St. Nicholas is right around the corner!

And I haven't started cleaning and sewing yet! Eek! I have a week though and I think I can do it. Willa picked out a lovely flowered flannel sheet at Goodwill and would like a lovely long nightgown. I would like it to have matching long pants. Nightgowns are pointless for keeping you warm at night, I like flannel pants and wool socks --through the end of April usually.

My plan for St. Nicholas gifts was to bath and mend the waldorf dolls and make them new outfits. I was thinking of a nice bunting like the one in yellow. Willa, oddly enough, prefers something with a long skirt and ruffles. Huh? Who would have guessed. Anyway, I will make them something and the girls will doubtless either like it or get over it.

McCall's M5692 balloon dress

This was Primrose's birthday dress. I hadn't intended to make the balloon view, but with one thing and another, that's what I ended up making. I couldn't figure out how to put the zipper in securely without the lining. I definitely felt that the instructions were inadequate, but then I always feel like instructions are inadequate. Then I go off and wing it and make it the way I think it should be done. Sometimes it works out, sometimes I realize halfway through what the instructions meant. This was my first real zipper. Separated zippers don't count, they're too easy. I mucked the zipper up a bit, re-did it, and mucked it up less the second time around. Then, being the crafty monkey that I am, I called it good and left it along.

I thought at the beginning that this dress was a bit dark. Prim likes it though, and popular response has been very positive. I love the owl fabric. Without the ballooning the skirt was plenty long. With it, well, when she bends over you can see the waistband of her pants. Since she's 3 I imagine that we'll be seeing quite a bit of her waistbands. I made size 3. It ended up loose in the top and a bit shorter than I would have liked. I'll eventually end up taking apart the balloon skirt seam and letting the extra length down so that we can get some additional wear out of it.

This was all made of corduroy from Joann's, bought new (on sale though).

Studio Tantrum

I have become completely enamored the patterns at Studio Tantrum. I now have the Redondo Swirl Skirt and just ordered the Venice and the Hermosa Wave shirt. They're just so gorgeous. I think that the question now is, do I really order them for my children, or do I want to wear them myself? Perhaps I need more swirly skirts in my closet.

Old and new

This morning I dressed Primrose in these lovely dragonfly pants that I made her at the beginning of summer. The denim is from the wonderful rummage sale of fabric by the box and the dragonfly trim is left over from the blackout curtains I made for the girls room. Wilhelmina then added the smock to Primrose's attire. I made the smock for one of my little sisters, probably 25 years ago. They look great together.

The pants pattern is from the book Carefree Clothes for Girls. I had great hopes for the book, but the only thing that I've actually made from it is the pants pattern. I have made those pants over and over, 4 or 5 times this summer. I like how it hangs. The other patterns in the book, I like them initially, but when I look at them more closely, I'm just not interested enough to make them.

Silverlake #2

I think that this jacket looks a lot better in person. The photos just don't do it justice. However, I had a lot of trouble with all of the bulk at the seams, topstitching was a horrible problem, even after I cut away most of the bulk there. All of the fabric came from scraps from rummage sales and thrift stores. I cut this jacket out before I made the original Silverlake jacket, but I was too intimidated to start sewing. Most of this jacket was much easier than making the first one, mostly because I had already worked out the problems. The fabric was a pain though, my sewing table has rough and splintery spots that kept snagging --urk!

Upcycled sweater

My favorite kind of project! It was very quick, only a few hours. I took two ruined sweaters and combined them to make a new sweater for Willa. The first sweater formed the base. It was a v-neck but I cut it open to make a cardigan. I cut the sleeves of the second sweater in half lengthwise and used those to make triangular panels that I inserted into slits cut in the bottom half of the first sweater. Then I cut strips off of the remainder of the sleeves to form a button band and sewed them on. I used the body of the second sweater and all the remaining scraps of sleeves to make the hood, then I took some red corduroy and made a border for the hood and button bands. I made some rather atrocious buttonholes using my sewing machine and sewed on the buttons. I love this! Willa and I would both have liked the skirt to be a bit fuller, but then I couldn't have added the hood. Oh, well. There's always next time.

Silverlake Windbreaker

Well, this was my first jacket and my first zipper. I fudged some stuff and screwed up some stitching, and if you look for it you can see it, but the jacket is definitely wearable and looks pretty good. It is fully reversible. One side is red corduroy from that completely amazing rummage sale, and the other side is some gorgeous sale fabric that I picked up at Jo-Ann's for $3/yard. This is a great pattern. The jacket ends up having 10 pockets, two front and back inside and outside and on the red aspect I added the media pockets on the sleeve.

My plans to have the pattern on the animal side match up everywhere failed miserably, there has to be a trick to this that I just haven't figured out yet.

I absolutely adore the animal fabric. I have already made a pair of pants and a skirt for Willa from it and will probably make something for Primrose as well.

Oops

I went camping, I got distracted. Sorry. However, then I went to the fabric store (because I can't help myself) and bought some gorgeous fabric (all covered with elephants) and I am now making Willa some more clothes. Because she just doesn't have anything to wear. What I think she really needs is a four piece suit, jacket, pants, skirt and vest, all covered with elephants. I've finished the pants and most of the skirt, and I've cut out the elephant side of the jacket. Unfortunately, I am going camping again next week, which might stop me from crafting for a bit again.

I think I'll take myself off and start cutting out the lining for the elephant jacket, maybe I can finish it before I leave.

Pegasus pants

I have had a bit of a pants making explosion going on. They're just so darned quick and easy. Two pieces of fabic, four seams. I totally botched the iron-on transfer but Willa likes it anyway. I could have done a much better job attaching the trim. The fabric, by the way, came from that truly amazing rummage sale.

Lavender and Mint Feliz --With Sequins!

I think that Willa might have enough of these dresses now. She really enjoys them though. This was meant to be a very plain version for everyday playing but I think the sequins put it over the top a bit. Best of all -- matching pants! The fabric was all purchased new, at Jo-Ann, but it was 1/2 off.

Holly hobby

I made sunbonnets for the girls and they love them. They crack me up. They were easy to make, but, as always after I finished them I could see where I should have done things differently. The bonnets are pretty hysterical combined with the feliz dresses. This morning Willa put on her feliz over an orange and pink flowered shirt and topped the ensemble with her sunbonnet. It was a big pink explosion.

Jeans skirt

Not my most successful project but Willa likes it quite a bit. I started to cut off the legs of the jeans to make a skirt, and then I decided to leave them mid-thigh length and add a bit of skirt. I put the skirt on fairly low so that Willa could still access the pockets. I don't love how it looks and I was definitely half-assed about construction. She can use it until it falls apart and then we'll start again. The added fabric was already in my stash, I picked it up in a thrift store.

Imke Shirt

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This was my first time working with knits. I have since learned how to avoid stretching out the fabric when sewing it, so I'll be sure to use that knowledge on my next knit project. The pattern is very cute though. It is extremely easy to make and looks gorgeous on. The hood can be curved or pointy.

I totally bungled topstitching the neck seams but I don't seem to be bothered enough to redo them. Maybe it will bother me more later. I might try adding cuffs to the sleeves too. It would make it a bit larger so she could wear it longer.