Yellow and black, yellow and black...

Black and yellow!  Let's mix it up.

I made this diaper bag for a friend as a thank you gift...  And as a congratulations gift.  Sh'es expecting again, and would be in need of a new diaper bag =)

Completely lined with a laminated cotton for easy clean up.  Lots and lots of pockets to stash everything that a baby and mama needs.

I had a lot of fun making this.  Even came up with a few design improvements for the next one =)

Summer time Halter Top

Green and yellow blend together perfectly in this sweet halter top.  Perfect for summer weather or for showing some team pride =)

Top is sized to fit 3T/4T.  With elastic in the back, it will grow with your little one for a couple seasons.

The top can be found in my Etsy shop.

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail

Girly's new Easter dress.  She was cooperative enough to model for me, but only to a certain point.  Out of a dozen pictures, these were the best lol!

I used three coordinating prints to piece the dress together.  It has a pleat in the front that I "hid" the striped fabric in and an upside- down pleat on the bodice.  Girly is completely in love with the pockets on it.

Now just hoping that the weather up north continues to be warm so that she doesn't have to wear a sweater over her dress and she can wear her new pink sandals =)

Singin' in the Rain

A completely lined kimono- style raincoat for your little princess =)

Coat is made with laminated cotton, lined with cotton and closes with velcro.

It can be found in my Etsy shop.

Double Take

Sometimes I love a challenging project and other times, well...  Not so much.  This is one of those projects.  When I pictured it in my head, it came out perfect (of course!) but when I actually tried to put it into practice.  Well, needless to say there was lots of seam ripping, broken needles and hair pulling.

While I'm not 100% happy with the design, I'm happy enough that I will continue to tweak it until it is perfect.  If I wasn't happy with it, the whole project would have ended up in the "I will fix this later" pile.

The idea behind this wrap is to give the wearer more options.  The panel in the center is interchangeable.  And that's where the design flaws come in =)  I have to figure out a better "framing" system for the panel and a better way to attach the panels.  Once it's perfect, the wrap will offer a lot more color options for the wearer.

The main panel that cannot be removed.

The optional panel.

After working on this one for awhile, I came up with a design that offers only two different panels (instead of unlimited like the original design).  So, for now this is the design that is available.  

The first side.

The second side.

You'll notice that it's "missing" the black border around the panel.  

If you're interested in the second design, please let me know what colors you would prefer- for the wrap part and for the panels.  Depending on the fabric, prices start at $40.

Little Froggy

See the little froggy Swimming in the pool
The water’s great- It’s nice and cool
When she gets all cleaned up Out she’ll hop
Squeaky clean From bottom to top.
See the little froggy On the lily pad
Trying to catch flies She’s getting sad.
When she catches one, She’ll gobble it up
Back in the water She’ll go Ker plop!

 

 

Many months ago, I downloaded this pattern for a frog.  And now I can’t find the link to where I found it =(  If anyone knows, please let me know so I can properly credit the designer.

Little Froggy is about 7.5 inches long and is filled with barley to give her that bean bag feel. 

Date Night

Limo ride, candlelight dinner, background piano music and professional photos.  The perfect date night.  All that was needed was the perfect dress. 

What could be more perfect than a gray sheath with kick pleats on the sides and embroidered pink and purple flowers?

What, you thought I was going on the date?  Nope, Girly- girl was the lucky one to have a date =)

The jumper is made of a light weight wool with flower embroidery on it.  There are two kick pleats on the side.  The dress is lined with a pink cotton to eliminate the “itchiness."  I overlapped the shoulder seams to give the appearance that the straps came apart.  There is a pink rose button sewn on each shoulder.

She was so excited.

And here she is with her date.

Tractors for TJ

Junior had a birthday party for one of his friends this weekend.  He picked out a box of monster trucks for him.  When we got home, I realized that I didn’t have a bag big enough to wrap the present.  So what did I do?  Yup, I whipped up a backpack to put the present in.

I had some John Deere fabric in my stash.  I was actually kind of surprised considering the majority of my sewing lately has been for Girly- girl or purses =)

The backpack ended up a bit bigger than I was expecting.  But, that’s all right.  Mr. TJ said it was his as soon as he saw it =)

The backpack has two inside pockets.  The larger of the two is divided into three sections and then the smaller of the two is sewn part way into the middle.  The flap closes with two magnetic clasps.  The straps are padded and there is a handle on the top of the bag.

Closed: Purse- onality Giveaway

Yes, it’s been awhile.  What can I say but I’ve been busy with everyday life and an extended vacation.  But, to make up for it, I have 3 new purses for your viewing pleasure.  And one lucky reader will win one of them!

The first one is Pink Rhapsody.

This one has a pocket on the inside and a pocket on the outside- where the two different fabrics come together.

Next is the Harper bag.

This is a nice circular tote bag with an extended top.  And I’m sorry, but it does not fit across the body on adults =)

There are no pockets on this one.

Then we have the Pressley bag.

The Pressley is quilted and has an interior pocket.

One lucky reader will win their pick of the bags.  And then the other 2 will be for sale.  First come, first serve =)  And how do you win?  Easy.  Just leave a comment on this post.  I’ll have random.org pick a winner next week Friday (September 24th). 

Vintage Doll

This originally started out as a shirt for me.  But I really didn't like how it fit (no shape!). 

So I stitched a couple pieces of elastic at the neckline and turned it into a dress for Girly- girl.

It looks much better on her =)

Princess Girly- Girl

With it being Girly- Girl's birthday last week, I took some time to sew her a dress.  And of course it had princesses on it =)

The pattern I used actually called for a zipper in the back.  But, I *loath* zippers.  Especially in Girly- girl's dresses.  So, I completely ignored the instructions and made the dress into a wrap dress.  There's a slit in the side seam on the right hand side to thread the tie through.  And I made the center band longer to work as ties.  The front edge and the arm holes are finished with bias tape.

Write It Out Project

I finished the journals I pledged for the Write It Out Project.  I haven't closed up the box yet though.  I have a couple hours left tonight and one or two more might make it into the box =)

Some pictures of the journals.

I really enjoyed sewing these, especially knowing who they will eventually go to.  I want to thank We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ for sponsoring this service project and I Make Stuff for starting the project.  A lot of families will be touched by the generosity of these two women =)

And Sarge is very happy to know that I cleared out a few pieces of fabric from my stash.

Juliet

I came across this pattern at a local quilt shop and thought I should try it out.

You can't really see the gathered bust line in the picture (mostly because of the pattern on the fabric). 

I cut the pattern for the above the knee length and then realized that it needed a bit more length to be modest enough =)  So, I added the ruffle on the bottom.

I had originally planned on this being my Easter dress, but didn't get it finished in time.  So, it became my Mother's Day dress.  Wore it with a cute fitted blazer because it wasn't quite warm enough to go sleeveless. 

I plan on making this again.  Might even play around with mixing different fabrics.

Farewell

No, I'm not shutting the blog down.  In the next couple weeks, I'm going to have to say farewell to two friends I've only know a short time.  But, in that short time, they've made a huge impact on my life.

When I first moved to the DFW area, I joined a MOP's group to get to know other moms in my area.  One of the first to greet me and make me feel like I had known her forever was Miss April and the other was Miss Mai.  Both of these ladies made me feel welcome and a tad less homesick. 

Miss April has a heart to serve those she meets.  I pray that someone in her new home welcomes her and makes her feel like an old friend, just like she did for me.  Miss Mai has a heart for missions.  She's been a great example of how to follow God's will in my life.  I pray that the people who have been placed on her heart see Christ shining through her.

To thank these two wonderful women for what they've done and for what they will do, I wanted to give them something to look at and remember their old friends.

Two cute little stationary notebooks.  With a few extra surprises.

The green one has a cute little frog button on the front.

A place to hold your pen, four cards/ ID's and notecards and a notebook.

The purple one has an antiqued silver button closure.

Places for 8 cards/ ID's, a pen, notecards and a notebook.

The purple one is slightly smaller than the green one.  The green one measures 13x9.5 inches when open and the purple one measures 13x7 inches when open.

I haven't decided who gets one color.  Maybe I'll let them figure it out when I see them next...

To Miss April and Miss Mai: I feel like I've just gotten to know you, but know that even distance won't stop the seed of friendship that has been planted.  Thank you for making me feel welcome =)

Easter Flowers

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures and details for Girly- girl's Easter dress. 

I used Simplicity 2675 View A and fabric from my stash.

Sold: Jolie

Jolie: an adjective meaning pretty.

A great combination of pink and brown,

sugar and spice

and all that's nice.

Two large exterior pockets accented with buttons.

Five interior pockets and a centered, zippered pouch.

The tote measures approximately 14"x17"x7"

The shoulder straps are approximately 20"

Jolie is for sale for $30.

Sunburst

This is just the first try at making wallets.  It didn't turn out too bad. 

Next time around I'm going to add more credit card slots. Seroiusly, who only carries to cards/ ID's?

Need to lower this pocket to fit the snap better.

Next run will include d- rings on the side to attach a strap to.