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.