Summer of Birthdays!

If it weren't for birthdays I probably wouldn't be sewing as much!! I have been busy and highly UNmotivated to get into my sewing room this Summer. I am not sure WHAT is going on with me lately! It could be because my sewing room gets pretty warm during the day, and having the iron on doesn't make it any cooler! So you would think I would get in there in the evening...but NOPE!! By then I am tired, the children are hungry and cranky, and my husband would like to see my face. :) It also could be because, once again, my sewing room is a complete and utter MESS! I'll spare you the down-right FRIGHTFUL photos this time...but I'm sure some of you will remember!! :D Anyway, whatever the reason I am not in there as much as I think I need to be...so many items I want to make...SO MANY WIPs!! I keep counting on the fact that my motivation will come back when the children are off to school in August..let's hope that is the case! In the meantime, I will try to keep up my blog with things I DO manage to get accomplished!

My sweet niece turned 2! Here are a few things I made for her.

I know that it is hard to tell...but this is supposed to be an appliqued popsicle!! Can you see it? I've been told it looks like two tennis rackets...or my favorite, two CORNDOGS!! HA! I wasn't happy with the square shaped popsicle applique that I had, so I attempted to make my own..pitiful, I know! One day I'll learn my lesson and just PAY for designs!!

The little bloomers came out cute though! Instead of doing an elastic encased waist, I just shirred it. I love how easy it is and it tends to be more forgiving in the sizing...just in case I'm off a little!

Next, I did a guitar strap for her.

My sister got her a child-sized guitar, so I made a cute strap.

I put a super soft faux fur backing on it!

And put button holes in the ribbon on the ends to make it adjustable. See our cute little Sweetie? She and her brother, Tiger came to live with us this Summer...2 dogs....2 cats...5 kids....UGH!!!


And lastly, I decided to make her a halter top with matching bow.

This halter is based on the one I did for my sister. I combined a couple of different child patterns to cut out the fabric, then used the directions from the Weekend Sewing pattern to add the side sewn bottom straps. I decided to add the ruffle to make sure it was long enough and to crank up the cuteness!

I used Pique Cotton fabric for the front, and a solid white quilting cotton for the liner. I just wanted to make sure the embroidery didn't scratch her, since it is such a big design. It also helped to encase all of the seams. Sorry if this is all so vague...summer heat brain!


I did this beach towel for my sister.

She had a birthday party for a friend's daughter and wanted something quick and simple. I cut letters from fabric with pinking shears and used a big zigzag stitch to sew it on.


Hope you all had a happy 4th!

I really wanted to try the yoga skirt tutorial that was featured on Sew Mama Sew! LOVE IT!!

I did one for me, and one for my 4th of July Birthday girl...she turned 4!! But my oldest daughter wanted a dress, so it was just a quick pillowcase style. Instead of doing the armscyes in the normal "J cut", I decide to do a diagonal cut to make the top more narrow and less bulky. I also added a line of elastic thread stitching right under the arms to give it more of an empire waist.

So that's it....summer sewing, quick and easy. This was the only picture of me wearing the yoga skirt...next time, I will add pockets!! Hope your Summer is going well! I've got some orders due soon, so I will be back hopefully by next week with some more things done. I also attended a wedding this past weekend and caught up with family in Mississippi..some things were made for that trip also. I feel this post is a little erratic, so I am sorry..I have one sleeping on me, while another is screaming and playing with the mouse..hope nothing gets lost!! Until later...

Make It, Wear It

It seems that I am making it a habit to only post once a month!! What is UP with THAT?? Summer with three children is VERY time-consuming, but I have been managing to squeeze in a little sewing here and there! My older sister is turning FORTY!!! I just LOVE saying that...ha! Anyway, they went to Cancun to celebrate so I decided to make some easy, breezy, beachy items for her to wear. And wouldn't you know that my FAVORITE sewing blog is having a Make It, Wear It Challenge. You could win a new sewing machine and other awesome givings, so go to Sew Mama Sew! and enter something!! :D

Ok, back to what I've been sewing! An outfit you can wear three ways!! Love it!!

The halter is from Weekend Sewing by the FABULOUS Heather Ross! It is the Saturday Night Jersey Halter. I decided to not do the skirt that is part of the set, but instead do a shirred waist skirt to make it a little more beach friendly.

I would love to tell you what type of fabric I used, but I just don't know!! I picked it up at JoAnn's last year. It is like a cotton gauze, but it has elasticized stitching on the wrong side...anyone know what this is called? Here is another option for wearing the halter...

The fabric draped sooooo well. I used a stretch needle and "lined" it with the same fabric. I think when I make myself one, I will try to figure out how to insert a shelf bra for extra support. And perhaps make it a little longer. Once I sewed the two right-sides together, I turned it and did a little zigzag topstitch in a contrasting color. It gave the fabric a "ruffled" effect that I thought made it more feminine...don't you think?

The third option for this outfit is to use the shirred skirt as cover-up!

This fabric is also a cotton gauze with embroidered eyelets. I picked this fabric up last year when it was on clearance, also. I did about twelve rows of shirring so it could be worn as a skirt or dress. I have to say that I am getting better with my shirring technique, my lines are straight and everything!! :D My sister loved the cover-up and halter, but wasn't crazy about wearing them together...I told her she could always give it back!!! ;)

Ms. Priss went to a Girl Scout sleep-away camp this week!!! Her first camp!! We were sooooo excited, but as it is Tuesday, and I haven't been able to call or talk to her, I sure am missing her like CRAZY!! Anyway, the camp is called "Little Mermaids", so they are going to be doing a LOT of swimming. She has enough bathing suits, but the one my sister got for her this year was a one piece with a shirt cover-up. I haven't been able to find bottoms that would match it exactly, so decided to try my hand at making her some.

I used a cotton/poly blend that is stretchy and lightweight. The fabric is soooo soft, I am thinking of using what I have left to make myself a halter...or something!! :D I used a stretch needle and an all purpose thread, and used my Serger instead of hemming. I was just going to use my favorite bloomer pattern and upsize it, but found a cheerleading uniform pattern I had so I used the "panties" pattern instead because I liked the higher cut on the leg. I cut a little extra fabric around the leg, and instead of encasing elastic, I used elastic thread so it would close the leg, but also give it a little ruffle.

Ms. Priss has a funny little shape, so I knew I would have to get creative around her waistline to make it fit right. I cut the front waistline higher than the back because she has a tummy. I stitched the elastic low so it would hit her hips and stop there....and did some shirring with elastic thread so it would hug her tummy, but not cut into. I think it worked out okay, but I will know more when she gets back from camp!

Oh, I didn't line it because the fabric was pretty thick, but I did add a little patch where the seams met in the crotch so it wouldn't "itch" her! :)

Well...I did some other little things for her camp trip, but forgot to take pictures of one...so hopefully it will make it back from camp and I can share!! Maybe I'll be back before the month is over...I am working on a couple of birthday outfits..so let's keep our fingers crossed!! Until later...

May Has Been BUSY!!!

WOW!! I know that I am not alone when I say that May is CRAZY BUSY!! The end of school always brings lots of goings-on and this past month has been no exception!! Today is the last day of school and it brings lots of HOORAYS and lots of UGHS!!! Hooray...no getting up early, no having to be SOMEWHERE all of the time, no homework and scheduled events that I am ALWAYS late for!! Ugh...all three kiddos home ALL DAY wanting to snack and BE ENTERTAINED!! Having to hear "I'm bored" and the bickering of siblings that is usually brought on by bouts of boredom! No matter what kinds of activities I plan or crafts we make or MOUNTAINS of toys, videos, games, etc...boredom is inevitable...UGH!!! But I am excited about the end of the school year and will hope for a fun, relaxing Summer!! So...updates...The MIL has been in the Nursing Home for about a month now, and it was a good transition. Other than a few "issues" with her roommate, she seems to be happy and getting along well. My SIL came in from Phoenix for my MIL's 80th bday....MISS YOU GIRL!! We grilled enough Ribeyes to feed a small country, and The MIL LOVED her new flat screen TV and CD headphone set....which is perfect for tuning out irritating roomies!! :D So without going on and on...once the MIL was moved out there was LOTS of cleaning, packing things away, and furniture moving (most of which I did myself because of my impatience to wait for help....dumb, I know!!) And now I plan on the 20 yo moving home...AGAIN, shortly!! That is what I expect..hopefully it will be temporary, but I will enjoy having a grass-cutter for the Summer!! HA!
So...anyway....I have been sewing a little. Lots of events for May...a couple of birthdays, teachers' gifts, Mother's day, and miscellaneous gift-giving!

I have decided that if I can NOT embroider directly on tee-shirts, I will be much happier and LESS stressed!! The hardest thing for me when I monogram shirts and onesies is the centering. I always worry and then PRAY when I am pulling the shirt off my hoop that the design is centered and that I haven't RUINED it!! So from now on...at least for my kids..I will be doing all monograms on scrap fabric squares and then sewing them on tee-shirts!!! I have declared it, and it will be so!! :)

Next up, a couple of hooded-towels for some SAINTS fans!!

My friend Jane's twins celebrated their 7th birthday!

I've made a couple of these before and through feedback have learned that the vinyl tends to get stiff and "holds" its shape when hung for long periods of time. So I added some cotton fabric for a backing to see if it works out better!

For Mother's Day, I decided to try my hand at making an updated version of the Fanny Pack for my Momma.

I got the pattern and instructions from the book, One-Yard Wonders...fabulous book!! I look forward to making much more from it!! My sister was not very pleased with me, since she is trying to get my mom AWAY from Fanny packs...oh well!! :D While my SIL was visiting, she noticed my mom's Pretty, Pleated Purse I made using the pattern I won from Tenth Muse Studio, so I guess I will be making my second one soon!!

Then came gifts for Teachers!! Really WHAT can you give teachers? They do soooo much for our kids and I know they appreciate gift cards, but they are so impersonal. Well, my good friend "commissioned" me to make a couple of Rice Heat Therapy bags, which I've never gotten around to making after seeing THIS awesome tutorial featured on Sew Mama Sew! last year.

So I made one for Ms. Priss' teacher, also. Instead of using Velcro, I just did a pillowcase style closure. I used muslin for the rice bags, and 100% cotton fabric for covers. Here are a couple more:

Now, the embroidery thread is a Poly/Rayon blend so I was a little worried as to how they would react in the microwave....no fires or meltdowns..YAY!!

I had a couple of family friends that had babies in the last year and I wanted to make something for them. Now one friend is a corporate lawyer with twin girls....THEY HAVE EVERYTHING!! They are coming up on a year and I still hadn't decided WHAT to make for them!! She would send me emails every day and there would be a new outfit (BOUTIQUE, OF COURSE), or a new toy or baby "needs" item...so my options were LIMITED to say the least!! Beatrix to the RESCUE!! Her Elise Doll pattern is the gift that keeps on giving!!! Thank you sooooo much for allowing me to "test" your AWESOME pattern!!

The one in the middle is for my other friend who had a sweet baby girl in March...can you believe I am ON-TIME with something?? Well, sort of! I decided to monogram names on the back because of the twins...I think it is something I will do from now on!

And lastly....FINALLY, sorry ya'll I know this post is soooo LONG!! Another good friend of mine gave me this outfit in DECEMBER to add an embroidery design to...I just gave it to her last week!! Thankfully she IS a good friend!! :D

I don't know if you can tell in the picture, but this is a Fringe design...my second...so I was worried I would RUIN the outfit...that is why it took me soooo long to do! I am pleased that I didn't mess it up! :) Here is the whole outfit...the little bows are on clippies, just something to "girl" it up some!

Well...that's it!! May has been busy, so I am looking forward to getting back to my lazy days of sewing and reading sewing blogs!! Hope to catch up with all of my sweeties real soon!! Until later...

Things for Spring

Well, it has been OVER a MONTH since I last posted or commented on anyone's blog (sorry y'all!), but I have been sewing a little here and there.

I did a couple of dresses and a pair of pants for my children to wear in their annual Spring picture I have done.


And then because I couldn't RESIST this adorable bunny fabric...


I attempted my first ever TIER DRESS!! UGH!! This was HARD!! Not the elastic casing collar, which is my new FAVORITE way of doing dresses...or the elastic thread around the arms, which just adds the cutest ruffle....but the actual tiering (ok, not a word..thanks spell check!!) of the dress itself!! Talk about needing to make sure your MEASUREMENTS are EXACT...which mine NEVER are!! Thankfully, it looked better on the Middle Child, then it did on the hanger!! :D


The above picture was with the first "try-on"...after that I added some cute trim around the top two tiers to smooth out the seams....and I "cut" some of the side seams to make it have more of an A-Line shape!! Hopefully my next attempt will be better, because the actual construction of the dress wasn't that bad....just my BAD MEASURING!! ;)

Next are a couple of birthday gifts.


The hooded towel is for the LAST of the three sisters. The Minnie Mouse towel, and one that I made years ago went to the first two! LOVE the princess wand!!

And my SIL's sister and her family are Disney World BOUND in three days....she asked for some ruffle Capri's to go with some shirts she had monogrammed. She actually asked me to monogram some shirts for her also...but I knew I would not have the time!! So thankfully she was happy with just the Capri's!

Cute huh? The brown ones go with an appliqued Minnie Mouse ears in brown and pink polka dots!

We also had my hometown of Ponchatoula, LA's annual Strawberry Festival this past weekend!! This was an outgrown onesie that I used my Serger to "trim" off the bottom snaps. Viola...instant shirt!

I combined a couple of different appliques I had on my Embird Embroidery Software to come up with this design!! Ponchatoula has train tracks running through the middle of town, as do most of the towns in Tangipahoa Parish...all the way to Chicago baby....so I thought a train would be fitting! :D

I got ALOT of use out of this fabulous strawberry applique!!

The pants in the above picture of my adorable niece are "hand me downs" from the Middle Child! It went with the outfit I made for her last year. She was able to wear the top again this year with some pants I made for her to wear to Pre-K for St. Patrick's Day...did I post that? I know I had it on my FB page....oh the MANY worlds of social networking, it's hard to keep up!! HA! Anyway, my niece was loving her gently used pants and new shirt! :)

I thought it was too cute not to share, so I made an outfit for my best friend, Sarah's daughter, also.

The polka dot tee is from WalMart...can you believe?...I guess they are trying to give Target some competition!! I picked up some really cute scooters for Ms. Priss..they were only $4 and just adorable!! Ok, I know my vocabulary is lacking...I'll make sure to have a copy of my Thesaurus next time so I'll quit using the same adjectives!! Ok...one last photo then I'm off to bed (yawn)!

YAY!! for ME!! I actually made MYSELF something. Just a yard and a half of fabric, shirred and hemmed..instant dress!! It was KILLING my friend, Sarah, that my shrug kept falling down my shoulders...oh well! Just a quick update...next week is when we will be bringing my MIL to the Nursing Home, so we've been going through alot of emotions lately. Once everything settles down, I look forward to catching up with all of you. Thank you all SO MUCH for sending me so much love and encouragement. You are truly my blessings, and your kindness gives me the strength I desperately need. Thank you. Until later...

Fun with Appliques

Hi...it's me again! It seems to be that my posts are getting farther apart...sorry. My everyday life is still a little CRAZY and I am not getting the chance to sew much...let alone keep up with my friends' "happenings"...UGH!! My MIL had a spill last week and we took her into the ER to find out what is going on!! Turns out she had a terrible bladder infection, which caused MORE confusion than usual and threw her equilibrium out of whack bad enough to make her fall back every time she tried to stand. Add seeing "spots" on top of that, and you've got a trip to the ER for lots of TESTS! Thankfully the antibiotic worked quickly and she is somewhat back to "normal", except the confusion has seemed to hang around. This episode has further made us realize that we just can't take care of her anymore and we are trying to step up our plans for putting her in a Nursing Home. The only thing is the MOUNTAIN of paperwork and LOTS of doctor visits that need to be done before any of this can happen. So like I said...CRAZY everyday life!!

Anyway...I did get a chance to do some sewing last week, in between the craziness. We had a couple of birthday parties and here is the first gift for a three year old girl, who loves pink AND Minnie Mouse!

I did not feel like spending $12 on an "official" Minnie Mouse applique, so I went to work on my Embroidery software and arranged some applique circles. At first, I had an embroidered bow, but decided it would look much cuter with an actual ribbon bow sewed on. Plus, I got to match the the ribbon that I added to the hood of this towel.

I really like how it turned out! I have another hooded towel to make for her sister, since I'd made one for her other sister a couple of years back for her birthday. This next one will involve more pink and something princess...of course! :D

Next up, another appliqued shirt for my sweet niece.

To my defense...this shirt was sewn CROOKED!! My SIL bought a couple of shirts online and had them sent to me to embroider. It is so funny the way this shirt was sewn. The top button epaulets, for a better word, are WAY off. And the arms don't match up...AND the bottom hem is DIAGONAL!! So, I did my best at centering it...thankfully my SIL told me that once the shirt was on, you couldn't tell!! :D

The next couple of items are for my other niece and birthday girl. My cousin did not want anything saying 1st bday, because she wanted to be able to use this bib again.

SOOOO CUTE!!! I LOVE the little fringe bunny! It was my first time doing a fringe applique, but it was so easy!! I got this design and several other fringe embroidery designs from my FAVORITE site, Sew Forum! I am ALWAYS appreciative for anything they are willing to give! :D This bib has a terry cloth backing, and a vinyl covering...so it should be super absorbent and MESS proof!

I also did a couple of inserts to put in her Christmas bib! Remember?

I thought the ant and watermelon would go great with the whole checkered tablecloth theme!! Only, my cousin decided that a red watermelon would look better than this pink one...oops!

So, as you can see...I am managing to squeeze in a little bit of sewing time. AND when I was at my cousin's I noticed that she had the Twilight books....YES CHELLE.... I AM HOOKED!! I read the first two books ALL DAY Sunday (when I wasn't driving back to Lafayette...although I was seriously trying to figure out a way to read AND drive!!), and then Monday...much to my husband's displeasure of coming home to a messy house (what else is new) AND no dinner...but he cooked and let me read...isn't he the most AWESOME MAN!! :D I've decided that I will have to wait before getting to the other two...or at least try NOT to devour them in ONE DAY!! Until later...