Happy Saint Patricks Day!

 The Bug asked me on Tuesday if I would make her a dress to wear to church on Saint Patricks Day.  I rarely turn down such a request if there is any feasible way but this time I was extra excited because I had two yards of green fabric that I have been dying to make a dress with.  Since it wasn't pink or purple, I didn't think she'd go for it but this was the perfect opportunity.

She was not in the mood for posing. We seriously need warm weather around here. Indoor posing is awkward for all of us.  But you can see things well enough here. The pattern is the ruffle top by Elegance & Elephants (I used the swing dress option) and the fabric is Michael Miller Happy Tones Jemma Floral Lattice in green. Have you ever seen a more perfect fabric? And I love it combined with this pattern.

 The best part for me is the sparkly vintage button in the back. It's like it was just made for this dress.  The Bug was so excited when she saw it. She is such a little magpie.

Again, prolific apologies for less than ideal, fuzzy indoor photos. Last year it was around 78 here on St. Patty's Day. Today it is 38. Come on Spring!

I found this lime green striped ribbon in my stash and held it up to the dress on a whim. I didn't expect to love it but I did. It was a fun way to finish things of.

My little munchkin has been twirling and spinning all day. I think she likes it! The true test will be if she wears it after today.

~Lindsay

Christmas Top

The Bug needed something to go with her cute little Christmas skirt and I wasn't digging the look of the sweater that I'd intended for her to wear with it.

Enter this little Christmas procrastination project.

I'd seen the tutorial for this peasant blouse on blueprints a while back but honestly, I passed it up because the fabric she used just wasn't my thing. Yes, I am that superficial.

But then I saw these dresses made from the aforementioned tutorial and quickly saw the error of my ways. Bam! Wouldn't you know it, this shirt idea worked it's way into my brain and I couldn't stop until it was done.

The Bug hates it.

But I'm getting used to that.

She will wear it anyway. Because I'm the Mom and I said so.

I did all of the stitching in red to make it extra Christmas-y. And, to be honest, because I didn't want to spend the extra two minutes it would have taken to wind a bobbin with green thread. But it works, right? (Please tell me it works)

The inspiration for the ornament applique came from the girls at crafterhours (gotta love the name of that blog!). I like that she embroidered the ornament tops and string but I just didn't have that kind of time so I simply stitched a red line from each ornament to the top of the shirt.

I like it. I will most definitely be using this tutorial again with a few tweaks. I have visions of dresses made of some of the vintage fabrics from my grandma's stash. But those will have to wait. There are two more Christmas presents for two special little boys yet to be made and a baby quilt that still needs some quilting. . .

I'd best get busy.

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Skirt

I've been wanting to make something with this fabric since the moment I got it and just finally got around to it. The skirt is Micheal Miller's Santa Holiday Stripe and the yoke is Joyful Damask.

I drafted this pattern up on my own, based on a cute denim skirt that my sister found in a catalogue. I wish I had enough fabric left to make one for myself but this will be just perfect for the Bug. I have been working on a Christmas dress for her, but I just am not loving it.

This skirt? Love. It.

Here's the yoke detail. If I had it to do again, I would have paid more attention to the pattern placement. I think that would have just kicked it up a notch. But I was working quickly and I only have a fat quarter of the damask so I was trying to be frugal with it. The yoke is fully faced and top stitched and the exposed seams are all french seams so the skirt looks finished inside and out.

I used this sweet little loop trim from my stash for some detail at the hem line. I love the whimsy of it. Works so nicely with this fun print.

And this may well be my favorite part, the slightly exposed PURPLE zipper. I know it's crazy, but I thought it looked fun and totally unexpected.

I can't wait to see the Bug in this at all our Holiday functions. She has a striped green sweater that I think will be just perfect with it. Super fun and funky.

The sad part about this skirt is that, while ripping out some rogue top stitching I accidentally ripped a little hole in the back waistband. Yikes!! I repaired it, but it totally rendered this garment un-sellable. Thank goodness I have just enough of the damask to make another one for the Etsy store!

~Lindsay

Custom Order #2

After completing the Halloween apron for my co-worker, another co-worker asked if I could make an apron as a birthday gift for a friend of hers. My co-worker picked out the fabric from Hancock's of Paducah (my main fabric supplier) and a pattern from the A is for Apron book.

You may recognize the pattern. It is the same pattern I used for the Holiday Twirl, which I had made in order to try out the pattern before making this apron for my co-worker. The only difference is that she wanted to make it reversible (I of all people can't blame her for that decision.)

I wasn't sure how I would like the dots as the main fabric and the big bold patterned fabric as the accent. It seemed to me that the dots were more well suited to an accent fabric and the big bold pattern as the main fabric. Now that it is done, I couldn't disagree with myself more! The ties are long enough to make a bow in back or a tie in front. I actually really like how the tie in front looks, but who doesn't like a big bow in back. Can you tell which side is my favorite?

Oh, who am I kidding - I LOVE both sides - and the options and possibilities they create.

With the exception of a minor topstitching false alarm that I was able to address before it was too late, the apron went together easily.

I can't wait for the big reveal on Monday. I know she is going to LOVE it. My favorite part of creating these items is making something that people can enjoy!

Interested in a custom order? Just contact me via our 402 Center Street Etsy Site.

~ Michelle