Our Anchor

Have you every seen something, thought it was really neat, only to pass it up?  I did that with the embroidery file for this shirt.  I really liked the design but thought I wouldn't use it.  Then I saw the anchor fabric line at a local quilt shop and instantly thought of that embroidery file.  I couldn't stop thinking how cute the two would look together, so I broke my 'I'm not going to buy any fabric until I have destashed' goal for 2013 and bought the fabric and the design.

Here's a close up of the shirt.  I had to rehoop that bad boy 3 times because the design was so big.  I really like the size of the design, just not when I'm rehooping it!  This is a great design--everything I've ever gotten from www.theitch2stitch.com has always sewn out beautifully.  Her fonts stand up tall and her jumps are logical.  In this design she has her letters placed so there aren't so many threads to trim at the end.  I de-spise such finishing work!

I used this skirt tutorial yet again.  I gotta say, a simple skirt is the easiest thing in the world to sew.  I love making them double layered like this--they poof out, and more importantly, there is no folding over the top 1/4" or so, ironing, and then folding the top over another time and ironing again to make a waistband.  I had planned to sew in bloomers but each girl has white panty covers and it is better to be done than perfect!

 My original plan was to make the simple skirt with a band of chevron sewn at the bottom and bite the bullet and do the waist band thing.  It really doesn't take that long--it's just one of those things I don't like to do (And I have a serger, so it's even easier than the fold, iron, fold, sew method).  But then when I got to thinking about making the skirt a double layer, I knew I didn't have enough of the chevron fabric to do it.  So, I added a white piece to the top of the chevron piece and it worked.  BTW, I quit being so cheap and bought some sew in satin labels.  They make me so happy and my sweet Lille Jo loves the labels on her clothes.

Just because the photo shoot for these little outfits went as mine always do, I thought I share some of the not so good shots.

Lillie Jo is the easier of the two to photograph, most of the time.  We must have a prop, and her current favorite toy is the bird from Epic that she got out of a Happy Meal.  She is a pretty sweet big sister (or at least she was being sweet yesterday) and shared her bird with Cate.  Of course we had to have the over the shoulder shot which she loves and then the 'the sun is in my eyes can we be done now???' shot. 

Cate is a booger to photograph.  She likes to run away and I have multiple pics in triplicate of her running away from me.  In the upper right corner there's a pic with her and a very strange look--she was playing a stomping game and she refused to look at me.  I thought I'd take her in the pool and may get some cute pics of her looking at the flowers.  Yeah, no, the net was by the pool and that was way cooler.  I quickly took her inside after this--I've gone in the pool after her fully clothed once and I don't care to repeat it.

I did end up with one sweet, slightly off center photo with both girls and a pappy smiling at the camera.  The bird is only peeking out from behind Caitlin and so that's good.

And, never to be left out, here's my main man.  He pulled his 6th tooth the night before we took these pics.  You notice I said night.  As in, he should have been sleeping but was instead wiggling his tooth so that it finally came out around 10 pm and then he was so excited that he wouldn't go to sleep and I almost outed the fact that I am the tooth fairy.  It's amazing he can eat anything at all.  I don't think any more are currently loose, thank goodness.

Thanks for stopping in. 

Happy Birthday, Miss Caitlin

Well, a happy day has come to Mississippi.  Miss Caitlin Nicole is officially 2!

 

 

 

 

This is a one busy little girl.  She can be found most times running wide open to keep up with the 'big kids' or on top of some piece of furniture.  She can administer quite the scolding to 'Lee Dough!' and 'Auree!'.  Hands on her hips, she gibbers and lets them have it...and then she giggles.

 

I have mosly blurry photos and pics of her back as she runs away.  Oh, and check the wild hair.  It is torture to get a bow in her hair, so most days, this is how it is--running with the curls flying.

Of course she got the obligatory birthday outfit announcing our new age.  Sissy loves Yo Gabba Gabba, so she has a Gabba skirt, using this tutorial from MADE and a shirt made completely by Mama.  The sleeves are a little wonky, but Shhhh, don't tell.  She had the outfit on all of 30 minutes when she got into something that got drooled all down the front.

 

 

Miss loves to get into her siblings' things, such as Big Sissy's Stompees.  She also loooooves her Daddy, Papaw, and Papa.  She'll carry a picture around for an hour and tell everyone and noone in particular who is in the photo.  She loves to be around the pool but won't get in.  She is a great little cuddler and will sweetly pat her Mama and Daddy on the back while being held.

 

 

She started talking more a few months ago, and some of her cute words include:

• Upee Stair for upstairs
• Giggles for goggles
• Lee Dough for Lille Jo
• Frock for Mr. Frog
• On! when she wants something taken off
• Help you when she wants to be picked up

 

Miss Cate was our surprise--after years of infertility and thinking it couldn't 'just happen', she did.  And boy are we glad.

 

 

Happy Birthday, sweet Cate!  Mama and Daddy love you so.

 

Butterfly Jeans--KCWC Day 7

Woo hoo, we made it! 

For the last and final day of KCWC Fall 2012 I wanted to make something with lots of girly details (ones I hadn't done in the past 6 days).  I found some butterfly denim in the remnant basket at Hancock--like 1.5 yards for $2.70.  It wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was $2.70.

In the Spring I made a pair of pants for my little boy from this pattern by Dana at MADE.  It didn't go so good--namely because the pattern she gives is 3-4T and he needed 5T and I didn't do a great job tweaking it.  I love the pattern though--slim legs with a relatively low rise make them a modern fit.

So this go around I took a little extra time modifying the pattern and I have 6 more months of fit perfecting under my belt.  I've been sewing for 20+ years but have always been a 'get-a-McCall's/Simplicity-pattern-pick-fabric-and-what-you-get-is-what-you-get' kind of sewer.  No more!  I laid out Dana's pattern with some freezer paper on top.  then I took a pair of LJ's jeans that are currently a little snug and laid them on top of that.  I added some room in the waist and seat, added length, and then added a faux fly.  On the wrong side.  Oh yes, I drew the fly in on the side seam.  I cut it off with the intention of taping it to the other side and forgot.  Maybe it was the trio-ed cacophony in the room with me.  You decide.  As I finished each piece I'd rope in LJ to make sure we were still on the right track.  I may would have added a wee bit of extra leg room but they are okay as they are.

 You may barely be able to see the top-stitched faux fly.  I just couldn't give it up.

I also did some decorative stitching at the front pocket.  She was watching the Avengers with big brother and it was a scary part.  Who am I kidding--the whole thing is scary for a kid.  (Not my decision to let them watch--really violent parts were skipped and I don't know that they'll ask to watch again soon).

Now for the icing.  The back pockets.  I don't think Dana gives a back pocket pattern piece (not that I'm complaining--she put out an iconic pattern for free) and I got to thinking it would be really cool to make the back pockets as butterflies.  That is what took forever because I wasn't happy with just any butterfly.  I should have embroidered some as patches and sewn them on, but that wasn't from scratch enough for the finale!

Check out that booty cuteness.  Oh my goodness.

Definitely my favorite thing from this week.

And, for the last little detail, the label I fiddled around with forever.  Can't wait for my real ones to materialize.

So to recap, I this week I sewed 4 dresses, 2 pairs of leggings, a pair of pj pants, and a pair of jeans.  Good gravy.  You should see my sewing room--well that and my kitchen and laundry room.  My sewing room is really the guest bedroom and my stepbrother and his wife are coming on Friday, so no rest for the weary!

I got pretty pooped over this week.  I have time management issues I have discovered.  I also do everything slowly, but I'm working on it.  But, I set a lofty goal, I reached it and I feel great.

Lettuce Love--KCWC Day 6

 

We are coming down the home stretch of KCWC!  I had a much different dress in mind for my LJ today.  I have a very cute sleeveless sweater that has wood beading on the front that is a wee bit small for Moi (I did buy it before the 3 kids/pregnancies).  I put it on her and was happily marking away where I was going to take it in when she impudently informed me she wasn't gonna wear that because it was too scratchy.  Okay then.

 

My next choice was another refashion using another pre-kid sleeveless shirt, but it was a little bit too small and I wasn't loving it.

 

The third runner up was this buggy-flower knit I bought 4 years ago on-line from JoAnn's.  It has been sitting on my fabric stash, passed over almost every time because I wasn't too crazy about it.  It is a great interlock and really nice fabric--I just couldn't see it.  After a quick consultation with the Pinteretsy muses, I was ready.

 

I am in love with a lettuce edge.  Mostly it is because I hate hemming knits and it is so darn easy.  Or, it would be if I owned a serger.  I do not.  My hubs bought me Nina (the Bernina) 3 years ago and rudely informed me that 'This machine better sew the clothes for you.'  I promised it would and then I took up sewing primarily knits.  Granted, Nina is great, but I just want more.  He about choked a few nights ago when I told him I wanted to bundle my birthday/Christmas money and find a good serger (with perhaps a little monetary assistance from The Stash).

 

During my consultation, I saw this lettuce join and knew I had to try it.  Love it.

 

I rigged the back closure.  It was supposed to be a zipper, according to Simplicity.  They didn't get the memo that I don't do zippers.  Next time, and there will be a next time with this easy pattern, I'll just cut the back on the fold and we'll pull it over our head.

I now have a to do list for after KCWC which includes:  a mermaid costume, a Turtle Man jammie top, several pairs of leggings, and a bow for the front of this dress.  I just.  can't.  do.  it.

Think I can finish with a bang?



Pop Star Rapunzel--KCWC Day 3

Soooo, I'm sleep deprived.  I've already whined.  Let me explain.  When I was making the leggings I promised LJ a sparkly dress to go with the sparkly leggings, and I'm a mom of my word.  I even let her pick the fabric.  You have to be humble to let your kid pick her fabrics because you know she's gonna pick the most hideous, obnoxious fabric on the planet.  And, she did.

Her pick???

 

If the picture doesn't do it justice, this is a velour that has sequins glued on that I knew she'd love and so I bought for a night gown.  Night gown, not school dress.  But I'm a sucker for those big blue eyes and curls.  You should hear her talk--you'd say yes to that cute little voice too.

 

So, I stayed up until after 1 am finishing this little dress.  I asked her this morning what we should call the dress.  I figured I let her pick the fabric, might as well let her name the dress too.

 

Rapunzel, was her immediate reply.  Rapunzel it is.  So if Rapunzel quit Flynn Rider and joined a girl band, this is what she would wear...

 

 

I love the way the flower turned out.  I'm glad, too, because that was at least 30 minutes of the 180 that it took me to make this dress.

 

This is a stinky picture--the petals stand up well for a knit flower.  Maybe after school we'll get some proper pics.

Oh, and here's the kicker.  I screwed up the nap on the velour.  Sooo, in the front, when you run your hand from waist to hem it is nice and smooth.  On the back, waist to hem is rough.  Yup--sewed that panel on upside down.  I'm gonna shovel out my house and get a quick nap now.  Tomorrow, it's a dress for the baby!

Quickie Leggings--KCWC Day 2

Please pretend that this post is on time--or is it?  Seems like I didn't post what I made yesterday.  This sacrificing sleep to sew is adversely affecting my brain.  When I was in my 20's and even early 30's I could stay up late to do some project and hop up the next morning like it was nothing.  Then 3 kids and a decade happened and now if I miss my 7+ hours of sleep I am worthless.  Like now...

So, yesterday I made some quick and cheap leggings.  You know LJ won't wear it if it's not a dress and so it's either leggings or tights under them on cold days.  I don't like fighting with tights, so I lean towards leggings.

 

I finally found a cute, store bought pattern for knit clothes--t-shirts, leggings etc.  It is Simplicity and I got it when Hancock's put their patterns on 5 for $5.  Since I'm sleep deprived I'm gonna ramble.  I used to pay a buck for a pattern and then trace it out to preserve it for use when the Peaches grew.  I finally woke up to say, Umm, yeah.  No, I'd rather be sewing than pattern tracing AAAANNNND it was a dollar.  I mean, a dollar make me hollar Honey-boo boo child, but come on.

 

So for these leggings I made one with a lettuce edge (forgive the picked out hem that I couldn't iron out, even undeprived of sleep) and

one with a ruffled edge

I also added embellishments to help Middle Peach know which is front and which is the back.  As if sparkly ruffled knit weren't comfy and appealing enough, I added a little Princess just to ensure she'd wear it.

And, on the yellow leggings, which aren't princess or sparkly enough I fear, a little piece of fabric from the dress that these are supposed to be paired with.  That was more for daddy, who will put the mustard yellow leggings with sunshine yellow and argue that any yellows go together.  Silly Man.  He also puts The Boy in dark socks pulled up to his knees with dress shorts, but that's for another post.

And, now for the crown jewel, the price tags.

The yellow leggings cost me $1.80-5% and the sparkly knit (with enough left over to make Little Peach some leggings too was $2.00.  Woo Hoo!  A Dolla-make-me-holla...

 

 

 

KCWC Day 1

I started KCWC with an easy project and something I've been meaning to get right for my middlest daughter for a while--a good twirling skirt.  Really, if you must twirl and have the skirt go right, it has to be a circle skirt.

A good circle skirt tutorial is by Dana of MADE. 

I pinned this tutorial for a circle skirt dress and it's a great tutorial.  The yardage suggestion was pretty much right on the money.

For this dress I used an Amy Butler print I've been hoarding keeping safe in my stash for two years now.  I figured it was time.  I used some Pick Your Plum trim on the sleeves (which are still too long, even after I hemmed them).  But, this dress will twirl.

 

On to day 2!!!

 

Is the Second Time a Charm?

 

In the spring I made the girls matching shirts.  It took me for-ever.  I loved them.  The baby loved them (in so far as she didn't say otherwise, but then again, come to think of it, she doesn't say much of anything).  I got some purple polka dot pants on clearance to match--comfy knit jobs.  We love comfort.  We love purple.  I thought we would be golden.

 

Being a naieve sort of mother I dismissed that nagging thought in the back of my head--'yeah, but it's not a dress.' 

 

Posh.  I'm her Mama and if I tell her to wear it, she will.

 

That Diet Coke that you just spewed all over the screen...you can wipe it off now.  If any went up your nose, I'm sorry.

 

You see, that sweet Peach up there?  She won't wear anything that's not a dress, unless it's a bathing suit.  PJ's?  Sure, if it's a nightgown.  She loves a dress.  I can get her in pants only if I lie to her and tell her "Mrs Leslie (her teacher) said you had to wear pants today."  I am an active pratitioner of Wicked Mommyology, but I don't whip out that particular lie all that often for fear that one day it will no longer work.

 

As I was recently taking inventory of what still fit and what did not, I pulled out this Tweet shirt from the wadded up dark corner of her dresser drawer.  I bribed her into wearing it to school once and then it was no more.  So, I started thinking of things I could do to make the shirt more...say, attractive.  Enter The Ballerina Dress.

 

My sister made me buy  helped me pick out The Ballerina Dress at Costco.  It was a dress, it had a ruffled tutu skirt, it had sparklies, Aunt Nikki picked it out, and we wore it 3 days straight.  Bedtime, to the store, to school, ev-ery-where.  Fast forward several months and the beautiful tutu skirt hangs in pieces.  So beloved is the dress that I told her if I cut part of the skirt off  she could still wear it and she agreed.

 

That got me to thinking--If I want her to wear the Tweet shirt that I worked so hard on and she loves a skirt and she loves a tutu, why not marry the skirt/tutu to the Tweet shirt and then she can't say no, right?  Don't answer that.  I know all too well the real answer here.

 

I'm happy to report that she loves the dress.  I do not.  It just doesn't hang right.  If I could cut off all that tulle that I nearly lost my sanity in gathering and have just the underskirt, I'd love the little dress.  But, the tulle is what sold her on the dress.  The tulle stays.

See what I mean?  The top layer is too short and it all rides up in funny places.  She doesn't care.  The underskirt is some sparkly pink jersey that I finished with a lettuce edge.  There is a 12" layer of gathered plain pink tulle covered with a 12" layer of tulle with a pink ruffle sewn at the bottom.  I cut a 2" piece of tulle, gathered it, sewed it down the middle, and then ironed it over to make it a double ruffle.  I repeated the process with an 11" double layer and then a 10" double layer.  6 layers of tulle.

Apparently, the mermaid had to be in every picture.  And then we had to be done.

So the second time was a charm for this little shirt.  Baby Girl has outgrown hers.  Bummer.  If only I had made the tulle into a circle skirt, or maybe a bit fuller.  Maybe I'd like it then.

Oh, and by the way.  If you set a hot iron down on tulle, it will instantly melt it.  I mean, poof, your tulle is gone into a thin pink haze on the bottom of your iron.  I told you I fall down a lot.

 

 



Using Ready-Mades

I'll be the first to admit, I love/hate the change of the seasons.  I love the change and I hate updating wardrobes.  (looks to see if anyone was listening).  I feel all of this self-imposed pressure to sew everything for the girls. *laughs*  That's what happens when you are a blog junkie!

I went to Target because, literally, all of LJ's dresses were above the knee and shrinking quickly.  That little girl is a weed.  I found some separates that I really liked (more importantly, she liked) but there was a top but not bottom or vicey versey.  Enter Mama's sewing skills.

Peeps, you have hit the jackpot here.  You get two, I mean 2 whole photos of this little project.  You will just have to use your imagination.  I got LJ a teal shirt with sparkly silver hearts and some leggings that went with.

About 2 months back I made the 2 hour drive to my nearest Jo-Ann's fabric and spent way too much time and money there.  One of my little scores was a remnant of a dark teal knit.  Not the best knit, but it was less than $1?   I could see it as a little mini skirt to go along with the leggings I bought. 

I measured my sweetie and laid out the new leggings on some freezer paper to get a general shape.  Here's a laugh for you--in trying to make the back piece roomy enough for the booty I cut the back in a v instead of an inverted v.  Oops.

I whipped together my little skirt and embellished with a heart made from buttons.  I got a few on that Jo-Ann's trip and some were hoarded buttons from Pick Your Plum.  I used an idea from Pinterest to glitter up some of the buttons--you know the one with the glitter and ModPodge?  Yeah, it didn't come out so good for me.  That may be one of the byproducts of not reading the directions.

So, here's the finished result..

love ya'll