Little Gabby's 1st birthday softies

Little Gabby's 1st birthday softies, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

We have a very special little girl in our lives, one that wanted to come into this world way too early, about 15 weeks too early. She's doing really well now and is such a happy little girl. So for her 1st birthday I thought and thought about what I could make her. Not being in a making mood on her actual birthday I waited a little while and then luckily came across these 2 softies, well Aidan came up with the snail after he saw me flicking through moda bake shop. She had a celebration on Australia day for her due date so the Kookaburra by Kate Henderson was also a perfect choice.

The snail was designed by Angela Yosten and found on the Moda Bake Shop website. This was a really great softie to sew with Aidan. All it requires are 2 strips from a jelly role, which I had left over from another project. Aidan sewed the 2 pieces together and I took over for the rounded head, he's getting really good with the foot control, not as many racing incidences. We found a pole to turn it inside out then stuffed it with small pieces at a time, this was probably the most time consuming. I hand sewed the role up. The original pattern didn't have eyes but Aidan insisted.

The kookaburra was in the latest Homespun Mag 12.1 and designed by Kate Henderson of Two Little Banshees. I love making Kate's patterns. I made her platypus for Gabby's big sisters 1st birthday. It was quick to make, I took longer choosing the material!!

I finally made a trip out to Gail B's patchwork shop. I've been meaning to for a long time. My friend Leah warned me that I need to have a goal in mind when going there, and when I got there I knew what she meant. So much fabric to choose from, I was in heaven. Unfortunately I took Aidan with me who soon got board and wanted spider man to hide in the fabric, I'll go back, definitely!

Not sure what my next project will be, I've only got a couple of weeks to go till the little one arrives. I've been working on Melly and Me's Once Upon a Time BOM, I think i'll concentrate on that again, hand sewing, yay. Not up to sitting at the machine anymore.

School goes back this Friday so I'll be getting some time to myself, for a couple of weeks at least. The baby's room is still in disarray, converting it from the study/sewing room has proven to be a bigger project than we first thought, at least we have now settled on paint colours, fingers crossed it will be finished but it wont be the end of the world!

Happy Stitching

Mandy