July Wrap Up and August Plans

 My July plans were:

• Burda 7/2022 birthday dress
• Socks at knitting camp
• MK summer cardigan
• Butterick 6640
• NL6692

I made my birthday dress and socks. Woohoo! :) I did not get to my summer cardigan, but I do have two machine knit tops as WIPs (I need more yarn for both). 

I also cut out a pair of shorts from Burda 8/2014 for my daughter and made a couple of Cricut projects.

WIP: sideways knit sweater with hand manipulated lacy sleeve

MK socks with Paton's Kroy

MK socks with Wisdom Angora Lace
So soft, warm, and snuggly!! This yarn has been discontinued. I bought 4 skeins (all solids, boo, but Yay!)

I got really excited about these pleated shorts...then she balked at the length. sighhhhh.

We'll see what she thinks once they're ready to fit.

July turned out a little different than I anticipated. I ended up taking a trip to the ER last weekend turning the entire next week into a wash. I just wasn't able to do much of anything. Bonus though was time with the babies.

B is in FULL toddler mode and it is hilarious (well, at least to grandma it is! haha!)

At one point, I asked him to come get changed and he shook his head and said, No, while walking away. Then he came to "help" while I was making dinner. He repeatedly started the dishwasher and kept pulling all these strainers and bowls out of the cabinet.

F is obsessed with B and never wants to stop going. I kept trying to put him down for a nap, but now, he just fights til he passes out. 

I broke out the Cricut this past weekend to make a birthday present for my sister. She loves Scrabble and I've been meaning to make these coasters for her for ages. I finally got it done and I love the way they turned out! 

The wood blanks are 4x4 inches and I wanted them to fill the space as much as possible. I tried to very closely match the orientation of the point value with the letter. I then did 3 coats of Modge Podge with about 10-15 minutes between coats. Did you know that it takes 3-4 weeks for it to fully cure?!? I did NOT know that! Whew! Once fully cured, no sealant is needed. However, I would like a glossy finish so I'm going to get something to spray over top.

I cut out 3.5x3.5 inch squares of felt and adhered them to the back with the Modge Podge. The felt is adhesive, but I wanted to ensure a really good seal. 

Lastly, Beyonce's 7th studio album was released on Friday. It is full of fun-upbeat dance music but Thique has  heavy baselines, and THAT is right up my alley! :) I’ve been bumping the song all weekend. 

Someone posted that merch was available for 7 days only so I go to the site. $45 for a T-shirt?!? Beyoncé or not, there's just no way I'm paying that much for a tee, so I made my own! I really wanted to use this silver holographic vinyl that I had on hand, but I could not get it to weed cleanly around the curves (Cricut vinyl in general, sucks). I pulled out this Siser glittler vinyl in gold and made quick work of finishing the tee. It's a men's medium and fits well through the body, but it was long. I chopped off 9 inches, folded up 3/4" and hemmed it on my coverstitch machine. Woohoo!

August's plans? eh.

I am going back up to St. Cloud on Saturday for monthly  machine knitting meetup. Mainly because I had stuff I forgot to buy when I was there for camp, but I am also interested in the meeting topic for the month. 

The following weekend I am in Chicago for a bridal shower. Then, in the last 5 days of August, I have grandson F's 1st Birthday, out of town friends visiting so we can go to the MN State Fair, and my husband's birthday. 

Oh, plus I'm trying to knit a sweater to enter into the fair and that has to be completed and dropped off by August 15th. 

And I have several medical appointments as I try to figure out these health issues.

So what are my August plans? TO SURVIVE THE MONTH! haha!

I plan to finish the shorts and a top for my daughter and hopefully the Butterick shirt dress. I also hope to finish the 2 WIP machine knits once I get more yarn, knit the sweater for the fair, and finish the teddy bear I knit for the babies. 

As always, more later!

Finished Travel Bags and March Wrap-Up

I have wanted to complete this project for SO LONG! I bought 2 yards of this border print cotton shirting last January, with hopes that Covid would soon be behind us and the world would be opening up. Haha! I have made simple drawstring bags before, but I really talked myself out of them over and over again, complicating it more than needed. And then, when we went to Phoenix earlier this year, and ended up taking an ATV tour, our clothes were so dusty and sweaty that I wished I'd had a separate laundry bag for them. And I was determined to complete the bags before my next trip. I didn't make it...we went to Denver last weekend for a wedding. But, I flew out Saturday evening and we were back home Monday evening so I didn't really need it, this time. But I'll be ready for my next trip!! 

Oh, and using a border print just made the whole process so much easier and simpler! I measured the width of the border less the selvedge and with seam allowance and cut the top part of the laundry bag at 20" wide x 10.5" long. Then I cut the plain white fabric at 3", and the bottom at 4.5" for finished dimensions of 17" x 20". But I cut the fabric at 20". 

Oops. 

And I didn't allow for the casing area. 

Oops. 

So, it's smaller than I intended, and I'll likely make another one slightly bigger :) 

I cut the shoe bags for a finished dimension of 13" x 15" and made some of the same measurement mistakes. Seriously. BUT, they fit my shoes so, WIN.

I like the narrow black border that almost looks like piping!

If you're noticing a difference in the text, I blame Cricut! I had the bright idea to buy an Infusible Ink tee blank. I had some black infusible ink in stash and I knew it would outlast iron-on heat transfer vinyl. But, Cricut made this product to perform best at 380 degrees F. The original Cricut Easy Press only heats up to 360 degrees F. So it's not quite hot enough to fully sublimate into the fabric. Booooooo! 

When I got my Beatrice, I ordered a 144 yard spool of 1/4 cotton twill tape from Wawak for the low-low price of $7.91. I used it to mark my form up and still have a gazillion yards of it, of course, so expect to see it often! 

On the laundry bag, I made the casing too narrow and the double strings don't work as well. They work perfectly on the shoe bags though! (see my IG grid for a quick video)

The lining is white athletic mesh that's been in stash for I'm not sure how many years. I love that it's just slippery enough to not stick to the cotton, it has a little bit of weight to it but not too much. 

I sewed the top fabric to top lining, pressed it out, left about 1 1/4" open on either side of that seam and then sewed down the lining, around, up, left the other side open, then down, around, and up the main fabric. The only suggested change is to turn it once the sides are sewn and just sew/serge the bottom together to anchor the lining. I was going to shape the corners but just didn't have the room to do it and the results on the laundry bag are meh.

They're so cool! :-D I expect to get lots of use from them!

This month, I sewed 2 things outside of the bags and a PS5 cover that I started for my husband. I sewed 5 yards this month: 

• McCall's 7834 dress - 3 yards
• rayon challis from Fabric Mart
• 12 buttons
• McCall's 6996 cardigan - 2 yards (WIP)
• wool double knit from Fabric Mart

The McCall's dress was my Dozen Drafts project and I put a lot of time and work into fitting so yes, I love it! The cardigan is working up well and just needs hemming ("just" = the entire front, the lower hem and the sleeve hems!)

This doggone extra long McCall's shoulder...more on that later

Excuse my dirty mirror and toilet plunger. Doh.

I also had a goal of making two Machine Knit projects. I "only" got the 1 but, WHEW! The plaid-like pattern was hand manipulated the entire way and was a doozy! All worth it though because they are beautiful! Ravelry project

I started two books - one on Machine Knitting. While it is a resource, I do tend to read these types of books cover-to-cover. I am also a good way through The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

As of now, my plans for April include:

• Finishing the WIP I intended to complete in March
• Complete "A Dozen Drafts" dress
• Complete 2 machine knit projects

More to come potentially, after I pull my spring clothes out. I didn't get to that either this month! After finishing the McCall's dress, I had so much momentum, and then over the course of 3 work days I had 17 hours worth of meetings. I was EXHAUSTED every day! April is a little quieter. I do have plans to get with a MK friend, but hoping to get lots of sewing in!  

Baby Shower DIYs and...a little sewing

My next garment for the Endless Combinations contest is a dress from Simplicity 8890. I finished it but isn't my favorite thing. Will review as soon as the sun resurfaces and I can take pics.

Also, I was all set to cut out S8389 for my black shorts and I have the 6-14 size range. FOR PANTS! Eek! I am an 18 on bottom so yeah...no. I'm going to sew an oldie but goodie; Simplicity 1887.

I am thinking of finishing up with a tee, possibly McCalls 6839. An old pattern that I made back in 2015 but I loved the shape and am pretty much considering recreating it (using a b & w stripe again).

oh. my. goodness. Speaking of patterns...

Have you seen that IG Design Group is rebranding the Big4 as "Something Delightful"?

Not cool. At all. What on earth does this name mean? What does it have to do with sewing patterns?!? What does it have to do with the iconic names Butterick, McCall's, Vogue? Ugh.

ANYWAY...I will call the shower a success! Now, because things just have a way of happening...

I woke up that morning, early. I ran to Target to buy some pants (a rayon/linen blend) because it was going to be a SCORCHER; there was a heat advisory in place. I love a dress during the summer but as a member of the Thick Thigh Club, when it's really hot? I don't want any skin-on-skin action happening. Then, I went to Trader Joe's to buy flowers, came home and arranged them quickly, as my husband loaded up the car. 

indirectly related facts:

I am super independent. It's woven into my DNA. My husband is a caregiver. It's just a part of him.

Yes, this is huge spot of give and take for us.

Park that.

While arranging the flowers I was feeling "off". I couldn't put my finger on it but something was off. At one point, I said to him, "I don't know what made me think I could pull this off..." And carried on. I decided I was sad(?) that it was going to be HOT AS HELL and that would 1) affect the guest list and 2) result in a bunch of wasted food (because people really do not eat as much when it's hot).

We arrived at the park shelter (which is amazing and I will reserve it again for something else in the future!) and right away, I see tables with tablecloths on them. Deciding that someone had decided to hang out there on this warm summer day, I marched right up there and (nicely, I swear!) informed them that we had a reservation. But THEY had a reservation. WHAT?

After searching my email I realized, I RESERVED THE SHELTER FOR THE WRONG DAY!

I was gutted. And my brain felt fuzzy. And by then, my brother and sil had arrived (they were going to help with set up while my husband, Mike ran around picking up the food and ice). I started crying and he started freaking out. LOL! No one sees me cry. Like ever. Childbirth? no. Proposal? no. Wedding? no. But get me frustrated enough and the tears will flow.

I had to call my daughter and tell her. Apparently, she cried too! And Mike sprung into action!

The shower was scheduled to start at noon. At 11:15 we arrived at the new site. By 12:03, when the first guests arrived, everything was in place except for the baby pics of the mom and dad. His mom was one of the first to arrive so she took over hanging pics while I ran home to shower. By 12:30 I was back and my brother was back with the food.

You know what? It all worked out! Holding it at the Ice Arena (at the private school where Mike works), meant a place to cool off in the extremely hot weather (the interior of the arena is 50 degrees F!) and a better place to house the food (the vestibule was much closer to room temperature). He got to do what he does. I got to lean on ~everyone~ around me because we were all necessary in making it happen.

Never too old to learn new tricks? :-p

I bought a huge roll of the burlap pennant and used the Cricut to pretty them up. There was one each that said "baby", "eat", and "gifts". I made menu cards for the food and the cupcakes. I made an instruction card for the pin game and measure mommy's belly game, and finally, a little hanging sign welcoming baby Bert. (that's their name regardless of gender!).

We'd visited a local guy for the lovely wood rounds and scored a case of Mason jars cheap. Using burlap ribbon + satin ribbon + twinkle lights, and plenty of flowers, we created the centerpieces. I spent under $50 on flowers (I love TJ!) and collected vases and other glassware from my own stash at home :)

This trio of what is technically tealight holders on the wood round was my favorite!

Lastly, my daughter wanted a skirt with a 2-tiered flounce but not with a maternity panel. Sigh. (tbf I never wore maternity clothes with either pregnancy. YOUTH!) The ad she saw, the woman had just pulled the skirt over her belly so I said FINE. I used the still popular McCall's 6654 knit skirt pattern, in her normal size 12,  at the shortest length, and added a 4" tier and a 6" tier.

I measured the hem and cut out a rectangle. I slashed every inch and spread the shorter layer about 5/8" at each cut and the longer one at 7/8".  After taping it down I traced off the shape, keeping the center on the fold, and added seam allowance to the top. Because my daughter is as fickle with handmades as RTW items, I do enough but don't put too much energy into projects. I cut the flounces with my rotary cutter and left the ponte unhemmed.

I pinned them together and before I knew it, I'd sewn them each to the front and back of the skirt. DOH! I wanted to sew them in the round! So I had to do some unpicking (not fun in ponte with perfectly matched thread!!) but it was fine in the end :)

3 days before the shower, she asked me to make this top for her and I found a bodice in Burda 11/2015 that was a perfect match. She wanted tulle sleeves but there was no time to acquire fabric AND sew the top so I hit the stash. I had this mesh that was a perfect pairing with the ivory ponte. This bodice is meant to be a dress so I lengthened and straightened out the side seam. It was also meant to be lined. The sleeve attaches to the bodice from just above the notch in front to about the same in back. The rest of the sleeve is just hemmed. I did not take into account new finishing without the lining (and the mesh!) and it was Friday afternoon and I just didn't see finishing it if I had to undo a bunch of topstitching (and in places that had already been trimmed back). So, we hit up Forever 21 because of course, her 7 month belly can still fit into a medium top at the juniors store! Oh, to be young! :)

I probably won't be finishing this but the bodice is NICE

 andI plan to make myself a dress from this pattern!

We had a blast, the food was good, the games were fun and they got a ridiculous amount of gifts including ALL of the big things (car seat, stroller, breast pump, crib (they actually got 2 cribs and have to return one!). And an actual ton of Target gift cards which will come in handy. Baby Bert is set!

my top is M6519

I keep telling them that if we know nothing else, we know Bert is going to have a super curly mane :-D Don't let them fool you in their pink shirts; gender is unknown and I'm betting it's a boy!

June Wrap-Up

Gah. I can't get my sewing mojo or my picture taking mojo back. I'm rapidly losing track of made-but-not-reviewed projects. And it is REALLY important to me to review my 'makes'! I like to know what adjustments I made without pulling the thing out. I like to see lengths of skirts/dresses/sleeves...I like to see the fit on me in case I revisit the pattern or am looking at something similar. Bleh.

This month, I sewed 7.5 yards. I sewed:

• Vogue 1507 top - 3 yards (fussy pattern cutting)
• floral print cotton woven from SR Harris
• Hug Snug binding
• New Look 6614 dress - 2 yards
• orange linen from Fabric.com (stash)
• eyelets, clasps
• Burda Magazine 5/2020 - 2.5 yards (WIP)
• border print Ankara
• buttons

Favorite. FAIL. Accomplishment:

I am digging the Vogue top even though the fabric was *just* slightly too heavy. The front and sleeves are double layered. I'm really liking the Burda top so far. I knew the shape (of the not yet reviewed black version!) would be great in an Ankara print. Then, I cut a length from the upper portion with plans to hem it and use it as a head wrap, but it felt a little "Spider Man" with the blue, red and yellow. LOL!

The NL dress is not quite what I imagined. I don't know if it'll be wearable. I did finish it, so we'll see. Could be a fail.

Also, I stopped tracking purchases. I also stopped updating my sketch book. WAH. Stupid pandemic. Considering the vast majority of my shopping is online, and there was no in-store shopping until late May (when I bought the fabric for the Vogue top from SR Harris), my email shows no pattern or fabric purchases in June.

I've really been pushing myself to learn my knitting machine and have had some successes...

baby blanket using a tuck pattern

initial progress on baby sweater (sleeve is blocked so the ribbing looks nicer!). 

I accidentally dropped the work when I went to do the decreases on the other side

and then, SPLAT. Fell on my face again and again. Now, I'm thinking I damaged some needles/latches on the main bed. I have some on order and will try to replace the ones where my fabric is getting hung up and see if that helps.

NOTHING IS WORKING ANYMORE!

Lots of Cricut love this month with Father's Day and graduations! The sign is for my dad, tee and onesie are for my son in law, and the t-shirts for a couple of cousins. 

mid-placement

Plus, I bought these cheap-o containers from Target ($2!) and jazzed them up with some permanent vinyl.

The other 2 larger containers say "dressmaking debacles" and "Crafting is the Best Medicine"

2020 goals

And, we're halfway through the year! 2020 is a total wash in so many ways. blehhhhh.

Sewing related, I'd set few hard goals for the year. I wanted to keep my spending very conservative because I knew that this year would be so unpredictable economically (due to the administration, election year, etc). I set a budget of $250 for fabric (hahaha) and $50 for patterns. I've spent about $385 on fabric and $48 on patterns. Well that ain't half bad! I can see myself making it the rest of the year without adding new patterns but we'll see what happens when the fall releases drop :) I've only purchased 14 patterns this year - that's some kind of record.

And while I blew through my lowly fabric budget, I added 68 yards to the stash and I've sewn 83 yards. So I'm ahead!

Also, I've sewn 60 items and 32 of them have been from stash fabrics (older than 6 months) - a little more than half. I'm going to revise my fabric goal to end the year with 75% of items sewn being from the stash.

I have barely touched this goal list! I made a jumpsuit and made some loungewear. Summer is a bust and I should probably just move into fall sewing soon. I really want to make my husband's blazer this year. We shall see.

Lastly, I was planning a career move this year. At an interview with a major corporation that I would have LOVED to work for (have you ever noticed how many Fortune 500s are headquartered in Minneapolis?! Target, Best Buy, 3M, General Mills, US Bank, United HealthGroup, I could go on!) we were making lighthearted jokes about the slight stock dive. The next week, the world was shutting down around us and they pulled the position. Bleh.

So I'm gearing up to get back in the saddle (there was like, NOTHING on the job boards for awhile there) and figure I may as well start looking elsewhere. So my relocation MAY happen in 2020 if things play out well.

I'm tired and could use a fresh start. I have a brother and sil here, some friends and my fantastic sewing community that would be well missed. But I am also very anxious here and feel so...repressed. It's not healthy :( Current events only exacerbate what's been true since my mid 20s.

Hope you are staying healthy!

May Wrap-Up and June Plans

As you all know, the country and especially my city, is currently in upheaval. This is hard work but it is necessary work. America has a nasty history with many minority groups but the treatment of blacks in America has been unparalleled. We are fighting for freedom. We are fighting for justice. We are fighting for our very humanity. We are people. We are mothers and fathers, daughters and son. We are friends and coworkers. We are aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews. We are worthy. And our nation's citizens, law enforcement, lawmakers, etc. just can't seem to find it in themselves to see as such. Well now, we will make them see. 

Do NOT comment on my blog with some blah, blah, I thought this was a sewing blog. In case you haven't noticed, I am black. You do not get to ignore that fact because it is one of the single most defining parts of my physical identity. It's certainly why I had a cop waiting for backup with his weapon drawn on me when I was 16 because I had a headlight out. It's certainly why I was face down on the asphalt with multiple officers, weapons drawn, when I was 19. It's why my son had been stopped by police, frisked, car searched, more than half a dozen times by the time he was 17. (Driver's licenses aren't issued until 16) 

So take solace in sewing if you must - I do. But do not bring your privilege here. If you can ignore all that's going on around you it's because you have the privilege to do so. 

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This month, I got off track pretty quickly. I got fixated on this Mother's Day gift plan and spent a ton of time at the start of the month making gifts for family and friends. 

(I am an affiliate for Cricut but there are no links in this post. There are banners on my blog)

I bought a 12-pack of socks and used the Cricut to cut HTV to add some flair! :)

there's 3 of each design

Then, I used Cricut rose-gold faux leather to make keyrings. Each one has a word + mama on back. 

I got the swivel hooks from an Etsy shop. 

Then I used the Cricut Joy insert cards to make cards for everyone. 

It was fun! It was exhausting! LOL!! The gifts were super cost efficient but then there was the shipping. OY! :)  But they were well-received. Success!

Then I made a couple pairs of shorts for my daughter:

I was participating in Me Made May the life happened. My husband's grandfathered died earlier this month due to Covid-19. Last month, I lost my uncle. We traveled to Chicago to take care of things and ended up babysitting for cousins - 2 kids under 4 and welcoming their 3rd! So that was a bright spot. 

Then I got on a top binge because I really do need to replace almost all of my tops and dresses. 

So...this month I sewed 16.25 yards

• New Look 6530 skirt - 1 yard
• ivory ponte
• elastic
• Burda 6938 x2 shorts for my daughter - 1.5 yds
• floral lightweight denim
• blue midweight knit
• True Bias Ogden cami - 1.5 yds
• striped cotton poplin
• Kommatia Relaxed Tee - 1 yd
• print cotton knit
• McCall's 6764 tee hack - 1.5 yds 
• navy cotton jersey
• elastic
• Ottobre 2/2018 top - 1.25 yds
• coral striped jersey
• Burda Mag 4/2019 dress - 2.5 yds (estimation)
• plaid cotton voile
• buttons
• McCall's 6886 dress - 1.25 yds (WADDER)
• cotton rib knit
• Butterick 6330 dress - 2.5 yds
• black & white print jersey
• elastic
• Butterick 6621 dress - 2.25 yds
• black & white stripe jersey
• Jalie Clara x2 for my daughter - not counted in yardage as it was a muslin from my random pile 'o knits

I bought 4 cuts of fabric (6 yards) from Girl Charlee - NEVER AGAIN. More on this later when I review the tops I made. And I bought a cut of fabric from SR Harris. 

I think my Butterick dress covers by my favorite and accomplishment this month. It is exactly what I wanted. 

FAIL would be the M6886. I've made this pattern a ton of times and this is the first post-reduction. I forgot to undo my FBA + cotton rib with no recovery = YUCK. But the idea was cute so I'll toss that wadder in with another review post.

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I am more hyped than ever to honor Linda Faye this month with this sewing challenge. Full announcement here

As mentioned there, there are no rules aside from sew a top or tops between June 1 and June 15! I will do roundup posts here on the blog. You can ensure I see your top by either using the hashtag: #FAYESTOPSTHATPOP or emailing me at sewcraftychemist (gmail) with photos. 

There is no requirement but since I need new tops anyway, and I am always complaining about lack of cute summer wear, I am going to go straight for cute summer tops. And I also decided that I am going to make things that I "couldn't" wear pre-reduction or wouldn't have wanted to make the FBA. 

So far, here are my plans:

Vogue 1507 has been on the list and I have it slated for this HOT pink cotton shirting. I'd love to use the woven below that I picked up from SR Harris but I'm not sure how much the wrong side being mostly white matters for those open, swingy sleeves or for the bow in back. So I have to think about it.

I love Simplicity 8385 and have a knit version of view C in RTW. I'm going to use this nice, weighty rayon challis in a peachy tan/black/white print. 

I plan to use the chartreuse silk on the True Bias Calvin top. The Ogden works so well for me that I'm hoping to have similar luck with the Calvin. 

The Pensee on the other hand...well I like it and will need to muslin it. So we'll see if I get around to it. The only other Deer & Doe pattern I've sewn is the Sirocco and I had to make SO many adjustments to make that bodice work so I'm not sure. And, that was knit, this is woven, and it was pre-reduction so I can't exactly transfer those adjustments over to this pattern. So we shall see. 

As always, more later. Stay safe physically but it's long past due for us to challenge ourselves in other ways. Injustice is a threat to us all. <3

Creating with Cricut Joy!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut for Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.
About two years ago, I jumped on the Cricut train. I'd seen sewers using their cutting machines to add heat transfer vinyl designs to clothing for themselves or their little ones and kept reminding myself to look into it. Then, Cricut contacted me about their affiliate program when the Maker was being released and I jumped on the opportunity.

Cricut recently released a new cutting machine. The Cricut Joy is the perfect companion to quickly and easily personalize anything with one cut and one color, in 15 minutes or less. It is fun, functional, and simple to use! Practical, everyday projects have never been more accessible or easier. If you already have a Maker or Explore Air 2, Cricut Joy opens up additional creative possibilities with unique features and is the perfect companion for quick, mat-free projects and long cuts.

The biggest selling point for me is how compact and portable the machine is. The Maker has unparalleled capabilities - it's amazing. A few months ago I picked my niece up from a friend's house and brought her back home with me until my brother and sister in law could pick her up. It was her birthday and I wanted to put together a quick card. But I just didn't feel I had time to pull out the Maker and my varying supplies (ahem, there may be quite a lot! LOL!) to make one in the time I had. If I'd had my Joy, I could have knocked that out in literally a few minutes! 

The Joy is Cricut's smallest cutting machine ever! It packs away easily, sets up instantly, making it super easy to move from room to room. Not having to transport a mat, combined with the smaller material size, makes the whole system compact and portable; no craft room required! It fits in a cubby or looks great sitting out on a counter or shelf. 

When I received my Joy, I already knew what I needed to use it for!

2020 is the year of babies in our family! I needed a quick gift and decided on a onesie and a card. 

I got all my tools ready!

First up:

I used Cricut Smart Iron-On to create a cute little bowtie.

With the new Cricut Joy Smart materials, mats are optional! The Joy has a full suite of brand-new materials that do not require a mat, meaning less to buy, fewer steps, and faster results. New Smart vinyl comes in extended sizes, with up to 20 feet repeated cut capability, and no need to switch out multiple mats. 

There are lots of options for colors and prints!

The process is SO slick. 

Create your project in Design Space like normal and click Make It.  Unless you're cutting something that is specific in how it can be cut, you'll be given the options shown below.

Because I am using Smart Materials, I chose Without Mat. I am using Iron-On so I have mirrored my design. 

Then clicked Continue in the lower right. 

Choose the appropriate material. 

I have also highlighted the Unload option. I had to use this just the other day because my material loaded slightly crooked. 

Click Go and seconds later, my bowtie was cut and ready to apply to my onesie! 

I pulled out my Easy Press (which I immediately purchased during a Black Friday sale at JoAnn when I got my Cricut Maker!) and input the settings appropriate for the Smart Iron-On and cotton onesie (Cricut provides all of this info for you - don't worry!). 

Next:

I decided to add my FAVORITE thing to baby tees - a 'Hi, I'm New Here' "nametag"! 

So for this project, we need the Cricut Joy mat. I used a piece of Cricut Iron-On that I had in my stash.  The process is exactly the same except for choosing On Mat at the first screen.

Once cut, I weeded the design and used my Easy Press to add the design. Since I purchased mine, Cricut has made some updates and it is now offered as Easy Press 2. There are 4 size options! I have the 9"x9" version and it is also offered in a jumbo 12"x10" size, 6"x7" (great if you're making a lot of kid/baby projects!), and a mini version which people love for adding Iron-On to small areas like on hats, shoes, keychains, etc. 

I love it!!!

Lastly:

I needed a card to go with my gift. This time, I brought my tiny, adorable, Cricut Joy down to the dining room table to work. Score!

Cricut Joy exclusive blank insert card sets allow you to create unique and impressive results in a moment's notice!

There are SO many options of colors and finishes to create unique cards for any occasion.

I chose the cream/silver brush set which comes with cream cards, silver inserts and white envelopes.

For this project, we are using the Cricut card mat. It's pure genius! It has a sleeve that allows you to insert the pre-scored and folded card so that you can cut a design out on the front while keeping the back in tact.

By setting my machine to Joy, I will filter out projects that aren't compatible. Then, I chose cards from the categories list, and baby as a search term. It was tough to choose but I decided to go with the Onesie card to match my gift. 

This is where it gets good! ALL you need to do is click Make it! 

Design Space knows that since you are using a Cricut Joy insert card that you're using the card mat, and there's no need to make any adjustments! 

Insert the card into the mat, press down to secure the card to the mat, and insert the card mat into the Joy. When the materials (mats or Smart materials) come into contact with the rollers on the machine, it automatically loads into the machine. 

The Joy makes quick work of cutting out the design and Design Space lets you know when to unload the mat. 

Gently remove the card from the mat (the cut out cardstock will remain on the mat!) and add the insert card into the slots and you're done! 

Yes, I later decorated my Joy with this cute smily face and Smart Vinyl!

I've chose to write my own message in this card but the Joy also writes! Cricut Joy compatible pens are available in a wide variety of pen types and line widths and can write in a variety of styles. 

I had so much fun with the Joy that I cranked out graduation cards for several graduates who'll be missing out on their Commencement - including my daughter! :(

I also made a ton of Mother's Day cards for family and friends and will be back soon to show off the writing capabilities of the Joy!

More later! 

Learn more about the Cricut Joy or any of the other Cricut cutting machines, Smart materials, Easy Press, and other tools and materials. 

This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these links or via the banner on my blog, I will make a small commission. All opinions are genuine! 

You all know I love my Cricut!!