More Sewing for the Babies

Well, I cut these little shirts out a little after Valentine's Day so I could be ready for the 4th of July. Surprise! Well, no surprise really, but I just got around to sewing the shirts up. Actually, I have 10 more of the 50 to serge, all of them to sew down the fronts, and need to put snaps on them. I also need to cut out and finish all of the blankets that go with them. Since I will be in Florida over the 4th, I really need to get in gear and get these items finished and delivered to St Joseph's NICU and the babies at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. I bet the 4 people still reading this blog wish I would get a life outside of preemie sewing, etc.

I keep some little burial sets on hand as once in a great while I have someone call that has had a little baby pass on over to the other side, and I have sweet little clothing ready for them. Sadly, used 3 outfits for little triplets recently. My friend Joan Dart sewed up these little outfits. I just wanted you to see how beautiful they are. (I really wish I had a photographer to do them justice. Sorry!) They are made with little pin tucked white linen, and with love in every stitch. I will be putting them together with little white knit blankets and a little memory heart. The two on the ends are little dresses, the two in the center are little outfits for baby boys. Hopefully, it will be a long while before they are needed, and I will have to dust them off a few times (put them in plastic bags to protect them) before they are needed.

On a lighter note.......

Check out this WAY CUTE print!

Swaddling blanket to comfort the tiniest of preemies--little 1 pounders and up.

Awhile back (longer than I care to really say) Joyce, from St Joseph's NICU gave me a sample mattress cover for their "giraffe" units. These are the isoletes they use for the very tiny preemies. Joan made a pattern. I bought this fabric with the little giraffe's on it, and Joan stitched up the covers while I cut them out. The sample the sales person left them cost $30 each. This fabric is $10 a yard at Joanne's. I got tired of waiting for it to go on sale cheaper than 30% off, so finally bought all they had on a bolt. (Or, for it NOT to be 30% off so I could use a 40% off coupon to buy it.) We had enough to make 7 mattress covers. Joan made the bias binding we needed to finish each mattress cover, so we did not have that cost. We were able to do them for around $7.50 a piece. I found some VERY cute fabric with little giraffe's and lions on it. We can do some little "giraffe" isolete covers to go with their little giraffe mattress covers. Think about it: Someone gives birth to a little one pound baby. This little child wouldn't have had a chance even 5 years ago. Any preemie baby or baby with medical problems is such a stress and worry to his/her parents. They LOVE our hand sewn items!

I was sitting at the chemo doctor's office two weeks ago waiting for my friend. I commented on this very cute, petite little girl. Her mom said she had been a preemie. I asked where and she said St Joe's. I told her I sew preemie clothes, blankets, etc for their NICU. She said she had the cutest little preemie pumpkin hat and little Halloween shirt. She described it--I had made it! Just made me smile inside....all over and outside, too!