Baby Crochet Hats

So in my craziness of working full time, I have not had as much time to dedicate to anything but working and trying to get into medical school. But I wanted to give all of you an option to be able to do what I do for Baby Showers. If you have not learned this yet, I am cheap! Extremely cheap to the point where if I see something I want i.e. clothing, hats, curtains, etc. I tell myself "I can make that, why waste 20 dollars when I can make it for 2?" Yet most of the time I never end up making it and I just go without. 

But for baby showers I have found that this is the hands down best gift that you can give to people that they actually use. Baby Hats are the trend of newborn baby shoots and just adorable how tiny and cute they are. 

I actually use all of my crochet patterns from a site called Repeat Crafter Me. She has hands down the easiest and cutest crochet patterns! 

This is the Newborn Owl Hat pattern that I use for every hat even if it is not an owl hat. 

Also I love to switch up the yarn and use cotton based yarn called Sugar and Spice, though it is a little more expensive I think the colors are much cuter than the Lions Brand Yanna's Choice Yarn. 

If you have any questions about how to start crocheting or how I learned how comment below and I will get back to you with some of my helps. 

XOXO

Madi 

HoundsTooth Quilt

Three years ago, I took on the first big task of making my mother in law a quilt for Christmas. I hadn't made a quilt in years and years, and the only access I had to a sewing machine was a really really old one!!! It's a Singer from 1970's with retro flowers all over it. So this was my first delve into Quilting again after years. And though.... It super stresses me out, I love to see the joy in peoples faces when they receive a handmade quilt. When I finally accomplished it, on the left is how it turned out!! Don't look too closely because it is not perfect! But what quilt is perfect right??? Here is the link to where I learned how to do this pattern. It takes a lot of patience and time, so don't do this one if you are in a super hurry!! Finding Sweetland HoundsTooth Quilt..... She seriously does a perfect tutorial about how to make this cuteness!! To FINISH with the Quilting or Putting together of the Quilt, I use a cotton batting for the middle. Then because I am poor and can't afford to have someone else do the Quilting for me, I used the same sewing machine and sewed around each of the black houndstooth with white thread:)  If you have any questions or want a complete walk through by phone or email or get stuck. Email me at madilouise91@gmail.com, I will send you my phone number and then we can text/call each other. Good Luck with your HoundsTooth Quilt I can't wait to see what all of you come up with!!!

<3 MADS

Gingham Quilt

So I made this quilt two years ago for my Mama for Christmas/Mothers Day. My Mama is totally fun and eccentric so she wanted a quilt that was Purple, Lime Green and Bright Red. I personally would have never put the colors together, but it was super fun!!!! You cannot see the back of the quilt but it is BRIGHT LIME GREEN! This is a great quilt to make for a Beginner into the Quilting community. It only has one block!! 

Here is the link on CrafyBlossom to what I wanted the quilt to kind of look like. She didn't give a tutorial so here is what I did.

FABRIC NEEDED:
1 yard of White Fabric or W 
2 yards Light Color or LC (I used a Lavender) 
1 yard Dark Color or DC (I used Dark Purple) 

BACK= 4 yards of whatever you want to put on the back:)

TUTORIAL:
1. Cut 5in x 5in BLOCKS. 
2. Place them in the order that the Gingham Looks in the Picture.
First Row= DC, LC, DC, LC, DC, LC, DC, LC, DC, LC, DC, LC, DC
2nd Row=  LC, W, LC, W, LC, W, LC, W, LC, W, LC, W, LC
3. Sew each block together in each row, then sew the long rows together. If you are having a problem lining them out. Pin the long rows together matching them up at each junction. If you don't care like me, then just let the blocks fall where they may:)
4. YOU ARE DONE!! Wasn't that fun and easy???? 

FINISH/QUILTING:
I always use a cotton batting to go in the middle of my quilts and then since I am poor and can't afford to spend 200-300 dollars to have someone else quilt the quilt, I do it myself!!! On this one I just did straight lines all the way down each seem... on both sides of the seem about 1/4in away from the seem. 


I know most of you could have figured this out on you own, but I really just like to make sure there aren't any questions. If you have any questions or want a complete walk through by phone or email or get stuck. Email me at madilouise91@gmail.com, I will send you my phone number and then we can text/call/facetime/skype each other. Good Luck with your Gingham Quilt!! I can't wait to see what all of you come up with!!!

<3 MADS

"When You Just Want to Give Up Being A Mom"

As I was sitting in the shower yesterday morning just letting the warm water hit me (this helps with my anxiety sometimes), I wanted to just not move or "give up". I know I'm probably not the only one that has ever felt this way, but I just read this article "When You Just Want to Give Up Being a Mom" by the Huffington Post, and it made me cry a little and realize that I'm not the only one!!! Always remember that you are awesome, and the exact mother that your child needs. Sometimes I forget that, but these little reminders help:) 

THE MAMAHOOD

Also I want to introduce all of you to The MamaHood. It is a Blog/Group on Facebook/Page on Facebook where you can hear about other mother's experiences. On the Group Facebook, You can ask any question and tons of other mamas will answer your questions.  It was made by my friend Aubrey Olson Grossen who I met at the foyer at Church:) 

This is what she has to say about it whenever you join the Group Page:

"This is a support group for moms. It's open to ask any questions and to get advice from each other! Being a mom is not easy, so it helps to have a sisterhood and hear others experiences, advice, what has worked for them, etc. If you have a serious concern contact your doctor, this group is not responsible for anything other than support and POSITIVE advice. There are MANY ways to be a good parent, this group is meant to lift one another up and to be a safe place. Please no debates or negative comments. There's no such thing as a dumb question, we are all learning:) Feel free to invite anyone else to the group and make sure to follow here:

Blog: www.themamahoodblog.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/_the_mamahood_

WELCOME TO THE MAMAHOOD!

If you would like to advertise, fundraise, or sell something please approve through an admin so we don't get a lot of clutter. Thanks ladies!"

If you want to join. In the Comments below put your Facebook name and I will add you on Facebook first and then add you to the page:) 

Can't wait to get some advice from all of you and join in the journey of "MAMAHOOD" with you!!

Four-Chain Headband

My Sister sent me a picture of a cute headband that she saw for $15 at the Pinner's Conference in Salt Lake City, and asked me if I could help her make it so she didn't have to buy them. Here is me helping her make it with a complete step by step. 

I then tested this on one of my girlfriends. She has never crocheted before so hopefully these steps are simple enough for everyone to DIY it!!!

(Please excuse this funny picture of me! I do not normally get dressed up so when I do I take a ton of funny selfies!) 






Materials:
Scissors
Crochet Hook I/9-5.5MM
Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease (Any Color You Want)

Instructions:









Start by doing a slip stitch leaving about a 2 inch end. 

Row 1: Chain 45.

Row 2: Single Crochet in the Chain #44 in the next 2 chains. 

Chain 40, then in the last two stitches single crochet, chain one and turn. 

Row 3: Single Crochet in the first two single crochet from the previous row. 

Chain 40. Finish the row with two single crochet, in the previous single crochets, chain 1 and turn. 

Row 4: Single Crochet in the first two single crochets from previous row. Chain 40, single crochet in last two single crochets. 

Tie Off. 

2 Ways to Put Ends Together:

Single Crochet the Two Ends together:




















Or 

Put a yarn tie through it and you can tie it with a Yarn Bow. 

There is your new cute headband!! Hope you enjoy!! If you have any questions please email me at madilouise91@gmail.com

If you don't know how to do these easy crochet stitches, get on youtube.com and type in crochet tutorials and there are a ton and they are super helpful!!

Sponsored Weekly Giveaway (11/16-11/22)

One of my best friends is having her weekly giveaway this week on Instagram. It is for Thrive Life. Thrive Life is a Food Storage Company that Freeze Dries all of their products. It is very high end and delicious stuff! If you are into food storage this is definitely a giveaway for you. Start by going on Instagram and following @rockthemomjeans and you will see a picture of her modeling the Thrive Life Product. You will get further instructions on how to enter the giveaway there. Good Luck and hope you win the awesome Thrive Life Product!!!