Category Archives: linen blanks

Fingertip Towel Burp Cloths

If you were to open up a baby’s head – and I am not for a moment suggesting that you should – you would find nothing but an enormous drool gland. Dave Barry

Ferguson babies spit up and drool. A lot. Both of my children were so inclined and my grandbabies have continued the family tradition. Consequently,  I like to be prepared with about 3 dozen burp cloths when a new baby arrives. Neither my daughter-in-law nor my daughter feels that this number is excessive.

Long before my first grandchild was born, Callie, a young mother, told me that she and her friends agreed that a baby can never have too many bibs, booties or burp cloths. I’ve taken that to heart and often include a stack of burps with baby gifts.

There are many styles and patterns for these necessary items, but I prefer to begin with a fingertip towel. They launder beautifully and are quick and easy to make, requiring nothing more than a little embroidery and trim along the bottom. Of course, the embellishment is not for the amusement of the new arrival, but rather an effort to put a smile on the face of the weary clean-up crew.

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Nana Fun~Halloween Gingerbread and Kiddie Aprons

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It’s long been a family tradition to make a gingerbread house at Christmas. When my children were little, it was an enormous 3 day undertaking that began with making up a huge batch of gingerbread dough, refrigerating it overnight, then baking the pieces in the morning, constructing the house after the pieces cooled in the afternoon, letting it sit overnight for the frosting to set up and then finally, decorating.

 

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Now, Wilton has kits, like prefab houses, with prebaked gingerbread pieces, frosting mix and even basic decorating pieces. With my grandchildren, we build the quick and easy Wilton way.

I have been looking forward to this year’s Christmas gingerbread decorating party since August, when 4 year old Robert began asking when we could do it again.  So I was absolutely delighted last week when I came across the new Wilton Halloween Haunted Mansion kits at Michael’s Craft store.

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Linen Bib

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When my daughter was pregnant with her first child, Alastair, I mailed her a package every Monday with something I had made for the baby.  This bib was undoubtedly the quickest and easiest of all the projects and yet it is one of her favorites.

When it comes to practicality, the dressy double linen bib is good for drool but not much else.  For church or a formal occasion, it will keep a teething baby’s clothing relatively dry while looking so much nicer than a lime green  “I love Barney” bib.  But it’s not much good for a meal of Spaghettios.

An elegant machine embroidered monogram reaffirms that Baby is dressed for An Occasion.  OESD’s Dazzle Alphabet is the source of this design.

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Tailgating

This is our set-up. We try to be at the same spot every game day.

Ah, game day at The Swamp.  Kickoff might be at 7 p.m. but if you want your regular tailgating spot at Norman Field, you’d better be there by 9 a.m.

sleepy tailGator–one year later he became our son-in-law

Since it’s a 2 hour drive to  Gainesville, that makes for an early start to a very long day.    And a lot of food–three full meals for as many as 75 hungry Gator fans.

We pass the day visiting with neighboring tailGators, watching football coverage on a  tv that plugs into a special connection in the car and just getting ready for the game.

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Nursery Themed Baby Gifts

When our children grow up, so do their friends. Many of those same youngsters who hung out in our kitchens, tied up our telephones (before absolutely everyone had her own personal cell phone) and shared secrets with our children, now have babies of their own. And those babies are special in a special way.

Just as we personalize garments and items for our own grandchildren, we often are moved to create something unique for these babies. Continue reading