It seems like forever ago that the very lovely and talented Charlotte Rivers contacted me about contributing to her new book. Aside from feeling incredibly flattered that I had been asked, I initially felt quite overwhelmed. The festive season was fast approaching, meaning not only were the kids on holidays and wrecking my house, but extra and later shifts at work were frequently popping up. We had scheduled for the kitchen to be ripped out straight after Christmas in anticipation of renovations and had started ripping up our floors. Coupled with the fact that I had had zilch experience with anything to do with publishing and no idea what was expected from me, I thought long and hard. But only for about two minutes. Of course I would! How often do these opportunities come by? Jump in!
It meant a few late nights, lots of emailing back and forth, wrangling children I had never met for photos and a couple of afternoon naps while my husband took charge of keeping the kids out of my way. With everything else happening about the place at that particular time, I did at least at one point, wonder if I had perhaps bitten off more than I could swallow, and whether my kids would still love me when it was all done. One-o'clock-in-the-morning finishes at work, followed by two hours of editing photos and writing instructions, only to be woken early in the morning by excited children ("What are we doing TODAY??!") doesn't make for happy times at my house.
BUT....the finished product arrived at the door yesterday, and all that has been long forgotten.
'Handmade for Baby' is an absolutely delightful book with contributions from crafters all over the world. All the projects are for babies aged 0 through to one year old, but I think many of the crafts can be used to make gifts for older children, too. Easy-to-make projects which use knitting, crochet, papercrafts, printing on fabric, photography and of course, sewing, are all included in the book which is full of gorgeous photos and illustrated step-by-step instructions.
I have two sewing projects in the book - this star wand rattle...
....and this dress-up party crown.
However, even if I weren't a contributor, this is exactly the sort of book I would buy if I found it at a bookstore. So many of the designers and bloggers that I have
So, whether you're pregnant yourself, or looking to make something for an up-the-duff friend, seeking out a baby-shower gift for a crafty mother-to be, or you just like looking at little hand-crafted things and cute kids, you should definitely check out this lovely book of crafts made especially for babies - I don't even have a baby, and I want to make them ALL.
(A big thanks to Charlotte and all involved at Rotovision, my adorable models Nevaeh and Taylah, and my awesome and always-supportive husband, who kept the children out of my hair and therefore alive, for which I'm guessing they will be forever thankful.)
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