First Order - Valentines Day Goodies!

I got an order to make four special, one of a kind (Uniquely Yours) Valentines Day goodies. And it was left up to me for the fabric and design!! How awesome is that?!
There is something for a little baby girl:

A close-up of the ruffled cuteness

The whole skirt with the waistband folded once

The little skirt has an "adjustable" waist. The waist band is similar to what is on typical yoga pants. This way it can be folded over twice for the shortest, and tightest fit, folded over once for a medium fit, and not folded at all for the largest fit. The skirt should last at least a year...maybe even longer! I love making clothes that last when it comes to babies and little kids.


Something for a cute little boy:

It won't exactly last a long time..but I think it's super cute! :)

Something for a "pre-teen" girly girl:

Waistband unfolded

Waistband folded once

Close-up of the tulle ruffles

Close-up of the fabrics used

I used the same concept for the preteen skirt as I did for the baby skirt. Make it versatile! That way it can be worn longer. I also used 4 of the same fabrics...just laid out differently. Fun? I think yes. Girly? Absolutely!
And something for a teen aged girl:

Front view

front closeup

back view

a look at the hood

I made a black velvet hoodie. I used the same kiss material as in all the rest of them, and the same red lace as the middle daughter's skirt. The sleeves are overly long since teenagers tend to like to tuck their hands up inside their sleeves and stretch them out - figured I'd just give her long sleeves to start with! I put some lace on one  shoulder to add some interest.
Some fabric is upcycled, some has been waiting to be loved for a while, some is left overs from other things, some is brand new, and everything is 100% designed by me! I had a ton of fun making things for my first order! :-D And I look forward to completing many more in the future!! Interested in something for yourself or your little one? Just ask!

ERG! Or UGH! Or SNEEZE! SNEEZE! plus Christmas Gifts

I know it's been a while since I've posted...but I've got some good excuses, I swear! I've had my 9 year old, Puppy Girl, home for the last three weeks, and my 10 month old, Baby Bunny, is always home, and add to that my friend's 5 year old because I'm watching him while she works because of the winter vacation. They go back to school on Monday! YAY! ... But then again so do I....BOOO! I'm not ready for going back to school. Aside from watching the kiddies, I've also hurt my ankle (doc says xrays show no break...I'm not convinced. It's still swollen and deformed...in just ONE little area.), my husband was sick, now Baby Bunny is sick - and it's magically transformed from a mild cold to bronchitis in a couple days, and now I'M sick too. Thankfully for me it's only a cold still. Add to that the passing of my husband's father, and getting some orders to make some V-day clothing, and this has been some super crazy-busy last couple weeks.
SSSOOOOO all those excuses/reasons, just to get to the point of this posting....I wanted to show some of the gifts I made, but I didn't want to do it BEFORE Christmas...for obvious reasons, I think!
The Lexi Dress:

The Jillian Skirt (plus an embellished shirt):

Apron #1:

The Reversible Bubble Skirt:

The Stuffed Owl Pillow:

And there was a second apron, but I don't have any pictures of the recipient wearing it yet... hint hint nudge nudge!! ;-) Oh, and there's also a diaper bag, but I don't have any pictures of that one either, yet.....

Versatility and Longevity

I came up with the idea, and design for this skirt last night...and then had to make it right then. Then I thought of other things I could do to make it even MORE versatile! Yikes! My brain seems to be in overdrive now that the semester is over!!
This is the Reversible Longevity Bubble Skirt
On one side we have this slightly vintage fabric:

And if you turn it inside out, on the other side we have a more modern fabric:

Two totally different looks, in one fantastic skirt!
The waistband can be folded over to make it shorter, then unfolded to make it longer - which means that it can last MUCH longer than any other skirt. The bottom stretches so that it doesn't impede playing, crawling, walking, running, climbing, or any other thing a little girl might do! Wear it year around - either with just a shirt, or add some leggings or tights and it can be worn in cooler weather too.
I have an idea to make it even MORE versatile...but I think that should be saved for another day - after I make a couple more and perfect how to do the stuff my brain is saying can happen with it. I was just too excited to NOT share this!
P.S. This skirt could fit the same little girl from 9 months all the way up to 2 years - depending on the size of the girl! Awesome, right!?

Sneak Previews

Here are some sneak previews for upcoming sewing creations:
A princess dress:

The fabric to the left is dark brown, not black

A Christmas dress:

The fabric top right is dark brown, and the tube is sparkly brown tulle.

A second Christmas dress - Upcycling!!:

The picture turned out more periwinkle/blue than the fabric really is. The color is more the dark purple in the picture below.

A Christmas present - Pinafore shirt:

All of the fabric is upcycles - The green is a sheet, as is the flowered, and the yellow is from a round table cover

 A 1st bday dress

The bday dress will also have the same brown and brown sparkly tulle as well. 

Looks like fun, right?! The bday dress will be last. And probably not until January. The actual birthday the dress will be used for is in Feb, so it's low on the list.

The Lexi Dress

(There will be a tutorial for this type of dress, probably after the holidays. Keep a look out!)
I've been slowly but surely whittling down my To-Sew-For-Christmas-List. The latest item(s) I've finished is the Lexi Dress, with a matching hair clip, and dress pin.
I started making this dress a while ago, but haven't had the chance to finish it until now for various reasons. The top part is the remnants of a long-sleeved t-shirt that was my older daughters (that was confiscated for it's Frankenstein stamp stain on the belly). I used the bottom few inches of the shirt for something (but can't remember what a the moment), the sleeves for something (also can't remember for what), and the middle few inches of the shirt for a waist band on a skirt that I will be posting about next time. hehehe Anyone else think the irony of my "frankensteining" out the shirt is funny?
Anyway.....
So I had the top of this very nice pretty pink shirt to use. I also had some left overs of a fitted sheet I've used for another dress and of some fabric also from that same dress.

I also loved the flowers I've been seeing all over the place and used this tutorial to make some myself. On the back of one I glued a safety pin, and then a little piece of felt over it. For the second I used an alligator clip that's covered in grosgrain ribbon and glued it to the back. I love how they turned out!! These are the first ones I made, and the second one is definitely better than the first. They were SUPER quick and ridiculously easy to make. I put a fabric covered button in the middle of each one that I took off of an old shirt forever ago, just to have something pretty and solid in the middle.