Tents! Because Dolls and stuffies like camping too!

 I've been working on these tents for a while. Mostly since I had no pattern, and a only a couple of tutorials to work with. However, I've managed to come up with a couple of tents that I'm mostly satisfied with, although I may tweak the pattern for the big tent a bit. Here are the two sizes I made.

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The bigger tent is a great size for AG or other 18" dolls and can fit two laying down side by side.

It features a zip opening, which makes it look more realistic.

Barbies also work for this one, although the tent is on the large side, it's great for a big Barbie slumber party.

The smaller tents (I made two, because they are fast, and easy with no zip and a facing around the door) are a bit small for Barbie, but can fit one laying diagonal. It does fit the smaller sister dolls, such as Skipper, Stacie, or Chelsea.

My girls like to pair them with a variety of toys, including My Little Pony,

various dolls in various sizes,

and various stuffies. Beanie Boos are the favourites at the moment.

These tents can be ordered on my facebook page here, however, there are limited order slots, due to life being busy when you have young kids. Thanks for stopping in! You can follow me on facebook, instagram and pinterest, or leave a comment down below.

Autumn Leighanna

With the Autumn leaves changing colors, it dawns on me that the craft show is looming in the very near future. That's when I was struck with panic, seeing as my goal of having thirty items at the craft show would be virtually impossible. I'll be lucky with half. Sigh.
I'm pretty horrible with procrastination, but I actually have reasons for being so behind. With Hunny in school full time, it seems Monkey's made it her mission to make sure I'm not lonely, or missing the older one. She's also pretty lonely with out her, so she's looking for me to fill the void.
I am managing to sew a few things, so I'm going to print out a photo book and bring it along as well, so that people can order things as well.
In the meantime, I'm hurriedly sewing all the quick sews that I've got in my pattern stash. One of my favourites for colder weather is the Leighanna. I had a pretty floral print in autumn colours in my stash, and I actually bought it with the Leighanna in mind.

It looks big on my four year old, because it's a 5/6 size, but my oldest was in school, so I used my youngest as a model. It is cut on tunic length, because tunics and tights seem to be really in right now.

The Leighanna has a slit that is usually in the center and finished with a bow, but I wanted to change things up, so I moved it to the side, and added some non-functional buttons alongside the slit. Since the neckline is elastic, it doesn't matter if they're non-functional.

I actually wanted it to be long sleeved, but unfortunately, I didn't purchase enough of the print for that. Alongside the Tobago, this is one of my fave staple patterns, since it sews up in about an hour, and is super cute! 

Now that I've gotten a little more sewjo, it's time to tackle those Barbie/American Girl tents that I've got cut out. Thanks for stopping in, and check back in the next week or so if you're curious how those tents turn out!

Women's raglan, sweater dress style

Finally, I can share my raglan sweater dress that I made for myself last week. I'd have shown it sooner, but thanks to living in a very rural area, my internet was having issues. Ok, so mostly the issues were due to me hitting my data limit, but hey, it's really low, and I love browsing. So sue me!

This was such a quick sew, and I love how it turned out. I got the fabric from the clearance shelf of a local Fabricland. To be honest, since Canada has quite high fabric prices, and I'm on a really tight budget, most of my fabrics come from the clearance shelves. The ones that don't, come from sales, lol.

Anyway, back to hooded sweater dress. I wasn't planning on making a sweater dress, per say. I cut it on tunic length, forgetting to factor in my shortness, and voila! sweater dress! I could have cut it shorter, but I only checked the length after fussy cutting my pocket. It doesn't matter though, because with our short chilly falls, and long cold winters, I'm loving it as it is! The chill is already setting in, with the world ablaze in flaming fall colours. You might guess that I love fall, it's my favourite season!

Sidetracked again! Well, since I had some leftover fabric, that wasn't enough to sew my cuties anything to wear, I decided to sew a raglan for an 18 inch doll, for the craft show coming up. I'd sew it for my cuties, but they haven't embraced the doll thing, I'm still hoping to get them into it, yet.

That's all, for now. I've got a bunch of things cut out and ready to sew, but I couldn't find my sewjo, and I thought sewing myself something might bring it back. It worked, now to get on those UFO's and I've also got some projects on the cutting board that I can't wait to share! Thanks for stopping in!

Honey's Back to School Tobago!

I'll admit this dress took longer than the usual half hour for a Tobago, and here's why. I incorporated two tutorials from the SS blog, and two of my own. The first two that I used were the capsleeve and collar tutorials that you can find here and here.  I love the look of the capsleeve, and the collar is an adorable touch. The fabrics I picked to work with are a pink chambray, a grey chambray and a simple white cotton for the facing. Chambray happens to be my fave solid fabric to work with, I just love the colours and how it sews.

I have to say that I love that SS has tutorials on the blog to spice up and switch up the patterns you already own, so you can make your sewing budget go a long ways, especially if you're limited in budget like a lot of us are.

The second mod that I added was a henley placket. I absolutely love buttons! There are so may kinds to choose from, and one of my favourite things to do is go to thrift shops and look for vintage looking or unique buttons. I've even bought garments.... just for the buttons! I used the tutorial by Melly Sews, that you can find on youtube here. Next time I plan on make the placket a little longer, but this still worked. I did make one mistake... I grabbed a regular ball point pen instead of my dissapearing ink, and was so caught up in figuring out my automatic buttonholer on my new machine that I didn't notice! I got most of the ink out, but not all...

I also added a hem band, just to tie in the pink a little more, plus it saves me from hemming! Here's a full view of the back.

To top it all off, and make it truly unique, I added a free motion applique. I love adding FMA's to my girls' outfits, and they love it too! This particular one is Molly the Mermaid by StitchART. If you're interested in trying FMA you can purchase this pattern here.

I am really pleased with the outcome of my work and so is my daughter! Now to make a similar one for my other daughter! No favouritism!

Is there something you'd like to see me make, or you like something and you'd like it for your daughter? You can check out my shop page here, or follow me on facebook, instagram or pintrest! Thanks for stopping in!

More pics of the Tobago party dress and sneak peak of my next project!

Finally was able to take some pics of the dress on my girls. Since they have the same chest circumference, the dress fits them both, only it's about 4 inches shorter on my oldest. So, I get to see how it looks as a knee lenght dress and as a tunic! I love it both ways. My girls were very cooperative, which is always good. I'm not sure if you can tell, but when taking pic of my youngest, my oldest was behind me, coaching her poses, lol. I'm thrilled with how this dress turned out!

I'm now working on a tobago dress for each of my girls for their first day of school. Monkey will be starting preshcool, and Honey will be starting grade 1. Here's a sneak peak of what the dresses will be like!

Can't wait to show you all the final product! Thanks for stopping in!

Tobago Party Dress

 Nothing makes me happier than taking a pattern I've sewn several times, and trying something new with it. Lately I've been dreaming of the Tobago as a party dress. It's such a fast sew, I thought it would be awesome if it could be used to make something dressy. Dressy clothes are usually fussy clothes, but not this one! It was a little fussy to sew, but it'll be easy and comfortable to wear, which is very important to a three year old. At least, my three year old!
Now, I'd love to have more pics of this beauty in action, but my girls are sleeping, and my brain isn't, so one pretty pic of it on the hanger will have to do.

It's a basic Tobago dress, that hits at about the knee. I used a chambray with a very slight stretch as the main dress, and added a ruffle fabric overlay. Now all I need is a fancy button for the back!
Hmmm, now which pattern will I go to next? Maybe a cardigan to go with it?
Thanks for stopping in!

Honey's Time for School Capsule Wardrobe

With August beginning in a couple of days, it got me thinking that the new school year is just around the corner. Eeep! With Honey shooting up like a weed, she's definitely going to need some new clothes for first full year in school. Oh how lovely it will be getting up at 7:00 each morning again...that was sarcasm, by the way. Anyone know of a sarcasm font? I guess you can tell by now that I am NOT a morning person. I am a night owl...
Anywho, back to the sewing stuff! I'm super excited. Why? Glad you asked! I've been sewing now for about two years, with a few scarce sews in the first year, becoming more frequent in the second. However, a large amount of the clothes my girls' were getting were still store bought. My dream was to make at least 50% (or more!) of their wardrobe handmade.
So, thanks to some Facebook motivation, I'm starting with my oldest's back to school clothes! Along with a craft show that I hope to be setting up at in November, I've got A LOT of sewing to do! My favourite kind!!
Here's  a pic of the patterns that I plan on incorporating in my daughters TFS Capsule wardrobe.

I made a collage of the covers of the patterns, and printed it out. Then slipped it into the front of one of my empty binders.

Inside the front cover of the binder, I added my wardrobe list, provided by Gracious Threads!

 It really helps me to stay on top of what she does and doesn't need. I'm tired of them having clothes that they never wear. It's such a waste. Now I'm going to focus on a few staple pieces, some statement pieces, and some interchangeable ones, since she likes to pick her own outfits.

I bought some page protectors, and I'll be filling the binder with the patterns that I'll be using, printed up in her size, and the instructions. 

I like having printed instructions, since we only have one PC, but found them to use so much ink and paper. Until I got this tip (and unfortunately, I can't remember where I got, so I can't give credit where credit is due, sorry!) about fitting four pages onto one paper. It's big enough to read and see details, but doesn't use up so much ink and paper. Perfect for my needs! At least until I can convince Hubby that I really do need a tablet.

Well, that's my plan! So, intermingled with sewing that I'll be doing for my "shop" (and show) will be sewing for the capsule! Thanks for stopping in and don't forget to enjoy the little things!

Monkey's Sunday Coat

Well, I did it! I sewed a coat! Actually, it's a lined blazer, but it'll work perfectly as a dressy fall coat for Monkey, who outgrew her last coat. I worked so hard on this coat. It's not perfect, but I love it!
For a pattern, I used the Phresh Blazer, by Winter Wear Designs, but took a few different steps to line the body of it completely. For the outer, I used a lovely grey stretch suiting.

 Monkey really hates seams and has sensory issues, so I topstitched like crazy to keep seams flat, and lined it with two types of knit. The back is a grey medium weight knit, but to add a little something, I used some of my coveted waffle knit that I've been hoarding for the lining in the front.

I love how this blazer looks, with all the pieces that are stitched together. It's a lot of work, especially if you're lining the whole thing, but for a dressy piece it's so worth it.

Despite the how tricky this fabric was to topstitch, especially when I was topstitching through both layers, I'm pretty proud of it, even if it's not as precise as I'd like it.

 Who knows, I might stitch up another one to sell? Now that I've got one behind me, the next one won't be as time consuming.

With this done, I think it's time to start on Honey's school wardrobe. I know it's still July, but having a handmade wardrobe takes time... a lot of it. So, if you pop in here some time in the next week or so, you'll be finding a post (or two) about planning and sewing a lot of little girl clothes.

Feel free to tell me what you think and thanks for stopping in!

Scrap busting challenge: Yo-yos

Well, one crazy weekend of camping is done, and the fun we had was worth all the work and prep. Weather was great, aside from the crazy storm we had on Saturday, that is. I came home, refreshed and all ready to dig into my sewing.... and then I realized something.
Now that all the hype from the swimsuits was over, what would I sew? So I took a few days to clean the camper and the house, and to gather inspiration of course!
I've got a couple of knit Tortolas on the cutting table, waiting to be stitched, so that covers one evening. After that, well...
I had to sew something! I was going into withdrawal! So I worked on a couple of yo-yos. I love scrap busting, and since I've got more scraps than yardage of fabric, I decided to challenge myself to come up with ways to use my scraps.
 I've been wanting to make some for a while, they make cute accessories on clothes and bags. So, after browsing a couple of tutorials, here's what I came up with!

I love how they turned out, but as I was making them, I realized that my button selection is looking poorly, so I'll be heading to the thrift shop to find some more unique buttons! Also, these were the perfect project to work on while I browsed for some inspiration. While making them, it occurred to me that, although summer was just getting into the swing of things and my girls' summer wardrobe is full, fall is right around the corner!
 So, fall wardrobe sewing and scrap busting is my goal. Which is great, because I've got a couple of patterns that I've been itching to sew, but they're warmer ones.
Thanks for stopping in! Remember, I love getting comments, and followers too!

Swimsuits...Finally!

So, technically, I'm not done yet. But, I do have one finished! So I do have something to post! Summer is getting busy, and with our first camping outing just around the corner I better get my booty in gear on the other one.
So I cleaned the house today, in preparation of Operation Summer Sewing tomorrow. With Honey in school, and Barbie and the Secret Door to occupy Monkey, I may just whip up the second suit, and maybe a Tortola or two for me... in Knit!! That's new stuff for me. Knit is a new territory and it shows on my first suit. Not that it looks bad, but, well, let's just say it's not something I would sell.
So, here it is! A modified Boo! rashie, and regular shorties with foe. One down, one to go!

Tobago Tank and Clover Shorts. I may be in love!

Made another outfit for my youngest. I was wrangling with fit issues on Honey's bathing suit, so I thought a nice, straightforward sew for Monkey would keep me sane. Now that the fit issues are solved, I'm really hoping my next post will be about the swimsuit.
With camping coming up closer ( we've got sites reserved for July 2, and that's coming fast), I need to have two swimsuits finished, and would love to finish some Tortolas for me, seeing as my summer wardrobe is seriously lacking, as in limited to three t-shirts....
I was trying to fit some shorts, but I'm afraid my limited knowledge is a bit of a problem. So I've given up on them for now. I've decided that I've got enough on my plate, so I'm going buy some jeans from forever 21, (cheap but comfortable, I already own a pair) and hack them into shorts. Drastic time constraints call for drastic measures, right?
Which, in a very roundabout way, brings me to my fave summer patterns at the moment. The Tobago tank and Clover shorts. I can't wait to make Honey an outfit too. She's been asking for one, so after the above list is finished, that's what'll be on the cutting board!

Rainbow Rumba!

Finished a rumba skirt in rainbow plaid. Another SS/SB winner of a pattern! The Perfectly Preppy Skirt is such a versatile pattern, and my favourite option is the three tiered rumba skirt. An addition to my craft sale inventory! I'd love to keep this one for my oldest daughter, but with her drawers practically exploding with clothes, it's not meant to be. I think I'll have to start giving some of her bought clothes to a thrift shop so I can sew more for her.
My hubby is home with me all week this week. He decided to take a week off to finish my sewing room, so I can finally move in! I can't wait! Now if only there was room in the budget for a new desk and a cutting table...
Thanks to him being home all week, I get an uninterrupted sew day tomorrow! He'll be putting in flooring and watching the youngest, while my oldest is in school. I've got some great stuff to stitch up! Check in again soon if you want to know what, I'll be posting!

A match made in summer

I just love the Tobago! Can you tell? ;) It sews up so quick for having such a professional finish. One hour, from start to finish. Does it get better than that?
My favourite thing to pair the Tobago with is the Clover shorts, from Willow and co. patterns. Also one of my favourite summer patterns, and also a fast sew, with such a tailored look. Don't believe me? Check this outfit I made for my little monkey!

 

Both of these patterns will definitely be a staple in both of my girls' summer wardrobe! Like I said, it's a match made in summer!

Sew! Sew! Sew for the craft show!

Sewing is like exercising. If you aren't use to sewing everyday, you get sore! I've been sewing as fast as I can, and I still can't compare to most seamstresses. I'll get there yet though!
My sewing room on the main floor has been painted, now all it needs is trimming, flooring and a new light fixture and I'm ready to move in! I'm soooo stoked! My first real sewing room... I'm just going to let that sink in for a bit....
And I'm back. I've got some items to show you, although i only have 3 finished ones. I've got 3 more cut out ready to sew, and fabric washed for five more.
Speaking of fabric, wanna know what my hubby got me for Mother's day? If you can't guess, you may want to put down your wine, or get some sleep ;) Fabric! Actually, he gave me money for fabric, which is better, because that means fabric shopping with a friend! And who was the awesome friend that came with me? The one and only Jeanine Thomlinson! I'm privileged to get to hang out with her in real life, and she's just as awesome in person! Now at least, I have something that is beginning to resemble as 'stash'.
So back to what I sewed.
First up on my list is one of the patterns I'm am currently addicted to. The Tobago Tank, by SS/SB. This one makes number 2 of many to come. I love this monotone fine print. It works like a solid, with the perk of a print :) (Btw, like my dress form? It's full rolls of tp, wrapped in a jersey pillow case, lol. Make it work!)

Tobago number 3! This print caught my eye at the local fabric shop. I knew it would make a great Tobago, and what little girl wouldn't love this cute fairy castle print?

Picked up this super cute shorts pattern, and couldn't wait to stitch up a pair for my youngest! Fabric was given to me by a teacher from my past (shout out to Miss K!Thank you!) I've got a tobago cut out in a coordinating print, and will post them together yet on my girly. Can't wait to sew up some more of these, who knew shorts could be such a quick sew, and with functional pockets too! That was a must, seeing as little miss Monkey is a collector of all things small.

And there you have the beginning of my collection for the last minute craft show, which is coming up fast! I'd better get some sleep, I've got a lot of sewing to do tomorrow! Thanks for checking out my little corner of the web!

 

Fabric sneak peak

It's been a crazy last couple of weeks. Slow progress on the swim suits, since I've never done swimsuits before. There also may be a bit of procrastination on my part. We had a few days of glorious weather that I just had to enjoy. Plus painting my new sewing room!
The fire's been lit under my butt though, seeing as I agreed to sell at a local craft show nearing the end of the month! I've been working on some stuff to show, and will post about it as soon as I've got some good pics. Here's a pic of some fabric that I picked up this weekend, since my stash has just about disappeared. Next weekend will hold another fabric shopping trip. Can't sew without a stash!
Hopefully I can get a full post in soon, thanks for stopping in!

This Tobago tank has me dreaming of summer!

Since I couldn't work on the swim suits for my girls, I decided to use up some bits of fabric I had in my stash. Inspired by Scientific Seamstress's blog post that you can check out here, I grabbed myself the Tobago Tank pattern, in the smallest size since my fabric bits where not very big, and chopped off the top to color block it. I had just enough fabric to make this cute little summer top, and boy, does it have me dreaming about summer!

Only a 45 min sew, and that's including pattern chopping, fabric cutting and finishing seams. That's a record, especially since I don't have a serger, so finishing the seams can be time consuming. At least my machine has an overlock stitch, which looks neater than a regular zigzag. Only downside? Not having a model small enough to model it! Still looks cute on the hanger though!

Thanks for stopping in for this latest tidbit!

Call me cray-cray, I'm sewing up some swim suits!

I've got a couple of projects going right now, but the biggest one is bathing suits for my girls. It's crazy enough that I'm even attempting this, since sewing with knits is new, never mind sewing with swim fabric. Crazier still, I'm not using a swimsuit pattern. Yup, crazy.
I've decided that I love the look of the cecile top so much, that I'd like to try it as a swim suit top. Sleeveless, of course, with one less peplum layer, and sized down to be more fitted. I'll be using the Katie pants pattern to make skinny shorts for underneath.

When I was fabric shopping last month, I mistakenly bought some swim fabric, two yards of 60" wide fabric. That'll make like, four swim suits! It's good though, because I'm making a test first, just to make sure I'm not off my rocker!
What started me on this crazy idea? Well, I like swim suits that provide coverage, and it seems like once kids hit past size 6, getting that is almost impossible. Unless I order online and pay like $80 or something. Anyway, I thought, hey, I can sew, and I'm pretty good too. Time to step out of my comfort zone. I love a challenge, so I'm excited. Plus, if they turn out good, I've got a good swim suit for each of my girls, at a total cost of less than $15 a suit. That has me sold!
Here's a pic of the fabric I'm using, my girls love it!

I had the tester all cut out and ready to sew, and wouldn't you know it, I haven't got any ball point needles at home! So, I worked on a cute Tobago Tank until I could head into town to stock up! It'll be in the next post. Thanks for stopping by!

The Annabelle Dress!

So pleased with the final outcome off this dress. If you've been following me at all, you'll know I started this dress weeks ago. The dress wasn't the problem, don't worry, I just take long to sew things. That along with spring colds, spring cleaning and renovations still going on, it kind of dragged it out. It really is only a 5 hour sew (3 if you're lucky and have a serger).

I loved sewing this dress, and its features allow it to have so many different looks, just by changing trim and fabric. I chose quilter's cotton this time, I had a great print that was given to me by my darling sis-in-law that I wanted to feature, and the front panel insert was the perfect place. I also put it in the middle chevron to tie the look together.
The other two prints I picked up at a local fabric shop. I am especially fond of the dandelion puff white on white print. I'd give the designer names, but I have no idea. I'm horrible when it comes knowing designers.

I was hoping Monkey would cooperate for pictures, but it was not her day. Thankfully, Jen was over, taking the pics for me and Berry was more than willing to pose for a few pics, provided there was a snack, lol.

This dress has a nice elastic back, which makes it fit great, and easy to pull on and off.







On a side note, my sewing room will be moved back upstairs, since that's where we spend the majority of our time and I need to keep both Monkey and Honey in my sight while I sew. Plus, the lighting is better too. So, one of the bedrooms, formerly the toy room, is being turned into my sewing room/office. Where did the toys go? We took out half, and moved them into storage, and the other half into their bedroom. Now that they have bunk beds, they have room for their toys in their room.

 

Thanks for stopping by, and if you're interested in buying this dress, or some of my other work, don't forget to check out our page Sweet Stitch Shoppe on facebook for more!