And one more thing, I just wanted to share....

I made this dress for a contest at a sewing expo, I didn't win, they were looking for the heirloom smocking kinda stuff, but it was fun making it. I had never made such a giganto dress before, and it's hugely poofy though it doesn't look like it in the pictures -- I couldn't find a good standing up picture, but it sticks out about 4-5 inches off her waist in all directions, lol. It has four layers of skirts. I designed it mostly from scratch, I did use the back of a basic bodice off of a dress pattern, but everything else is originally designed by me. I used one of my favorite Painting Red Rhinos fabrics, the mermaid print. Some guy up in PA has a warehouse that used to sell the PRR overruns of fabric and it was a huge deal to get the leftovers from previous seasons.

Anyway, all the prints come in a white background and are dyeable, so I dyed the mermaid twill and it's coordinate shell print in a gorgeous lilac color. I love how it came out and I paired with this beautiful glittery sparkle green print and a touch of pink trim.


The bodice is rouched and features little pink rosettes along the edges. The overlay skirt is gathered on the sides a little with drawstrings. Then there is a layer of green sparkle skirt with a ruffle and pink trim, then a 6 layer tulle skirt followed by a lining. The bodice is also lined and closes with a zipper in the back. I'm not quite sure when she'll wear it, Easter maybe? lol, but I love it and so does she.

Oh, did you notice she cut her hair? Yes I talked her into it, her hair had a lot of split ends and was perpetually tanlged all the time, clear up to her scalp, and she is such a tenderheaded thing. So I talked her into donating 11 inches of hair to Locks of Love.

So...I'm back

Okay I got lazy with blogging, lol. Plus I went back to work as a medical transcriptionist, though I do work from home, sewing has been on the back burner -- with working and being a SAHM and having my house for sale, sewing got left in the dust, lol. But it's time for fall/winter sewing -- ie., my son has no pants and it's cold in the mornings, lol. But I am recommitted! I'm determined to keep this blog updated at least on a weekly basis.

So I took a bit of a break for the whole internet. I do that every couple of years as I get too addicted, lol.

But I'm back blogging, and I'm back on eBay with my sewing patterns. I've been putting off my newest pattern for awhile, but it will be ready by the beginning of October. And soon, very soon, I will be trying to push my little pattern biz a little more. I'm in the middle of press release writing. I really want to move from consumer sales to wholesale/distributor sales.


And I have indoctrinated my daughter into the world of sewing. Grandma and Grandpa got her, her first sewing machine. She has been making little doll blankets and drawstring bags and I just got her her first pattern, I thought a fleece poncho would be pretty easy and first pattern. And she's been wanting a poncho forever. (Incidental note, this pic is her All Around Dancer trophy at the state dance competition. She won in the 5-6 yr olds category and they have to do four different dances - ballet, tap, jazz, and novelty to win. WOOHOO Emma!).

I'm gearing up for a bean bag sew-a-thon this weekend. So hopefully if it goes good, lol, my next blog with have pictures of the new bean bag chairs. My daughter's bean bag she received a couple years ago for her birthday is sadly dying, and my toddler is convinced it is his bean bag chair too, so I am making two to avoid any arguments, lol. I really want to make one of those "love sack" giant bean bag chair/sofa things, whatever they are called, lol. We found a $350 at Costco, but I see Simplicity has a pattern for one, I'm wondering how hard it is to make a giant version or how much the stuffing material cost - yikes!

The Evolution of the Swirly Skirt

Gosh, it's been awhile since I added to my blog. I've been working on my swirly skirt. I just love it. This is a slightly morphed version that I turned into a sundress. I like how the striped fabric starts out vertical and ends horizontal at the skirt hem all in one piece because of the way I cut that pattern piece. This one is going up on ebay in the next day or so, I have to finish the hair clip to match, it's going to be made up of those pretty little green fabric flowers.

The Swirly Twirly Skirt

This is a tester, i'm working on. It needs some final tweaks, but other than that I love how it came out. It's very twirly and swirly, hence the name, lol. I'll post more pics after I've tweaked it to include some spiral ruffles.

Here are two boutique-y outfits I just finished for eBay and put up yesterday. I call the polka dot one - Lotsa Dots, lol. Stupid I know, but I like it. And the other one is some of the famous Amy Butler fabrics from the Charm line called "chocolate mint" so it's appropriately titled Pink Chocolate. I thought the action shot was kinda cool, it shows the wonderful twirliness of the skirt.

I love making boutique-y stuff, it's so fun....sigh. I wish adults could wear whimsical stuff like that, lol.

I made a Vogue pattern

WoW! I'm so impressed with myself. So a confession about me, I loathe patterns, especially tissue patterns. I hate them, I hate them, I hate them. I generally make up my own patterns. But dd needed a "chinese" costume. This is international week at school and Friday is the big day for first graders to present their projects complete with a costume and food, if they want. And it's perfect timing to show off a gorgeous mommy made outfit, lol! Her outfit is done with asian fabrics covered in cherry blossoms - which symbolize feminine beauty. I was trying to find a print with dragons, I read dragons are popular on chlidren's clothing in Asian cultures to ward off evil spirits, but I think dd likes the cherry blossoms symbolizing beauty better than the dragon thing, lol. I'm going to have her bring spring rolls for her food - they're eaten during chinese new year to symbolize "wealth" because their shape is like a gold bar. Man, I'm starving for spring rolls now, lol.

So I picked up this Vogue pattern and decided to do View A - the pants and top version. Truth be told, I was kinda scared of it, lol. I have this secret feeling that I'm not a "real" seamstress and Vogue patterns must be for people who know what they're doing. But I really don't know why I think that way, I've been sewing since I was 12 and I've been designing my own things for the past 5-6 years. I am dying to go to fashion design school, I think when and if I'm able to get my degree in fashion design, then I'll feel like a "real" seamstress, lol.

She eventually loved it. She wore it all day to school for the end of "international week" at school.