Ruffled Yoke Shirt

This shirt was a labor! It took a lot longer then it normally takes me to make a shirt but i love the details! The ruffled yoke idea is from pinterest. The double bias taped back was for added details. The snaps were because Alex said no buttons! He hates messing with buttons while dressing or undressing her!

I used a simple t shirt as my guide,  (you can read about that here) lengthened the arms to a quarter sleeve, and curved the neckline slightly to accommodate the ruffles.  Without making it seem like they were chocking her!

The back is a double bias tape feature with a snap closure. I made the bias tape from a vintage sheet I had lying around, the ruffles from it also.

Sydney looks darling in it, so it was worth the extra effort! Making this shirt remined me how much little details really make it! Note to self to make more detail stuff!  It's great for this unpredictable spring weather we've been having! I plan to mess around with this design more, I love the idea of making something more then just dresses for Sydney!

Sewing doesn't always go as planned

I read a number of sewing blogs, and it's rare that you see anyone post about projects that didn't work out. Yet I like to believe that even the most advanced seamstress has a day were nothing is working and she just has to call it a loss.

I recently made Sydney a bathing suit, and that got me wanting to make Nathan one too! I set out to the thrift stores to find some cute men's board shorts to refashion to toddler size. I collected a few, and decided to try on my least favorite ones. Good plan!

You see when making shorts you need to cut the  two front (and back) panels as mirror images with the right sides of the fabric, or you end up with the right side of the fabric showing on one leg and the wrong side exposed on the other (inside of on one side) Brilliant ol' me did that! Yup totally screwed that one up! Good thing it was not the favorite pair, and they were only a $3 investment at the goodwill!

It happens!

Vintage Napkin Dress

I've  mentioned before that I have a small thing for vintage linens. Well the other night I sorted through said stash of vintage textile, and well lets just say that stash is rather large! Time to start using some of it! But the thing is I feel bad cutting some of it up, someone worked so hard on it. I mean I am cutting it up to give it a new life, and getting it out of the drawer and back in the spot light, but i still feel bad if I don't use it all.

I was looking at the napkins wondering what I could do with them, an apron came to mind like this one, a skirt, or a purse. Then I thought it looked about the right size to be the front panel of a dress for Sydney. I busted out The Bella Dress pattern that I used to make this dress and was able to use all of the detail from the napkin, some of a vintage sheet (for the back panel) and just a small bit of store bought pink fabric for the shelves!

I must say I really love The Bella Dress pattern! I have used it a ton! It's super easy, great for a new sewer and the possibilities are endless with it!

This new napkin dress is prefect for spring!!

She just wanted to stay outside!

My Audition Project was...

Well as you know I was a contestant in the So You Think You're Crafty Season 11 Auditions. While it was suppose to be a secret which project was yours until the polls closed. Well they are closed and we placed 5th out of 11. I loved my project! It was the prefect excuse to get the ball rolling on something we have needed for like...well the whole time we have owned this house. It was a family effort, my dad got handy with the jigsaw for the leg cut outs and the top, Alex cut out the 'drawers' I painted and sewed the curtains, and it was my idea! wink wink! So here it is Sydney's Closet Doors!!!

 For my audition project I thought I would make something that my house really needs, and would serve a long lasting purpose. All of our closets are lacking closet doors, horrible I know! So I decided that I would make my daughter some stylish doors!

They are meant to look like an armorie, not just a plain ol' closet.

How did we do?

The 'legs' are just barely off the ground (since they swing open)

My dad used a jigsaw to cut out all the details on the bottom.

The 'curtains' are a pink and white check.

 I wanted them to be subtle so they didn't clash with the other prints in her room.

The knobs are glass with bubbles in them.

Blue is a to tie into the blue accents found else where in her room.

So was my audition!

We placed 5th out of 11!

From here on out it's a project a week with a given theme, until we are voted out.

 

We made it to the Weekend

Well we made it to weekend, and if Alex wasn't working overtime tomorrow I would be happier about it being Friday! Oh Well no biggie!

The kids seem to be coming around the bend. Nathan has some energy to play again, but it dwindles fast. Sydney is pretty much the same. The days aren't so bad except for naps, they both want to snuggle and be held at the same time. It's so hard to because one always ends up crying and waking the other. Aside from that, we really are hanging in there!

My housework has been slippin this week. So today I got up with motivation to get back in gear! I mopped and have almost all the laundry folded and put away. The beds are stripped waiting for their turn in the washer, that bathrooms are going to be smelling of Clorox for a while! I'm feeling good! Back on track is nice!

And lastly I started the Hungar Games yesterday! They are much better than I had excepted! I'm really glad I started them and am totally looking forward to the movie! In one day (well mostly night) I read just over half the 1st book, I'm hoping to finish it tonight! Sewing has taken a back seat to reading as of late! But I did get a pirate outfit done for Nathan yesterday! He loves it and has worn it two days straight now! I also have sewed two dresses for Sydney this week, for family photos we were suppose to do this afternoon. Sad that I had to cancel them, but I'm still not sure exactly what I want her to wear so it's ok. I'd rather wait until everyone is healthy so I have a better chance at a good family shot! Wish me luck that we can do them next week!

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Survival Mode

That's where we are at the moment! Alex and I are in full blown don't get sick survival mode. Both the kids have double ear infections, Sydney has pneumonia and Nathan might. We opted against an X-Ray confirmation since the ear infection medicine would kill out the pneumonia too.

Days are long, nights are even longer. I spend the nights bouncing back and forth from one crying child's room to the other, while Alex tries to help and still get some sleep!

The weather has been cloudy and cold, making it easier to stay inside all day. Cartoons are on, pretty much all day. I never knew Disney Jr was on until one! Really who lets there kids just sit in front of the TV until one? Well, me lately! But only because they are sick! Nathan has taking a liking to Jack and the Neverland Pirates! He even had me make him a head band just like Jacks! Today if I find the time I plan to make him the whole outfit. I know it would up his spirits! We'll see how that plan goes, I'm pretty tried!

If you haven't already please head over to the So You Think You're Crafty blog and vote!

Hope everyone is healthy in your neck of the woods!

Go Vote at So You Think You're Crafty!!!

Hi everyone! I hope your weekend was amazing! I had a wonderful one! Complete with a baby shower and dinner at a close friends house, shooting "clays" which is pretty hard! And of course lovely family time! Perfection!

Any way the topic for the day So You Think You're Crafty. It's a fun blog that host a crafty competition every 10-12 weeks. 10 Crafters, 10 Weeks, 10 Crafts! Each week they give you a theme and the Internet votes, the one with the least votes "goes home". Well they invite 11 women to audition for a spot in the 10, I was invited! And guess what it's time to vote! So head on over and have a look at all the wonderful projects that were submitted and see if you can guess which is mine! I can't say, gotta keep it fair!

So vote for your favorite and at the end of the week I'll announce which is mine!

Thanks for the support!!

Weekend Lovin'

Its a beautiful day out! The sun is shining it's warm but not too warm!

The kids and I spent the morning outside already!

 I cleaned up the front and back patio while they played!

Gotta love that spring is here!

Here's to a great sunny, fun filled weekend!

Sewing Labels

Sewing labels are something I've wanted for a long time, honestly I have no idea why! I just like the idea of putting my name on my work, even if I usually only sew for family and clsoe friends! Either way I wanted them!

I pinned a few DIY label ideas, and looked into a few places to have them printed. Most that I looked at were too pricey for my needs (or lack there of). Alex didn't feel like making them was a worth while thing, so I searched Etsy and found a company. The shipping was pretty slow but over all I really like my labels! The price was right, they were running a specail were I got an extra hundred free, and they seem to be a really good qaulity!

All in all i'm really happy with my new Sew Ronimo labels!

Married four years and counting today!!

Alex I love you!

Alex I love you!

Flower Power Shorts

I feel like since Sydney is so small she can pull off loud prints...maybe? Sorta? What do you think?

These shorts were a learning experience for sure! I wanted to shir the back, but as usual I can't for the life of me shir! I've watch you tube, read tutorials, tried and tried again it just doesn't ever work for me. So I resorted to sewing a piece of elastic it the back to give it the stretchable gathered look with a quilters cotton. It makes getting them on and off much easier! But the inside in not so slightly.

In usual fashion I traced a pair of her shorts, but they were a stretch fabric so I needed to account for that as mine was not. They are a little tight to get on, but fit well. Over all a good learn experience and I plan to make more once summer is here!

I also made her shirt, but was not pleased with the neck. The hole turned out too big for some reason. It is refashioned from one of my old shirts that was very stretchy, so I think that had something to do with the wonky neck line. Oh well you live and you learn! Sewing with knits is without a doubt always a learning experience! The shirt was headed for the Goodwill before I decided to cut it up, no love lost!

Men's Shirt Refashioned

Yay! I'm actually blogging about a boy sewing project! It's been way too long! But rest assured I do sew a decent amount for Nathan too!

If you haven't caught on yet I'm really enjoying making the kids clothes and sewing with knits! I recently refashioned these two mens shirts I picked up while thrifting, into t-shirts for Nathan! Strips are in right now, and browns and teals are two of my favorite colors! Win Win!

Sydney's skirt is also mama made!

I'll being posting about it soon!

He said all the pictures were making him sleepy!