a new skirt

As I was falling asleep the other night I imagined this skirt. In my bed the skirt was corduroy with a different ruffle decoration at the hem. I still want to make this skirt in corduroy, but for the first trial run I recycled a happy colored mu-mu.

The seam down the middle is double top-stitched, and so are the large patch pockets. The waistband has an elastic band in the back only, leaving the front smooth. Ruby picked the stripe material for the pockets, a perfect fit! And I love how she paired it with the hot pick leggings, this is one girl who is not afraid of mixing her colors!

Secret Agent 007

There's something so satisfying in a clean seam. Does anyone else get this feeling while sewing?
I just love how the seams are all even, no fraying, so tidy.



Here's my secret agent. It's a Bernina Funlock 007D (D for Deluxe). He's pretty faithful. Has been for the 15 or 20 years I've ran fabric through his cutters. Oh sure, I've broken a few needles along the way, gotten frustrated by rethreading the 4 different spools that sit on his back, but he's held up his end of the bargain just fine. He's such a behind the scenes kind of guy. Doesn't get any of the glory in how the final product looks from the outside. Just waits patiently for the few admirers who dare look inside to discover the neat, tidy seams.

a new dress

Here's Ginger, so eagerly modeling her new dress. This dress is a prototype of one I plan on making for the spring season coming upon us. It's a slightly different version of this dress. These dresses are so feminine and fun. I really like how the elastic at the neck and waist help to make this dress fit such a variety of shapes and sizes. And it's comfortable to wear.


For the main part of the dress I used an old sheet in all my favorite colors. The ruffles are made of a stripey seersucker that says "beach" to me. I really like to mix the old with the new. It breathes new life into something old, and it gives a rich history to something with no history yet. Maybe a little bit like sourdough starter.

kitty neglect

Is she trying to tell me something here? I wonder if she's getting enough attention. I wouldn't let her lounge on the fabric I was measuring, and she knew the spot I would be heading to next was my machine, she beat me to it.

and the winner is....

Congratulations to Sonya! Lucky commenter #10!

Sonya said...

I just found your blog. Love it! I would keep the hat for myself. My little ones have all the hats they need for now!

Sonya, you can contact me with your address information, and which hat from my shop you want, and I'll send it out right away!

Thanks to all my participants!

rainy days

The girls didn't delay a moment when they saw this opportunity. They rushed into their rain uniforms and out the door. The umbrella was not to prevent them from getting wet, it was to protect them from the hail stones!

We had a blast watching them bounce into the grass, like popcorn. We had rain everyday last week, what a novelty. And on Friday was the rare treat of a half an hour of hail. We even saved a bowl of it in the freezer to show daddy the evidence.

giveaway!!

In honor of my birthday yesterday (and Martin Luther King Jr.'s) I've decided to have a hat giveaway!

I sure love getting showered with gifts, don't get me wrong, of course it's one of my favorite parts of my birthday. But isn't it also equally awesome , if not even better, to shower other people with gifts!

All you have to do to enter to win one of the hats listed in my etsy shop at the end of the giveaway is to leave me a comment on this post. And if you just happen to post about this giveaway on your own blog, and let me know, I'll enter your name twice!

This giveaway will go until next Tuesday, January 26th. And don't forget that if you win you could pick a hat for yourself, or a friend, or a child, or a friend's child, or your sister, or your boss, or your librarian, or your babysitter, or your........