Craft Snowmen

Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 at 08:00

Paper Snowmen from www.allfreeprintables.com/christmas/3d-paper-snowman.shtml

... ... ... and here is one of our paper-mache snowmen all finished.  I crocheted little scarves and hats for them.  We painted them with glow in the dark paint and then glued sparkley glitter all over.  They don't really glow in the dark, so we're kinda dissapointed there, but otherwise they are really cute!  We've gotten all kinds of compliments.

Crocheted Hats

Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 10:09

I have to find things to keep my hands busy while I'm resting...  I'm learning to knit and crochet.  Here is one of my newer creations.  I got the pattern from www.youcanmakethis.com .  I'm proud of how they are turning out.  I've made one for each of the girls and after I make the boys some stocking caps, I'm going to make one for me, I haven't decided what color yet.

Matthew 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

No Pattern Wrap Skirt

Posted on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 03:23

This is a nice instructions for a modest wrap skirt to make with no pattern.  I'm looking forward to making one soon!  Thought it might help some of you who "someday" wish to learn to sew!    Good Luck! 

http://www.xanga.com/connimom/549154186/how-to-make-a-wrap-skirt---part-1-cutting.html

Country Apple Regency 2

Posted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 04:27

 Okay, here is Oklahoma Country meets Regency era pattern!  I wanted denim, but wanted to embellish it some way.  I had some pretty cotton lace I had intended to use, but the denim just begged for gingham appliqués and bright red piping.  I should have done the sleeve bands a little bigger around and loosened the pleats a bit, they don't want to poof quite right.  The next size bigger was too much in the back, so I have tucks taken in the back and side back seams, but they don't show much and I can still slip the dress over my head, which is nice 'cause the girls have to button the other dress for me.  I can't reach, and hubby's fingers are too big.  I also decided to pleat the back skirt instead of gathering, which I think is the best part of this dress.  It lays really nice and gives a classy look.  The apples were fun.  I printed out some apples in different sizes from google images of quilt appliqués and outlined them onto blank printer paper with a marker for my patterns.  The smaller apples have leaves from one of the decretive stitches already on my machine...  The bottom skirt border and the button placket are gingham quilt binding, the neckline and sleeve trim are double-wide bias tape.  They were in my stash and made nice straight edges with out cutting...  Laziness 101

Regency Gown

Posted on Friday, August 1, 2008 at 12:01

Here is my new Regency era dress.  I used the pattern from http://www.sensibility.com .  I had to tweak it a bit for me and I think I will still a bit more for the next one.  I added an inch length in the bodice and an inch around the neckline.  With the next one I'm going to only add a 1/2" to the neckline at the shoulders and then an inch just in the front and try to get a more squared look.  I'm also going to add an inch to the under arm of the bodice.  I wore this dress all day yesterday and it was a little binding in the sleeves.  I'm also making the next one out of denim so I decided to make the next size bigger to give more room for comfort.  I can always take it in a little if I need to.  The fabric in this one is a lovely embroideried chambray.  I had to start at the bottom of skirt for the seam so the bottom would be even since I wasn't putting in any hem with this lovely border.  I am really thrilled with this pattern and proud of the way the dress turned out.  Now the 16yo (she took the pictures for me) is working on a Titanic era tea dress...  We'll post pictures of that one as well.  Let me know what you all think!

Regency Gown

Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 03:48

Here I sit in a quiet house...  (and there are even four extra children here today!)  Everyone is down for a nap.  Not all are asleep, but it is quiet...  (for the moment anyway)  I've been anticipating a package from http://www.sensibility.com eagerly.  I'm looking forward to making myself a few regency gowns.  They look so cumfy and elegant at the same time.  I love dressing up.  I can get muslin for .99 a yard from Hancocks web site.  I'm going to just make the first one out of some material I have laying around.  Then I hope to make a few out of some light colored seersucker for summer, and a few from toasty flannels for winter.  Then I may try a couple of fine corduroy or twill.  Since I'm wanting to wear these around the house so they won't be floor length and I'm going to forgo the pretty overlays right now, though I have a beautiful border print picked out from http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com that I think would be just gorgeous.  I had to do a wikipedia search on fabrics so I'd have a clue what the difference is between chiffon, georgette, and taffetta...  I printed out the information for the oldest to read.  I'm really excited about this.  I love making costumes and period dress (well the idea anyway, sometimes the process can be a bit frustrating).  I tend to be most comfortable in dresses and jumpers with a higher waist, so this should be right up my alley.  It may also work for my aunt's dress as well, it might be easy to fit for her.  We'll see. 

sewing for a little person with dwarfism

Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 08:42

I have an Aunt who is 9 months younger than myself.  Her mother was being treated for German Measles when she was concieved and she is a dwarf.  She has always had dreams of someday getting married and having me make her a beautiful wedding dress.  Well, getting married is out of the picture, but I had an idea...  Why not.  Who says you have to have a "husband" to get married?  We, in the Church, are all a part of "The Bride" of Christ.  So, I'm planning to make her a wedding dress and plan some type of nice church service with a sweet little reception.  We can make some nice invitations and some fancy deserts...  La-tee-da.  I think it will be all kinds of fun.  Her mother (my Gram'a, see post from sometime last fall) went to be with the Lord and my Aunt is living with my mother, the oldest sister of the surviving children.  She's soon to be comming to spend a few weeks with us and I'm trying to plan making a pattern and sample dress.  In the meantime, my mother wants me to make up patterns for some everyday clothes for her.  Now I'm wondering if there is anyone out there with some ideas.  Anyone who has experience in sewing or alterations for Little People?  I'd appreciate all the help I can get.  Thanks!

busy & sewing

Posted on Friday, May 30, 2008 at 07:53

Busy-ness abounds around here of late.  Granny J came for a short visit over the weekend.  It was really nice.  It's never long enough or often enough.  Wish we could talk her into moving up here closer...

We made a trip out to NM to visit a family with 9 young'ns.  They blessed us with their old van.  Now we have plenty of room for the family and Papa.  It's nice not to have to have people climbing over seats to get in and out.  We had so much fun.  The children played and played.  We got to go fishing and the children did some rock climbing.  We really enjoyed the fellowship.  They cooked us breakfast each morning, it was so good.  We took our camper, a pop-out which sleeps 10.  I had planned poptarts and toaster strudels, so we are using them as our recouperation food now.  Thankfully, we had all the laundry caught up and the house clean before we left.  We put our dirty clothes in trash bags, separated by color.  It made it much easier to just through laundry straight from bags into washer and we are already caught back up.

Before we left I was also able to get a little sewing done.  I made a jumper out of an old pair of overalls for me and a matching jumper for #4, then 4 sunbonnets, 2 for #4 and 2 for the baby.  Now I'm in the mood to try some coulottes.  I'm thinking about just taking a regular shorts pattern and making the legs wider...  We'll see how it goes.  I also want to make some jumpers and dresses for me.  I'm torn on style and size.  I want the extra room for comfort, but I don't want to look like I'm wearing a circus tent.  I'm hanging on to way more weight than I'm used to and I don't know whether I'm going to loose it as I become more active, or if I need to accept it as mid-life fluff.  The A-line skirt dresses and jumpers are very flattering, but they aren't as comfy and easy to manuver in around the house.  I like to get down on the floor with my young'ns.  I'd really like to do more matching things, but it takes so much material for all of us.  I have material that just really needs to be used up.  Some of it is wearing real bad where it has been creased.  I'm going to have to be real careful cutting things out.  I'm trying to figure what is the best, most modest and comfortable at the same time, for our windy days.  I've never had a pair of coulottes that were really comfortable, and I tend to really flop when I try to make my own patterns, so I'm timid about trying.  I've been looking online for different ideas.  (Waisting a lot of time procrastinating!)  I want something that looks like a skirt, but isn't going to blow sky high in the wind, or be a problem when #4 is doing summer-salts or cart-wheels.  I like the idea of the skirtlots (www.myculottes.com) but I'm not sure how they will work for riding horses.  I'm gona make the big girls make their own stuff.  I want them to know how to sew for their families.  I may be wanting too much at one time.  If our weather was a little more predictable, it might help.  Can't have everything we want!