My Creative Side: 2007

Merry?? Christmas??

Christmas is just not what it used to be. All the running around trying to find gifts. Mega amounts of decorations. Getting the flu each year. Both kids sick. Up all night. Not having any money to spend. BAH HUMBUG!

This is the first Christmas where I remained uninterested in the Holiday season. Nothing seemed to go according to plan. I did not stick to my traditions. Ok, I did not sew anything for Christmas this year? Now that is the biggest clue that something is just wrong. I could not find the excitement this year. I did not even make an Adventskranz. Me! Once I found out that my wreath was gone, and that i had to drive all the way to Michaels to get a new one, I just could not find the energy to do it.

I have been driving alot. Daycare, Speech class, JoAnn's, Mall, Albertson's. Most of my days consist of driving to four or five places in one day. I hate it. I don't mind going to one place and getting most of my errands done, but having to drive all day long is wearing on me. Olivia does not get to her nap on time, then I have to pay for it by dinnertime. Nicolas stays in Daycare too long. Dusty does not get his walk. There never seems to be time for the important things lately.

And the House!!! It is always a wreck. I am so sick of it. I am so sick of cleaning, but I hate a dirty house. Or maybe I should say cluttered......Ahhhh, that is the key. Clutter. I think it is time to clean up and throw out. My new years resolution. DECLUTTER

Next year I intend to do things differently and start earlier. When everything goes wrong it is hard to keep a positive outlook. It is also harder when your no longer preparing a Christmas for just one person but suddenly for three. Lance is never very positive during this time because of his affiliation with retail. Then my 4-year old could only think about himself during this time. All the presents were his, and every walk through a department store led to a tantrum, because the endcaps were lined with toys that he could not have. My baby was just another reason that I never had any time to myself to think, decorate or do.

But there is always next year.................and by the time the kids really appreciate all the hard work that most mothers do for Christmas, we will have perfected this art. Right??? At least I always thought my mother did it perfect.

Stumped or Slumped?

I cannot seem to get my sewing machine in second gear, let alone first. However, I did manage to finish this bodysuit from Ottobre. Olivia has so many clothes. My sister sends me clothes every three months, and she has not even worn some of them. I am always happy when she tells me that her daughter has no clothes that fit. Maybe then I will be able to sew something Olivia needs.

I am not sure why I am complaining. I could start sewing some clothes for the springtime. She has barely grown, and I am sure if I sew something 1-2 sizes larger, the items will definitely fit. Plus, I got some wonderful fabrics today that will look great next summer. They are so soft and perfect for a little girl. Yippee!!!!!!! This is exactly what I was looking for.

So back to my pattern. I have been wanting to test the fit of this wraparound bodysuit (6/2007 #05 size 62), because I would like to alter the pattern to make dresses. Anyways, I was quite happy how the whole thing went together. Very easy, and as always, everything matched right up and the body was sewn in no time. The only problem I had was with the binding and the snaps. Personally, I like to fold over the binding and then handstitch it. It always looks clean and it lies flat. However, this is a knit, and my method is used on wovens. So I am going to have to practice until I get it to look perfect. Maybe next time I can use the coverstitch. Scary thought! Back that one up. Not ready yet. The snaps. I placed interfacing behind the snaps, however one tug, and the material was ripping. Sewing a piece of grosgrain or fabric to the back of the snap would probably help to avoid this problem, much more then my interfacing.

To do list:

White T-Shirt - Nicolas

Black corduroy pants with large cargo pockets - Nicolas

Pinafore Dress - Olivia

Wraparound Dress - Olivia

Crawling Pants - Olivia

Deck the Halls with lots of Sewing....FaLaLaLaLa.....

Ok, this is a copy of the Pottery Barn holiday dress. I love it, and it has given me alot of ideas.

I started with an Ottobre pattern #3 from the Summer 2005 issue. The pattern includes a yoke and a skirt, and the zipper closure is in the back. I measured what I needed for the pleats, and then I altered the pattern. I started by sewing the shoulder seams. Then I added the front skirt panel, and then the back skirt panels. The pattern includes sleeves and a neck/collar facing. I did not want the sleeves, so I had to change the facing. I copied the yoke pattern, and extended it about 2 inches. The PB dress yoke ends below the armpit, however the Ottobre yoke pattern ends within the armseye. I need to change that. The PB dress is tighter around the waist and therefore more fitted. The Ottobre dress appears to be more of an A-line dress. Normally, you would start by sewing the shoulder seams, and then attaching the lining. In this case, I had to add the skirt first and then the lining. Pulling the lining through the shoulder seam is easier without all the bulk of the skirt.

The other problem was the length. I need to add at least 1 inch if not two. Then I should lower the neckline. I think it would look nicer with a blouse. And last but not least, I hate putting in a zipper, so adding some width to the back yoke and skirt for either buttons and/or snaps sounds like another good idea. Here is a picture of the Monogram.

So now all I need to do is make a blouse, but Ottobre does not have one for infants. I will probably have to use one of my heirloom patterns.

Another Pinafore Dress

Another Ottobre Pinafore dress. This one is from Winter 2003 Issue. I decided to add two layers of ruffles to the bottom and a small grosgrain ribbon. The dress is adorable. It was a bit long, because she is starting to crawl, and the length is right below her knees. My little size 62. She eats so much, but she just will not grow.

The fabric is from http://www.fabric.com/, and cost about $2.99 a yard, but I am not all too impressed with the quality. I guess you get what you pay for.

So this is what I am working on right now.

My sister showed me the clothing on the Pottery Barn website. They really have some beautiful garments. I love this outfit, and combined with a signature on the front of the outfit, I think this is gorgeous. I went to Joann's and bought some Velveteen right away. I also think it will look beautiful in red or black corduroy. I am taking a pattern from Ottobre, since I know it fits. I found a pattern with a bodice or front yoke piece and have altered the skirt to include two pleats on both the front and back skirt pieces. I cannot wait to see how it looks when I am finished. If I get it finished.

O. has not been feeling well. She ha

s a horrible cold. Yes again. I think this is the fifth one since she was born. Of course, everytime I pick up Nicolas from Prek, she is coming in contact with all of those germs. It is no wonder she is constantly sick. We missed our Picture day because of the cold, and N. had two black eyes (another story). Here she is posing in her new dress. She looked so cute. I hope that we will get out to see Santa and take some pictures. Not now, because she is so fussy and won't let anyone handle her. N. has two black eyes because he went running through the garage and hit his head on a piece of wood. Seriously, it hurt to look at him. He looked like a Star Trek character. Everyone thought he rubbed magic marker on top of his nose. We were all lined up to take pictures in his school the next day. What a shame! Oh well, they both gained two nice outfits, and I did not spend any money. However, I would have liked to have pictures. They are both having so much fun with each other. Maybe I can find someone else to sneak us in before the holidays. We will have to see.

Delicious!

Some people love shoes. Some people love purses. And some people love clothes. I love beautiful fabric. Cashmere, leather, boucle or a wonderful italian wool. Yummy! My stash proves my point. I have a hard time walking away from beautiful fabric. Oh that is another topic, so let me stop right here.

Lately, my obsession is with european or boutique fabrics especially for children. Unlike alot of the women that sew on the Ottobre group, I always notice the fabric before I notice the pattern details. I love these fabrics, and there is nothing similiar on this market. I search Ebay, and check out some of my favorite websites for any deal I can find. Ha! I wish. Not many deals to find out there. So I decided to splurge.

The new issue of Ottobre included alot of patterns that I had requested via email several months ago. I don't mean to pat myself on the back, because it is possible that they were aware of this trend before I said anything. Anyhow, I had requested a japanese-style crossover one piece outfit and dress. It was all there! They had also included alot more items for smaller babies (size 56). That is great. I had both of my children in that size for at least four weeks. It is not easy to find clothes for premie sizes. Yeah for Ottobre!!

So, here is my most recent project. It is scrumptious! I was so excited when the material arrived. I bought it through Banberry Place. Beautiful velvet. Lightweight, great quality and the colors were just gorgeous. The pattern was the Baby Pinafore Dress from the most recent issue of Ottobre 6/2007 in a size 62, which by the way fits. Thank goodness. My little princess just refuses to grow.

The material did not ravel, which was another sign that it was a better quality. It was easy to cut and easy to sew. I used a size 80 needle with polyester thread, and cut the pattern pieces using a rotary cutter with a seam allowance guide. My seam allowances are usually no more then 3/8". The pockets were alot easier then they look. I sewed a 1/4" seam allowance around the bottom to ease the pocket into shape. I also followed the instructions for the bow, and I think it turned out nicely.

The only thing I did not care for, was when it was time to attach the skirt to the bodice, I was not satisfied with just serging the front seams. It just did not look professional to me. I folded the seam under 1/4" in case the front opened and became visible.

Otherwise, all the pieces went together nicely as usual, and I think this pattern could be used with a variety of different fabrics. I am sure this pattern will be a favorite of mine.

It's been awhile!

It's good to be back! I remember thinking before I left that I felt like I had an addiction....to my sewing machine that is. I guess I should make that plural. I just hate to leave them. I just cannot imagine relaxing without sewing. However, I got over it rather quickly. I had a good time at my sister's house in California. I spent alot of time walking, drinking Chai and shopping. It was fun. Lots of fun!

Believe it or not, when I got home I did not run straight to the sewing machine. I did what I always do and that was clean my house and move my furniture. Whenever I go to California, I always spend some time walking through model homes. Ooooh, I love doing that. I usually spend every weekend doing that, but with two kids getting in and out of the car, and the car seats, I soon got tired of it. Not to mention, that if the baby fell asleep, my son and mom got to enjoy everything while I kept the car cool. No fun! Nevertheless, I did get some ideas, and I could not wait to come home, move a few pieces of furniture, clean my windows, decorate for Halloween, and relax in my own living room with my family. Aaaah, it was good to be home!

So after the house was semi-clean, or should I say presentable, I began to think about my next project. I saw so many wonderful things in CA. My sister took me to alot of children's boutiques. I saw Baby Nay, Baby Lulu, lots of italian clothing, Gymboree, Macy, Nordstrom, etc., etc., etc.......

A few things caught my eye, like an outfit that my sister bought at Naartjie. It is a cute store. Very trendy, and european. What I really noticed was the way they sewed their outfits. It was as if someone threw all the sewing books out of the window. Look at the seams. They are not serged, or hidden. The ruffle at the bottom of the leg is sewn right on top of the leg with a coverstitch. The hem is left as is, and the side leg seam is also sewn on top. I have never seen anything like it, and the truth is that the outfit is adorable.

So, I browsed through my Ottobre magazines, and I decided to make the Cross Front T-Shirt from Autumn 3/2004 and the leggings from Winter 2003. I made the Tee and the pants in a size 68, and they are much too big. I will have to use a size 62. I had shortened the pants 1.5 inches, and they are still too long. I have such a petite little sweetheart. The T-shirt looks like it will fit in a size 62 except the arms are too long. I decided to do the ruffle at the bottom of the hem a little different. I did not hem it, but I did hide the seam. It just felt better. The binding looks great, however it turned out to be too bulky for my taste. I am not sure whether the fabric is just too thick or whether I am doing something wrong. I will turn to the girls on the Ottobre group for some advice, and hopefully next time, it will look better.

This was an easy pattern, and fun to sew. Now that I know what changes I will have to make to the pattern, I am sure I will sew this a few times.

WHITE

Have you ever noticed that you are attracted to one color all the time? Whenever I see a suit or dress in white, my head turns and I look. If a magazine or a blog or a Flickr site includes an outfit in white, I have to take a closer look. White is elegant. White is a wedding dress. White flowers. White dresses for a baptism. White is the start of summer. It is crisp, elegant and beautiful. I like the color white.

Well, the other day I was attracted to someone's Flickr photos because they were pictures of a little white Westie Puppy. I had two of them. One died last year, and one is still with us but turned 12 this year. So not only did she have the cutest pictures of a puppy posted on her site, but a few days later, I got another picture sent to me, and it was an adorable white dress. I fell in love with this garment. It was sooooooooo beautiful. I sent her email requesting that I copy it, and of course she said yes, and so I did.

The pattern I used is from the Ottobre Summer 3/2006 magazine. It is the #2 dress without the ruffles. I used a 100% cotton fabric, and cut the bottom of the dress out of another 100% cotton fabric. It is a size 62, and as soon as I put it on Olivia, i will try and take some more pictures.

Small thoughts running through my mind.........

After searching everywhere for a good quality towel fabric or terry cloth, I thought about another solution. I went from Joann's straight into TJMaxx and bought a Ralph Lauren towel (huge bath size) for $7.99. Then I preceded to make Olivia a robe. The pattern comes from a company called Advance. I believe it is canadian. It is an older pattern ca. 1960ish, but the layette items for the baby are great. The patterns are all one piece. Slip, kimono, panty, dress, nightshirt, etc....I really like the pattern, and the robe turned out great. I used the scraps from the sundress to make the bias strips.

Stayed up way too long to make this. There is so little time every day to sew. I try to get 20 minutes in wherever I can, but it is really difficult. I always have a list of things to do every day. My blood pressure is telling me to slow down. It has been really high lately. I guess I will have no choice but to go to the doctor and take the medication. I am not looking forward to that. I just hope that once this heat goes away, and I can start walking again, things will get better.

On a more positive note, I have been looking at new forum/website called Etsy. It is a storefront for lots of people selling handmade goods. I found it through looking at Flickr pictures. There are some really talented people, who are happy just selling a few things because they feel they have something to offer. Lots of onesies, burp cloths, bibs, and childrens clothing. I think I have something to offer too. I really think if I could attract the right customer, I could sell my baby bubbles and boy rompers. Yes it does involve alot of work, and good material, but I would love to make a little cash, and do what I love to do. I cannot imagine anything sweeter. When it comes to boy things, there just is nothing out there that is special, colorful and still kool. The only problem is that you really have to think everything out carefully. You cannot just put something up for sale, and not have the fabric available to make it again for the customer. Of course, I do not want to pay retail prices for Swiss fabric. That would just wipe out the bottom line. So I have to do some research, and check out a few things. I got in touch with one of my coops and asked if they could help me out with Spechler Vogel material. I cannot even get most of the fabric where I live. It would have been easier in Shreveport, where I had a large quantity of heirloom fabrics at my fingertips. I do not want to invest any money into fabric unless I know this has a chance to suceed.

These are all just small thoughts running through my mind right now .......

In the meantime, I decided to build my inventory. I would like to make a few girl bubbles, especially while Olivia is still so young. I have a few boy bubbles and rompers, but nothing for the girl. If I can take a good picture of Olivia wearing the garment, then the item will most likely sell better. Once she gets to be a year or older, the bubbles may not look as good on her. I also thought about the seasons. Fall is approaching. Bubbles sell in the spring and summer. They are usually made out of 100% lightweight cotton. Boy Rompers made out of corduroy would be nice, or denim pants. I have so many ideas, and so little time.

These are all just small thoughts running through my mind right now .......

Ottobre Sundress 2/2004

Ottobre Sundress 2/2004
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

I love this dress. I have had this one planned for a long time. It is so much fun, and is just perfect for so many of the fabrics that I have bought. I would however, like to be bold and drop the inserts. The dress is so wide, and there is something too frilly about this pattern.
Well, size 62 almost fits her. It is too wide, and every once and awhile when she moves in the car seat, you can see the sides of the dress sticking out. Oh well, I could make it smaller, but I doubt that I will be making another one of these again this year.

This is a sample of the dress I made for Sophia. It was also a size 62. Of course, it has been passed down to Olivia, so I knew how well it fit before I made another one.

Now I am actually looking forward to making a few heirloom patterns. I am trying to get ready for Sacramento. I want her to have at least seven dresses for the three weeks we will be gone. I also wanted to make some skirts for myself, since I cannot seem to drop these last ten pounds. Wow, breastfeeding does really work wonders. Now I just need to exercise and get rid of my tummy and other female fat zones.

My Turn!

Finally, the day has come when my son cannot wait to see what I sew next. After making numerous girl outfits, the time had come to make something for him. At least that is what he said to me. He even picked out a fabric. It really was not a big deal. I had it cut out and put together in two nights. It also gave me some opportunities to play around with my coverstitch. Not so easy to master. You really have to play with it. The yellow tshirt was for Max's birthday, but I am afraid that it is way too big. Oh well, better too big then too small.

The pants were #09 3/06 and the T-Shirt #16 2/04. The fabric for the pants came from Atlantis. Great material. I have ordered from them twice. 100% cotton, and really very comfortable to wear in this hot humid climate.

Sew much for that!

I recently posted some pictures of my sewing room on several Flickr sites. I get an email daily from someone that they really like the room. Well, I had a good time finally setting up my room just like I wanted it. I surrounded myself with all my fabric scraps, and everything seemed just perfect.......until summer hit.
I should have known that this room would get way too hot for my three machines, an iron, and a computer as well as a tv. I tried everything to cool it down. I had two fans running, and I turned my computer off. I kept the house at 73 degrees, without turning my baby into an icicle. Nothing worked. I was getting headaches almost every night trying to concentrate on whatever it was that I was sewing. The hotter it got outside, the more I did not want to enter my room. What ashame.
So.......I had to move. Normally, I love moving my furniture around. I love change. I like to interchange furniture between rooms, and give a room a new identity, but this was different. The room was finished and clean. It just was not working.
So my mind started working. The only room in the house left was the same one that I had started out in. When you enter our house, there is the dining room on the right, and another room (formal living room, as it is sometimes called) to the left, as you then enter the living room. Both rooms do not have doors, but they do have alot of light. The room to the left was set up originally as my sewing room, but I could not handle the mess that was always there, so I moved the room. It became our family room/childrens room. Yes, the toys were everywhere, so I guess it really did not make a difference what went into this room. I will say this, I would prefer this room to be a closed bedroom, but I don't want to put anymore money into this house. Chaos exists in my sewing room more often then I would like, and the fact that guests see this room right as they enter my house does not make me happy. Nor do I want to clean it every night. However, this was the only solution that was available, especially now that my ds needed a bedroom of her own.
Today we moved the furniture, and believe it or not, this may be the very best thing I have done since I have moved here. My (old) sewing room is now a guest bedroom with a desk and computer (my desktop). That works out great. I have never had anyone stay at my house that does not like to use my computer. The rest of the room will house our exercise equipment, so that me and Lance can work out while watching tv. Yippee!!!!!!!!! Of course, we will move it out to the garage when guests do stay with us. The new sewing room has alot of wall to wall cabinets that will house my fabric stash behind closed doors. This is better for the fabric. It also includes a couch for me to sit down while I do some handsewing. I took care of the door problem by making curtains that don't necessarily hide the mess, but takes your eye away from looking at the room. The room is so big, that both my dd and ds can sit and play in the room while I sew. This too is great! The guest bed came out of my dd's room, so now she will have more room to play, and I can put a table next to my rocking chair.
Funny how things just seem to fall into place. Although I have had no time to sew, in the end I hope this solution made everyone happy.

Check out my Slide Show!

Pattern or Fabric First?

This is one of those cases, where everything just came together. The fabric came from Ebay. The price $3.65 a yard. The quality: perfect. Not only were the colors prettier then I imagined, but the lightweight batiste feel of the fabric was just right for a baby outfit. I knew immediately what I wanted to do with the fabric.

The problem was finding the right pattern. Baby patterns, size 62 in particuliar are just not easy to find. However, I did end up finding a suitable pattern in one of my old 2004 Burda magazines. I hated to test anything out on the fabric, but I measured the pattern pieces, and was fairly certain that this should fit. That is one thing I noticed, the magazine patterns fit much better then the actual Burda patterns you buy in the stores. They run very large.

I did make a few modifications or changes to the pattern. Instead of just three lines of shirring, I decided to make 5. The romper just did not need that much "fluff" as was given by the pattern. Then I decided to do a rolled hem on the front top and back top, as well as the legs. The fabric was so soft, that it was easier and alot nicer then adding binding. The binding just weighed it down unnecessarily.

It was a cute pattern, and the magazine also includes a pattern for a dress.

Pink and Lace

After entertaining my in-laws for 10 days, my husband and son gave me the weekend to sew. I did sew, but there were so many things that got in the way, that I barely finished the dress on Sunday evening. On Friday, my daughter got her vaccinations and shortly thereafter developed a very high fever. I had less then three hours of sleep that night. I tried my best to stay awake on Saturday, but as soon as I read the pattern instructions, I fell asleep. Saturday night was a bit better. She woke up around midnight cying, but then fell asleep again until my son woke us up at 6:00am. Then to add to my bad luck, I woke up with a terrible migraine on Sunday and it would not subside all day. The good news is that my dd's fever broke on Saturday evening, and she was almost back to her "happy" self on Sunday.

So, back to the dress. I decided to try something besides an Ottobre pattern. This is NEW LOOK 6687 in a size NewBorn. I really liked the pattern picture. The Ottobre patterns in a size 62 have been too big, so I thought I would try something new. This dress was too big too. It will most likely fit her in about 4 weeks. The fabric is a pink and white striped seersucker.

The pattern went together very well, and the instructions were easy to follow. The bodice is doubled, which I will probably not do again. Instead I think a batiste as the lining would probably feel lighter and feel softer on the baby's skin. The armhole and sleeve binding went on very easily. I liked the way New Look applied this part of the pattern. The binding was sewn together to form a circle and then a 3/8" was pressed under on one of the long edges. The other edge is then sewn (3/8" of course) to the dress. I will probably use their idea again in combination with some other patterns. The skirt had a nice fullness. I was not fond of putting a zipper into the dress. I used a lightweight invisible zippper. Have to practice my techniques again. It has been a long time since I had to add a zipper to anything.

Very happy with this pattern, and I cannot wait to to make the romper.

Ripe Red Cherries

Frannie Baby

A pattern I bought last year from Childrens Corner. The dress is actually small enough to fit Olivia. This was a test garment. I needed to find out how easy this pattern was to sew, and if it fits.

I actually hit some rough spots with this pattern. The dress is lined, and it calls for piping at the neck - not binding. I did the binding, because I was too lazy to make the piping. It actually worked out quite nicely. I had a hard time with the elastic that ran under the arms. I could not pull the safety pin which was attached to the elastic, through the middle seam. I figured out a new way to get the same results, so in the end it worked just fine. Attaching the lining to the dress and pulling it to the right side also gave me a bit of a problem. I had to rip the stitches out at least once on the hem. Other than that, the dress fit wonderfully.

The bloomers were easy to sew. I added lace to the bottom of the bloomers. The fabric is red and white seersucker gingham. As usual the bloomers were way too big. I have no idea why. I could have pulled them up to her chin.

Conclusion: She looked adorable, and we got compliments in the Ralph Lauren Factory Store. Now I know I can add this pattern to my list of things to make in the future.

Blogging

I've been having fun looking at other people's blogs. It just amazes me how many creative people are out there, and all the wonderful information they are willing to share. It is so much fun.
- an ironing board cover tutorial
- a cute baby shoe tutorial
- another baby shoe tutorial

and lots of other really great information like covered hangers. I enjoy reading all these different blogs and seeing their sewing/craft rooms, or how they use some of the most gorgeous fabrics. For instance gift tags. Aren't they just gorgeous. So original and crafty. What a wonderful way to use your scraps. Beautiful burp cloths and matching baby daygown, a single mom who opened an internet boutique http://lillitutu.blogspot.com/. Lots and lots of wonderful things.

Next in Line

I'm finished. I am finished sewing in a frenzy trying to get everything done for Sophia's birthday. It was fun. Hectic but fun. So of course my mind continues to work, and I have to think about what I am going to do next. It will be awhile before I start sewing again, because my house has some serious "hot spots" that need to be addressed.

In the meantime, I am blogging alot of pictures of sewn items that I would like to make. I started a new blog which I am using as a source of inspiration. That was alot of fun.

Well, these shoes are going to be the inspiration for my next project. Mom bought these for Nicolas when he was a baby. I think she bought them in Portugal. There is no reason that Olivia cannot wear these shoes as well. I just dont have anything in navy blue for a little girl. I just need to find a pattern and material that will go well with these shoes. So how about something in white? White....boring, but so clean and crisp as a summer dress. That would be cute. I have some cute white fabric in my stash that I think would do well. Ruffles. How about this? Cute dress and it would look great in white.

Burda Romper 9650

Burda Romper 9650
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey
Such a cute pattern, but way too big. However, I finished the project anyways, and know that it will be worn sometime in the future. I had to redo the ruffle pattern piece because it is just too short. The straps are also too long. I think I can take two inches off the length of the straps.

Eyelet Pants

Eyelet Pants
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

This is an Ottobre Pant pattern #5 Summer 2007. I needed something to match the shirt and it was the only thing I could think of to sew.
I bought the fabric at Joann's and I must say that I would have preferred a better quality eyelet. I did find one there, which cost $12.99 a yard, but they only had it in turquoise. I looked online and did not find anything either, so this will just have to do. It is nice and light perfect for the summer months, and it does go well with the lace on the shirt.

Flower Girl

I found this material at A&E Pharmacy. Yup a pharmacy. It is an old building and the fixtures look just as old. It sort of reminds me of Andy Griffith or something you would see in a Dick and Jane book. The back side of the store is filled with material, and there are some lovely elderly ladies always willing to hold your baby while you shop.
Anyways, I loved the bright fresh colors, and knew if I bought a yard I could make one for my niece and one for my daughter.

I used pattern #5 from Ottobre Winter 2003. I completely lined the garment in pink broadcloth, therefore eliminating the back closure. I extended the back straps, and added buttonholes to the front straps. It was a very easy and quick garment to sew. What I like sew much about this type of romper is that they can wear it with or without a shirt. Short or long sleeve, in any kind of weather.

Pinafore Dress Ottobre #5 Winter 2003

Pinafore Dress Ottobre #5 Winter 2003
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

Finally finished everything I wanted. I messed up this dress twice. The fabric was expensive, and I guess I was just too tired at night to be sewing. The first time I wrote the initials wrong. The second time I must have somehow put the fabric too close to my rotary cutter, and it slashed the fabric twice. Well, thank goodness nothing went wrong on my third try. It looks wonderful. Here is a picture of the initials. Here is a picture of the hem.

Ottobre #3 Summer 2007

Ottobre #3 Summer 2007
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

Part of the set that belongs to Sophia's birthday presents. I will post the other items as soon as they are finished. Very nice fitting pant. I hope it fits. This is a size 74. I did a review here.

Ottobre #11 Summer 2007

Ottobre #11 Summer 2007
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

Just another gift for Sophia's Birthday. I made this in size 80, however it is not much bigger then size 74. I really like this pattern. I did a review at Patternreview.com. Here is a link

Gnome Wrap Pants and Top Ottobre

Gnome Wrap Pants and Top Ottobre
Originally uploaded by moonchild studio

Is this not adorable! Love the knome fabric. This another design from Moonchild. She is so talented.

Dyeing wool felt

Just found a link to a site that shows you how to dye wool felt.

3 piece Waldorf Kimono style set

3 piece Waldorf Kimono style set
Originally uploaded by moonchild studio.

A great pajama for a child. Found this on someone's flickr page moonchild studio. I love this idea.

Summer is here!

My first Ottobre project for the year is finally finished. I knew I wanted to make this garment the moment I saw it in the magazine. I just wish I could have found the same fabric. The european fabrics are gorgeous, but so expensive. Oh well, I made this test project, and it was incredibly easy and fast to sew. I can only recommend it.

I am working on some ideas for my niece whose birthday is right around the corner. She is a very big girl for her age, so I tried a size 74. I find the top to be a bit small, so I will have to make it again.

Construction:
I had a hard time figuring out how to shirr, but thanks to the girls in the Ottobre group, I was told exactly how to get it done. They told me to buy some elastic thread and slowly wind it around the bobbin, pulling a bit as a I go. Then just sew. So sew I did, and then I steamed the fabric, and wow, I had a shirred garment. It was so pretty. It immediately got me to think how much I am going to like this pattern, and how many different things I am going to do with it.
I did not like the straps too much. The idea is great, but no matter how perfectly a did a rolled hem, the ends always looked unfinished. Maybe someone can give me some advice regarding the ties and how to finish them off. I would also extend the ties by about an inch on each end. Other then that, the pattern went together very easy.

II picked this fabric up in Joann's and decided to use it because it matched a pink and white stripe fabric that I found at Sewzannes (which by the way is so Ralph Lauren and beautiful to touch). I a

Girlie Things

I had so much fun sewing for my son, can you imagine how much fun it is sewing for a girl! There is so much to choose from. The choices for patterns and fabrics are endless. So I always like when I am inspired by something or someone else. Coming up with new ideas is just not my strongpoint.

So I found this burda pattern, and since Olivia is not blonde like me, I thought the red prints would look great on her. I intend to add some more pieces to this ensemble, however I really had to work on another important project.

This was a size 62, and it turned out to be bigger then her normal size 62 clothes. The construction was easy and fast. I had problems with the front ruffle piece, which ended up being too short. I also thought the ruffle was too wide, at least for the baby sizes. I reviewed this pattern here at Patternreview. I will definitely sew this up again, but most likely when Olivia gets a bit older.

Olivia's Room

Although I am not completely finished with her room, I have finished everything important, and thought it was time to get the pictures up on my blog. I actually only have a few small things that still need to be done, like hanging pictures.

Cool Slideshows

First of all, I owe the completion of this room to my parents. If it was not for my father and mother painting and sewing, and their great ideas, I probably would still be working on this room. The only thing I did was the crib. Thanks mom and dad.

My father painted the room. It turned out to be a bit more neon then the paint chip, so we had to paint the room twice, adding a quart of white paint to dim the color. My father also painted the dresser, the dollhouse, and the flower hooks. Yes, he is a great painter!

My mom put everything together. She made the daybed cover, and all of the pillows. She found the carpet in Target, and loved the various pastel colors. I was stuck on pink and green, but she liked all of the colors, in particuliar yellow and pink. She was right. The yellow looked much better with the pink then the green. She went to Michael's and found all the knick-knacks for the wall, and the dollhouse. She also added the roses to the lamp.

I did the crib and the bulletin board, and the pictures which are not finished yet. I saw the bumper pads on a website and fell in love with the plush padding. They really turned out nice. I do realize that they will probably have to come out once she is old enough to stand. The idea for the bedding came from a store in Germany called "Baby Royale". The bedding in that store was simple and very elegant. I copied their boys room for Nicolas, which was alot like this one, except navy blue ribbon and no ruffles. If I can find a picture I will post it.

I am very happy with how the room turned out. Although the room is a bit cramped due to the sleigh bed, it comes in quite handy. I have often spent the night there when Olivia gave me a hard time sleeping. It also allows me to keep my sewing room intact. We don't get that many guests, and when we do, I will have to move Olivia into our room or the sewing room. It is that simple.

Cool Slideshows

Cool Slideshows

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