Birthday dress

I was commissioned to make a birthday dress for my niece who will be 3 next week!  And since she is getting a Bitty Baby as a present I also made a matching dolly dress! 

I wanted to use the fabrics leftover from KK's strawberry breakfast dress since I loved the fabric combo so much!  And I also wanted it to be twirly and ruffly.  All the things that my girls love!  So I found a bodice pattern that would work and then just kept adding tiers to make it long enough! 

Little Avie is a tiny thing so I have to use Ottobre pattterns in a size 80, which is about an 18mo.  But because she is about as tall as most 3 year olds I have to adjust the length.  Originally, the pattern had 2 tiers and then a tiny ruffle around the bottom which was about 1 in tall.  I didn't have enough to make the ruffle, so I just added a full tier instead.  Speaking of tiers, the original ones were supposed to  be about 2 3/4 in. tall, but I made mine 3.5 in tall. 

Pattern:  2/2005 Ottobre size 80 bodice

The thing I loved most about the dress were these cute little petal shaped ties!





I didn't have a pattern that would work for a dolly dress and I am kind of opposed to paying $6 for a pattern to make a dolly dress so I just kind of winged it.  I free handed the ties and then added a bodice piece to them.  I kept trying the paper pattern on KK's American Girl doll and cutting down where it needed, or adding too it when it was needed.  You should see the pattern I created!  I couldn't find scotch tape, so I had to use blue painter's tape so the pattern is a mess of tracing paper and blue tape!

This one got the bottom ruffle since I had enough fabric!

What a fun project!

Next up I have a pair of shorts that I made for Nin's birthday which is today!  I had them on the embroidery machine while I was sewing Avie's dress!  I am sure I looked like a mad woman switching back and forth between 3 machines every 4 seconds. 

Farbenmix Tini

Another great Farbenmix pattern, the Tini!  I bought it 2 summers ago and never got around to trying it out.  So it's about time I used it! 

I was cleaning out huge bins of fabric that people have given me over the years and found a bunch of older fabric.  It was stiff, probably because it is polyester, but I was hoping a trip through the washer and dryer would loosen it up.  I was right!  So I combined this black and white polka dot, some yellow gingham and some train fabric.  I think they look great together!  You know, sometimes I will sit and look at fabric and instantly an image pops up in my head of what I want to do with a piece of fabric.  That happened with these particular pieces.  As soon as I layed them down next to each other I knew they needed to be a tiered peasant style dress.  They are a little to young for my girls, so in mind they belonged to baby Avie!  I love when it all works out!

Pattern:  Farbenmix Tini
size 86, which is the smallest it comes, but may be too big for tiny little Avie. 

I searched for a long time trying to find an embroidery of those railroad crossing signs that are yellow with black letters that say R/R.  But I couldn't find one that was just perfect.  So I let it go.  But I still think the dress came out pretty darn cute!

Update:  I finally got a modeling shot of this dress on little Avie!  Not too big at all! 



S'more baby clothes

Like what I did there!  Ha!  Now that the embroidery machine is back up and running I have been making appliques on most of the clothes I have made.  I have to catch up for lost time!! 

I made baby Avie another tunic from Ottobre 1/2012.  Since this one was to have an applique and I somehow got it in my mind that I wanted it to be tiered, nothing else would work.  I initially looked for a dress from a recent Ottobre that was already tiered.  Either it was too late at night or my mind was playing tricks on me since I couldn't seem to find the dress I knew I saw earlier.  I even remember the colors!!  Since my mind was already set on a tiered, envelope neck dress, I just modified the tunic pattern I just made her.  Which, honestly, would have been easier to do that then spend an hour searching all my old Ottobre's. 

I really love this little dress!  It is very sweet and girly and fun.  And, I even made matching leggings.  They are capri length with ruffly FOE on the bottom edge that is a perfect coordinate to the top!  Seeing how I have like 9 million yards of FOE on hand at all times, I was sure to find something to match!

Since I can't make Avie something without making TheoRama something, I kept the green out to test out the new gator alphabet applique that I got as a gift at Planet Applique.  Very cute indeed!

These little appliques are a great way to use up scraps.  For example, the green and white stripe above is from a Target baby blanket that I bought about 3 years ago.  Now, it's probably going to take 50 more years for me to use up all my scraps, but we all have to start somewhere! 

Oh baby!

I don't know what it is about baby clothes!  They are so cute and tiny!  Kind of like babies!  Anyway, I finished up some baby items for no particular reason.  Some are for baby Avie but the other set just hangs on my garment rack. 

Avie got a tunic out of the new Ottobre magazine, 1/2012 #17, and some matching leggings from Otto 4/2004.



Isn't this fabric so sweet! As soon as I saw it, I snatched up 3 yards from Girl Charlee!





And then there is this little jumper! Swoon!

Jumper is Ottobre 6/2009 #4 and the t shirt underneath is 1/2011 #4. Both of these are about a size 3 mo. They are so tiny!

Stash Game

It is now that time of year!  Stash Game started on September 1!  If you recall, Stash Game or SG, is where I earn points for sewing and lose points for buying fabric.  February and September are about the only 2 months out of the year that I almost don't buy fabric.  Almost, because every now and again I slip up.  Maybe a yard or two if I really must have it! 

I have started out strong and mostly made my way through the things I had cut out.  I need to spend some time tonight cutting out more items.  I usually try and trace all my patterns the couple weeks before SG and then the first day or two I go on a massive cutting bender and cut out like 10 or 12 items.  Then I spend the next couple days sewing.

I intend on cutting out some pillow cases for the charity project this month.  I figured with my serger I can whip out like 15 in one night.  They are basically a seam up each side with a hem at the opening.  I also intend on making the girls some pants.  I have a couple colors of twill to turn into pants.  I also am going to make the hubby something!  I bought a cargo shorts pattern from the Kwik Sew co-op a few weeks back.

Let's start with some baby items!  I made this outfit as a present for a baby shower.  Once I had it done I thought it was so cute that I decided to make my niece one also! 

Pattern: Ottobre Design 4/2010
t shirt- #1
tunic- #2
pants- #3
the baby shower gift is in size 62, about 3 to 6 months-ish.  I cut out a size 74 for my niece.  The pants are 74 waist with about 2 inches of added length since she is longer than she is wide!  I do need to find a way to fix the smaller set.  The tunic is so freaking wide!  Maybe some shirring?



The baby set is made from one of my most cherished fabrics. Not my all time fave, but this comes in a close second! It's Alexander Henry and I found it at a garage sale. There was only 1/2 a yard which is not enough for my girlies but was perfect for this project. I think it is soooo beautiful!



close up of the ballerina's!



The pants have these little cut outs on the side that gather up and fit onto these little panels.



I also added cuffs because one of my biggest pet peeves for baby clothes is when the legs ride up and leave the babe's legs exposed. I almost always add cuffs to baby clothes for this reason!!

Whats that? A sewing related post...

I have been sewing, I promise.  Just not a lot.  Here are some recent items.

Hairbows.  Lots and lots of hairbows.  I made a bunch, the girls made a bunch and then we invited Trisha over and she started a bunch and then made me finish them!









4th of July



These are some of KK's









A tunic for Nin.

Ottobre 04/2011 #28



I also made 5 matching July 4th outfits, appliqued with their initials.

Girls are in Farbenmix Roxy's and the boys are in an Ottobre shirt from 03/2006. All appliques are from Planet Applique. These are the best pictures I was able to get!!







Finally, a set of 4 burp cloths for a custom order.

Summer sewing, costumes and gifts

Since I have not been able to successfully figure out how to stop the kids from growing, I started on some summer clothes.  I think the authorities tend to frown upon kids running around naked.  Just guessing though.  ;) 

Since Nin is the one in desperate need of clothes that fit, I started with hers. 

Pattern:
Kwik sew guachos #3441

I even made these with pajama jean material from JoAnn's.  I just had to buy it, more because it cracked me up then I thought I would actually use it.  But I did and Nin loves it!  She declared these to be very comfy shorts.  So I may just have to go buy more. 



And a close up of the pajama jean material



Then I made her an outfit from the new Ottobre magazine. I pulled out coordinating fabrics, matching appliques and ric rac and painstakingly cut and sewed this outfit. And then she promptly rips a hole in the knee the first time she wore it. So maybe I overdramatized the putting together part.....  Now I need to make the leggings shorter or detatch them from the skirt altogether. 

Pattern:
Otto mag 3/2011
#19-shirt
#20- skirted leggings
both in size 134
the appliques on the shirt are from Holland Fabric House







On to the shorts! I have probably mentioned my love for the short pattern in 3/2009 Otto before. The Bert and Ahoy shorts. I pulled the pattern out and made a few, okay maybe a few more than a few.

Pattern:
Otto magazine 3/2009
#14 Ahoy for the smaller kids
#23 Bert for the bigger kids

For Avie



fussy cut pockets



With the matching shirt. An Antonia of course, but I bet you figured that out already. With embroidery done on my new machine!



A close up! Isn't this little guy cute! It is from the Brother website.



For TheoRama



Cute little robot tag (also from Holland Fabric House)



For Nin a pair made out of madras plaid.



KK gets polka dots! She picked this fabric out....



Look at that twin topstitching!





The gift part of today's post is a diaper bag. Another Kati Cupcake bag, but without the grommets and sash. I couldn't find grommets to match, so I left them off.



Outside pocket



Inside pockets



This bag has 13 pockets!

On to the costume portion. My sister needed poodle skirts for her and Baby Avie to go to a theme wedding. I am in love with Avie's. It is the cutest little skirt and fits her perfect!





My girls trying to "help".











I don't even know what this is about..



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