The Easter Dress

I saw this dress over at TaDa! Creations. It had a $145 price tag on it. Woah. I didn't necessarily care for the Mary had a Little Lamb apron on the front, so I thought to myself, "you CAN make this." And so I did.

I had THIS peasant dress pattern (with multiple sleeve options).

And I knew how to make a gathered skirt from THIS tutorial.

The sash, it was the biggest challenge. After a couple of tries, and some advice from a friend, I got it to work. I didn't have a pattern. And I won't bore you with the how to, unless you want me to share. Send an email.

The finished product.

Oops. Wrong lighting setting on the camera...hence the blue tones. 

Now isn't it fun? And LilE wore it ALL day long. I think she liked it too.

Holiday Sewing Projects

This year I worked to make lots of our Christmas gifts. Enjoy!

Ornament Shirt/Ruffle Pants

Dishtowels (for Teachers)--Applique by Distinctive Embroidery

Pillowcase Dresses for the littles

Peasant Dress (made post Christmas)
Straight Sleeves


Gathered sleeves

Bring Joel Home

My college friend and co-blogger Sandra is adopting a sweet boy from Ethiopia. But she needs help! This weekend, in order to raise the $15,000 her family needs, she is having several fund raisers. Great news is you can help her bring her son Joel home by participating in her blog auction starting this Friday (tomorrow) at 7:00 am.

Check out THEIR BLOG this Friday to see what is up for bids. I have contributed a sweet pillowcase dress. It might just fit your 3 year old! It really could be yours! It's easy to donate and will really help them out!

Other items up for grabs include hooded towels, hair bows, jewelry from Lisa Leonard, beautiful scarf, and a shirt for mom to sport at your 4th of July party.

So hop on over and start the bidding and help bring their boy home!

Let's Break Out the Machine

After taking a break from sewing after the birthday extravaganza, I finally got to it once again.

Birthday presents for friends

Table cloth

Pillowcase top with ruffle pants

Pillowcase Dress

Birthday Pictures

While we were at the church for LilE's party we went outside (it was BEAUTIFUL!) to take some pictures of the birthday girl. This outfit (along with the aprons) are my latest projects.

Homemade Christmas

Since my new sewing habits have picked up a bit, I decided I would get a bit crafty this Christmas.

For the school teacher, I made a vinyl lined grocery bag I found in this book.

For the church teachers, I made holiday potpourri (thanks M!).

For the little ones, I made crayon roll-ups to go along with a coloring/activity book. Don't worry, I made them in all different fabrics so each one is different. No fighting over who's is who's! (But I didn't take pictures of all the finished products.)

For the teen, I made a hobo purse.

For the ladies' stockings, I made refridgerator magnets.

Sew Much Time

Or more like so little time to get everything done before Christmas! (And here I am blogging...hmm) Here are a couple of other sewing projects that have been finished for some time. And I am just getting around to taking pictures.

Actually, LilE's dress was more like a tent. I had to take a huge risk and cut it up and altered it! I even used a bit of algebra to make sure the ratios were the same from the pattern to the new dress. I am crazy, I know. But I think it turned out great and fits more like a dress now!

And it's reversible!

I decided to branch away from all things children and make a purse for myself! I think it turned out super cute! But it is not quite big enough to hold more than my wallet and a lipgloss. I need to bust out my alegra again (or blow it up on the copier) if I make it again!

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

For my birthday two months ago I received a new to me sewing machine and some cash to learn how to use it. Well, learn how to reuse it.

Back in high school I took a home ecomonics class--one semester of cooking, the other was sewing. I made two pieces of clothing that year during class. Five or six years later I tried my hand at it again and failed miserably!

Seventeen years later I am giving it a third shot. And I am really enjoying it this time around! It has been so fun looking at patterns (free ones online are the best) and fabrics. There is even a small group I have started sewing with once a month. LilE loves that I am making things for her. She just lights up everytime I show her something new.

Now for a look at what I have been accomplishing around my house.

My first project. You can read all the details of what I did HERE. (Including tutorials)

Since I could make the cutie pants, I figured I could probably handle a straight line. My bathroom was in need of a makeover (see before pics HERE). A couple of curtains help hide all our junk. Now I need to work on decorating.

SERIOUSLY, the colors are the same in person--the flash on high gloss paint makes it look nasty!

Remember, you are looking at the awesome curtain!

I also made LilE a larger hooded towel. I had one a friend made for me and I just copied it.

I quickly learned that pins are hard to use in a teeny box. So I whipped up this fun pin cushion using scraps from the ruffle pants.

LilE likes to push all the pins into the cushion.

On the first night with the girls we made this skirt. LilE wore it all weekend. Seriously. (But not with this matching top. It was a pink striped shirt. Classy.)

Kama made me a Crayon Roll Up a while back. I thought I would give it a try. I used THIS tutorial. Love it! And super easy!

The lady at one of the sewing stores in town says once you make something once, you should make it again within two weeks so you will remember how to do it (especially for beginners like me). On the second girls sew night we made another pair of ruffled pants. LilE loved her new Christmas pants so much she asked if she could wear them to school the next day. Only three more weeks until she can!