News: Baby Shower Gift

Introducing Etta Louise (and her birth story)!

By Casey Corey

Introducing Etta Louise (and her birth story)!

On February 7, we welcomed baby girl, Etta Louise. She came out fast and furious at 8 lbs 5 oz and 20.5” long.

 family of 5 with mom holding newborn

mom and dad holding newborn baby

I was 41 weeks pregnant (Alice was born at 39 weeks and Dylan was born at 40 weeks) so going a week past my due date was unexpected. To say I was restless for her arrival would be an understatement. Although I did enjoy a big delicious milkshake each night while I impatiently waited for spontaneous labor. I had lots of strong Braxton Hicks, but nothing consistent or close together. I ultimately agreed to be induced at 41 weeks. 

newborn baby

newborn baby with eyes open and fist by face

 

Despite my best efforts, spontaneous labor never happened. So on a Monday morning, B and I said see you soon to Alice and Dylan and we headed to the hospital for my induction. It’s quite odd going to have a baby during daylight hours. I got started on Pitocin and my OB broke my water. I was 3.5 CM dilated and 60% effaced that morning. An hour later, the contractions were very intense. We tried watching some of the Olympics while I labored in my room. Being hooked up to the machines made moving around difficult so we made do with the tight space. 

toddlers on rocking chair smiling

 

After a while I couldn’t relax through the contractions anymore and I was worried my stress would slow down labor so I requested the epidural. That worked perfectly. After it was administered, I was 9 CM and my wonderful nurse called my OB to say it was almost time. A half hour later I was pushing and baby girl made her appearance in just 4 fast and furious hours. 

toddlers holding newborn baby sister

toddler holding newborn sister

mom with toddlers

 

Alice has been enamored with her baby sister. She loves holding her and making sure everyone washes their hands before holding Etta. Dylan says “Etta” in the cutest way possible with his tongue sticking out and gives her gentle touches.

naked newborn baby with eyes open 

We are adjusting to newborn life once again. I am tired and so grateful that she is here and healthy. I am kicking myself for not getting farther along on her baby quilt before she arrived but I also didn’t get Dylan’s done until after he was born, too. Second and third children, am I right?

fabric pull for baby quilt

 

I do, however, have all the fabric laid out for this modern, handmade baby quilt. I am going to make her a secret garden themed Everything Quilt. I can’t wait to lay it out for tummy time, monthly photos, bring it on outdoor adventures, and make all the memories with her. 

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Better Together Pillow: Perfect Quilt + Macrame Combination for Baby’s Nursery

By Casey Corey

Better Together Pillow: Perfect Quilt + Macrame Combination for Baby’s Nursery

When I designed the Pout Pout Fish Collection, I knew I wanted to incorporate a different kind of texture for one of the pillows. I wanted to lean on the community theme. It took many different friends for the Pout Pout Fish to realize himself that he needed a different perspective. He needed his community to help him get through his sad days and they were still there to welcome him when he was able to see his pout another way. Becoming a parent also requires a community. Whether its a friend to vent to, a play date to organize, someone to seek parenting advice from, or a child care provider- we all need the support. We’re better together despite this westernized ideal that a mom can do it all and do it all by herself. 

quilted pillow with macrame laying in pile with other quilted pillows on beach

I met a local mom who makes exquisite macrame. I knew a collaboration with her would be perfect for this collection. I decided to quilt the front of the pillow with an elegant diamond quilting pattern. Something about that pattern is so regal.

toddler girl holding quilted pillow with macrame on beach

toddler girl holding quilted pillow with macrame on beach

The macrame artist then designed her own piece inspired by the Pout Pout Fish book to add on top of the quilted fabric. 

quilted pillow with macrame displayed on beach
quilted pillow with macrame displayed on beach

The result is a stunning, collaborative handmade quilted pillow that is a perfect addition for any baby’s nursery. The quilted pillow is backed with a lilac woven cotton fabric. The pillow also has aa brass YKK zipper to take the insert out. It was a joy to work together and I know you’ll love the pillow as much as we do.

 

P.S. If you try to order this pillow while I'm on maternity leave (February 2022- April 2022), then it will be marked as sold out. There is a gift card option to hold you over until my leave is over.  

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Pink Baby Bib Round-Up

By Casey Corey

Pink Baby Bib Round-Up

I was not about the pink life before I had my first girl. After I got pregnant with Alice, I was suddenly all about pink. I was wearing pink for perhaps the first time in a decade. I bought pink onesies and even wanted to decorate her room in pink. 

pink themed nursery for baby girl

As it turns out, Alice is a total pink girl herself (or at least has been since she’s been able to communicate). All of her clothing has to have pink. She loves herself a pink unicorn bracelet. A pink plate? Dinner just got so much better. I do not know if my interest in pink was spurred by Alice in the womb or if all of the pink around her fostered her own interest in pink. All this to say, the pink interest has inspired many a pink handmade baby bib set here at Casey Sheila Quilts. 

lots of baby bibs laid out on fabric cutting desk

Out of the 25 baby bib sets we currently offer, we have 6 pink sets! Some of them are feminine and strong. Some of them are a bold pink. Some of them are a playful pink. And some of them are pure girly girl (nothing wrong with harnessing those female powers, ladies!). Without further ado, I rounded up all of our pink sets and listed them here:

Pink Surfer Girl Baby Bib Set

 

Flamingo Baby Bib Set
Nina Bib Set

 

Pink Rainbow Babies Bib Set

 

Strawbabies Bib Set

 

Sugar Babies Bib Set

As with all of our bib sets, these bibs are available in either the Bandana or Long size. They come with either an Organic Fleece backing or an Organic Terry Cloth backing. They have a snap closure so baby can’t easily rip them off. And they are all handmade by yours truly. Have a question or need help narrowing down which pink set best suits your needs? Send an email to casey@caseysheilaquilts.com.

Also, if you're looking to make a purchase while I am on maternity leave (February- April 2022), please know the bibs are currently marked as sold out but you can still purchase a gift card.

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Baby Registry: A Casey Sheila Quilts Must Have

By Casey Corey

Baby Registry: A Casey Sheila Quilts Must Have

Did you know you can add any of our products to your baby registry on Babylist? When I was getting ready to go on maternity leave, I noticed a few registries with our bibs. I didn’t want the expecting mommas to be without our high quality, handmade baby bibs so I picked the first two registries and secretly fulfilled the orders! We all know that Casey Sheila Quilts products are a must-have. 

hand holding black, yellow, and white thread

stack of baby bibs with a pacifier on top

I cannot tell you how much fun I had. Both mommas were due while I expected to be on maternity leave. I had already turned all of our stock to 0 for the leave so there’s no way anyone could make a purchase until April (after their babies were due). Although it’s common to use bibs at meal times when solids first start getting introduced, bibs are also really helpful in the beginning to catch spit up and drool. By keeping baby’s skin dry, you can help prevent the skin from getting irritated with all the moisture in those adorable neck folds. (Also, the spit up milk starts to stink if they’re not cleaned right away. Ha! The things you learn as a mom). 

baby bibs with sun fabric, yellow fabric, and white polka dots on black fabric

For the first expecting momma, I got to make one of our original bib sets! The Sun Babies Bib Set. It’s a bold, gender neutral set. I love the little sun faces and the coordinating two bibs. She registered for the bandana style in organic fleece.

For the second expecting momma, I got to make the Turtle Dude Baby Bib Set. Another bold, gender neutral set. The bright orange and adorable turtles are great reminders of the beach and connecting with nature. I always like the reminder that the world is bigger than a 10 pm, 12 am, 3 am,, 4:30 AM, and 6:00 AM wake up to eat and burp. 

two sets of handmade, gender neutral baby bibs with a sippy cup and pacifier

After making the bibs, I marked the bibs as purchased on the registries and boxed them all up! I love the mom community and relished in this opportunity to help a new momma. Who’s registry will I tackle next?! Send me an email at casey@caseysheilaquilts.com if you know of someone registered for my products and maybe I’ll be able to fulfill that request too. Also, a reminder that gift cards are still available while I’m on leave. 

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Raindance Quilt: A Gender Neutral Rainbow Baby Quilt

By Casey Corey

Raindance Quilt: A Gender Neutral Rainbow Baby Quilt

I created a Raindance gender neutral rainbow baby quilt in May 2021. After momma received the handmade baby quilt, she ordered one for her sister who was also expecting a rainbow baby. Both mommas were team green. The first momma ended up having a boy and I can’t wait to see what her sister has. 

gender neutral baby quilt hanging on white brick wall with wooden chest underneath
front and back of rainbow baby quilt

This is one of my favorite custom baby quilts to make. You get to select five different colors for the triangles and any kind of backing of your choice! We had a specific color palette in mind for this quilt and ended up finding the perfect backing choice on spoonflower.com. 

white rainbow fabric
gender neutral baby quilt hanging against white brick wall
close up of gender neutral baby quilt

I quilted this Raindance quilt in diamond shapes with a cream thread. I love the subtle pop from the shape, texture, and color of the thread on the back. The cream is just delicate enough to complement the bold colors on the front. 

baby quilt all wrapped up with extra fabric

I had some extra fabric from binding all three layers together (top, batting, and backing). In fact, I often over measure this part and have extra fabric. It’s been a struggle because I don’t want to throw out the fabric, but I didn’t know how to re-use it. I finally figured out I could wrap the quilts up with the extra fabric. I think the end result looks authentic, handmade, and personal. And it keeps fabric out of wasteland. An all around win. 

 

close up of gold fabric in corner of quilt

I would love to help you create the baby quilt of your dreams for you or a momma in your life. Please send an email to me at casey@caseysheilaquilts.com. 

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Baby Bibs: Setting up a Baby Registry & FAQ

By Casey Corey

Baby Bibs: Setting up a Baby Registry & FAQ

Setting up a baby registry is no easy task. I legitimately cried from being overwhelmed, more than once. When I started, I was at a mall and very naively thought I’d just jump into a few of the baby stores and start adding to my registry. I decided to start with a stroller since that seemed like a big item to get out of the way and I completely crumbled. I had no idea what I wanted in a stroller or what a stroller could offer my family. I found that the overwhelming number of choices and need to research the strollers also applied to almost everything I put on my baby registry. Baby bibs were not immune from the chaos and mental load.

baby bibs hanging on a quilt ladder

After three babies and selling my own handmade baby bibs for two years, I know what I like in a bib. Here are my musts: 

  • The bib must be machine washable. 
  • It must have a snap because baby can rip the velcro right off. 
  • It has to have good coverage. 
  • It has to be soft because all of my babes have had very sensitive skin. They have to be absorbent because the amount of spit up that comes out of those cute gremlins is no joke. 
  • And of course, they have to be cute. 

handmade baby bibs being sewn up

Casey Sheila Quilts baby bibs of course do all that. And they’re handmade by yours truly so you can be confident that you’re getting a well-made item that directly supports this small, family business.

pink baby bibs in long and bandana size

walrus baby bibs in green colors

Our bibs do require you to make a few decisions. I’m sorry! But every baby is different so we need to cover (literally) their needs. The first decision you have to make is which set! We have sorted the bibs based on gender (girl, boy, gender neutral) to help you navigate the options. You can find the different options in the drop down menu. 

baby wearing a sloth bib in long size

baby outside wearing a bandana size bib

The second decision you have to make is about sizing. Does the bandana size or the long size better fit your family’s needs? The long size has the most coverage. I usually recommend the long for babies who have a lot of spit up, if your baby’s spit up goes everywhere and you need more coverage, or if baby is older and you plan on mainly using the bibs at meal time. The long bib sizes come with two different snaps (no velcro on any of our bibs!) so they can grow and adapt to fit baby as baby grows. The bandana has one snap and provides plenty of coverage for the average baby. 

back of bandana bib

organic fleece back on baby bibs

The third and last decision you have to make about our bibs is the backing material. Does the organic fleece or organic Terry Cloth better suit your family’s needs? The fleece is softer than the Terry cloth. The Terry cloth is more absorbent than the fleece. This can be a tough balance to strike. All of my babies had crazy drool and often developed irritation on their necks. The Terry cloth absorbed most of the drool but sometimes their skin needed the softness of the fleece. The fleece feels like a luxuriously soft sweater.

baby bib gift wrapped for baby shower

If you’re purchasing our bibs a gift for someone else, you can get a few different options so momma and baby can try them all out. If you’re registering for yourself and still have no idea what you want to try, send me an email at casey@caseysheilaquilts.com. I’m happy to chat and talk about what might work best. If you know exactly what you want, go ahead and add us to your baby registry (you can use Babylist and basically add anything from any website!). I have a dream of sending off a free set to a momma who has registered for us- if that’s you, send me an email so I can check out your registry. 

Most importantly, whether you’re a momma or supporting a momma- remember you’re doing a great job. 

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Floral Nursery Pillow: Les Fleurs Edition

By Casey Corey

Floral Nursery Pillow: Les Fleurs Edition

I was commissioned to create a custom, handmade quilted pillow based on the Les Fleurs Baby Bib Set. I love to see where my client’s inspiration for a custom pillow or quilt come from. I am even more in love when that inspiration comes from one of my handmade baby bib sets. The design process for this pillow was so fun and easy. We knew the front would be the magical Liberty of London floral fabric. The fabric is soft and easy to wash. 

The client picked the coordinating red fabric for the back of the pillow.  A brilliant choice. 

We then used the yellow speckled fabric for the bottom with a study black zipper. The bronze zipper is YKK and glides very smoothly. Easy for taking on and off the pillow insert. Our pillows do come with an insert, but if you have the perfect insert in mind, then I am happy to adjust the price to come without the insert. Just let me know at casey@caseysheilaquilts.com. 

The resulting pillow for baby girl’s floral nursery is strikingly beautiful and practical. The pillow can be used for back support during those late night feedings, for pretend naps when baby becomes a toddler (or fingers crossed, a real nap!), or any kind of play that baby imagines. The pillow is an heirloom that be used to create memories for years to come. Hopefully one day, baby girl can pass it on to the next generation. Now she just needs a matching Casey Sheila Quilts quilt. 

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Floral Baby Bib Round-Up

By Casey Corey

Floral Baby Bib Round-Up

I’ve got baby girls on the mind and wanted to do a round-up of our best selling floral baby bibs. Our baby bibs are all handmade. I double stitch on the top to ensure longevity. In fact, the feedback I hear the most about our handmade baby bibs is how well they hold up wash after wash. I agree- I’ve been using them with my kids for 4 years now. They make a great addition to a baby registry (Babylist lets you register Casey Sheila Quilts products), a baby shower gift, or as part of that new baby gift package. Without further ado, here are our top two selling, gorgeous floral bibs: 

Les Fleurs Babies Bib Set

This set is filled with deep reds and yellows. They inspire hope at the end of a long winter that spring is indeed coming. Just hang on for that next season, momma. They come with a plastic snap closure so baby can’t easily rip them off. Like all of our bibs, they are available in either a bandana or long form. You also get to choose if you want them backed with organic fleece or organic terry cloth. While the terry cloth is more absorbent, the fleece is a bit softer and therefore easier on a sensitive baby’s skin. 

Nina Bib Set

The Nina Bib Set was inspired by a custom quilt I created for baby Nina. This set is feminine and strong. Soft pink flowers paired with independent succulents. This is a limited set so once it’s sold out, it’s gone for good. 

These bib sets are great from the newborn stage to the toddler stage. They make great drool and spit up catchers. They protect baby’s skin from those red, gnarly drool rashes. They also catch purees and food once baby is old enough for solids. Truly a must have baby registry item. 

You can always add a matching, custom pillow or quilt with your bib order. I’d love to bring your vision to life. Just send me an email at casey@caseysheilaquilts.com. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter so you can be the first to know when our new products launch. 

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