I say 'this and that" she says 'dis and dat' either way here are a few misc items from the spring.

Romper I tested for YCMT. Will be available for sale there soon.The legs are sort of bell bottom which is cute (hers are a bit long since I made it for next winter to wear over a turtleneck). Plan to get her name embroidered on it as well.



This is the back of a cute little pants pattern that I just tested. Will be on YCMT soon and includes skort and skirt over capri or pants options.  Fabric is dotted baby cord and Katie Jumps Rope plaid. Need suggestions on a top. I have more of both fabrics but don't want to go overboard with the matchy matchy. Want something for Fall. Was thinking maybe a round neck top with long sleeves. Any ideas please send me your suggesitons.




Simple swing top from a 1982 pattern my MIL gave me. Fabric is some great Alexander Henry fabric with clowns floating with balloons.



Good old gingham.

These are coordinating dresses using the picnic dress pattern from YCMT. This summer weight pique works great for the pattern and is easier to use bias tape on since it has a good bit of stiffness.

This one I made for my niece and it is my favorite of the two. I like the ribbon accent on the bottom trim and the simplicity of it.




The smaller one I did as a sort of crazy patchwork bottom with ribbon and ric rac accents added. I had lots of fun doing the patchwork for the skirt and I like how full the skirt came out. The dress was never intended for sweetie. I made it for a swap with faithsmama, but it ended up to small. I sized it down but it is still a bit long.





The girls enjoyed their first coordinating outfits, but little one was not cooperative enough to get a pic of them together.

Sweetie loves animals so we held her party at a kiddie farm. Wanted a farm look but not gingham red and the like. Found some amazing fabric from Alexander Henry  the collection is called Granville. The roosters were perfect since that was one of her first animal noises! For the pattern I found something perfect  from Patty Young's new pattern line Modkids called Frida http://modkidboutique.com/.   I am in love with this pattern and it suited sweetie to a T.  It also came together really easily. I want to buy all of her patterns, but I am waiting to see if someone comes out with a discount for buying multiple. They are all soo cute!

Have been eager to post these pics since my friends and family think it is odd (maybe not the right word but none of them get it) that I sew all this stuff for sweetie and would want to go to "all that trouble" for a toddler when I work FT. I tell them it is fun hobby for me and a lot more productive than watching TV like I use to do for an hr or so after they go to bed.  Since all of you 'get it' I hope to hear what you think!


Trying to get a pic of her with the cake I made before she dove into it!


Yeah we are here! She totally understood she was having a party and was very excited about the animals and CAKE!



back of the dress. For her hair a just bought a flower bunch trimmed one and hot glued it to a alligator clip. Super easy and it was so light it stayed in better than her bows  usually do.


serged some gingham table cloths so we could reuse and stop buying the disposable ones. Also made a fun banner that I can reuse each year for her parties.

Got some amazingly fun Felicity Miller Circus fabric on clearance last summer. I loved the little cats and dogs with party hats! Found a darling free pattern at burda and used it to make sweetie a party dress. Pattern is at http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/show/3875.  I made her a special outfit for her actual birthday party, but she wore this dress on her actual birthday and to her cousins recent birthday party. She has figured out it is her party dress and she loves it.

Since the fabric has so many great colors I wanted to accent each in some way. I found some nice orange buttons and used two different colors of bias tape for the bottom of the dress and the lining. I made the lining a tad longer to make sure that layer of tape was visible. Great little pattern, I reccomend it although it only comes in one size, but you could easily size it up.

Needed (OK wanted) to make a dress from an tank top for my daughter to wear to the Houston Art Car Parade. I lOVE the parade and it has become a Mother's Day tradition for us to go. I put off making the dress until the last possible minute. Got serging and halfway through realized in was making  a vegbee tute dress I had looked at months ago. It had been lurking in my subconcious waiting for a chance to makes it's appearance!
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=151727.0

For the dress I took a tank top. Lettuce edged the thing in orange and added an orange band at the bottom with fabric from an old knit shirt in my re-con stash. It was fast and dirty sewing but she had it in time for the parade!



Last one is for fun since I loved, but was also slightly annoyed by how she insisted on putting on her own sunglasses (but never properly of course)!


Thanks vegbee!

These are two quickie projects I did this past winter that proved very functional. Both came from on-line tutes.

Needed a super small diaper bag now that my daughter is closer to being ready for potty training. I did it in a Beatles print since that were the inspiration for her name. For most outings of <3 hrs all I really need is a diaper, ziploc with a few wipes, binky, and a juice cup. This works great for that.


Knotted the way you would wear it on your wrist.


Reverse side with the binky pocket I added

This is a fleece poncho. I made one for my daughter (added a westie applique in honor of pup) and one for my niece (with a heart applique) They both adored them. Next I want to try the same tute in terry cloth with maybe ribbed neckline. It would make a great pool coverup.




 
Poncho AKA a chemical free sunblock for a naked baby


Sweetie doing the 'MINE' thing with both of her goodies



Tute Links. I did add about an inch to the knot bag pattern all the way around to make it a tad bigger.
http://www.drummondnews.ca/fleeceponchopat.html
http://showyourworkings.wordpress.com/tutorials/japanese-knot-bag-instructions/

Here is a 2nd vegbee peasant dress I finally got around to putting the elastic in. The are so easy, innocent looking, and I would guess comfy.

I did a longer sleeve on this and encased elastic in the cuff for a poofy shirt effect. I also added a princess cut embellishment of a eyelet trim. Since it was so bright out it is hard to get the details.

If you want to try this pattern hit up the free tute or buy it from vegbee if you want to save time and not draft. It turns out just darling. As she suggests the lighter the fabric the better the finished look.

My daughter and I are different in many ways. She instinctively knew what makeup was for at 18 m even though I do not wear it. She loves pink and glitter, shoes, and frills. Somehow she knows what Barbies are even though I have never bought her any. This really made me anxious when I first noticed these differences. I had visions of her wanting to do beauty pageants and being embarrassed of her fashion challenged mom. I have since gotten over my surprise. I made this dress to embrace and celebrate our differences. The dress is everything I am not but I still love how it turned out!

I did not use a pattern. I saw a fat quarter of fabric with images of girly shoes, makeup, purses and thought of my sweetie. I bought two and cut it into strips. I took some aqua fabric Ihad been give and cut strips of the same size. After that I added ribbon and ric rac in random colors and patterns to the aqua fabric using decorative machine stitches. I intentionally avoided straight lines or patterns since I wanted an impulsive random look. After I sergered the alternating strips together I gathered the top and made straps and a tie for the chest. I wanted a big fluffy bow so I used a free pattern for bows from youcanmakethis.com.  I have a few buttons with loops in the back but she wears it with frilly bloomers with her name embroidered on them so it is not fully closed in the back. I think this will fit for a long time so eventually I will make her an eyelet slip to wear with it or maybe some shorts.






the bow

My son pointed out that I never sew for him and asked why (tons for sweetie but only a few applique tees and shorts for him). In my guilt, I scoured the internet for boys fabric that was something other than plaid or licensed cartoon prints. 1st I made shirt for his birthday (posted the other day) and then something with fabrics he picked himself. Print is a Michael Miller fabric and to go with it he wanted his favorite color yellow. It is LOUD for sure, but he loves it and that is what counts!


Apparently space adventure is intense business


detail of the fabric. I like that it shows boys AND girls in space

Had a hard time finding buttons that would work. Thought these looked like little Neptunes! Used a contrasting top stitch to help tie the blue and yellow.

Saw this fabric and had an instant flashback. Had the colors (less the polyester feel) of my 70's early childhood. I swear when I saw this fabric I could even smell silly putty. In short I wore LOTS of green and orange combined. This is the second fabric I have bought where husband thought the pattern was TOO much to pull off on a toddler. 2 pts for me that once again he said I pulled it off. Silly man  Pattern is called picnic dress from YCMT.



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The V back with ties is my favorite part of this dress