Yeah for Summer!

It has been a while since I last blogged. We were out of town for the first two weeks of the summer. I feel like I am just now getting in the summer groove here at home. I have had some projects to complete and have been very busy getting those done. One of those projects has been pillow shams for my grandson and granddaughter. You will see them pictured below. I have also made the dust ruffles for both of their beds.
I made a trip to my local Bernina store here to buy some thread to use. While there I saw a display that caught my eye. This store had lots of pillowcases they had made....all colors, all fabrics and all were adorable. I had seen this pattern before and really never thought of making any for myself...until I realized that I could make some to match my grandkids pillow shams and add these to their bed linens. I want to share this pattern for the pillowcases with you. If you are interested let me know by responding to this blog and I will email it to you. They are very easy to make. A friend told me that her daughter makes them for her friends for birthday gifts and that the kids

love them. If you can sew a straight seam you can make these...that is all that is necessary to complete them. Let your creative juices and imagination flow...the sky is the limit! You can add cute trims and any personalization that you want to make them special. Notice that the pillowcases can be made in lots of sizes...have fun!

Staying Busy!

Happy springtime! I hope you are enjoying the beautiful world around you as I am. My favorite flowers are in bloom (peonies) and I am thrilled to be able to fill my vases around the house with their perfume. I will be so sad when they are gone...we were never able to grow these in my home state of Mississippi because it does not get cold enough there. When I moved to Tennessee I discovered these plants and immediately became a fan. ( I think I also love them because I know when they bloom my summer break from school is not far behind!) I heard tonight on our news that this area of East Tennessee is the number one place in America for allergy sufferers to suffer the most...I am so sorry for all of you that sneeze and cough...but I guess that is our trade-off for so many lovely flowers blooming in our home town.
I have been deadlining my latest sewing projects because I will be sewing some Roman shades for my daughter's new home. I had 3 or 4 sets of cloth ready to be put in dresses before summer arrives and I have been busy. I want to get them completed before I begin the shades. I LOVE the cloth that my friend Gina has in her store...her selections make me want to create something. I found 2 patterns by "Pink Fig" that looked cute and unique...so I tried them both. I am including the picture of my favorite one. The long dress in 3 different brown designs is that pattern. I learned to "sheer" with elastic that you thread through your bobbin.....a totally new experience for me! I like it...except that when you are doing it the size of the dress looks like it will fit only a Barbie doll....it looks SO SMALL! That is why the second dress pictured looks so TINY! Sewing these dresses long distance does not help....I am waiting for my granddaughter to look at it and think it is a doll dress! I got discouraged while making it but made myself complete it because I love the butterfly fabrics in the dress....who knows...maybe by luck it will actually fit her! I think the brown one will be fine...we will see if the yellow/butterfly one can even fit over her head!
The third dress is one exactly like another that I made for winter. My friend Chyrl told me to make this dress with a tank top...you may remember that the dress I made for winter was attached to a long-sleeved t-shirt. This tank top look really is cute for summer...and this is super easy to do! If you want more explicit directions to make one send me an email and I will be glad to talk you through it. It works up so fast and will be so cute with summer flip-flops.
I need to change modes now....from clothing to Roman shades...wish me luck!

Easter is here!

I am so happy that I met my deadline and completed my grandchildren's Easter outfits today. I have to put them in the mail so I knew that today would be the day to get everything finished. I included pictures below of the dress and button-on suit that I made. I have also included the patterns that I used for the dress and suit. I LOVE Wendy Schoen's patterns so I was excited to try her design for D's dress. It required some shadow stitching that I was a bit nervous about. I had a long car trip last weekend so I knew that would be the time to get busy doing the embroidery. I would encourage you to give it a try....you may surprise yourself! I love trying a new pattern and taking on a new project...that way I get something completed and I learn so much in the process. So many beautiful designs today include some embroidery and are easy to do.
My grandson's suit is a Gingersnaps design and I liked the pattern and the methods they used to get it made. I used tatting on his collar so that it would not look too feminine for him. This pattern is great...they give you so many options for the design so the pattern is well worth the price. I am sure I will use it again.
I am also including a picture of a burp cloth that I made for a friend's new granddaughter. I love the applique...it is from Applique Frenzy if you want to go on their website and see their designs. I think this one is so cute for babies.
Have a wonderful week. I love this week preparing for Easter. I hope you enjoy yours!

Rainy Saturdays...Where is Spring?!

I guess I should be thankful for days like today...cannot work in the yard because it is raining and it is too cold to buy plants yet to put in the yard. So...I hunkered down in my bonus room, set my embroidery arm up on my sewing machine and cranked out the 3 t-shirts pictured below, along with 3 polo shirts that needed a monogram. I feel great...so accomplished! I set my goals for today and achieved them. Of course I was watching the Lady Vols compete in their March madness and after hearing Pat Summit's interview play over and over all afternoon I could have quoted it from memory. I learned something today...in case you do not know it ESPN just keeps rolling over the same interviews and action shots over and over and over...but it was good entertainment while I labored away.
My grandson needed the sized-up polos...the 3T's I had already bought him are washing out to be too short. The three pictured are 4T. Keep that in mind if you are buying these same polos at Target or WalMart. His golf applique will make him happy...he loves golf!
My granddaughter's two t-shirts came from Target and make great applique backgrounds. You can see where I had my hoop when you look at the purple one in the photo but I will get that pressed out later. She LOVES purple so I had to make that one for her. The flip-flops make me think of summer...YEAH! She loves anything princess so I wanted to create a princess for her. I think the little princess is very sweet.
The applique arm is stored...later this week I MUST start on Easter. I am tired tonight...but it is a GOOD tired. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

PS....my disclaimer...I got lazy and took pictures of my work today and forgot that I have not even clipped the threads joining some of my letters on my work...must take care of that asap...so sorry !!

Inspired!

Nothing like beautiful weather and babies to inspire a little creativity! I am so thankful that my world is breaking out in beautiful, colorful flowers and trees and warmer weather...I am so ready for old man winter to be gone. With this inspiration I have been back at my cutting table getting ready to put some Easter outfits together and even a few sundresses....yes, it is so nice to even be able to look forward to that!
I have some new babies that need gifts and I got busy. The blankets I have pictured are flannel from JoAnn's that I bought with a coupon this week. If you are not a JoAnn coupon clipper you are missing out on some great sales. Get on their email and mailing list...they come weekly. I like to re-stock my needles and stabilizers when their 50% coupons come out...and their Gingher scissors are a great buy as well with a coupon. I used my new Bernina sewing machine to put a name on two of the blankets and I appliqued the "Onesies On A Line" on the pink-gingham flannel for a new baby girl. I never thought that I would say this.....but the Children's Corner pattern that I have pictured below is a GREAT buy for anyone expecting a baby or needing to make a baby gift. I bought that pattern to use for a knit nightgown that I serged and made...it turned out so well. After opening it and seeing that it had blanket instructions I got curious.....who needs a pattern for a blanket, right? (those were my thoughts). I was SO wrong.....the pattern instructs you on how to cut and finish a beautiful sewn edge on your blanket and how to miter the corners for a nice finished edge. It is well worth the investment...as you can see mine is very worn from its use. It also has a bib pattern...I use it whenever I need a quick and easy gift to make for a new Mom. The items that you make are so much nicer than anything that you can buy...the blankets can be made to the size you want and the gowns last a lot longer after washing than the store-bought.
I plan to clean off my table this weekend and cut out with Easter in mind. I will post my progress....have a wonderful weekend.

Ready for some Sun!

I have had a ball this week completing some shorts and pants for my grandson. Some of you Moms have asked me the pattern that I am using...it is the Kwik-Sew pattern number 3149. It is a very simple pattern but does not have the cute finishes that make these homemade items look store-bought. I always make 2 patch pockets (using the Britches and Bloomers pattern pocket) and put them on the rear ends or the side of the leg for a cargo pocket-look. It is amazing what a difference it makes in the look of the shorts. As you can tell, I have fallen in love with all of this adorable patch-madras that seems to be selling everywhere this spring. You may be surprised that I have found it in some unusual places...Hobby Lobby (also ADORABLE ribbon), Joann's....

so always check in a store before you give up and walk out! The blue chambray patch in these pictures came from JoAnn's and the orange patch cloth came from The Children's Corner in Nashville. It is usually so hard to find cute shorts and pants fabrics for boys so every time I found a cute plaid this spring I bought it....2/3 yard makes the pants and 1/2 yard will make the shorts. Now my grandson will be decked out for spring with pants and shorts. I encourage you to try this pattern...if you can sew a straight seam you can make these shorts!
I also added some t-shirts that I have appliqued for my granddaughter and grandson for spring. I love my new embroidery machine and am having a great time creating these t-shirts. The patterns for the shirts come from some incredibly cute applique websites. Let me know if you want to know what they are. YOu need to have an embroidery machine to download them and use them.
I am heading to the beach and am finally ready...warmer weather, here we come!

PS....the t-shirts that I appliqued came from Target and Wal-Mart...and as always, the pants pattern I use is "Britches and Bloomers".

Still Discovering New Tricks...

It is the weekend and that means it is time to sew. I put up my math textbook and red pen and enjoy creating for my grandkids.
I have found a new and wonderfully easy shorts pattern for boys. A friend in Mississippi told me to try it and I have been very happy with it. It is by KWIK-SEW and is pattern number 3149. I have also discovered that the patch madras that is out for this spring and summer is the cutest I have seen yet...so I bought enough for a pair of T3 boys pants and a pair of T3 shorts...one and one-third yard. You will see pictured here the pants. I made them first since I decided my grandson would need them first....I am still working on the shorts. I am trying to find a really cute halter sun-dress pattern in a size 5 for my granddaughter so that I can use the same patch madras for her. If you know of one let me know. There are some adorable ideas in the Kelly Kids catalog this spring and summer but I cannot find the patterns in a sewing store yet.
I am also thoroughly enjoying doing some applique on my new sewing machine. There is definitely a learning curve on it...should have considered that when I got super frustrated after my first attempt. I have read many blogs and know now that it takes time and practice...both of which I need lots more of! You can see in my pictures the first two that I have done.
The dress is an idea copied from a friend. Take a t-shirt and cut it off an inch below the armhole. Find 3 or 4 cute fabrics, cut each a 45 inch width by 6 inches (for a 5 year-old). Sew together, gather the top and sew it to the bottom of the t-shirt. I embellished mine with ruffles attached to hide each seam.
I am thrilled that spring is around the corner. I am seeing daffodils popping up everywhere and know that is just two weeks I will be driving to the beach. That day cannot come too soon.
Stay warm and happy creating!

Monogrammed Shirts

Now that the pants and shorts are made the shirts needed to be monogrammed. I bought these two size T3 shirts at WalMart and Target. They are very easy to find and are well made. I suggest using these if you are looking for a good budget friendly boy's Polo shirt. I like the green monogram but decided to try a new font and style with the red....and I like it!
It is fun to think that I am sewing for spring and warmer weather...Bring it on!

Spring is Coming!

I do not know about you but here in Tennessee it has felt like spring for the past few days. This puts me in a "you had better sew now before you want to be outside all day" mood. I happened upon some adorable madras patch cloth here at our Hobby Lobby....I LOVE to find cute things by accident! Anyway....I immediately saw some boys pants (for those early spring days when you still need something on their legs) and bought enough to make a pair of shorts too. I love these madras patch materials.....they work up so well and they are priced well at Hobby Lobby. Check yours out! The seersucker/alligator pants are another adorable cloth I found at my local fabric store...I am almost certain that it is the same cloth featured in the Kelly's Kids catalog for this spring and summer....it is such fun to see these things made up in cute kid's clothing. Once again I used the "Britches and Bloomers" pattern for the pants....so easy and almost completely done on a serger...and used a short pattern for the shorts since last year's models did not turn out as well without a pattern. I added the pockets because I am convinced that those small touches add a professional look to any home sewing project.
Enjoy this wonderful weather!

Another Sewing Saturday

If there is someone out there that enjoys their sewing machine or serger more than I do then please step forward! I could do an advertisement for Bernina sewing machines and Babylock sergers. They both helped me complete a dress in one day!
My granddaughter needs a dress to wear to a father-daughter dance...and my creative wheels began to turn. For a little girl I did not want the dress to be too grown-up but it is a very special occasion. I found some candlelight satin at JoAnn's and some tulle with a slight glitter finish on it and I began to dream. I really wanted to keep it looking like a little girl, not a prom dress. I have never sewn tulle but can say even now that it is not easy....it seems to have a mind of its own. I was able to make the tulle an overlay on the full skirt, just to give the dress a dressy look. You may not be able to tell that from the pictures. The double-faced satin ribbon adds a nice touch. I was pleased at its outcome.
The pants are for my grandson. I love the brown knit with animals on it...just too cute to pass up for a little boy. That "Britches and Bloomers" pattern is a great one for boys. I put two pockets on his backside. The madras is a little early for now but will be perfect when spring comes and is still a little cool. I love that patch madras.
The ruffle-legged pants for my granddaughter are from a Pink Fig pattern.....they remind me a lot of the Portobello Pixie pant pattern but these have 4 ruffles instead of three. I hope she will be able to walk in them! I could not pass up that happy, splashy spring pattern. I am so proud of the ruffles that were all done with the ruffler attachment on my new sewing machine...NICE!
Maybe I have inspired you to get sewing. I did take a wonderful long walk-break today because of some really nice warm weather. I know that when the weather does change my yard will be calling me so I had better get my Saturday sewing done now!
Happy creating!

Back to Sewing

My poor blog! I have been neglecting it and will try to do better.
I have been busy enjoying the holiday season and things have finally settled down. For Christmas I received a wonderful new Babylock serger and a new Bernina 730 sewing and embroidery machine. To say that I have been busy sewing would be an understatement. Last weekend I spent 4 days in a condo in Pigeon Forge with 2 dear high school buddies sewing....yes, we would sew until 1 or 2 a.m. and then get up the next day and do it again. If you have never done this you need to try it. We would get each other's opinions on everything we were making. We shared recipes, food, sewing tips...it was great. I cut out all of the outfits I took to sew and was able to get everything put together that I took with me. I have put pictures of the outfits with his posting so that you can see what I made.
I stole a wonderful idea from my friend Chyrl. She was making these really cute t-shirt dresses and she helped me choose fabrics to make one for my granddaughter. I liked the idea so much that I made 3 and you can see them in the pictures. I tried to find a t-shirt at Target to use but there were none so I found mine at WalMart. They are the "Faded Glory" brand and they worked out fine. I cut the shirt off one and a half inch below the armhole (the half-inch allows for a seam). Find 3 fabrics that you like that will complement one another. I cut each piece of fabric 6 inches wide and left them the width of the fabric (all were 45 inches wide). I ran all 3 pieces of cloth horizontally and seamed them to each other. You will have the skirt made...just join the backs with a seam, gather the top of the skirt with a gather thread and attach to the top of the t-shirt you have cut. Now you will have an adorable dress! I embellished mine with ric-rac and ruffles. Use your imagination and have fun. I think theses dresses will be co cute with leggings.
There are pictures of the items I was able to complete last weekend. Two of the outfits were rompers for my grandson.
The ballerina tutu and name are my very first try at using my applique and monogram modules on my machine. It is such fun to see them come together.
I hope I have inspired you!