Sadie's Dollhouse

My first holiday gift project, completed in November, is a little fabric dollhouse for Sadie. This great pattern is from this tutorial. I just love this little house! And I'm not ashamed to admit that mine is almost piece for piece like UK Lass'. I thought hers was so perfect, mine is almost identical except for an extra window inside.

It is quite small, only 6 inches wide. I've had some trouble finding a little doll and furniture to go in it, but finally scored with a Fisher Price My First Dollhouse bed and chair. I'll post more pictures with the gift recipient after Christmas!

Yes, I'm here :)

I haven't reported in lately, but I have been doing a little sewing. This summer, I completed a quilt top for Sadie. It is based on a memory quilt from an old issue of Martha Stewart Kids.

This is the inspiration photo:

The blocks are made of our favorite clothes from her first year. I still have to back it, but that will wait until the first of the new year. I've been working on a couple of Christmas presents lately...

Pillowcase

Some friends and I are going to try our hands at pillowcase dresses.

And, I just won these from eBay! $10.54 shipped. I don't know that I would have paid that in a store, but you know how it is: Win Victoriously. You sort of get carried away.

Not only that, but I am contemplating some "S" monogrammed pillowcases that will probably be closer to $15. They'd make a cute dress too, but they might just stay on a bed for Sadie. Does that price justify buying a machine that can do embroidery??

Which reminds me, I once embroidered a monogram by hand. It is the lace handkerchief I carried at my wedding. My "something blue". Not bad, but I like crisp, clean machine monograms better.

Stuff for Jackson

Jackson is my little second cousin and will turn one in September. This is an Ellen McCarn panel I smocked for him:

Like the one for Sadie, I was afraid to attempt the bubble, so I gave the panel and fabric and notions to my aunt who had the outfit completed. It was given before he was born and completed shortly thereafter.

And here is a pair of cute little shoes for Jackson. He and his mommy and daddy like dogs!

Reversible Jumper II

My cousin asked me to make another reversible dress like Sadie's for a gift. I bought more of the same cute floral fabric, but backed this one in pink--here it is hanging with Sadie's green version. It is amazing how the floral looks different with the two different underlays, though it is hard to tell in these pictures.



This is the finished product, with the little bloomers:

It is a little cleaner than the first version (I guess most second versions are), though the ric rac isn't any more even than the first try--maybe less so even though I tried to re-sew it in several spots. Oh well--the effect is still there.

Check out this cute variegated ric-rac! I love it with this. The reverse is white which looks cute with the pink dot.

And, since I had some fabric left over, here is another pair of shoes for the lucky owner of the dress. Sadie got a pair too :)

I'm still here

I'm still here, and now that I'm on summer break I hope I can get back to some sewing. As simple as Sadie's dedication dress seems to be, I've hit quite a stumbling block. The pretty scalloped sleeves and hem don't lend themselves very well to tatted edging. Plus, I'll never be able to tat enough to trim the hem--I've already missed my June window. Maybe I can get it done by October.

Meanwhile, I've decided to go ahead with other things--If I wait for the dedication dress I may never get anything else done! The next thing I want to do is this memory quilt made with some of Sadie's clothes from her first year. I'm trying to go through our closets anyway. Maybe a soft t-shirt quilt for me, too.

I've Been Tagged.

I feel like I have officially arrived in Blogdom! I've been tagged by Shannon. More about her later.

I'm supposed to pick up the nearest book, turn to page 123, and post the 6th, 7th, and 8th sentences.

LOL, the nearest book to me happens to be my 7th Grade Science Book--Teacher Edition. The 123rd page contains the most dull and irrelevant material in the whole book. There is some pretty good stuff about genetics, human physiology, Newton's laws of Motion, etc. but this page happens to be about Floods as part of the precipitation section in the Atmosphere Unit.

"High water is not the only hazard in a flood. Floods can knock

down electrical poles and wires. Downed electical poles can leave

dangerous live wires hanging loose and cause power outages."

Had I been in another room, the material would have been out of a L.M. Montgomery book or a Frances book, or some such.

Nevertheless, this is the cutest tag I've seen, and thanks to Shannon for thinking of me. Anyone who has made it to my little blog probably knows all about her already. She is one of the most talented sewers I've seen, and I've been greatly inspired by the clothing she makes, especially those for her daughter. And her smocking?? Perfection!

So, I hope the following people don't mind if I tag them because that's one of the rules of this game--tag 5 people and acknowledge your tagger (and I'm cheating a bit because I already have links to them):

1. Dana Great smocking ideas, and great taste in books and movies.
2. Michelle She posted a great shoe tutorial that I'm thankful for
3. Amie A kindred spirit, sewer and smocker with a daughter named Sadie!
4. Andria Should win a blogging Pulitzer. I wish we could be IRL friends!
5. Joanna There is nothing she can't do--such quality work!!

My posting has been slow, because I won't allow myself to start any new projects until Sadie's dedication dress is done. I've hit a bit of a snag, because while I thought the dress was super simple, the sweet scallops won't work well with the tatted edging I'm working on. Which by the way I've completed all of about 6 inches. Too many birthdays to plan for and celebrate lately.