More dresses..and frogs!

Today I finally got around to making my sweet niece, Cadence, two pillowcase dresses. The pattern is a little bit different than the one I've used before, but still pretty easy. Maybe they will send me pictures of her modeling the dresses so I can put them up here.

I also made Anna a new pillowcase dress out of some remnant froggy fabric I found. I couldn't decide what to do with the fabric for the longest time because it was such a small amount and kind of a narrow cut. Luckily, Anna is narrow, too, so the dress worked out perfectly!

I couldn't decide which picture was more cute, so I just used both. :)

This is a close-up of the frog that adorns Anna's dress.

Our outdoor chairs were looking rather beat up since the dogs decided to scratch them up, so I whipped up some new covers. I bought the fabric for just $20 at Hancock's, and the chairs look great!

More dresses! These are all for one lucky little girl. I hope she likes them!

I am starting to sell a couple of the cute dresses I started making. This one with the ruffle is $25 and the standard pillowcase dress seen in my previous posts is $15. I'll admit, this ruffle one isn't much fun to make - lots of little details. But, I think these colors are adorable. And this dress is for a toddler, so the ruffles really fit the age. I already have 5 dresses to make (well, 4 now), so it seems like everyone likes the dresses. Let me know if you want one for the little girl in your life!

Derby Dresses!

At the last minute yesterday afternoon, I decided to make Derby dresses for Ella, Anna, and Stella. It took me 2 hours to make the three dresses. Luckily, everyone took a nap, so I was able to work in peace. The result was just as adorable as I hoped. I'm contemplating taking orders. :) Don't worry Cadence, you are next on my list.

Anna, Stella, and Ella.
Anna and Ella modeling...

and being silly.All three girls posing.

Another Boutique-style dress!

This was the easiest dress I've ever made. The biggest problem is that something screwy happened with my sewing machine that took me 30 minutes to figure out! Even so, it only took about an hour to make.

My model was reluctant to pose this time. I barely got these two pictures out of her.

Boutique Chic!

All spring, I've noticed a trend among little girls: simple, but expensive boutique dresses. Handmade, and cute. I happened to find the pattern for these dresses, so I decided just to make one myself. I think it turned out pretty well. It looks just like the ones I've seen around town and in stores.

I think the model might be cuter than the dress.

Vests and Skirts!

While off for President's Day, I made the girls a cute vest/skirt combo. Frankly, they don't look as cute as I'd hoped. They fit just fine, and the fabric is awesome, but they just aren't as cute as I thought they would be.

Mandarin Style Dress

This dress is definitely one of my most complex projects to date. With the piping, the mandarin collar, and the cuffs on the sleeves, there were quite a few new challenges. That being said, I think it turned out great!

I haven't finished the bottom hem yet because I'm just not quite sure what to do with it. The fabric doesn't work well for a regular hem, so I'm thinking of adding black bias tape as a detail on the bottom instead.
Close-up of the piping and collar.
Ella with crazy morning hair, happy with her new dress!

Anna's Pretty Dress

First, let me say that this dress gave me fits! The bodice was a bear to make, and I don't even know why. Sure, the fabric was slippery, but it should not have been as difficult as it was. Plus, I don't like the way the pattern just finished off the arm holes with bias tape - it looks kind of yucky that way. I tried several different options, and finally ended up sewing on pretty pink ribbon instead of bias tape. Also, I modified the bodice with the little pleat in the theme of the dress because Anna is so skinny and I forgot to pre-measure the pattern according to her size.

Front view - I think the pleats are so cute!


Back view.

And, Anna just being cute...and pretty...

Froggie Pajamas

I found some cute froggie flannel in the remnant bin at Hancock Fabrics, and they just happened to have the pink, too, so I made Anna these cute jammies! The great thing about Anna being so small is that it doesn't take much fabric to make something cute for her!

Jacket and Dress

My Saturday project for the week was this jacket and dress outfit. The dress was a cinch, even with the gathering around the waist and band at the bottom. The only problem is that it is about 6 inches too long and 2 inches too wide. I blame the pattern for that, but those are easily remedied. Maybe tomorrow I'll shorten the dress and tighten up the sides.
I'm so proud of my zipper - I'm getting so much better than my first attempt.
The jacket, on the other hand, was an enigma wrapped in a puzzle. Cutting out the pieces was no problem. Sewing together the torso was no problem. Even the collar with the gathering and weird shape was fairly easy. Then, for some reason the lining around the edge stumped me. I ripped out the seam no less than three times before the puzzle came together and I actually felt pretty stupid for not seeing it earlier. It still needs buttons, and it looks pretty rough on the inside, but at least it matches the dress.. Next time, no collar on the jacket (if I make a jacket at all), 6 less inches on the skirt, and 2 less inches on the sides.

By the way, it is important to note that Ella picked out the fabric - both the glaring yellow and flowery pink. They would not have been my first choice in fabrics, but the dress is for her, not me, so why should I care?

A pretty dress for ME!

This weekend has been all about ME! First, the failed shirt, then dress success! I happened upon this pattern while out shopping for some new needles, and I thought I could put some of my fabric purchases from last week to good use.

I ended up only using 1 yard of the patterned fabric and just about 1/3 of a yard of the accent fabric. I have no idea why the pattern calls for 2 full yards.

I am extremely happy with the result. The pattern did not call for a belt, but I thought it needed one after I tried it on, so I grabbed a couple of scraps and sewed them together to make a quick belt. Also, the straps were too short, so these are just pinned on until I can make some more.

The front.
A close-up of the gathering in the front. This is my first attempt at gathering. It was super easy! There are gathers in the front and back.
The back. I am getting better at zippers!
Me, wearing the dress.

Shirt Fail.

I was excited to make this shirt to wear on a "date" with Chuck and some friends tonight. Everything turned out great...except the collar.

I was nervous to work with this silky polyester fabric, but once I got going, it wasn't so bad, and actually fairly easy to sew. The first task after cutting the pieces was to pleat the front and back - success! The shirt was beginning to look cute!

Then came the task of putting on the collar. The pattern instructions were horrible, so I had no idea what I was doing. I ripped seams, I wadded up the collar and threw it in the garbage - only to dig it back out again. After at least an hour of trying to figure out this puzzle of a collar, I finally could visualize how it should go. Then I had the task of trying to make the collar fit on the shirt, which it didn't - not quite anyway. The back and most of the front fit just fine, but the pleated part in the front center was a bear. I thought I figured it out (mostly) and finally finished up the shirt - cute flutter sleeves and all.

Then I tried it on. Something went wrong with the collar, and it just didn't fit right around the chest. Disappointment is what I felt when I realized I couldn't wear my shirt on my date. Oh well, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

Shopping Spree!

Hancock Fabrics had an awesome sale on patterns today. Just $1.99 for all Simplicity patterns and $1 for McCalls! I stocked up and bought 14 patterns. I had to do it.
I also bought 8 yards of fabric - 4 yards for shirts for myself and 4 yards for dresses for the girls. I am extremely happy with all my purchases, and am a little apprehensive to work with the shiny, slippery, polyester fabric.

The patterns I bought today are as follows:
Simplicity Patterns : Car Organizer
Simplicity Patterns : Grocery Cart Covers
Simplicity Patterns : Misses Tops
Simplicity Patterns : Misses Knit Tops
Simplicity Patterns : Toddler Separates
Simplicity Patterns : Child Separates
Simplicity Patterns : Toddler Dresses
Simplicity Creative Group - Child Separates
Simplicity Patterns : Child / Girls Dresses
Simplicity Patterns : Child Dresses
Simplicity Patterns : Child Dresses
McCall's Patterns: Girl's Jumper
McCall's Patterns: Girls's Tops, Dresses, Shorts, and Pants
McCall's Patterns: Girl's Tops, Dresses, and Shorts

Valentine Dresses!

Inspired by this adorable corduroy, I made the girls dresses in the spirit of Valentines Day. I'm getting better, and the details on these dresses look more "finished" than previous versions. Ella's sleeves are too long, even after I shortened them a good two inches before I even tried it on her, so I need to fix those. And the pattern for Anna's dress is just too wide for our skinny little girl. So, I'll know for next time to modify the patterns for both. Anyway, here they are - enjoy!

Peg Bear!

I used my 101 One-Yard Wonders book to make this cute Peg Bear for Ella. What can I say, I have a hard time just laying around doing nothing anymore - I gotta make stuff!

Baby Gift Set!

My friends Sara and Matt are having a baby soon, so as a gift for them and the new baby, I made a little gift set inspired by my 101 One Yard Wonders sewing book.

First we have "Steggie". His feet were a PAIN.

Next, we have the "Petite Diaper Tote with Changing Pad" (that is Steggie's tail poking out), which turned out great.Steggie modeling the diaper tote all folded up.
Finally, all three gifts (including the "Newborn Flyaway Jacket").
Happy Baby Shower Sara and Matt - sorry I won't be there!