So Simply Stephanie

My oldest son is 4 years old today. He likes loves is infatuated with superheroes (more specifically Batman). So what better gift for him than his very own super pal? My inspiration for this came from this post over at The Polkadot Chair . I knew I wanted to make something with a Batman theme for my little boy, but wasn't sure just what until I saw that post. The mask and cape were super easy to make. The shirt and pants were a bit difficult, but they fit and will stay on. I can't wait to see my little boy's face when he receives this gift that I had such a fun time making just for him!

My most recent quilt... I made this one for my step-mom's birthday. I just LOVE how this quilt turned out and I'm sure I'll be making more of these! I used this template from the Crazy Mom Quilts blog to make my blocks. It was fun and easy to make... and did I mention that I LOVE how this looks finished?!?!

I have been pretty busy lately with my family & preparing for my son's first birthday. Amidst all of that, I finally finished this quilt for my youngest brother (Bradyn) for his birthday... I LOVE how bright and cheerful this quilt turned out (was even tempted to keep it for one of my little boys). I hope my brother enjoys it! And for my son's first birthday celebration... Monster stuffies (one of my own design, the other from HERE ), birthday bunting with his name, appliqued t-shirt & monster crown

I have been quilting away as often as I can lately and have completed these 3 quilts... Scrappy diamond quilt for one of my sisters-   I am not entirely pleased with this quilt. I had such a difficult time with it & many of the diamond points don't line up. I do however LOVE how the quilting looks on the back of the quilt and how the diamonds puff up on the front of the quilt! Zig zag quilt for another sister- The photos really don't do this quilt justice. The red/black/white combo is really sharp in person & I love the backing on this. I really like how the zig zag quilting looks, too. This quilt is for my mom, just because I love her- I wanted to get this one done quickly for my mom to use right away. I completed this in 3 days thanks to a simple design, batting that allows quilting up to 10" apart, simple straight line quilting & a wide piece of fabric for the backing. It was a quick & fun quilt.

I normally don't review products on here, but these wooden toys are so cool that I wanted to share... Wooden toys from Mama Made Them on Etsy - We purchased these through a group buy (at a discount) as Christmas gifts for the boys. These are such good quality that I would definitely be willing to pay full price for them.  These toys are big fun for little hands & creative minds! Bath toys - both boys have lots of fun with these in the bathtub. Good bye plastic bath toys, hello durable wooden toys! Playground - my oldest LOVES this. The merry-go-round is so cool as is the swing. Fire truck, bulldozer & flatbed truck - I love that the ladder comes off of the firetruck. The flatbed truck is just awesome. Gas & Go Set - this one is awesome because it comes with 3 vehicles & lots of wooden people. All around fun. Not pictured - teething keys . Baby Z really enjoys the sound these make & of course chewing on them. My oldest son says his favorit...

I normally try to find free tutorials/patterns online for the bags I make. However... once I saw the 241 Tote over at Noodlehead I knew it was a pattern I'd like to buy. Apparently I'm not the only one since I've seen many of these online. I used white linen & Modern Meadow fabric by Joel Dewberry for this project. I absolutely LOVE this fabric & have had it tucked away for a little while now. I knew it would be perfect for this project. Here is my finished bag... And the interior... This pattern is written tutorial style (plenty of explanations for each step & lots of photos).  It was super quick & easy - I made the purse in 1 day. I really enjoyed using this pattern & have already cut out the pieces for 3 more! A few notes - this was my first time using linen and I really liked it for the outer pockets & strap. Also, I used lightweight interfacing on the lining pieces, strap & all pockets. I used fusible fleece for the outer pieces. I ...

Here are a few more simple wooden toys my husband and I have made for the boys... Lacing shoe, dragon, robot & spaceship The dragon is entirely my husband's creation - isn't it amazing! I also wanted to share the last few Christmas gifts that I couldn't post before... I made 2 of these fabric baskets for my husband ( tutorial ) The finished Across the Sea Quilt for my sister ( quilt along ) -