some sewing . . .

A little while ago I had the priviledge of being a pattern tester for The Handmade Dress. The pattern is called Miss Alice and is now available for sale. I made a size 5 with the intention of giving it to Chantel. It was a very quick and easy pattern. I really love the style of the yoke and think it's just a great touch. The dress is quite long with the intention of being modest and after I completed it - I thought that it better suited Elayna. But my girls are more of skirt and pants kinda girls and their Sunday dresses are often more dressy than this. So after I had taken some pics of it on Elayna, I shortened the length, removed the belt, and made a pair of matching narrow pants; and now we have another school outfit for Chantel. I added the rutching to the side of the pants and a raw applique as an after-thought (had I thought it out before-hand, I would've done the applique first and added more of the flowers and a butterfly from the fabric). I will definitely make this pattern again, I think it would look sweet in a cotton or knit for more of a spring/summer style (I'm already picturing it with some capri leggings). I've also seen it completed in baby-sizes and they look especially sweet.

Another project I've completed won't be seen too much, but will be worn lots. A pair of pull-on training panties for Alyssa, complete with pocket opening to put an insert in if needed. It was my second attempt as the first pair wasn't a good fit. She seems to love them and I'm hoping to whip up a bunch more pairs since they only took about 10 minutes to complete.

cloth diaper giveaway event . . .

As I've mentioned a few times, we've been cloth diapering with Justin. I had "tried" cloth diapering a couple times with the girls, with fitteds and covers, and hated it. But before Justin was born, I had looked into all the options out there and decided to give it a "real" try this time, but with the all-in-one kind of cloth diapers. Basically, it's just like a disposable diaper (one piece) that you throw in the wash. And because he's a nursed baby, all I have to do is put the washing machine through an exta rinse cycle before the wash cycle. Super easy. And since Justin's been born, we've discovered his sensitive skin issues, which make cloth diapering a good choice for him. I've been experimenting with different styles like pockets (that you stuff) and all-in-two's (where you snap in the liner) - both of these have quicker drying times than AIO's - and discovered all the cute colors and prints that everything is available in. It's a whole new online world when you get into cloth diapering. So I have been enjoying it, and after three months of using mostly sized small diapers, I sold my stash on an online swapping community and Craigslist, and got into size mediums and one-size diapers.

And then today, while catching up on some blog reading, I came accross a one size cloth diaper event on a blog called Take Time to Smell the Rose. Starting on January 1st, they are going to be doing reviews on 22 different brands of one sized cloth diapers and a bunch of them will be offering giveaways. And by posting about this, I get extra entries into all those giveaways. So since I'm interested in trying out new kinds, it will be great to get recommendations of what I should try next (and of course winning some would be great!).

a *little* bit of creating . . .

So I have spent very little time in the sewing room lately, it's definitely not going to be a homemade Christmas around here. But I'm not complaining, one day the kids won't want me coordinating everything in their lives and I'll have lots of time to sew and quilt. But I did manage to squeeze out a mini-sleepsack for Justin. The girls helped pick out the buttons and fabric to make it fun, and Justin even sat on my lap for part of the sewing because he loves to be held as soon as the machine goes on. I made it with buttons to close up the armholes with the intention of keeping his arms from getting out (he startles himself awake and is getting too strong for swaddling) but my design flaw was using fleece - too stretchy. I think I'll add some bias tape to the neck and see if that works. It was fun to make anyways, especially since the girls helped out.

We also made some teacher gifts for the girls teachers. We used this website for the recipe and printable gift tags and made M&M Christmas cookies (complete with red & green M&M's). A quick and fun idea. Today's plans include making our own batch :)

a lap quilt and matching table topper . . .

Well since I have no baby news to post about, and the kids got rushed out the door so quick this morning that I don't have back-to-school pics yet either, I thought I'd post a sewing project. This is a project I finished up some time ago - they were a (belated) wedding gift and house-warming gift for my brother and my sister-in-law. It's the same block repeated, just placed at different angles. I loved working with the orange and black - something a little different and fun. And making the quilt all over again in miniature for the table topper used up all the little leftover scraps nicely. I'd love to do this pattern again in a totally different color theme and maybe try some flower appliques or something on some of the blocks.

what to do when you're overdue . . .

lots of organizing and washing of baby stuff . . . Alyssa's been moved to the girls old room and all the baby stuff has been taken out of storage. We're also trying out some cloth diapering at home this time so they're all washed and ready to go (and three more are coming in the mail so I should have a couple days supply).

getting ready for back-to-school . . . all the clothes have been sorted, some new clothes added, backpacks ready, and school snacks are filling the cupboard.

some sewing . . . this will be a rug for Alyssa's new room and I'm hoping to make some matching curtains in the future as well. Unfortunately, sewing time gets cut short because my naps are priority around here.

itty bitty dress . . .

I had enough fabric left over from Alyssa's dress to make a matching itty bitty dress if this new babe happens to be a girl (if it's not, I guess I have a gift for someone or a matching dolly-dress). I used this pattern which was super quick, but changed the straps (I'll make the buttonholes after I've tried it on a real subject), and added a ruffle to lengthen it a bit. I think it will look cute with a short sleeved onesie underneath (and that's also my excuse for not making matching panty covers). So no baby news here yet. I've been having contractions off and on for days but nothing that keeps going, so I'm expecting an induction sometime in the next week (that would make four for four).

cover-up . . .

Since swimming lessons is starting up next week, I made the girls some cover-ups to help make getting ready in the morning a little quicker (I have THE pickiest girls when it comes to what to wear). Here's a pic of Chantel's.

some things I've won that I'm super excited about . . .

So I like to frequent other blogs for inspiration, reviews, and their generous giveaways! And it just happens that I've won on two of my favorite blogs lately! The Fabric Shopper is not only full of great inspiration and reviews for sewing and quilting, they are continually featuring trendy fabric designers and beautiful fabric lines. My Organized Chaos is a review blog featuring modern baby and kids items with the occasional items for moms. So what did I win? From the Fabric Shopper, I won an Amy Butler Sweet Life bag - so gorgeous, and something for me! And from My Organized Chaos, I won a gift set of organic baby products from Nature's Paradise - perfect for our little one due next month and especially great because my babes often have sensitive skin and their products have all natural ingredients.

disappearing 9-patches . . .

So I've been playing in the sewing room, trying to find some inspiration for what project to start next. I did make a new dress for myself (and even wore it to church), and a simple summer tank top for myself, and a pair of summer pj's for Alyssa (which I need to improve the design of). But I'm feeling a little at a loss of what I "need" to make - hopefully I figure it out this week since I'm down to just Alyssa every morning while the other girls enjoy a summer program.

I also made six disappearing 9-patches with a bunch of fabric squares from a swap awhile back. But to finish them into a quilt, I think I'd like to get a whole bunch more blue squares, or alternate them with another color? I'll have to see . . .

Quilt-Along Quilt

There's been a quilt-along hosted by the Old Red Barn going on and I joined in. It was great motivation to keep on track with my progress and last night I finished up the last bit of the binding. I did a smaller version and made the blocks 7 strips wide so I would have the least bit of scraps leftover. The quilt is for Alyssa and her transition to a toddler bed when the baby arrives. It measures approx 60" x 45" so that's big enough to hang over the edges of the mattress or tuck it in.

The fabric is from Sandi Hendersen's ginger blossom - one of my favorite fabric lines and it was part of the prize from the baby bootie contest last year. For the borders, I used a scalloped ruler which I got as a Christmas gift this past year, and really wanted to try it out after seeing this quilt. The ruler was super-simple to use and I LOVE the finished look! I will definitely be doing that again! For the backing, I used a soft minkie (that I picked up at a half price sale at our local fabric store). I made sure to pick out one that wasn't super-stretchy and found it easier to free motion quilt than I thought it would be - I was fully prepared for it not to work and so happy that it did!

I also added a label (something I am not good at taking the time to do!). I handwrote it out first and then free motioned over the letters - again, something that was easier than I thought it would be and something I'll do again next time! So I hope that Alyssa will trade in her baby quilt for this one (especially if the new babe is a girl).

a new bag . . .

A local quilt shop has some great deals going on and I couldn't resist picking up some fabrics for a new bag. So this is my new bag for when my purse doesn't quite fit everything. It will probably end up being a diaper bag on occasion, or for Bible study when I need to carry a few books. Right now it fits those couple extra summer items that need to be carried around and a couple things for Alyssa since I don't need a full diaper bag for her anymore. I made the pattern myself because I wanted something original but found inspiration from here and here. The bag has a couple inside pockets, closes with a zipper (my first time doing that!), the bottom corners are boxed for some stability, and there's some pleats between top and bottom fabrics. Anyways, a new fun bag for me to enjoy!

a new purse . . .

My purse was in need of a replacement and I wanted to try out the Buttercup pattern that's been floating around for awhile now. The pattern was super easy to follow and the purse came together really quickly. Changes I made included enlarging the pattern a bit and adding some heavyweight interfacing to give more shape. I love how it turned out except that I find the purse buckles a bit when I weigh it down - I think I might open it up and put in some heavier interfacing like pellon in the top band to help keep its' shape.

our little flowergirl . . .

So here's a pic of our little flowergirl from the wedding this past week. She did quite well in the church - walked down most of the aisle by herself, just got a little confused when the other flowergirls started running back and forth down the aisle. She even stood at the front with the bridal party and watched as the bride was given away. The formal pictures on the other hand were a different story - she fell asleep on the drive over and cried on every picture. But at least she wasn't the only one, they'll be amusing pictures to look back on later.

one hour pajamas . . .

Chantel was feeling a little left out the other night while Elayna was attending yet another birthday party (seems half her class has their birthdays within a week of each other) so I cheered her up by letting her pick out some fabric from my stash and whipping up a Summer nightgown just in time for bed. This seriously took no time at all to make and I LOVE how it turned out. Now if I was only ambitious enough to whip up two or three more of these for each of the girls, they'd be set for the whole Summer.

some little girl aprons . . .

Elayna was invited to a birthday party for four little girls from her class. So I made four half-aprons and added a cookbook to top off the gifts (got them for a great deal). I had the fabric and rick-rack in my stash for the aprons, used a couple pics from the web as inspiration, and they came together really easily. I wrote down the measurements for everything in case I decide to make them again - after all, there will be lots of little girl birthday invitations coming through this house in the years to come.

dolly stuff . . .

So I have been having way too much fun sewing this morning. I brought my sewing machine and iron upstairs so I could sew in the air conditioned part of the house and not trip a breaker (for some reason my sewing room is on the same breaker as our air conditioner even though they're on total opposite corners of the house). Then the girls got in swimsuits and played outside for hours (I'm loving this weather!) while I got to play with some of my favorite fabrics - mostly ginger blossom. I made a little dolly diaper bag and matching dolly change pad for a little girls birthday party tomorrow. It was much more fun than taking the girls shopping! I have a pack of preemie diapers and I'll put in a handful to complete the gift - hopefully the birthday girl loves it as much as my girls do!

(here's a close-up of the bag. Inspired by Heather Bailey's book bags in the May 2008 issue of Home Companion).

some dresses . . .

Well, I have been spending time in my sewing room - quite a bit of time actually. I picked up some fabric for $5 the other day and managed to get two maternity sundresses out of it. Since this is already looking to be a hot summer, I'm sure a couple light things to wear will come in handy.

shoes . . .

Today we spent entirely too much time shoe shopping for the girls. They each ended up with a different pair from three different stores. And there were more stores that we looked at too. I cannot believe how opinionated Chantel was about hers and am already starting to dread the teenage clothes shopping years. But now they're all set for a family wedding and church - their current Dora and Princess sandals weren't cutting it. They just better not outgrow them before the Summer ends . . .

(and yes, they're in age order).

Ottobre ties . . .

I finished up the ties for the ringbearers for the wedding next month. It also happens to be my first try at an Ottobre pattern (I just got my first issue this month). Although I did make them twice, the first time with interfacing and they were way too stiff so I redid them without and they turned out much better. Hopefully the little guys keep them on for some pics on the big day.

Two more Gracie dresses . . .

So the other two Portabellopixie Gracie dresses are done! The third one is for my niece so the three girls can match at a family wedding next month. The fabric is from Heather Bailey's Pop Garden - three different colorways of the Peonies print. I'm happy to have this project done (on time!) but now I really need to get the flowergirl dress finished for Alyssa - that one is a bit more of a challenge. I also offered to make some matching ties for the ringbearers so I'm hoping to get some time in the sewing room in the next week and stay focused on getting those done before I get side-tracked into a different project.

Portabellopixie Gracie Dress

I've completed my first dress from the Portabellopixie Gracie pattern - view B Tiered Dress. The pattern booklet is a bit more pricey than most, but since it comes with 4 different things to make (3 of which are quite different), you're basically paying for 3-4 patterns at once which makes it worth it (and I intend on making the other patterns down the road as well). Also, by buying it on Etsy with the fabric for the three dresses I plan to make, I got a nice discount.

First off, I was pleasantly suprised at how quickly and easily this dress came together. I would guess that I spent about 6 hours on it in total (although I'm not new to sewing). I spent a couple hours the first evening going over the instructions and cutting it all out. The next evening I hemmed the bottom, and did all the gathering and pinning of the layers; and the third evening I sewed it all up.

I did make one change to the pattern - I added an extra tier. Before I attached the bodice to the tiers, I realized that I wasn't happy with the finished length. I wanted the dress to fall below the knee, not above it (after all, it's a pretty twirly dress and you wouldn't want panties showing). And that was also one of the faults I found with the pattern, no finished measurements of the dress (at least that I could find). Had I known this before this point, I would have changed the width of the top tier to make more of a gathered look between the top one and the one I added (or changed the length of all the tiers before I started cutting).

Another thing I wanted to point out is the bias binding on the top edge of the collar. When I first read this in the instructions, I was slightly confused and had to read it over a couple times to understand the reasoning or concept of this. But once I actually did it, I found it easy and not very time consuming, and it gave a very nice finished look.

Overall, I found the pattern easy to follow. There were some minor missed instructions and pattern pieces that were stamped with wrong amounts to cut, but it was easy to figure out if you've sewn a couple dresses before. I will definitely be making this pattern again and look forward to trying the other ones out as well.

Little purses . . .

We're planning an invasion of little girls for an almost six-year old, and one of the party requests was little purses instead of goody bags. After a couple trials, I made this simple design - no snaps or buttons, as simple as it gets. The birthday girl is pretty pleased and my stash is a little smaller :)

Daydreams Wall Hanging - done!

I pieced together the top of this wall hanging awhile back and finally got the motivation this week to quilt it and bind it. My husband and brother-in-law even hung it up this evening in our front entry. I also put up some word vinyl on the other wall which I had bought from WordCandy. I love having something on these big bare walls now and am really happy with how both turned out.

microwave rice bag . . .

I've been wanting one of these for awhile and it suddenly occured to me last night that I could just make one. I used these instructions and about 10 minutes later had a rice filled bag that is great for my sore shoulders - just 90 seconds in the microwave and it's perfect.

Another sleepsack . . .

This time I made one for Alyssa since making a new one seems to be just as quick as repairing the worn-out ones that have been handed down from her sisters (and I picked up the fabric from the bolt ends at our local fabric store for next to nothing). All my girls have loved their sleepsacks and wear them until they're out of the crib. Alyssa was so excited when I showed her this one that she right away put out her arms and said "Phease! Phease!" because she wanted to wear it right away. And I love how it keeps her warm at night because her blanket usually gets balled up into a pillow. The second pic is of how she actually wears it at night (backwards) so she can't get at the zipper and wiggle out of it.

Apples for the teacher . . .

At 10pm last night I realized that I had forgotten to pick up something for my daughter's teacher for her birthday. And since I also know the teacher personally (she was even my secret sister one year), I decided that I couldn't let it go. So I quickly sewed up another little basket - with an apple fabric of course. And the card was in my stash (thanks to a stamp a stack). I really do love this pattern - less than an hour from start to finish (for a non-scrappy version).