kidding around

Hurrah, I finished my project I started this past summmer. I like it!

I wanted to create something for my family to mark birthdays.

I love to celebrate such occassions.

Handmade is always good and appreciated- especially by my kids.

I also love table linens and using fabric napkins for each dinner.

Since I liked making this table dot, table topper, whatever…(WHAT should I call this?) I will be making a few for a shop I will be opening in the near future. Fun?

I’m thinking they won’t all be birthday themed, but you can be sure there will be a couple because making cupcakes is just too fun.

I know for me, once I start a project I need to finish it fairly soon after the idea was conceived. Now there are a few exceptions, like my 2 other kids’ quilts and I fear it will be awhile before those projects are complete. Or my kids’ baby books or patterns I have cut out…okay, I need to stop this negativity!

What I am trying to share is an idea I had this summer. I started out all ambitious and then I just lost interest.
Just. like. that.
I couldn’t even look at the “thing” and was tempted to just get rid of it all together. You know, use it as a duster or rag or allow my dog to shred it.

I’m really glad I didn’t go to extremes.

These past few days have been kind of rough in the Shack house and somehow I found inspiration in my detested project. Now I am so excited and can’t wait to share the finished product.

The best part- it’s for me and my family. There may be plans for a few more to sell, but I have always avoided this subject and maybe I should just go with it…

I haven’t forgotten about my weekly commitment to produce a dress. This cute little frock (love this delicate fabric) has been laying around needing a hem and sleeves to be attached. Pretty easy, huh?

We spent most of the weekend battling illness, namely Simon, Penny, and I…we had to cancel birthday festivities and it has been a major disappointment for us all. I’m still snorting ZIACAM and drinking water like a camel…keeping my fingers crossed that I won’t come down with a fever and barfing like my 2 little loves.

Anyway, enough of the medical report.

The dress is Burda 9978 and I plan to make charcoal grey bloomers to accompany- I’m anticipating a lot of rolling in the grass and bike riding in these cute little dresses.

One thing I used with this dress is “single folded bias tape”. I liked the finished edge on the neck and sleeves with this technique and it beat me burning off my finger tips with the iron.

I’m not sure how much time I will have with the machine this week. Perhaps some cutting of fabric will do- to keep me on track!

So I am continuing on with my commitment to make my 2 daughters dresses for Spring and Summer. I’m thinking I will try to make a dress a week. Quite frankly, I could have easily made this dress in an afternoon, but it isn’t an ideal world and I know you all know that their are many interruptions in our daily lives.

I fell in love with this fabric and I have a suspicion it was the “dots” that drew me to the bolt. OR maybe it was the color palette. OR maybe it was because I discovered that the fabric was marked to some insane amount of $1.50 a yard from $8. Whatever the reason, I made the plan to make Ellie and Penny matching dresses. Ellie was slightly against the idea, but I assured her that the styles would be much different and I begged her to give me a break (knowing next year at this time she will be pushing closer to 11 and I will have missed my window).

Of course the dress looks much prettier on my girl than on the hanger, but by the time she is home from school any sort of light is gone (bleck, winter be over!). The pattern was easy- McCalls 2590. I’m not all that excited by the puffy sleeves, but Ellie liked them and they actually are more subtle with a person in the dress (a sleeveless version would be very nice too, I’ll try that next). I really liked the black bias tape. It made her dress a bit more grown up, although Penny will probably have some on her dress too.

Oh- and I used the zipper foot without a hitch. Hurrah.

My next project will be another dress for Penny using this pattern. I love it.

What I SHOULD be doing:

shovel driveway

fold laundry

put laundry away

mop floors

dust entire house

sweep

organize out of control junk drawer

Instead I am:

dreaming of Spring dresses

Remember the days when your mom would take you to the department store (mine was Gimbels) and you chose a Spring dress? I do believe those days don’t exist anymore. What’s up with all the ugly clothing out there? Even in nice department stores. Sorry for sounding superficial, and yes, I have better things to do…

So now I am proclaiming that all my Spring/Summer clothing for Ellie and Penelope will be straight from my humble sewing machine or the Thrift store. I really want to get more than “proficient” on the machine. I’m not promising smocking or crazy details, but I do think this self-challenge is a good motivator. And, heck, something to focus on while existing through the long days of winter…I don’t want to be to on top of my other “to do” list, do I? I know once Spring hits, I will not want to be in the house. Every year I kick myself for not using the winter wisely in my Spring/Summer sewing plans.

I do dream, however, that I had the skills to draft my own patterns. I’m not all that jazzed with the size 8 and up selections. It appears that most pattern companies are trying to imitate the cheap, mass produced fashions out there…ugh.

And speaking of dreaming…I will be in “another state” tomorrow afternoon at this time. Why? I will have the pleasure of having a 5th wisdom tooth yanked (the 4 others will be staying safely tucked in my mouth thank you very much!). Remember last fall when I thought I had TMJ, it’s this extra tooth and it has been dreadfully a pain. Wish me luck!

I am such a fool! Why was I all intimidated with using my zipper foot? I am so ashamed that I allowed such a thing even enter my mind…I know I dislike doing too much troubleshooting on my sewing machine (any machine for that matter), so when I did some detaching and attaching of parts I sheepishly admitted I was lame.

Anyway, here is Simplicity 5827 and it was so easy. I might as well come clean now and admit I bought this pattern for Ellie 4 years ago and was too fearful of the zipper…I know, lame. Actually, the pain was sewing the clasp on the top of the zipper.

So now that I overcame my sewing obstacle, I intend to make more of these dresses. The pattern comes with a variety of styles, but still the basic shape.

I love the “swingability” of the dress and so does Penelope.

It made me smile today when I was getting Peppy out of the car and she thanked me for her dress. Out of the blue gratitude- something a mother needs to hear!

There’s my girl- perfect blue for her perfectly blue and sparkley eyes.

just to alert you all that I am making a super cute dress for Peppy.

all I need to do is use my zipper foot for the very first time and attach the bodice to the skirt…wish me luck with the zipper thing…

details to follow in a day or two.

okay, off to warm up my car for a good 20 minutes before picking up the kids. you know, 1 degreeF sort of forces you to plan ahead…oh, and with the wind it is -13…it was ACTUALLY -14 when I took the kids to school today…not sure what the wind chill was…I think it was -34.

oh, spring…come quick!

So today has been a pretty grim day weather-wise, BUT I finished my sweet sunshiny shirt that is just too cute. It’s McCalls 6120- circa 1978 and is actually a dress for a toddler, but it’s meant for my 9 year old as a shirt. I will definitely be making more of this pattern- it’s a great way to use some of your favorite bits of fabric!

I intend to add these buttons to the back straps- purely for decoration and a splash of color. I wanted to get a shot of this shirt before it gets dark here at 3:30 and it looks like I made it!

Happy Weekend.

I’m finding only a bit of time each day to sew. Can I tell you how much I love these fabrics together? I hope to bust this little top out soon- easy to sew, but other things have to take priority.

By the way, this pattern is an old one and it’s really for a 3 year old as a dress. My 9 year old likes the pattern and so it’s perfect as a shirt and it requires no elastic, buttons, or zippers…good thing I am reaching my sewing goals for the year (HA!).

Oh, it was so gratifying to freshen up my living room curtains this week.

Not only did I experience the joy in snipping all these annoying strings off my curtains, but I was able to make these fun ties with scrap fabric…at no cost.

To be honest, I have been on the hunt for fabric and just have not seen anything I like…I’m not a “drape” girl with tassles and pleats, but I do like something on my windows to add a touch of sophistication.

When my IKEA curtains started breaking one by one (the strings snapped), I knew my 5 year stint with them was up. Sure, IKEA is pretty cheap, but when you multiply 7 curtains there is a bit of a cost involved. I purchased our linen window covers when we first moved into our house and they just fit perfectly into our quirky sized old windows.

ANYWAY, I was mentioning my dilemna to my smart husband and he suggested I used ribbons to roll up the fabric. Since I was not finding fabric I liked other than plain natural linen…like I already HAD! I liked his idea, but of course needed to involve something more, well, involved.

I basically cut blocks of fabric, sewed them into strips, finished one raw edge and folded the other edge under.

I love them! I also am jazzed that I used what I had!

So there- that’s what I have been up to. Just trying to get the house in order before winter hits and our windows will be what connects us to the outside.