Diaper Bag and Coordinating Ribbon Tag Blanket

In my previous post, I published photos of some great fabric that I was going to turn into a wonderful baby gift and that is exactly what I did. I handmade this diaper bag with two outside pockets and 3 inside pockets for that extra needed storage. More so, I made it more stylish for the mommy who will carry it! I am proud of myself with this project. It even has a nice coordinating lining.

Pictured below is the inside lining and pockets to hold wipes, bottles, and the many baby needs a mommy must bring along.

Then for baby, I made this ultra soft ribbon tag blanket with coordinating fabric squares. I even added a zig zag stitch around the edges for a nice embellished look! It turned out super cute and I hope baby William loves it for years to come!

The New Little Prince Has Arrived!

A gift for the new little Prince William!

Yesterday, April 2nd at 9am, a new baby nephew was born into the Clark family. William Henry. To welcome the new little prince, I had to make something to shower him with when we get the opportunity to meet him this coming weekend. With the help of my favorite Sewing Store (Sew Much More) and its owner Valerie, she helped put together the perfect combination of fabrics for a sweet gift for the new little baby boy! 

Can't wait to get to work and create something awesome and unique for this little guy to help welcome him into our family!

You'll have to check back and see what I am going to make for him. Any guesses?

A Perfect Match

Today I finished the matching butterfly garden dress for Evelyn to compliment the one I made for her big sister! Absolutely adorable and I love how the length turned out on her. It's so long and flowing and the ruffles add so much to the bottom. 

She looks so sweet in her new butterfly dress!

Baby Sleeper, Blanket and Hat

I have been busy the past few days making some cute baby items for an upcoming baby shower I am going to attend. What is better than giving a homemade gift from the heart! PLUS, to make it a bonus, I conquered my first zipper on the blanket sleeper. I hope the new baby boy will love sleeping in this soft jersey material. 

Misses Textural Pocket Mini Skirt

I absolutely love looking at the styles at my favorite store in town. Sometimes when I browse through the store, I see so many things I like yet, they are pricey and they look simple to make that I thought I would try to make one of them for at least half the price. There is a textural pocket mini skirt there right now at the store ($54.50) in many bright colors just in time for Spring. So I went and got a pattern ($1.99 +tax), I had this bright green fabric (thanks Grandma!), a zipper ($.99 +tax) and some green thread to match ($2.27 + tax).

After a little sewing and a few days of working at it. I made my first skirt. It's not perfect, it's my first, but I am so anxious to make a few more in a few other colors for the upcoming seasons.

Now to make a matching top to go with it! I love it!

Butterfly Garden Dress

Here is the Garden Butterfly Dress I have been working on for Meredith for Easter. I do need to add the finishing touches. There will be a bright colored sash that goes around the waist to dress it up and then I will be making some matching butterfly clips that will attach to the dress. Then it will be complete. For now the size 6 fits her beautifully without any adjustments to be made. Of course, depending on the weather when Easter rolls around I may have to add a cardigan for warmth!

I am happy with how it turned out! Just the right amount of fullness in the skirt keeps it from blowing up in the breeze yet allow her to twirl like a princess!

The Back of the dress shows off the under layer and ruffle at the bottom nicely!

I can't wait to finish it entirely now. Then onto making a matching dress with the pink butterfly material for her little sister Evelyn in a size 18 month dress. I can't believe it's only the beginning of March and Meredith is able to wear this beautiful ensemble outside to have me photograph her!

Let the cutting begin!

I think what intimidated me at first to sew a piece of clothing is the look of the pattern (if unsure of the sewing language it's difficult to understand the directions). With a little help from Grandma with the terms and lingo, and an occasion call to the sewing store to have them explain something, I feel pretty good about cutting my pattern pieces. With correct positioning to have the fabric pattern going in the direction I want it to and to make sure it matches up all the way around the dress, let the cutting begin!

Gratitude for SEW MUCH MORE

MY LUCKY DAY

While out for coffee with a fiend of mine, we went to a local sewing shop SEW MUCH MORE. As we perused her store for the perfect matching fabrics, there it was! The same exact butterfly fabric that was on the bodice of the dress in the photo I had from the magazine. The store owner, Valerie, was amazing and helpful with finding coordinating fabrics to go with it. She has such an great selection of beautiful fabrics from local artists and fabric designs. I wish I could have her whole wall of colors in my sewing room! They were all so beautiful to look at and so hard to choose just one!

Below are the fabrics I choose for our older daughters dress with hues of blue and greens. 

The pink butterfly and coordinating lime green hues are going to be made into the same style dress for our younger daughter to match her sister.

When both are finished I think the colors will be so bright and beautiful, both girls and dresses will be "equally cute"!

If you're in the Bloomington Normal area, you have to stop by and check out SEW MUCH MORE! It's an amazing store and she also has adorable modkid patterns made by Patty Young who lives here in Bloomington, IL too! (Her kids go to Fox Creek Elementary- where our son, Garrett goes to school)

Or check out her website: http://www.sewmuchmoretoday.com/

Hearts-All-Aflutter

Recently, I received a new children's clothing line magazine in the mail. If you're like me, you flip through it and only imagine your girls wearing the beautiful dresses pictured. That is until you see the price and say to yourself, "I can't possibly that amount of money on one dress". So this particular dress gave me inspiration to 

make one just like it for the upcoming Easter holiday for both of my girls. So off to the sewing store I went to find similar material to create this beautiful butterfly garden ensemble.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUTFIT!

There is no better way than to spend your birthday in style! I made this ensemble for my daughter's first birthday! I wanted a cute pattern and something that was frilly with bright colors! So with a little personalization on the tee, some ribbon, and tulle, this shouts HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!

Making the perfect Birthday outfit!

After looking around at different clothing brands for the perfect birthday skirt and top for our soon to be 1 year old, I decided to just make it myself to be a little more cost effective. Practically $50 for a new birthday outfit doesn't fit a birthday budget! So a little fabric, matching ribbon, and this pretty purple decorative trim will do the trick! Bippity, Boppity, Boo! See what I am about to make for you!

Handmade presents are gifts from the Heart!

Any gift that is handmade is truly a gift from the heart. It means a lot when someone has put the extra time and effort into making a gift whether it be for a baby shower, wedding, or a birthday! Handmade is a way to express that you are giving the very best of you! A very good friend is having her first baby (a girl) and I am going to make her a special gift from my heart! Can't wait to finish it and post it here soon!

Fresh Lemon-Made, Anyone?

Sew happy with how these two dresses turned out! They are just as refreshing as a glass of lemonade! Meredith is modeling a size 5T.

Evelyn is wearing an infant size 9-12 month in the same bright lemon printed fabric. And if that doesn't stop you in your tracks to say "how cute", check out the matching infant shoes she is wearing with it!



When you find a lemon fabric, you make Lemon-Made!

The beautiful Daffodils that are blooming this week gave me some inspiration for the girls Easter dresses! I love how bright and yellow the flower is and I wanted to find a fabric that would be just as bright.

 I ended up finding exactly what I hoping for! A bright fabric with lemons and many different hews of yellow and some orange. Throw in some sunny day yellow thread and some frilly ribbon and I can't wait to show you what I am about to create. With each dress I dream up, it is easier and easier to go to the store and find coordinating fabrics and treasures to make a perfectly unique and one of a kind Claire Reese design!

White Eyelet Tiered Top

I love this top! I was inspired by a local children's clothing store who had a similar top. After looking at the top and the way it was made, there was no question that making something just like it would be easy and definitely cheaper than what they had it priced in the store. I added a flower eyelet rosette in front for some extra flare! Plus, I know this top was sewn in the USA. It is sad that a majority of our children's clothing is made in China or Malaysia. There will be one thing that will remain true about Claire Reese Clothing. It will always be sewn and created in the USA!