Local Dog Show

Today the local pet store had a dog show.  The kind all in good fun.  DD showed Mocha and Morgan with all three sporting dresses I made, yes you read that correctly I made a dress to match for DD.  Our charming trio won first place in the "Look Alike" category as well as "Best Costume".  What a good time we had.  My favorite part was the obedience segment performed by all of the therapy dogs.  Wow! To see them all lined up waiting for the next command!  What do you think, the best great thing - obedience training for children?

DD was so excited.  She was thrilled to be there and the honor of winning was really the icing on her great day, she kept saying over and over I can't believe we won.

DD after receiving her award

Yo-Yo Dresses

Yesterday I was inspired by quilting to make these special dog dresses.  I think perhaps I should make one for DD as well.  Wouldn't it make the cutest little girl dress?

Yo-yo Dresses

A Special Weave

I have been making smaller versions of dog dresses I've already made, this time for the puppy.  The dress below was a big challenge because the purple lilacs were to honor a departed family member.  The first time I made this dress it was trimmed with a delicate purple lace.  There was only enough lace for the one dress.

Woven Ribbon trim

When it came time to make the twin of that one I wasn't sure what to do.  It had to be something special.  At first I thought to combine a royal purple and a lilac ribbon, but as they were two different thicknesses I wasn't sure how to go about it.  A little online digging and I came up with this.  It is a Hawaiian weaving technique.  Isn't it lovely?  I am so glad I waited to embellish this dress until the moment was right!

Puppy Dresses and My Tired Tiny

Tiny all worn out

How have you been?  I've been thinking about you.  Lately I've been making puppy dresses for the newest addition in our friend's home.  Since a puppy is always growing I've brain stormed up some "grow with me" ideas and built them into my latest dresses.  You can see one example below, but I'm not going to give away my secrets.  This year I'm hoping to average about 18 dresses each month which will allow my family and I to go on a vacation together in 2014.  This month I've finished 17 and am working on number 18 now.

As you can see Tiny says we've just been working our little paws like crazy and it's always good to crash in the sewing room, even though momma doesn't recommend it.

Big Girl

Little Girl

Break for Doggie Dresses

Two fancy dresses - black has a bubble skirt

 I didn't take a picture of the last 8 dresses I made, so luckily you can see one of them there in the pink oriental print.  That one turned out really well last week.

On the left that you will find a black Stretch Velour bodice with a bubble skirt.  The picture doesn't really do it justice.  This dress had me concerned about how well it would turn out, but when I stitched that skirt on and flipped it open, even I gasped!

Three tiered dress with hand sewn feathers
Miss Princess dress in upper right

Above is a three tiered skirt dress, the purple tier is top stitched with glitter thread.  The bodice is lined so it has a nice weight.  The feathers were hand sewn because I knew the sewing machine would just mash them down.  Of course I figured out that there is a trick to it when I was three quarters of the way done - which will be good to know for the next time!  

DD deserves a bit of credit for the pink dress.  She opted that the white dog princess button should be sitting on the purple cushion (another button) and that the house button should be below.  I knew when I sewed that one together she would have the best answer for where to put the buttons!  When I was finished she also opted that I make and attach a bow in the princess crown ribbon.

Stretch Velour dress and lady bug dress

This red dress is another stretch velour number with a paw print skirt.  Both of the dresses on the left are lined.  The green dog dress is covered in lady bugs, even the buttons are glittery ladybugs.  These I opted to sew on in random directions ask though they had minds of their own, and I also used a little trick to making the bow that I saw on YouTube the other day.

Earlier this morning, I  made a little fang pouch for DD's Halloween Costume.  Its purpose is to blend with her dress and to help keep her from forgetting them on her lunch tray or the like.

My next step?  On to Calla Lilly and Toadstool Applique for Lilly's Garden Quilt of course!

New Dresses and a New Design

Healing Frog, Piglet, Lumpy, and Tigger Modeling the
Latest in Dog Fashions

I have been keeping busy this week making doggie dresses.  I am very happy with all of them, and unless you click the image bigger you will never know just how dog gone cute that brown dress which Piglet is modeling actually is. Hey I couldn't help the pun.  My personal favorite this week is the mermaid costume which Tigger is sporting below.  This is my own design and I drew the curves free form after looking at different fin types.  DD loved it so much she wanted me to keep it until the next time we go to our friend's photography studio so she would know for sure that she could see Mocha wearing it.

Tigger, M.R. Monkey, and Pooh showcase their darling dresses
 upon my Spirograph Fabric 

This brings my dress count this month up to 13 how about that?

Tigger Models Again!

Pink Dress with Crystals

Give me a T-I-Double G-er!  Tigger is my model for today's doggie dresses.  The pink one is embellished with crystals, as per my friends request.  I have to tell you those crystals take a long time to get into just the right spot!  I think I have an hour in the crystals alone.

This second dress, has been tickling at the back of my mind since making the first dress.  My friend had raved about lined dresses she picked up somewhere - made in China and she was so impressed that they were lined.  Well since I don't have a serger each edge is double stitched anyway, so I figured aside from cutting the lining material it's the same amount of work lined or unlined.  She had also commented on dresses with multiple tiers of ruffles and how they can be such a pain.  My mind told me everything is gathered at once, so it is mildly more work but not hair pulling.  Hence this dress is lined on the bodice and has three tiers of ruffles.  I did not line the skirts because that would have created lots of extra bulk and I was concerned about how warm something like this would be.  When I was all finished a bit of sparkly ribbon caught my eye and I stitched it on with a little bow.  I adore this dress.  I plan to offer it to my friend and if she doesn't want it I will be selling it online.  The ribbon is iridescent so it is worth clicking on to see in more detail.

Lined Dress

Love the new fabric mom!

The other day I did a little fabric shopping and found this lovely baby animal safari print.  Tiny thought it smelled amazing right away, which is a surprise normally she only gets like this after I've been a serious number of hours into a project.  I am planning on using this as a backing for a baby quilt for my sister.  The binding will be a wonderful pink batik that matches those great flowers.  The reverse is the grey fabric above as a background, and the pink batik will be butterflies appliqued on it.  I will be quilting it with pink thread.

Green Dress

Thursday I believe it was I finished up this little green dress.  The crystals on this one are purple which I picked up out of the print.  I put the final touches on this one right before seeing my friend so it and the others have already gone to their new home and have likely been worn on a real already.  Likely Tigger is devastated!

Doggie Dresses!

Yesterday was a great day in the sewing room.  A friend of mine had asked if I would mind making some dresses for her dogs.  Who knew such a thing could be so much fun?  I happily stitched through an entire afternoon and when I was done I had these four pretty dresses to show for it.  Just two more left to finish up.  Sure seems like a great start for my September NewFO's hu?

I always knew Lumpy was really a Girl

Tiger was by far my best model as he was
likely horrified by the experienced.  

Piglet could only hide his face in shame.

Lumpy wanted to try something in green as well.

DD held in the background in the above pictures
and since I knew she wanted to be in them...
Sunny was to tired to comment

Which dress is your favorite?  I'm partial to the blue and the yellow ones myself.  Though the pink...

Christmas Quilt-a-long June's Caught Up

CQAL Mystery Quilt Center Sewn

I just finished sewing the center of the Christmas Quilt-a-long Quilt.  Selecting a layout was tricky, I took pictures of about four different layouts (so if you're cruising the CQAL posts to find alternative layouts comment that you'd like to see my extras and I'll email them to you).

This was the one Sue showed as an option, and I just decided to go with it.  I'm sure the final quilt will be beautiful.  I believe next month we'll be working on the border.  Sounds like time to buy batting to me!

DD is our model today.  The cat's couldn't be bothered - Tiny said she did plenty of modeling when I had it spread out while the camera was put away.  The t-shirt she is wearing I added the rhinestones to last night.  She had two shirts that were plain and needed a little something.  But I guess you can't really see the butterfly in that picture, oh well at least you can see her pretty smile.

My May WIP: Jammin Jammiez

Jammin' Jammiez

Okay Normally I would wait to tell you about my new project for May but I just started it this evening and finished it too.  Using leftover flannel I made my daughter new pj's.  Jammin' Jammiez.

This is my own pattern.  I seem to do much better making clothes when I just wing it, and I find not only do I enjoy the process more, I am often much happier with the results both short and long term.  Because I didn't use a pattern that meant I took the measurements off my daughter, while she was feeling impatient with me because she wanted to play on the computer.  I was sure 26" would do it with plenty of wiggle room, but she doesn't feel it's loose enough.  Being sleepwear I'm inclined to agree, so tomorrow I will seam rip off the bodice, adding likely 3" over all (by adding at the side seams of the bodice and resewing the front and back pleats then re-attaching.  It sounds like a big deal but it isn't, and will likely give her a year or more of grow room.

Jammin' Jammiez Back

Oh you should have seen her.  She was delighted, wanting to know if she could pretend it is a dress and wear it to school.  I have never seen her so happy over a blue garment before.  Granted it has been a while since I sewed anything for her.  A year, I think?  Perhaps I need to make a point to hand make something for her every so often.  Oh and the big surprise?  I have enough leftover of the light blue stars to make a simple version for me too.   Then we'll be mom and me sleepers.  Or should I say daughter and me?

Now no worries about the Lone Star, I've been making progress since that border post.  I've have 3 of the last 4 glow blocks fully sewn - and they are completed blocks not just arcs!  As for the 7th there was a little water spill on the completed arc and I had a bit of an issue with the dye in the purple running.  Currently I feel like I have three options.  #1 Just remake the entire glow  #2 Carefully use a bleach pen and last but not least  #3 seam rip out the 3 or 4 offending pieces, cut new ones exactly the same size and replace.

I'm feeling in favor of #2 or #3.  What do you think?

Lounge Pants of Two Lengths

My DH dreams of the day I will make silk lounge pants for him.  Trust me this is another year he can keep dreaming.  Instead I found the most beautiful flannel at my LQS, I passed it by the first two visits.  Really I did. Even though I knew better and found myself thinking about it after the first visit.  Well by the third visit the bolt was running low and my LQS does this great little deal that if you buy everything on the bolt you save 20%.  That meant I bought the 2 yards I needed for the pants and got the last 1/2 yard free.  With the way I cut it I was able to make both pants and shorts and had very little scrap leftover.  This is my final Handmade Christmas present this year.  I think.

After the first pair of flannel shorts I made, I now try to always use french seams.  It lets me cheat by keeping my 1/4" foot on and I think it creates a nice finish.  Now after the pair I made something kept tickling in the back of my mind about them - I now make little fabric tags in all of my clothing so that the wearer can know which side is the back. ;-)

Reversible Christmas Capelet

One of my daughter's Christmas presents is a beautiful white organza dress with purple embroidery.  I'm a wear whatever you want type of person.  Maybe that's bad, but if my daughter wants to wear her dresses to school, I say why not?  It's not as though she's bombarded to be a flower girl every other weekend.

Her new dress though is sleeveless, which is a bit of a "no no" for her school's dress code.  What to do, what to do?  Clearly I bought the dress, I knew it would be a problem, but I figured it was so pretty it didn't matter as I'd figure out something.  

Sure enough something hit, ironically a neighbor's niece is getting married this spring.  My neighbor was having a go at making a capelet for one of the girls.  What a pretty little capelet it turned out to be too!  Nice fabric and a beautiful drape.  I didn't make the connection right away, but when I did I started looking for girls free capelet patterns.  My friend Vicki found this one.  Which I love, but it's a bit more of a coat than I was looking for so instead of swinging my circle at 18" instead I checked some of DD's dresses and decided to swing instead at 10".  I left off the collar and instead sewed and flipped like a pillow.  Then I top stitched and added a button.  

Perhaps I should say I added two buttons back to back so that it can be on the pink side or the white side.  The first time I did this (sewing through one button into another) I made it to tight and I could hear the chorus of "the button is to tight" so I cut them off and started again.  This time to ensure I had the space I actually buttoned the button and kept it that way while I sewed through the two buttons - one on each side.  That worked well and I will keep this method in mind for future projects.

This is a super easy project, I think it took between half an hour to an hour, and I had to iron some very wrinkled fabric.  I like the coat part of the pattern too so maybe I'll make a version that way some other time.

Happy Halloween From A Fairy Princess!

Happy Halloween!  As a child my mother was never one for Halloween, though in her defense when she was a child, kids in her community died from razor blades in the candy which is a pure and real horror, so growing up Halloween was more a holiday to advance you closer to Christmas than anything else.

That aside DD loves Halloween.  I have no idea how it happened but it is her favorite holiday.  DD loves Halloween even more than Christmas.   She isn't into the super scary and in fact there is a commercial about some Halloween candy maker that always has her hollering "We don't have to buy that!!!!"  Instead she has more of a Happy Witches in black and purple cheer.

In response, I've be able to enjoy a bit of Halloween Magic myself lately.  Did you know I have a great daughter? No kidding.  When I asked her earlier this month what she wanted to be for Halloween, she told me she wanted to be a fairy princess and she proceeded to tell me she had the wings (poor ripped and torn cheap green Nylon ones from Walmart from last year) and then she showed me the dress she would wear with it.  One of her pretty yet faded dresses.

My mind started running a mile a minute but I wisely said nothing.  Instead I went about compiling items for her to be a fairy princess.  I shopped for a crown when she wasn't with me.  I went online back to the shop I'd purchased the faded gown from (before it was faded of course) looking at numerous dresses and I began to shop for wings.  I didn't want any more cheap-wish-I'd-just-flushed-$10-down-the-toilet-Wally-World-wings again. So I hunted and I hunted.  I looked for DIY wings, and How To's as well as anything I could think of.  After a few days I stumbled upon a "way to big" dance costume.  The wings anchored on the dancers back and pretty elastic attached the wings to the dancer's wrists like bracelets, that was when I knew I was on to something.

First I found the perfect dress, then I bought the crown shopped for tulle, and eventually found the shoes on clearance.  With a minute at the sewing machine the wings were ready.  We already had hair ties, makeup and glitter. The glitter tulle came from Joann's as well as the pretty elastic.  Together with the dress and the crown I think I paid about $25.50 all totaled. The sheer joy and wonderful happiness my daughter has been radiating since her dress arrived on Friday has truly been like Christmas morning for me.  I love that I took my time and efforts and made everything as wonderful as I could for her.

The Miracles After The Fact

DD loves her new pj's, they are simply huge on her but she's happily worn them three nights running.  Oh yes and before I forget for all of you hardcore stick to the rules people - children shouldn't wear 100% cotton pj's unless they are form fitting.  Ah well, is what I have to say to that, at least she's happy and comfortable. Which is good because we're entering a little cold spell.  Yippie!  I got to wear long pants today!

You see Florida residents are a little crazy when it comes to the cold.  Winter sweaters, long pants, leather jackets and so forth, see very little time outside of the closet so as soon as the first cold breeze blows we all run to our closets to pull out our favorite warm things.  Granted by the end of winter I, like you really want to have a burst of warm days in order to get my shorts and put the on again.

After tucking DD into bed two nights ago this is the face that greeted me, I saw her tucked in the shadows.  Tiny has discovered how to cuddle with the quilts in progress even when they are on the frame, and of course I had to take a picture or two and show them to you.  Yes the lighting is bad, but it was bedtime and that's my excuse.  For the record Tiny is watching DD in the kitchen who snuck out of bed for a drink of water while I was taking this picture.

Do you recall those plants DD and DH planted?  Well this is the one little cucumber that survived through the slight neglect of us forgetting the seedlings were there.  Now that it's in a nice big pot with the trellis I'm starting to wonder if we might actually get to experience fresh cucumbers in December.  Yes I know the flowers will have to be self pollinated by humans who care or else it's doubtful we'll see much of anything.  I have grown veggies before you know.

Winter's Coming

Over the weekend I altered some clothing for a neighbor and while I was at it some pink flannel started haunting me to make pj's for DD.  Oh alright, it had been haunting me since before the alterations, but today I sat down with what I wanted to do and made them.  What do you think?  It's nice and straight in reality.  The sleeves took more of the pink snow flake fabric than I'd thought they would so the skirt isn't as full quite as I thought it would be so I ran a nice big slit up the back just in case.  I would never do that if we lived up in the frozen North, but we don't and most years we only have a handful of nights where it  dips below  freezing.  As you can see it has a square peasant style neckline which looks so cute on I don't know why anyone fusses over curved necklines.  The flannel is wonderful to touch and I don't say that about all flannel.  The bodice lining is a silky stretch blend.  Now you know one of two things will happen.  Either DD will love it or she will fuss at me about size.  Really?  She's 6 anything that doesn't fit now will fit soon.

Did you know it's nearly October?  The year Autumn has been ringing in loudly for me and I'm looking forward to days fresh and delightful smells coming from my oven and going without the air conditioner!

Bye-bye Kindergarten

Today was DD's last day of Kindergarten.  It was a delightful ceremony in her classroom and already DD is watching the DVD the teacher made of the class.  Yes, that is what I said.  Please explain to me how the private school she was in last year made me pay for everything, and the public school she is in now is so much different?

We had a nice lunch out afterwards and DD was able to come home and see her new quilt decked out on her bed complete with new sheets.  This is the Tennessee Waltz Quilt that I recently finished, I washed it and saved it until she boarded the bus this morning before changing to her new sheets and new quilt.

Today was also the day she got my little quilted basket tote, which I had added hand sewn goodies for her American Girl Doll Kailey.  While I know this picture is crazy out of focus I actually like how well it illustrates our crazy world wind morning.  Look at that face next to her quilt below.  I can tell she's just thrilled over my efforts, can't you?  LOL.


Just in the past month ago things have really started clicking for DD in the reading department, so I began looking around for options to keep her sharp this summer.  I'm happy to say I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. Time4Learning can be used for homeschool, afterschool and summer skill sharpening. Be sure to come back and read about my experience.

Worth Getting Steamed Over...

Thank you to everyone for your supportive comments concerning the shorts for Kailey.  You really are an inspiring bunch.  Thanks to my pal Vicki, I found two patterns to make today and one was even for pants.

Two pairs of pants and a dress joined my little quilted basket today.  The shorts I made second, and while I was thrilled to have a pattern to cut out, I was also really glad I've made pants a time or two before.  My "real people" patterns use the same method of stitching pants so that was  helpful.  If you'd like to make shorts for 18" dolls, such as American Girl Dolls, you can find the free pattern right here.

The dress is a free pattern from Liberty Jane and you can get the very clear directions here.  I guess I just think the one in their picture is prettier than the one I made.  Maybe it's just the fabric.  Remember those straps we made in the ice pack tutorial?  Well this requires you to make those, only they are barely over 1/4" wide when finished.  If I hadn't been already aware, I sure learned how hot the steam coming out of my iron is!

Now remember the pretty reversible sarong and matching top I made?  Well let's take a double take and peak at the new matching shorts I added.  Kailey's posed by the quilted tote I keep talking about because that's were I have all these pretties stashed.  Everything is layered in and ready to go for next month.

Two nights ago my DD was curled up with me and Kailey was sitting next to her, when all the sudden she grabbed the doll and said, "Oh no! You don't have a doll?!?  I will share Kailey with you.  Then she went on about how she would share Kailey with her entire family, including her dad.   Do you suspect she wonders about Kailey constantly turning up in the sewing room?

Kailey's PJ's

My daughter and I have matching nightshirts.  It was a case of having plenty of knit yardage.  When Kailey arrived for Easter I knew she'd need one too.  It was just a matter of having the doll in the sewing room, having the time and the inclination.

So what do you think of Kailey's latest garment?  This will go in the little quilted tote basket I made, along with a pair of sneakers, and the hawaiian sarong dress I made.  DD will receive those at the beginning of June.  DD seems to think Kailey should wear shorts under her dress for modesty like she herself does, so those are on my list too.  Can you tell how much I'm looking forward to making those?  How about not at all?

It's one thing to take clothes of any size that you already have and improvise a pattern on that, but to make shorts with nothing but a waist size to go on?  Only time will tell how I'll do.  Wish me luck.

DUST?!?!?!?

Wan'ta Know a Secret?  I've been busy.  You knew that right? But you didn't know I'm getting my own Sewing Studio!  Oh yes that's what I said.  A place of my very own.  Not a chair in the kitchen but a real - Oh my goodness ROOM!  With a door and everything!  LOL Makes me feel like a teenager.

Sunny is also in great spirits having finally found his very own cat house.  His sister Tiny looks on in distain at both him in his hut and me taking his picture because she thinks he's crazy, but that's not news. 

Now that you've heard the biggest news do you want the rest?  Surely you do.  That's what I love about of you.  Yesterday I received not one but two surprises in the mail!  Yes, the fabric we've been waiting for arrived.  Hoffman's Bali Batik Black Onyx G2177 213.

Onyx is one of Hoffman's latest answers to true black in a batik and let me start by saying they did a good job, and no one is asking me to say that.  Are you kidding?  I paid full price for this fabric.  Now I thought this was a gold foil swirl added on top of the black onyx.  But that's not the case.  Instead it's a beautiful blend of browns, yellows, and goldens that reads like a gold foil at any distance greater than 20".  It is certainly a look twice fabric.  

My second surprise is actually one I've worked long and hard for.  Meet Kailey.  Isn't she a sweetie?  She arrived in a Christmas dress so I knew I had to stitch out something nice and tropical after all it's 83 degrees in the shade today.  What better to start with than a take on my own outfit today and make a sarong with a matching top?  In case you're wondering I'm not wearing hot pink I'm wearing ocean blue, but I'm already a BFF of my DD.  At least until she's turns 10 or I ask her to turn the tv off, which ever comes first.

As I can't seem to stop myself from thinking about what is on the reverse this sarong is no exception.  The second side creates a purple towel wrap all set for your best game of pretend.

Before I sewed these, when I first sat down at my sewing machine I saw a horror, something I don't think I've ever seen in the entire three years I've been quilting, could it be that long?!?!?!?!?  There was dust on my sewing machine!  Eegads!  I even took a picture for you, can you see it?  Ewww, if I keep up this sort of neglect I will have to start putting the sewing machine (gasp) away between uses!  Is that something you do? I know, I know mixers and sewing machines; you're supposed to cover them.  But the sewing machine cover is hard plastic and so big and bulky, it always gets in my way when I'm trying to sew.  Hey in my new room I'll be able to banish the sewing machine cover to the other side of the room.

I have a dusty house, it's true and most of this seems to be cat hair, but that says something equally shocking, that perhaps my cats have spent more time by my sewing machine than I have!  How about this, we'll blame the dust on all the hand work I've been doing stitching applique for the Dresden Plate Quilt.  Right that's it.  Happy stitching and may the dust never settle on your machine!

Both Win

If you were wondering; I think it's always best to sew first and then clean - that way you can get all those little threads cleaned up and you don't have to be very careful when picking out stitches.

Homemade Lounge Pants

These are lounge/sleep pants that I made for my bothers.  I made using "medium" measurements and I'll just add elastic and cuff them to suit their sizes.  Don't have those yet so these aren't quite done.  I made the salamander pair back the day before I made the teacher's tote, and then the little pine trees with reindeer (moose?) I made today.  While sewing I found myself in a nice rhythm so I went ahead and made a long sleeved flannel shirt for my daughter.  Now you can really see how little she is, that is a size 6 top and to me it looks like she dug through someone else's clothes.  Oh yes, I made the skirt she is wearing as well but that was some time ago.

That empty plate did have an overly large (for dd) sized portion of my meatloaf along with everything else I served for dinner.  Wolf Gone!  I did get to my cleaning - those dust lions needed evicted and shortly after I finished I dropped the bird food container and it hit the floor in a nice mess so I cleaned that up too.  I think I'm done cleaning for a day or three.  

My Girl

Hope you're having a great weekend!