Summer Sewing and a Birthday Boy.....

Sewing seems to have taken a back seat to everything else this summer.  Maybe the heat is draining all of my energy so that I have none left for fun things.  Maybe the kids bickering is distracting me too much.   I don't know what the cause is....but I sure haven't been sewing much lately.  I did manage to finish this Children's Corner Lillian for Elisabeth.  I used a pretty pink floral fabric that I had in my stash, and I lined it in white. 

I think it will make a sweet little dress for this crazy summer heat we're having and Elisabeth really likes it, so that is always a plus.  And if you've ever made a Lillian before you know how fast it goes together.  I love that!!!  

And my Sweet Ean celebrated his third birthday a few weeks ago.  Such a sweet little boy.  He brings such joy into our lives.  For his special dinner I made him his favorite meal:  pinto beans, rice, steamed broccoli, avocado, and apple slices.  Then we topped that off with egg-free chocolate cake and easy banana ice cream.  Yum!!!

Little Boy Shorts.....Finished!

As you can tell in the above picture, we had a bunch of glorious sunshine today!!! Love it!! That makes these shorts even more timely for Sweet Ean. All in all it took me three sittings to stitch these four pairs of shorts. I know they are super fast and easy but I only get to stitch in 5 to 10 minute increments these days. Like I mentioned before, this is a simple shorts pattern I drafted last fall for these shorts. They have an elastic waist and no side seams. Since he's only 2 years old these shorts work well for play shorts. He's napping right now so I'll have to get a picture of him in a pair of them another time.

Next up I need to finish a dress I started for Elisabeth. I have it completed except the buttons and buttonholes. I have a 2 part post about buttonholes here and here if you are interested in how I make them.

Enjoy your evening!! Try to work some stitching in if you can!!!

Tatting.....

One of our smocking guild members was kind enough to offer a tatting demonstration at our last meeting. She is a brave soul. And a wonderful teacher. I do know how to tat...but the thought of teaching 10+ ladies to do so...all at the same time seems a bit daunting to me. :o) Anyway, we had a wonderful meeting!!! While she demonstrated the various techniques I continued to work on my little tatted edging. It only consists of rings and picots but that is plenty for me right now. The brave member also wrote out a pattern for me for the cute little butterfly. I came right home that night and made the butterfly you see in the above picture. I used a pink and white variegated thread so it is a bit hard to see. But I am thinking I'm going to make several of them and maybe stitch them onto something. Just not sure what yet. Do any of you tat? It seems to be a lost art these days!

I really am just about finished with the cute little bishop. And it's a good thing because I have another baby dress to make and I just remembered Easter is a bit early this year. I am thinking of making Ean a button-on shorts outfit this year. It may be the only year I can get away with it with his daddy! :o)

I hope you all are stitching your little hearts out!!! We have a Wee Care delivery this weekend and I'm doing a bit of Wee Care smocking here and there too. I'll post a picture of all the gowns after I get them ironed and ready.

Enjoy your day!!!!

Christmas Eve.....

I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that it's Christmas already. I always vow to start preparations earlier each year...but the fact is...I never do. I can't seem to get motivated to work on Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving...but somehow by that time I am already behind. One day I will be prepared...I hope.

In the meantime, I did finish the two full-size quilts I mentioned before. I was happy with the final products. If you remember a friend from church asked if I could take her deceased grandmother's shirts and make them into two quilts that she was going to then turn around and give to her mother and aunt for Christmas. Most of the shirts were of the sweatshirt variety which at first caused me concern. But with my trusty walking foot on the machine I did not encounter too many problems. There was some stretching that occurred...but not enough to bug me. Not everything matched up as a result...but again, I was still happy. She also supplied with me her grandmother's sheets to use as the backing and she picked out what color she wanted for the bindings. My friend seemed happy with the end result, and I was happy to have been able to use my talents to minister to this family.

I also was able to sew one small little gift for my Elisabeth. I won't post pictures until after she opens the gift tomorrow though. I am happy with the outcome though. Let's see...I also started a cute little Christmas jon-jon for Ean. But I am still not quite finished with it. I'm not sure if I'll get the opportunity to finish it up tonight or not. We'll see.

My four little ones have been taking their turns having a little bug going around. Basically it's a fever, headache, sore throat and stuffy nose that lasts anywhere from 1 to 3 days or so. Sweet Elisabeth is in the midst of it now. I'm hoping she feels fine by tomorrow. She was sick last year on Christmas day too. This same sweet little girl also had the nerve to turn 9 last week. They are all growing up WAY too fast!!!

I'll leave you all with one of my favorite songs (it has nothing to do with Christmas though.) If you have ever heard of the videos by Homestead Blessings then you know the West Ladies. I just love this song written by Ce Ce, one of the daughters (the one playing the guitar in the video.) Whenever I need a smile I just listen to this song. The video is even better though. I bet you can't watch this video without smiling! Enjoy!!! Oh, and Merry Christmas!!!

New Project......

Yesterday found me cutting out fabric squares. Any ideas what I might be working on? Here's a hint...the kids will love it!

All is well here after a round of summer colds last week. The kids are getting a little stir crazy inside all day...but the temps have been way too hot to spend much time outside. I was planning on a visit to the library and a new yarn shop today....but Ean decided to get up a bit too early today, so I'm thinking an early nap for him may be a better idea. The library and yarn shop can wait until tomorrow. Other than what you see above I don't think I've been sewing much the past week or so. I need to decide what my next big sewing project will be.

And every time I download pictures from my camera I am in for a surprise. The kids are forever borrowing my camera to capture life from their angle. Today I found this little gem on there. The boys doing what they do best....playing around and being silly! I already miss these days, even though I am still in the thick of them. And that surely doesn't mean it's all easy....trust me....some days I'm not sure I'll make it until their father gets home. But all in all...it's a blessed life I lead!!!

Easter Frocks, Part 2....

I am back with Ean's sweet Easter romper. This outfit has quite a story....seems like that is a trend with me. I can't condense things well....I always want to give every last detail. That can be annoying for some. But anyway, that's just the way it is with me. I hope it doesn't bother you too much.

So here is the outfit Ean wore for Easter this year. I hope to get a picture of him wearing it for you soon. But by the time we got home on Easter afternoon all he wanted was lunch and a nap and neither involved his outfit or a camera. Next year I've decided I'm going to take pictures the day before Easter....when everyone is still nice and fresh and in a great mood! :o)

I built this entire outfit around this "Easter Train" smocking plate that I picked up at our local heirloom shop sometime last year. The plate only has 6 rows of smocking so I started looking for a romper pattern that would accommodate just 6 rows of smocking. I looked through every pattern I have and finally decided to just make my own. Of course, I used my favorite blue/white gingham and it is fully lined. That should be no surprise for those of you that know me.

I was so happy to have this sweet little romper finished early. Then just a few days before Easter I realized I did not have a shirt for him to wear under it. So I quickly made a little shirt. It looks fine on Ean but this mannequin is a bit big for this small garment, therefore the collar is sticking out and looking all sorts of wonky. But trust me, on Ean it was looking just fine. Adorable even! But I am a bit biased!

And for extra exciting news, I won a gift at church this past Sunday (Mother's Day). They gave out three gifts. One for the mom there that had the most children and grandchildren combined (none had to be present). The sweet lady that won had 25 all together! Amazing. I hope I am so blessed down the road. The second gift was for the mom with the youngest baby....which was one of our sweet friends and her precious baby boy! And then the last gift was for the mom with the most children, and they had to be present with her....my row was over half-filled with my four little ones, plus Wayne, of course! The gift was a book about Moms!! I was so surprised and feeling blessed! I hope your days have been blessed too.

Back to Business.....

Yeah, it's time to start stitching Ean's Easter outfit. I've spent the last week editing our church cookbook and not only did it consume all my time....it made my eyes sore. I'm hoping I can smock tonight once I get all the house chores completed. After I post this I am going to start on a big pot of minestrone soup for tonight and some yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies too. Then I'm going to do a quick clean up around the house. Then, hopefully, I'll be able to smock a bit. I find that sewing or hand stitching is so therapeutic for me. Do you find the same? I know sewing frustrates some and therefore that can't be relaxing for them. But I do love it and it relaxes me.

Today is my Emily's favorite day of the year, I think. April Fool's Day. She spends her entire year thinking about various pranks to pull on us. This morning was funny though because she had one pulled over on her. She loves the Jumble in the daily newspaper...and she has gotten really good at them too. Well today it said they were going to discontinue the Jumble effective immediately. I heard her yelp across the house. It was funny when she realized it was an April's Fool joke. She is a funny girl.

Oh, and that funny girl has been busy. I can't wait to take a picture and show you what she has been working on. She has more tenacity than some adults I know. You just wait...you won't believe it either.

Ok, must get busy chopping veggies and making cookies!! My smocking is calling me!!!!

Ean's New Overalls.....

It's hard to get past those big eyes and long eye lashes isn't it? Ean has the most beautiful eyes and such a sweet smile!!! I could spend my entire days kissing on his cheeks...and sometimes do!! He had sweet potatoes for dinner which is why his face is a bit orange....it's always better if you spread it around a little on your face while you are eating! Don't you think?

Last week I made these cute overalls for him. I used some corduroy I had from last Fall and a sweet little plaid cotton to line them. I should have taken some extra time and embroidered something on the front...but oh well, maybe next time. I always love a project that goes together in less than two hours! This one certainly fit the bill!

The weather has been so warm and wonderful this past week that corduroy has almost been too heavy to wear. But I am not complaining. I am ready for the 90 degree weather!!! Bring it on!!!

Ean's New Outfit.....

Wow! These pictures make me realize that my Sweet Ean is growing up. He's a toddler now. He can walk when he chooses...but if he wants to get somewhere fast he drops to his knees and crawls like a maniac!

In these photos Ean is wearing the cute little outfit I made him this past weekend. The pattern is Baby Lyric by Pintucks and Pettiecoats. Also in these photos Ean is sporting unruly hair...forgive him...and me.

I amazed myself when I actually decided to embroidery his monogram on the front. Well actually I did not amaze myself until I actually DID it. I think about all sorts of things I want to do....but I am thrilled when I actually follow through and do it!

The machine embroidery font is called Kiddy Font and came from The Embroidery Font Shop. I have had this font for several years and also used it for an outfit for Elisabeth awhile back.

I made the 18 month size for Ean so he would have some room to grow. The 12 month size fits him perfectly...but I really wanted the extra room. I think the pattern runs true to size because Ean is very petite and is just starting to outgrow the 12 months size in ready to wear clothes.

For the main fabric I used a piece of denim. I buy this at my local heirloom shop and I love it!!! For the lining I used a piece of blue/white/khaki plaid that I had also. I love the combination of these colors. Now if I can only remember to have my camera on the correct settings next time I want to take pictures...all will be good!!!

I hope you have time to work a few stitches this new year! I have a jumper ready to cut out for Elisabeth and two tiered skirts ready to start for Emily. Plus....I am thinking of making a sweet baby outfit for a girl at church who is pregnant with her first little one.

Happy Stitching Friends!!!

Pure Pleating Laziness......

Yesterday it hit me that Christmas is just over two weeks away! And my sweet Elisabeth also has a birthday between now and then....just to add a little more stress to the equation! But my hands still desire to have something to work on in the little bits of time that present themselves here and there. So I did the unthinkable....I stopped by the local heirloom shop and bought two pleated panels! I know, crazy (and maybe lazy?) when I can easily pleat them myself! But my Ethan really wants tractors smocked on a jon-jon...and honestly this is the last year he will be able to wear jon-jon's and get away with it. So I really do want to make this for him. But I knew if I waited to get the pleater out and ready I would postpone it for several more weeks. Why do I do that?

So I bought two pleated panels in hopes of stitching them for my sweet little boys. I'm not sure what I'll put on Ean's yet....I'll think about that. But in the meantime I can start stitching tractors for Ethan.

And do you see the colorful quilt in these two pictures? Well guess what? That is another bargain I got at the Martha Pullen Warehouse Sale. It is a baby crib-sized quilt (a very generous size) and gorgeous. You can't see the edges but they have large rick rack stitched on them, and the back is the same fabric as the block on the front with all the little cars and such...precious. You won't believe it when I tell you I paid $3 for this amazing quilt. I could not even purchase the supplies for that amount....plus add in the time for construction and such. I love this quilt for so many reasons!!!

And about the sleeping baby, Ean, in the top photo....I could just about kiss his cheeks off!!! That's all I'm saying!!!!

Hand-Me-Downs Are Great....

The time has come....Ean can now wear some of the outfits I made for Ethan. I made this little outfit for Ethan 4 years ago. And I used my (then new) embroidery machine for the first time when I stitched this cute little car on the front pocket. Ean will be able to wear it this Fall until it gets too chilly outside....that will probably be another month or so. It was pushing 90 degrees here today....funny since our highs were in the 60's a week or so ago. Fall is fickle like that.

Ean's White Undershirt......

I have always said that people who sew are the nicest people out there. I have met some wonderful people on-line over the past several years. And many of these people I truly consider friends. One of these friends is Erin. She is the creator of Children's Fashion Workshop and has amazing ideas for children's clothes. Not only can she sew gorgeous clothes for her four little ones (and another on the way)...but she can also draft any pattern she desires. She is incredible!!! This sweet infant bodysuit that Ean is wearing is her latest pattern. I was lucky enough to pattern test it for her and I love it.

This pattern utilizes knit fabric and since I had not sewn on knits since I made a bathing suit in high school....I was a little concerned. But with Erin's directions it was truly easy and fun! Yes, fun! I never thought I would say that about sewing knits.

I made Ean the 18 month size so he would have some room for growth. I love a baby in a white undershirt. This is also the shirt he had on underneath his fishy bubble I made him a few weeks back. It fits great and I will definitely be making more. I think this coupled with a pair of bloomers, or shorts would be a fantastic baby gift.

Birthday Boy.....

It's official.....he is a year old now. I cannot believe that it has been one solid year since this precious baby was born. We all stand in amazement of how fast time is passing by us.

We had such a great day though. We generally have very low-key birthdays in our family but they are always fun.....and aren't first birthdays just extra-special somehow? I think so.

I remembered about two days before his birthday that I had not made him a special outfit to wear. So you know what that means, don't you? I pulled out my pattern blocks and drafted him this cute little romper. When I stitched up a quick prototype I wasn't too sure about it. But I ventured ahead and cut into the good fabric (which I later realized is the exact same fabric I used for his Easter outfit) and I quickly started loving the outfit.

It is much cuter on Ean....but here you can see the entire outfit and all those glorious buttons and buttonholes. I could have used snaps...but I find that snaps and heirloom fabrics don't mix too well. I have a tendency to rip the fabric when I un-snap the snaps. So I stuck with the tried and true buttons.

And I just free-handed a simple little sailboat on the fabric and then stitched a basic back stitch with embroidery floss. Very simple, but very sweet for a precious little boy who is now 1 year old!!!

Party Preparations......

(June 2009)

The preparations are underway......I cannot believe our Sweet Ean is almost 1 year old. I am working up a cute little outfit for him and the kids can hardly wait to whip up the cupcakes. We are all so in love with this precious gift from God!!! I'll be back soon with pictures.....

Emily's New Skort....Stitched Up A Notch....

My sweet Emily continues to improve. She tires easily....but her smile is back! While she was snuggling with Ean the other day, and wearing her new skort, I realized I had never shared her most recent embroidery project with you.

A month or so ago she asked me to make an A-line skort out of this wonderful lightweight denim fabric. (The shorts are made out of quilting cotton from Moda. I love Moda fabrics because they are so soft and pretty!!) Her goal was to have a blank canvas in which to work some embroidery magic. And that she did.

She hand-drew this cute floral design on tissue paper and then basted the tissue paper to the skort. Then after making her floss color choices she stitched these flowers in about 30 minutes. She wore it several times before she got sick, and she always received such thoughtful comments from others. She says it is very comfortable so I'm sure she'll get lots of wear out of it this summer. Now she is on to stitching a sampler. I need to take a picture to share.

Ean's First Easter....

As promised, here are a few pictures of Ean in his sweet little outfit. He loves to patty-cake his hands.....so I could not resist sharing this picture.

His face is always full of so much expression that I find it hard to resist kissing his cheeks 24/7! I mean really.....look at those cheeks...and that precious little mouth!!!

And a beautiful smile that lights up his entire face....and the face of others around him. He is such a precious little blessing for our family!!! Happy First Easter Sweet Ean!!!

Easter Outfits....Part 1.....

It was tonight that I realized Easter is just over a week away. I think I panicked!!! Then I remembered that I just finished Ean's outfit. Somehow over the course of the past week with all the sick little ones I managed to squeeze in 5 minutes here and there. I knew I was crazy when I was attempting to embroider bullions with Ean sitting in my lap. However, I must confess that is the norm around here with four little ones. I am happy to fit in 5 to 10 minutes here and there throughout each day.

So I do have one sweet little outfit completed. This is a Creations by Michie' pattern #102. It is a cute one. I was inspired by Martha's sweet little bubble that you can see here. However, I knew I wanted this one to be more Easter-ish. So after I exhausted all my ideas for embroidery, I finally remembered I had these unique little buttons. I cannot give proper credit for the idea but I know it was in a past Creative Needle issue....that I don't have. Basically this cute little chick is made using these two mother of pearl buttons and some floss bullions. Very sweet!!!

I'll be back soon with pictures of Ean in his sweet little outfit. Too precious for words!!!

Thanks again for all the well wishes you sent this way. People are finally perking up a little. Today the sun was shining and they actually wanted to sit outside for a few minutes instead of laying around inside all day. I even opened the windows hoping to air the house out a bit. I am hopeful they continue to feel better and that tomorrow is even better than today!!!

My Sweet Baby......

(This photo was pre-croup.....but he is still smiling some.....)

My sweet little Ean is sick. He has croup. And croup just isn't fun!!! He woke up with it yesterday morning and so we spent the afternoon at the doctor. I thought croup was just annoying and nothing really to worry about....but our very laid-back pediatrician said it can be very dangerous in babies. So, needless to say, I spent the night holding him and listening to his every breath....the barking ones and the non-barking ones. And I've continued to do the same today and on into tonight. They say it's usually the first three days that are the worst.

Then this morning Emily woke up with a fever and a headache.....and so it continues. I am praying the other two manage to stay healthy.

So, needless to say, there won't be a whole lot of sewing going on in these parts over the next few days. I am half-way finished with Ean's Easter outfit and have the fabric and trims for Elisabeth's. I am so anxious to have them all finished and on these sweet little ones. But in the meantime, I will be here holding and snuggling my babies until they feel better!!!

Sweet Little Boy.......

Ean is going to be 9 months old this coming Monday!! I am still not sure where the time has gone. I was looking through some of the things I made for him before he was born. I came across this little outfit and was curious if it still might fit. Imagine my surprise that it did. The top is definitely a little tight across the chest....but the diaper cover still fits fine. You may remember my initial post about this sweet little outfit here. And he did not wear this home from the hospital after all...it was way too big for him. Plus Claudia Newton gave me the sweetest little day gown to bring him home in...and we did.

And this adorable afghan was given to him by Barb and Kay at our local heirloom shop. Their mom makes these gorgeous afghans and I was lucky enough to be given one for sweet Ean.

But back to this baby.....do you see that precious little face? It's the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night (not to mention in the middle of the night).....heaven, if you ask me!!!

But you really couldn't get the full effect if you didn't see his little knees.....just look at them. I threaten to kiss them off daily!!! I am getting ready to do some more sewing for this sweet little one.....his Easter outfit is next up on the machine.

This is the reason......

Look at this sweet baby!!! This is the reason that my sewing has dwindled to an almost standstill!!! He is just so sweet and precious. He feels the need to be in my arms at all times....and I cannot bear to do otherwise. I know this time is so fleeting and I can't make myself ignore him...not that I ignore any of my children...but you know what I mean. So, my sewing time is now relegated to LATE at night or during his brief afternoon naps. But that's alright....I prefer sewing late at night when my "creativeness" is at its peak. And he won't be this small forever. I will be there to take my wet, slobbery kisses whenever he cares to share them!!! And in the meantime (late at night), I am working up a new design for Elisabeth. I bought the most wonderful fabric today....I'll have to take a picture and share its goodness with you!!!