Happenings from the top of the hill

What a busy week we had last week! Lots of sewing, baking and gardening. Here are a few snapshots if you are interested! Hostas coming up! more hostas Seeds that were started indoors. My favorite! Moon and stars watermelon. A dark green rind with one big yellow splotch for the moon and lots of little yellow splotches for the stars. Very pretty, but last year the shrew took a liking to them... Little cucumbers sprouting up... So far, the cucumbers, okra, a few tomatoes and one squash have sprouted Look at this mess! And this is the dining room! It's too cold in the basement sewing room.. sourdough starter sourdough bread several days later Lemon ricotta cookies on the left, white chocolate chip on the right and strawberry cream cheese rolls. OMG. You must make these delightful things.

Hello Facebookers!

If you found me through Facebook, Welcome!!! In an effort to get more blog followers and more exposure I am offering a discount on items in my Etsy store until Saturday March 26. So take a look around and become a follower! To welcome everyone, at the end of this post is a discount code for 20% off any item in my Etsy shop.

kellybellybags.etsy.com

I finished up 3 more dresses this past weekend! I also had to go buy a few more t shirts since I have been making so many dresses! These 3 will be in the shop hopefully tomorrow.

My brother started it! A size 18mo. May fit up to a size 24 mo depending on the child. Exact measurements will be posted in the store!





Do you know a Cheetos lover? This size 4 dress will be perfect for her!





Cute little hem stitching



Time to stop and smell the er... chili dogs. Size 8





This version has a few gathers in the sleeve for a little poof.



Discount code for 20% off is: FACEBOOK1

Blowpop dress

I recently completed a Blowpop dress for the shop and I thought I would post the pics leading up to the dress so that I could submit it as a contest entry over at Lil Blue Boo!

Remember this contest.... (P.S. I previously entered the mermaid dress!)




So here we go!

First I squished up a piece of plain ol white fabric



Then I took these 2 fabric spray paints, pink and purple, a must in a house of girls!



Then I set about spraying in random patterns





Then I spread the fabric back out flat





Then I just kind of sprayed randomly until some of the areas were more filled in



When I was done it looked like this



After it was dry I washed it and dryed it and ironed it. Then I set to work using an Old Navy t-shirt and additional scraps of fabric. I used this dyed fabric on the sleeves only so I have a bunch more to use on something else.





When the girls are bored they sometimes ask if they can dye fabric. So I get the paints and dye out and cover the table in trash bags and they dye up a bunch of fabric. Then I just let it dry on the air hockey table and I use it eventually in a project! It keeps them busy for hours!

New items for the shop

During my all nighter of sewing the other night I sewed up these 4 darling dresses for the shop. Upcycled dresses are my new favorite things to make right now. I hope to have a few more completed by the weekend. But I have been outside planting peas and sewing hasn't happened in a few nights!

First up, there are 2 small dresses in a size 12mo.

Sunglasses- both the hood and the top of the dress are made from reclaimed tshirts.





I even used the cute little double layer sleeves from the tshirt!




Blowpop- this cute little dress has sparkles on the blow pop design and in its previous life was an Old Navy shirt. The sleeves are made from fabric that I hand dyed!







Got an adorable little girl? Well why not buy her an adorable dress?





A wise man once said, buy this dress. Please.









As always, you can find all of these in my Etsy shop.

Raspberry Stripes

The new Ottobre Design magazine has a tunic in it called Raspberry Stripes. I had intended to make it when I saw it in the magazine. In, ahem, January. Been a little busy since then, but I finally got around to it and got 2 cut out and started sewing during my all nighter of sewing the other day. I then got them finished up the next day.

But there is a problem. I made 2 in size 128, which is Nin's size thinking that because she needs new clothes, she could have both. Well then KK got upset so I tried it on her and it fits! It's just a little shorter. So now they are fighting over the same shirt. I like the pink one, but they both like the owls!

To tell you the truth, I am a little afraid of KK wearing the owl tunic. See, it's mostly white and she is the messiest eater. Nin is a little bit better about keeping her food off her clothes. For being a Virgo who likes order and her things just so, KK surprises me with her messy way of eating!

The owl tunic went together a little better than the pink one. I just kind of winged it on pink one and the placket is a little messy.

Pattern:
Ottobre Design 1/2011 #12
Size 128



Cute little Farbenmix owl ribbon from Holland House

4 Sabrina's

How do you like that clever title? After I made Baby Avie a fishy Sabrina, I had a request to make 2 more. They are for sisters and are mostly matchy matchy, except for the sleeves.

A size 104 which is about a 4.



and a size 116 which is about a 6.



Then since I was having so much fun I decided to make a couple more. Once I find a pattern that I really like, I let it stay on the cutting table. (ie. the dining room table) Just like my Antonia. So expect to see more of these ladies.

Shirts from Goodwill that I love to upcycle.

This is a size 134, or about an 8, with a hood. The shirt part of the dress is made from a t-shirt and the sleeves, which are tiny lime green hearts are also from a shirt.





And a Spongebob shirt turned into a dress. This is also a size 4. So if you have a Spongebob fan, this will be in the shop.