I've not been having a very good week. Things have gone wrong, been stressful, and generally unsatisfying. In the throes of a week like that, sometimes it is the things you think are going to fail miserably that end up being the nicest successes.

First there was this dress. I started it after finding the pink in the remnants at Joann's. I still think the neck is a bit big, and the dress itself may be too big. I cut it as a 4 instead of my usual 3 in this style. And it is also knit. But, even if it is too big, little girls grow. I like how this one turned out but all along the way I kept saying, "Oh no. Oh NO! This isn't going to do at all!" And who knows, maybe it isn't all that great, but it is cute and Elizabeth likes it. Those are the things that matter, right? It is a little heavy (it is interlock knit) so it may be better saved for fall.

Most Thursday's, I find myself at my mom's house around 9:30am having dropped Elizabeth off at her second playschool of the week. They need her at this one - she is the only child that talks in her class. They are all 2, but she's the talker. Well, while I am at my mom's, I usually take something to cut out. I took this last Thursday and got it all cut out, then when we got home, I put it together. SO FAST! And I am stupidly pleased with my 'matched plaids' that are only matched one direction. But hey! They match one direction and I'd never even tried before! Yay me!


Then there is this. I have no idea where the pattern came from, but you better believe that I'm going to make a blue-million more of them. I wasn't sure about it because of the tucks in the front, but now I am converted. Tucks are in, pleats can go rot. But this fabric has been laying around since I first started sewing. It didn't really go with anything and there wasn't much of it. There was barely enough for this dress, and that is with piecing the back! I'm probably going to do a facing instead of bias tape at the neck though. I'm NOT crazy about bias at the neckline anyway. And the buttons are three from the pile-o-buttons that I got from my grandmother's sewing room. And no. The Boy Scout did not pick them this time! He cried off at having too many options.

Really? He just wanted to play Final Fantasy 7 and be left alone.

I did a ton of sewing this week, but the weather has been very Tennessee and I only have pictures of one project. However that project is the one I am most proud of!

I got the PDF Puppet Show pattern last fall and made a dress from it out of stuff I just had laying around. I have wanted to make another because the purple one is WAY too short now. But that just isn't to be, it seems. I keep having mismatches of fabrics AND I'm on a buying freeze right now too.

But, Elizabeth needs neutral shorts. I made the mistake of starting my shorts making with some very limiting (but extremely cute) options. So now we need solids and basics - like brown. And denim.

First, let me start by saying that I always get intimidated by all the little bits and bobs in Oliver + S patterns. I *know*! It isn't hard, follow the directions, it's really all very logical. But it gets me every time! That's why I never made these shorts. All those teeny pieces were overwhelming.

After making six basic shorts, I figured some of her more boring basics could be less boring with a cute pattern. And boy was I right.

I love being right. Don't you?

Ta-da! Now, they are sitting a little low on her in this pic. She's wearing a disposable diaper and the poor child has *no* hips or booty to hold her pants up. And the denim - yeah. Maybe not the best choice for this pattern. I had to trim out bulk til I was green in the face and the waistband still isn't snug enough. But, she wears cloth diapers most of the time (we were stripping them yesterday) so they will be fine with her artificial backside.

And they cost me next to nothing. After the pattern, the shorts themselves are made from a pair of jeans that a good friend of mine gave me to chop up! FREE! Whooo! Thanks Renee!

And yes, cold bribes are used in this house. Especially when it is 80 degrees outside.


I can't believe how big she is getting. Those legs are little kid legs! For real. You can't see it in this pic, but she had a BAD fall at playschool yesterday. There's a big bleedy cut on her knee, a big old purple bruise complete with road rash on the inside of that knee, and her opposite shin is scraped. GAK! went the mommy in me. She seems unphased.

Okay, so no stuff I've made this week. Sorry. Not that I haven't made stuff, but I'm just LAZY and want to talk about other things.

The title of this post is a direct quote from one of the other playschool moms. About a week ago, we were all talking about school and where we live and where we are zoned for Elementary school. Also about all the stuff kids have to know before they even start school. And she just said what we were all thinking as we waited to pick up our 2 and 3 year olds.

So where we live now has an interesting policy in it's public schools. There is a uniform. Now, it is a very relaxed uniform policy compared to what I've heard about private schools - but it has to be. After all, these are public schools.

And I recognize that public schools in Tennessee are pretty unimpressive in terms of instruction, but public schools in general are pretty unimpressive right now. But I'm not talking about that stuff. You want that debate, go elsewhere. I know how to sew, not how to fix a broken system.

But, back to the task at hand. Uniforms! The kids on our street all head off in their little outfits every day and surprisingly, there's not a real notion of them all looking like little clones. Cause it is a pretty relaxed policy. It states that Navy, black, or any shade of khaki pants, skorts, shorts, skirts, jeans, capris or jumpers. And it goes on to define the fit of those too - straight leg; if there's belt loops, wear a belt; no cargo pants; shorts and skirts no more than 3 inches above the knee. And shirts have to have to be collared and in approved colors. Likewise with sweaters and sport coats.

Every bit of which is reasonable as far as I'm concerned. Hairstyles and jewelry are limited, too. But they are limited to the realm of reasonable - if it is distracting, don't do it. Common sense.

Well, I'm just over the moon excited! Because there are no specified brands in any of this stuff! They list Dockers as an example, but go out of the way to make it clear that there's no brand requirements. This means that I can make Elizabeth's uniforms! WAHOO!

Not like it is going to be happening any time soon, mind. She isn't even three yet and won't start school until a few days before she turns five. But I have been worried about this. I really love making her clothes and going to school 5 days a week would cut way back on what I would need to sew for her.

Not anymore!

And as if to celebrate, I got an email from Oliver + S offering 50% off my next order.  So I used it to buy some uniform-like basics. Now, I have the Puppet Show set in the smaller sizes and the shorts and top from that will be good for Kindergarten I think. And I have the Sunday Brunch (skirt) and the 2+2 (again, skirt) in the smaller sizes too. But I ordered the Music Class and Hopscotch sets for the top and skirts options in the larger sizes. After all, we've got two-ish years.

And the rule on dresses follows the rules for tops - collars, solid colors as dictated by the school. So you know how many dress patterns I have that have a little Peter Pan collar on them? SCADS. But even so, the Fairy Tale dress and the Jump Rope dress fit the requirements. Although the Fairy Tale might be a stretch - no buttons on the front.

At least one of my friends thinks I'm crazy. Probably all of them do - and maybe I am. But if our bug is going to be in school here, then I am going to make her clothes to be there.

Except the polo shirts. If she wants them, we buy them. I HATE that material and those collars give me hives.

You should be more excited about the giveaway really. Cause this pattern is A-MAZE-ING. All I do is sew.

When Sarah at EmmylouBeeDoo asked me to give this pattern a test run, I sort of wibbled then squeed really loud. I hope I kept it together via email, but come on! Who am I? I got this blog, I sew some stuff, and I am alarmingly unimportant.

And here sits Captian Hosh Pants asking me to test a pattern! You would have moistened your pantaloons too, I'm sure.

So I did. She got lucky to catch me at the beginning of the Boy Scout's days off and I whipped this thing out in a morning. Followed directions too! Didn't just *herp put stuff together derp* my way through, really properly put it all together.

Then I had to wait til after naptime for pictures. That was a LONG wait.

But here it is! Elizabeth's first Doli Tank! I didn't really have much in the way of ribbing, so I had to work backwards from what I did have. The red rib went with exactly none of my girly fabrics, so this yard and a half of cheap $1 a yard stuff that the Boy Scout picked out a million years ago was pressed in to service.


 And pressed is the truth! The creases in that thing! YIKES.

Anyway, I think I used *maybe* a third of a yard of it for this. And that includes some very lovely French seams (FANCY!) And I have to tell you, I think I'm in love with this pattern.

Knit bindings. Woven main and back pieces. No facings, no fussing, pure bliss. BLISS I SAY. Do you know how many adorable prints I have in woven fabric that are like a quarter or a half yard? They are fast becoming useless on a growing girl, but that same girl is going to have a bajillion of these tanks. Plus, way less stress than sewing knit on to knit. Only one bit really stretches!


And speaking from personal knowledge, the wide, breezy, touching-no-where-but-the-shoulders style is fantastic for summertime in Tennessee *and* big ole cloth diaper booty. And, since it doesn't touch or rub, she's not trying to strip naked! Hurrah for not being a creeper-magnet!

My fabric choice may be unconventional, but any proper princess is not complete without a few fire-breathing dragons in her story. Don't you agree?

Now, for the giveaway! Sarah has kindly offered to GIVE AWAY one of these tank patterns to someone terribly lucky. All you need to do is follow her on Facebook or Instagram, then comment here and tell me you did and under what username! Ta-da! I'll pick a winner and announce it next Tuesday, April 23.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!

Well, just one to be exact.

A billion years ago (last year) I saw Made By Rae's Rainbow Dress tutorial and this year I new that Elizabeth needed one. 'Cause she's gotten in to rainbows BIG TIME. So I started with the tutorial and round about step 1/2 (before I even began) I was already derailed.

Being me, I ran with it! My tiers are all the same height because I can't do math. And that reason applies also to why it's going to be a little tight on our best girl, too. And maxi length. But it was pretty all rolled up back in January when the most pressing thing was for me to be making fuzzy warm leggings for her instead of frilly sundresses.

But now, it has turned off hot and I'm all for frilly sundress action! Ta-da!

Oh dear. Someone was really unhappy about having her picture taken. However, it doesn't compare to the unhappiness expressed when I attempted (ATTEMPTED) to change her after her nap. You would have thought I was sawing her arms off with all the screaming.

Thankfully, Daddy showed up with a kite and Mommy became chopped livers after that. Sometimes, too much togetherness is just too much togetherness.

It is a bit tighter than most of her things, but she isn't complaining about it. She's rubbed on the shirring a little, but I think that is because it feels weird to the touch, not because it's hurting her. And as of this moment, she's sitting shoeless in the sandbox in it and seems very content.

Parting shot was the first one taken and my favorite. I know my backgrounds are not plain, neutral, or non-distracting. This girl is on the move and I have to take what I can get. Especially on a Wednesday afternoon.

We still are not out of the woods yet health-wise. Elizabeth seems to be having a rough time of it now - she just got past a really bad upper respiratory thing, now she's got a raging ear infection in her left ear. Poor kid! It got so bad that her *eyes* hurt her.

Lots of ibuprofen and antibiotics seem to be helping, but she will miss the egg hunt that's supposed to be tomorrow. I can't let her be out in the cold wind with a gunky ear.

But I've been quite busy. Last weekend while she was at my mom's I guilt-sewed up several pairs of shorts (!!??) for her. It was so warn and wonderful outside! 70 degree weather, sunny, wonderful! NOW it is 34 and cloudy-rainy, but then.... Well, so are the wonders of living in Tennessee!

Aren't they cute? I was really worried about them being too big - I used my 4t pattern from late last summer. But my skills are much better this year and these fit great! The green plaid and the Pooh Bear ones are a touch long, but this is Tennessee and Summer lasts until October. I'll make a dress or something to go with the rainbow striped ones - I didn't even try to match the stripes and they don't look great. They were worse before I made them bloomers, tho! WHEW. Some things just don't need to be striped in rainbows!

The Sprinkle print is a cotton from Joann - I only got a remnant and it shrank so much when I washed it that I didn't know if I could get a pair of shorts out of it. But I did and they are adorable. And yes, we've made all the right jokes about carrying sprinkles on one's booty. The rainbow stripes are that wal-mart sheet from last summer. I have another whole sheet left so I'm thinking about making some sundresses to sell out of it. The green and the Pooh's are both recycled from old pants. The denim on Pooh is so soft! Elizabeth really likes these, but alas, hasn't gotten to wear them yet.

I also finishedup the Mickey Dress for the fundraiser auction! It turned out really cute - I used Rae's Geranium Dress pattern and added a collar to it.


You can tell that I don't really know much about adding collars. This was the first one I've ever drafted myself and if I'd been thinking, it would meet at the center. As it is, there's a little gap. I'm going with 'it's a vintage look' instead of the 'I'm kinda dumb and don't plan stuff very well' explanation. They have gotten it now and seem quite happy with it. I hope it will bring a nice high bid!

I've got a lot more stuff I've been working on - like Elizabeth's Easter dress and about four thousand Skater Dresses, but all the skaters are dirty and the Easter dress is not quite done (it needs buttons and my Boy Scout is at work.)

I worked on this dress off and on for weeks. Then, on the last day of my Plague, I got it out and finished it. And now two weeks later, Elizabeth finally got to wear it!

I took these pictures today as we were leaving for church. It was so windy! Elizabeth is not a big fan of wind (tho if she were more a fan of headbands, her dislike of the wind could be decreased) but she was a trooper about having her picture done. Once she was bribed with some weedy flowers, she romped and played and I snapped pictures.

This dress is really a cobbled-together thing. I started with the Go-To Dress from Go-To Patterns. I used the cap sleeve with rib option and hacked off about three inches from the hem. Then, after seeing several patterns with the top shirred and showing, I decided that I would use that at the high waist mark. And I've been wanting to do a bubble skirt for a while, so the skirt is gathered and 'bubbled up.' I even eyeballed the button placement. While doped up on Nyquil, no less. Someone give the girl a cookie!

I will confess that I was TOTALLY winging it with this one! Why did it take weeks? Well, first the knit I had on hand is Evil Knit that stretches when you look at it. Next, I had just enough white rib, but I had to seam it together instead of folding it over because I'd cut it for something else initially. Somehow, I guessed perfectly on how much to cut off the hem, because this dress's finished length is 22 inches from the back neck - just what I want for her warmer weather stuff. Then there is the shirring - which itself is NOT hard for me. (I have a cheap machine therefore I get best results with cheap elastic thread.) But attaching the skirt at the waist after I had put the hemline together with the bubble proved both nerve-wracking and curse-inducing. Silly Evil Knit!

I was really happy with this little dress and was really looking forward to her wearing it after she got home. Then she got the Plague from her daddy, so she didn't get to wear it right away. It hung in our dining room the whole time, and several times I caught her admiring it. She LOVES the buttons and will tell anyone around that there are two yellow buttons on her dress.
The back isn't much to look at, but you can see the effect of the shirring a little better and the white rib on the sleeves.

I posted a crappy picture of this dress to my facebook account and something unexpected happened. A week before the Boy Scout interviewed for the job that moved us closer to my family, two things happened - one, an AWESOME couple got married and two, there was a fundraiser auction for Elizabeth's playschool. I had made a black and lime green Popover Sundress and donated it to their auction. Folks were very complimentary and I offered to do another dress this year. Good to my word, I contacted them a couple of weeks ago about when the fundraiser would happen, but I never heard back.

Until I posted that awful pic to facebook. Then the playschool's head teacher asked if I would do another of these dresses for the auction.

Of course I said yes. But, what they don't know is that they will get a very different version. No knits, no sleeves, and I'm adding a collar. I haven't decided whether to bubble it or not. This Mickey fabric (Hobby Lobby, by the way) is 100% cotton and just after going to church and lunch, it looks like she slept in it for three nights. I'm taking input from anyone who wants to give it! Bubble, no bubble?

And yes. She's wearing the crazy shoes. They don't match or blend well at all, but she's going to wear them!

It has been pretty bad health-wise for our little family the past two weeks. I've had the flu and an upper respiratory thing, Elizabeth had an upper respiratory thing, and the Boy Scout let his upper respiratory thing go so long that an excess of boogers has caused him to get pinkeye.

Due to the pinkeye, Elizabeth and I ran away from home yesterday. Every errand that I have been putting off and every errand I was planning for the next month got accomplished yesterday. We burned half a tank of gas, ate everything that was bad for us, and had a great time! I think my girl was just happy to have her mommy all to herself without any of the silly at-home stuff (chores, sewing) distracting her and I had a great time with her cause she's just awesome.

In our ramblings, we first went to our local Hobby Lobby. I've agreed to make another Mickey Mouse dress (post coming soon)  for the fundraiser auction that Elizabeth's previous playschool has every spring. I needed the Mickey fabric for that. Then, while my girl ran around and around the racks, I looked at the bolts on the wall and found the other two. The tiny hearts print is what I tried to talk Elizabeth in to picking out, but she clearly has a better eye than I do - she picked the adorable vintage looking one with the animals and babies on it.

I have a couple of patterns in mind for that one! SO stinking cute! The hearts I'll save for August - That's the next time the color of the month at playschool is red. And I'll make that one a Geranium dress. We also got her some Angry Birds stickers which she loved.

Our next stop was for milkshakes, then a 45 minute drive to the closest Stride Rite for some summer shoes for Elizabeth. Now, everyone knows that I DO NOT spend much money on her wardrobe. Clearance racks, thrift stores, and buying a size too big abound. So how do I justify spending $30+ on shoes for her? She has my feet - long, narrow, flat as pancakes. Until she outgrows them, we will get her main shoes from there. Usually, we just get sneakers and other everyday shoes - like this time, we were gunning for summer sandals and fall sneakers. What we walked out with was a tiny bit different!
Sandals for everyday this summer, nice and sturdy and cute.


Then there's THESE! She found them, sat on the floor, put them on and would only take the display ones off after the sales-gal brought her some in her size! I don't do dress shoes from there as a rule, but she's going to wear these every chance we get until she outgrows them. They go with nearly everything, so we will make it happen!

I'm such a pushover.

Next we had pizza for lunch and I got Birded on my leg.She must have out half of her new stickers on my leg. I must eat very slowly, but when I have to cut hers first and make sure she doesn't dump water down her front, it kind of slows my own progress.

Next up was a quick trip home and to the grocery to get a balloon and some juice for the Boy Scout (which we left on the front porch.) Then we were sort of at loose ends. I asked her if she wanted to go on a loooong car ride and she was peppy and glad to go. So we traveled to Fayetteville, TN to this place that I really love, Sir's Fabrics. It is right downtown in this pretty small town, but OH MY! They are celebrating this month - 65 years of business! WHOOO! So there were some things on sale and I was pretty happy just going in. They were not busy and ALL the employees we saw were thrilled with my little bug. I'm sort of outside of their target demographic, so I don't think many toddlers come in. Certainly not many who are as chatty and content as Elizabeth was.

But the best part? On the first table that I came to, just inside the door, was the biggest pile of adorable knit fabric I've seen! And every bit of it was $4.99 a yard! 60 inches wide, $4.99 a yard! I decided we could pick two of the kid prints (most were spring pastels and kid prints, but there were some grown-up ones too.) Lizzie picked the first one and I found the dogs. She was excited about both! So I let her pick which one was a dress and which was a top.

Dogs for a top (or maybe two!) Flowers for a dress. Now, to just decide what top and what dress patterns to use. I may do another Skater dress (we already have two, and one tee made from the same pattern) and I just don't know for the top. Maybe another Banyan? Or wing it for a strappy tank and make two? Who knows!

I just know that I really waffled about driving the hour and a bit down there, because we'd been in the car ALL DAY. but I am SO GLAD we went! And on the way back, Elizabeth caught a little nap. Short and unsatisfying, but she managed.

And she was really amazing all day. I was concerned about attempting this, but she proved that my worries were for nothing. She only fussed a small bit when she was tired and really enjoyed herself everywhere we went. When we pulled in at home, she cried and asked to "Go on AVENTURR again!"

That is my best girl.

And as of this writing, the Boy Scout is crust-face free, and slathering himself in hand sanitizer every time he touches his face. And without a minute to lose, too. Elizabeth woke from her nap today crying for him.

I have a confession to make. My dirty little sewing secret, if you will.

There's this one thing.

This one thing that I NEVER do.

I never, EVER pick the buttons to go on Elizabeth's clothes.

Because the Boy Scout is NEVER, EVER wrong when he chooses.

This dress is a Junebug dress from Craftiness is Not Optional. I've made ten bajillion of Kristen's remixes, but never the original pattern. I just upped the size to fit 4t-tall two-year-old. My mom got the fabric at Sir's Fabrics in Fayetteville, TN and the buttons are from my grandmother's sewing room.

This is SO my county fair entry for this year!

Remember a million years ago I was bragging about the Boy Scout getting better at gifts? Well, since then we have been all in upheaval and madcap antics. Which is just another way of saying that the Boy Scout got Lord of the Rings Online and I haven't been anywhere near this computer for at least a week.

BOYS!

As promised, here's my first attempt at using what he got for me - screen printing stuff!

 Pardon the smudge, if you will. The butterfly is actually *really* clear. I just didn't realize that someone (probably me) had left the camera where small, sticky hands could reach it.

So, this stuff is great. The Boy Scout found it our local big-box store and bought it for me. He was really chuffed from the time he bought it until he gave it to me and was nearly unbearable. But I see why now. They are called Zip Screens. They have little paints and screens and everything on their website. But I've had more fun screening stuff!

This dress is just the same old Simplicity 2377 that I think I've made twelve million times now. It is going to be Elizabeth's Valentine's Day dress. I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm going to have to redo the neckline. I shirred it, but the thread is really making the neck bigger than I like. The sleeves are fine, but the neck is iffy. But I have time.

Also, I have this little dress to share with you today. I got the fabric and cut it out back in September but I did not actually sew it up until early December. We had a shot of warm weather (mid-50s) so I decided that I'd go ahead and make it up. And if her Christmas dress failed, this could be a backup.

She was so surprised by her red shoes. Love this kid!

The dress is Rae's Pierrot pattern, no ruffle, about 4 or 6 inches longer. The fabric is a flannel that I picked up a Joann's. I bought a LOT of fabric that day and didn't have the sense to realize that flannel is sold in 28 or 30 inch widths. So the long sleeves that I had planned and the bias cut? Yeah. That didn't happen! Also, to even make the dress, I had to piece the back. Yikes! Still, she loves her dress. Her most recent wearing was with old-sweater-sleeves red leggings and brown fuzzy-topped boots. It was so crazy adorable, I had to laugh.

I made the tights as well - using this tutorial from Thrive. Elizabeth has about four pairs of warm, snuggy tights thanks to that tutorial!

I bought this flannel because I wanted a warmer dress for Elizabeth to have. It didn't quite work out as I had planned, but it is her favorite dress in her wardrobe right now. It is a little long, but it only touches her at the neckline. As she has recently discovered twirling, she is thrilled beyond words.

(In the background of these pictures, you see the bear. I couldn't let any more time pass without introducing my online friends to Blue Bear. Blue was the bear from daddy at Christmas in '11, and from moment one, she has gone *everywhere* with Elizabeth. I've put arms back on, removed the 'I Love You' recording because it went crazy after being washed, sewed her neck back together and even bought another blue bear in case we have to do some franken-bear repairing. We all think that our small girl will give up her pacifier before she will give up Blue Bear. If I was Blue while she is awake, she constantly goes to the laundry room and watches while Blue spins and fluffs, all the while telling Blue how she will be 'all better' and 'all clean' really soon. And while Blue is special all the time, a warm Blue from the dryer on a cold day is just about enough to induce a euphoric nap. Love this kid so freakin' much!)

So we decided this year that we would forego the practice of not giving gifts at Christmas time and instead operate on small budgets and themes. This year's theme was "make or give something to make."

Y'all! I've made so much wicked cool stuff the past couple of weeks! And I can't show you a bit of it because I have NO idea if my mom, sister, or brother-in-law read this blog. So all the *HONK!*, *BEEP!*, and rice puddings will have to wait to have their picture taken.

Well, the rice pudding will be made closer to the day of giving it and it probably won't survive 20 minutes once opened. So, no pics of that. And I know that my uncle doesn't read this blog so I'm safe there.

First off, I did get the pleasure of testing the Go To Cape for Women from Go To Patterns. And I have ZERO pictures to show for it. There was an incident with a sharpie that I am not proud of (don't trace out patterns with a sharpie. Ever.) HOWEVER! You NEED this pattern. Trust me, you just do. I am both tall (5'10") and large (off-the-rack size 26) and the XL size in long fits me just fine with room to spare. So even though she may not advertise it, this cape will fit you. Yeah, you! You who has to (like me) add seven inches to a pattern to get it to fit you. Guess what? You don't have to do that with this one. GO AND GET IT!

ANYWAY. Here's what I can show you!

This was Elizabeth's opinion of my saying, "No." to opening the playdough she got at the playschool gift exchange. We were still at school, so I wasn't going to get in to that there. So, she stuck her tongue out at me. I laughed because it was both funny and TOTALLY my fault! I do that when the Boy Scout tells me no, so she comes by it naturally. But my laughter diffused what could have been a complete fit and we moved on. Love this kid!

And this is that same kid's Christmas present from her parents. I have to tell you, these kits have come a LONG way from about 15 years ago! This one is pretty stinkin' solid and I'm about 95% sure that the only things that are going to come off will be the fiddly gingerbread pieces that have about a quarter of a millimeter of gluing surface. But I could be wrong and they will stay on great. Right now, it is sitting in the sewing room waiting for the roof paint to dry before I put on the last gingerbread parts. Then there will be a hair of touch-up painting and it'll be done!

Then there's this dress. It has been cut out for about 3 months now, I just never stitched it up. Now that I have, I'm not as wild about it as I feel like I should be. I think I'm going to take the sleeves apart and put in a little gather about the point where the sleeves would be shortened to short sleeves. Maybe that will give it some shape. Oh, and me and the facings for this one? NOT bff's. It is actually not even faced at all because I just couldn't make the facing work with the collar somehow, nothing lined up right! So there was a moment of freedom when I tossed the facings over my shoulder and cackled. Elizabeth came to ask me what was so funny. I told her that I was just happy to be liberated. She went and told her daddy, "Mommy is wibble-tated!" And she proceeded to cackle. I was so proud!


I saw this pin a while back about cutting the mesh off the pack and play to make a little low-to-the-ground toddler bed. Well, Elizabeth is having none of that (and frankly, I'm not either!) but I did like the idea of her having a contaned space to play in my sewing room. This is PERFECT. She is up off the floor away from stray pins, has her things (bigbigbig bear, lacing beads, and my old fisher price farm with the door that moos at present) and I've covered it over the top so that the cats can't dive-bomb her. She is so good in the sewing room, too. She knows not to touch the machines and that if she can reach out her little hand and touch the ironing board, she's too close. I don't bar her from playing in the fabric, but she favors the scrap heap most days.

So we have gotten moved. THANK GOD.

This move wasn't as bad at the last. I didn't get hurt until the last day and that was minor and over after a day of staying off my feet. We also didn't really expect help and are EXTREMELY grateful for the help we got! My mom bought moving help for us (load and unload in 3 hours? YES PLEASE!) and my friend Rachel helped out by giving opinions and cleaning the kitchen at the old place.

Elizabeth came home and we all managed to settle in fairly well. The dust has settled and the curtains are almost all up!

Sadly, our male cat Oliver isn't adjusting so well. He is a shy, skittish sort and spent the first 24 hours hiding in the litterbox. Now, he's licked himself bald and raw down his back and on his missing boy-parts. I'm going to get some of what we call relax-a-cat for him. We had some from the last move, but he didn't need it. I have no idea where it is now. I'm sure that he will be fine once he has had a few relaxed days here. He just doesn't have his Spots picked out yet and can't find a place where we are not moving around all the time. It will work out just fine once everything is in its final home.

And speaking of home, my sewing machine came home on Monday! The serger is still at the shop, but I'm sure it will be done soon. The daughter of the shop's owner runs the *business* while the owner does all the repairs and tune-ups. The daughter is also the one who does sergers. I'm next on the list, but she's got business things to do, too. I can be patient. I have the sewing machine and it sounds AMAZING. Humming silently and better than brand new! I can't wait to have them both back, but I'm patient for now.

And what's the first thing that I sew when it got home? Blackout lining for the windows in Elizabeth's room. I hope that I NEVER have to mess with anything like that again! I don't think I've used such foul language at fabric before. But the blackouts work great - her room seems to be south-facing and is blistering hot during the day as well as nicely lit by the neighbors at night. All of those problems have been solved now.

I'm off just now to lint-roller the couch again and remove a little more of Oliver from it.

So we are moving again. Hopefully for the last time in a while. 'Cause this moving thing STINKS!

So where are we going now? Well, same town, just the other side. We have found a house (HOUSE!) for rent in another neighborhood that is more space and less rent. And it's nice. Needs painting inside and a rake or two outside, but it will be so very wonderful to have an extra bedroom and a living room bigger than a postage stamp.

And the best part? We will get to have the dog again! Hurrah! After nearly two years, our good old girl Sugar will get to come home!

It's going to be a busy couple of weeks around here. With packing and moving, I don't know that I'll have much to say that is smarter than "oog. paint fumes."

And my sewing machines go in for cleaning and servicing tomorrow morning! They will be gone for two weeks, so there won't be any distractions to my doing as I ought and packing. And packing with Lizzie around will be challenging, so she'll go spend the night at her Granna's house a couple of times! Yay!

And to add crazy to crazier, I think I'm hostessing a baby shower at our new digs 7 days after we move in.

Hi, I'm Laura. I have never hosted a baby shower before and seldom ever had anyone but my closest and most dear friends in my house before. But you gotta start somewhere, right?

Oh, look! Here's the baby! She'll distract you all from my insanity!

 Okay, so maybe that's not the best advertisement for my sanity. But sometimes, we don't go anywhere in the afternoon! And do your jammie pants math everything in your wardrobe?

Wow, did things get crazy around here in a hurry!

But, when you decide to move furniture, there always seem to be some unexpected consequences. Like now, Elizabeth can get back to our bathroom. I totally didn't see that coming so there was a considerable amount of time spend re-hiding things that we'd hidden in there.

I've come to the conclusion that this child has far too many balls. Far. Too. Many.

So other than a couple of more pairs of leggings (one red, one black velvet) which I'm not taking pictures of (due to booooring) here's what I've been working on!

PJ pants - two pairs and both flannel. See, naps here are pantsless things, but it has been quite cool in the afternoons. Enter the pj pants! The pink ones were a Hobby Lobby (maybe?) remnant and the blue was an old flannel pj top. The pattern for both is Rae's B3Ps and the blue had to be pieced.

 I really love this pattern. But piecing it (like piecing anything, really) is a lesson in head-scratching. It is awesome otherwise. I've been making the 2t size for about a year now and just adding in extra leg length. It is going to be great! Next year, she'll likely have the potty thing down and they will still fit! I have a pair of black cords that I'm shooting for three winter's worth of wear out of.

And the blue ones are so crazy long, Elizabeth will be taking them to college with her. Okay, not really, but they may get three years of wear from now.

The other item is another Go To Signature Dress. See?

 Please excuse the horrible picture. I say that a lot, and I'm still learning the camera but this was really about the best I could do! I'm thinking that the morning sun on the balcony isn't agreeable at all. So you get a pic of this dress slouching and looking pretty awful on a hanger in a prison. Well, sort of.

The fabric was on the Red Tag table at Joann's and when I saw it, I sorts had to have it. And add in that the Red Tag stuff was on sale for 50% off, that just cemented it. 2 yards and $7 later, tada! The neck posed a HUGE problem, tho. No matching rib and I didn't want a contrast neckband. I'd already cut the front, so a cowl was out. The fabric itself has a silver glitter to it, so I didn't want a lining out of it and a contrast lining wasn't making me happy either. So, I decided to try a turtleneck!


The first one wouldn't go over Elizabeth's head. Much screaming ensued and I re-made the collar. I have no idea if this one will work, but it will come closer. It's a full inch bigger. I left out the outer pleats on the front and actually did some math (GASPSHOCK!) and altered the back to not need to be pleated. Then I cut a piece of the fabric four inches tall by 13.5 inches long. I seamed it together on the short side, then folded it in half and stitched it to the neck. It actually looks pretty good!

This fabric is the Devil. Pure and simple. Demonic. From Hades. This is the Devil's answer to strawberries straight from the patch. It will not hold a press and is capable of breaking needles on it's printed on dots. No joke! I broke both a sewing machine needle and a serger needle on this thing beause lines of dots lined up and the needle couldn't go through both.

But it is done and I'm not doing anything else to this dress! I do love it, tho. And Elizabeth calls it her 'eggy dwess' and says 'oooo, spawkee!' about it. Of course, wearing it will be a different story. I hope the itchy factor won't doom it.

Ahh. It is a lovely day in Tennessee. A bit chilly, but at least it isn't wet! I don't do wet and chilly together very well.

Right! KCWC! Fall! 2012!

This was my  'cut out and ready to sew' stack this morning.

Can you tell that I've moved things around? 'Cause I did. With the Boy Scout's help (he arrived back from the gym too early and caught me moving a dresser alone. Ten more minutes and I would have had it!) we moved the dresser into the closet and YAY! I get to sew in something other than a closet! However, all the fabric is still in the closet. The best part?

My machines are back together at long last! Hurrah! Even better is that they are against the wall that our loud, snoring, screaming neighbors are on the opposite side of. Hence why I have no qualms about serging at 2am. Hey, you scream as I'm falling asleep every night for a week, I serge without remorse.

But today, I've gotten six items started and three finished! Yay! The done three are skirts that I made from fat quarters. I admit that I didn't think I could manage skirts from a fat quarter for Miss Legs and Diaper Booty, but this from Rae made me rethink that idea. And made me run to Joann's again.


 This one is all my doing. Which means Elizabeth will probably hate it. But I don't really care because I'm an Evil Mommy and will make her wear it anyway. It is a little spring-like but it is colorful. That means most of her wardrobe will do with it.

And I did finish up a pair of pink leggings too, but leggings are boring to look at. Besides, they aren't all that amazing - they are pink and made from an old turtleneck with the neck as the new waist and the sleeves as the legs. Whoo-boy. That may be too much excitement!