Summer project #1: Sunbonnet

My baby was born in June 2010, and all of her friends were born around the same time.
That means that May, for me, the crusader of homemade, is never going to be easy. It started last year with a huge birthday party, and the handmade decorated cake. This year (that I am even more into crafts and eco-parenting) it's going to be Little Monkey's birthday party with party bags, cake, present and decorations, and all of her little friends' presents. Add to this that three of my very close friends are about to give birth to their new bundles of joy, and you will understand me if I feel slightly overwhelmed!
I know, I know, I'm shooting myself in the foot here: why don't I just pop in the local Tesco and BUY the cake? why don't I just buy plastic party bags and fill them with the usual 'Made in China' trinkets???
With all due respect to fellow mums, who are perhaps busier than I am, but go and buy things for their children's parties, I know I can MAKE nice stuff and I enjoy it too, plus I want to believe that things can be done differently, in a less consumerist way and with a little more love.
I just ADORE handmade stuff, and I hope this adoration shows through the things I make.
So, here it is the first product of my craft summer series: the sunbonnet.

Remember that sometimes ago I bought some vintage patterns in a flea market? I often buy patterns and books for future use, and just as often I don't have the time to make anything with them. But this time I decided to make something using the 1980's children hat patterns by Simplicity.
I love sunbonnets, perhaps because when I was little I loved Sarah Kay, that sweet little girl with huge sunbonnets and 1970s flared trousers (well, it was the 1970s...).

I also recently came across this Peekaboo Bonnet by Made by Rae, which is incredibly cute and neat.
So no question I had to make sooner or later a sunbonnet for my baby girl and perhaps for one of her friends as a birthday present, but I thought I should start with something slightly simpler. The Simplicity pattern was just what I needed. So I went for it and in a couple of hours I had this cute result. I also learnt to use bias tape on a curve, which was easier than I thought using my steam iron.

 
Doesn't my little one look cute in it? But if I have to be perfectly honest, the full truth is that I actually made this hat for one of Little Monkey's friends, whose second birthday is in a couple of weeks time...but I made up a tonne of excuses to myself and couldn't give it away! well, this means I just have to make something else for Little I now :)

Come on, summer, bring it on!!!