i sew stuff

Oliver and S After School Shirt

2011-12-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

*I need to preface this by saying she dressed herself for this picture*

Sewing has really been on the back burner lately. I started this top in August. Yup, August. And it was such an easy top to sew, that it really shouldn't have taken me so long. I'll blame it on the Halloween costume fiasco.
Pattern: Oliver and S After School Shirt and Pants. Love the pattern. I made a size 5, and added 2" in length. I should have made the 4, but I'm happy with the length.
I haven't made the pants yet, but will have to soon. Miss A told me (as she was dressing this morning) that she didn't have any gray bottoms. You see, a coordinated outfit (in a 4 year old mind) means all the elements are the same color....The things I'm learning.
Fabric: Liberty of London, "Thorpe" in sage.

Rapunzel, let down your hair.

2011-11-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

Someone was very pleased with their Halloween costume.

And it's about stinkin' time!

This costume was, well, much more involved than I had anticipated. It was the dress that I worked on, cried over, ran to the store for even more supplies and never seemed to get any closer to being complete.

The pattern was okay. The fabric could have been worse. But man, I put so many hours in at the machine on this one. At one point, late one night (or early one morning) I found myself weeping into a wad of violet satin and wondering just what I had gotten myself into. Not quite in the fetal position, but almost. Nothing is worse than feeling like you're not making progress.

So, yes, it's over. It did get finished. And I feel like a new woman.

Someone call me around September of 2012 and warn me to not make another costume, EVER.

The construction details can be found here.

*She loves it though. When people said, "Wow, you look pretty," she would say, "I know." If only we were all that confident!

My Newest Quilt

2011-10-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Super fast, no pattern, thrown together and I love it. Perfect for cuddling on the couch. Enough said.
Fabric: Riley Blake "Sugar and Spice" layer cakes. I still have extra squares and yardage in the pink and green colorway.
Quilting done by: Just Sew in Highland, UT

Two years is all it takes

2011-08-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying, I'm not much of a quilter.
Two years is how long it takes for me to make a twin sized quilt. Unless, of course, you know about the "I Spy" quilt I started once for S, then it takes significantly longer. Yah, I don't think my almost 12 year old son will be enthused with a, "can you find a kitty cat, candy cane and choo-choo train?" type quilt anymore. Sigh. Pathetic me.
I started this quilt in the summer of 2009. We had just sold our house, moved into a rental house (and back out of it 30 days later) and then into an apartment (for 3 months) while waiting to find the home we are now in. I really love this fabric because it is so bright and cheerful in contrast to our living situation at the time. And I love it because it reminds me of a dear (and patient) friend who took me to a great little quilt store where I bought this fabric. But mostly I love it because it is finished. Out of the "half finished, what was I thinking when I started this" bin and onto Miss A's bed.
Miss A, however, was not so thrilled to find it on her bed tonight. She much prefers the hand me down, frayed at the binding, cowboy quilt that she's been using since getting a big girl bed. I must admit, it is really soft, but hopefully she'll feel differently by morning.
Pattern: Yellow Brick Road
Fabric: Barbara Jones "Bubble Gum Basics" (I really loved this line, remember this dress?) and white Kona cotton for the backing. I'm not loving the feel of the Kona cotton though, which is too bad considering it comes in such great colors.

Some Summertime Sewing (and Blogging!)

2011-07-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

We're having a great summer around here. We've done some much needed straightening and organizing of the house. We've swam, stayed up much too late, slept in even later, picnicked and roasted marshmallows in the canyon, visited cousins and played with friends until the mosquitoes drive us inside. S now has his own room. G is sporting braces on his teeth (and has since become a meticulous brusher). Miss A has managed to continually wear a bruise on her forehead and a smile on her face. Somehow I've managed to squeeze in some sewing.

An Oliver + S bubble dress in size 4, with 2 inches in length added. Made with the ever popular Heather Ross double gauze.

A drawstring bag made from Little Things to Sew. Made with left over Riley Blake scraps. Not a single trip to the store for this project, which makes me feel so thrifty- until I remember how little fabric this bag takes. I'd better have the yardage for one of these, the truth is I could probably make a million more and still have fabric in my stash. Sigh, I've become a fabric hoarder......

I still sew things...

2011-04-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Bucket hat from Little Things to Sew made with Liberty and linen.

Bear (or baby) carrier, also from Little Things to Sew made with Amy Butler and Michael Miller fabrics

Make it Pink! No, Make it Blue!

2011-01-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

My visions of what I'd like to create are often grander than my capabilities. This picture reminds my of that. Sometimes I just need to sew something wonky and scorched by an iron so that I can truly appreciate the times I don't.
Pattern: Simplicity 5705
Fabric: Blue is satin and the pink is taffeta.

Another Novelty Skirt

2010-12-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't help myself.

Fabric: Riley Blake, Colorful Christmas and pimatex mini dot.
Pattern: Pink Fig, Girly Skirt and measurements for the doll version from Norasroom. I added rick rack between the main panel and bottom band and it makes the skirt "pouf" a little bit.

PBK doll store is killing me with cuteness

2010-11-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

I mean really, I could play dolls all day.
After seeing these adorable outfits on Miss A's doll, I was again inspired to attempt doll clothes. Miss A's doll came with some sort of tween pop star outfit that I wasn't entirely happy with. I found myself wishing I had waited and bought the PBK Gotz doll instead of it's highly discounted twin with a weird get up, JUST FOR THE CLOTHES! Strange, I know. But then I had an "I can totally make that" moment. It's a bit of an illness really. When I have those moments, I forget that though I CAN make it, I may not have the time to. The only thing that seems to break me free from those moments is walking into my sewing room and visually seeing exactly how many things I thought I could make.
I searched for a jeans pattern for some time, but could only find ridiculous looking bell bottoms or pants that looked nothing like jeans that a real girl would wear. Finally, I found these cute jeans patterns (with even cuter pictures) but was leery because I haven't had great experiences with digital downloads. I gave it a try because it was $4, and really how much printing and taping could there be for a 18 inch doll? This is what I got:

Rear View on AG

Front View on AG

Rear View on Gotz

Front View on Gotz

The pattern was easy and had cute details like a fake fly and working pockets. I was nervous when I saw the hand drawn pattern pieces, but it all worked out and the jeans are pretty cute. I used the lightest weight denim I could find, and that was very helpful during construction.
Now, on to what bothered me about the pattern. The back pockets are spaced too far apart. It's just not flattering, even for a doll. Next time I make them, I'll put them closer to the center back seam. The pattern suggests using this to distress the jeans. I couldn't find it anywhere and it appears that it's no longer available. Bummer. That's what made the jeans cute. And finally, the pattern has an entire page devoted to their copyright and user agreement. Which, I'm fine with. I'm not going to copy the pattern for my friends or sale the jeans I make. I believe in being honest and giving total rights to the creator. No problem. I was only minorly irked to see that on the polo shirt pattern, it is suggested that you use the emblem from a ready to wear shirt for you doll shirt. They don't want anyone to misuse their product and original design, but encourage others to use a trademarked embroidery or label in their creations. Seems strange to me. But no big deal.
Anyway, now to make a cute button up top (I'm thinking I'll use scraps of Liberty) and find (not knit, I don't knit-yet) a cardigan and cute sneakers. Wait, who's doll is this anyway?

I was going for a Jackie Kennedy look, but got more of a Jan Brady.

2010-11-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Oliver and S School Photo Dress. I love this pattern. I think if I had used a better fabric (more on that below) I would really be in love with this dress. You can't tell, but it has a cool kangaroo pocket in the front and an invisible zipper in the back. B thinks it looks like the dress is on backwards- but that's coming from a man who just recently took his Doc Martens to the DI. And despite her facial expression in the picture, Miss A loves it.
Fabric: Cotton flannel from Joann. It was kind of a beast to work with. Not just because I needed to match the plaid at every (every!) seam, but it was ravely, loosely woven and easily distorted. I really need to pay more attention when fabric shopping. In other words, not shop with children.

A Really Long Halloween Post......

2010-11-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

I love the fabrics on this banner. I just pinked the edges because I'm lazy and needed a quick project.The wind has really given it a beating, so I just pretend that I was going for that "deconstructed" look.

I wasn't sure if Miss A would wear her actual costume and I wanted her to have a few options that didn't include the super ratty princess dress that she loves. I made this crown and wand from cheese cloth. Pretty cute if I do say so myself.

I also made a capelet and a little black dress to have on hand. There has been much pretending to be a witch due to all the Halloween songs at preschool.

For my mantle banner, I spent a little more time. The triangles actually have a front and back piece and it was all a little more involved (but not much) than my porch one. I used Riley Blake "Boo to You" fat quarters for the flags. I made a basket liner with black dot and giant rick rack from my stash and gathered up all the Halloween books in the house to put in it. It was fun to have all the "spooky" books in one place.

And here's the actual costume. Which she did wear. I've had the out of print pattern for years. It was a strange little pattern. I'm still not sure why there was all the attention to detail (faux fly, piping on the pants, topstitching on the back pockets, etc) and then the hokey felt fringe and collar. I kept telling myself there was some great reason I was unaware of, but nope. Just crappy instructions, no reason. The loopy decoration detail was supposed to be painted on, but I didn't have the patience to let it dry and I couldn't maintain a consistent line. So I used piping under the yoke and rattail braid.

Here is S and husband's pumpkin creation. It rained on it and kind of messed it up. G's cardboard Lego costume didn't fair so well. But still, it's pretty awesome. Behind the eyes and bill the pumpkin is cut out so it had a cool glowing effect.

In the words of my favorite minor Napoleon Dynamite charactor,

2010-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

"I want that."
My sis snapped this pic at Gardner Village for me. It's pretty much the cutest Halloween decoration I've seen. I may have to make something similar. Hmm....

I'm questioning my fabric choice

2010-10-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

I really should have referenced a manual or two about working with a fabric with a nap. Yah, sometimes I forget things like pressing with a needle board and watching the direction of the nap. But sometimes I just need a quick project and sometimes it's still better than what I can find at a store. So, it's not perfect...but neither am I.
Fabric: Corduroy from Joann. Not great, but it's what I could find. The color was right though.
Pattern: Oliver and S Hopscotch Skirt. Great little skirt. I've already got my moneys worth out of this pattern. The buttons on the front are not "working" ones. The placket was a little to bulky for my machine's buttonholer, so the buttons are sewn on through all layers. Works well, and with the elastic in the back, Miss A can dress herself. I think she would have had a problem with buttonholes anyway.....
Now, after a summer of being barefoot, Miss A has rediscovered "ice skating" in her tights on the wood floor. There are so many important things to do (besides pose for pictures) when you are three.

Boo!

2010-10-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Pink Fig Stripwork Skirt
Fabric: Riley Blake Boo to You

Legos, Legos, and more Legos

2010-10-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

You know how I said I never craft for my boys? That was a lie. This post proves it. Or proves how crafty my husband is. You decide.

G man turned 8 this week. To say he loves Legos is a huge understatement. HUGE understatement! So a Lego themed party was in order.
Okay, don't tell anyone but this is actually the second Lego party he's had in his lifetime. Shhh..... I needed to get more mileage out of the Lego shaped ice cube trays! They are available for loan by the way.....
I bought invitations and stickers (for the favor bags) from Acorn Designs on etsy. This was such a fun and easy way to go. I highly recommend it. Now for my rant:
I do not recommend buying any of the party supplies from Lego.com........bad experience. I received opened packages with only part of the quantity I ordered the day before the party. Apparently 5-7 day shipping means 2-3 weeks. After 3 hours on the phone with customer service, they made it right- but really? After I had already had to make other plans because my package sat in a warehouse forever, I get to go through prompt after prompt and be put on hold only to FINALLY talk to a representative (who was very nice by the way) who had no power do do anything but say sorry? I should mention, I initially sent an email about my package after several failed attempts to contact customer service and got an automated response about how much they care about my business. Nothing more, ever. End of rant.
We played a game of "Pin the Sword on the Mini Figure Pirate," drawn by my husband. We also played a game of "guess how many Lego bricks are in this jar."

Next, a brick shaped pinata, also crafted by my husband.

A cake, made by me, that I'm sure will end up on Cake Wrecks. The frosting, oh the frosting! Why does frosting hate me!?! At least the color was right, even if the consistency was so very wrong!

Next, my two favorite pieces, that none of the little boys even appreciated, for shame!

I attached a green base plate to a wooden picture frame with a picture of the birthday boy inside. My husband cut the base plate to the shape of the frame for me, but it was my idea. I'm thinking a few of these would make cute play room decor.

Second, the bunting. Card stock rectangles and squares with die cut circles attached to them with 3D glue dots to resemble bricks. I used this idea in the first Lego party for the invitations. Super easy, and the kids knew what they were even if the grown ups did not.

Overall, despite my problems with Lego.com and because my husband is so handy with all things crafty, it was really cute and fun. G and friends had a great time.

Then and Now

2010-09-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

Made by my mom in about 1983. She also made a yellow one, I suppose two of everything is a necessity when you have two sets of girls; 14 and 12 months apart. If I remember right, she made them both very late one night before a "Cabbage Patch Kid" theme party my sister and I were going to.

My recreation started in 2008, and after almost starting a backyard bon fire with the pattern, put away until last week. Last week I was reminded of why I HATE this pattern. Did anyone test the pattern before it went to print? I doubt it. Really a frustrating sewing experience.
Pattern: Vogue 8441 (out of print). The quilt should be a brick pattern, but if you cut and sew like the instructions state, you'll end up with not enough blocks to make it the right size. I added two additional rows of blocks, lined them up, and barely had enough. And that was one of the easy problems to fix.
Fabric: Gingham and rosebud print from, I can't remember.

Yup, there's more

2010-09-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Same dress pattern, but I used the long and short sleeve together to create a faux layered look.
*The resident photographer is at work right now, so not a great picture. You'll have to trust me on how cute this dress is. It looks MUCH better in person.
I used a double needle on all the hems and at the neckline (I used my edgestitch foot to follow the neck binding seam, one needle on the yoke and one on the binding). I serged the raw edges before using the double needle.

Watch out world, I can sew with knits!

2010-09-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to have overcome my fear of sewing with knits! I have now successfully repressed all bad memories of the Units outfit (with shoulder pads) I made in 8th grade sewing and made this simple dress for Miss A. It was so easy thanks to the great instructions and I now see more knit fabric in my future. The pattern also includes a top and skirt. I think these dresses would be great for a humanitarian project or as a night shirt.

Fall is on it's way!

2010-09-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I love blue skies and crispy air. I love layered clothes for when the afternoon gets warm. I love it all.
Pattern: Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress. I love how different it looks from the spring version I made, you almost don't even notice it's the same pattern. This time, I didn't use the pockets or the neck notch.
Fabric: Plaid of questionable content from Joann. I cut the hem band and yoke on the bias for interest. I used a lightweight fusible interfacing to keep the bias cut pieces from distorting. In hind sight, I should have used an even lighter weight stabilizer. It looks pretty cute for being, in Miss A's words, "not pink and sparkly enough."

Mini Bike Basket Liner

2010-09-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

This is the "test" liner I made. It was never intended to actually be used, but Miss A insists that it is perfect for taking her Polly Pockets for a ride. And if she's pleased, I'm going to go with it.

Bike Basket Liner for My New Ride

2010-08-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

While everyone around me is talking centuries, Tour of Utah and triathlons, I'm just happy to have a liner on my new bike basket (on my new bike!) that will keep my cell phone from falling into the storm drain ever again.

My new bike happily pulls the trailer to the playground and other places in the neighborhood. It is so fun and comfortable to ride, unlike my previous bikes where I was stretching to hold the handlebars. My bike's not titanium and I don't wear spandex (thankfully!) while riding, but I love it.

Pattern: My own design that still needs some tweaking.

Fabric: Marcus Fabrics, Al Fresco (from my stash).

Veruca gets some new accesories

2010-08-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

It seems that the diva tantrums have subsided, at least temporarily. My last post was not to complain, put down, or label my daughter. I really am trying to handle this new phase with humor. To be truthful, after watching a few bratty grown women on S ay Yes to the Dress, I've been a little concerned about how she'll turn out. Comparing a real person to an over edited, highly scripted, reality TV character isn't completely fair, I'm aware. Still, I wish nothing more than for my daughter to be well grounded, smart, fun, kind and have more substance than just the cost of her wardrobe (or wedding gown). Really, she's a sweet kid and in fairness, we all have our moments. And she's three. So before anyone goes calling DCFS for me comparing my child to a horrible literary character you should know that I love Miss A dearly.

In other fun, I made her some new hair accessories (they were planned before the week of whining and tantrums). I think they would also be cute as an accent on a dress. They were super simple to make too. And cheap. A winning combination in my mind.

I'm glad this new book came out. It could be the solution to my "how to create stuff without overflowing closets/storage space" problem. I'm so glad someone else thought of it.

Keeping it all in balance

2010-08-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

I had an experience yesterday that made me wonder if I'm turning Miss A into Veruca Salt. While I love to sew and create things for her to wear, I fear I'm unconsciously over emphasizing appearances. I definitely want my children to be more than the clothes they are wearing.

Finished!

2010-08-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to have accomplished something besides breaking up sibling spats this week. School starts in a few weeks and we've hit the point in the summer where everything but teasing your brother is boring. Someone tell me I'll miss this someday, I dare you ;)
The dress is one of my favorites, and she looks so sweet in it (even if she is hiding her brother's favorite Lego pieces).
Getting a picture of her these days is impossible. What 3 year old wants to pose when there are bubbles to blow, bikes to ride and brothers to make scream? So please excuse the strange pose and washed out colors.
Pattern: Oliver + S Birthday Party Dress. I added 2 inches in length, and it hits at her knees perfectly. I also left the pleats loose to make it more "flowy." I know that's not a word, but I was looking for a soft look and even thought about gathering the front panel instead of pleating it. I chickened out at the last minute so I have some softish pleats. Someday I will get daring, just not with my nice fabric.
Fabric: Liberty Lawn (Lauren in aqua/pink) and Pimatex dot for the front tab.

Giving Credit where Credit is Due

2010-07-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

I get really excited about the design process and love finding and putting together great fabrics (which is one explanation for my growing fabric and pattern stash). But then reality hits when the true source of my inspiration comes in the mail and reminds me I'm not a designer, but a design copier. This combo (wool, pattern and lining) was to be Miss A's winter coat. Maybe now I should change it up a bit? Make it less Boden-ish and make me feel like less of a rip off artist?
Rather than beat myself up for lack of original thought, I'm happy there are so many sources of inspiration. I should thank the growing number of catalogs in my mailbox for bringing these ideas forward from my subconscious. Now, if there were a way for all this inspiration to become reality.....

I should be embarassed by the amount of clothing in her closet.....

2010-07-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Apparently, there is no such thing as too many skirts. Especially if those skirts are super twirly and pink. This is Miss A's new favorite thing to wear, and by favorite I mean if it's not in the wash it's on her body.
Fabrics: Riley Blake, Summer Song
Pattern: The Girly Stripwork Skirt by Pink Fig.

Help Me Make a Decision

2010-07-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm making a dress for Miss A. Not that the girl needs another dress, but I have just enough fabric to make her one, so I'm justified. I just can't decide which trim to use. You know me, always blogging about the important stuff; doll clothes and dress trims. Yes, I'm shallow. So with the help of these really bad pictures, you can help me decide.
Option #1: A casual look, hot pink with small white dot button tab at the center front. I haven't found a button I like yet, maybe a standard white?

Option #2: A little more formal, hot pink satin ribbon tied in a bow at the center front.

A magic wand would have been quicker, but my sewing machine will have to do

2010-06-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

I know it's really popular (at least in the blogging world) to be a Disney hater, but I'm not- not really. Sure, I roll my eyes or change the words to Miss A's favorite Princess story books but, I'm not a hater.

Pattern: Simplicity 5705. The neck seems wide, but it might just be the doll. I should try it on an AG and see if it has the same issue. Or maybe I goofed while sewing it which is quite possible with all the night time sewing I'm doing. I've made this dress once before (for my niece) and don't remember it being so wide.

Also, because of Miss A's hatred of all things itchy, I didn't use tulle for the petticoat. I made it from white cotton and sewed horsehair braid to the hem to make it poof.

I made glass slippers from the pattern in this book and they're pretty cute, actually the whole book is pretty cute.

Fabric: Scraps from Miss A's dress up. Also, I told Miss A we were going to give the doll an updo for the photo and she said, "No, a down -do is good. Then she can go like this (wildly swinging her head back and forth)." So, a down -do it is.

It must be summer,

2010-06-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

because it's lunch time and everyone is still wearing pajamas, even Miss A's doll (who still doesn't have a name).
Pattern: Simplicity 5276
Fabric: Lakehouse Dry Goods (from my stash)

Crazy Doll Lady

2010-06-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm scared to sew knit fabric. Why I thought a small, doll leotard would be a good place to start, I'll never know. But the doll likes it, see? She's smiling. So I'll call it a success.
It sort of looks like the doll is wearing Spanx- but it just how the tights are knit. But that would really make me a "crazy doll lady" if they were control top, right? Hee hee.
Pattern: Simplicity 4364
Fabric: Pink stretchy stuff (I should learn to pay attention of bolt ends) and pink "scratchy" stuff (as Miss A calls tulle).

While the boys were gone

2010-06-09T16:00:00.001-07:00

playing in the dirt, rocks, and sage brush.......
Miss A and I acquired a new friend*, went shopping at Joann's for 5 for $5 patterns, and began making a dolly wardrobe. So far the mermaid get up is a favorite.
*I am told the Gotz dolls are more play friendly than the AG ones (Gotz are rated ages 3+ and AG 8+). We've had a few knock off 18" dolls, but they never lasted long. We own two 18" AG dolls, but I am reluctant to let my 3 year old really play with them for fear they will look like this. I was assured by the fantastic sales lady at Georgell Doll Shop that I would not be disappointed with a Gotz doll. We got a great deal on the doll so if she accidentally goes swimming (while dressed as a mermaid) it will be okay. She is machine washable too. Her body is trimmer than our AG dolls and she is slightly narrower though the shoulders, but so far the clothes fit both types. Her hair is fabulous, doesn't tangle easily and doesn't fall out when brushed. Her bangs are a little thick for my taste. She sort of looks like my 7th grade class picture, only I wasn't wearing a shell top.

No Amount of Seersucker Could Keep the Snow Away

2010-05-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

I made these shorts for G in anticipation of warm weather *Notice the snow in the background*I love the pattern, very cute looking shorts and only a couple hours of sewing. G would not model them, it was too breezy.
Next time I'll use a heavier fabric. This is the look I was attempting. Mine look a little too much like boxer shorts I think. But they were a "test run" since I don't make many things for my boys, so I'm not too disappointed. I plan on a few more before the summer is over, if it ever comes. Maybe I'll omit the button and make a faux tie, something like these?

I might sew something for me

2010-05-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

This is what I'd like to attempt. I'm thinking view A in an aqua/light blue and view D in a classic navy. If I start now, it could be done by fall. If I'm being realistic I know I will buy all the materials, go to cut it out and either chicken out or have a body image break down. Or find something really similar at Target for a fraction of the price. So for now, I'm just dreaming.

A Little Liberty in my Life

2010-05-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

I love this blouse. I hope that Miss A will be able to wear it for a very long time. She has declared it "fancy" enough for her, but I think she probably just loves the feel of the fabric.

Pattern: Oliver + S Music Class blouse. There is no other pattern company I would trust enough to cut into this fabric. This pattern is definitely Liberty worthy. I'm not in love with the buttons, I can never find buttons I love when I need them.

Fabric: Liberty of London "Tatum." I bought it from Purl Soho. Normally, I wouldn't spend this much on fabric but every once in awhile it's fun to splurge. But now that I've experienced sewing with Liberty, I totally understand why some are obsessed with it.

In Celebration of the Sun Making a Special Appearance

2010-05-03T09:43:00.001-07:00

Miss A is wearing a new Ice Cream dress. I hope it eventually stops snowing so she can get a lot of wear out of it. It's supposed to storm more this week, which is great as long as I can see snippets of sun and blue sky in between storms. Oh, and as long as there is time to take the kids to the park and soccer games without getting pelted with hail.
The fabrics: Barbara Jones for Quilt Soup Simply Sweet white with green dots. The yoke and borders are Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane.

For whatever reason, making this dress reminded me of my Grandma M. I'm not sure if it's because it's similarly styled to the house coats she always wore or because the floral print reminds me of the patio cushions she had on her outdoor furniture (but they were more avocado green and gold -weird that I would remember that after all these years). I think if Miss A wore this with a pair of Isotoners she would look exactly like Grandma. Then maybe she would make me a ham sandwich and we could watch "Murder She Wrote." I miss Grandma!

The thing about dresses and the over use of parentheses

2010-04-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Don't mind the popsicle stains (yes, she is holding her 3rd popsicle of the day), wrinkles or any remainder of her lunch that may be on her new dress. It was put to the test today at the playground. Miss A is happy to report that her new duds held up well on the slide, twirled just enough when pretending to be a princess and even served as a tissue to blow her nose when the spring allergies kicked in. Oh, the versatility of a good dress!
Pattern: Oliver + S Jump Rope Dress, my favorite pattern to date! And that's saying something because I love them all!
Fabric: Moda's Hunky Dory , it's a busy print (I bought it two weeks ago during a blizzard- I always by "happy" fabric when the weather is bad), but I really like it. This fabric was originally going to be my test run before cutting into either of the more expensive fabrics I purchased with this dress in mind. But after all the compliments we got at the park today (and watching how hard she played), I think I'll save the shirting and Liberty for another outfit. I think this style would be especially cute in a solid shirting with a "preppy stripe" ribbon for the tie.

Where to buy quiet books

2010-04-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

Yes. I've hit the wall. All inspiration and motivation is now gone. Why am I like that with projects that start out being so fun?
Anyway, here's where you can buy a super cute quiet book. We own several of the "paper dolls" and they are so fun. The quiet books are just as cute, and I'm telling you, they are a bargain compared to what you could spend making one.

I know I said never again.....

2010-04-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

yet here I am. Making another quiet book. I'm still optimistic. Only 8 more page "blocks" and some assembly left! Wish me luck.
*Added later* This is the pattern I am using. It's pretty good so far. The block designs are really cute, just super labor intensive. I don't plan on ever making another one ever again, which I have said before. It would be the perfect "block of the month" type project. I have plenty of fabric in my scrap bin, so it hasn't been too costly to put together (yet), but if you were buying all the fabrics and supplies without having any of them on hand it could easily cost a ton.
My only complaint (which is user error): I didn't understand how to center the block on the page (the instructions say to draw lines in 3 places and sew it on, which was great until I inserted the interfacing) and completely messed up the one pictured. I could fix it, but I'd have to figure out how to un-fuse Peltex and use a seam ripper. Not worth it. My kids won't even notice....

Spring, Spring, Spring!

2010-03-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

Maybe if I keep chanting it will come?!? I can always hope. But if not, at least I can make some spring time basics for Miss A's wardrobe.

Pattern: Oliver + S Sailboat pants
Fabric: White, bottom weight from Joann's. Also, a khaki cotton twill from my stash (not quite finished, but almost).
Now, come on Spring! We need to get these pants dirty with sidewalk chalk, bubbles and sand from the playground!

The Princesses' Prize

2010-03-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm not above bribing my kids to do things. This dress was a bribe and completely designed by Miss A. But it worked like a charm and she is now well on her way to potty time independance. As for the designer's input, I love when 3 year olds say things like, "Yellow, twirly and a white shape in front." It took me days to figure out what she meant by "white shape." She finally pointed to a picture of Dora the Explorer as a princess and said, "like that." I was so relieved to know what she meant that it didn't much bother me that she wanted a dress like Dora's. Still, it's all a little to close to the dresses I wore at her age. It's a lot too early 1970's for me. I'm not in love with it. There was a lot of groaning during the construction process. But she wears it so much, it will be worn out before summer is here. Maybe then she'll let me make her a Jane Austen inspired Regency gown, but probably not.
Pattern: Simplicity 2571 in a size 3. I used the clown hat (ironically) to make a Rapunzel style hat too.
Fabric: Completely from my stash.

My boys have birthdays too,

2010-02-07T20:10:00.001-08:00

I just never make anything handmade for their parties to blog about. Sad but true.

This dress has been in the works for a long time. I think I bought the fabric and pattern the week that I saw it here. I'm not much of a smocker. I took a couple of classes before having kids and had grand delusions of smocking all sorts of clothing for my off spring. The fact is, smocking is time consuming. I've only made a couple of smocked things for my kids, but hopefully that makes those outfits all the more special. I'm glad that I was able to finish it the day of her party. And I'm glad that Brent wasn't too upset that I began sewing the buttons on it right about the time that we needed to be leaving for church.

Just please don't look too closely. The hem is only basted in this picture. I didn't do too hot of a job measuring for the insert, so the bodice seams at the side are slightly off. Also, as is customary before any event involving photography, Miss A has a huge bruise on her forehead. But as you can plainly see, she doesn't care. The dress twirls!

The cake and cupcakes were originally going to be decorated like this. After some whispered cursing and some justification about how "if I had a crew like Martha's" I came up with plan B, and no one really cared.
The favor tags are from Dimpleprints. I love them. They may very well be the only part of her party that turned out exactly how I envisioned.

Valentines Day Mailboxes

2010-02-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, my mom always made sure there was plenty of eyelet lace and red wrapping paper with tiny white hearts for all 4 girls to make proper Valentines Day mailboxes for school. I'm not sure what my brother did, but I'm sure it was fantastic with as artistic as he is, but I really don't recall. I was always so proud that my mom let us use wrapping paper instead of construction or butcher paper. I think that's probably where my vanity began.....

Now, as the mother of 2 elementary school boys, non graded projects like the Valentines mailboxes excite me to no end. My boys, well, they couldn't care less. Unless of course my plans (which they would have loved in preschool) make them look ridiculous in front of their friends, then suddenly they have an opinion.

So here are our mailboxes for your viewing pleasure:

This year's addition was inspired by these, but made "more manly" by making an angrier, man eating version. Nothing says romance like flesh eating fish. We covered our box with felt, I stitched the fins while S stuffed them and hot glued them on. I was thinking craft foam would have been a cool covering (smooth like shark skin) but REALLY didn't want to make a craft project completely unbearable for an almost 10 year old by a trip to the store. This box took us about 30 minutes to make, and that was pushing his interest level. But he really likes it. It's a bit on the small side, but he will definitely be the only kid in his class with a shark-esque mailbox.

And here is one made in 2007. It took me so long to make that I make sure it reappears each year among our Valentines decor. Maybe it's because I made it the night before the party, in the wee hours of the morning while feeding a two week old Miss A- but whatever. Maybe it's because S had no opinion other than it needed to be Sponge Bob. Maybe it's because after Sponge Bob had his limbs ripped from his body, I lovingly restored him. Maybe it's because I'm lazy and hope that one of the boys will want to use it again sometime. S has used it twice and G hasn't needed a mailbox yet. G's teachers have the kids make them at school- a conspiracy to squelch the creativity of over achieving mothers such as myself no doubt ;)
Are you noticing a theme? Square. Lives in the sea.

I think I'm pajamaed out

2009-12-18T07:06:00.001-08:00

While blissfully alone in a quilt shop on the night of my birthday, I had a crazy idea. Without thinking, I purchased 3 yards of Bots and Rockets fabric thinking I could go home and whip up a pair of PJs for the child who wears a lot of hand me downs. I could define "whip up" in realistic terms for you, but you'd hardly like to hear about me sewing things incorrectly, letting my house fall apart, feeding the family cold cereal and take out and letting personal hygiene fall way down the list of priorities. So let's all pretend that in my spare time, which I have a lot of because I'm so efficient, I sew these pajamas without a worry or problem. And let's pretend that I didn't stay up until 1 am last night to finish them for first grade pajama day. And let's pretend I'm not insane.
We don't have to pretend that he loves them.

For the doll population of our family...

2009-12-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

or the soon to be doll twins.
Pattern: Simplicity 4268, slippers are my own design (so don't look too closely).
Fabric: Riley Blake "Be Merry"

Because Miss A can't read my blog, yet

2009-12-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

Here is my one handmade gift to give this season. I usually try to make a few things but am afraid I've run out of creative steam. And my sewing ability is shaky at best lately. I've made a lot of really dumb mistakes while sewing as of late. I wish I could blame it on my machine or someone else but I'm afraid it's just me. I suppose it's time to hit Target and buy the boys PJ's, I just don't think I can attempt to sew anything else until 2010.
I had a lot of handmade pajamas as a kid and I'm pretty sure that 95% of them came from this same pattern. I'm not even kidding, just ask my mom. The fact that it's still in print (after all these years) is pretty amazing considering pattern companies rarely keep patterns for very long. I've used this pattern quite a bit with my boys when making pajama bottoms. It was fun to make the feminine version this time around.

Pattern: Butterick 4222 in a size three. I made view B, but omitted the neck ruffle (I remember not liking it as a kid). Instead of eyelet trim, I used a coordinating fabric and made my own ruffle trim. I used my serger's rolled hem feature to finish the edge and my ruffler foot to gather it all (5 yards after gathering). The pattern was fairly straight forward and not complex. The pants went together very easily, and the top wasn't too bad other than gathering the pieces to the yoke, which wasn't hard- just time consuming. It seems a bit big, but I won't know until Christmas Eve how it really fits her. It might just seem big because the top is so full. Also, because the pattern is multisized and has so many different views, take care when cutting it out. I accidently (as was mentioned above) cut the wrong size out of a top piece and cut the wrong view (thankfully it was the longer view) out on the pants. It wouldn't have been a big deal other than I ended up 4 inches too short on fabric and had to scour every quilt store in the state to find more. Just a hint, finding snowman fabric two weeks before Christmas is not fun....

Fabric: Riley Blake "Be Merry" fabrics. In hind sight. I wish I would have used a fabric for the trim that had a little more contrast. And I wish I had made the ruffle just a bit wider. It's difficult to tell the difference between the trim fabric and the main print.

A Very Pepto Christmas

2009-12-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

Miss A's tree is pink. So pink in fact, that even as a person who likes pink, it's too pink for me. She loves it. It makes her squeal with delight. I have found her pulling feathers from the branches and putting them in her hair, or sometimes just petting it. She rearranges it's branches and ornaments at least twice a day. Even though my rule for the kid's trees* is "one new ornament a year and anything handmade," she insisted on getting other pink glittery items for it at the store today. I agreed thinking it would keep her occupied for longer than two seconds (which it did) and knowing that buying glittery things is far less messy than making anything with glitter. Also, she didn't like how I tried to repurpose her magic wand for the star on top and a tutu (which she won't wear) for the tree skirt. The small purchase made her day, and even though it looks like we've had a visit from Interior Designer Barbie, I'm happy that's she's happy. The second the boys got home from school she wanted them to see her "bootiful tree."
I made the tree skirt from a single layer if Michael Miller Yule Trees and a hot pink Pimatex dot for the ruffle. I put some lime green rick rack along the top of the ruffle to make it less pink, if that's even possible. I had grand visions of quilting the skirt, but am glad I kept it simple from a time management perspective and also from a "I may be sick of this by the end of the season" perspective. Overall, I like the tree skirt and think it would look great on a green tree. Maybe after Miss A has finished pulling all of the feathers off on this one I can see what that would look like.
*The kids have their own small trees. It keeps them from playing with the real one. It keeps me from being completely OCD with the Christmas decor.
** The tree is from Micheal's a few years ago. The branches are sort of weird because they swivel around the trunk, which makes it easy to store but a real bugger to keep the branches in place. They all tend to wander toward the middle front.

Repeat

2009-11-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

This is a repeat of the outfit I made for Miss A last fall. Before any of you call "tacky" keep in mind that we live miles away from where we used to, the colorway is different, and no one around here has seen the originals. Besides, it was one of my favorite outfits of all time, and when you find a good thing, stick with it.
It is not however my most well sewn garment of all time. Lots of user error this time around. I was SUI, sewing under the influence of children. Which is okay, that's my job. Just after a million interruptions I forgot where I left off, what I was doing, and skipped some important steps. The houndstooth was really difficult to match at the seams. The print was printed slightly off grain. I really struggled with it, and then gave up. But it looks okay all things considered. And the jacket bottom edges really do match up. The picture makes it look like they don't, but they really do. She's just really wiggley.
Pattern: Oliver + S Sunday Brunch skirt and jacket. I added 2 1/2 inches in length to both the skirt and the jacket.
Fabric: Fine wale corduroy from Farmhouse Fabrics.

I say no so often

2009-11-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I say yes to try to redeem myself. I said yes to this flannel mermaid fabric for Miss A's winter pajamas. It's loud and bright, but a better choice than the John Deere tractor fabric she originally wanted. I think they turned out cute, and she loves them so much she won't take them off. With all the sickness at our house lately she's a little bit confused about proper daytime attire. But if I have to look at them at lunch time, at least they don't have tractors on them.
Pattern: Oliver and S Bedtime Story Pajamas. I made a size 3, which was a little sad for me since the first time I made these pajamas I made a 6-12 month size. She is growing. Sniff, sniff. I used ribbon for the ties this time which really helps speed up the process of making them.
Fabric: Michael Miller Sea Beauties flannel, with green dot flannel trim. I was going to make matching pajamas for her baby, but may make these instead.

Our Halloween

2009-10-31T21:36:00.001-07:00

Halloween was full of surprises for our family. First, the weather was beautiful. Such a nice and happy surprise after the snow and cold (really, really windy, bitter cold) that we've had here all week. Second surprise was that every seems to be on the mend. All of the kids have not felt well this week, missing school and feeling miserable. Both boys were so disappointed to miss the school Halloween party. So disappointed! It was also an unhappy mother moment for me to see how sad they were.
We were well enough to get dressed up and go trick or treating. The boys had been fever free for 24 hours and were aching to get out of the house. I was excited for them to burn off some energy. The boys filled their bags and will be happily hipped up on sugar for the next few days. It was very nice to have a relaxed and kicked back holiday. I'm glad that the kids got the full effect of Halloween, and are no longer disappointed that we didn't attend every single event that we could have.

Not so surprising however is that Miss A wouldn't wear her cape. I knew it would happen. She wore it when it got cold, but not for long. I tried to prepare her for her role by reading lots of Red Riding Hood stories, but still she could not be convinced. Her Bitty Baby; who she has named Baby Doll- not to be confused with Baby and Pink Baby, happily wore hers. G has always had difficulty when it comes to choosing a costume. Always. This year was no different. First he wanted to be Harry Potter. Next, he wanted to chose something from our supply of costumes. And finally, he wanted to be a robot. Not just any robot, like a box with aluminum foil, but one with working gears and armor. I asked him to draw me a picture, and it was well beyond my creative abilities. We searching the Internet looking for something close, and came upon a C3PO costume. He was in love, so we ordered it. When it arrived, he said, "Let's get working on the modifications." What modifications? "The ones to make it look like my drawing." Sigh. Again he was disappointed by my inability to deliver what he wanted. But working gears? Really? Who does that? And don't send me links of people who do.
S as always, was pretty easy to please. He loved his costume and the wand that makes noises. He told me that next time he gets glasses he wants perfectly round ones exactly like Harry Potter.
Geez, long post. I have to show you our pumpkins. Miss A wasn't so into the pumpkin thing. It was more of a male bonding experience. Which with pumpkin goo is totally understandable. Here is side one of S's pumpkin. It's Phineas.
And side 2, Ferb. S's black widow pumpkin is in the background.
And G's Bionicle pumpkin is on the right, with my two very simple creations to the left.

Miss A's Halloween Costume, Hopefully

2009-10-17T17:15:00.001-07:00

Excuse the pictures taken with the help of the ironing board. Miss A, as of yesterday, won't put the dress on. She very politely says, "No 'ank you" and then runs and puts on a toy army helmet. I made her try it on for size a couple of days ago, and she cried the entire time. I hope she changes her mind by Halloween.

It's Red Riding Hood if you couldn't tell from the pictures. If she won't wear the cape then I guess she'll be a peasant girl, Gretel or some other fairy tale character. But right now, even getting her to wear the dress is a challenge. So she might be dressed as a 2 year old with too many opinions.

Pattern: Simplicity 2571 view B. I was pleasantly surprised at the correct sizing on this one, but it was rather long. I cut almost 4" off of the skirt and pantaloons to get them to fall at mid calf. But I would much rather have it be too long than too short.

Fabric: Really cheap and poor quality broadcloth from Joann and Walmart. But it's a costume that she won't wear, so I like to think that I was inspired to not spend a lot of money on this one.

Great Ways to Learn to Sew

2009-10-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome blog post about learning to sew. And the first two patterns she recommends are FREE and downloadable. You just can't go wrong with free.......

Lining for the Jacket

2009-10-07T08:10:00.001-07:00

Here is the removable lining for Miss A's jacket, in all of it's late night/early morning sewing glory. It was simple to put together, especially since I purchased ready quilted fabric and packaged bias. The packaged bias is a bit stiff, which is great when applying it, not so great for wearability. Miss A doesn't seem to mind, and since it's on the inside of the jacket I don't mind that it's a bit wonky. I keep telling myself that she'll most likely use that edge of the lining for a napkin/tissue/pacifier anyway. As long as it is washable I'm okay with less than excellent application.

I should have followed the instructions and began and ended the bias at the hem. It was really early in the morning, and quite honestly I thought the top neck edge was the hem. Again, Miss A doesn't mind. I doubt anyone will examine the interior of her jacket closely anyway, you should feel privelged to be able to see it. So pretend the serger thread is brown too, okay?

It seems very warm when paired with the jacket. Miss A is one of the "hot bodies" in the family, and I didn't want her to be too warm. I'm glad it is all finished.

Jacket for Miss A

2009-10-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished this jacket today for Miss A. Here's a couple of things I'd like to say about it:
1. I love my walking foot. I just bought one, and am wondering why it took me so long to get one. It really is my new favorite tool.
2. I still love Oliver + S patterns. I've attempted jacket making in the past, and this one was an absolute pleasure to make.
3. I'm still working on the quilted, removable lining. I'd better hurry, the snow started to fly while taking this picture!
4. Miss A is growing like a weed. Clothes that fit her a couple of months ago, when I last cleaned out her closet, are now inches too short. I made this jacket too big thinking that I'd like her to wear it for longer than a month or two....here's to hoping!
5. The fabric is corduroy from Joann and the lining is Micheal Miller's "Birds of Norway." Brent didn't think there was anything Norwegian about it. I think it makes a cute, bright lining; kind of Partridge Family-like.
6. I originally bought a brown and red plaid twill for this jacket. Once I got it home I decided I didn't want to match the plaid design at every seam. And I thought it might make her look like Elmer Fudd.

I think I might be in love.....

2009-09-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

...with this crazy fabric. You might remember this top and this bag. So when I saw the print in corduroy, naturally I bought some more. I had this jumper in mind when I made it. I was looking for this fabric, and couldn't find it until after buying more of the Carnival Bloom. I really like the mini boden version, but hate to pay that much for a play dress.

Pattern: New Look 6903, I omitted the pocket and hem ruffle.

Fabric: Michael Miller "Carnival Bloom" Corduroy.

*note added later: Here is yet another project made from the flannel type of this fabric that I completely forgot about. Sigh. I must be in a rut!

Labor Day is Done, on to Halloween

2009-09-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

Cooler weather has got me thinking of all sorts of projects to make. I'm beginning to wonder why my creativity seems to be linked to the weather.....or the anticipation of it. By the end of spring, I'm dreaming up all sorts of summer outfits for the kids. The end of summer, I have corduroy, jackets, tights, leggings and of course costumes on the brain. Now if I just had more time to make them.

The boys are really wanting to be Hogwarts students for Halloween. I'm good with this, except that when I started pulling together the cloaks, ties, wands, and all it got really out of hand. I'm great at finding patterns, fabric and fantasizing of how glorious their costumes will be. Not so great at executing my plans as of late. I know I have the same amount of time each day as everyone else, but why am I getting so little done? I do realize that time with my kids is not "not getting things done," and I am aware of how quickly they are growing, but sometimes it would be nice to have something tangible to show for my day, besides boogers on my shoulder and crumbs on the floor. Not complaining, really.

So in an effort to spend time with my kids instead of my sewing machine, I am purchasing the boys cloaks. S's arrived yesterday, and though it may not fit my lofty expectations of what a costume could be (and may have been have been made by a child his age in Malaysia), he loves it. G is slightly jealous and his will be coming soon. He was going to use an existing costume from our plentiful supply, but after seeing S's has changed his mind. I'm trying to talk G into being Ron (isn't her sweater and Scabbers great?), but am not making much progress in that area. We may have two Harry's at our house on Halloween, because to have a lightning shaped scar is too cool to pass up, and because G is always the sidekick.

As for Miss A, I'm going to wait and see what comes into my brain. I know this much, nothing itchy (no tulle) and nothing on her head. Which leaves so few options. Any ideas?

Black and White

2009-08-31T08:36:00.001-07:00

This dress has been in my "to be sewn" bin for some time now. It was cut out last winter, and once the bodice was made, it was obvious that the pattern sizing was WAY off. According to the pattern it is to fit a child 21-24 pounds and 31-34 inches tall. Miss A should have fit into it perfectly last winter given the measurements, but pattern sizing being what it is, it fits her now with plenty of extra width.
The pattern was pretty straight forward, and I didn't have any difficulty with the sewing. I made a few alterations. The dress is something of a mesh between view A and B. I fully lined the entire dress, not just the bodice. On the skirt lining I added a tulle ruffle to give the appearance of a petticoat peeking from beneath. I liked the front bow off center rather than centered in front.
The gets a lot of compliments and looks really nice especially since the fabric was very inexpensive. She loves the dresses twirl factor, but isn't a fan of the tulle touching her legs. Even though I bought super soft tulle, she says it's too itchy. Once the weather gets cooler, wearing tights should straighten out that problem. I also think I'll add a real petticoat and a shrug (styled after this one) for winter.
Pattern : New Look 6662
Fabric: Cranston Print Works Polka dot from Walmart.

Changes

2009-08-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided to make some changes with my blog. Originally, when I began blogging, my blog was to be a journal of my sewing projects and somehow it became a family blog. Not that I wouldn't love to continue to have a blog about our family happenings, I just just don't believe I want our experiences and information to be available to everyone, everywhere. So, it's back to the sewing-only blog I go. And maybe someday soon I'll start a private family blog. Until then, feel free to leave me comments, I love the feed back.

Look Quickly, Before She Changes Her Mind!

2009-06-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

She's wearing one of the outfits, and smiling too! It's, of course, another oliver + s pattern. I'm really getting a lot of mileage from these patterns. The bloomers that are included in this pattern are awesome. I love them and make them for most of the dresses I make for her. They're not too baggy or old fashioned looking, but cover her diaper nicely. The fabric is Moda's American Jane.

So many dresses, so little time.

2009-05-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Miss A may have too many dresses. She may not be able to ever wear all of them before she grows out of them. I'm addicted to making and buying them, it's so fun to put them on her and watch her twirl around. Lately she's been exclaiming,"So bootiful. Bootiful dress." My boys never get excited about their clothes.

This dress is another Oliver and S Bubble Dress. I love that the dress is fully lined, and I don't have to spend ant extra time finishing seams because they're all enclosed. Very important to me since my serger is in storage. It's made with "Bubble Gum Basics" by Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup for Henry Glass fabrics. A very cute line of fabrics, I may use this line to make Miss A a quilt for her big girl bed. But I have so many projects on the brain, I better hold off. I love that the red dots have a white ring around them. For the back closure I layered a 5/8" red button on top of a 3/4" white button to mimic the dots in the fabric. It looks super cute, you'll have to trust me because I can't get a good picture of it.

A Gift

2009-05-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

To keep my spirits up, I made a dress for a friends daughter. I had really good intentions. I wanted to make something cheerful and summery.

Instead, because of my inability to think straight, I chose fabric that was more spastic than anything. Unfortunately, the loud fabric didn't begin to bother me until 3/4 through the sewing. I stuck with it, and hopefully my friend will still love me even though I made a severely obnoxious dress for her daughter. It's one of those, "it's the thought that counts, I don't really expect anyone to wear this" type of things. On the bright side, Walmart had a lot of really cute brightly colored sandals that would match. So maybe it was meant to be. And maybe my friend will still like it.

I should have slept but...

2009-03-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Oliver and S Birthday Party Dress (I cut it out at the same time as the bird one).

Fabric: Robert Kaufman Pimatex navy dot with a red grosgrain ribbon. I originally wanted to have bright yellow ties, but these sandals made me change my mind. I love the orange and fuchsia sandals too, maybe another summer. I have a serious addiction to tiny shoes.

So I Lied...

2009-03-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

I obviously make time for the things I want to do. I said I wouldn't have time to sew, and I somehow did. I should have been packing/cleaning, but instead I sewed a new dress for Miss A. And found time to blog about it. Around here we call it the "Bird Day" Party dress. The striped facing shows through a bit, but over all I like it.

Pattern: Oliver and S Birthday Party Dress , once again I was ridiculously impressed with the pattern. It was perfect! I just may have to sew another one (not before moving of course).

Fabric: Urban Chiks "Sweet" by Moda. I was inspired by this dress, but thought I'd better make it in pink so Miss A could use her pink shoes, and keep me from buying some teal ones.

Cinderella

2009-03-12T20:31:00.001-07:00

So, Miss A loves Cinderella. At first I was resistant, because really, she's two. We have plenty of time for her to be obsessed..but now that I'm trying to pack, I've welcomed it all with open arms. I even made her a dress. She loves to wear it and a pair of glass "zlippers" that are at least 3 sizes too big. Today, she put them on and packed a purse full of Legos and stood by the door saying, "S-go Mom, c'mon mom." I'm not sure where she wanted to go, at least she was prepared for any Lego disaster.
Her love for "Cinderella-la" may have come from my sister Megan. For a couple of years Megan has been impersonating Cinderella at parties and such. Megan had an appointment tonight at a local elementary school's literacy night, and asked G to come along dressed as Prince Charming. Why do we have a Prince Charming costume? The reason is two fold, #1 I apparently have too much time on my hands and #2 S spent several years attending princess themed dress up parties and we found that sending him as a pirate (specifically Captain Hook) was not such a great idea. Apparently little girls don't like to be told to walk the plank... Since the costume now fits G, he got to participate. He wouldn't have done it for anyone but Megan. At first when he was asked to go he said, "Will there be a table I can hide under?" Tonight before getting in Megan's car he made me look up and down the street to make sure none of his friends would see him. He did like spending the time with Megan, and it was worth being a little embarrassed to earn a candy bar. Megan mentioned that he spoke with an English accent while there. Too funny...When Megan walked into our house, Miss A immediately looked down at her own clothes and gasped. She ran up to her room and put on her own princess dress. After comparing glass slippers, and twirling a bit, Megan had to get home before her coach turned back into a pumpkin. My kids are so blessed to have an Aunt like Megan.
Also, if I wasn't supposed to be packing I would totally sew these. I'm a little bit bummed that I may not have time to sew an Easter dress for Miss A, but I'd sure like to try. Liesl's patterns are brilliant!I know I've said it a million times, but really they are like nothing else out there.

More aprons

2009-02-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

Here's Miss A and Bitty Baby in their new aprons. Miss A's is a bit big, but she should grow into it before I'm ready to make another one. She loves it. I'm not much of an apron wearer, or a cook, so I'm afraid she doesn't really know what it is. She thinks it's a cute dress.
Fabric: Lakehouse Dry Goods "Little Cupcake" and "Itty Pritty Polka Ditty" cotton rick rack, and black ribbon for the ties. I now wish I had made fabric ties, I'm afraid the ribbon may not wear well with Miss A's "on again, off again" personality.
Pattern: Little Retro Aprons

Look who's two!

2009-02-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

I think this picture is so funny. The outfit is so much cuter when worn.

Call Me Crazy....

2009-01-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

It would be a huge understatement to say that there is a lot going on at our house lately. But for whatever reason, I still am finding projects to make. Here is one of my stress relievers.
I found this great pattern (sweet little dress) on Etsy. It is the easiest dress ever, really. Pillow case easy. It took me about an hour to make. I think I might shorten it and make a top like this one.

What I did instead of doing something nice for my husband's birthday

2009-01-16T15:39:00.001-08:00

Typically January is my least favorite month with the cold, dark and gloomy weather. Usually inversions and fog have me feeling blue and dreaming of warmer climates. But with all the blue skies lately I've been cheerier than usual, which has led to some cheerful fabric and pattern choices. Here's Miss A's birthday preparations, a little on the "springy" side for a February birthday, but I like to think of it as winter blahs therapy.

The inspiration for the dress came from here. I'd like to figure out how to do the lacing detail without sewing a million buttonholes on this dress, but I'll just let it go. I have a feeling I could really mess up the dress trying to do it. I'm famous for ruining things by trying to "improve" them.

Fabric: Lecien mini dot from Purl Patchwork.

Pattern: I couldn't find a front wrap dress pattern I liked (I'd still like to find one with sleeves and an A line skirt), but thanks to the idea from this outfit, I used a pattern I already owned. I never would have thought to wear it backwards! I took some of the fullness out of the skirt and added fabric ruffles to the neck and armholes. I added a cardigan to keep arms warm until the snow melts. It's from Target, I replaced the buttons with buttons covered with the dress fabric.

New Outfit for the New Year

2008-12-30T16:59:00.001-08:00

No New Year's celebration would be complete without a fancy new outfit, for Miss A at least. I plan on wearing old sweats and being in bed by 9:00 PM. No reason start the new year off tired!
Her top is an oliver + s pattern (love them!) made from pink Kona cotton and trimmed with a black with tiny white dots cotton. The neck ties look cuter untied, but I can't keep her from chewing on them unless tied in a bow. The pants are "britches and bloomers" made with black featherwale cord and trimmed with the same fabric as the top. I really am going to make something without polka dots, and in colors other than black and pink. But once I get something on the brain.....just like last summer's fruit theme.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2008-12-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

I really need to read that book again. I thought it was so great as a kid, but can't recollect a thing about it now. Or maybe I should just let it be a fond piece off my past, and not let my all-too-critical adult mind mess up a great childhood memory.
Speaking of pageants, check out these nativity costumes.

Okay, the picture is really bad. So let me explain: There are three turbans for the wise men, a halo for the angel and a headband with blue silk for Mary. I'm afraid that Joseph and the shepard's head pieces weren't exciting enough to make the picture. But I'm sure you can visualize the various colored scarves and headbands.

Houndstooth Love

2008-11-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

This will be Miss A's Christmas dress. I've been planning it since last Christmas. It's a simple A line jumper. I planned a red long sleeve shirt and red tights, or maybe pink. It usually takes me awhile to find a pattern and suitable fabric. But I have to mention (not that I'm so cutting edge cool) that I'm disappointed that every children's store on Earth seems to have a houndstooth Christmas line this year. Look here and here. And it just wouldn't be my blog unless there was some shoe love like these and these. The good news is that this jumper looks ginormous and could fit her next Christmas, in which case I'll look like I'm a little behind the current trends, and I'm okay with that. I wish I would have used a brown and cream houndstooth like this, or a brown and green like this, just to be a bit different. But then I wouldn't have tempted to buy the cute shoes.
Pattern: Butterick 4842
Fabric: Black/White featherwale corduroy from Farmhouse Fabrics. I used black velvet ribbon as a trim.

Halloween

2008-11-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Just a few little notes about Halloween night. Miss A wore her hat (which took me longer to make than any other part of her costume) just long enough to take pictures. I consider that a great victory. My mom and I spent several hours wearing the hat to try to convince her how cool it is. S experienced a real to life Indiana Jones injury. S and Grandpa stepped outside to practice cracking the whip and came back inside seconds later with a six inch welt on S's back. Thanks to Grandma and a bag of frozen peas he is feeling better. And it just wouldn't be Halloween without someone getting ill. G complained that his stomach hurt during dinner. I (being the excellent mother I am) told him to eat his vegetables all gone or we wouldn't go trick or treating. About an hour later he was throwing up vegetables on our neighbors lawn. Sorry neighbors!

Now the boring sewing details:

Indiana Jones jacket is made from a home dec pleather material. I used Kwik Sew 3136, with some changes and a lot of quiet swearing. The pattern itself wasn't bad, the fabric was awful. It can't be washed or ironed. It was thick (but thin enough for a whip injury), slightly stretchy and permanently displayed all of my mistakes. The awesome hat is from Zurchers and the whip is from buycostumes.com. I also tried a downloadable pattern with my first attempt at making the jacket. Good idea in theory, but good heavens, after the 40th page printed with all the pieces but the ones I needed I was not happy. And then to think I would have had to tape or glue the 40 sheets of paper together to make full pattern pieces! Putting the pattern together would have been more difficult than making the actual jacket. So glad I bagged that idea. I contacted sewingpatterns.com and they sent me a new free pattern and removed the stupid downloadable one from their site.

The jedi is a Simplicity 0578 which is out of print. I made shoe covers to look like boots, but he wouldn't wear them. It's probably better since I don't know if they would have been washable. He had a duel with several of the neighborhood Darth Vader's before getting sick. He told a friend I was sewing him a mechanical hand like Luke Skywalker's. He was disappointed that I couldn't find a pattern.

The cute witch is Butterick 4054. I had grand visions of bloomers and a petticoat peeking out from under the skirt (a far cry from the simple costume I planned earlier) but decided to simplify since getting clothes on a wiggly toddler is not so fun. I added the ribbon detail on the pinafore to make it look more "storybookish." Over all the pattern wasn't too bad. It fit okay, and for a costume I thought the bagginess of the cut was okay. I made a matching dress and hat for dolly too. I thought maybe if the doll was wearing a hat Miss A would too. So much for simplification.The hat is Simplicity 2786 but I used bias binding on the brim to cover the raw edge and omitted the ribbon ties since that would have given Miss A one more thing to hate about the hat. Onesie and tights are from Gymboree and shoes are Puddle Jumpers. I would have loved to get these shoes, but my practicality won out. Brent will laugh at that statement.

Sweet Pajamas

2008-10-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

I love these pajamas. They were really simple to sew. I got the fabric here again. I made them a size bigger than I normally do with this brand of pattern, I wanted them to be worn for awhile. And, um, I didn't know when I would actually get around to sewing, them so I made them big just in case. Fortunately, they were simple enough that they got finished quickly. I'm not kidding when I say they were easy. If you've sewn a thing or too, but never really used a pattern before, this is the one to use.

I needed a break from Halloween sewing, S's pleather jacket has me stumped. On the up side, G said Miss A could be a cupcake Jedi if I didn't get her costume finished. A cupcake Jedi? Bless his heart for being so positive about my inability to focus on Halloween costumes.

More Clothes

2008-10-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

I realize I should be working on Halloween costumes, but I just couldn't resist this cute combo. Once again, it's an Oliver and S pattern, the Sunday Brunch Jacket and A line Skirt. Of course, the pattern was a dream to work with. The skirt was so simple, and the pockets are so cute. I lenghtened the hem a bit because Miss A is so tall. The jacket is just adorable, and I hope to make a grey velveteen one for Christmas time. Or maybe a mustard yellow one. Hmm.. the possibilities are endless. The fabric for both is feather wale corduroy from Farmhouse Fabrics. They ship everything so quickly and it all comes tied together with the prettiest ribbon. She's a little wrinkled in the picture, but if she wasn't it just wouldn't be real to life. Just minutes after taking this picture she was digging in the newly rained on flower beds. Anyone have suggestions on getting mud out of "hand wash" only tights?

Halloween in September?

2008-09-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here's what I have planned: S wants to be Indiana Jones. We found a hat and whip we just need a brown jacket. G wanted to be a pink flamingo.I asked if he wanted to be something more masculine, like a parrot, and he said I was "repressing his creativity." I asked him what repressing means and he said it's what your mother does to you. Today, he wants to be a Jedi. Miss A, well, let's just say I have a lot of ideas and fabric. I'll see what I come up with.

Here's a look at Halloweens past, at least our digital past. Halloween 2003

Megan's costume for Halloween 2004. S had been to so many princess parties that year! He felt ripped off that he couldn't dress up. We let him dress up as Captain Hook for one party and, well, it didn't go so well. He need to be a calmer character, much calmer. So I made him a Prince Charming outfit. It was cute, but he will so hate me some day. Let it be known that at the time he loved it. He didn't wear it on Halloween, but he wanted to.

Halloween 2004, notice me in the background holding G down so he won't run out of the picture?

"the real"Halloween 2005

October 2005, the real costumes weren't finished in time for some of the pre-Halloween festivities. Good thing we had these in the dress up box!

Halloween 2006, I was pregnant. Store bought costumes. 'nough said.

Halloween 2007

Super Easy Project

2008-08-27T21:05:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the bad picture. The photographer in our family is asleep. As is the model.

I know that those of you who don't sew hate reading my sewing posts. Or maybe just hate my posts in general. Don't worry I'm not offended.
Here is a super easy project that is so cute. You've read my posts about Oliver and S patterns right? Well, they have a freebie pattern available right now. Check out the flickr group for skirt sewing inspiration. This skirt is so simple, and the ribbon hem makes it adorable. IT REALLY IS SIMPLE! I'm not just saying this to sound cool. It took me all of 30 minutes to make. It would have taken less time if I hadn't twisted the elastic like crazy. Seriously, it's easy as the pillowcase you made in 7 th grade home ec. But maybe that brings back bad sewing memories? Sorry to anyone who had a bad home economics experience.

I might have Miss A be a witch for Halloween. I was thinking of making this skirt in a cute black with white polka dot fabric, hemmed with orange ribbon for the skirt and making some sort of cape. Or using some sort of Halloween fabric with spider webs or something. With a beauty pageant type sash that says, "Miss Halloween 2008." And striped tights of course. Or something like that. But then again, I'll probably change my mind between now and then.

Fabric: Pumpkins Gone Wild by Sandy Gervais for Moda. Ribbon Offray

Pattern: Lazy Days Skirt Pattern it's free!

Dolls & Memories

2008-08-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've always liked dolls. I secretly wanted an American Girl doll as a teenager. I would have never admitted it at the time! I was a little jealous of my younger sisters for having been born at a time when it was acceptable to play with them. And the thought of books that tell their stories, it couldn't have been more up my alley! My mom bought a pattern for one of the original AG doll's (Samantha) wardrobes years ago. I bought the rest of them on eBay more recently ( love eBay for that reason). I'm slowly working on them. They are amazingly difficult for such small things, but they are very fun to make. I hope I relax enough to actually let Miss A play with them someday.
I did have My Friend Mandy, Becky and Jenny as a girl. My mom made a lot of clothes for them. She also made a lot of Cabbage Patch Kid clothing. It's amazing to me how much she did sew when I was young, even though if you asked her she'd say she didn't. She got quite a lot accomplished considering all 5 children. Easter dresses, Halloween and dance costumes seemed to be her speciality. I have really fond memories associated with the things she made. I wouldn't have been able to learn to sew without her closet full of fabric and free reign over the sewing supplies that I had as a kid. She let me make a lot of crap. Amazingly she always acted excited about the junk I made.

I made this doll dress several years ago, before having an actual female child of my own to sew for. I made it during my "heirloom sewing" phase (said like I'm some sort of artist or something-ha!). There are so few boy things to make. I made a lot of dress ups/costumes and pajamas for my boys before Miss A was born, but never really felt fulfilled in that. There's just something about making an item that gets used often. My oldest child wore nothing but costumes (and actually lived in the land of make believe) from about the ages of 2 1/2 to 6. We often had to let him wear a costume in the car on the way to church and remove it before entering the building. My second child has never been much of a costume wearer. He lives in the land of reality only, and is very literal about everything.

The patterns and fabric that I was longing to create with were so feminine. I took a couple of "heirloom sewing" classes and loved learning the techniques. The patterns are usually well designed and written. I love that there is as much care taken on how the interior of the clothing looks as the exterior. I also love the great fabrics and details that heirloom sewing incorporates. I love the hand work, smocking and embroidery. I don't always like that every item I make looks like it is from another century. I find it difficult to make items that are timeless, and not just dated. I made a linen suit for my oldest once. It may have gone over well in the south in the early 1900's, just not now and especially where we live. Brent was very relieved that S never had to wear it in public. It is in my flickr group for memories sake. It will have to remain there.

Oliver and S Bubble Dress

2008-08-18T13:28:00.001-07:00

I recently realized that all of Miss A's clothing have been fruit themed this season. She owns a strawberry dress, 2 watermelon outfits, a cherry sun suit, her new citrus sun dress and an apple outfit. I almost made this dress from cherry fabric. Rather than having her closet look like a fruit salad, I went to Brooks Fabric and picked up this cute combo. I made sure I ate lunch before I went to try to avoid any prints with food themes.
I admit I'm obsessed, in a good way, with these patterns. The fall line comes out this week and I can't wait! This bubble dress was so easy to sew! And it is so darling on Miss A. She has a yellow cardigan to wear with it once the weather gets cooler. I just thought I would share what I've been doing while the boys are at school. Lest any of you think I'm watching soap operas and eating bon-bons.
Pattern: Oliver and S Bubble Dress
Fabric: Robert Kaufman (brown print) Mary Engelbreit (yellow dot) for the lining.

Tea Party Sundress

2008-08-10T20:17:00.001-07:00

Yes, more dresses to justify shoe purchases. I admit I have a problem. Well, several in fact.

This is an Oliver + S Tea Party Sundress . I love it. It was simple to sew. It has some great details like a hem facing on the dress and bias casings on the bloomers that give avid sewers like me something to be excited about. It's exciting to find great patterns. I swear a lot less while sewing since finding these patterns.

The fabric is "Fresh Squeezed" by Sandy Gervais for Moda. I love the bright citrus colors. It makes me happy to look at it. I used a diagonal stripe from the line for the lining and bloomers. It caused some grief while trying to match the stripes in the seams, but I gave up and feel ok about it. They're bloomers for heavens sake!

I'm working on a matching dress for dolly again, but my pattern making skills are seriously lacking. The fact that the dolls legs are in a permenant sitting position doesn't help any (how will I make pants for her?). I hope to have the dolly dress done before the weather gets cold, or Miss A outgrows the dress. Whichever comes first.

More dresses

2008-08-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost over. The stores are advertising "Back to School" supplies, and I'm just not ready to stop sewing summer clothes for Miss A. I could attempt to guess what size she'll wear next year, but I've failed miserably at it in the past and decided to live for today. Besides, her red polka dot sandals won't fit next summer (and I'll still trying to justify to myself the need for them). So the moral of this story: If you find cute shoes that may only match a few outfits you own, buy (or in this case, sew) more outfits to justify their purchase. Then you'll feel better about owning so many pairs of shoes while the rest of the country worries about the economy, gas prices and the pummeling housing market. Think about it as a way to stimulate the economy. I'm just doing my part.
Pattern: New Look 6796 (so far so good with the New Look patterns). It was simple, straight forward, and not too ill fitting. The doll's dress is my own design made to match the Miss A's dress. I love dolly/owner matching outfits! Miss A seemed to think it was pretty cool too. She kept pointing to her dress, then the doll's dress and giggling. So cute!
Fabric: Fabric Traditions from Joann. Yes, this is the second item of clothing made from lime green ladybug fabric, but if you look closely, the prints are different. Not that you can really tell. Maybe I just have a ladybug fixation?

Crayon Tote Bag

2008-07-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

This tote bag seemed like such a cute idea. My mom told me about an apron that she remembered seeing when I was a kid with little pockets for crayons. She had good intentions to make one for one of us kids, but never got around to it. I think I get my love of fabric from her and my love of sewing from my Grandma. But that's an entirely different (and much more boring, if that's possible) post. I thought a tote bag would be so cute since Miss A likes bags better than aprons. I thought it would be so cute with a pad of paper and coloring book inside, and truly it was. But what was I thinking giving a 18 month old crayon portability? Seriously! Within nano seconds she had colored on every surface in the house. Luckily it all came off easily. The bag is now hidden and to be used only under the strictest of supervision.

Pattern: My own design

Fabric: Micheal Miller Carnival Bloom and Moda Deb Strain dot.

On to other randomness:

Saturday we had a family "Chinese Cultural Day" of sorts. It started out with lunch at PF Changs and a matinee of Kung Fu Panda (a must see for all Jack Black fans). The only difficulty was when the boys began practicing their newly found Kung Fu moves on each other on the way out of the theatre. Other than that minor set back, we all walked away with a better appreciation of American stereotypes about the Chinese.

The boys are taking swimming lessons and loving it. I'm loving that the weather is no longer in the 100's, it's cooled down to the 90's. It makes it so much easier to sit during lessons when I'm not melting in the heat. I do however think G is drinking more pool water than necessary, but his teacher and I haven't been able to convince him to close his mouth. Well, he is his mother's child!

Just In Case You Were Wondering

2008-07-28T21:15:00.001-07:00

With so many posts about what Miss A gets to wear, some of you may be left to think that the males in our house go naked. This picture should clear that thought up.However, it does prove that whoever does the shopping at our house needs to diversify a bit and buy something besides khaki cargo shorts. As a side note, this picture only shows roughly half of our khaki holdings. Sad but true.

4th of July

2008-07-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Miss A is sporting new shorts which I made the night before. Aha, maybe that's why I always have crappy holidays! I seem to get hair brained, least minute project ideas to completely push me over the edge. It happened while I was ironing the kids clothes. I thought, "I wonder why Gymboree only sold long pants with this line? I should make shorts. I'll do it now and forget my need for sleep. Everyone is in bed, I have time. It's only 10 pm." And sure enough by midnight the shorts are done and I'm already wondering why sewing is so much more important to me than the sleep I so desperately need.

Her shorts are the Oliver + S puppet show shorts. Easy to make and fun to sew. I love the "girly" cargo pockets. And I love that the fabric had been in my stash for quite some time, it makes me feel so thrifty. I don't even remember what I bought it for originally. But it's just some inexpensive red gingham. It turned out very cute I think. I love that the shorts look bloomerish, but not baggy. Well worth (in hind sight) the lack of sleep.

Oliver and S outfit

2008-06-24T13:43:00.001-07:00

I'm always a little hesitant to make clothes for my kids. I love doing it. I love trying to make something tangible out of what I have envisioned, but I hate patterns. I hate spending time, tears and sweat and then not having whatever I've made fit. Last summer I made a bunch of size 3-6 months size clothes for Miss A. I carefully measured her and chose patterns sizes accordingly. I was so mad when they didn't fit. Most of them were too big, and a few were too small. It was maddening. At least with ready to wear clothes you can return them when they don't fit. With sewing, you're stuck paying for something that will never be used. I even threw away a bunch of patterns with fabric that had been cut out and vowed to never use that brand of pattern again. Thankfully a few of the outfits could be salvaged and she can wear them this summer. I've been on the hunt for good fitting patterns but have approached the task with some skepticism.

Oliver and S patterns have been awesome. The fit is wonderful, according to the size measurements. I made this Puppet Show Tunic and Shorts and they fit perfectly. The instructions are very clear, and I loved looking at the photos on the blog to make sure I assembled the tunic correctly. The pattern was given a 3 out of 4 difficulty level. It wasn't particularly hard, just a little time consuming. The set in sleeves were the most difficult part, but only because a size 18 month arm hole is so small. Definitely not a problem with the pattern. The shorts however are my favorite. They are gathered slightly around the bottom and give a cute fit without being too baggy. They were very easy, but look like a lot of time was spent on them. Be sure to check out the "errata" tab under the patterns section of the website, you may need to adjust your pattern piece for the binding on the shorts (pattern piece was misprinted). I plan to make another pair soon. The patterns also have the cutest paper dolls that come with them.

My only regret is my choice of fabric for the tunic. Originally I bought the fabric to make a bag for me. I could see that my interest in bag sewing had waned and wanted to use the fabric for something else rather than continue to hoard fabric. The prints are a little "busy" for the tunic. The scale is too large. But overall, it's OK. Brent will be proud of my ability to make do with what I've got, until the next trip to the fabric store. Ha!

Pattern: Oliver and S Puppet Show Tunic and Shorts

Fabric: Benartex "City Girl" for the tunic and espresso brown Kona cotton (Robert Kaufman)

Little LadyBug

2008-05-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to get a picture of this little stinker. I'm a poor photographer to begin with, add a runaway toddler and you've got a mess. I hate to think what my pictures would have looked like in the "olden days" before digital cameras. We probably wouldn't have any pictures of anyone actually looking at the camera. Well, at least you get the idea. Just don't compare my photos to the dozens of bloggers who own really great cameras and have super photography skills.

I made these super easy pants for Miss A recently. They were so easy I made them during her nap time, start to finish. It's really a good feeling to complete a project, especially when I feel so overwhelmed by the amount of half finished products in my craft room.The prints are a little wild, but they look so darn cute together I couldn't resist. I made a top to match it, but she can remove it too easily. It's just not worth the effort it takes to chase her down and try to put it back on her 12 times a day. So we'll stick with a not so easy to remove shirt for now.

Fabric: Joann (lime green with ladybugs and red with white polka dot)

Pattern: Britches and Bloomers by Jackie Clark designs (purchased at Farmhouse Fabrics). I shortened the leg length to make them capris and added 1/4" to the ruffle at the bottom to make it easier to hem. I have great difficulty with narrow hems (it's my chubby fingers) and adding to the ruffle length made it much easier to press and sew.

My Favorite Creation, So Far

2008-05-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

So far, this is my favorite thing I've made for Miss A. I think it's the print for the top that I love, maybe it's just the bright, happy colors. I almost hated cutting the fabric to make the top, I adore it so much. I love that quilt fabrics are so hip. They are no longer the pioneer calicos they used to be. I also love that quilt stores are everywhere! It's so conventient to be surrounded by so much inspriation. Not so good for my wallet, but great for my creativity!
Pattern: New Look 6473
Fabric: Micheal Miller, Carnival Bloom. The polka dot for the yoke is Deb Strain for Moda
Shoes: Pediped

How many dresses can one girl have?

2008-05-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Not like she needs more dresses, or clothes. It's just so fun to shop for a little girl. Especially a little girl who doesn't yet have an opinion about what to wear.
This is a jumper I made for Miss A. At first, I thought the fabric would be too busy for a baby. But I'm glad I took a risk because I love it! We get so many compliments when she wears it.

Pattern: Simplicity 4711

Fabric: Michele D'Amore for Marcus Brothers textiles. The neckline and arm holes have baby piping made from a turqouise fabric from the same collection. I added turqouise grosgrain ribbon at the waist and it ties in back. The onesie is from Target.

I Sew Stuff

2008-05-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, I sew stuff. Mostly, I sew stuff for me and my family. I don't really like sewing for other people. Not because I don't enjoy the praise, it's just that I really like the "whole" creative experience. I love fabric stores, sketching out ideas, and even being awakened in the early morning with an idea I just have to sew.
I'm not so good at making other people's creative vision a reality. If you want me to sew something for you I will probably say "Yes" but I will wish I had said "No". It's not that I don't like you, It's just that once I say yes, I feel all this extra pressure. Thoughts run through my head like, "Crap, I gotta get that done", "I hate hemming pants, I don't even hem my own", "Oh, this isn't good enough for someone else"or "Next time I'm charging $100 an hour because this is taking a lot longer than I thought."

So here is what I will do instead:

How about I post pictures, ideas and patterns on this blog and you can do it yourself?
Your creativity via inspiration from me. You can take the credit, I don't mind.