Layla Pie

Remember my Amanda, my Sister in Dia-bee-tus who just had a baby shugpie, that I was talkin about before?

Well, I have been really excited because I secretly made this for her:

Because she had this little piece of heaven and named her Layla Marie:

I love usin "recycled" fabric to make magical things. I started with little girls' fairy sheets, a green and white linen shower curtain, pink and white striped fabric (actual fabric) and two of the soft fleecy feelin blankies that you can buy at any Walmart or Target. 

First, I took the window that I'd gotten from an old farmhouse and laid it out and traced its total size on the fairy sheet and cut it out:

Then, I just wanted to mark where the center strip of wood in the window would be so that I wouldn't accidentally sew the letters behind the wooden strip in the middle...so I just measured it off, and marked  the back of the sheet in sharpie so I could see where not to sew:

Then, I measured how much "opening" I'd have in the window and then cut squares small enough to fit inside the openings without taking up the whole space, and I allowed for the fact that I'd be sewing in five letters in the top opening of the window and five letters at the bottom opening of the window:

I picked alternating green/white striped pieces with pink/white stripe pieces. All blocks were cut to the same size, then I arranged them in the window to get an idea of how it would come together.

Then, I cut out the letters of Layla's first and middle names from two baby blankets from Walmart/Target. (One is blue with green and white elephants, and the other is blue with pink flowers). Then I stitched the letters onto the blocks.

Once all the letters were cut out and stitched onto the blocks, I used stick pins to pin the blocks in place with the window frame on top to make sure everything was where it needed to be before I sewed them down.

My brother (from Brotha E's Car Service/aka Sylvia's hero) helped by sanding the all the paint off and getting out all the caulking from where there were glass panes in the window. He also attached hooks with picture hanging wire on the back. We worked together to staple gun the fabric to the back of the frame. Here is the finished product again. 

Layla, I hope you like it! 

Love, 

Aunt Beefy

(maybe when you are older you can dress up in fun cop hats and aviators too - Don't tell your mom & dad)