Bring it On, Tooth Fairy

The tooth fairy pillow is complete, and ready for whenever that little tooth decides to make its entrance, er exit.  Big Sis had her fingers in her mouth quite a bit this evening, just wiggling (and willing) it to come out... she did manage to take them out long enough to snuggle up to her new softie and give her a name:  Toothy.

Yeah.  Original.

I was hoping for something like Flossie or Queen Canine or Molarita... but no.

Toothy it is.

So, without further ado... I present Toothy!

All that's missing... is a tooth!

Lovin' Lil Blue Boo

After admiring her creations for some time, I finally purchased one of Lil Blue Boo's patterns... and I am in love!  I made the most adorable little dresses for the girls out of some of their tee-shirts and some jersey knit I picked up on sale at Hobby Lobby. 
I chose the T-shirt halter pattern, since it is summer, and was so pleased with the results!  Check out this cutie:

The tee is one she got from Nana and Popo's trip to Mount Rushmore - I love the shirt, but she'd never wear it, so I turned it into a dress.

Big Sis was the recipient of a dress as well, but she was not happy about being told what to wear this morning.  The drama was ridiculous.  She has lost her fascination with anything that mama makes her, and thus puts up a fight when I want her to wear something I've made - I admit, I was not the most patient mama this morning while listening to her wailing and whining.  I wonder sometimes if any other 5 year olds in the world act like this... I sometimes think we give her too much freedom and independence that she thinks she is the one running the show.

I digress.

Back to the dress.  The cutting and sewing was incredibly quick and easy, and I can see myself making a lot of these in the future - right down to getting a limited license from LBB so I can sell some, perhaps? (I love the idea of using soft old shirts with interesting graphics and turning them into something new and completely different.)  Rather than add the loops in back to tie the straps, I simply added some elastic to help pull in the fabric in the back for a better fit.  In the future, I'll probably either get thinner elastic and place it under the trim or I'll attempt some smocking with elastic thread.  We'll see.

This was the first time I've sewn with jersey knit, and I'm loving that as well - I even threw together a little racerback tank this afternoon (that was not picture worthy, but it'll be good for a trip to the gym - LOL) for me.  I can't wait til Ashley comes out with a pattern for adults - I'll be all over that.

Now... just wishing I hadn't taken all those old shirts to Goodwill! 

Popsicle Sleeves, anyone?!

I just finished a batch of popsicle sleeves to put in the shop, and they're yummy!  Made from Oh Cherry Oh! charm packs, they're bright and cheerful and summery!

Truck Trash Bag... for Him!

When I was writing the trash bag tutorial way back when, I offered one of my prototypes to my dh to use in his truck, and he gave me two reasons he didn't want one.

1.  It wasn't "manly" enough.

2.  It wouldn't fit on his power cord cap.

Darnit.

I bought some camo fabric and altered the design a little... and came up with this:

I omitted the buttonhole and instead added two straps with velcro, to secure the trash bag around your headrest.

I love the camouflage, and I think it'll meet the "manly" requirement.  I did sneak in a little bit of girly with the coral liner (cause that's the color I had!)... we'll just call it "Safety Coral", right?

*** I will be adding the strap option to the tutorial, but probably not until the weekend.***

And for those of you not wanting to make one of these, I'll hopefully be adding some to my etsy shop this weekend as I am beginning:

Operation New Sewing Machine!!

That's right... I'm ready to trade up for a better sewing companion but I'm gonna need to sell some 'wares to get the dough for it.  Stop by this weekend to check out my etsy and get the new tutorial option!

Love Your Lunchbox!!

I finished Big Sis' new lunchbox this morning, and I adore it!!  Let me tell ya, if she doesn't want to use it to take her lunch to school, I have no shame using it for mine! 

The fabric is just so gorgeous and soooo my daughter - it truly makes this bag beautiful.

My dh kept watching me construct this bag, acting like it was the most difficult project ever, and I had to laugh... because it wasn't!  There are quite a few steps involved, but it really is an easy pattern to follow and an easy project to make.  If I didn't have to make things in stage (due to wanting  needing to get some sleep), I could've finished this in a day or two.

There are pockets on either side of the bag, just the right size for utensils or for a fruit roll-up, and dontcha love the contrast of the fabrics?  Moments like this make my heart go *pitter* *patter*.

And the glorious interior!  The pattern suggested oilcloth or cotton for the interior lining, and I opted for the cotton since I knew I'd be washing this bag frequently.  (I also didn't feel like switching out my sewing needle, but we won't mention that...)

A couple of things:  I didn't put in the bottle holder that was part of the pattern.  After cutting it and looking at its size, I didn't think it'd fit any of the cups or bottles we own, and at that point, I was too anxious to put the bag together that I didn't make a larger one.  No biggie.

If When I make this again (I can already guess that Lil Sis needs one too), I'll make a few more changes.  I'll probably add an interior pocket so I can insert a cold pack or smaller snacks.  If I add a bottle holder, I'll just make two fabric strips with velcro so it is adjustable for different size bottles/cups.  I'll also probably reduce the seam allowance, which is a generous 5/8 inch.  I hated cutting off so much of the seam, thinking that the bag could've been a teensy bit bigger otherwise!

Other than those, I wouldn't change a thing.

Now... is it lunchtime yet?!

Simplicity 2586 - I've Conquered the Dress

So here it is... the big reveal.  I have to say, even a size or two big, this dress is cute.  I still need to alter it down to fit me properly, but here are some pics anyway... cause I just couldn't wait!  I enlisted the help of my dh to be photographer - Lord knows you can't get a decent pic trying to set the timer and run!

The linen is a little heavy, but the color makes up for it.  Hopefully it'll just get softer with each wash...I bought the fabric here

.

The ruffle detail at the bottom is one of the reasons I first picked up the pattern - and you know how much I detest gathering... but it was worth it.  I love the way it flounces when I walk.  Whee!

The gathered detail around the neckline and sleeve add a special something as well... I love this neckline.  And as much as I procrastinated on the sleeves, they were really nothing to be afraid of.  The instructions were easy to follow, even for the gathering part!

I love it.  Seriously - I can't wait to alter it so I can wear it out somewhere!  And don't you think it would be great with one of these great Anthro belts??

Totally.

Crazy as it sounds, I'd love to make this again.  The end product is worth it - I wonder how it'd look in a jersey knit??!!

We interrupt this dressmaking edition to bring you...

New kitchen towels!!

I was doing some late-night sewing the other night and figured I wasn't quite alert enough to tackle the sleeves... so I whipped up some cutesy flour sack towels!  I bought these towels a while back for this very reason but they were set aside for more important sewing tasks at hand.  Lucky for me, I found them again and now have these to show for it!  Yay - happy kitchen and happy hands!

I dug out these Amy Butler remnants from my scrap pile and went to work.

And I discovered just how great that little ball-point sewing needle works while I was adding the jumbo rickrack.  My regular sewing needle broke with my first attempt!

I don't know that there's much better than a towel with a ruffle!

And I'm loving the flour sack towels - they bring back memories of being at my grandmother's house on holidays, as I was always given dish-drying duty and it was always with these gigantic flour sack towels.  I guess for some great things there are just no substitutes.

And now... I must get back to the dress!