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I spent most of last night cutting and creating the last of the owl appliques (while I caught up on Project Runway, Flipping Out, and RH-ATL!) My hand and elbow are sore today! I’m keeping a couple for Christmas gifts and listing the rest in my Etsy store. Each set is different. This is the last of them….once they are gone they are gone forever!
Today was Sienna’s FIRST haircut….it was a pretty big deal. It hasn’t been touched in 2.5 years! Daddy met us at the Trio salon for moral support.
Right before he arrived I snapped this photo of her in the boutique portion of Trio: “HEY….look at my new underwear” is the quote of the day. I didn’t post the one of her mooning the mirror. I never mind waiting at Trio because I love browsing the clothes…..especially the children’s clothes.
Playing on the round pink sofa. Dress is made from an old t-shirt: Geek IS the new chic! and some knit material from Chez Ami (who is having a rockin’ sale right now!)
Our friend Tara has been ready to cut Sienna’s hair since she was a week old…..
…..and 2.5 years later I let her cut half an inch off!
Even Sienna’s godfather Derek stopped by to discuss the cut and style (he saw us through the window on his way to a meeting…..I love living in a small town).
What toddler doesn’t want her hair blown out for the first time?
Who is this child with the long luscious locks?
Sienna admiring herself in the mirror.
Oh, yeah…..I was there too.
Sienna’s favorite part was playing “assistant” and helping Tara wash Daddy’s hair.
Thanks Tara!
The Sawyer Dress is my dress design submission for Shabby Apple Dresses Dare to Design!
Inspiration: I wanted to create an adult version of the dresses that I make for “Boo” and what better than a “Spring” version. The pattern is obviously already in the works and maybe this will be the “push” I need to finally get the pattern finished! I love the fit of the dress I designed, I love the fabric variations, I love the yummy thread colors:
Here are some of the features I included:
:: A wide “boatneck”and slim elbow length sleeves.
:: Slightly fitted to the waist, the skirt portion of the dress follows an A-line to the horizontal seam mid-thigh and then flares out in a “pieced” tier. The dress falls to just below the knee.
:: Seams are reversed right above the bust line, at two points at the waist, mid-thigh and in the vertical center of the bottom portion of the skirt. All other seams are hidden.
:: The reversed seams are a subtle contrast color to the main color of the dress.
:: Fabric: stretch cotton or polyester/rayon/spandex blend.
:: An “inspired” girls version….with capped sleeves and similar seaming.
Update: I actually got around to making a simplified version (click for the post):
I made these matching dresses last night for my sister’s rehearsal dinner….both are versions of the Sienna dress. Mine is just an adult version I cut last night. Really simple and fitted….maybe a little too fitted….might need to invest in some Spanx LOL! We don’t have any full length mirrors in our house….so this little mirror in the guest room was the best I could do….
Sienna is a little grumpy today….allergies and a cold….but she likes the dress.
Check out this amazing preview of my sister and her fiance’s engagement photo shoot. It was taken in downtown Charlotte, NC by Ash Little Photography. So crazy amazing.
Photo from Ash Little Photography
Here is my new camera strap cover. I made it from ribbon scraps the same way I made my daughter’s scrap ribbon belt.
I had some great new ribbon to use thanks to Jennifer at Strano Designs. If you need ribbon scraps, Strano Designs sells it by the quarter pound!
Step 1: I traced my camera strap onto some plain muslin with a disappearing ink pen……
…..and added 1/8″ to the outside of the traced line. Then I cut around the entire shape leaving 1/2″ for the seam allowance.
Step 2: I lined up ribbon the same way I did in my scrap ribbon belt tutorial except I made sure to sew along the outside line I drew with my disappearing ink pen.
Please see my ribbon scrap belt tutorial for sewing and weaving the ribbon…..
…..and repeat the steps for the entire length of the muslin piece.
Step 3: With all the ribbon attached, iron the sides of your muslin inward on the opposite side.
Step 4: Carefully trim any excess ribbon that hangs past the muslin. I zigzagged all my edges at this point to keep the ribbon from fraying.
Step 5: Retrace your camera strap and trim the ends to the same shape leaving 1/4″ excess.
Step 6: I used pre-made bias tape, and folded around the edges of the strap so it overlapped 1/4″…..
….and sewed it on using an 1/8″ seam. You can use regular fabric for this as well, just cut enough to go all the way around. The raw edges are left in the back.
Step 7: Trace your entire camera strap cover onto a coordinating fabric and cut all the way around leaving 1/2″ excess.
Step 8: Somewhere on one of the sides, mark a 4″ gap to leave open so that you can insert your strap when the cover is done.
Step 9: Fold the contrasting fabric all way around at the 1/2″ mark.
Step 10: Topstitch 1/8″ between the two marks you made for the gap…..
….and topstitch both ends 1/8″.
Step 11: Placing both pieces wrong sides together, topstitch 1/8″ from the edge all the way around to connect the two…..
….making sure NOT to stitch your “gap” or ends closed where you “pre” topstitched.
Step 12: You’re done! Insert your camera strap ends through the gap and to each side….pull the entire strap into the cover. I got the idea on how to insert the camera strap from Petchy. Petchy made hers with the ends narrower too so that the cover doesn’t slip to either side.
No one will ever mistake my camera for their camera….and now my husband will probably be embarrassed to use mine!
If you aren’t interested in going through the tedious process of making a scrap ribbon camera strap…..check out Shealynn’s designs in her Etsy shop! They are great and she’ll add custom features for you!
Sienna wants to be a superhero for Halloween. I made her this outfit using my hoodie pattern…..but I tapered it a little and added a skirt to it. It is SO hot here today I left off the sleeves. I have a great pattern by Burda for a vest/jacket (that I still plan to make one day before Sienna gets too big)….and I like how they do the armhole trim like you see below…..almost like a men’s athletic shirt. (See the bottom of the post for the directions for armhole trim)
I shaped the center pieces to resemble a “Wonder Woman” belt.
The hood trim is larger than normal….almost like a boxer’s robe. The stars on the hood trim and belt piece were added using a freezer paper stencil and fabric paint. Jacquard paints are the best I’ve used….they are soft and wash over and over again without fading! The color I used is Sky Blue and is by far my favorite color.
The hood is her cape.
During naptime today I made some wrist cuffs with stars.
To make the wrist cuffs, I cut 2 pieces of ribbed knit (with spandex) into 6″ x 6″ squares. I used my large star scrapbook punch to cut out 2 stars from Pellon Wonder-Under and applied them to some scrap yellow knit.
I sewed the appliques on first.. Then I folded each one right sides together and sewed the long end. Turned them right side out and sewed the ends together to complete the cuff.
Arm hole trim:
To sew the arm hole trim you basically need to cut a piece of ribbed knit (with some spandex) in the following shape. Iron the fold and leave it folded. Sew it around the edge of the armhole (open edges lined up with the raw edges of the arm hole) before closing your side seam:
Updated: Photos of the cuffs…..we went to a Halloween Carnival this afternoon.
(Holy cow….my roots are 8 inches long….time for extreme makeover this week)
Now she wants a pony……she chose the biggest one! Not scared at all!
It was SO hot….look at those flushed cheeks!
Worked on fixing this sewing machine for my friend……
Put some layers onto a portrait commission I’m working on….
Worked on this nursery painting…..
A friend came over and I helped her pick out some ribbon for a baby shower. She brought me a stack of t-shirts, yay!
Lunch: Cooked broccoli in the wok with garlic and soy sauce….ate with steamed rice and Diet Orange Crush in front of the computer while reading email.
Finished this nursery painting….
Worked a little on Sienna’s flower girl dress. Trashed the instructions. Hand-stitched the lining while watching recorded Project Runway from last night.
Placed some orders and put together a stack of outgoing mail.
Washed and folded some new fabric:
……and we practiced our photography. Sienna had a snack of cheddar goldfish and jelly beans which is all over her face.
Started dinner while watching Fox News and flipping through new magazines. Menu: taco salad
Sienna worked on a new sticker book waiting for Daddy to come home for dinner.
Now back to watching the news and hanging out with the family…..working on the zipper of the flower girl dress. I’m pooped….. Have a great Friday night!
Nothing gets past you guys. I’ve had question after question about the ability combine the Sienna Dress Pattern and the Hoodie Pattern.
The answer is: yes. With one adjustment. To add the hood to the Sienna dress you have to trim the neckline about an 1/8″ to 1/4″ all the way around (just pin the hood before you cut to check the size).
These photos aren’t great, but I didn’t really think about sharing them until the pattern questions came up. Just a few things I’ve made my daughter from my scrap bin (yes, I said scrap bin so don’t hold the “un-cuteness” against me):
Sienna Dress with the following options: Hood added (from Hoodie Pattern), Capped sleeves option (from Sienna Dress Pattern), Bottom Band added (from Hoodie Pattern), Trim added to sleeves (modified from Hoodie Pattern)
Sienna Dress with the following options: Made in a larger size, Hood added (from Hoodie Pattern), Capped sleeves option (from Sienna Dress Pattern), Bottom Band added (from Hoodie Pattern), Wrist trim added (from Hoodie Pattern)
Sienna Dress with the following options: Hood added (from Hoodie Pattern), Capped sleeves option (from Sienna Dress Pattern), Bottom Band added (from Hoodie Pattern), Trim added to sleeves (modified from Hoodie Pattern), Horizontal seams are serged in reverse
Just email me if you have questions!
I was flipping through this scrapbook I made and it brought back lots of memories of my own wedding. I made the scrapbook in 2003 when my grandfather passed away. For his wake before the funeral I enlarged my favorite photos and afterwards I put them in the book with the words from his eulogy throughout. I used a Canson spiral bound scrapbook, spray adhesive and a silver gel pen.
Here is my grandfather and my little sister at my wedding:
My grandfather loved his rose garden. It was huge. For my wedding flowers he cut EVERY rose bud and flower from his garden. When he passed away, I went and dug up every rose bush and moved them to our NC house.
I opened another one of my shadow boxes to snap a photo……this is my great-great-grandmother’s garter belt! My Aunt Sharon gave it to me for my “old and blue” when I was married. My great-great-grandmother must have been a toothpick….I couldn’t even get it over my foot!
Mr. and Mrs. Lil Blue Boo…..married May 5, 2001 in the backyard of my childhood home:
Ok….I know I’ve been on the grandparents kick lately, but I miss them. I just wish they had lived long enough to meet my daughter and to see my brother and sister get married.
My grandfather was awesome. Seriously awesome.
If you get freaked out easily don’t read any further….but I have a quick story to tell:
My grandfather (“Paw-Paw”) fell walking his dog in 2003 and broke his hip. I was able to see him before he went into surgery and he assured me he would be fine and everything would be okay. After surgery he had complications and went downhill quickly. He was in intensive care for a while….he would drift in and out of consciousness and ask us “who is the young man at the end of the bed?” I don’t know maybe he was hallucinating….or was there someone waiting for him at the end of the bed…..
My grandfather passed away one night soon after that.
A few months later my step-grandmother Brownie passed away suddenly from a fall. The entire family packed up Paw-Paw and Brownie’s house and sold it. Soon after my sister called me:
Me: Shut the F up. What are you talking about?
Perry: My cell phone rang….it said “PAW PAW Calling” and I didn’t answer it.
-silence-
Me: Well….did……he……. leave a message? (silly question right?)
Perry: Yeeesssss……it was……..just static.
Me: Call the number back.
Perry: I did. The number is disconnected. It doesn’t exist.
When I saw the movie White Noise I had to walk out of the room. If you’ve seen it you know why.
Some other favorite photos from the book:
Chipping away at the Berlin Wall in 1989
Paw-Paw as a young man on the farm in Kansas.
In 2 weeks we head back to North Carolina for my little sister’s wedding! I’ve got a lot to get done before then! Sienna and I finished the ring pillow last night. My sister sent me a ton of photos of what she wanted and a box of fabric to match her dress….
Here is how I made it:
I cut two 11″ x 11″ squares.
I sewed all the way around the squares using a 3/8″ seam and leaving a 4 inch gap to turn it inside out (large enough for my hand to fit in as well).
Then I cut two long strips measuring 6″ x 48″ and 10″ x 48″ and folded each in half right sides together. I sewed the long end closed using a 3/8″ seam.
I took the larger of the strips and turned it right sides out (I did not iron because I didn’t want any creases) and tucked one end into the other…..
……and sewed the two ends together using a blind stitch.
With a needle and thread, I sewed a gathering stitch all the way around the fabric “tube”…..
….until it looked like a large ruffled flower:
I took the square pillow and turned it right side out…..
…and marked the center using my disappearing ink pen.
I pinned the large ruffle flower to the center of the pillow attached it by hand-stitching it to the pillow in between the pleats.
I repeated the entire process using the smaller fabric sleeve.
I “smushed” the small ruffled flower into the pleats of the large ruffled flower and hand stitched them together.
I cut a 4″ circle from the fabric….
…..and stitched around the folded edges….
….to form a small yo-yo.
I placed the yo-yo face down into the center of the ruffled flowers and used a blind stitch to attach.
I took the shadow box I made of my grandfather’s military things from our photo wall……
….and used his United States Navy pin for the center. He passed away in 2003 suddenly and I always thought he would live to see all his grandchildren get married.
My sister wanted some bling, so I added some rhinestone buttons.
Here is my little helper before bed handing me buttons as I sew….we look so disheveled, oh wait, we always look disheveled!
Lastly, I sewed a small ribbon between the ruffle layers for the rings to be tied on with.
One ring pillow finished!
Next project: Sienna’s Flower Girl Dress….I’m drowning in tissue paper….this is scary….I can’t even figure out how to cut the fabric!
