Cole's Corner and Creations

Want to see what I've been working on this week?

How fun is that?
Oh my gosh... it was SO fun!
My little cousin is going to Disney World this weekend and I got to make her some special things!

It was awesome! My sweet cousin in law told me a few things; like that she liked~ Cinderella, Stitch and Pooh and no dresses... other than that, I was given all creative control!

The hardest part was decided what to make and what fabrics to use.

I started with this sweet Cinderella dress and ruffle pants.

I used Lynnie Pinnie's cutie princess for this outfit, but I didn't use a pattern for the top and pants... I just made it up.

Then I made this little Pooh outfit by cutting off the bottom of a t-shirt and adding the little ruffle skirt and pooh applique.

The pants are SO cool...
they're reversible!

The pattern comes from the book, Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner. They're called quick change trousers and I've wanted to make them for a long time, but didn't have a reason to. I'm so glad I got to make them for Rowan.

Aren't they darling?!

So, then I made this little peasant top to match the reverse of the Pooh pants.

I love that Mickey Mouse fabric on there! I bought it as a Japanese import off etsy a while ago for William and then decided it was too girly for him. Sadly, my girls have never had much use for Mickey Mouse... so it was a thrill to make something out of it!

Then I made this darling, soft, knit, outfit with Stitch on it.

I guess it's my cousin's favorite Disney character... although... I can't imagine why... I think that little guy is weird and I've never been a fan of that movie, but just the same, I think this outfit is adorable!

I used the Jocole Crossover tunic for the top. (love that pattern!)

and the Tie Dye Diva's new Better Baby Pants pattern for the bottoms.... oh... those cheeky bum ruffles!

I just love how comfy and soft and different this baby outfit is.

But, I think my favorite, for Disney World has to be this adorable pink and black set for Rowan to wear with her pink and black Mickey Mouse ears.... I mean... how cute is she gonna be?

A poofy, ruffle, tutu with a sweet, personalized mickey mouse onesie!

I used the Walt font by 8 claws and a paw for the name.

I also made her a little blanket to cover up with a the park.

Minky on one side and Mickey Mouse flannel on the other.

For Mom, I made this drawstring backpack with a pattern from Aivilo Charlotte. It came out so cute.
The main Mickey Mouse fabric is from Hancock Fabrics and the red is from Hobby Lobby.

I tried to make it unisex so that either parent could carry it. I've made drawstring backpacks before, but not like this. I really like that the straps are fabric and that it has 2 pockets!

Ella REALLY liked it. She wants me to make her one ASAP!

I also made Mommy a tiny, little diaper and wipes bag that can hook on the stroller and quickly be removed to go to the bathroom.

It's a really neat design by Aivilo charlotte sewing patterns. It has the little window in the front where you can access your travel baby wipes and then an extra interior pocket (for a change of clothes, maybe) and then the little pocket on the back for diapers. I love how you can just clip the strap on and off with the little lobster clips! I'm gonna make one of these for my new niece and nephew, too.

Where was all this cool stuff when my kids were tiny???
eh... I wouldn't have had time to make it then, anyways.

It took me about 4 to 5 days to complete all this stuff, but it was just pure joy. I enjoyed every minute of the planning and sewing process.
I cannot wait to see that precious baby in her One Of A Kind wardrobe!

Thank you, Carrie and Doug for letting me do this. It was a blast!

So... neither of my girls wanted Valentine's outfits this year... and BELIEVE me, I tried to make them want one.
Lucy wanted to wear something of Ella's from last year and Ella wanted nothing with pink or red hearts. :(
Isn't that sad.

She did light up when I mentioned making her a trendy t. I bought this pattern on Black Friday and have had it traced off for a while now. I don't know what took me so long to make one! It's so fast and easy and I made my little 7 (going on 25) year old daughter so happy by making this shirt.

She was all giggles and smiles and hair flips and looking at herself in the mirror when she put it on!
I love sewing for her!

Of course, she had to wear it off the shoulder like this... and then say, "Oh mom... it's fine. It's fashion!"

Bouncing up and down and saying, "I love it so much. It's so stylish! I love being stylish, Mom! I love it so much!"

That's the response that makes sewing for your kids so much fun!

But that was nothing compared to when she saw this!

Yep, her baby doll, Bella, got a matching outfit with a trendy t (including in the girl's pattern), a black tank top made with my Too Cute Tank Top for dollies, and some jeans from American Girl.

Have you ever seen anyone so excited?

Seriously... look at her face.

Priceless.
And I'm really loving making all these baby doll clothes. It's so fun. They go together so fast and they use up scraps! Win. Win. Win.

You can get this pattern on sale today at Jocole.com and I'm having a sale in my shop for Valentines, too!
Just use code VDAY13 for 40% off patterns today! It's a great chance to snag my new Hi Low Ruffle Skirt pattern for a great price!

Happy Valentine's day everyone!

I just love all these matching doll clothes I'm making for the girls!
Ella especially loves when she can match her baby, while Lucy prefers to have FANCY doll dresses for hers.

This weekend I released my doll version of the Hi Low Ruffle Skirt to match the girl's pattern.

And Ella REALLY likes this one, because it's 'so fashion!"

I made Ella and dolly's skirt out of some cotton leopard fabric that Boo's picked out from Hancock Fabrics. For the tops, I used my Too Cute Bias Tank top pattern for Ella and my Too Cute Tank Top for dolly. I just switched out the FOE and used some bias tape in it's place.

I think they looks so good together, even though I've never been a huge fan of animal prints.
Ella really loves this outfit.

Baby Bella likes it, too. Isn't it cute on her?

Seriously... how excited is this girl?

Lucy looked pretty cute, too, so I had to get her in on the modeling action.
She's wearing Ella's Valentine shirt from last year.
She also wore some little red and white striped leggings and looked oh so festive on Valentine's day.

I love these girls!

Told you I was in love with dolly and me outfits!
I made two more this week!

I purchased the lil blue boo Twirl skirt pattern and then hit the thrift shop!
Look at all these goodies I found!
Although for full disclosure, the Minnie Mouse and the Mario were on the clearance rack at Wal-Mart... still. The Minnie was $2 and the Mario was $1! Score!

William confiscated the Baylor for himself and wanted the Rangers, but it was too big. I'm cutting into it.
The bras are to cut up for another swimsuit for me. I love the one I made myself!

The go Bananas, had to be for Lucy.
Here she is stunting with her baby. {Who's name switches back and forth between Kourtney and Aunt Sherri... we never know which name it's going to be.}

We've been singing Gwen Stefani and doing the Go Banana's cheer ever since I made this on Monday night.

I had to majorly piece this t-shirt to get the panels out of, because it was a 2 or 3T. I would suggest using larger t-shirts for this project.

Unless you find something adorable that you can't pass up, like this go bananas shirt... then, just take the time to piece it. Even with all that, this skirt took mere minutes to make.

It took longer to paint the design on her baby doll skirt than to make them both.

It's not great... I just used some puff paint, but Lucy loves it. She wanted them to be exactly the same.

Isn't she cute?!

It looks way better the way we styled it last night, with tank tops... but it's still freezing here and the girls insisted on wearing them to school today.

Ella had to have one, too, after she saw Lucy's, so I cut up the Red Wolves shirt for her last night.

Isn't it cute?! I centered the red wolf panel this time. And then sneaked into my husband's dresser and cut up one of his shirts to make the matching dolly skirt... shhhhhh......

Actually, it's not really a secret. I already told the Mr. He didn't care. He loves these skirts!

No one can see these two with their baby dolls and not love the matching dolly and me outfits.

Lucy was pretty bummed she couldn't take her baby to school today.
Ella already tried that... it's not allowed.

These skirts were drafted for 10-15 inch babies {so they're kind of short on the 18 inch dolls} but the Easter bunny is bringing Bitty Twins this year, so they will fit perfectly! :)

Go Bananas! Shown with my Too Cute Tank Top for dolly.

Go Red Wolves! Also shown with my Too Cute Tank Top for dolly pattern!

The waistband of this skirt is made with swimsuit fabric, which my girlies LOVE it's so soft and stretchy and comfortable!

I'm not really into it, but MAN... Ella is on board.
If it has a mustache... she likes it.

So, when I made her these peanut butter and jelly pajamas and we were searching for embroidery files to match,...

she immediately went for Jennilee's with the mustache on it.

I bought that tiny piece of 1/4 yard peanut butter and jelly flannel on one of my trips to Dallas. I wanted to buy several cuts of fabric and was short on dollars, so I just got very small pieces, but...
I was able to get the cuffs for Ella's pants and also a small cuff for the matching baby doll pants!

I used GGDesigns file for the embroidery on the baby doll shirt, which is made from using Jocole's Classic Tee Shirt pattern.

I didn't use a pattern for the pants... I just cut them to fit the baby doll with what little fabric scraps I had left!

And I can't even remember what pattern I used for Ella's pants... they'ree a little bit big, but good to grow into.

She has finally started growing out of the old nightgowns I made her and requested pants... :(

She's getting so grown up.
I'm going to milk this matching baby doll thing as long as I can!!!

oh... and speaking of mustaches.... here's a little onesie I made for a girlfriends baby for Valentine's day. I do think it's pretty, super, cute. The file is from Lynnie Pinnie!

I also made her baby mobile for her! It was new for me, but so fun to do.
I did everything in the embroidery machine, layering felt and sandwiching the ribbon inside the front and back layer. I love how it turned out, but it was VERY hard for me to photograph!

This is the best one I could get.

and I didn't even get a picture of the top.
I took a wooden embroidery hoop and wrapped the ribbon around it.

She requested a fox:

an VW bus:

an owl:

and two different mustaches!

I was so excited that she got these great shots of it! She is a photographer... can you tell?

Sorry... that's so much stuff on one post...
I've got to try to get caught up here!

My back is hurting so bad today... I'm actually sitting here to blog instead of sewing.

Boy have we been enjoying the summertime.

We went on our first family vacation to Orange Beach with my Aunt and Uncle...

It was beautiful.

Finished up William's baseball season.

Isn't he the cutest pitcher you've ever seen?

Enrolled the kids in some summer programs.

William went to a football camp up at the university...

Ella enrolled in a drama class at the Foundation of the Arts...

{this was the day of her 'fake' audition, which we weren't able to attend. She picked out her own outfit and accessories ha ha ha }

Little Lucy started gymnastics... and has proven to be quite the little gymnast.

I secretly {or maybe not so secretly} love watching her.

(I did make that leotard. I'll tell you about it soon!)

We also celebrated Christmas in June.... because I just couldn't wait for Christmas.... or Christmas in July.

What can I say? I get excited.

Coincidentally, I have, also, already done all the Christmas shopping for my siblings, parents, cousins and Aunt and Uncle.

I have a problem.

Every single day, I think to myself, "I should blog today" just like how I think, "I should work out" or "I should clean the dust off the fan blades".... somehow it all gets pushed to the back burner.

Like all those other things.... I'm going to try to get better.

I have been sewing and I have so many things to show you guys.

I do love blogging and working out and cleaning...well... not the cleaning... so I'm going to strive to do it more.

What have you guys been up to this summer?

Well.... it's been about a month since I posted last and I've been in TX with my family that whole time.
There's always a ton of people to see and things to do while I'm there and this summer was no exception.

We celebrated the 4th of July with my in laws, had a trip to the ER, I went to the Applique Getaway in Frisco, sewed like crazy~ including a little Christmas in July with my Mom, celebrated William's 10th b-day at Medieval Times, spent a couple days at my Aunt and Uncle's new lake house, had lots of sleepovers with the cousins, took a trip to the American Girl doll store.... and lots of other fun stuff!

I've been home for a couple days now and trying to get back in the swing of things before school starts.
Ella needs an almost all new school wardrobe this year... so I've been busy, busy sewing for her.

But today.... I'm going to show you Lucy's little gymnastics outfit I made.

I actually made this back in April... and I made it for Ella.
They had super hero day at school and Ella requested wonder woman and Lucy requested Cat Woman.

I didn't want to just make a costume, so I made this little swimsuit/leotard, but it turned out too small for Ella. Oh... don't worry, she still wore it to school, but that was the last time.

I made her little crown, too!

She paired it with a black undershirt and leggings and some black boots, so it wouldn't be TOO inappropriate for school... although some still think it was. Oh well...

She loved it.
We even sponge rolled her hair~ which fell out in about two seconds and painted her nails red and had some red lipstick.

We get into dress up days around here. :)

So back to the sewing...
I used Jalie 2792 for it in a size 7. I runs VERY small. I had to even go back and trim the elastic away from the armholes because they were tight on Lulu, who wears about a size 4 width on most patterns.

I've used a bunch of Jalie patterns before and I usually find them to be smaller than most other patterns I use, especially in the arms. My Mom told me to make a larger size... I just didn't listen.

I have to tell you, though, this is probably one of the most popular things I've ever made. Lucy gets compliments wherever she goes in this. She LOVES it more than almost anything I've ever made. Aside from her tiger dress... I don't know if I'll ever top that one. And... yes. I made that in 2010... and yes.... she still wears it.

Lucy has a thing for cats.I think it might be genetic.

She wanted to be Cat Woman... even though I told her that wasn't a superhero.
We're into breaking the rules around here, too.

For her Cat Woman costume, I made a black catsuit from this Kwik Sew pattern that I love. So handy for costumes! I just winged the waist part and the hood, remembering a costume my Mom made me way back when... I was the Cat Woman. I loved that costume.

Lucy was so incredibly cute in this... she could barely hold still to get her picture made.

She's turned into quite the little model lately. Always moving and posing, usually too quickly for me to get a good shot.

During the Wonder Woman photoshoot, she ranged from dancing

to laying on the ground,

to running and showing me how fast she is,

and finally doing some push ups...

then she got tired.

It takes a lot to tire her out, too.

These two are a crack up.
So.. that was Superhero day, from back in April.

Better late than never, right?

Soooooo.... let me tell you about the Applique Getaway!

It was only 5 miles from my Mom and Dad's house, so I was thrilled to get to go as one of Lyndsie's {Lynnie Pinnie's} guests. Aaaaaaand... in addition to attending, I also got to have a small booth and teach a couple of sewing classes. It was a new and exciting experience for me and SO fun! And to top it all off... I was able to share the experience with my Mom!

And did we start it off with a BANG!

We arrived at the Westin hotel in Frisco on Friday night to set up my booth and meet all the lovely ladies only to lock the keys in the van with the van running.... yep. That's us.

We figure my Mom's purse must have hit the lock or something... but we were stuck outside in the valet area for over an hour in the heat. Grrrrr..... The sweet bell hop tried and tried to jimmy the car open, but he just couldn't get it to work.

Yes sir, that's a clothes hanger and Westin hotel knife sticking out of my van. Good times.

But we managed to get the car unlocked after shelling out $200 to a very shady locksmith and made our way to the conference area where we set up my very first Cole's Corner and Creations booth. eeeee!

It didn't turn out as professional as I envisioned in my head, but it was a learning experience. Now, I will have a better idea of what I need to prepare a booth. You should have seen some of the ones there... oh my. Beautiful! I should've taken more pictures.

I was disappointed that my banner didn't come in on time for it. Apparently, there was some sort of train derailment or something that prevented it from being shipped on time, but I did receive it 2 days later and it looks awesome! I ordered it from Vista Print.

How cute are my girls and nieces holding it?!

Despite my disappointment in my booth's appearance, I had so much fun talking to all the attendees, meeting all of Lyndsie's testers, and the awesome digitizers that were there. It was so cool to meet them in person!

I've been testing applique embroidery designs for Lyndsie for over 5 years now. We have been online friends for so long, it's impossible to think that this is the first time we have actually laid eyes on each other. It was so great to meet her and the other testers from our group.

With Janay from Stitched By Janay. The only thing that could have made this better is if I could have met her sweet kids that I've been watching grow for years and years.

Me, Kaycee, and Janay

With Shelia of Savvy Stitches Applique. We've also watched each other's kiddos grow up. I'm pretty sure we 'met' on sewforum years ago! What a sweetheart and a big thank you to her husband, who helped me set up my sewing class!

This is me with the amazing Jennilee from Digistitches! I've 'spoken' to Jennilee online many times and always thought she was the sweetest, funniest and most supportive lady. It was such an honor to meet her in person and her class was AMAZING!

As were all the classes I attended. I learned a bunch of new things, saw some amazing new products, and generally just had a good time.

I also LOVED teaching my little sewing class, "Sew Basic". It was the first time for me teaching a 'real' sewing class and I thought it was awesome. I just love sewing so much and sharing that with others was a real treat. I hope I will have some more opportunists to do that in the future.

So... that was the Applique Getaway. I will show you tomorrow everything that I made for my booth!

So... for my booth at the Applique Getaway, I decided to make up each of my patterns with applique~ showing how great the designs were for showing off your embroidery designs and since Lyndsie invited me, I used her Princess Cutie designs to make them be cohesive.

Plus... I just LOVE those Princess Cutie Designs!

I started with my Too Cute Ruched Shorts and Bias Tank top: Using the Sleeping Beauty Cutie princess applique and some beautiful Jennifer Paganelli fabric from my stash.

I love this outfit!

Then I made my Hi Low Ruffle Skirt and another Too Cute Bias Tank Top using the Ariel Princess Cutie Applique and some green fabrics from my little sister's stash! Thanks Megan!

I thought Ariel was just perfect for this skirt and Ella loves this outfit sooooo much. She has always been a huge Ariel fan.

Then I made my Sassy Knit Peplum Tank Top using the Cinderella princess cutie as the inspiration. I love how this one turned out. I used a soft baby blue knit from fabric.com and some white crushed panne from Mom's stash.

Ella loves this shirt, too, but she had modeled about 15 things this morning in the TX summer heat... hence the strained smiles. ha ha ha

Next up... and the most fun to make {since I've been envisioning Princess themed All 4 One Stylish Swimsuits for a while} was this Snow White Princess inspired swimsuit.

I actually made this for Lucy, but I used the gathered bodice and it looked RIDICULOUS on her, since she's so tiny. Ella is starting to mature a tiny bit, so it didn't look quite as silly on her, but I just wasn't thrilled with it. Every else thought I was crazy and that it was super cute... but every time I looked at this swimsuit, I just kept thinking that it looked like a 'sexy Snow White costume' for adults.

The ruffles and the gathered boobies were all wrong for the look I wanted, so at the last minute, I re-made it and I'm sooooo happy I did, because I just LOVE the second version so much more. It was MUCH MORE what I had in mind. I use the 4X4 Snow White applique this time and placed it on the larger band~ eliminating the red smaller band.

That's what I was going for. Much more cutesy and little girl and much less adult themed Snow White.

I really wanted to make new doll clothes, as well, but I simply ran out of time... so I took some of the doll clothes I had already made and stuck some of the Princess Cutie Felties onto them. Bingo!

Princess Rapunzel for the All 4 One Stylish Swimsuit for dolly.

The Jasmin feltie for the Too Cute Bias Tank Top for Dolly with matching Too Cute Ruched Shorts for Dolly.

And the Pocohontas feltie for the Too Cute Bias Tank Top and Hi Low Ruffle skirt for Dolly.

Isn't this the coolest little 18 inch doll mannequin you've ever seen? My Mom bought it and I just had to use it for a photo shoot.

So... that, in addition to some of my business cards that I ordered from Vista Print made up my little booth at the Applique Getaway.
Well... all that and the cute aprons I made for my Mom and me.
For those, I used McCall's Apron Pattern #6132 and some gorgeous Michael Miller 'Love to Sew' fabric from my Mom's stash. I was so glad she let me use it to make our aprons. I think she had it stashed away to make a quilt someday, but it made such cute coordinating aprons for us at the getaway.

The applique I used on the yoke is from etsy, but I would NOT recommend it. It was one of the worst appliques I've ever done.
Really, really bad.

Overall, I was very happy with all the Princess Cutie stuff I made to showcase my patterns. It was a lot of work and all the girls in the family LOVED them... especially the swimsuits, which were my favorite, too.

I have some other princess inspired swimsuits in the works. :)

You can find all my patterns here in my Craftsy store and all the Princess Cutie appliques {and loads of other adorable designs} here on Lyndsie's site Lynnie Pinnie embroidery designs.

We put Lucy in gymnastics this summer with some money I stashed away from our tax refund.
She LOVES it so much and wants to go every single day... and wants to do cartwheels and handstands 24/7.

She's been wearing a combination of the Wonder Woman suit and some swimsuits to gymnastics, so I decided to make her some gym clothes this week.

She likes the Wonder Woman one so much, that I decided to make a Batgirl one next. Isn't it cute?! I just LOOOOVE it so much.

I would totally wear it....

For the sports bra, I used Jalie 2563. I've used this pattern a couple of times, for the girls and for me... which I did not post... but I love this pattern. The only thing I have to adjust is the amount of elastic needed underneath the chest. Both my girls and I need less elastic. I guess we have small rib cages... I don't know.

I appliqued the top using the same technique as I do with swimwear. It was really fast and easy with just this small 4X4 design.

The shorts are a prototype of a new pattern I'm working on for jazz shorts, booty shorts, bike shorts, whatever you want to call them. This pattern came about from necessity for us, but I think a lot of people can use them and I actually had someone ask me to make a pattern like this a few months ago.

Now just to grade them and write the pattern...

I really like the fit and Lucy says they're very comfortable.
I love this picture of the contrast band and topstitching, but I hate that my serger thread is hanging down, because I hadn't secured it yet. grrr...

But she loves both the top and the shorts... if only I could get her to slow down and pose for the camera.....

She is doing gymnastics all day long.

So, I just went ahead and made her two outfits in one day.

This one was her choice... sparkly, shiny pink fabric and matching shiny, sparkly pink leopard fabric with a cat. So Lucy.

I definitely prefer the Batman one to this one, but Lucy loves it and that's what matters.
These go together so fast and make such cute, comfy, gym clothes for her.
I see many more in the future.

They take such little fabric, as well. I made this one with mere scraps.

The applique is my favorite little cat from Sewing for Sarah. I have used this applique countless times and laughed so much when someone emailed me and asked where they could get this file the day I made this.

It's just so hard to find cute, simple, cat appliques that aren't Halloween or Christmas themed. I love that this one has two fabrics, as well, so that you can use a leopard or tiger stripe and still see the face on the cat.

So, those are Lulu's new gym outfits for now.

I want to make her some more traditional leotards, as well. I bought Laura's new swimsuit/leotard the other day and made one up for my niece. I'm going to make Lucy one next... maybe with sleeves. That would be cute. I'll show you my niece's tomorrow.

And for Mom... some pictures of Lu at the gym.

My sweet niece Hailey turned 7 just a few days ago.
She is such an intelligent, funny, and adorable girl. I wish so badly I could live near her... and all my awesome nieces and nephews.

She had a hard time deciding what she wanted me to make for her birthday, but she finally chose a Kermit the frog swimming suit.

I didn't think my pattern would be good for this one, so I picked up Laura's {Ellie Inspired~ Swimsuit Leotard Pattern} when it was on sale a week ago. $4! What a steal!

My favorite thing about this swimsuit/leotard pattern is that it is only 3 pieces! Yep.... the front, the back, and the crotch lining! Awesome! My swimsuit pattern has a bunch of pieces {which I think makes it really cute, but also very intense to put together}.

If you made this leo/swimsuit without the applique, you could make it in a flash!

Lucy really loves it, too, so I'll be making some more of these in the not too distant future.
I really like the coverage of the suit, especially the bum area. It covers really nicely.

I got this adorable striped fabric from the Fabric Fairy. I've been dying to use it and never found just the right thing for it... until now! I think it's just perfect for this suit. I did pretty good lining up my stripes... it's so hard with that slippery fabric and the serger.

My only complaints about the pattern is that it uses 1/4 inch elastic. I find that to be very finicky and hard to put on, turn and topstitch. In the future, I will just use my 3/8 inch swimsuit elastic instead.

I took my girls and my nieces to the American Girl doll store in Dallas this summer and got Hailey totally hooked on AG. She bought one of the My Generation dolls from Target for her birthday and asked for some doll clothes... eeeee!

As you wish, my sweet girl!

I used the FREE Liberty Jane swimsuit pattern for this suit and appliqued it with a small feltie design by Sweet Stuff by Jen. You should really check her site if you need felties~ she has so many and she is so friggin sweet. I just love her.

How cute is this little set! I hope Hailey loves it and forgives me for mailing it so late. I've had the girl swimsuit done for a while, but just finished the doll one yesterday. Three days after her birthday... oops.

I'm pretty sure I did the same thing last year on Hailey's birthday. Which, coincidentally, she also wanted a Kermit the Frog themed birthday gift.

I made her an appliqued t-shirt and some matching ruffle pants and if I hear correctly... she wore it every time it was clean.

And how can you blame her? Kermit is the coolest.
I've always been a fan.

{One of my senior pictures... with my stuffed Kermit and my Kermit the frog shirt from Disney World 1997}

I guess that's why I liked making her stuff so much~ this year and last year.

A little rolled hem on the pants.

Look how much she's grown in just one year.

What a cutie pie!

Happy Late Birthday, Hay yee!

I got to participate in the Sew Many Book series over at Nap Time Creations!

Click here to check it out!

And while you're there, you can enter to win a pattern pack from me!

And check out all these other awesome participants!

It's the first day of school! wahooooo!

That's not to say that I want to get rid of my kids or anything. I really love them and love having them at home with me... but MAN! they get bored at the end of the summer. We're done traveling, there's no more vacations, no more plans, no more cousins to play with, all the money is gone and the routine is missing. The girls could not wait to go back~ especially Ella. William likes to act like he wasn't excited, but he was.

He is in the 4th grade this year. He is pretty excited about his teacher, disappointed that his best friend is going to a different school this year, and very excited about starting soccer this fall.

I should have put that his favorite toys were legos... but I didn't think about it until these were already edited and saved.
In other news, you should have seen the 3 different outfits he wanted to wear for the first day before I helped him choose this one. Whoa!!! He does not even care about being cool, at all.

Ella on the other hand has had her outfit planned out for weeks.
She designed it herself and had the sketch pinned to my sewing area.

Of course, she has her necklace, earrings, and new boots included in the sketch.

She is going into the 2nd grade. She has the same teacher that William had in the 2nd grade, so we're very excited about that. She just loves school so much, more than any kid I've ever seen and she will also be playing soccer this fall.

I made her dress yesterday in record time. It's self drafted and I'm considering drawing up a pattern for it. I think it's really cute and the girls LOVE it.
We didn't have any blue and red fabric {like in her sketch} so she picked this pale pink ITY instead. It has a lovely drape and it's so soft and comfy, even though it looks like it's staticy in these photos. grr....

And with a little sweater because it was chilly this morning.

Super cute, right?

Lucy was a little less decisive. I asked her everyday for a couple weeks what she wanted to wear on the first day of school, to which she would say, "oh... I don't care", or "I'll just wear something I already have". or "why do you keep asking me that, Mom?".

It was fine with me, because Lucy has plenty of clothes, but when Ella got wind of it, she almost died in shock. "YOU DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE WEARING ON THE FIRST DAY, LUCY?" It was so funny. So she talked Lulu into making her own little sketch. {This was yesterday at about 2:00, when we had to be at church from 4-7}.... thanks.

I didn't have pink and purple fabrics on hand, so we went with this adorable 'I love Lucy' knit that my Mom bought me. I have no idea where it came from, but I love it and I've been saving it for years.

Lucy's going into the 1st grade and she is absolutely thrilled about her teacher. She also gets to sit next to one of her best friends and classmates from last year and she's been invited to be on the gymnastics team in town this fall.

For her dress, I used the Lakeshore Halter Dress pattern by Birdsong patterns.I have to tell you, I adore this pattern!!! This is the 4th dress I've made from this pattern and I'm still not sick of it. It is seriously so fast and smartly put together. It's a breeze to make. Ironing on the hem tape for the skirt takes more time that anything else. I'll show you the other versions I've made tomorrow.

Although... Lucy's may be my favorite yet.

I made a size 2 with a 6 length, which is a little long on her, but I wanted her to be able to wear it for a while. This style is just perfect for Lulu, because it's knit and comfy, but also twirly and girly.

How fun is that?!

The school year goes by so fast, but I'm so excited to see where it takes these little ones.
Also, to continue growing my business, with the help of my Mom, who is going to help me in the pattern making and drafting.

I don't make many New Year's Resolutions. I prefer to make my resolutions at the start of the school year... so here's to 1. working out more and getting healthier 2. producing more patterns 3. learning new sewing skills 4. keeping the house tidier and 5. learning some new recipes for dinners for the family!

Well, I can't show you those other Lakeshore Halter Dresses, because I can't find the pictures...grr....
Don't worry, though. I still have some stuff to show you today.
Some new pajamas I made for the girls!

They have both decided they like pants better than gowns, so it was time to make some new jammies.
I used the Jocole Flounce Ruffle pants pattern for both of them. Ella's are made out of some interlock knit that I got from my Mom's stash. It's really cute! It's has little grumpy cats on it.

To go with the pants, I made the Jocole Sancastle Halter pattern. It's super cute, but it drives me crazy when Ella wears it, because she keeps trying to pull it down. It's a little too high cut for her tastes.
I probably won't make it again for her.

I appliqued some of the little grumpy cats to the bottom of the shirt. Cute, right?

Boos likes them!

But not as much as the matching baby doll outfit. I used the same patterns for the baby doll~ matching flounce ruffle pants and a sandcastle halter.

Of course, we had to applique a little grumpy kitty to Bella's shirt, too.

Aren't they cute together?

I just can't get enough of these matching dolly and me outfits.

I found Lucy's fabric on the clearance table at Hancock's.

Normally, I wouldn't have looked twice at it, but I thought it would be so cute with this little applique I got at Hang to Dry.

It says it's a duck, but we're calling it a Lucy Goose. :)

I think these p.j's are just too cute.

And I love this pants pattern! They go together so fast. It's awesome. I've already made 5 pairs of these pants.

Hey... what can I say? When I like something, I really like it.

I want some flounce ruffle pants in my size!

I can't believe my Mom found this!
We thought all the smocked dresses she made us were gone. She loaned them to someone at church, but, sadly, never had them returned. :(

But somehow this one was found in her closet and it fits Ella!

I wore this for the first day of school in the third grade. It was my FAVORITE dress my Mom made at that time.

I remember spinning around and sitting down and watching the skirt puff up around me.

I felt like a princess every time I wore it and I still get that same feeling when I see Ella in it.

She looked so beautiful for church on Sunday. :)

I still want to learn how to smock... maybe my Mom can give me a little lesson when she gets her this weekend! I'm so excited!

I love that lace edging on the collar, too.
So sweet.

Thanks Mom.

I finally got Hailey's birthday present in the mail.... so late. I'm so terrible, but it looks like she might forgive me. I think she likes it and it fits!

But I couldn't just send something for Hailey, so I made a little something for all the girls, even though they thought the gifts were from my sister, Megan, instead of me. ha ha ha

I made Katelyn a little dress up dress, because I got this picture the other day from my sister in law.

I mean!!! Is there anything cuter than a tiny baby girl in a dress up dress? Liz told me that she wore it all day and cried when she had to change her diaper. This is the one I made for Alyssa's birthday, so it's pretty big on her, so I made her one that would fit and she wouldn't have to take off to change her diaper.

She is soooooo cute. Oh my gosh. I wish my brother would just give her to me.

I used Jalie 2674 for it and MAN! was it easy. So simple to put together. I love the shape of the skirt with the princess seaming.

And I think the little spaghetti straps are perfect for that TX heat.

And the back is my absolute favorite part. I love the seaming and the little longer, curved hem in the back.

The fabric I used is stretch velour on the top and some really sparkly pink satin on the bottom. I actually just bought a small piece to make a doll dress for the girls, but thought it looked so good for this dress, I used it. Don't tell Boo Boo.

And I'm so sad that I forgot to take pictures of this dress before I shipped it off. I hate when I do that.
It turned out so cute, too. I used an old pajama top for the Ariel panel and used the Rachel dress by Funktional threads to put it together. I am so in love with that pattern, it's ridiculous.

I also made her a little bow that she has clipped to her belly... see it there? It's so cute, too. It has one of those bottlecaps on it with Ariel's face.
This is for Alyssa's school wardrobe since she's starting pre-school this fall. What a cutie pie!

So... there you have it.
Some stuff I've been working on.

The girls elementary school is celebrating the USA today in memory of 9/11.

They were given the freedom to dress up and of course, we went all out!

Lucy knew right away that she wanted to be a sailor. {I made the doll outfit a few days prior and she fell in love with it and wanted one to match} Ella had a bunch of other ideas, but I really wanted to use fabric that I had on hand and nothing in my stash went with any of her ideas. I finally talked her into the statue of liberty and I think she is pleased!

What do you think?

I don't think she could envision it, but she loves how it came out, as do I.

I used a thin, cotton shirting I bought from fabric.com (for a steal.) It was the perfect mint color and will also be a super adorable dress when she's done with the costume. Score!

The pattern I used is the new Prairie Girl pattern by Ellie Inspired. It's a peasant dress with a button front and ruffle. I really had fun making this dress, because it's so different from the things I usually make.

I didn't have time to make the little pettiskirt, so Ella just wore a cotton skirt and tank top underneath today. I do plan to make a pettiskirt to go with it in the future... although it looks really cute how she wore it today.

For the little sash around her body, I just seamed some crushed velour into a kind of large infinity scarf.

The headpiece and torch are made by me out of some of those foam sheets, some mint paint, some glitter and some hot glue. Easy to do... and really... they make the costume.

Easy Peasy Statue of Liberty costume. The symbol of freedom and opportunity... and in my girls case.... independence.

I haven't taken any photos of the Prairie Girl dress sans costume, but I will... and then I'll give you some more details on that pattern, too.

Lucy had a very specific look and design in mind for her costume, thanks to Gennie Wren's Ships Ahoy Sailor Suit pattern for 18 inch dolls.

I made this for the girls a few days ago and Lucy absolutely fell in love with it... which, really.... was a little bit of a shock to me. I thought at the time, that I would like it a lot more than the girls.
I was wrong.

They both liked it, but Lulu took a real liking to it. Her baby has been dressed in nothing else for days.

The problem was finding a pattern like Gennie's in girls sizes... which I couldn't do. So, I am super-dee-duper proud of these garments.

Those pants are completely functional with a button front and those sleeves are completely drafted by me... and at about midnight last night, no less.

I did use a couple of patterns as a starting off point: The Henry/Henrietta pant by Browniegoose for the britches and The Seaside Sailor dress by The Tie Dye Diva for the top and collar.
The construction techniques were all thanks to the wonderful pattern by Gennie Wren. WOW! That woman can sew... and teach you to. That is like, a little couture garment for dolly. Very fun to put together! I've bought a few of her dolly patterns, but, sadly, this is the only one I've put to use. Not for long, though. I'll tell you that much. I do hope she will make her dolly patterns into full size girl patterns. That would save me a lot of time. :)

My sweetie is so happy and adorable in her little sailor suit. Her Grandaddy on my father's side was in the navy, as well as, my husbands Grandad, so this little outfit is super special.

And a great costume for USA day.
It has all the little, special details, like functioning pockets {lined with some adorable sea worthy fabric, I might add.}

Wide cuffs and cutesy pie star buttons!

A great collar with red and white saddle stitched trim.

And a cute hat. It was rummaged out of William's dress up box, since I didn't have time to make the sailor hat pattern I purchased. I was too tired.... but I love the look of this one better, I think, and it goes perfect with her little victory rolls.

I tried really hard to capture them on film, but didn't succeed too successfully. They really are adorable in person.
Can you tell she thought she was pretty awesome this morning?

I just love that look in their faces, when they feel so great in something I've made them. It makes my tired, up til 2 am, sewing brain all worth it.

God bless America... They are so cute.

Poor William hates being in Intermediate school. No more dressing up for my sweet boy.

And... just for fun, here's a picture taken this week of my nephew holding a picture of my Grandaddy.
How cute is he!?

{photo courtesy of Crystal Ingle Photography}

What a fun way for our school to make fun such a somber day.

Squeeze those babies extra hard!

Well... my little sister has been speed demon, sewing for my little nephew and a certain little boy at my house was getting very jealous.

He really liked the last garment Judy made from the V neck cardigan pattern by Peek-a-Boo pattern shop, so I decided to make him one last night out of some fabric my cousin sent me when she was moving.

Annie! Thank you so much for this fabric! It is THE softest knit I have ever had in my hands. It's just lovely and William loves it so much!

I'm just dying over how cute and preppy he looks in this little cardi!

Every time I see it, though, I just want to say, "ooh.... sexy cardi!" I kept saying it last night and my husband had no idea what I was quoting. Do you guys?
I've watched Notting Hill about a thousand times...

This cardigan was incredibly easy to put together. Seriously, it took about 20 minutes.

Since there's nothing to hem, I made the entire thing on my serger, except for the buttonholes and topstitching, which isn't in the pattern, but I thought would look good.

This is the first time I've done a bunch of buttons like that on knit fabric, but it worked fine. I just used the stretch buttonhole on my machine.

The band is interfaced, which makes it easy and look really nice. And I just happened to have these perfect buttons in my stash already. This cardigan cost me $0. Woo hoo!

I'd like to make him so more, but make the sleeves a little bit longer. I made him an 8 with the 10 length, which I think is good everywhere but the sleeves.

Cutie pie!

However, he did run in the house and change after this photo shoot. He couldn't handle the cuteness of the polo shirt underneath. I don't even know what he ran off wearing. He barely had time to make the bus. He's probably wearing it with a Sonic the Hedgehog or sports shirt underneath...???

I think I may be making a lot more things for him. Judy is making me look bad.

If you need a cardigan and a quick sew, this is a great pattern.

Well, the girls got ready for school this morning and when I saw them, I realized that I never blogged about these dresses.

It's a little bit past the season, I realize, but it just wouldn't do a service to anyone if I don't tell you how great this pattern is. I really, really like making these dresses and seeing the girls wear them.

I started with this one first, which is kinda funny, really, because it's my favorite.

Seeing as the the skirt is a circle, it takes a bit of fabric to make one, so I picked up this Project Runway knit from the clearance section at JoAnn's. I really loved it, but didn't really think the girls would. The little dots are flocked and it has a dressy, almost grown up appeal.

But I wanted to make it out of something inexpensive first, to test the fit and see if I liked it.
Holy Cow! We both loved it!

Ella loved the twirl and I loved the fit and the style. It's so classy, with this big bow on the back!

And it's so fast to make... the hardest part of the process was hemming the skirt, and really, that wasn't all that bad. I'm so proud of how this hem looks!

It's something only other seamstresses can appreciate.

I then made Ella another one with some gorgeous fabric from my Mom's stash.

I just thought the fabric was stunning, but didn't head the designers warnings to use a stable knit.... grr....
This one is a baby rib knit and really, not appropriate for this style.

You can see how the skirt pulls down on the sides and also in the back. The weight of the skirt is too heavy and the fabric pulls.

It doesn't bother Ella in the least bit, she still wears it all time (including today), but it kinda drives me crazy when I see it.

But the fabric is just so lovely and girly.

Then I tried it with an ITY fabric.

The same fabric, if you'll remember, that I made a dress for me out of, which is fun, because now we can match at church. :)

It's kind of a grown up fabric, but I just LOVE it on this dress with the little brown polka dot sash.

The ITY was a good choice of fabric. It drapes nicely, but does not pull and it holds it's shape.

The sash is a little bit droopy and it stretches out a bit, but it still looks darling!

I started off sewing these dresses on my regular machine, because I was scared that the serger wouldn't hold, but on the last two, I did them entirely on the serger and they hold up fine.

And, the last one I made, the I love Lucy one for Lulu's first day of school.

So, for the review, I would say that this is a great and timeless pattern. Comfortable to wear, easy to put together and also easy to alter to make it a perfect fit.

I made Ella a size 5 with a 6 length and made Lucy a size 2 with a 6 length. But Lucy is able to wear Ella's, as well, and she does, quite often.

Head the designers fabric suggestions and choose a more stable knit and you'll be great!

Your daughters will love them!

Pattern info: Lakeshore Halter Pattern by Birdsong Patterns.

I have no affiliation, just a happy customer!

I guess since I love making swimsuits so much, it was only a matter of time before I fell in love with making leotards. The time is now!

I just recently picked up Jalie 2792 and what perfect timing, since Lucy was asked to compete at gymnastics.

I love the fabric in this leotard. It's black cherries from Girl Charlee and red and black polka dots from the fabric fairy. I just love the retro feel.

This is the leotard before any adjustments and I made Lucy the size 8 which is CRAZY for her sizing. She is about the width of a three year old and the length of a six year old, but you can see, the leotard fits pretty good except for the armpits. They were way too small, so I had to cut the elastic off and re-do them.

She how high they are. I really need to make a smaller size, too, as this one is pretty baggy.

But she loves it and it works great.
Here it is in action!

I also made one for Ella, who is also taking gymnastics. I think I might like hers even more!

I made Ella a size 10, which is also funny, but it fits her really great.

Even under the armpits.

I made Ella's out of this gingham peace sign lycra from Spandex World. Ella picked it out, so she really, really loves it.

I also made some leotards for a customer using this pattern.

I started with this pink, black and white number with the sparkly pink on the top bodice. It's the same fabric I used for Lucy's kitty cat sports bra set.

Then I made this light pink and leopard one. The leopard is from the warehouses in downtown Dallas and is the softest knit fabric ever!

Then, I thought I'd venture out and try View C on the pattern. I really love how it turned out.

It looks like it would be difficult, but it was really easy to make.

The hardest part was finding the clasp for the back...
but I finally found some on etsy, but had to wait a couple weeks to get them.

I love that they're pink, but I wish they were a bit bigger so that I didn't have to crunch the fabric up to fit it in there.
Oh well... still cute.

Here are the pictures I got of the happy customer. Isn't she a doll?

This won't be the last time I use this leo pattern, but I'm gonna have to make some adjustments to make it fit Lulu the right way.

Now I really want this Jalie pattern, too.
I love the back of it.

And the side!!!

Custom Disney World Week!

Happy Valentine's day in a Trendy T!

Hi Low Ruffle skirt {for Dolly}

Lil Blue Boo Twirl skirts for dolly and me

Have you jumped on the mustache train?

Sum Sum Summertime....

Back to the Grind~ Superhero day

Applique Getaway 2013

Applique Getaway Booth Samples~ Princess Cutie Style!

Gymnastics outfits~ sports bra and gym shorties

Happy Birthday Hailey! Kermit the frog edition 2.0

Sew Many Books~ Fancy Nancy

First Day of School 2013

New Pajamas! Flounce Ruffle pants

My favorite dress from yesteryear

Presents for my nieces!

Celebrate USA day!

Something for the Boy! A V neck Cardi!

Lakeshore Halter Dresses X4

Jalie 2792 Leotards