom and my sister-in-law, took a road trip down to Canton, Texas for the infamous Canton First Monday Trade Days… “The World’s LARGEST Flea Market.” Ladies {and dude[s?]} It blew me away! There was such amazing stuff… I’m hooked.
Check out the vintage paint-by-number originals that I scooped up for Clare’s bathroom.
And this adorable owl hangy thing that would be a perfect toothbrush or comb holder (but not together because that would be disgusting, gag.) I was going to paint it but now I’m totally loving its worn paint (and rhinestone eyes, of course.) Don’t paint, right?
Click thru for more of my flea market finds and let us know your latest score in the comments. We’re already jealous.
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How to Make Our Girl’s Headpieces as seen on Martha!
A while ago we shared with you some treats we made for a Martha Stewart Weddings photoshoot, and you asked us for the tutorial on the girl’s headpieces! 
These are so quick to make and add just a little girly-punk edge to a sweet ensemble. If you like a more traditional hair accessory check out our DIY Big Bow Headband or the Fabric Flower Hairclip, and if you’ve got boys to sew for, head over here for the DIY on How to Make a Bow Tie as pictured on the cutie above. Get the full Sweet & Punky Headpiece Tutorial after the jump…
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DIY Duvet Cover Tutorial
If you bought a crib set you probably have an unused comforter lolling about in a closet somewhere. Now that Scarlet is in her toddler bed I deem the comforter safe for her, so I sewed a sweet duvet cover using this beloved fabric: Alexander Henry Bird Seed in Yellow that I picked up at favorite fabric resource Fabricworm.
Making a duvet cover is a simple beginner sewing project with an added bonus: when your child moves into a big-girl bed you can re-use the fabric for some other cuteness. If you want to sew a duvet for a twin, full, queen, or king size bed, this same method applies and I’ll share the measurements with you and the full DIY Duvet Cover Tutorial after the jump…
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Call for Submissions and Prudent Advice Signed Book Giveaway!
Reader friends, you have all been so supportive during the process of writing and editing my book, Prudent Advice, I just could not possibly have done it without you. When you email to share a life lesson from your grandmother or to tell me why a certain entry moved you, it makes me feel a sense of community amongst mothers that is deeply touching. Now I’d like to ask for your participation again. And I’d also like to ask you NOT TO MOCK US FOR OUR PERFORMANCE IN THE ABOVE VIDEO!
My publisher is creating a video about Prudent Advice and they want YOU to be in it! I’m so excited to have you participate and see what you come up with. What we ask is that you take videos of yourself, your friends, your family, or anyone who wants to participate – even dads and sons (they email me more than you would think). The video should be of you reading/discussing/sharing your favorite piece of advice from the collection thus far (as we tried to show by example above), which you can read from the beginning here. If you want to, you can also share your own best motherly advice, given or received. If your video makes the final cut, you will be the first part of what I hope to be a great archive of motherly wisdom, and I personally will send you a signed copy of the book when I get them in the fall.
Here are a few tips for making a video the producers can use:
-File types: QuickTime (file extension .mov) or Windows Media Video (file extension .wmv), the higher the quality the better!
-16:9 orientation preferred. We can use videos that are 4:3 but the video for those segments may have black at the sides depending upon whether the shot can be enlarged to fit a 16:9 orientation.
-The top issues with home videos tend to be sound and lighting. Please do a quick test and make sure you’re easy to hear and that it’s not too dark, yellowish or blueish before you shoot your final video. Don’t wear a shirt that is too crazy of a pattern or have the lights off, you know.
-Don’t include any background music in your video, we will add that later!
-Let us see a little bit of YOU: Try to choose an interesting background and don’t make the shot too tight of a head shot…we want to be able to see more of you and your surroundings. If you want to include your daughter…whatever her age…in the video, that’s fine, too!
When your video is finished, just upload it here: Prudent Advice Video Submission Page. I am so excited to see your videos! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments, and also leave me a comment after you upload your video so we can contact you to send you your free book if you win it!
And that beautiful, beautiful song is Cyndi Lauper’s classic Fearless, sung by my dear friend Erin.
Prudent Project Round-Up
Over at Pear and the Babes she made this beautiful Sweet Shirred Summer Dress on her very first try shirring…
Marie at Chasing Rays made three Deceptively Simple Ruffle Stripe Pillows…
Karen at The Big Trade-off made this pretty blue DIY Nursing Cover…
Kinsey at A Little Wall made that hooded baby towel and the boy wrapped in it!
Send your pretty pics to Prudent Baby using our Prudent Baby Contact Form or add them to the Prudent Baby Project Pool on Flickr! Take better photos: here are some tips.
Butonin tuaj:
