Apple for Fall, Another Sugar and Spice Dress!

Ah fall, it is almost here! The leaves are starting to change colors and cooler weather is in this weeks forecast. It is almost time to go to the apple orchard! Yummy apple pies, apple crisps, apple cinnamon rolls and apple dresses! Yes, even a dress! This is the first year I have really sewn "themed" dresses for Sarah but Oh How she really wants them so why not?! 





I used the same dress pattern as the last dress I made, the Sugar and Spice from Ellie Inspired. It's such a sweet pattern and has such a lovely vintage feel to it. This one went together quick than the last one too. I used all French seams on this one so it would be as lovely on the inside as the outside. Ok, Ok I am almost out of serger thread sooo I used French seams, but they do look really, really nice!  I used a chevron for the main dress with the grey trims and the red is scraps from my red chambray dress. I free hand the appliques on this dress too. Not too bad if I say so myself. 

These pictures were taken at the local historical covered bridge. It's so lovely here!  I guess it's is about time I "showed" you lovely ladies around. :-)

Not such a bad looking apple if I say so. It does look like an apple and that is all I was going for! hahaha

I have made myself a promise to make a smocked version of this dress as in the pattern instructions, I know it would be the perfect dress for church.  

Next up is another "knock off" skirt/shirt outfit for Sarah. I am using some very special fabric form my grandmother for it and I am oh so excited to start it! Until then,

Sharon  

Strawberry Bento Carrier, done at Last!

With the Little Things to Sew Cover to Cover challenge just about done I decide that I had to finish this Bento Carrier. I started it well over three years ago when I first bought the book. I messed up on some stitching, I stitched through all the layers instead of only on the inside so I dropped sewing it, which all it needed was bias to finish it. So Sad huh??

Well on Thursday I sat down and really finished it! I used some premade bias I had on hand at the house so it took all of five minutes. SO funny all that avoidance for years for five minutes of sewing time! Any way, lucky for me Sweet pea really loves strawberries still and she was super excited to able to use this. She had to pack green grapes, 9 of them by request, for a snack-to-go and declared it worked out perfect! Yay!

So the details, this one was made out of some of Sarah's fabric scrap fabrics at the time. I appliques' out of some butterfly fabric and sewn them onto the inside for a nice surprise. (yes the middle fabric is wrinkly but at least I know my sewing skills have improved since then) 

I even appliques some of the strawberry fabric to the outside. Which you can clearly see the stitching......which is why it took so long for me to pick it back up. You know what, Sarah didn't even noticed! how silly of me to think that it was a problem.

So do ladies have any of those projects started but not finish yet? There is still some time!!

Sharon

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I know it's a tad early to really be thinking of sewing for fall but with all the sewing I have done in mass for my boys this past month my little Sweet pea was beyond jealous. After all I started sewing to make her beautiful dress so why on earth would I be sewing for the boys, so she thinks. Well her turn has come around again! This past summer while I was reading emails she seen this Zulily dress "pop" up many times on the side bar and ask me if I had made that dress for her. After the hundredth time of telling her "no mommy did not, it was for sale in shop online". She looked at me ever so sweetly and ask very nicely "mama could you very please make this beautiful dress, please??" How could I say no. ;-) I saved the picture onto the computer and told it would be made for fall.



So this past weekend I went to the fabric store, a quilting one and found the perfect dotted fabric for the dress but no gingham fabric at all. They said they do not carry it. What?!?! I think this is so very unheard of. How would a fabric store carry a staple fabric? Any way I lucked out and found some very similar gingham fabric at Wal-Mart of all places. It's not all orange but I think the yellow with orange still works. The orange on the gingham is the very same as the dotted fabric so that was a huge win and the fabric feels very nice too. So I am happy still.

I free hand made the applique' for this dress, no fancy embroidery machine was needed. (no that I don't want one, hint, hint hubs!!) I made/cut out a oval for the made and made a sort of rectangle for the stem. The stem is also a corduroy too. I think it looks very much stem like. I finished all the edges with a narrow zig-zag stitch. It was not too very hard make.



I used Ellie Inspired Sugar and Spice dress pattern. I had only a few wee mods to make this too. All I had to do was take 6" off the width of the front and back skirts each and add flat piping, 1" on the finished side, to the front and back bodices. Oh and add the pumpkin. I almost had forgotten how much I love to sew dresses for my little princess.

This dress was finished nicely with MOP flower buttons on the back. Nothing but the best for my little Sweet pea! Sweet pea you ask? She love it! Now just for fall to come and then we are off to the pumpkin patch.


Sharon

My Little Sailor Boy and Last Day on Big pattern Sale!

This was a "I couldn't help myself" outfits. I seen this shirt like this on Flicker through a friend and had to make one for my baby boy too! I adore the Out to sea fabric line and I really couldn't help myself into making this outfit. The only problem was I needed the just the right dress shirt pattern. You see the original one had this awesome collar stand in a different fabric other than the white. (I used a different fabric for mine though) So when I was tested the Charlie's Camp Shirt I kept thinking how this pattern is the one I needed for Caspian's shirt! I was right too!

This shirt is a size 1. The only mods I made to this pattern was to cut the bottom of the shirt out straight instead of the "curved" bottom edge. I took the lowest point, where the button placket is, and drew/cut a straight line from there. Easy peasy mod if I say so.

The pants are from Oliver + S Sail Boat pattern. I cut out a size 18-24 months for him so they are longer in the legs (he wears the 6-12 month size still form 3 summers ago!) but this way they will fit maybe just as long as all his other pairs. That and they will cover more leg this fall to keep him warmer.

These pants have this awesome front with four working button holes/buttons on them. The back has elastic casing for ease of dressing. On all of his pants I used the button hole elastic so I have been able to get even more wear out of all them.  Caspian's Sail Boat pants are the most worn pants I have made him, three years in row for first three pairs! (Yes it does help that he is my skinny bean pole, you are what you eat I guess) They have held up very well.

 

Here is the other favorite part of this shirt of mine, the back pleats! I did move the back pleats out about 1 1/2" to outer sides on this one so it didn't interfere with the birds in the sky on the print. I think it looks super cute on him....but I am him mama. ; )

Since the pictures make the print hard to see I thought I would share these with you gals. The details photos! I love, love this fabric for this shirt so much!

The back, see the birds now?! Its like this fabric was made for this pattern!

and the awesome collar stand! Have I told you how much I love this pattern?!?

If you are thinking of ordering any of these pattern of Ellie Inspired, they are all PDF's and are still on sale for the rest of today until Midnight. She is even including a free tote bag pattern with every purchase too, so go check out her shop!!

Ellie Inspired

Happy Sewing!

Sharon

Play Ball Raglan t-shirt up cycle!

To add to my sewing with Ellie Inspired week, here is the Play Ball Raglan t-shirt! This wonderful easy pattern comes in sizes 1-16, just like all the other ones I was lucky to test. I made my Jacob a size 14, I still can't believe he wears a size 14 already!? When did he grow so much?? Well for I love this apt tern because of the easiness, quickness and size range. One pattern for all my boys is always a winner!

This shirt was made with a huge shirt that was here at the house. He is starting to become  a Cardinal's fan since moving here and has wanted a t-shirt of his own so this one worked out perfectly. I used some grey knit and ribbing to finish this shirt. I do think it came out very nice and it is the most worn shirt if his......now just to make a few more before school starts!

It has been a wonderful few weeks of sewing, I can't tell you how lucky and blessed I have been able to pattern test for Laura Johnson. I have loved sewing from every pattern and tell you ladies that all al these will be more than well used for each boy. If you have liked any of these patterns this week on my blog you can go over to the Ellie Inspired Etsy shop and save this week until Friday night at Midnight. She has some lovely bundles that you can buy form small to big! She has some love girl pattern too. I still have even more to show you form some of these great pattern too! Caspian's Charlie's Camp shirt is up next! I can't wait to share it.

Ok, ok here is a sneak peak!

Until then,

Happy Sewing!!

Sharon

Study Hall Sweater for All!

With the weather already notably cooler here and the new school year is approaching fast I have been very busy sewing up things for all my boys to wear. So today I am sharing another wonderful pattern from Ellie Inspired , the Study Hall Sweater.

This was yet another fabulous pattern I was very lucky to test for Ellie Inspired. It has both sweater and sweater vest including in the pattern. I really love the "V" neckline on this! It's so easy to sew and just as quick to make. It took me longer to cut one out than it did to sew. All the boys equally love this pattern as much as I do as well. All four boys, yes all four, want more of these sweaters! (If you are wondering this blue sweater was made for Jacob but when he turned his back Wyatt swapped it off the hanger and declared it was his so that is also the reason for Jacob's funny look on his face and the "haha" look on Wyatt's face. brothers! ) 

The next best thing about this pattern is that even the sweater fits very nicely over the Charlie's Camp Shirt for layering in the colder months ahead. I think Jacob looks so very smart here, don't you? : )

I even sewn one up for the baby too! He loves it as much as his brother. Sadly the boys wore them already outside this summer due to chilly days we have already had here. I hope this doesn't mean another cold winter. Yipes!

This one is over Caspian's Sketchbook onesie and shorts....the 6-12 months shorts. Yep they still fit this small fellow.

It's another quick favorite pattern and most surely be a "Go-To" pattern for all my boys!

Sharon

Sewing for my preteen with new patterns; The Charlie's Camp shirt and Class Clown Cargo pants!

My Jacob is growing up so fast! He has out grown so many of the patterns in my collection. He has been begging for some new dress shirts that were mama made. (He has not had anything new sewn for him in about a year) If you know me too you know that I love, love to sew for my boys and I do love a great dress shirt pattern for them. It's my favorite type of sewing of all! I found out the Ellie Inspired was making some new pattern that went all the way up to a size 16! Yippy!! I don't know who was more excited me or Jacob. Then to top it off I was more than lucky and blessed to be able to pattern test for Ellie Inspired this past few weeks! EEPP! A dream come true! (can you feel the excitement of mine?!?)

First up is the Charlie's Camp shirt, the size range of the pattern is a sizes 1-16. Yep, it fits Caspian to Jacob and there is still one more size left on this pattern for Jacob to grew in. I can tell you this pattern will be more than well used! (I have already made 4 of these up to date, I can't wait to show the other ones as well but you'll just have to wait.....)  This was also my very first time sewing a "proper" collar with a collar stand, I can't tell you how excited I was to see it finished! Some of the other lovely features are the pleats on the long sleeves and the back of the shirt. This shirt comes in a long sleeve or short sleeve version. I really do love the length of the sleeves on this shirt, it falls just the right place and yet there is still some room for his growth spurts that way this should fit him all fall and winter long. ( big plus!) This one above is made in a Robert Kaufman interweave chambray in strawberry. I need to buy some more chambray for my boys for these shirts now. He loves this shirt as much as I do too!! (I wonder if she'll make a men's shirt?!?)

I did even make that shirt I promised him too. I had just enough fabric to make this one too. He has wanted a new shirt in this fabric for a while and it felt so good to make it for him. heheheh, his other brothers were a bit jealous of these shirts too. I never had all five children wanting me to sew for them at the time before, it felt pretty good too. : )

Next up is the Class Clown Cargo pants! This are pretty awesome too. Once again the sizing goes from a size 1-16 so I can see me getting so much use out of this pattern as well. It has pockets on the front, back and sides and a separate waist band. One of the best parts of this pattern is that is sews up fairly quickly too. I made these in about 2 hours. That's pretty good for a busy mama sewing for four boys. Wait till you see the other pants I made with this pattern!! It looks like a  flip but it's not really and so quick and easy to make (yes this a teaser!) I'll show you ladies the pants and the how to later on this next week.

Don't they great on him!?! He worn them all day declaring they were just as comfy as the top, and those pockets?!? Yes I totally love them too. : )

This was just the first round of new things I have to show you for the great new pattern of Ellie Inspired! You'll have to come back tomorrow to see some more great sewing for my Jacob and then a super cute outfit for my baby boy as well.

Happy Sewing!!

Sharon