Pretty, Pretty Princess

I was super excited when a friend asked me to sew her daughter a princess dress for Halloween. I used the pattern from my daughter's dress last year, so I thought I would just fly through making it.

Then I had to be over ambitious and choose the worst fabric ever to sew with. Darling fabric for sure, but so hard to sew! The organza overlay has small white beads all over it. My sewing machine and small white beads do not get along very well.

Anyway, after a few more hours than I planned, I was very pleased with the results and it is perfect for Princess S.

Hooded Towels and Sweet Babies

A couple of months ago my husband's cousin had a baby shower thrown for her and her soon-to-be born twin girls. I made some hooded towels as my gift to them.

I just love big, fluffy, warm hooded towels. Those small thin ones that are common at stores these days are a joke. So, I consider it one of my missions in life to give hooded towels as shower gifts. Yeah, so if you invite me to a baby shower anytime soon then you now know what you will probably get, and I am OK with that. :)

It was so fun this week to see pictures on M's blog of her sweet babies wrapped up in their towels after their first bath at home. (Thanks for letting me share your pictures, M!)

Baby T -- she was about 3 1/2 lbs at birth and only had to spend a couple of weeks in the hospital ... definitely a fighter!

Baby M -- she was around 5 lbs at birth and went home right away

Halloween Revisited

Halloween costumes are underway. My only serious dilemma is finding cowboy boots for my son. I found them for my daugher for $5 at Kid to Kid. No such luck for him. Unfortunately you can't just whip out a sewing machine for boots ... wish me luck on that one.

Anyway, in my effort to put a bit more consistent at updating this blog I thought I would do a bit of reminiscing. If you read my personal blog, you have seen my kid's past Halloween costumes, but I only have last year's on here. So here's to a trip down little ol' memory lane!

Halloween 2006: Little Bo Peep and her sheep

Halloween 2007: Peter Pan and Tinkerbell

Halloween 2008: Princess and Knight (click for link)

Halloween holds a special place in my heart when it comes to sewing because my first real sewing project was a Halloween costume for my brother. I was 10 and he was 4. (I think. Is that right, Mom?) One of these days I need to dig out a picture and put it on here. He was Aladdin, a dang stinkin' cute Aladdin, if you ask me!

What are some of your favorite past Halloween costumes? Share them on your blog and share the link with me! Go on. I dare you. You might win something cool. Just sayin'.

Halloween Prep

My daughter's boots from the 4th of July inspired this years theme for both kid's Halloween costumes. Cowboy and cowgirl! If you know my children and know how obsessed with Toy Story they are you might ask why I don't dress them as Woody and Jesse. My answer? Because I don't want to. Fair enough, right? OK, really it is because I want my daughter in a big poofy rodeo queen type skirt. I'm a girly girl and she's a girly girl because of me. We can't help ourselves.

My in-my-head brainstorming has been going for a while now, but now it is time to put it down on "paper".

The cowboy is easy. Martha Stewart helped me out by putting this tutorial up on her website. I won't be using grocery bags, though. A little too cheap for me. Plus, if I make it a bit more durable maybe, just maybe, my son will want to wear it again. Wishful thinking? Perhaps.

The cowgirl is another story. Making it will be easy. Settling on what I want to make, not so much. I did a little search on etsy to getting the creative juices flowing.

Here are my four favorites from my search results. (Click on the image to head to the etsy shops that these costumes are being sold at.)

from NY Costumes

from So Shaes Bowtique

from Girlie Bows

from So She She

I'll probably end up borrowing ideas from each of these costumes. Aren't they all so cute and unique? I love the internet and the ability to see so much creativity from so many talented people!

Let the costume making begin!

What are you going to be for Halloween? Your kids? Your dog?

Piano Bags

I have been spending most of my crafting time getting ready for piano lessons to start this fall. Reviewing method books, reading tips and watching videos online, developing studio policies, and drafting piano practice sheets are some of the many tasks that have consumed my time.

It has been fun to get back into the music world. I have my Bachelor of Music and taught school for three years, but since I became a stay at home mom a couple of years ago I put music on the back burner (besides singing with my kids). Now it is moving to the front again, at least for one evening a week.

Anyway, I couldn't help but throw a bit of craftiness in the midst of all my music focused prep, so I made bags for my students to carry their music in. I have 2 students so far and am leaving time open for 2 more. I am very happy starting small, since my kids are little and they need their mama, especially in the evenings.

Back to the bags. Do you think these will motivate my students to practice, practice, practice?


I bought the canvas bags at Hobby Lobby, along with two rectangles of felt for each bag,one for the background and one for the letter. I love the tan felt on the 'a' bag. It is embossed with a damask-ish pattern. And I figured the camouflage would be perfect for my 3rd grade male student. Boys and camouflage always go together, right?

The total cost for each bag was about $4 and a couple of hours in front of your favorite movie while you do the hand stitching. Can't beat that!

Free Oliver + S Pattern!

I have been drooling over Oliver + S patterns since I discovered them a few months ago. I have heard that they are wonderful to sew and OMG, aren't they just the cutest things ever?!

So today I was super excited to see that one is being offered for free! The popover dress looks simple and fun to sew. Sewing it will give me a good chance to test out the patterns to see if I want to splurge on another pattern such as this,or this, or maybe even this.

Happy sewing!

Pillowcase meets Bandanna

The past few weeks have been filled with lots of summer fun. Busy, busy, busy! I have had to drop sewing and crafting down the totem pole just a bit.

Last Thursday I did manage a couple of hours though. I had this pretty blue fabric and a yellow bandanna in my stash,but I wanted a top, not a skirt. Using a pillowcase dress as my inspiration I came up with this.

Unfortunately, I made the arm holes a bit short, so it didn't fit my daughter as well as I would have liked, but was perfect as a dress for my 9 month old niece.

I am definitely going to have to give this idea another go. I hope you enjoy the dress baby E!