While I'm busy sewing away my summer creating adorable baby clothes quilts (& helping all of you awesome ListaLu fans create your own!) my 8-year-old daughter Kalista is busy making slime!

This is the official Summer of Slime. I don't know where it started or how it exploded, but the makers of glue, glitter and contact solution (honestly - who came up with this stuff?) must be rejoicing... I have never purchased so many gallons of glue in my life. Actually, I had never purchased a single gallon of glue in my life until this summer. 

It's actually an amazing and educational (and messy and addictive) science experiment - I'm still a little shocked that it works at all! Here is the basic recipe Kalista has been using:

https://www.skiptomylou.org/how-to-make-slime/

She simply changes it up with food coloring and add-in like beads, glitter, sequins or really anything else she finds! She also changes things with the occasional clear/glitter flue purchase, but mama can't buy that in bulk so it's more of a treat. ;)

We've also experimented with a ton of fun recipes that I've collected over on my Pinterest board!

https://www.pinterest.com/jellybeanquilts/slime-recipes/

And of course I would be remiss to not mention Kalista's favorite slime-related YouTuber, Dr. Squish! Do yourself and your kids a favor & go watch... she not only makes slime, she find the coolest squishy toys and cuts them open to see what's inside. Who hasn't always wanted to do that??? Highly addictive!!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9rGkf9kmCDi4kAmbd1Csyw

Finally, if you're like my household (or millions of other slime-crazed households around the world) you've lost a fair number of your plastic containers to batches of slime. We converted to using plastic zipper baggies, but what do you do when those run out in the middle of a massive slime making session? Well, if your dad is an ER nurse he might just happen to have a few of these lying around... I can see some Halloween party decor ideas coming together...

Today on the blog, it's time to introduce you (officially) to my other business/the "big sister" of ListaLu: Jelly Bean Quilts!

I always assume people were fans of Jelly Bean Quilts before they found ListaLu. After all, my original intention when I created the Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt book & kit was to have something to offer the hundreds of fans asking for a tutorial, tips, a pattern, or even just a cheaper option than a custom quilt! 

But ListaLu has truly taken on a life of it's own, so I thought it would be fun to chat with you DIYers about the other side of my baby-clothes-quilt-making life!

Jelly Bean Quilts is the custom baby clothes memory quilt business I've lived & breathed full time since 2008. People from all over the world fill out an online order form (I have a bunch of sizes & options to choose from!) and ship me their box of clothes. I turn their clothing into an amazing quilt, and ship it back!

The quilts are a little bit different than my ListaLu pattern, because to be honest I don't use a pattern! I lay out each quilt as a piece of art, constantly shifting things to fit and balance all the pieces. 

Here are some pictures of my work over at Jelly Bean Quilts:

I offer sizes ranging from a Small Throw/Crib Quilt (40x54) for $550 all the way up to a King (120x120) for $1550, and all the sizes in between! I also offer throw pillows, pillow shams, and my extra-special tooth fairy pillows that use one of those tiny pockets we all love so much! 

My waiting list is pretty long - it takes about 10 months from ordering to receive your item. This is purely just a factor of how many orders I have in line - I usually have about 40-50 quilts in progress!

I absolutely adore my job! I love to sew all day long while listening to podcasts, and I love that each quilt is a unique creation all it's own. I don't think I could mass produce one or two items over & over!

If you have decided you would like to have a baby clothes quilt custom made, head on over to JellyBeanQuilts.com to fill out your order form!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Don’t Toss that Superhero Onesie! New Book - Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt - Has Arrived

Top Quilter Pens First-Of-Its-Kind Book Teaching Moms to Create Heirlooms from Baby Clothes

(Phoenix) May 23, 2017 - Moms around the world are picking up their scissors and upcycling their old baby clothes into adorable, modern baby clothes quilts after the launch of Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt: Everything you need to know to create a modern memory quilt from your baby’s clothes.

A fast-rising trend, baby clothes quilts are rapidly becoming a popular project. On the heels of the KonMari closet-cleaning craze, moms have discovered that they aren’t ready to part with those adorable baby clothes that hold the memories of baby’s first years.

A baby clothes quilt upcycles those clothes, typically too stained or too worn to be resold, into an heirloom that can be seen and used daily, and even passed down to the next generation.

In her new book, Jamie Wilson – professional baby clothes quilter since 2008 – breaks down the process into step-by-step picture tutorials. Written in response to hundreds of fan requests, she incorporates her best tips and tricks from over a decade of turning baby clothes into quilts.

“Baby clothes quilts are absolutely my passion,” states Wilson. “With a year-long waiting list at Jelly Bean Quilts for a custom quilt, I could not be more excited to have a tool to help more moms preserve those memories and create their own heirloom.”

The full-color, 70 page, spiral-bound 8.5x11 book has over 100 pictures, and a multitude of design options. Designed to be approachable for all sewing levels, she has also included 2 hours of online video tutorials, where she walks through each chapter of the book and creates a quilt from start to finish.

Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt, along with the ebook version and companion quilt kit, can be purchased online at ListaLu.com. Her books and kit can also be found on Amazon.com.

For more information, contact Jamie at contact@listalu.com

Media Kit: Web/High Res Pictures, Full Bios & Story Ideas https://listalu.com/pages/media-blogger-kit

Download Press Release as PDF

Reviews

I loved this book!!! I am new to quilting and found the book easy to follow. Since I'm new, the step by step instructions, along with the provided materials really set me up for success. I was very proud of the product that I had made! Now I can say that I have successfully sewn a blanket that I could give to my kids and they can say, "My mom made this! -Bookworm

Love it! I've always wanted to have baby clothes quilts made for my kids, but was unsure about my own skill level and was put off by the cost of having someone else do it. This book made it easy and approachable for me to make them myself and they turned out wonderfully. Thank you so much!  -Etsy Customer

This is the best tutorial on how to make your own quilt out of baby clothes! It walks you step by step and has great pictures to help guide you through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering a project like this! -Lisa

Jamie has created the most beautiful quilts over many years. Her ability to teach others is such a gift! -Diane

I have been following Jamie’s work via social media for years. She does a beautiful job on her quilts and really has become the expert in modern clothing quilts. So when she came out with her baby clothes quilt book I knew this was my chance to get a detailed tutorial on how to make a clothes blanket with sound advice. I have used this book, and the principles taught in it, to make a clothing blanket out of my husband’s shirts. I need to collect another seasons worth of clothes for my daughter then I will tackle my first baby clothes quilt. Principles and techniques taught in this book and video tutorials are geared towards baby clothes, but easily adapted for adult shirts as well! – Elizabeth

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I designed my Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt pattern to be accessible to just about everyone with a sewing machine. I've classified it as a "Confident Beginner" pattern, which might sound a little bit vague, but I feel is best summed up with this awesome clip art:

Clearly she knows her bobbin from her presser foot, she has created a few things from online tutorials, and she's not afraid to jump in & try things. But she's also a busy lady and doesn't have a ton of time for big, complicated projects, so she probably doesn't have a ton of quilting experience.

But if you're a less-than-confident beginner, here's a fantastic 4-part sewing tutorial to get you started!

http://craftsnob.com/2011/03/sewing-101-part-1/

http://craftsnob.com/2011/04/sewing-101-2/

http://craftsnob.com/2011/04/sewing-101-3/

http://craftsnob.com/2011/04/sewing-101-4/

If you're a seasoned quilt, don't worry - there are plenty of design options to suit your desires for a more complicated pattern! And I think you will find that quilting with baby knits and other apparel fabrics is different enough from regular quilting that the book will prove extremely valuable - it really is it's own genre of quilting!

"Can I use this pattern to create a t-shirt quilt?" is a common question I receive just about every day.

The answer is... yes! And also... sort of!

While the book & pattern were designed for baby clothes (particularly the smaller cutting template), the entire process, tips, tricks, and materials can all be easily adapted to use t-shirt quilts. At Jelly Bean Quilts, I make my custom t-shirt quilts in exactly the same way as my baby clothes - just with larger squares! 

All it takes is a little thought to adapt the pattern - you really just need to decide how big your blocks need to be to accommodate the larger designs on your t-shirts, and then make a cutting template square out of a scrap piece of fabric or some tissue/parchment paper! The rest of the process - interfacing, layout, sewing, quilting & finishing - are all the same! The compound blocks I teach at the end of the book are perfect for when you have a mix of larger and small designs on your shirts.

But you don't have to take my word for it - a customer just submitted this great review who used the pattern to create a sports t-shirt quilt, to great success! Here's the screenshot, but if you scroll down I will paste the actual text for those of you on mobile (the text will shrink down in the picture!)

Here's a larger picture of the quilt she created:

Full Review In Text:

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"I have been wanting to make a t shirt blanket for my husband for a long time. There are so many tutorials out there on the internet, but all with varying advice, which left me unsure and my project not touched for years!

I have been following Jamie’s work via social media for years. She does a beautiful job on her quilts and really has become the expert in modern clothing quilts. So when she came out with her baby clothes quilt book I knew this was my chance to get a detailed tutorial on how to make a clothes blanket with sound advice. I have used this book, and the principles taught in it, to make a clothing blanket out of my husband’s shirts. I need to collect another seasons worth of clothes for my daughter then I will tackle my first baby clothes quilt. Principles and techniques taught in this book and video tutorials are geared towards baby clothes, but easily adapted for adult shirts as well!

What I love about this book:

- Not only are there a TON of pictures to show each and every step, but there is a video tutorial guide for each step too. At the end of the book is a unique code that you can enter into her website to access the videos. I did not watch each one, just the ones for the steps I was unsure of or wanting to make sure I had it just right.
- The format. So many of the book’s pages had a special section at the bottom titled ‘Pro Tip’. I learned so many fun details and tips here. Things I never would of thought of. So useful and easy to read!
- The materials list. To use a fusible stabilizer or not? That’s one of the biggest questions with a clothes quilt and Jamie not only answers it, but give specific brand names of what to use. Have you ever looked at stabilizers at your big box fabric store? It can be crazy confusing if you don’t know what you are buying. She also shares all her fabrics with us, even thread and scissor brands!
- At the end of the book is a chapter dedicated to special design cases – like preemie clothes and those cute little pants with the picture on the butt of them. She shows you just how to piece them into a quilt block so they can be included as well.
- Design. While each of our quilts will be unique, this books shares some basic design tips and layouts that are pleasing to the eye.

This book will not teach you how to sew or use your sewing machine. You need to have a basic understanding of material and sewing first. But if you have that, this book is for you! Even if you have never sewn a quilt in your life I am confident with this book you can do it!

I viewed this book on my laptop. I used Adobe to view it and the links worked perfectly to get to the videos or to purchase materials right from there. I kept my laptop open on my sewing table and followed right along with each step as I created my quilt."

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Isn't that awesome! She did such a fabulous job adapting the pattern, and I love the extra-fuzzy gray minky she chose for the backing - perfect for a throw blanket to take to a football game!!!

You can see this review (and more reviews!) live and in person over on the Kindle version at Amazon, if that's your style!

You can also purchase via the Etsy listing for my PDF book, or here on my site: Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt Digital Download

It's always exciting to get a 5-star review - and it's 10x more exciting when that review includes a picture!! Of real quilts made with my pattern!

Be still, my beating heart!

Here's a screen shot:

Here's the text, in case you're on a phone & the screenshot text is too tiny:

"Love it! I've always wanted to have baby clothes quilts made for my kids, but was unsure about my own skill level and was put off by the cost of having someone else do it. This book made it easy and approachable for me to make them myself and they turned out wonderfully! Thank you so much!"

Here's a larger snap of the customer-created quilts for your viewing pleasure - aren't they awesome! YOURS WILL BE TOO, I promise! :)

You can see this review live and in person over on the Etsy listing for my PDF book + videos. You can snag your copy on Etsy, or here on my site: Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt Digital Download

You can also get the Kindle version over on Amazon, if that's your style!

Happy Star Wars Day! 

As a mom to a 13 year old boy who loves himself some Star Wars (and wife to a 39 year old who is arguably the bigger Star Wars fan) I had to do a little something to commemorate this day. 

I only wish some of this awesome Star Wars nursery swag had been around 14 years ago - it seems like when my son was little people just didn't care about nursery decor like they do today - I had cute little jungle animal sheets and a giraffe mobile, and that about sums up my nursery decor! Fast forward to 2017... thank you, Pinterest!

Let's check out some of the cutest stuff I found on Pinterest!

How cute is this Star Wars Nursery Announcement from the Etsy shop JosephPrints!?!

Or this Star Wars Mobile from Lespetitesshop, also over on Etsy? (Although why are mobiles always facing out... shouldn't they be facing down so the baby can see them?)

These Star Wars Wooden Sign Blocks would be a great addition to a nursery shelf, combining every new mom's 2 favorite things - Star Wars and Guess How Much I Love You? 

Finally, the cutest Yoda Bath Towel in the world! This is almost enough to make me want another little yoda... almost! ;)

Have a great Star Wars Day, and May the 4th Be With You! 

Excited to announce that my Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt ebook is now available as a Kindle book on Amazon.com! 

Everything is the same as the PDF version that you can purchase here on my site... there is an access code in the book for the videos and cutting template download, and links to resources as well. This is just a great option for those of you who prefer to keep all of your ebooks organized in your kindle library! 

This version is jam-packed with pictures, so it's only available on color tablets (ipad, galaxy, nexus - any of them), kindle fires, and the kindle viewing app on computers, phones, etc - just not the e-ink version of kindle. You wouldn't be able to see my great step-by-step tutorials! 

What are people saying?

I loved this book! !! I am new to quilting and found this book easy to follow. Since I'm new, the step by step instructions, along with the provided materials, really set me up for success. I was very proud of the product that I had made! Now I can say that I have successfully sewn a blanket that I could give to my kids and they can say, "My mom made this!' -Bookworm

This book was instrumental to me, a beginning quilter, complete an adorable quilt. I am delighted with the results and I'm positive my quilt is something that my family will treasure forever! I could not be happier with this purchase!! -Hilary

This is the best tutorial on how to make your own quilt out of baby clothes! It walks you step by step and has great pictures to help guide you through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering a project like this! -Lisa

Jamie has created the most beautiful quilts over many years. Her ability to teach others is such a gift! -Diane

Get it now: 

Click here to purchase on Amazon.com!

Are you a crafter (or a craft supporter) who loves Etsy? Maybe you already have an account over there, and you prefer to use the Etsy site for your crafty purchases?

Great! I'm now on Etsy too, so that you can purchase your kit whichever way is most convenient for you.

Click here to view my kit on Esty >>>

In my mission to Make the World More Adorable I've decided that henceforth each Monday will be know at ListaLu HQ as Cute Onesie Monday. In other words, I will go out and round up some of the cutest baby clothes out there right now... things that coincidentally would be fantastic editions to a future baby clothes quilt! ;)

In honor of the newly released Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer, I've got a few adorable Star War onesies to share.

"I am a father, like my Jedi before me" - Seriously though, it's adorable onesies like this that make think about having another kiddo! But a teenager + a newborn... nope.

"Storm Pooper" - Perfect for your own little pooper! Also available in black, because dressing a baby in white is like the ultimate jinx.

"Future Jedi" -  Classic! And available in tons of colors. This would be so cute on a quilt!

"Come to the dark side... we have cookies" - I'm in! Unless they are oatmeal raisin.

"Too cute I am" - Perfect for your own little Yoda. And really, isn't every scrunchy, squishy new baby a tiny little Yoda??

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