let's all give a big hello to the sweet maggie from the fun and fabulous blog "smashed peas and carrots"! she's one of my fave emailing/blogging buddies and i'm thrilled to have her over to be part of the "babyhood bonanza"! she's currently preggers with baby #3 and i send big hugs her way for finding the time/energy to whip up this great little tutorial for all of us ladies! 
it's been a crazy week in our household so bear with me with the short intro folks, it's pretty simple to write though - go check out smashed peas and carrots...hee hee, it's one of my fave places to visit online. lots of goodies galore there from sewing tutorials, crafts, projects for the little ones and fabulous recipes as well! you won't be disappointed! thanks again mags - one of these days I AM going to show up for some of that delicious cake, a cup of coffee and some girl chat and a visit with your gorgeous family!now let's hear from maggie............
Babies. What can I say about Babies? They are just so sweet and cuddle-y, and teeny tiny, and breath-taking. I am a momma of two right now and I remember both of their births and those early weeks like they were yesterday. So Sweet! Now I wonder to myself just how did my little ones get so big?
Babies. Yeah, they are on my mind a lot these days as I am expecting my number 3 at the end of July. Yup, craziness pure craziness, will be happening around my house in less than two months! So, in thinking of fun things to make for new little bundles of joy I thought about baby hats. A necessary piece of clothing to keep their little heads warm no matter what time of year. A fun gift to give and receive. Yup, I love 'em. And, what could be more fun than making some Fruit Salad Baby Hats for the new arrival?
Who wouldn't want to give or receive:
an "I'm Strawberry Special" Hat
or a "Blueberry Cutie Pie'' Hat
or maybe an "Orange I Sweet" Hat
or even an "Apple of My Eye" Hat
No little bundle of joy would be complete without one on their head!
Fruit Salad Anyone?
Ok, so let's make the Blueberry Cutie Pie Hat, shall we? You'll need:
one blue t-shirt (size X-large will make you a few!)
blue felt
coordinating thread
hand-sewing needle
sewing machine
rotary cutter and mat
First, make a template for your hat. A basic half-oval shape is perfect. I just free-handed mine. For a 0-3 month old you will need to make your template 7 1/2 inches wide at the bottom and about 5 3/4 inches tall. (Most 0-3 month old babies head circumference measure around 14-15 inches in diameter so if your little babe has a bigger noggin you may want to add some more inches to the width.)
Place your template at the bottom edge or the sleeve portion of your t-shirt, making sure to use the hem that is already in place. Cut out both front and back pieces of your hat using both front and back sides of the t-shirt.
Next, take your felt piece and cut one 4 x 4 inch piece and one 1 inch by 1.5 inch piece.
With the smaller felt piece, fold it in half lengthwise to make a rectangle and sew a straight stitch all the way around it. This will be the stem for your blueberry.
Next, take your felt piece and cut one 4 x 4 inch piece and one 1 inch by 1.5 inch piece.
With the smaller felt piece, fold it in half lengthwise to make a rectangle and sew a straight stitch all the way around it. This will be the stem for your blueberry.
Next, fold the larger felt piece in half and cut out a few triangles so that you have a very oblong star-shape, like the picture above. It doesn't really have to be symmetrical since blueberry leaves are all types of crazy shapes.
Then, with your star-shape open, use your rotary cutter and cut a small slit about 1/2 inch in length in the center.
Now, take your two hat pieces and place right sides together with the stem piece centered at the very top portion. Sew the two pieces together using a zig-zag stitch to give the hat some extra stretch room.
Flip your hat right-side out and make sure it's not too puckered at the seam. You may need to snip your seam allowance at the curves a bit.
Finally, take your star-shaped felt piece and pull the stem through the slit. Hand-stitch the leaves to that hat taking care not to sew the front and the back of the hat together.
Then, go find a cutie-pie baby to wear your hat like little Gus here, so sweet at just one-month old, isn't he!
Whether gazing into momma's eyes, smiling at the birdies or sleeping the day away, a Fruit Salad Baby Hat will keep your little babe warm and stylin' all day long no matter the season!
So Vibrant and Sweet the way every Fruit Salad should be!
Every Fruit Salad needs a rainbow of colors!
Thanks so much Shannon for including me in your Babyhood Bonanza! It's such an honor to be here today!! Much love to you and your new little babe, she is such a doll!!
you're welcome mags - luv ya girl!
i've got some pics coming your guys way tomorrow so come back to check out baby harper and all the craziness in our house lately! in the meantime go sport our button...it's over there to your left on the sidebar - we'll luv ya for it!
i've got some pics coming your guys way tomorrow so come back to check out baby harper and all the craziness in our house lately! in the meantime go sport our button...it's over there to your left on the sidebar - we'll luv ya for it!