Bear Baby Cardigan

I have a confession to make. The reason I have been so very quiet on the blog this year, is that my husband and I have a baby on the way! Long term followers know that our first baby was stillborn in 2016. In spring this year we underwent IVF, and in May I developed hyperemesis gravidarum. I only really stopped vomiting last month, so it has been a heck of a year! Our little one is now due in the next few weeks, so I'm trying to get some blog posts up before they arrive!

I crocheted this hoody using leftover yarn from my Tunisian Crochet Blanket, James C. Brett's Supreme Soft and Gentle Baby DK in shade SNG10, and added some wooden buttons from my stash. The pattern I used seems to have disappeared from the internet since I used it, but it was Pan Pan Craft's Simple Crochet Striped Hooded Top. I obviously added ears and a little fluffy tail! I can't comment on the fit of the pattern, but it's certainly cute!

Crochet Rattle Bear

I wanted to make a small crochet toy for my new baby nephew, and I happened to find this adorable free pattern for a Rattle Bear! I don't normally make rattles, but I had some bells hanging around in my stash so I thought why not throw one in! This was quick and easy to hook up, with just bits from my stash. It's a cute bear and feels nice to hold, so I'd recommend it :) I added a tag made with my Cricut - of course!

Congratulations Bear Card

Have I mentioned how much I love Lili of the Valley?! They just create such adorable characters. One of my recent competition winnings with them including James the Bear "peeping" as a simply print, and I thought it would make a lovely card to welcome a new baby to the world (yes, I have another nephew!)

I printed the image out on watercolour paper so that it looked more like a drawing, and lightly coloured it in with pencils. I mounted it on some crinkly gold paper and an offset cream card. Before mounting, I put the cream card in my Cricut to have the perfectly written "Congratulations" - I love that I can add words so easily!

Winter Teddy Bear Decorations

The Cricut Explore Air 2 has pros and cons. One of the pros is they have a huge number of templates and projects available to you as part of their design space. One of the cons is that to access it you need a subscription! I bought myself a months subscription in the Autumn in order to get lots of little projects made, including these cute teddies for the Christmas tree.

These teddies are from the Cricut range 'Teddy Parade', and it features these adorable teds in a range of different outfits! I mixed and matched a couple of them to get this hat and scarf look, before cutting out in the colours I wished and attaching coordinating thread! I cut an extra teddy shape out and glued it to the back so that the thread is enclosed and the bears are a bit more sturdy. They're super cute :)

Our Generation Doll Clothes

As a young girl in the 1990s, I had some lovely dolls, and they in turn had some lovely clothes. I had one doll which came with multiple dresses, and I even made her a wardrobe from a cereal box! I also loved it when my Mum made clothes for my dolls - sometimes we even matched!

So with my eldest niece's 9th Birthday, I decided I'd contribute to her suitcase of doll clothes for her Our Generation Doll. This is a series of 18" dolls, who are pretty popular just now! I began by making her a little crocheted cap using this pattern, some leftover Stylecraft yarn, and embellished with a little felt flower.

I decided to break up the crochet by making this little apron using the template from this pattern (I didn't actually follow the instructions!) I used an old denim skirt for the main body, added some felt patch pockets, and some rainbow ribbon. It fastens with velcro round the neck, but the back ribbons are long enough to tie.

You can also see I made some "Our Generation" tags for the different items of clothing, so my niece knew who they were intended for!

This gorgeous little hat is based on this pattern, but I also added some cute little ears. I actually made a second one of these as it fits some of my teddy bears, and it's just too cute!

And lastly I also crocheted this Spring Vest in some wool I had in my stash. The three little buttons actually function!

Crochet Teddy Bear Snuggy

Another baby entering my circle of family and friends, another crochet snuggy made :) I say another, because I've previously made an elephant, a bunny rabbit and an owl. I wonder what creature will be next?! I chose a lovely warm brown wool for the teddy bear, and complimented it with some cream and grey from my stash, and some green and yellow Stylecraft still leftover from my rainbow blanket!

I worked the granny square as per normal, remembering the tip to change direction each round to ensure it stays square. I struggled to find a shape I really liked for the teddy bears head, but settled on one from Edward's Menagerie, I think it was the tiger! I did the arms like the other ones, and stitched on a nice big teddy bear nose. There's something so cheerful about a big squishy teddy bear nose :)

Bunny Rabbit Birthday Cake - Smudge

It was my Birthday last month! For me, this means a chance to bake something way too over the top to justify at any other time :) This year, I decided on a 3D rabbit... The cake is chocolate, and made using Whisk Kid's amazing recipe. The head was baked in a bowl, the body is three round layers (carved), and the feet and tail are cupcakes. Standard chocolate buttercream and fondant icing... The arms and ears were shaped using "cake truffle", that is a mix of cake crumbs and ganache, as if making cake pops (it tastes AMAZING). The tail is covered in mini marshmallows, and I attached the fondant in pieces so it looks like a stitched teddy. I used my sewing tracing wheel to get the effect! And I merged some coloured fondants to add interest to the paws and ears, using plunger cutters. The whiskers are spaghetti (!), and like Uncle Bulgaria I included a mini cake for candle celebrations, complete with a carrot - well, he is a bunny! And because every rabbit must have a name, he's called Smudge. Lessons learned? Use a fondant smoother - the body looks lumpy; sterilise cake dowels before use so they don't introduce bacteria - d'oh! But, he was very sturdy structurally, and the fondant was easier to work with when I didn't roll it too thin!! The adventures in baking continue...

Crochet Elephant Snuggie for Baby

I recently need a gender neutral present for a new born baby, and I wanted it to come together quickly and easily, but still be cute!

I used this pattern, and once I'd got my head round the granny square part it came together nicely! The grey and turquoise are both Stylecraft DK, and the white and cream are from my stash. I will definitely be making more of these, hopefully with different animals!