Playing with food

New hobby this past month -- making the lunchbox fun again. I've gone bento! Miss E absolutely loves it -- animals, picks, strawberry hearts. Anything but the ol' sandwich that she was so bored with. The best part is that the lunchbox comes back empty almost every time!

I even made a plate of strawberry hearts for her kindergarten class's Valentine's Day party. They were a hit with the boys and girls alike! It was fun hearing the kids exclaim, "Look, Mom! This strawberry is a HEART!"

Robo dwarf hamsters (apples, raisins, white chocolate nibble, almond slices), strawberry hearts, cheese butterflies, and crazy egg chicks with parsley.

A fun one for me to share with Little E when we went to lunch school with big sis. All kinds of goodies in this one!

One evening she stopped by as I was making her lunch and requested "a rainbow in my lunch". By turning the blueberries one way or another, we managed to meet the requirements of the song she learned in school. ("Red and orange, green and blue. Shining yellow, purple too. All the colors that we know live up in the rainbow!")

The platter for her party:

And a little spruce-up for my own breakfast! Whole wheat waffle topped with nonfat Greek yogurt, fresh raspberries, toasted walnuts, a tiny drizzle of maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon. Hubby requested one after seeing the photo. He enjoyed his, too!

Silly penguin lunch for Little E one day, inspired by her penguin erasers from Santa!

Rounding up the supplies and a few new additions, like the most awesome lunch book ever!

Charming!

I had another whim, this time as a gift for Miss E's upcoming sixth birthday. I was going to do six charms for her sixth birthday, but veered off from that and just selected charms appropriate to her life. I have to wait a few weeks yet to give it to her, but I know things are about to get busy around here, so ... I'll try to have some patience! It's so very her, though!

All the dolls come marching in ...

I'm way behind. Again. Little e was supposed to start preschool in September, but after 3 weeks of having to go back and get her, we cancelled. She is now at home. Her naps are random and only recently has she started to do crafting while I attempt sewing and doll-making ... So ... it goes slowly. However, over the past several months, I've managed to finish up and squeak out a few dolls. Nothing to sell; just for my girls.

Ruby Scarlett is the toddler doll I started on last year, right before the holidays. She sat on my table, bald and unfinished, until the summer, when I finally finished her up, dressed her in her own clothes (she was borrowing a pair of overalls that had belonged to one of my childhood dolls), and gave her to Little e for her July birthday (she turned 2). Little e seems to prefer to think of her as a for-sale doll, only hugging her occasionally. Thus, she traveled with us to the midwest for the July vacation and birthday parties, and then went back to her perch on the sewing table. She smiles at me every day. I just love that little face! :) Sometimes Big E gets her down and plays with her. I know that someday, Little e will appreciate her more.

Maddie is the other I made for Little e's birthday, also rejected. Harumph. She is just too attached to her tiny baby to love any other dolls fully ... for now. Maddie was fun to make and from the Toys to Sew book pattern. I braided her hair so she didn't look goofy like Jessie does. Big E made her a dress, but I still haven't gotten back to making any clothes for her. All in good time, right?

I also made a teeny lavender doll for Little e's birthday. She is super soft, made with cotton velour and loads of soft, wool and mohair yarns. She has quite the headful of hair! I added a tiny lavender sachet when I stuffed her, so when you cuddle and squeeze her tummy, she smells delightful. She was a huge hit initially, but now is sleeping in Little e's bed or in the tiny laundry basket most of the time.

My awesome chocolate plum girl sold ... and shipped off to North Pole, Alaska, of all places! We like to think she went to live with Santa and Mrs. Claus and all the elves! In reality, she is tucked away in a closet until Christmas, when she will become the property of a five-year-old girl. I hope she will be well-loved! I miss seeing her smiling face on my sewing table. She was there for so long that my table feels empty! I think that Little e misses her most, though. She really loved *that* doll ...

I'm working on another doll right now, in hopes of making two for the girls for Christmas. And maybe a couple tiny elfin girls, too. Dreaming of making teddy bears again, too, since it's been over 20 years and now Big E loves bears. We'll see how much I get done. Little Miss Whiney just woke up!

It was inevitable ...

So little e carried both dolls to the bus stop to show Big E. And suddenly, the magic happened and she was overcome with love for the doll she had previously rejected. Of course. It's only natural. So Big E was very upset and little e clung to Baby Violet, and Baby Rachel (often known as Tiny Baby) was completely ignored.

It only took about an hour to make the second outfit, so here they are, the Tiny Twins, dressed in their matching olive jersey tops and their cute little baby pants. Baby Violet has longer pants (though if you pulled them up a bit, they'd be more like bloomers) and Baby Rachel is wearing shorter baby bloomers.

I think both are super cute and I'm so excited about the pattern. There might be a lot more coming ... who knows!

When the kids are away, Mom will play

I might actually be able to start posting again! Hooray! Big E started kindergarten this week. Little e is actually napping a true nap for a change. As I was putting her to bed, I looked at the tiny doll nearby and I decided that today would be a doll clothes day. We have two of these tiny baby dolls, about 8 inches from head to toe. Big E got hers from Santa at age 2, but once little e got to be about a year or a year and a half, that became HER doll. Big E is fine with that most days. We bought little e a second doll of about the same size (a tad leaner), but she is no longer madly in love with this one.

The second doll came in a boyish onesie, which is good because she named it after her baby boy cousin that she was infatuated with. However, as all dolls go in this house, Baby Finn became Baby Violet with a simple change of clothes. Big E has really loved her lately, and these dolls have absolutely no changes of clothes. The dolls are sold, but there are no extra clothes. Thus, I've put my Waldorf doll book to use ... the clothes in there are so extremely simple, yet so cute, and so easy to put on and take off the dolls. The girls have loved them.

Today, then, I looked at Baby Violet and thought she would look particularly cute in an olive jersey top and some puffy baby pants in a coordinating fabric. The outfit is actually the opposite of what my Chocolate Plum Waldorf Doll is wearing ... She's over on Etsy, if you want to take a peek. (She is hoping that someone will give her a home someday. The sewing table is fun, but ... She longs to be held and snuggled and loved. Enough about her, though.)

Little e is still asleep, and Baby Violet has a whole new outfit. Big E is going to be so excited after school today! Yay, Mommy!

Fairies and such

We are very fairy-friendly in this house, so it's not unusual to find a little winged friend flying around. I have made some new ones lately and just felt like a fairy post was due.

Pansy Fairy is based on a picture in a book that Miss E got from a friend when she turned 2. She was falling asleep at night with the book pressed up against her tummy, hugging the fairy, so I figured a tiny stuffed version might be better.

I thought a proper Tooth Fairy was in order, too, since Miss E just recently turned 5. Her dentist says she will most likely lose her first tooth in the next six months or so, so we needed to be prepared! She is Pansy Fairy's little sister, in case you wondered, and both live in Miss E's new dollhouse. On the roof, where fairies like to sleep.

And, for Easter (they don't know this yet!), Miss E and Little e are getting some Baby Carrots. I think they are way too cute!

The Esty site is live!

plushalicious is in business!
http://plushalicious.etsy.com/

YAY! Yes, I finally got my Etsy site up and running the other night, and made my first sale to a stranger! Woot! Thank you, mammalove, for buying my sweet little Bunny Love in Blue!

Bunny Love in Pink:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72193450/bunny-love-in-pink

Here's my doll:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72196744/chocolate-plum-waldorf-doll-15-inch

I'm starting small, but three items is better than none. Maybe someone will decide to buy my beautiful Waldorf doll. Little Miss e will be sad, and so will I in a way, since I've gotten used to having her smiling at me all day and night. She really is beautiful. But I know I will make plenty more, and I need to first finish the wig for Little e's doll, who has also been laying on the table for months now. Before she turns 2 this summer, that's the goal. Only a couple more hours of hand-stitching the hair and she is finished ... plus some clothes!

But good times ... too many things in progress right now, and never enough time to get it all done. But I did make two beautiful little fairies for Miss E's dollhouse for her birthday. She loves them. I'll post those soon. And she got two handmade by mama shirts and a skirt. Second skirt is in the closet, half done. Little e has a dress that is 75% done.

Most importantly, I finally finished the purse for me that was sitting abandoned in the back of the closet for a year and a month. It took a whopping 1.25 hours to finish. Isn't that sad!?! It's gorgeous. I need to post photos, don't I? But now, no time ...

Happy sewing to y'all! And a happy and gorgeous weekend! :)

-------- Added some for-sale photos on August 26 -------------

To dye for

A year or more ago, I took our stained and tired white table napkins and turned them a beautiful, deep espresso color. I mistakenly bleached them the next week, so they were a nice light shade of coffee au lait for a long time after that. I re-dyed them at some point, but they were becoming tired again and I was ready for a change.

The girls were thrilled today to find that we now have viciously violet napkins and flour sack towels.

Last week, I tried RIT dye in "purple". Blah at best. It barely covered the brown, making just slightly purplish and barely any darker. I don't know what went wrong; I followed their package instructions as closely as possible. I only used one package of dye, but I didn't think that would matter for the fairly small amount of fabric I had.

Today, I went back to my trusty iDye packets, making sure I used two just in case, and sure enough, I've got a seriously intense purple. Yahoo! I don't know the difference in the two brands, and though my sister has great luck with RIT, I'm sticking with iDye.

I should take a photo, but the girls are interrupting again ...

Retro cooking

I've been doing so much in the kitchen again; not just the normal everyday cooking, but plenty of new, fun things. Today was no exception. As I was falling asleep last night (or attempting to), I was trying to come up with a good Sunday breakfast for the whole family, and finally decided on an old favorite that I hadn't made for years.

This morning, I dug out the recipe card, from a collection by McCall's magazine, dated 1973. This lovely collection, packaged by category and sitting in its original plastic box, was from my grandma's best friend Bea. When Bea passed away, my mom and I inherited many things, including this recipe collection. It always intrigued me. I was probably in junior high, and would sit in front of the box, reading all the gourmet meal suggestions, wondering what I could cook. For some reason, though, I never did cook with my dad. I baked, though, from as early as I can remember, both with my mom and by myself. I remember making this "elaborate" omelet in high school and feeling very fancy. The recipe card suggests it as part of a "Children's Sunday Supper" -- the omelet, whipped cream or ice cream, and hot cocoa. Ah yes, the 1973 version of healthy children's meals?

Once I graduated college and moved to Austin, the recipe collection was something I asked my mom to bring down to me on one of their trips. It sits up on a high cupboard shelf, rarely used, but greatly loved.

I altered the original recipe, doubling the amount of ingredients (except for sugar -- I cut that way back!), added toasted almonds sprinkled on top, and we declared it a hit. It's more of a pancake omelet; a little springier, not fully egg-ish. Spongy, but dry without being too dry. A little difficult to explain, but if you try it, you'll understand!

Here is my version of the retro recipe.

Fresh Apple Omelet
6 T. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
4 eggs, separated
scant 2 T. sugar (based on personal taste)
6 T. milk
2 T. lemon juice
1 large unpared apple, thinly sliced

topping: 2 T. sugar mixed with 1/2 t. cinnamon

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
- In medium bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. (I love that the original recipe calls for a rotary beater!)
- In measuring cup or small bowl, beat egg yolks with milk and lemon juice.
- Mix milk mixture into flour mixture in large bowl.
- With spatula or wire whisk, gently fold egg whites into milk and flour batter just until combined.
- Slowly heat a large ovenproof skillet and melt enough butter in it to coat bottom and sides evenly.
- Turn batter into skillet, spreading evenly.
- Arrange apple slices in pattern over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake about 10-12 minutes or until top is glazed.
- Serve warm, cut into wedges.

We sprinkled toasted almonds on top, but agreed that walnuts would work well, too. Perhaps next time, we will chop some nuts and mix into the batter before baking. Perhaps add the nuts on top for baking ... Nevertheless, very tasty, and could be rounded out for a nice brunch with a slice of whole wheat toast and additional fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

Fixations

Every time I get fixated on something new, Miss E follows suit. Case in point: clothespins and laundry. Lots of laundry being done around here, and to entertain the girls the other day, I strung up some yarn around the room and let them play with the mini clothespins Miss E got from Santa. We pulled out some big ones I'd stashed away, too, but they are all so ... cheap ... and the clips were breaking. What's a mom to do? Why, get Googling, of course!

I found new clothespins for sale. The cool, wooden kind like we used to use to hang laundry when I was growing up. But ... when you can find vintage clothespins for the same price or less, well, you buy them. Our 140 pins were delivered today, and Miss E immediately dumped the box on the bedroom floor and started in.

I also have seen many people selling vintage ribbon and trim on old clothespins, wound up to look like dolls. Yes, simple and oh-so-sweet. What a great way to organize all my loose ribbons and trim!

Miss E grabbed the ribbons and trim that she got from YaYa for Christmas (my mom was destashing!), quickly wrapped up some "girls" and is still playing happily with all six of them.

So beautiful, aren't they?

The Chocolate Fairy

Everyone needs a chocolate fairy, right? I mean, in Pixie Hollow they have all kinds of fairies with all kinds of talents. I want to find a chocolate fairy. Well, so I made one. This was the doll I started when I first wanted to try making a Waldorf-style doll. She's far from perfect and I was in love with her so much at first, but now I feel like I'm supposed to save her for someone else. I just don't know WHO. So I finished sewing her dress tonight, brushed off the lint from her face, took a few photos, and put her in a plastic bag in my closet. I do love her, but I just have this weird feeling that she is meant for someone else. I guess when the time comes, I'll know, right?

She has little toes, a belly button, and a bum. Beautiful strands of yarn and embroidery floss for her hair, though it's acrylic, not wool. She was a good little experiment, and a great training piece. There's not a thing wrong with her, so she will be perfect for someone.

Is she meant for you?

Dolls of all kinds

I've been working and working around here ... busy as a bee whenever the girls let me sew. Miss E is generally very good, but little e is an impatient toddler who rarely sleeps. But I have dreams that began two years ago, just before I got pregnant with little e. Back in high school, my friends told me that my mom and I should sell our bears we made, but where? We made millions, but gave them all away or kept them. In the mid-80s, the options for selling were to sell to your friends (but why?) or find a small store to sell them for you. That was sounding too difficult, so we never bothered.

When I started making dolls a couple of years ago, again, my friends urged me to sell. I got all excited when I discovered Etsy, and a friend designed me a lovely logo and business cards. I reserved a name on Etsy and Gmail. And then I got so tired with a preschooler and being pregnant that I never got anything made. I also have millions of gifts I've made and want to make. And things for myself and my daughters. A baby didn't speed up the sewing, but ... now, she is beginning to play with big sis while I sew, and things are looking like I might be able to open my shop that I've so badly wanted to have up and running!

My goal is to have a shop open for Thanksgiving ... yay! I am working as much as possible on some dolls, finishing the biggest and first today. Hooray! She is absolutely gorgeous, and little e wants her. She hugged her and tried to run away with her, and it took a lot of convincing to get that doll back. Little e will get one, but not one that is so big and elaborate. For Christmas, she will get a smaller Waldorf doll. And hopefully I will have more dolls made to sell as well.

We made bats for Halloween, thanks to the Heather Bailey free tutorial. So very cute, and pretty quick to make, too. We named them Bette Boo and Becca Boo, and maybe next year, we'll actually make them from Halloween socks instead of the old argyle socks my mom bought me 15 years ago. Hmm ...

Today, though, on a whim, I learned how to do simple needle felting. I'm no expert by any means, but Miss E very much wanted a blessing fairy. There are gorgeous fairies on Etsy, made of wool roving, but I found a quick tutorial and grabbed the roving I have just received (a gift for Miss E, but don't anyone tell her) and the felting needle I ordered two years ago, and went to work. In about an hour, we had a cute fairy! Nothing too fancy like the ones I'd love to buy, but it also didn't cost more than a small amount, and that is fine for a four-and-a-half-year-old. She just wanted one to hug and play with. She treats things like this very well, but I still didn't feel she needed a $36 huggable fairy. Maybe someday *I* will buy one for myself -- they are gorgeous!

In the meantime, this was a very pretty fairy for a little girl who loves natural fibers and dolls.

And little e? She wanted the simple flannel pillow I made for her sis that is filled with flaxseed, buckwheat hulls and lavender buds, so I took the small amount of filling I had left and whipped up the same pillow in a smaller size. We love them because they can be thrown in the microwave to be warmed up. The lavender scent is heavenly and very calm and relaxing for bedtime. Little e was elated to have her own pillow!

And Mommy? Well, in between all the OTHER projects, I'm trying to make a flannel nightdress (my test on a new pattern -- use cheap flannel from JoAnn to try it out, end up with a new pajama tunic), then on to the real dress (the fabric is waiting patiently), and perhaps a skirt. Maybe someday that other shirt will be finished (it's half done), and the purse I started and nearly finished in February *might* just get finished up before Christmas.

I have big dreams ... For those of you who wondered how I've managed to keep a 15-month-old busy, see for yourself. It didn't take that long to pick up after she went down for a nap, but it sure did make her happy to have all those fabric scraps to play with!

Girls love glamor

My 4-year-old has been pestering me for her mermaid princess dress for the last week or so since I came home with the fabric. I had hemmed and hawed over what to make her, and she has finally agreed to wear this for both an upcoming mermaid party and Halloween (or so she says today). Possibly for the fairies and unicorns party as well. She told me, though, that she didn't want the mermaid tail skirt because she was a mermaid who could come out of the water and look like a regular princess. Hmm. Okay, so scrap the pattern for the tail ... need glamorous princess gown instead. She did NOT like the idea of a tutu-style skirt over the tail. She wanted floor-length, drapey, and full-on glamor. I showed her several patterns, and nothing was clicking for either of us, but when she got her hands on the fabric and held it up, we started formulating a plan.

I have to admit that I *love* working with her. She has amazing ideas every day and I let her act on them as much as possible, fostering every bit of her creativity. She got me thinking, and one night, trying to get little miss e to sleep, I realized that I could use the bubble dress pattern to make this dress.

The bubble dress ... my new favorite go-to pattern, from a tutorial by Lex on her blog. She does some absolutely amazing fashions, and I am so impressed with the simplicity of this dress. I made five in two days, which sounds crazy, but it's true.

So I took Lex's idea and just made it strapless, per Miss E's instructions, adding a casing in the chest band for elastic. I used the basic fabric headband idea, stitching one end of the elastic to each end of the chest band, and making sure it was exactly the right size to stay up. The dress is a bit heavy because of the crushed velvet panne (yes, the cheap polyester stuff; this is a costume!). That's the underlayer, which is necessary because she needed something soft against her body, and because I didn't want a see-through dress. The top layer is from the special occasions fabric collection at JoAnn. I had another fabric in hand, and this one was at the cutting counter screaming "MERMAID" at me. It didn't let me down. I think they work together perfectly, leaving her with a flowing, absolutely beautiful gown.

The top band is from Amy Butler's Love collection, the fabric that is the inner lining on the purse/tote I started mid-February. No, it isn't finished yet. I keep interrupting myself and leaving it sitting, 75 percent done, in the back of my closet. However, the fabric for the mermaid princess dress was on the floor right in front of the purse, and I realized that they were almost the exact same color. I figured it would be nice to have a cotton around her chest, and it would be easier to work with than the slippery panne and nylon.

I think it took about two hours to finish, and with the serger, all the crazy stray threads were removed and anything that wasn't was made all nice and pretty and orderly. If she does decide it feels like it needs a strap, I think I would cover a big button with the bluer part of the Love fabric and put that right in the middle of the top. Then I'd serge the sides of a long piece of the sparkle fabric, put an elastic loop in the center, and use that as an optional halter. However, she wore the dress for at least two hours tonight after it was made, and she never once had it slip. Sounds like I got the elastic right! If she doesn't need the halter, I may make a big gauzy flower for the front center. I haven't decided, but I guess that is yet to be determined. For now, it's really a very striking dress and I can't believe I made it myself!

I'll include a couple other bubble dress photos here. Just such a great way to make a quick dress, and both girls look so cute in theirs, as does our neighbor, who got a matching one for little miss e's first birthday party. Miss E's American Girl Doll Bitty Baby got one, too! They all looked like a royal court in purple and chocolate.

The first one I made ended up being too short, really, but when paired with little brown leggings, it is just adorable on little miss e as she toddles around.

Have fun, and try out Lex's awesome tutorial!

Here she is!

My first Waldorf doll, and I love her! Meet Mandy. I gave Miss E a list of five names to choose from, and she wanted Mandy, like our former cat Mandy. She is madly in love with Mandy, too, and very glad that she is finally finished. So are my fingers and thumbs! Stitching on the hair was tedious and tough on the fingers and thumbs, but the doll needles are so amazingly cool for the task. I was using the 5-inch needle yesterday, but pulled out the 7-inch needle today and oh it was nice! I felt like some kind of strange surgeon sewing on her head like that, but the needles are fantastic and made it through.

I will say that I've learned a whole lot making my first, and now I can't wait to make more. I even ordered handspun, hand-dyed wool yarn today off Etsy and I'm so very excited to make doll hair with it! I also can't believe how much yarn you can use for hair! I used almost a full skein of 93 yards on Mandy!

I'm still waiting for the book I ordered more than a week and a half ago. I knew I should have just gotten it from Amazon and not from an Amazon seller who uses snails to deliver ... oh well. Live and learn. In the meantime, I used several tutorials to create the head, the hair, the body, the doll. Even found a great video tutorial from Leslie at Stitch Lab (via someone else's blog!) on how to properly do the ladder stitch so I could put the head on just right. That part alone has made me so happy. All these years of making dolls and bears, and I've never studied how a Waldorf doll was made. Now I see the light, and I've got a new favorite thing to make!

The supplies are expensive and the dolls are time-intensive, so now I see why they cost so much to buy. If I get good enough at it, I want to sell some, too. There are some amazing women out there making them and I can only hope to have something close to as beautiful as theirs.

Because I have a toddler screaming on my lap at the moment (the one who refuses to sleep. ever.), I'm cutting this short. I would like to publish my list of tutorials I used and the beautiful dolls I've found, but that isn't going to happen right now. I really did want to post photos of my doll, though!

Welcome, Mandy!

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The head, neck and arms sewn together.

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The body sewn up! It took until this evening before I removed the safety pins and stitched her feet and legs. She has since borrowed a dress from Bitty Baby -- the one that matches Miss E's dress, of course. I will make her a dress of her own, very soon, and some dark purple panties. I just want to hug her -- she's so sweet!

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The hair, the hair, the HAIR! It's a beautiful light brown with golden tones. Not an exact match to Miss E, but similar enough that she feels I "got it right". She has two layers of sewn-on hair. I used the "wig" method. I feel like I may need to open her shoulder and stuff more wool in to support her head more. The hair is kind of pulling her head back a bit!

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Here she is, as close to being done as possible! She still needed the stitching on her feet and along her leg bends, but she was close to done at this point. I'd photograph her now, but she is being happily snuggled in a bed and I won't disturb that.

My first and so adorable already!

Okay, so I am now officially obsessed with doll making. My Waldorf supplies got here on Thursday from Weir and I dug in last night and made my first doll head. Tonight, I finished it off and embroidered the face. I'm making her for Miss E, so she got special Miss E eyes -- a mix of gray and brown specs, plus a wide smile. I am in love already and I can't wait to put the rest of her together. I am constantly thinking about what to make next and how to do hair, dresses, toes, noses, eyes ... eek! But oh what fun!

I just had to share some photos of my first. Note, too, that my sewing table has been overtaken with doll supplies. (The white fleece bear is Miss E's latest project.)
Stay tuned for more!

p.s. There's no way I can keep this one until Christmas. I think I would burst! And Miss E would cry her beautiful eyes out!

Doll fun

I'm back to dolls again. I got hooked on Waldorf dolls last week and gave it a go to see if I could manage ... now I've got a bundle of supplies headed my way on a UPS truck and can't wait! (A book, too.) Here's a glimpse of my first, my little Chocolate Fairy. I haven't decided on a name for her, but she is beautiful. Her head is too skinny, I think, but I went with the materials I had at hand and have studied other tutorials now and see that I should have made it wider. So, I made up for it with ginormous amounts of crazy hair in a yarn I've been dying to use on a doll.

I started on a dress for her, but unfortunately ran out of olive felt ... and so did JoAnn. Yikes. So, that will happen at some point. I may instead try out another dress idea I have in mind.

In the meantime, I updated Jessie. She is all glammed out now with new layers of hair, and, at Miss E's insistence, a new face. I made her a dress, and though it looks really cute, the details on the straps and buttons are so incredibly lame that I look like a remedial sewist. Yikes. I haven't sewn a buttonhole for 25 years, and I need a lot of practice, it appears. Overall, though, Miss Jessie is very cute now!

Can't wait for those supplies to get here!!!

Organic sewing

No, not organic cotton ... just pure, organic, patternless and somewhat seat-of-the-pants sewing. The kind I seem to excel at. One of these days, I will take a class to better my pattern-following skills. In the meantime, I will continue having fun!

So, my hubby had a bunch of t-shirts he was going to give to Goodwill, but I saved several to play with. I had intended to use them to make some doll t-shirts and pants. Instead, yesterday, I cut off the top half of one and serged the top edge with the brown thread that was loaded. Then, I smocked it, and today finished that and steamed it and tossed it in the dryer to shrink up the smocking.

Um. It was supposed to be a birthday gift for little e, who turns 1 next week. But ... it was only slightly big on Miss E, and after seeing it on her, I decided I'd be wasting too much to hack it up to fit little e, and besides, Miss E got so excited, it turned into her dress. I added brown ribbon straps and a really cool flower right in the middle, with a couple of her beads. I got the flower idea from the Made By Lex blog. She does some absolutely stunning refashions. I can only hope to be that good someday, but it has given me such inspiration! I will definitely be making more of these; they are way too fun and so simple.

Now that I've come up flat on a few different projects for little e, I think it's time to make that cute little tote bag that I know will turn out perfectly. She is just beginning to love putting things in and taking them out, so it should work as a perfect gift.