School Days for Katelyn, grade 3

“What a pity every child couldn't learn
 to read under a willow tree...”
        ~ Elizabeth George Speare,
           The Witch of Blackbird Pond

     The girls have been back to school for over 2 weeks now, so it is time to start the little skirts and t-shirts that they all enjoy wearing.  I may repeat this one for Miss Mae;  Katelyn seems to like it!  But I have learned that you never know what will strike their fancy.  They may like a fabric on the bolt, but that does not necessarily translate to a favorite garment to wear to school.


     When we got this fabric into the store I thought it would be a perfect back to school fabric.  I loved the shades of green and the alphabet print, and the green stripe is a nice companion fabric.  I did not use a pattern for the skirt, but measured from her waist to the desired length.  I would get tickled as I measured around what I thought was her waist, and she would grin and say,  "That's not how I wear it, Bibi!" and then slide it down a bit.  That's just one of the little chuckles you get sewing for grands!
      The font on the t-shirt is from Fancyfonts, and it is one of my older designs.  You can's see unless you zoom in really close, but it has dots running down the main part of the  K.  I did those in orange, the K in turquoise and her name across in green. The ruffled T-shirt is one of my favorites;  it is from Montag.

I won't have to announce the purchase of a new phone, you will know by the absence of the dark line across the corner of my photographs!  Now on to a skirt and t-shirt for Miss Mae, buton second thought, I have to do something in between because I don't just love doing the same thing over again.

I'm upstairs to my 780 soon!

Sweet Molly Kathryn

      

Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by     

reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future. 

~Maria Montessori

 

     Molly Kathryn's Grandma is a dear friend, and made this sweet collection of burp cloths to take with her on their recent introduction.
     Grandma had some great ideas and I wanted to pass them along...I love the green polka dot and birth details; the lil sister Molly is probably a purchased design, but you could do it in the Artista Software, and her colors are fresh and current!
     I would guess that Molly has a future filled with fun appliques and monograms!

Remember the time...?

Ah, How good it feels!  The hand of an old friend.

     ~  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sue invited us to visit their mountain home in Arizona, and it was a lovely day.

The girls played in the woods, we rocked on the porch, talked over old times, and generally just enjoyed each other's company.

I wanted to do a little thank you for the day and I decided to do a word block on a kitchen towel.

I tried to include favorite memories, and used the software to place the words using various fonts.

I added an edgewalk underlay to most of the lettering through the Artista Software, worked with the colors to get an idea of how it would stitch out, and chose some little ornaments.  Harrington, Blackboard, Varsity, St. Charles and Anniversary are a few of the fonts that I used.






The stitch out was quick and easy.  I used two layers of tear-away on the back, and solvy on top.  I used a long strip of a cotton print that was the width of the towel and about 6 inches deep.  I folded it lengthwise, stitched it to the wrong side of the towel and pulled it forward, enclosing the ends of the stripe under the fabric.

I know Sue's friends and family will enjoy their mountain home with family and friends for many years to come!

Christmas in July....in August

Be merry all, be merry all,
With holly dress the festive hall;                                                 Prepare the song, 
the feast, the ball,
To welcome merry Christmas.

                   ~William Robert Spencer


I took this partially completed project home from the store intending to complete it for our Christmas in July event.  Needless to say, it did not get finished in time, so I pulled it out on a rainy day last week and finished it up.

     I was able to choose how I finished it;  I considered a pillow, but decided on a wall hanging.  The wreath didn't have a border, so I added strips with a green and red polka dot from my stash.  I used the #18 button sew on foot to add the button berries.  I am finally getting used to it, and I think when I have more than a few buttons to sew on at one time, I will be happy to have it.


To finish up the wreath, I made a tube out of a scrap of the green, turned it with the seam on the back, pressed it, and cut it in half.  I pinned these to the inside, with the loops facing inward. (how many times have I done that backwards?)

I had some bright green rick rack in my stash so I used that in the seam line between the lining and polka dot to give the hanging a little border.

Rather than using velcro to attach the tabs, I did buttonholes and once again buttons.  I attached it to the Merry Christmas hanger and took my photo.

( My next photo shows the broken lens line in the upper left corner, I am upset about it but not upset enough to ditch my iphone.)

This isn't my favorite project, but it could brighten a dull space on the wall during the Christmas Season.

Chevron Sun Dress

                                                                    

 On manners of style, swim with the current,

on matters of principle, stand like a rock.

       ~ Thomas Jefferson    

This little dress from Olive Ann seemed to be the perfect pattern for Miss Mae, and I got a huge smile when I showed her the pattern and the fabric.  I wanted to do a pink/navy combination, but after rummaging through my stash I decided to go with the crisp navy and white, polka dot and chevron.

The pattern gives the option of a fully lined dress or a lining for the bodice, and I decided the just do the half lining.  When I put the polka dot behind the chevron, though, the navy was clearly visible on the white portion of the chevron.  I used a fusible woven interfacing on the bodice polka dot and that solved that little problem.

On the right is a photo of the front of the dress with the ruffle attached to the hem, and with the plain straps.  I thought it was really cute like this, and as I slipped it over her head for approval,....her response..."Bibi, can you put another ruffle up here?"  pointing to the neckline.  As tedious as the durned ruffle was to fool with, how could I say NO to that?

And I almost forgot to mention matching the chevrons.  Yikes!  It is absolutely necessary to do, and it is somewhat of a pain.  This dress was easier than most because of the simplicity,  but I carefully laid it out, getting both pieces as close to the same spot on the chevron as possible, and then matching the stripes at the quarter inch seam.

You know that I have a love affair with the Ruffler foot, #86, but this ruffle is gathered down the middle and finished on both sides.  Durn it!  So after cutting the ruffle to the correct length, I got the #68 foot, and finished both long sides of the ruffle.  I guided it carefully with with my left hand, held my mouth just right, and after a little practice I had long lengths of ruffle with nice little double folded hems.

I attached the ruffle to the neckline and straps, and I have to admit it is cute on her.  Mae Mae tickles me with her little poses in the dress, but she is very happy with it!  Her mommy posted this picture on Facebook.

Christmas in July

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year.                    ~ Charles Dickens

For Christmas in July at the store, we each made an item to share with our customers.  I decided to make a little romper for
sweet little Sarah,  who may or may not decide that she wants to wear wear it!  It is the same romper that I made for her big sister and cousin last summer, and I thought this would look cute with a white t-shirt or turtle neck.

The pattern is from Bonnie Blue and this time when I made it I cut some fullness from the body.  I used 2 different cottons for the ruffles;  one is a red, pink and green print on white, the other is a lime green and white chevron.  I used a little different method for the ruffles on the bottom, drawing a line where the ruffle begins, attaching it carefully along the line, and then enclosing the raw edges from behind and covering them with a corduroy fold on the wrong side.  I used the # 86 ruffler for the ruffles along the bottom of the pants, but gathered the bodice ruffle the old fashioned way with gathering threads.


With the ruffler foot for this ruffle, I set the foot to gather each stitch, and then set the screw for a fairly shallow tuck.

I am now thinking about 3 more Christmas outfits...it is nice to have one behind me!

New Zealand Skirt

The sunshine seemed to bless.

The air was a caress. 

~John Greenleaf Whittier

My girls love little summer skirts.  Issa brought one home from New Zealand, with big pockets on the sides that was precious.  Mandy and I went to my stash, found a pretty little floral print, and I got my tape measure. I measured the skirt in as many places as I could... around  the bottom of the hem, from the waistband to the hem, the length and width of the pocket panels, and the length of the fold inside the skirt.  It was really not to difficult to do,  and I couldn't wait to begin. 

 I started with the pocket panels.  I decided to use a contrasting fabric for the interior panel;  I folded it up, then placed the measured square on top of the panel, right sides together, and stitched them together.  I wanted to try and gather the front of the pocket like the original skirt, but it didn't work so I will try something different on the next one.  They kind of hang open like little kangaroo pockets, but we both liked the look.  From this point it was as simple as sewing up the sides, making a casing, and running the elastic through the casing.  the original skirt did not have trim on the bottom, but I added that.

   

  I am going to make this skirt again,  with one significant  change.  I got a little  bit lazy with the trim on the hem.  I thought since there were no curves, just straight seams, that I would not need bias strips; that I could use straight strips of the complimenting turquoise mini check as a trim along the hem of the skirt.  Au contraire!  Look at all the waves along the stitching.  I can press them out, but the next skirt will have bias strips as the trim.

Saguaro or Agave?

The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest.  
You are always being asked
 to do more, and you are not
 yet decrepit enough to turn
them down.
       ~ T.S. Eliot, quoted in Time

     When I appliqued t-shirts for our Arizona vacation, I used the saguaro cactus.  At the time I didn't know that the saguaro didn't  grow in Sedona because it is too cold.  But they were cute little designs, they came from Linnie Pinnie and I thought they would be fun to do.   I used the Sugar and Spice  font for the lettering on their names.
     We learned a little about cactus on one of our tours.  I loved the story of the agave  or century plant.  It is not really a cactus, and it is used to make agave nectar and tequila.  But the wonderful thing is...it doesn't really show its stuff until it is around 60!

At some time after 60, it grows a huge stalk with blossoms, then the entire plant dies. 

I am hoping  to last a little longer than my 60s, but regardless of when I go,  I like the idea of saving my best for last!

When a man points a finger at someone else,  he should remember that  four of his fingers  are pointing at himself. ~Louis Nizer

    I have finished!  Four  (count 'em) four  little swim suit
cover-ups, all done!  I can't wait  to see the little girls in
 them together at the pool.

 
I did this cover-up alittle differently.
 I gathered the little skirt on my sewing machine,
 but I put the rest of it together using the serger.
  I am still learning how to use it, but it went
together so quickly, and the seams were
neat and clean.
 












I have a new font,Master Circle, and I love the way
that the letters can be intertwined.  It is going to take

practice moving the ends of each letter to the right spot,
 but I think the more I do it the easier it will be.
     The binding was made from 2 1/2 inch strips,
 folded lengthwiseand neatly pressed.
 I sewed them down matching the raw
edges from the wrong side, then turning
the fold to the front and sewing it down with the
number 10 edge foot.

I struggled a little making the patterns for these dresses
 because the pattern wasn't included in the information from
Crafter Hours.  Since I began the first one, she is offering a
pattern that is adaptable for boys and a straighter version for girls.
It would be sooo much easier with a pattern to follow.

I am hoping that my next post will be 4 girls  all covered up
  in their newbeach dresses!

Beach towel coverup # 3

Three things cannot be long hidden:
the sun, the moon, and the truth.  
                        ~ Buddha

Cover up number 3 is finished, done, complete!  3 down and 1 to go! Issa has her navy and orange, Mae has the purple and green, Little Sarah the pink, and Katelyn's blue and green is cut out, serged and ready to be put together.  Now all  I need is a photo of  the girls together in their cover ups by Bibi!