Baby Boot Update

Remember the Charlie boots I made for my nieces for Christmas?  As I suspected they didn't fit. :(  Their little feet couldn't make the turn from the ankle into the bootie.  Neither the size 3 or 4 would go on.  My one SIL decided a zipper would make these puppies fit and she was right!  She doesn't have a sewing machine but was able to put these in by hand.  I am super impressed. A simply little addition got two little feet moving in furry baby boots.  Check out these chubby legs.  I.die.of.squishable.cuteness!

I just need to fix the other pair and get them back before winter is over!

New Beads

This is not sewing but just as fun. It has been awhile since I played with some beads.  I recently went on a girl date to a local bead store and was immediately smitten with these beautiful cornflower blue glass beads.  The smaller ones have bronze edges.  I don't think I will ever outgrow wanting to immediately wear a new thing added to my wardrobe.  I go back to work tomorrow after having 2 weeks off.  Maybe wearing this necklace will make my re-entry to the real world more bearable?  Here's to hoping!

Baby Gifts

 When I first laid eyes on the pattern to make these adorable "fur" lined boots, I squealed with delight.  The pattern is from the company I Think Sew and the pattern is called Charlie Baby Boots (now on sale for $2!) 

 I knew immediately that these were going to be Christmas gifts for my two new nieces. The entire process from purchase, to print, to sewing was quite easy.  Though I will say the smaller an item is the more tricky it is to sew completely by machine.  The little rosebud boots were sewn up in a US size 3. Any smaller of a size and I would have resorted to hand stitching the top edge of the boots, due to the small circumference. 

 For my older niece (almost a year old!) I made the boots from two prints. The upper portion is from the Cameo collection from Amy Butler.  I needed a whole fat quarter just to match prints. The sole was a random scrap but it was the perfect shade of pink to match.  And my SIL loves frogs, so that was a win-win.

 I love how the lining can be folded down.  I can't wait to see how these fit.  I have my doubts that the boots uppers will fit around chubby little baby legs, but folded down shouldn't be a problem.

 This niece's birthday is Dec 31st, so I made a matching soft ball out of the remaining Cameo prints I had on hand.  The boots took me on average of 4 hours to make.  It was a little time here and there. The ball was done from cutting to stuffing in an hour.

I also quickly sewed together two burp cloths out of the remaining "fur" lining.  I think this is a chenille purchased at JoAnns.  After spending so much time with the Cameo fabric, I guess my brain was programed to reach for another Amy Butler (Daisy Chain collection) print.

When I purchased this boot pattern I also got the Emily Bag too!  I am hoping to get this sewn before my winter break is finished.

October Frost

Today was the first frost.  Just a gentle one, but one none the less.  I quickly cut this arrangement.  The plants remained in good condition so I'll get a few more flowers, but I am really enjoying these while I can.

 I recently found this brass stag and his doe (not shown) at the thrift store this month.   I don't generally "decorate" for seasons, but this pair will fit in nicely on my mantel this fall and winter.

 I am kind of in love with these dahlias. I picked all purple and yellow for this arrangement.  Some of the plants have grown so large that they have fallen over and the flower stems bend as they grow against gravity.  I need to plan on better support systems next year.

 I filled in with an assortment of cosmos. They are so bright and cheery with their sunny centers! They don't make great cut flowers, only lasting 3-4 days in a vase, but they add some movement and whimsy.

And with the turn of the season, I turn back to my sewing. My sewing area is a mess. But I cleared enough space to start playing with some fabrics.  This summer I won a flat quarter pack of Amy Butler's Cameo fabric from FabricWorm. :)  Some of that is pictured in the photo.  My two favorite prints are Forget Me Not Sugar and Tea Rose Sugar.  This whole collection is very eclectic with many different styles of prints. I have a few prints pulled for a special project, but I am hoping to decide on a project that includes a bit of all the designs. Maybe a pillow?  I also just noticed that some of AB Caravan prints are 40% off at FabricWorm.

AND when I come across a recipe that is fantastic as-is, I always like to share.  So if the words Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll make you spontaneously drool, please check out Smitten Kitchen's recipe. You won't be sorry.  I may make another batch this weekend! Adding the cardamon is a must!

Flower Garden September 2012

I have done a poor job at photo documenting my garden this year.  Truth be told, the veggie garden went by the wayside while I spent most of my time with the flowers. :)  I am OK with that.

Zinnias remain my favorite summer flower.  They are so reliable to produce large, colorful, plentiful blooms all summer long.

This past week the weather turned cooler and this was the reminder I needed to realize my flowers will soon be gone.  *sniff sniff*  I had a friend hosting a fundraising event this weekend and last minute took 10 bunches of flowers to be sold proceeds benefiting her event. I used my pint canning rack to transport all the bunches quite successfully.

There is a mix of zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, sunflowers, and the foliage of my pink cosmos. I'm going to miss this garden when frost comes. 

Oliver + S Tea Party Sundress and Bloomers

Two years ago, my very good friend gave birth to her daughter.  I quickly made up the Itty Bitty Baby Dress but made a rookie mistake by not making sure my printer scaled and sized the pattern correctly.  Thus the dress was too small for the newborn.  Disappointing!  The fabric was so sweet too.  A soft swiss dot with little orange flowers.  It matched her nursery.   I had purchased the fabric at a local-ish store called Needle and Thread in Gettysburg, PA.  I went back to the store to see if they still had some fabric to remake the newborn dress, but I was out of luck.

Then 2 years later the fabric showed up again!  My opportunity for a second chance!  It has been awhile since I sewn any clothing, so I opted for my Oliver + S Tea Party Dress Pattern (Digital Pattern Available).  To my surprise the 2T size was already traced! 

This pattern is rated as a beginner pattern (or one scissor rating as noted on the pattern.)  I remember sewing this dress up when it was first released several years ago. I did an OK job, but it was very nice to return to this pattern and fly right through it!  I made the pattern per the instructions with the exception of lining the skirt and opted out of the piping.  The swiss dot is semi-transparent.  To do this, I stacked my lining (a white cotton voile also purchased at Needle and Thread) with my swiss dot and cut them together. I also used a machine blind hem stitch for the hem instead of sewing it by hand.

When I was searching for a coordinating print for the bodice, I ran into JoAnn's and was immediately drawn to the new Denise Schmitt collection for Fabric Traditions (purchased in 2012.) Perfect!  It was only after the fact, did I realize that I pretty much copied the illustrated dress on the pattern envelope.  At least I knew the end result would look awesome. :)

The bloomers were new for me.  I didn't make them the last time around.  I have since come to realize that  active little girls need something to cover their diapers/underwear when playing.  Again, I made no alterations to the pattern (cut the 2T size).  The only change I made was to use pre-made bias tape instead of making my own for the leg openings.  Not only did it speed up the sewing process but I was also running low on the DS fabric.

My favorite part is the little ribbon I used to denote the back of the bloomers.  Gah!  So adorable! 

I gifted this new dress to the mother/daughter a week before she turned 2.  And it FIT PERFECTLY!  As soon as the daughter saw the dress she exclaimed "Pretty!" and stripped down to her diaper to put it on.  I couldn't have gotten a better compliment. :D  This was such a motivating sewing project.  I can't wait to get back in my sewing room. 

Giftable sunshine

Burpee Del Sol Pollenless sunflowers. Picked and ready to be gifted to friends. I couldn't help but think of this verse while picking these the other day.

 "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands."  Psalm 90:17

When I picked these flowers I really couldn't think of anything more beautiful.  That was until I picked the next bouquet for my home.   I only wish the work of my hands was in the garden on these beautiful summer days. 

These flowers are sitting on our new outdoor table.  I found the chairs last year used  for $10 a piece and waited this long trying to find a used table to meet our desires (heavy, no glass or tile, seats +6 people). No dice, so we got the table we had our eye on to enjoy for the remainder of summer.  I find that when I do purchase something retail I am always astonished at the price.  My new normal is 1/2 off Wednesday's at the Community Aid Thrift Store.  Anything more than that and I have mild heart palpitations.  :P