This weekend, I was absent from the internet. In fact, I was also absent from NYC. Instead of making my planned trip to Beacon’s Closet and the farmers’ market, I flew to Michigan to surprise my cousin Lindsey at her baby shower. I only make it to Michigan once or twice a year, and I hadn’t seen my family since last Christmas, so it felt especially great to be part of the celebration. Only my mom and dad knew for sure that I was coming, so I got to surprise everyone!

Now, with the trip over, I can finally reveal my super-secret sewing project:

On Thursday night, with the help of a whirlwind trip to Purl Soho (and a very patient husband), I turned this pile of supplies into…

a portable baby changing pad!

To make the pad, I quilted oilcloth with thin batting for the base, then made a removable (washable) cotton flannel cover for the top. The quilted stitches are also folding guides, so it’s easy to roll it up and toss it into a diaper bag.

Lindsey seemed to really like it, and—quite by accident—the colors I picked matched her jungle-themed nursery and supplies perfectly.

There will be a tutorial to come, but I got up at 4am to go to the airport (with a whole 3 hours of sleep under my belt), so I’m definitely running on my third or 4th wind of the day. I’m headed to bed before I completely crash!

Update: Here’s the tutorial.