Easter Dress

A few weeks ago I made Easter baskets for all 4 of my kids.  I realized after making them that I still had a few weeks until Easter which was plenty of time to make dresses to match for my girls.  I had a hard time deciding on a pattern so I put the 2 I liked most together into one dress.  I am so happy with how it turned out.  I was also able to use my serger and love love love how the seams look!  I used to just finish the seams with a zig zag stitch, but the fabric would still fray and you would have lots of loose threads.  With the serger there are no crazy loose threads.  

Here is how the dress turned out on Haley.  I used the basic dress pattern from the book Little Girls, Big Style and then added the giant sash.  I got the giant sash idea from the Cottage Mama's tutorial for a party dress.

I love the sash!  I think I need to learn how to tie a prettier bow though.

Haley and her matching Easter basket.

A view from the side.

I added cute flower buttons.

Here is how the serged seams look.  

Felt Board Fun

My free hand cut outs of felt.  I have much respect for felt artists!

I was at Michael's yesterday just looking around for some inspiration or something.  I walked by a display of felt stickers and remembered how a long time ago I wanted to make a felt board.  So I decided I was going to finally do it.  I bought a foam board and all different colors of felt.  I think I spent about 10 dollars.  I went home and stapled the large piece of white felt to it.  Then I started cutting out shapes and pictures out of the felt.  This is where I realized making pictures with felt is harder than it looks! I am going to try embroidering on felt next to make some neat characters, but for now the kids are having a great time with what I was able to cut out free hand.  After I made a few trees and people I let the kids cut out their own designs with the left over felt.  This is a great in door activity.  I would like to get some felt sets that go with some of the kids books we read.  Then they can re-tell the story with the pictures.  

The felt stapled to the board.  I used just a regular stapler.  

Another picture of the finished back.

I let them cut out their own pictures from the left over felt. 

Kylie's art work with the felt pictures she added.

Easter Baskets and More

I just finished my kid's Easter baskets and our Easter table runner.  Very happy to be finished with these things.  Now I can work on my daughter's Easter dresses and breath.  I don't do well with deadlines.  I would rather just create on my own time, but with holiday stuff that doesn't ever seem to happen.  Here are my baskets and table runner.  I really would like to start making tutorials for some of the stuff I make.  That is on my to-do list for after the holidays!  

I used minkey for the rabbits, button eyes, felt nose, and ric rac whiskers.  I also used a decorative trim around the border.

Tea Towels

I just made 2 tea towels, or are they called hand towels?  Either way they turned out so cute I don't think I want anyone to wipe their dirty or wet hands on them!  They were so fun to embroider and only took minutes to make. These are the best kind of projects when you are trying to clean up your sewing room!  I start the embroidery machine and then while it works I fold fabric and look for a new project.  I love it!

Snow Falling on Flowers.

I just wanted to share a picture of our yard today.  It was a nice Saturday and warm enough to be outside doing yard work.  Spring is in the air with all the flowers popping out of the ground.  Then Monday comes and we have snow!  Snow falling on flowers!?!  Is this why they call it March Madness?  My husband says that saying comes from sports, but I don't believe it.  I think it came from the crazy weather we have this month!

Dr. Seuss Messenger Bag

I try to go to the gym 3 times a week.  I love our gym because it has a great day care and I can read my book while I ride the bike.  So I am getting some needed down time, exercise which is good for my health, and the kids are having fun.  Thursday when I picked them up from the child care center I was told that my baby needed a bag to hold all of his items.  I was trying to get away from diaper bags.  I was just handing them a diaper wipe pouch, sippy cup and snack.  Each time I dropped him off I needed to make sure his name was on everything too.  I understood when they said it would be better if he had a bag.  I don't know how I got away with doing this for a year!  So I went home and made a bag!  I have been wanting to make a messenger bag and thought this small one would be a perfect bag for Jacob's things.  So I can still carry my purse and work out items and have this across my chest keeping my hands free.  I love it.  I even appliquéd his name on it along with the Cat in the Hat.  Now when I drop him off at the child care center at the gym I won't have to worry about having his stuff together and putting his name on it.  I am very happy with this bag.   

I found an old pattern in a magazine and added some pockets to it.   It holds everything I need it to with room to spare.

It is very comfortable to wear.