Vintage Pillowcase Romper Tutorial

May 24, 2013 by hungie gungie

Okay, y’all. First, thank you for all the nice comments (and the blog traffic- whoa… thanks kristin and jess!) on yesterday’s post!

We had so much fun sewing up those looks for our kids and as promised, I am back today with a tutorial for you!

So grab a vintage pillowcase and let’s get started!

**disclaimer: I am one who learns so much better by seeing and doing, so i have included a picture for each step here. it’s a little photo overload, but if you are a beginner this will hopefully be a good thing!**

We’ll begin with the appliqued peter pan collar…

Pick a onesie, any onesie. (or a shirt, or tank, etc…) This one is an 18 month size.

Lay a piece of paper over the neckline and using a marker, trace the curve of the neckline, just below the neckline ribbing.

Draw in a collar! Play around until you like it.

Then cut one of those shapes out for a little template.

Fuse your steam-a-seam (or whatever you like to use) to the wrong side of your collar fabric- I used a shiny gold satin- but how cute would this be in any color or print?

Trace two collar pieces on… mirror images.

Cut those out. (You’re still looking at the wrong side there…)

Place your collar pieces onto your onesie and iron on according to the instructions of whichever iron-on product you choose to use- I used Steam-a-Seam.

If you want, sew on a little ribbon rosebud in the center, or a tiny bow.

That’s done. Next, we’ll hack it up! Cut straight across it, about 1″ below the arm pit.

**Okay, so the following measurements are pretty perfect for a baby that is about 18 months old. Coco is 14 months and pretty average if not slightly on the tall side… and this fits perfectly with some extra room, but i did have to take the crotch panel up about 1/2″ on the front and back once it was all done so it wasn’t too baggy in that area- but it was a cinch and I’ll explain more later…

For Corinne, I measured the length from the middle of her chest (as in the nipple line) to her crotch (12″) and added 2″. So, my pillowcase piece was 14″ in length, and 19″ wide (i think most pillowcases are between 19-21″ wide, fyi).

Most pillowcases just have one side seam. I shifted the side seam over to the center- this will become the back center seam. Give a little ironing.

Mark the center of your pillowcase (note- i LOVE using frixion pens for this- one tap of the iron and the marks vanish!), and then mark 2 1/2″ on either side.

(This will be the crotch.)

p.s. I have to give a shout-out to Rae here. I loosely followed her baby sunsuit tutorial to figure out how to cut the leg holes. Thanks Rae

Measure 5″ up from the bottom of the pillowcase on each side. This mark is where the pillowcase will meet the outer thigh.

Lightly mark a curve from one side of the crotch, to the thigh mark on the side. See below how I made sure the curve started a bit up from the crotch before it starts to curve…

Fold your pillowcase in half, pin in place, and cut the leg holes!

You should now have a big pair of Granny panties.

** Can you see here that the crotch looks maybe a tad long? No biggie- either cut it a little shorter here, or just do it at the end like I did. It’s a good thing bloomers are forgiving…wish I could get away with wearing some.**

Turn it inside out. Fold both leg curves up 1/4″ and press. Fold up again 1/4″ and press again. Pin in place and sew.

Next, cut 2 pieces of double fold bias tape to 5″ long. Sandwich the raw edge of the crotch into the bias tape, tucking the ends in, and sew.

Now, measure the fattest part of your baby’s thigh. My girl’s chunk is 13″ in diameter. Cut a piece of 1/8″ or 1/4″ elastic to that length minus 1″. So, 12″ for me.

Turn pillowcase inside out, line up the center of the elastic with the center of the leg hole.

Sew from the center mark down to one end, pulling the elastic a bit as you go to stretch it to or almost to the bias tape.

Then, start from the center again, and repeat going the other way.

It should look like this…

(note- once you wash your romper, the elastic will shrink up perfectly and hug those chunky thighs! Sometimes when you stretch elastic like this and sew it on, it can seem a little loose. Just spray with water and throw in the dryer.)

Next, add some snaps to the crotch piece- It takes a little elbow grease to push them through the bias tape, but i used the end of a pen to push the snap prongs in and it was just fine. You could use snap tape here, but I usually don’t have it.

Now, to attach the top to the bottom.

Mark the center front and back of your onesie and the center front of your pillowcase.

Sew two lines of gathering stitches (use your longest stitch length and don’t backstitch!) at the top raw egde of your pillowcase. Pull the long ends of your threads to gather the pillowcase.

You’ll want to take your babe’s chest measurement here. Coco’s is 19″. Add 2″, and gather your pillowcase to about that measurement. So, I gathered mine to 21″. I just took my measuring tape and placed it across the bloomers at the top, and made sure it was about 10.5″ (which means the it should be about 21″all the way around… got me?). We’re just trying to give some wiggle room here for your kid to move around comfortably.

Next, turn your bloomers inside out. Insert your top (right side out) into the bloomers, matching the centers at the raw edge. Take a good look at the photo below. If you haven’t done this, it can seem confusing at first. But, stay with me.

Pin your top to the bloomers at the raw edges, and stretch your onesie top a bit if you need to make it fit to the bloomers… See below, I was measuring across? Just making sure the bloomers were wide enough to fit comfortably around baby’s chest.

So, just try and get your onesie to evenly fit with the bloomers.

Sew together just to the left of your gathering stitches…

Should look like this now.

Next, this is optional, but I really like to add elastic here. I think it makes for a more comfortable fit, but also keeps things gently snug around baby’s chest. Cut the elastic to your baby’s chest measurement. (I used 1/8″ elastic and cut it to 19″). And again, I like to match up the center of the elastic with the center front mark on the onesie. Start sewing from that center front point all the way to the back seam, and then do the same again for the other side, starting at that center front mark.

See? I just stitched it right over the other stitches. No prob.

Trim your inside seam, and iron it down. You could serge this edge here, but I didn’t.

And you are done!

SO. Once I tried this on Coco, it was a little long in the crotch. I fixed that super quickly by just folding each crotch piece up and stitching along the fold- and it looks perfect on her. So, again… you can probably get away with these measurements if your baby is 18-24 months, but if she’s a little younger or smaller… either alter it at the end like I did, or when you are cutting your leg holes and crotch, just make it shorter.

Please let me know if you make a pillowcase romper! Or if you need any help!

Thanks for reading.

-Erin

Vintage May :: Playclothes for all!

May 23, 2013 by hungie gungie

:::This post is a part of the fabulous Vintage May series hosted by Craftiness is not Optional and Skirt as Top:::

We are so glad that Kristin and Jess invited us to participate in this year’s Vintage May series- and wow, what a line-up of talented ladies!

We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!

If you are new here, Welcome! We are so happy you’re here.

Last year, we sewed along during Vintage May, using floral sheets from yesteryear- here and here. This year we got our Fraulein Maria on, repurposing bed linens into playclothes for our brood- that’s 6 kids altogether!

Okay, so we were a teensy bit excited for our FIRST GUEST POST! ::sister high-fives all around::

Some of our looks were designed around the unique beauty of vintage bedding, and some just have touches of them, as you’ll see below. Repurposing sheets and pillowcases is great since a lot of the work is already done for you in the form of seams and hems- just make sure to wash them up in some yummy-smelling detergent. You might find the aroma to be uniquely “vintage” as well.

Though our photo shoot reflects some nap-time delirium and lingering (and still lingering…) pink-eye- don’t worry, it ended with a full-on Vintage May/Gangnam-Style dance party!

It only makes sense to start with the oldest… so here’s Jet!

Caroline: Thinking about vintage looks for the boys, I kept coming back to this child actor, who was in some of our other favorite childhood movies (Swiss Family Robinson, Pollyanna, and Toby Tyler). You know him right? He’s the same in all those movies- scrappy, mischevious, and somewhat annoying. But he’s so cute in the hats and knickers and suspenders! So for Jet, I worked up a pair of HG tour pants using a plaid pillowcase for the stripe. I decided to chop the pants below the knee to encourage summertime boyish mayhem. Get it? May-hem? I love a good sewing pun. The suspenders are simply made with 1″ elastic, and upcycled leather + buttons.

Erin: I fell in love with the details and colors of this pillowcase and knew right away that it needed to be a top for Ell. I utilized the entire thing. Normally, I’d leave the existing pillowcase hem for something like this, but I wanted to use the yellow in the flutter straps and the chest band, so I ended up cutting off a good chunk of the bottom. The back closes with a big vintage button and elastic loop. The shorts are E and E’s bubble pocket sailor shorts pattern in yarn-dyed Essex Linen. I love all the buttons! You can get a better glimpse of them up in that first picture.

Caroline: Avery’s look is also reminiscent of Pollyanna. If you need a fix, watch this. I loved her drop-waisted dresses and sailor ties. Avery’s modernized version (say if Pollyanna were to take up tennis) begins with a Flashback tee (minus the sleeves) on top and vintage pillowcase on the bottom. I simply cut the pillowcase in half and pleated it to match the circumference up top. Using the same pillowcase, I made bias tape and stitched it around the collar and arm holes.

ERIN: I love the idea of little boys in vests, but it’s not a look you really see anymore. So, I decided to try one out for Grant using Lindsay’s tutorial modifying it into a racerback… and I love it! I made it with Essex linen (same as Ell’s shorts), and the pockets are cut from the hem of a pillowcase. The inside is a pretty yellow floral sheet (the most masculine one I had). Grant’s pants are based on the Parsley pants pattern, but modified a bit to make them skinnier, and of course shorter. If we had a creek out back, you bet this boy would be wading it.

Erin: For Corinne, I definitely wanted to keep it easy! I love the idea of a one-piece outfit for babies, so I made some bloomers from a sweet pillowcase I had and then attached it to a basic tank onesie- I used 1/4″ elastic to gather the leg holes, and added 3 snaps at the crotch. I thought it’d be fun to add a faux peter pan collar since, they were and are all the rage, aren’t they? I appliqued some shiny gold fabric and added a sweet ivory ribbon rosebud in the center. It’s pretty, but so practical for summer days. (note to self: make more of these.)

Caroline: Wes is wearing faux-suspenders (grosgrain ribbon, d-rings, steam-a-seam) attached to a onesie, along with pillowcase lined pants (based on A.M.H’s Quick Change Trousers). His newsboy cap is from this free online pattern/video tutorial that I found for an adult, and eventually had success with scaling it down for a small head.

Do you remember this part in the Sound of Music?

Captain Von Trapp: “Do you mean to tell me that my children have been roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old DRAPES?”

Fraulein Maria: ”Mmm-hmmm. And having a MARVELOUS time!”

Duh!

Thank you all for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for a tutorial on Corinne’s pillowcase romper- it’s an easy one!

And if you know what’s good for you, check out today’s other Vintage May post by Jessica of Happy Together. Thanks again Kristin and Jess for letting us in on the fun!

So long, farewell….

Erin + Caroline

best. skirt. EVER.

May 20, 2013 by hungie gungie

Have you seen the movie Tangled? It’s a favorite around here.

We love to sing the songs and I often quote from it- “Take it from your Mumsie” and “Mother knows best…” and “I’m making your faaaavoriiite!!” are ones I frequently belt out throughout the day. I’m pretty sure Mother Gothel has one of the greatest singing voices in the history of Disney movies.

Anyway, there’s a part in the movie when Rapunzel is frolicking in the open grass for the first time in ages, after she repels down from her castle, yelling,

“BEST. DAY. EVER!”

Ellery likes to use that line when she really likes something. “Best swing/toast/piggyback EVER!”

Or in this case, SKIRT.

We declare this the best skirt ever.

Ever!

I used the reversible circle skirt tutorial by You and Mie, and guys…it’s a good one. I don’t know why I’ve never tried a circle skirt before- it was so fun to make and just way easier than I thought.

I drafted this little pattern up for a 5T, it was VERY quick to sew- with no hemming required- just bias tape around the botton. And wouldn’t you know it… It used exactly one package of bias tape- with like, 2″ to spare.

::patting myself on the back for that one:::

The outer fabric is Amy Butler water bouquet in mint, and the inside is blue Chambray from Joann’s.

Anyway, you can see why Ell loves it!

Best skirt ever.

My new go-to for sure.

Go make one!

-Erin

“quickdress”

May 15, 2013 by hungie gungie

Suddenly, when Ellery turned about 4 years old, all that precious time I spent sewing into the night was wasted. She stopped liking pretty much anything I made (except for this sundress that she all but slept in last Summer).

i love this photo of her literally ripping off a Pierrot dress 1 second after she tried it on….

Why? Oh, many reasons…. “it’s TOO BUMPY!!!!!” (i.e. made with woven cotton). Or, “it’s just TOO short!!!” (i.e. it wasn’t a ball gown). Or “I look like a BOY IN IT!!!!” (i.e. it wasn’t the color pink). You can see why the dress above wasn’t her fave… hehehe.

So, I found myself buying cheap basic knit dresses from Old Navy and Target. And no offense to those stores (i still do my fair share of shopping there), but if a dress significantly fades after 2 or 3 washes, I’m annoyed. Especially if it cost me over $10.

So, I started making these little dresses by attaching an existing tank top we already had to a thrifted skirt or dress, and she just gushed over them. I’m sure she likes them because they are comfy… which means I can get away with some different colors she wouldn’t normally wear. Actually when she first saw this dress she was concerned because there were 2 shades of brown polka dots on it, but she forgot about it once she pulled it on… Livin’ on the edge, my gal!

Really. I feel like a cheater, but whatever- I’m so much happier spending about 12 minutes of my time whipping one of these up for a few bucks- as long as she’ll wear it.

And wear it she does.

About 3 times a week.

Love my girl!

Happy Wednesday

-Erin

I made a hat

May 2, 2013 by hungie gungie

…for a stuffed monkey.

Not my intention.

While looking around blogland for Gatsby-inspired digs (can’t wait for this movie AND Vintage May!), I stumbled upon this random free pattern and instructional video for a “flat cap”. Thought I’d give it a try. But I wasn’t sure about how to get the right size for printing. What’s a dpi anyway?

Whatever I ended up with looked about right for a kid…okay maybe a baby, I’ve got one of those.

Wrong.

I knew it as I got halfway in. But I was having so much fun! It’s actually a great pattern!

My mother’s helper will love this for her AGDs!

Watch out for the food police! I love that my first rule is eat with utensils. That’s embarrasing.

We had some major laughs around here with each kid and husband trying this thing on!

Wes gives it

TWO SNAPS UP IN A ZIG ZAG FORMATION!

I’ll have another go at this soon, just increased it 30%, so wish me luck.

And, now I will EAT YOU MONKEY!

~Caroline

Backyard Patchwork Quilt

April 29, 2013 by hungie gungie

I’ve had the itch to make another quilt ever since finsihing the first one I made last year for Ellery. This time, a quilt to hang out on when we are playing outside- which this time of year is pretty much all afternoon.

I had a few requirements that I wanted to stick to: It had to be a STASHBUSTER, Colorful (enough to hide food and grass stains), Easy, and fast.

I perused Pinterest, adding several beauties to my quilt board. But, I realize I am not a “quilter” and I was putting it off because the whole process was starting to daunt me. Then, I remembered something an old Chef used to tell me in my younger days as a cook… when you get overwhelmed by what’s ahead of you, just use the K.I.S.S. system. As in, “Keep it simple, stupid.” And things will magically come together for you. So I stopped pinning, and started pulling fabrics.

I kept going back to the idea of using lots of florals, so I pulled anything I had that jumped out at me. Also, I had a few Anna Maria Horner prints that I felt were just staring at me everytime I opened my fabric closet. Like, “DO SOMETHING WITH US, LADY!”. So, I used a few that I was pretty sure wouldn’t end up into any clothing projects- Coordinates in saffron, and Bubble Burst in Turquoise. I thought those two would break it all up and add some pizazzzzzz….

I cut 10 1/2″ squares. 42 in all. I used my Mom’s square ruler which made the cutting process go super quick and precise.

(Thanks Gee for owning every type of tool I could ever possibly need. You always come through for me!)

I used Kona in Slate (i think?) for the binding and didn’t waste my nights hand-stitching it on… It was so fast using the machine and a walking foot really helped (again, thank you Mom for that!). For the backing, I just pieced together any large pieces I had left, plus that green floral print, and also added a large piece of some eggplant-colored cotton. When I asked my Mom if it that was okay to do, she laughed and said “I don’t think the Quilt Police will come after you”. Hey, I don’t know these things!

I hand-tied the quilt with mustard colored floss at each corner where the squares meet. I like how sort of loose and soft it is without the stitching all over… In fact, I would probably go that route again- it was so fast and easy.

I’m so happy with the result. I am excited to throw it out on the lawn, picnic with the kiddos on it, and maybe even take a nap on it someday. Just kidding. That will NEVER happen.

But, I do feel like it’s very “Me”…. whatever that means!

-Erin

felt + fabric crowns

April 22, 2013 by hungie gungie

A few weeks ago, I gave you guys a little peek of what’s been keeping me busy these days.

And I’m here today to show you more!

I’ve been into all things floral lately for some reason. And I love a good felt project.

And Ellery’s birthday is this week….(our theme is garden-chic. Okay, I just made that up)….

So I combined all those things and came up with these sweet crowns to be given as favors at the beginning of the party so the girls can have fun wearing them together.

They are pretty quick to make, fairly inexpensive, and something that hopefully will get worn over and over again!

2013-4-April

I’m really loving them (so is Ellery), and I thought you might too!

So, read on for a step-by-step tutorial:

First you’ll need some fabric strips. Obviously, you can use any type of print you like… I used anything in my stash that was floral, including some vintage pillowcases. This strip below was cut from the edge of a pillowcase. I love the subtle colors.

Anyway, your strip should be about 4 1/2 ” wide and about 18″ long.

Cut a piece of lightweight or medium-weight interfacing and iron onto the wrong side of your fabric strip.

Make a little crown template on a piece of paper. Mine is 4 1/2″ wide and 9″ long… this will be cut on the fold, fyi. See below.

Draw any type of crown shape you like. I made my center point right on the fold, slightly taller than the other 3 points.

Trace the shape onto your folded fabric strip.

Cut it out.

Lay your fabric onto your felt strip. (I’m using a wool felt blend from Ohma- it has a nice weight to it and I highly recommend that you steer clear of the acrylic stuff for this project. It’s too flimsy for this. This yellow felt came in a large square so I was able to get a nice long strip from it. Oh, and the color is called ‘Butter’… It was meant for me.

Stitch the points to the felt. Leave the sides and bottom open for now….

Now, I did not get all crazy-good with my top-stitching, and that does not bother me for this project…or, any project for that matter. I’ve realized that I’m just not a perfectionist no matter how hard I try.

Cut the excess felt away, but leave about a 1/8″ border. Makes everything pop!

Play around with any trims, lace, ribbon, etc… that you like for the bottom edge. I’d say about 1 1/2″ high of embellishment is good. I used 1″ grosgrain ribbon, and some lace. Just stitch it on however you like, leaving a little overhang at each edge. **i love the look of gold thread, so if you have some, use it!

I added some skinny ivory ribbon too….

Cut an 8″ long strip of 1/4″ elastic- that’s a good length for 3-5 year olds I’d say, but if your kid’s noggin is handy, maybe do a little measuring and adjust that by 1/2″ or so either way. For projects that have thin elastic that is visible, like for a button and loop closure here, or on a bag or the back of a dress, I usually buy swimwear elastic from Joann becuase it’s softer than regualr elastic and it’s not stark white. It just looks a little more natural.

But, use whatever you have.

Fold the elastic in half and slip the raw edges into one of the sides between the felt and fabric.

**If you only have wide elastic, like 3/4 or 1″, maybe just use one 4″ long piece instead of folding it in half… and don’t use a button. Just insert the elastic and both ends and stitch.**

Go ahead and fold your ribbon trim edges to the underside of the felt.

Stich the edge down, and stitch the elastic in place. I’m leaving the fabric edge raw all over. If you are worried about fraying, dab a little Fray Check on the edges.

Your crown shold look like this. Minus the baby-photobomb!

Next, find a medium to large button that you like.

Sew it onto the other edge of your crown, so it sits just slightly above the ribbon.

Almost done! You can stop there or you can add a cute little ribbon rosebud right to the center. Or a little bow. Or whatever strikes your fancy.

Try it on your kid! Ellery would not look at me for these photos. She loves to play hard-to-get.

Grant wanted in on the action…. I’ve got to make him a boy version ASAP.

Here’s Ellery “organzing” the crowns and choosing which ones her friends should have. SUCH a first-born!

This girl will be FIVE in a week! No one is more excited than her. She asks me at least 20 times a day who is younger than her… and squeals with delight when she gets to a kid who has a May or June or July birthday. Seriously, I’ll be in the other room and I’ll hear her say, “Mommy?” and I’ll start mouthing the words she’s about to say: “Am I turning 5 before _______ ?”

“YES, ELLERY. YOU ARE TURNING FIVE BEFORE ______.”

“heheheeeee yyyeeeeesssss!! weeeeeee!!!” :::happy dance::::

Let me know if you decide to make one- don’t let my long tutorial fool you… they are so fast to make if you have everything on hand!

And I hope all of you KCW -sewing Mamas have fun this week and don’t putter out before the week is over! I simply cannot get my act together to participate this time around…I am here cheering you on though and can’t wait to see what everyone makes!

Ciao!

-Erin

It HAD to have the piping

April 15, 2013 by hungie gungie

Don’t you think?

I would have been finished with this Oliver + S “Music Box Jumper” days ago, but after I sewed the yoke to the skirt, I knew something was missing. Piping! It had to have piping. I just couldn’t leave well enough alone. So I made a date with my seam ripper, instead of my husband. Boo. He understood. And he agreed, it needed piping.

I constructed the yoke out of a white linen skirt that my older sister never wore, and passed on to me. The skirt was pretty see-through, so I never wore it either, but like a good up-cycler, I threw it in my stash and knew I’d at least use the buttons from it. These are those buttons! Avery patiently waited as “almost done…” turned into “frrmmshmerrdurr…” and then ” *bleeping bleeeeep!* ” and then finally…

“Praise the Lord, its finished!” And we LOVE IT! Seriously, I’m pretty obsessed with this dress. Skirt fabric is from Anna Maria Horner’s “Loulouthi” collection, and is called Coreopsis in lime. The Music Box jumper (view B) was an impeccable pattern. I had to buy it after I saw it sewn up at Les Fabriques by the talented Jamie (shout out if you’re reading!). I took it slowly and even made french seams, learning a ton the whole way.

The white linen was tricky to work with, so soft and delicate. It did not appreciate all the seam ripping! But, it feels like buttah, and gives the dress an old-timey vibe. Like out of a Dick and Jane book.

I’m not really sure when I will let her wear this dress. Maybe a certain garden party coming up ? I hope I don’t hover nearby with a wash cloth when its time for cake. After all I went through in the construction process, I will probably insist she vacuum seal it in archival tissue paper, and pass it down to her first-born daughter! I told you I was obsessed! Anyhoo, here are some pics of our photo shoot. Avery is very into making me weed bouquets!

Love the dress, LOVE the girl.

~Caroline

long-distance, Geranium-style

March 27, 2013 by hungie gungie

Earlier this month, we had a heavy wet snowstorm that knocked out our power and water for 4 days. To keep the kids happy + entertained, we had ”practice” easter egg hunts, bacon fried on a little propane burner, couch naps, s’mores a la fireplace…you know, power outage stuff. Do all Moms suck at building forts, or is it just me?

Anyway. Sounds fun for a while, right?

We stuck it out at home for about 24 hours before the novelty of of it all wore off and we high-tailed it to my parent’s ~~hotel~~ house for the rest of the weekend. I love a good flushing toilet. TMI?

One great thing about having no electicity, is that you are forced to do the stuff you normally don’t like to do, like organizing all the crap that no one ever uses under the bathroom sink, making Goodwill donation clothing piles (i’m talking to you and your t-shirts, husband), and cutting out pattern and fabric pieces.

Prepping up a couple of Geraniums with Ellery delightfully helped to pass the time.

I snagged up this fun fabric (Summersault by Erin McMorris for FreeSpirit) when it was on sale for a few dollars/yard online… I actually bought it in 3 colorways- we also have orange, because I knew Ellery would lo-lo-love it. It just exudes Spring. And jelly bean-colored raindrops? Love at first sight for my girl…

She and I decided to make one for her, and one for “Friend Caroline”- her bff that moved to Colorado last year. I showed her the options in the pattern, and she did a fabulous job of telling me EXACTLY how she wanted them to look, down to the flutter sleeves on both, and the green one having the U cut-out but not the pink one.

Our photo shoot went a lot like one of Ellery and Caroline’s many playdates:

It started off a little slow.

Maybe even a little sassy….as Caroline’s midewestern mom would say.

I say fresh.

But after some nagging from us Moms, and a little moping from the girls…

Soon, things would be just fine and dandy!

…and they were off playing princesses or fashion show, trading dresses, tiaras, and shoes….

Having some girly fun.

And of course, getting bugged by Grant… seen here, trying to eat the pink dress.

I let Ellery decide in the end which dress she would send to Caroline, and which one she’d chose for herself. Can you guess which one she kept?

It *might* surprise you.

Green! Now THAT is a good 4 year-old friend…

We miss Caroline and her Mom (a.k.a. my “sisterwife”) TONS, but we are getting used to Facetime- Ellery gets very shy when she sees C on the ipad and pretty much goes mute. So her!

I’m sure eventually they’ll be able to channel all that laughter and silliness that would ensue during those playdates.

Like here, when just after I took this shot, she walked backward and fell off the bookshelf, landed on one of Corinne’s baby toys, and kicked it on.

In Spanish-mode.

We laughed our heads off.

I’m pretty sure Friend Caroline would have too.

-Erin

Pattern Testing :: Bubble Dress!

March 19, 2013 by hungie gungie

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of testing a new sewing pattern by An of StraightGrain.

The Bubble Dress!

An makes some really sweet clothing for her little girl, and has now put her skills towards creating this great little pattern for girls ages 1-6. It is for sale now, and you can buy it here. If you have never made a bubble-anything before (like me), give it a shot- it comes together pretty quickly and it’s fun to see the bubble take shape!

Anyway, without further ado…

Here’s Corinne enjoying her new frock:

I tested the 1 year size for my Coco-girl who is turning 1 next week. WHA?? Crazy. I mean, I just had her, didn’t I?

Anyway, it fits great… she’s lean, so this will fit her right on through the Summer I’m sure.

I’ve had this fabric (Jessica Levitt, Timber collection) since I first started sewing 3 years ago. I never was quite sure about what to use it for, but I’m so happy I finally cut into it. Pretty perfect for Spring! I’m not usually drawn to geometric prints, but i love the combo of geometric and organic shapes here. Such cute little bird’s nests they are!

Check out that bubble!

The peter pan collar is an option in this pattern, and is a fun way to use a contrasting fabric.

I figured if I was going to learn how to make a bubble skirt, I might as well learn to make a collar too. That was the hardest part for me, but it turned out just fine- i took those steps pretty slow, especially when attaching it between the outer bodice and the lining.

The back closes simply with a button and loop.

I used 1/8″ elastic, though you could use ribbon too. Anytime I can get out of making a buttonhole, I’m gonna take it! I think the elastic is nice for a squiggly toddler too. Easy on, easy off.

We had fun during this photo shoot. Her cuteness was bubbling all over the place. Sorry…but you knew the pun was coming…

Someone’s ready for Easter….

So, hop on over to An’s blog and look around… She’s from Belgium and is hosting a great series called Kid’s Clothes Belgian Style - Lots of awesome sewing happening over there!

Thanks for stopping by

-Erin

hungie gungie

…not your momma's goulash

Author Archives: hungie gungie

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