Every Friday?

So I told myself that I would write a post for the blog every Friday.  Well, as you notice there was nothing last Friday.  Am I the only one who underestimates how long everything will take?  Or do you do that too? 

A week or so before I'd gone to Haberman's http://habermanfabrics.com/ to get the Oliver +S Family Reunion Dress so I'd be ready to go when the Family Reunion Dress sewalong on The Above All Fabric blog http://www.aboveallfabric.com/blog/ began.  Right there displayed in the pattern area was a dress pattern for a girl and her American Girl doll.  When Maddy, our 8-year old granddaughter, had spent the weekend with us she'd indicated that she would like to have a matching outfit.  The patterns were Kwik Sew 3767(http://bit.ly/jjISuQ) for Maddy and 3771 (http://bit.ly/ltUjFh) for her doll. Of course, I couldn't resist!  Now all of a sudden I had dresses to make for both granddaughters and a doll.  Well, actually I'm going to make a doll dress for Emily's baby doll to match her Family Reunion one too, but I've got to make my own pattern for that, so it'll take awhile longer.  Now my next problem was that Maddy would be here the Saturday of Father's day weekend, and so I needed to finish the dress for her and her doll by then. 

Fast forward to the end of the story.  I got the dress for Maddy and her doll done by Saturday.  I didn't finish Emily's dress until the day after the sew-along finished.  I still haven't started her doll dress.  Oh, did I mention in the middle of all this I was cooking all the food for the family gathering on Father's Day?  And had to make a new tablecloth for the picnic table too?  What a week.  I spent Monday this week just catching up on housework stuff.  And then my internet went flaky Tues and Wed. So much for trying to catch up on a blog.

What I'm going to do is to write a post about Emily's dress and another about Maddy and her doll's dresses.  I think it'll be less confusing that way. So here goes..... First will be Emily's Oliver + S Family  Reunion Dress that I did with the sew-along.

My nautical oven mitt and potholder were included in a new collection by DesertWindDesign on Artfire.  This one features members of the Less than 10 guild.

Cool Stuff for a Hot Summer

Curated By: DesertWindDes...

ArtFire.com

Craft Supplies

A collection of roses on Artfire

I just made a new Collection on Artfire.  With Father's Day yesterday I was thinking of my Dad and how he grew such beautiful roses.  So I started looking at the uses of roses on Artfire.  Seemed an appropriate tribute to his memory.

Roses in bloom

Curated By: Clearwater_Cr...

ArtFire.com

Craft Tutorials

What I'll be doing for week June 13

Well, I'm finally starting to feel better after over a week with a bad sore throat.  Finally ended up at doctors and on antibiotics.  My best friend came down with strep and is on same meds.  Likely we both caught it when we shared that mac and cheese Wed a week ago.

Last week I did manage to get the dress made for myself that I needed for award cermony.  I learned years ago to alter a pattern using wax paper, then make a muslin and fit that on myself.  Once I'm happy with the fit, then I cut the good fabric, and can throw together the real dress in short order.  One friend said I should go through and describe that procedure, and I'll add it to the 'to do' list.  I'd need a lot of photos and didn't take any as I rushed to get the dress done.  Here's photo of my dress.

It was Simplicity 2247 http://bit.ly/kZZEE7  I liked that it had an A, C and D cup pattern and so you didn't have to do that sizing yourself.  The fabric was something out of my stash from probably 10-12 years ago, most likely from Fanny Fabrics in Thunder Bay, ONT since my note said I had 3 meters.  I lined the dress, but not the sleeves, since the fabric was a little sheer, and I didn't a want see through dress.  Oh, I'm wearing a sea glass necklace and earrings that were birthday present, but they came from Fish Princess Designs http://bit.ly/kT4eYd on Artfire.

So this week should be busy.  I'll be doing the Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress sew along with the All About Fabric blog  http://bit.ly/jUcgyu  Making dress for Emily.  And when we were at my Mom's Memorial Day weekend, my daughter asked if I could make some matching outfits for Emily and her doll.  So that's the other challenge this week is to make one for the baby doll that Emily is carrying in the photos below.  Fortunately I saw this post in Craft Daily Newsletter http://bit.ly/kUsjqP earlier this week about changing full size patterns to doll clothes patterns.  It was using a misses pattern and making one for Barbie, but I don't see why it wouldn't work for changing a toddler dress pattern to a baby doll one.  And Sketchup software was free download from Goggle!   So this will be a real adventure!!

And since the rest of the family will be together for Father's Day here, I want to get a dress made for Maddy and her American Girl doll.  I'm using Kwik Sew 3767 for Maddy and 3771 for the doll.  Just washed the fabric so waiting for it to dry before I start on that.  Need to finish the collar and buttons on the sweater I knitted for baby Evan too.  Should be a fun week!

My nautical oven mitt and potholder are featured in new Artfire collection

This new collection appeared a couple days ago.  I've been running behind all week not feeling well since my allergies kicked up big time, so I'm just getting to post this on the blog.  Hope to be feeling better tomorrow and spend the day sewing!

Summer!

Curated By: DesertWindDes...

ArtFire.com

Vintage Fashion

Emily in her yellow eyelet dress

Back on May 12 and 15 I told you about making the yellow eyelet dress for my granddaughter, Emily.  Over Memorial Day weekend we were all in VA for my Mom's 97th birthday, and Emily wore her next dress to the birthday party.  It turns out the Thomas the Train shirt I'd made for her twin brother, Jake, was too big, so I didn't get to see him in it.  At least he can always grow into it. 

The only photo I have with the purse and it's on her other arm so you really can't see it that well.  But she did like to carry her little boxes of raisins in it.

You can see the front of the dress better when she's sitting next to her great grandmother who was opening her presents.

My birthday is the day before my Mom's and when I was opening presents we got a photo of the back of Emily's dress as she was leaning on my knee.  The size 2T fit her perfectly.  I just had to make the skirt 1" shorter than that pattern called for.

My next project for Emily will be the Oliver + S "Family Reunion Dress" that Sarah is going to be heading up starting June 13 on http://www.aboveallfabric.com/blog/

Back from Memorial Day weekend/Mom's birthday

Well I got back home last night and am slowly digging out of the things that piled up over the week I was gone.  We had a nice 97th birthday with my Mom.  Emily wore the yellow eyelet dress I'd  made for her to the birthday party, but the Thomas the Train shirt is too big.  I'd made a size 3T before I found out he was still in 2T.  So we'll get a photo later when he grows into it.  Emily's dress fit perfectly!  I'll post some photos of her in it on here later.  I haven't gotten that far in unpacking/digging out etc.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day holiday.