Lemon B-day dress

Luckily I got Jane's dress done well before her birthday at the end of February (unlike my usual last minute projects!)...as we had a horrible pipe leak in our house mid-month, and had to move out for what ended up being almost 2 months.

Great to be back home, and while we're still digging out and putting things back together, I'm hoping to get back into a number of sewing projects.

Regardless, the dress turned out great and she got lemon cupcakes to go along with it. I used part of a top from AestheticNest cause I loved the cap sleeves.  (I'm excited to make the top for summer!) I ended up having to re-do the dress a number of times to get the center border to come out well.  Circle skirt for the bottom with a ruffle that I almost regretted as it was lots of sewing and I was trying to hide seams. It's heavy and full and twirly cute! 

Rainbow Cover

Black friday shopping this year, and I finally got the dslr camera that I've been wanting for a good couple of years now.  I wanted to make a pretty strap cover, so broke into a stack of FQ's my mom got me over a year ago that I've been hoarding. I used this chevron tutorial  and this strap cover tutorial for the actual cover.  It's nice having a pocket for the lens cap, and it is super comfy!

Strip quilt

Decided that I should sew some WIPs instead of starting new projects.  I've been wanting to try some spiral quilting...mostly from the hope that I'd have less wrinkling.  It took a ton of time...and thread!  However, I'm loving how it turned out.  I think if I attempt it again in the future, I might try to learn how to use my walking foot or get some kind of quilting guideline so I can line things up a little wider than the foot that I was using.  The girls love it, and made for a nice use of some of the novelty scraps I felt bad just dumping.  I did a teal color for the binding and LOVE how that ties in all the other colors!

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Skill-it-Online

I'm super excited to have won a spot in this online cooking course! Fall Seasons Eatings  Looking forward to some new recipes and fun in the kitchen with my kiddos.

KCWC Thanksgiving skirts

Well, I think next time I attempt KCWC, I will have to plan it out much in advance.  Our Walking Dead Season 2 cd came in from our library, and that chewed up some time in the evenings, and I probably needed a better plan and a cleaner workspace.  However, I'm happy to have Halloween dresses sewn, and I did get 2 skirts finished that the girls can wear this fall, and likely for Thanksgiving. They were unplanned as we happened upon a random jelly roll while out shopping, and I just went with it!  I totally intended on just making more tiered skirts til I came across this darling tutorial for a Ruched Strip Skirt.  It was super fun to make and didn't take as long as I feared it would.  I think it's going to look super fab with the new completely impractical tall boots my eldest just got, and how fun is the ruched vertical stripe??






While the last thing my youngest needs is more clothes, it's pretty hard to not make her something as she feels super left out if I don't.  I have this sweet dress from Gymboree that both girls have worn; the skirt part of it has these strips of fabric that are fantastic.  I've been thinking for years that I could or should attempt to re-make it.  I decided to try making a simple skirt since I already had the strips!  I am hoping the strips don't fray too much as I just ironed the edges over and top-stiched.  I pinned the strips and the waistband to the top of a basic skirt and sewed it all down.  If I make another one, I'll try to make a tutorial up.  The strips were super time consuming last night, but it's so worth the look.  I kind of winged it on measurements and I've had to cinch up the waist quite a big since she's so petite (it basically fits my 6 year old if the elastic isn't stretched!).  It makes a fun long skirt for now, and if the fraying isn't horrible, she can probably wear it forever, especially if I replace the elastic someday.  I should learn how to make an adjustable waistband. Hmmm.  Loving the fall colors from our random fabric find...and I see more jelly rolls in my future, gets me over that cutting fabric hump to actually sewing something!

KCWC Costume Dresses

Finished the girls fairy dresses, basic peasant dress base.  I used a circle skirt on the orange, but kept it square, and I'm loving how that flows.  On the red, I cut the dress wider at the base, and I did an overlay and cut it with a bit of a scallop.  Not loving how the hem came together, but it's certainly good enough for a Halloween costume!  Both have tied extra fabric onto themselves for belts/headbands. I got one Christmas dress cut-out and realized that I need more fabric for the second one.  Spent some time staring at my star fabric trying to decide if it will be good as a circle skirt; it's cute, but I need to figure out how to make the waist band covered as she doesn't love the elastic touching her.  Not bad for a day, not sure if I'm going to get much more done this week. 

KCWC

Really wanted to participate in this sewing challenge this year, but the beginning of this week was just too crazy!  However, I have most of the day today to just chill with the kiddos and go nowhere.  Projects planned-finishing up a fairy dress, circle star skirt, tiered corduroy skirt, apron dress, and possible Christmas dresses...even though I forgot to order the ribbon trim I wanted on them!

Tiny Prints Holiday Cards & Giveaway

We're heading into the holiday season, and I'm making lists of things I'd like to make. While I've made Christmas cards in the past, I've found I'd rather be sewing or making a scrapbook.  However, I love to share family photos with our friends and relatives, and the cards at Tiny Prints are just perfect!  Check them out here:   Photo Christmas Cards The hardest part is narrowing it down to my favorite photos...and then picking a card layout.  Tiny Prints even has circle shaped cards this year, too cute. You can view their current sales here: Tiny Prints Coupons & Promotions.

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Vacay Dresses

The big one needs a fall wardrobe, so I used some awesome zebra fabric she picked out to make a new dress, figured it would be great for an upcoming zoo trip...or that it's loud enough that I'll never lose her on the playground!  The little one really needs no new clothes, but can't leave her out...I tried to bubble the bottom of hers since the pink fabric was pretty thin.  It's not very bubblely, but it was nice to not have to hem it!  Heading out for a long late season weekend at the beach; nice way to end summer.

Daddy Dresses

Been trying to cull clothes out and found a couple of hubby's shirts with some crayon stains (how do they get into the laundry when the kids usually opt for markers??).  I've seen some pretty cute button down dresses, so I pulled out the Sweet Little Dress pattern once again and made a couple of dresses for the girls.  The big one loves hers...I ran out of elastic, so I attempted to shirr the neckline on the little one's dress and it's just too big for her, but will probably be great next spring.  I love this navy striped one the best, though...and she appears to be able to move in it; it's the perfect playdate dress!

Jammie Shorts!

I get sucked in by the wondrous internet...do I 'need' to make shorts?  Well...there is this Shorts on the Line thing going on over at Imagine Gnats, so I guess I do!
I've never made shorts before.  Frankly, the thought of putting those pieces together kind of threw me (and it still seems a teeny bit magical). I kind of winged it, looking at both this Pajama Shorts Tutorial and this Shirred Shorts. I had picked up this fabric in the clearance section of walmart, thinking of making some kind of play dresses for the girls. It's super sheer...which is why these are definitely for sleeping in/playing around the house and NOT for public. :D  I made them a bit longer (mostly in the hopes of upping the 'appropriate' factor for my 6 year old), they kind of remind me of the old school koolats. She was a little disappointed when they weren't a skirt, but once she put them on...didn't want to take them off as they are super comfortable.  Considering we're in a crazy heat wave, sheer and light is all good.

     I also finally shirred something!  I did the waist band with the elastic thread I bought a few weeks ago, intending on trying to make some sundresses (which are totally on the to do list now).  It really is super fun. I think I enjoy making dresses and skirts a bit more, but picking up some sewing skills with some of these 'challenges' I'm finding!

String Quilt WIP

I've got sooo many novelty prints that I've kind of 'outgrown'.  While I'm trying to trade or sell the usable chunks (anybody interested???), I took a ton of the scraps and cut them into strips.  I made pretty big 8.5"x8.5" blocks, and I decided to use a very teeny creme strip to make the 'diamond' center stripe.  Just helps tie it together a little bit.  It's loud and not very clean and modern, but the girls are excited to have something new.  I'm trying to decide if I should add two more block to the bottom and make it long and twin bed sized, or add three more blocks and make it a larger square.  I'm leaning towards square at the moment, 'cause...I'm just not sure it's something I'm ever going to want as an actual bedspread!  However, it might be a perfect play/picnic blanket. I'm even tempted to try the Prairie Point tutorial for the edges...although this might be too much effort for a scrappy quilt.  We'll have to call it practice for a cooler one.

Granny Gowns!

I made night-gowns!  My grandma sent some linens with some twin mattresses we're taking from their old cottage.  One set was pretty vintage-y with roses and such, and I decided to make matching nightgowns.  I used the sweet little dress pattern to start, and added extra length, a ruffle to the bottom, and just tacked up the sleeves with a little fold instead of the elastic.  Little teeny ribbon bow...and utter sweetness.  So much sweetness, that I had to make two more for my nieces.  Four little girls in nightgowns, weehoo!