Goin' for it.

Long hair minimizes the need for barbers; socks can be done without; one leather jacket solves the coat problem for many years' suspenders or superfluous.
- Albert Einstein

Hopefully this endeavor will solve baby's coat problem for the winter. So help me, if it turns out not to fit her when I'm done... but then, that's always been my biggest fear with garment sewing. Working and working and then discovering it's not really what I wanted. So far sewing clothes for baby has proved rewarding. And it's all fit. 

But I digress...

So, I'm doing it. I'm staring on the Oliver+S School Days Jacket. Evidenced below:

Late night cutting session

The pattern is now only sold as a digital version, but I checked out a local fabric store called Bolt and they still had hard copies for sale. Thank goodness. Printing and taping pieces together would have probably stopped me from taking this on. 
As you can probably see in the picture, I used Swedish tracing paper. I love it. When my instructor at a sewing class offered by Modern Domestic introduced it to me, I was floored. Finally a way to preserve my pattern so I can use it for other sizes in the future. Plus, it's just easier to work with and to pin to fabric than the actual pattern pieces. It's amazing. 

This pattern intimidates me a bit. It's a big project and there are lots of pieces. See-- it's three scissors of difficulty! My hardest pattern yet.

But if (when) I do finish it will be oh so sweet for the winter months. I'm already regretting not making it one size up, so it fits longer. Hopefully this will get us to spring. I'm using a sweet flowered corduroy I got from the sale section and Mill End (the big one on McLoughlin Blvd.).

 I'm still deciding on what to use for the lining, I have a few options. 

Here's hoping in a week (or two or three) I have a finished product to show off. Fingers crossed. 

Perfect Little Dress

I did it. I sewed the perfect little dress. From the perfect fabric. With the perfect buttons. It's perfect. Once again I turned to an Oliver and S pattern and found it to be.... perfect. The pattern was the Family Reunion dress . The directions were easy to follow and the details in the dress make it look like a much more complicated pattern that it was. See the pleating?

And it was so simple!! I actually had the cut out a month ago, but had avoided starting it because I was just sure it would be too hard. Suddenly it hit me that my daughter would not fit it for much longer, so I had reached the point of no return. I gave up a weekend of housework (darn) for sewing.
I love the buttons down the back...

Look, even the birds like it!!I saved some time by sewing in iron safe plastic snaps, then just putting the buttons on for decor. It makes getting it on and off baby a snap.
I love how it looks classic and old fashioned, without being frumpy.

And she can move in it! Here she is showing off the back buttons,

ACK! Baby legs!! I never knew I would love little legs this much. Seriously, who knew?
I love this picture because it shows off the pleats and the detail:

The detail that doesn't show in any picture is the way an Oliver and S pattern finishes each seam so nicely and really hides most of the raw edges.
And, one more picture to take it home:

FLOWERS!! She wants to eat those dandelions, that's for sure.

I would say this dress totaled about 10 hours of work. I'm still new at sewing clothes, so I know this time could be shortened significantly. I plan on making the pattern again in the next size up, so hopefully I'll find it moves along a little faster. It was so nice to slow down for a weekend and make something so sweet and perfect for a little person who fits the same description.

The gift of time...

M is for the mudflaps you give me for my pickup truck
O is for the Oil I put on my hair
T is for T-bird
H is for Haggard
E is for eggs, and
R is for REDNECK.


"Up against the Wall, Redneck Mother"- Jerry Jeff Walker


For my very very FIRST Mother's Day, my husband and daughter showered me with love. Lot's of it. But, perhaps my favorite gift came in the form of TIME. Time to sew!! A little time in my sewing room. I have one thousands things I want to do... but today, being Mother's day, I focused on my little bit of joy who is the reason I even get to celebrate this day. And the result:

Four (one not pictured) new bibs for my baby. Soft soft flannel on one side and terry cloth on the other. She now has four bibs that do NOT tell you how cute she is (very), how much her mother loves her (a lot), or how special she is to Grandpa (super special). Just simple, pretty and sweet. 
I traced a favorite bib and adjusted a bit, since girly continues to grow. The front flannel I found on sale and Mill End. Love that store. I always feel like I've gone back in time when I walk in and I always find something unique and pretty. The back is just a terry cloth from Jo Ann Fabrics.

I copied the technique of a friend who gave us bibs for our baby shower. I sewed them good sides together and turned them. Then I sewed as close to the edge as I could all the way around. Taking an idea from No Big Dill, but instead of triple stitch, I went double. Gives the bib a little more oomph. 
My little model makes it look good. 

Happy Mother's Day to all!!

Determined

I am determined to finish this quilt SOON.

I finished the quilt top before Baby came to us. I have finally found time to finish the quilt back. Hopefully this will mean making a quilt sandwich and figuring out my quilting design soon. I can't wait to snuggle under it. (Obviously, kitty can't wait as well). The pattern is from Elizabeth Hartman's book: the Practical Guide to Patchwork

Month by Month

Finding time to craft since my daughter joined the word has not been easy. The couple of projects I have done are for her. I've started an outfit tradition- showing off how old she is. Right now I'm going month by month, but have we get to one year I plan on doing this year by year.
Here is month one. I cut out felt and hand sewed it on to a onsie we already had. It gave it a nice bold look.

Here is month two:

With Valentine's day coming up, I couldn't resist the theme. Again, this is felt. I embroidered on to it and then hand sewed it on to a onsie. Baby is laying on a bit more of my Valentine's day crafting. The mat is not quite finished, but I'll have some pictures of it in time for the day o' love. It's been great to create. It all comes at the expense of chores that don't get done. Sometimes, though, the chores are not important and creativity takes precedence. I'm doing a lot of hand sewing, so I can stay close to my little gal. All it all, it's a pretty nice gig.

peace

may your new year be full of peace, love,and happiness.

a nursery tour

Between the dark and the daylight,

When night is beginning to lower,

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

That is known and the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me

The patter of little feet,

The sound of a door that is opened,

And voices soft and sweet. 

-The Children's Hour

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Won't you come into our sweet nursery? All it needs now is our baby girl and it will be complete...

As you enter, you'll go through french doors we bought at a rebuilding center. My dad got them hung and Shawn carefully made repairs and painted the imperfections that come with buying used goods. 

We may as well turn on the light... oh, what's that?? An adorable light switch plate, thanks to my ebay addiction. Mama rabbit keeping her babies safe from Farmer McGregor.

Our little changing station. The changing pad is on top of an Ikea dresser (also found on the cheap... it had been returned. The best part of buying "used" Ikea goods? Even better than the discount? It's ALREADY ASSEMBLED. Priceless)
Yes, that is a stuffed bunny with a cloth diaper. I was doing some practicing. We are going with bumgenius cloth diapers. All I can say so far .... too cute to poop in. Way too cute. Sweetest little diapers EVER.

On to the closet. Built by husband. This closet had no shelves or bars or ANYTHING. Now, it's perfect. It's full of clothes and shoes and blankets and BOOKS! So many books! Thanks to the sweet shower my sister threw me- it was book themed and this baby will be surrounded with books from day one. Thanks to the shower my coworker threw me, we have clothes and shoes and wash clothes and all sorts of necessary things.

On to the crib. The curtains were made by me from some wonderful fabric from Mill End. Love that place. Also, there is another glance at the most wonderful stroller, a generous gift from my mother in law. It's perfect! And the car seat a dear friend gave us fits it perfectly. And yes, the diapered bunny from the earlier picture has ridden in both.
See that mobile? It's paper cranes, each folded by my sister.

Or course, the tour has to include this wonderful mural painted by husband. Finished and lovely. Rabbits in the garden, geese off to go a-calling, birds flying, mice scurrying. It has it all. 

The rest of the mural. Also, the rocking chair my parents bought when I was born. They have let us use it and it's the crowning touch for such a sweet nursery. Throw over it the quilt made from fabric my mother bought for me 30 years ago (thinking she would make a quilt for me) and it's all pretty darn nice. 

We have two lamps that were also gained through my ebay addiction... one it still waiting for a bookshelf to call home...

 

And that's it! The nursery! It's so full of constant reminders of all the love this baby will have, not just from us, but from family and friends. That perhaps, is the sweetest part of all.

and one final picture... husband working on one of many projects he took on during this nursery adventure:

And always with a smile, I don't know how he did it.