Wherein C gets all crafty

Well, it actually proved more difficult to remember where i had put my camera than it was to find the usb cable for it, but finally, my craftiness can be documented and broadcast to the whole world.  

As some of you may know, i have been expecting the imminent arrival of a new cousinlet and had prepared for this wonderful occasion by sewing my cousin an Amy Butler "nappy bag" before i left Victoria.  I chose Amy Butler nigella passion vine in celery in home dec weight for the exterior and lotus green oxford stripe for the changing pad, sorry i don't know the name of the interior fabric.  I thought the home dec fabric was stiff enough for the bag, so i didn't add the canvas layer or any extra interfacing.  I found a towel on sale that was the exact colour of orange as in the stripe on the fabric, so i used that as the terry cloth and didn't put a layer of batting in.  I added a magnetic purse snap to keep the bag closed, although it seems really strong, kinda hard to open, but that might be good when it is full, and I added a strap for a key ring.  I also left off the bottle pockets because they seem kind of stupid as they block the side pockets, so i just sewed across the bottom of one side pocket on the front and one on the back so that the pockets were a little shorter and could be used as a bottle pocket as need be.  The bonus is that I have enough fabric left over to make a purse for myself from the fabric that was cut out of the middle to make the shoulder straps.

The day after I got back home, we got a call from the daughter of family friends inviting us to her baby shower for her baby which is due in two weeks now.  Quite a shock because her mother isn't happy that she isn't married and so hadn't told anybody, her daughter was calling us behind her mom's back.  I used to babysit the girl, but she is around 22 now, has finished her photography course at the community college, and has a good job with an awesome local photographer as studio manager, so it isn't like she is a naughty teenager.  Of course her mother doesn't see any good in the situation, and so is setting about ruining her relationship with her first grandchild before he is even born and there is nothing we can do to talk her out of it.   So we will support our young friend any way we can, and pray that her mother doesn't lose her daughter and grandchildren out of her stubbornness.    

Anyway, we are going the the shower today, and I made the baby a carriage blanket, which now seems to be my signature baby item.  It is from the pattern for the Seija blanket in the Happy Hooker  Stitch and Bitch Nation crochet book, but I always use a different weight of yarn, so I just use the pattern for measurements.  It is a small blanket with a hole two thirds of the way up to put the buckles for the baby carrier or carriage through.  This is the third time I have made it, I have wondered if it is actually useful, I guess I should really ask the people i have given it to previously, but they are both too polite and nice to give me a real answer, so i will continue to make them. 

Update:

Just got back from the shower, tons of people there, including her grandma, aunt, mom, and her brothers, so things look much more positive in that regard.  Her brothers are really excited to be uncles, so if nothing else, she will have support from them.  Plus, she loved the blanket! Her mom still seemed reserved, but then she had the same attitude when she told us one of the boys had applied to med school, that woman just can't be happy for her children!