Vintage Sewing Machine Mini Quilt

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When I made Grace's quiet book sewing machine page a friend of mine joked that she would take a wall hanging like that, so I made one for her as a surprise.

I added some hand embroidery on the "table" below the machine. It says:


Good friends are like quilts- they age with you and never lose their warmth.

I even tricked her into choosing the saying. Heehee!

The background is leftover from Halley's retro apron and the border is pieced from my scraps.  The backing is a cute novelty print I got at Joann's and I thought it went along perfectly! I know it will be against a wall, but it is still cute.

So, there is another quilt I made this year - back in February- that I never blogged about. I doubt I will finish any large ones this year, but there is always next year!

Wave Fabric T Shirt Dress

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When I was making Easter dresses this year, I started to run out of ambition. I ended up making a cheater dress for the youngest. She can't voice her opinion yet and my best friend reminded me that there are no others to pass it down to later, so it would get less wear than the other dresses. I liked that logic.

It is just a simple T shirt dress. I got a basic Garanimals shirt at Walmart for the top. I found this navy wave texture fabric in the remnant bin at Joanns for the skirt.

I chopped a few inches off the bottom of the shirt, sewed the skirt in a tube, and then attached them with my serger. It was ridiculously easy.

To add a little something to the top I made a navy, chiffon flower out of some scraps from the

bridesmaid dress

and sewed it on.

Even with my minimal effort, it is still a cute dress and it is a little more practical for a toddler, too.

So, that is it! These are all of the Easter dresses I made this year. I love the navy and white, which I have mentioned a few times already. You can see the other dresses by clicking on the pictures below.

The Poofy Dress

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So, it is November and I still have not finished blogging about the girls' Easter dresses. The thing about the navy and white theme this year is that they are so versatile. It just looks classy for any season.

This dress turned out so beautiful and - even if the pictures don't show it by her refusal to smile - she loves it! I made a sparkly satin bodice (remnant from Joann's) using The Party Dress free pattern from Cottage Mama. I adjusted it to use buttonholes in the back, though.

The skirt is about 3 yards of shimmer tulle that was cut into strips the desired length, sewn together to make one very long piece, and gathered tightly to fit the bodice. I added a lining with a built in petticoat for a little more "poof" at the bottom. Gathering the tulle was very tedious, but definitely worth it. She calls it her "poofy dress."

The other reason I have not blogged about this dress is because within minutes of putting it on Easter morning, she went up the steps and stepped on it, ripping out a chunk of tulle from the front. I sewed it back together, but it is still visible. It just about broke my heart.

I have been meaning to fix it, but just haven't gotten around to it because I know it is going to be a huge pain in the behind. In the meantime, I have relaxed a bit and if she wants to wear it "just because" that is OK with me. You probably would not have even noticed it before I mentioned it, but now you can't unsee it. Right?
However, she loves it and wears it often. I might get around to fixing it in time for her younger sister to wear it as a hand me down. My mending pile is very neglected. Does anyone else that sews have that problem?
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Lace Overlay High Low Dress

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I should be getting ready for Halloween, but I am procrastinating. Instead, I am backtracking and blogging about another Easter dress.

This was one of the dresses that was completely dictated by my daughter's preferences. It also ended up costing me nothing to make! So, we both won.

The navy lining, made from another layer of my old bridesmaid dress, stops above her knees and the high-low lace overlay is much longer. It is a basic, gathered skirt, but I cut the hem in a curve.

A friend gave me this beautiful lace to work with- it is a heavier, stretch lace, but I didn't use the stretch factor in the design. I just drafted a basic bodice pattern and cut the lace. I left the shoulders and top of the bodice unlined for a sheer lace effect. So, I pieced the unlined and lined portions together and overlocked the inside seam. Then, I used some vintage navy bias tape around the neck and arms. Using wash-away wonder tape was key for holding that in place to sew. The back has an invisible zipper (which I already had from changing my mind last year and using buttons).

One thing I loved about these navy and white dresses is how fun they are to pair with contrasting accessories. The box dress has a yellow tie, the lace and chiffon dress was paired with an aqua statement necklace when she wore it on Easter, and this dress is fun with pink contrasting shoes. It looked a little better back at Easter vs. the fall when I did the photo shoot, but I had put all of her white shoes away (as per the Labor Day rule) and told her to put these on. It is still fun.
Two more dresses to go, but first, I need to finish an Elsa cape. Happy Halloween!

Link Parties where I sometimes hang out...