Eight-ish years ago, I began sewing for my unborn daughter. In the back of my mind, I knew that my ultimate goal was to get “good enough” to make her First Holy Communion dress. My mom let me help her design my First Communion dress and doing that with her is one of my core memories of childhood. I walked into our local JoAnne’s with her and saw a bridal gown that I loved, my mom created a similar version for me to wear. My goal when I set out to make this dress was to form similar memories with my daughter. Several months ago, Maria and I sat down…
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Happy Easter! All this Year’s Sewing Details :)
Happy Easter Friends!! What a fantastic one it is. The kids are all healthy and thriving and most importantly (kidding) still enjoying my hand sewn creations. This year, I got brave and even made a dress for myself. Here are alllll the details! My dress is a Burda 6023 in a rayon from Farmhouse Fabrics. This fabric feels like a cloud. I can’t get over how comfortable this dress was! I love the tulip print and the colors are perfection! Maria is wearing her Easter dress from last year. She absolutely loves this dress and requested to wear it again. I used an ivory Swiss dot and ecru lace to…
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Recreating the Look…Sewing a Smocked Dress Seen on an Influencer.
Several months ago, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and ran across a stunning image of a social media influencer on her front porch. She was surrounded by beautiful flowers and with her gorgeous two young daughters. While the scene was absolutely gorgeous, I was fascinated by her dress…It. Was. Smocked!!! If you want to take a peek at her gorgeous pictures, I’ll link them, here. Immediately after seeing the dress, I started down the rabbit hole of discovering who made it, where it was purchased, etc. etc. It should not shock you, that much like some of my previous favorite garments, it is crazy expensive. So I hatched…
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Christmas Sewing 2022- What I Made and How!
**There are affiliate links in this post** Shewee!!! I did it! This Christmas sewing was a bit of a whirlwind. To start with, I didn’t have my sewing machine. Which made it even more…interesting. Where’s my machine you ask? In the shop, I somehow really upset my feed dogs and have to have a new feed dog unit installed. Soooo I was sewing with Maria’s machine. Its a great little Babylock American Dream but its lacking a few bells and whistles. Oh well, it worked! So here’s the rundown of what I made: Gail Doane’s Traditional Wool Coat, two Children’s Corner Patterns Tates, one Children’s Corner Pattern Paty, one Collars…
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“Smocked” Adult Blouse Alert…This is a Good One :)
Here with a quick Inspiration post! I ran across this pattern at Joann’s a month or so ago and knew I needed it. I bought not one, not two, but three dresses this past summer that were a nearly identical shape to this blouse. It was time to commit to a pattern for this dress style, I clearly like it. The pattern is the McCall R11554 aka McCall 8325. It has a puff and flutter sleeve option, as well as a faux honeycomb smocked bodice or tuck bodice variation. It reminds me of a grown up version of the Collar’s Etc. Tuck Dress. I used a fun Liberty of London…
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Happy Halloween, Here’s a Freebie!
Hello hello friends! I recently created this Halloween Tag for my kiddos and thought it would be fun to share with you too. If you’d like to download the file, you can do so here. I had mine printed at a local shop on card stock, cut them out, punched holes in the corner, and tied them to glow sticks from the Target Dollar Bins. They’d be cute on any glow stick though! Happy halloween! The tags were made using clipart found on Etsy and can be found in HelloPeachStudio’s shop, by clicking this link. I made the tags with Adobe Illustrator (the same program I use to digitize patterns).
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Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails. What Classic Sewing for Boys is Made Of!
*** Some of these links are affiliate links, I will earn a small commission if something is purchased with one of these links, thank you for supporting the blog*** I began sewing baby clothes when I was pregnant with my first child, Maria. I learned how to sew as she grew. As I accumulated more knowledge and quite a few more patterns, I began to almost exclusively sew her wardrobe. When I found out I was pregnant again, I couldn’t wait to sew more, especially when I found out it was a boy. In my head, this boy would wear handmade bubbles and Jon Jons for all of time. I…
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Australian Sourced, American Made. Sewing Up a Fun Blouse!
Sewing friends are the best, right? Check out this fun new sew, inspired by a sweet sewing friend.
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Looking for a Fun New Project? Sew a Stuffed Animal for Your Little One and an Outfit to Match!
Maria has been ALL about her American girl dolls these days. She has “Rebecca” and has been obsessed with matching her doll. She’s been wearing a ton of these knit dresses and dressing Rebecca in the matching versions. Dressing and accessorizing her dolls has provided hours of entertainment (she gets it honest…dressing my living “dolls” is one of my favorite things) and It’s made me feel like the boys’ have been left out. They don’t seem to take as much interest in her dolls, but they do love “stuffies.” They love bears, dogs, crocodiles, deer…basically anything that looks like an animal and can be squeezed. Enter, this amazing stuffed animal…
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DIY Throw Pillows: Sewing my way to New Home Decor, Come Join the Fun!
DIY Throw pillows. Creating custom, high-end throw pillows without breaking the bank!
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Smocked Tunic Hack: How to Sew a Designer Dress Using the Smocked Tunic Pattern
A Smocked Tunic Hack
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Want to Design and Sell your own Patterns, but don’t Know Where to Begin? Start Here.
Figuring out how to share patterns with others is no small feat. It can also get extremely expensive. When I first starting thinking about digitizing my own patterns, it seemed like a bit of a money pit. I have managed to figure out how to do it in an affordable manner. It does however, require a large mental and time investment. First things first, you have to figure out how to get your drawn patterns onto the computer. You have a few options, there are people out there that you can contract to do it for you, or you can use Adobe Illustrator and figure out how to do it…
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Smocked Tunic Pattern Now Available!
Some time ago, I was gifted a vintage pattern called “BJ’s Gown and Blouse” by Albe’s Creations. I made one up in a beautiful Liberty of London and posted it to Instagram and Facebook. I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback and questions about the pattern. On a whim, I started searching for the pattern designer, Brenda Raker. I was hoping she may have more patterns in her basement somewhere as it was impossible to find any for sale online or anywhere else. I reached out to my followers with her name, did some googling, and asked around in an attempt to find her. You all came through (as usual!)…
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Grand Millennial Ottoman: How I Breathed New Life into an Old Piece.
I was gifted this old ottoman from my Grand-Mother-In-Law some time ago. I immediately had a million ideas for it, got overwhelmed, and promptly put it in my basement storage room to sit for all of eternity. Recently, we’ve purchased land (19 acres!) and have decided to build a new house. This will be our “until-the-kids-move-out-of-the-house” house. So my goal is to make the style fairly timeless and elegant. I’ve always been a sucker for timeless, elegant, children’s clothing, but when it came to home decor I pretty much followed whatever trend I was feeling at the moment. I’d like to stay away from that with the new house and…
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Picture Smocking on Corduroy, my Solution to Carpool Line Entertainment.
Its been a minute since I’ve done a blog post. Life has been wild around here! We’ve purchased land (nineteen acres) in my hometown and are slowly starting to take the steps toward building a house. I’ve found myself spending a ton of time in carpool lines with Robby and Maria in different schools and keeping up with John Luke is a full time job….see the picture below for his personality in-a-nut-shell. I’ve discovered the best way to spend my time in the carpool line is smocking…otherwise I get sucked into social media and yucky news. Soooo these outfits are the fruits of the carpool. I’m going to start with…
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The Elusive Caftan-How I made a $750 dress for less than $100
Y’all my taste. It’s out of control. Sewing has spoiled me rotten. I like real fabric. I like dresses that fit. I like unique pieces. I like French seams. I like hand embroidery. I like trim, lots and lots of trim. I’ve been looking to purchase a caftan for about a year now and this is what I found people…this… So when I stumbled upon the Vintage Vogue 7295 pattern on Etsy…I jumped on it. I found another one here, if you’re interested. The used pattern I received was SO good. The previous owner had made some solid alterations and clearly loved the pattern. It was neat to see the…
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Fall 2021: What to Make and What to Buy.
My mom told me this is her favorite of my annual posts…so I had to make another 🙂 I can’t sew it all. I’ve tried but I just can’t. Below you will see a graphic of what I’ll be making and what I’ll be sewing for this fall and winter. Looking at the graphic above, the items on the top are pieces I’ll be buying. I love Peter Pan collared shirts but I cannot make them as fast as my kids can destroy them. I also prefer them in knit but I don’t prefer sewing with knit. For me, purchasing staple knit pieces for the kids makes the most sense,…
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Smocking-want to try but not sure where to begin?
disclaimer: all of the following applies mainly to smocking done on pleated fabric. Not smocking done in which you pleat the fabric by hand using dots. Personally, I haven’t done that type of smocking. Ahhhh smocking. One of my favorite forms of sewing, smocking can add beautiful detail to an outfit. The act of smocking can also provide a sewist an outlet through which to pour love into a garment. Are you interested in adding smocking into your sewing repertoire? There are TONS of helpful books, patterns, magazines, YouTube videos, and people. I hope to provide a list of the sources that have been most helpful to me. These are…
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Appliquéd Buntings, Easy Embroidered Party Decor.
The majority of what I sew is clothes. I dabble in the occasional home decor item but in general, I sew clothes. Three of the five outfits seen below are my creations. However, for my daughter’s recent birthday party, I stepped out of my comfort zone and made something else. Party decor. I recently ran across this adorable idea in my Instagram scrolling. Appliquéd buntings! They took me a minute to figure out but were not tricky to make at all. Often, when sewing clothing, I cut out the pattern and there is an awkward piece of fabric left over. It is typically one long rectangle that isn’t even big…
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The Dress Them Dearly Sunsuit Pattern is Now Live!!
A few years ago, my friend and I drafted a pattern on my kitchen counter. I had recently learned that I was pregnant and was itching to get sewing for my baby, who would be about six months old when the summer months hit. Dreaming of a chubby baby sitting by the pool in a sunsuit, we set out to design a sunsuit that would be appropriate for boys and girls and would have a ton of room for embroidery and appliqué. We came up with this look. I made several for my then unborn child Robby, and forgot all about it. This past year I’ve been on a mission…
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Blue Gingham with Love.
So, let me start at the beginning with these outfits. The first outfit that I made was my own dress. I used it as the inspiration for the rest of the garments. I had a friend reach out to me (@becsewsthings on Instagram) with an image of a ready-to-wear garment that she loved. We dreamed and schemed about how to make it and finally hatched a plan. I’ll list all the parts of this plan below. This is the ready-to-wear garment we wanted to recreate. I’m no stranger to blue gingham. I love it with all my heart. So I’ve fully embraced its recent resurgence in popularity. In my experience…
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Trouble Shooting While Shirring. What to Try, When.
As I’ve gone down this shirring road, it has become obvious that each machine has a happy place. No one machine’s perfect settings seem to apply to all. In fact, it seems quite the opposite, one machine’s perfect settings will not even come close to working for another. The stitch length and bobbin tension seem to be the most important variables. Below I will include a chart of the most common issues I’ve seen and how to use these variables to overcome them. In general, the thinner the fabric, the more it “gathers up.” This is normal! To accommodate, you may want to shorten stitch length, place shirring lines further…
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Shirred Mini Nap Dress-How to Make One Without a Pattern.
Welp, I’m back and shirring again. I promise I will write about something else eventually but for now, I’m coming at ya with more shirring. Sometime last year Hill House came out with the “Nap Dress.” It happened to directly coincide with the start of staying at home a lot so it went instantly viral. Its comfy but still “dressed up.” Its cute but extremely easy to wear. I’ve now made myself three, so I figured it was definitely time to make one for Maria too. This decision came right around the same time they dropped their “Tiny” nap dress….so clearly great minds think alike. The basic formula for this…
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I’m on a roll! Tab Pattern Now Available.
I’ve always been a sucker for a tab. In fact, I’ve had a blog post on tabs sitting in my to-do list for about a year now. I like them for girls, I like them for boys, I like them for everyone. I particularly like them when I make Jon-Jons or Jumpers out of thicker fabric and I don’t want to pipe the top of the garment. I think they give the garment a polished look, without having to add bulk with piping. So, this little pattern is now available here. Not gonna lie guys, it took me a minute to figure out how to draft a pattern. I tried…
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PDF Tutorial Now Available! The Shirred Bishop is live.
I have been FLOORED by the number of you all who want a tutorial for a shirred bishop. FLOORED. I am so excited to let you know that the tutorial is complete and it is now available for download. You can purchase it over on this post. Not convinced that you love this dress? Let me list a few of its attributes: Placket and button free (hello independent kiddos, they can put this one on by themselves!) Most sizes (up to size 5) can be made with only 1 yard of fabric. Use almost any weight of fabric-batiste, broadcloth, poly/cotton blends, knits, pique, etc. If that doesn’t convince you, check…
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Sewing up Something New!
If you’ve looked around at any ads lately you will notice that shirring is EVERYWHERE. You can’t escape it. If its not on an adult dress, tweens’ shirt, a child’s dress its on a child’s shirt. Its all over the place! If you read my previous blog post you know I plan to incorporate it into some of my spring and summer sewing. This weekend I got a chance to give it a go and I am so pleased with the results! The first thing I did was make “toile” or a “muslin.” I made this using the Children’s Corner Bishop pattern with a few alterations. I added two inches…
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Spring Sewing Inspiration for Baby, Toddler, Boys, Girls, and Moms!
I’m a little bit all over the place these days. I’m currently in the middle of several Easter Heirloom garments but am itching to get started on Spring and Summer play clothes. This year I’ll be doing a combination of buying and sewing. In this post, you’ll find the ready to wear (RTW) inspiring me, what I think I’ll make, and what I think I’ll buy this Spring and Summer. In the images below, you can see some of the RTW that I’m loving this Spring and Summer, I will link it all under the images. I will also link patterns that could be used to make these items. None…
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Okay, its not all just called “lace,” now how much do I need?
We've discussed the different types of laces, now how in the world do you transform a pattern from a "non-heirloom," pattern, into an heirloom pattern? How do you know how much lace to order?
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You mean it’s not all just called “lace?”
Heirloom sewing can be daunting. REALLY daunting. Not only is there no real pattern out there that shows you how to do it step by step, there are so many different components to purchase! If you’re fortunate enough to have a locally owned fabric shop near you, it may not be as scary a task, but shopping online for laces can be tricky if you’re not sure what exactly you need. In this post I am hoping to create a quick beginner’s reference of the different types of trims I have used in heirloom sewing. I will preface this by saying… I have made several heirloom garments but am, by…
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How Children’s Corner Store can transform your Sewing Experience.
Learn why choosing to learn to sew with Children's Corner is easy, affordable, and convenient.
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Corduroy Christmas, How to Create this Coordinated Trio
Anytime you sit down to plan sewing a garment, I recommend imagining the child/person you’re sewing for, on the day(s) they’re wearing the garment, actually doing all the parts of that day. When I’m sewing for my kids I usually try to imagine the places they’ll be in their outfits and the activities they’ll be trying to do. I imagine the shoes and sweaters they’ll wear, how their hair will be done, even the socks they’ll wear. I imagine the twirls they’ll do, the food they’ll eat, anything I can think of to help me create an outfit that will be exactly perfect for them. Now, I’m recommending this as…
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Gift Guide For Sewing Friends
A gift guide specific to sewists!
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Toddler Toy Gift Guide-toys for boys and girls
Its that time of year again! That time where you get to buy the toys you secretly want to play with and give them to the kiddos you love. Below you will find a list of items I’m getting my kids this year or have gotten them in the past. If you’re in need of reasonably priced inspiration for toddlers…check these out 🙂 Whether you have an animal lover, budding intellectual, future musician or aspiring hunter, gifts will foster imaginative, hands-on play. If our time at home because of the pandemic have taught me nothing, its the value of toy that can capture the attention of children of all ages.…
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Expecting a Baby Boy? Sew These Precious Pieces.
Need ideas for baby boy sewing? Look no further.
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Sewing with Wool Fabric, A Lovely New Sapporo Coat
Ramblings about my new favorite adult garment.
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Banded Pants Tutorial
How to redraft pant’s patterns to add a banded bottom Every fall, these adorable banded pants fill my inbox and Instagram feed. They’re often paired with appliquéd knit shirts, Peter Pan collared shirts, turtle necks, or sweatshirts. Made for both boys and girls they seem like the perfect cold-weather staple. I love the look of them, comfortable, versatile and classic. This year I decided to make them myself. I used Spechler Vogel corduroy from Farmhouse Fabrics. I found that I was able to make two pair of pants for the price of one of these pair. After watching the Children’s Corner Sew Along on banded Parker Shorts it occurred to…
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Prime Day Cart
Like a lot of you, I have Amazon Prime. This year’s “Prime Day” is October 13th and 14th. Prime Day offers tons of great deals on items that you are likely going to need for your child’s fall and winter wardrobe. One of the ways that I ensure I don’t miss a deal is by “carting” the items that I want to watch. Amazon will then alert you when an item in your cart has a price change. I thought it would be fun to share the items in my cart with you all this year. Clearly-my kids need shoes 🙂 Disclaimer: I will earn a small commission on these…
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Fall/Winter Basics
I’m Back!!! I’ve been taking a bit of a blogging break after John Luke’s birth. He is thriving and growing like a weed. Thank you all for your kind well- wishes and prayers. They’re clearly working! We are loving our family of five and can’t get in enough John Luke snuggles. I’ve been trying to keep ya’ll updated on the sizing for the newborn outfits I’ve made him but if you have any questions, shoot me a message! A lot of the questions I get on various platforms are about Undershirts, Socks, Shoes, and various pieces that go with all of my sewn creations. I thought it may be helpful…
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Derby Dreams-Children’s Corner Patterns’ Patty and Johnny
This is a description of the creation of sibling set Kentucky Derby outfits.
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French Seamed Sleeves
This post demonstrates the technique used to set in boy's sleeves using a French seam.
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Its A Circus!
This post elaborates on the patterns, fabrics, and processes used to create a sibling set using Liberty of London's Isaac's Jubilee Lawn.
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Children’s Corner Johnny, Mary De and Kathy Dykstra Diaper Set- A Sibling Set
This blog post is about the creation of three garments, each for a different sibling. The outfits are coordinated but can easily be worn separately.
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Baby Gift Ideas
This post contains new ideas for baby gifts, some hand made, some purchased.
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Shirring-big take aways.
Shirring Tutorial and links to other blogs/videos on shirring.
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The Nap Dress Hack
This post describes the processes used to create an angel sleeve for an adult garment using shirring.
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Ikatee Patterns Louise
This is a pattern review of the Ikatee Patterns Mum and Girl pattern set.
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Party Favor Play Dough Mini Kits
In this post you'll find directions and links for making USA themed play dough kit party favors.
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Ikatee Patterns Louise, Double Gauze Tips and Tricks
This post contains insight gained from sewing with double gauze fabric as well as images of the Ikatee Louise Girl Pattern.
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Sibling Swim Outfit Ideas
I love to sew…obviously. But I also really like to be a mom too. When it comes to my most valuable currency these days, it is overwhelmingly time. So its often a tricky balance to figure out what needs to be sewn and what I ought to just buy. I usually go through a mental check list before I decide to buy… Can I make it for significantly less money than I can buy it for? Is the quality of what I make significantly better than what I can purchase? Do I have time? Is it worth it to me to have custom (often matching) items? Is what I make…
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Children’s Corner Bishop-Sleeveless
In this blog post I explain how to use a Bishop Pattern to create a sleeveless bishop. This dress ties at the shoulders and would be considered expert to intermediate level sewing. Knowledge of smocking and pleating it required to understand this post.
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P & M Patterns Bianca
I’ve recently been going out of my way to discover new patterns and pattern lines. Mainly because I bit the bullet and bought a printer (I have a longstanding hatred of printers, that’s a story for another day.) The printer has openned my world to PDF patterns. While I’m still mainly a fan of the printed pattern, I can’t get over how big my pattern world has just gotten. There are SO MANY GOOD patterns out there that I had no clue about. When going down a pattern-discovery rabbit hole, I ran across P & M Patterns. According to her website, Karine Aivazian created the company in 2012. She is…
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Duchess and Hare “Bubble Up” Bubble…for Boys!
Now that I am officially sewing for two boys I am on a mission, people. I need more boy patterns. While I am always here for a Jon Jon, I envy my daughter’s wardrobe for my son. If she’s not in the mood for a dress in one of 75 variations, she gets to wear shorts, pants or overalls in one of 75 other variations. Not so much for the boys. When I ran across this sweet little bubble I was immediately excited that it could easily be done for a boy. This was my first time working with a Duchess and Hare pattern. While the majority of their patterns…
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Gemstone Quick Activity for Kids
Quick activity for babies and toddlers
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Children’s Corner Taylor and Katina Bubble Mash-Up
Recently, one of my favorite facebook groups issued a “mash-up challenge.” The challenge was to take two Children’s Corner Patterns and mash them together to create a new one. I love a good mash-up and was quite excited to do this one. I absolutely love the Children’s Corner Katina and the Children’s Corner Taylor so these two patterns seemed like a great pair for a mash-up. To create clean lines and corners (for some reason they’re more “boy-ish” to me) I redrafted the Katina bodice to look more like the one seen below. The pattern pieces I used are in the image below. The front and back of the Taylor,…
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Violette Field Threads “Spencer” and Tunic Bible
Mommy and Me Match This post has a couple of “firsts” in it. This is my first time sewing for myself and my first time sewing a Violette Field Threads Patterns. I must say, both were really fun! First, let’s talk about Maria’s dress. It is a Violette Field Threads’ pattern. You can find it here. It comes in size 2T-10 (Yay! big girl sizes!) and is insanely modular. You can add a 3/4 sleeve and remove the bottom ruffle so the design possibilities are bountiful. They do a great job of providing tons of model garments in the various configurations which is super helpful if you have a hard…
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Thank you!
As a "thank you" for being a blog reader and subscriber I would like to give you a free embroidery file. I designed the file and bought the rights to it several years ago. It's one of my favorites! Hope you enjoy.
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DIY Play Dough Kit
Taking a moment to break from sewing and talk a bit about children’s activities again. How many of you all have seen these sweet Play Dough Kits on Instagram and Pinterest?! I saw them about a year ago and have been obsessed ever since. They’re extremely photogenic, very engaging, so fun to watch kiddos play with and come organized in an amazing container. I love toys that have an easily storable container (I’m not sure why all toys don’t have an easily storable container) so I am a sucker for these things. Confession: I am a do-er. I often see other people making/doing something and immediately think that I can…
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What I listen to While Sewing…
Confession: I am a podcast junkie. I listen almost non-stop. When I’m sewing I always have a podcast playing on my phone. Awhile back, I mentioned a couple of my favorites in my stories and was overwhelmed by how many people responded with their favorites…apparently I’m not alone in my sewing while podcasting obsession. I thought I’d compile a list of my favorites here….mainly so you will respond with yours and give me new ones to listen to! The 27 Club: this is a new podcast about the life of music artists who died at the age of twenty-seven. Its incredibly well written and produced. Jimmy Hendrix is the topic…
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Creative Needle Easy Sunsuit: Overalls Part 2
This is the second part of a two part blog series. Before you begin, check out my post describing my quest to create a specific pair of overalls, you can find it here. To get the look of overalls, I used the Creative Needle Sunsuit Pattern. I altered it by moving the straps. Instead of having them attach by button in the back as seen in the pattern. I cut them off, and sewed them to the back. Then placed the button on the front of the strap and the button hole on the front of the pattern. I made sure to add a half inch of length to the…
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#StandWithSmall
Over the past few weeks I have been floored by how kind and thoughtful humanity can be. From the many masks made by my neighbors and peers, to the thoughtful gifts given to small children who aren’t used to being “stuck at home.” It is so refreshing to know that so many people are so good. Now, more than ever, small businesses need our support. Again, I am floored by how many individuals I’ve seen reaching out to eat at local restaurants, order from local bakeries, and shop from local small retailers. I’ve witnessed plenty of small businesses being patronized by phone orders and through social media orders. Sometimes, that…
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Creative Needle Easy Sunsuit-Overalls
Given my obsession with babies in bubbles, it should come as little surprise that I’m also a sucker for overalls. They’re just the cutest, most classic, most perfect little summer staple. Once again, Little English popped into my inbox with one of the sweetest outfits I’ve seen…since the last time they did that. After seeing this cutie I knew it had to be mine. I scoured the internet for a similar pattern. I texted my friend, Margy to get her input on what patterns to mash up, what fabric to use, etc. I’m not going to lie, this one stumped us for a bit. Then one day, while pursuing Farmhouse…
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Notions Organizer
Suddenly have tons of time to organize your sewing room?…me too. While its been quite difficult to see many silver linings in this current pandemic, one blessing of Covid-19 has been getting to spend a significantly larger amount of time with my family, in my house. The quality time with my family has been wonderful, while my quality time with my house has spurred on quite a few cleaning and organizing projects. Nothing like staring at one’s disorganization for extended periods of time to encourage spring cleaning. I recently tackled my sewing room. As I normally spend every moment I have for available for sewing, actually sewing, it had become…
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Creations by Michie 123 Hack: My Favorite Sunsuit
The Sunsuit…. it is one of my favorite garments on a baby. As y’all are well aware from previous posts, bubbles (more specifically sunsuits) are a personal weakness. Prior to learning to sew them, I swooned over The Beaufort Bonnet’s many sunsuit options. Some of my favorites for boy (or girl) can be see below. These can be found and purchased on their website here or at any boutiques that carry Beaufort Bonnet. Side note: Beaufort Bonnet is opening their first flagship store in Lexington, KY soon and you can bet this mama will be there. Not crazy about the colors they have to offer? Or the price? Here’s how…
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Indoor Activities for Kiddos
I do not sit still well. Its a personality flaw that I have fought, eventually accepted an ultimately embraced. My children seem to have inherited this personality trait from me, it has become incredibly apparent while we’re staying at home and “social distancing.” We used to start our day with a trip to the gym/Maria’s school and errands. Now that those are not options I have a 3-4 hour window of time to fill. I’ve tried screens…I am not a screen hater…but they just don’t work for my kids. They won’t sit through a whole movie or they want 1000 snacks while they try. Pinterest and other Instagram moms have…
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Children’s Corner Taylor Modification for Color Blocking
If you’ve been following along for any period of time, you know that one of my favorite things to do is to find a ready-to-wear outfit and replicate it in my own way. This project was no exception. This sweet little bubble ran across my Instagram feed and I knew it had to be mine. Upon initial viewing, its pretty clear that this is a Children’s Corner Pattern’s Taylor. It just required some small alterations. If you’re at a point in your sewing journey in which you feel pretty confident following a pattern and would like to try changing a pattern up for the first time, this is the perfect…
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Guest Post by Margy Hood: Lessons Learned
Guest Post By Margy Hood. Her work has been featured in several issues of Sew Beautiful magazine. Find her on Instagram @margyhood Over time I’ve learned that the more effort put into planning and prepping a project, the less likely I have to “un-sew” (aka: use my seam-ripper), and the more enjoyable sewing is. I learned a lot on my last project, and want to thank @DressThemDearly for allowing me to guest-blog and share both the successes and failures of that project with you. A friend recently called and asked if I could make a birthday dress for her daughter, Mary Charlotte. What she envisioned was Mary Charlotte…smocked on a…
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Machine Embroidery Tips and Tricks. How to Babysit a Single Needle Embroidery Machine.
Every spring, while normal people get an itch to start purging and cleaning their homes, I freak out and decide that my kids have nothing to wear. This is the third time this has happened to me, so I’m assuming its just my thing. Last year, this resulted in my post on Bulk Sewing. This year it resulted in basically the same thing. I just reread my post on bulk sewing. I stand behind everything I wrote last year though I would like to add one thing to it. Get your hands on a serger. After doing a little serger shopping, it became very clear that I had no idea…
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Green Swiss Dot Sibling Set
Some time ago (back in January to be specific) I ran across this adorable set on my instagram feed. Thanks for the inspiration, @thefrillyfrog. I love swiss dot and I love sibling sets, so this pair called to me. There are however, elements of it that I’m not crazy about, making it a perfect candidate to replicate with my own spin. To create the bubble, I used Creations by Michie 115. She doesn’t sell any of her patterns “hard copy” anymore but you can find them on her Etsy shop in downloadable form. I piped the white cotton pique collar in the same green Cotton Swiss dot fabric I used…
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Snowdrift Nightgown Pattern
Liberty of London lawn fabric makes everything better. Sometimes, when I’m having a bad day, I’ll just stare at my stash. Often, I find myself having a hard time cutting Liberty, its so pretty. When you add gingham and smocking, it just takes this fabric to a whole new level. Recently, I ordered this liberty from Farmhouse Fabrics. I fell in love with it because the colors are so perfect for Spring and Summer. Originally I thought it needed to be an angel-sleeve Bishop. After staring at it for a few weeks, it became clear that wasn’t what it wanted to be. I combed through my patterns and narrowed it…
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Add a Pleat to a Yoke Dress or Bubble
When I sat down to make my plan for Spring sewing, I had a hard time ignoring this adorable little dress from The Proper Peony. Its’ new twist on classic lines are so visually appealing. The yoke dress is a favorite of mine, throw in a pleat and I’m basically drooling at the possibilities. I had to figure out how to make this happen. I consulted with several, far more experienced sewists and walked away with a couple of different options. I will be describing the option that I felt allowed for the least bulk at seams while adding the fewest steps. ***One disclaimer***When I was taking the example pictures,…
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Sewing Organization
I am currently attending an heirloom sewing class with thirteen other women at the Children’s Corner store. I’ll be doing several posts about this experience. This is a short and sweet post about one of the most diverse (and intriguing) things I’ve seen while in class. Everyone is organized (or in my case, not really organized) differently. It is so interesting to see so many different ways of storing the same items. Sewing somewhere other than your sewing room is a daunting feat! Remembering all your tools, notions, fabrics, etc. can be overwhelming. At the moment, I have a three tier tupperware form of organization. Similar to the one listed…
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Children’s Corner Katina Modification:Spring Flowers
Heirloom Children’s Corner Katina
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Spring Sewing (and Shopping) Inspiration
Every year, right around this time, there’s a lull in my sewing. Often, its because there are SO MANY fall sales and I’m trying to stock up on cardigans, shoes, and essentials for next winter. Sometimes, its because I’m taking inventory of what the kids have that will fit into March/April. Other times its because I am all over the place and haven’t yet nailed down a plan for the season. At the moment, I’m all over the place. A plan is definitely in order. I like to look for inspiration for a week or so and then sit down to make a list of what I’ll be making for…
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More Heirloom Dabbling
What makes something an “heirloom” garment? When recently asked this, it took me a bit by surprise. I had to answer truthfully with, “Quite frankly, I’m not really sure.” My original thought was that it must be a heavily embellished garment made of a lightweight cotton fabric. Due to the vagueness of that response, I was hesitant to give it. So; what is an heirloom garment? In order to figure this out I turned (as all millennials do) to google, which quickly took me to wikipedia. According to my interpretation of the wikipedia definition….anything can be an heirloom garment. A child’s dress, bubble, johnny, anything. The key lies in using…
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Christmas Crafts for Children
Christmas is such a fun time for crafting! However; it often falls on the shoulders of the parents to come up with the craft ideas. I thought I may compile a list of a few fun Christmas Craft options here. Not going to lie, this is kind of for my own future reference. I figured I’d put it in blog form to save another mama, or grandmama some time. Paint Christmas Ornaments: this year Maria is giving her cousins personalized ornaments. It can be tricky to encourage a spirit of giving, rather than receiving, during the Holidays. Personalizing items for others seems to be working for us this year. Maria…
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Children’s Corner Alex
I went on a bit of a Children’s Corner Pattern’s, “Alex” kick for my last round of sewing. I have now made six of these and cannot sing the Alex’ praises enough. I love sewing for my nieces and nephews, particularly around Christmas, so I jumped at an opportunity to make coordinating cousin ensembles. Last Christmas I made a skirted jumper by modifying the Children’s Corner Robert pattern. Link here for how I pulled that off. That was before Children’s Corner came out with the Alex pattern. If you’re not ready to commit to the Alex, give that tutorial a spin and let me know how it goes. This year…
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Gift Guide for Smocking Friends
Need a gift idea for a smocker in your life? Any of these items will be definite hits. It can be so easy to accumulate smocking plates and not so easy to keep track of them. The sheet protectors and the binder are a perfect fit for smocking plates…bonus points if you organize them for your recipient. The other items are my favorite small scissors, needles, plates and smocking aids. Some of these would make great stocking stuffers! Sheet Protectors: these are the perfect size for your smocking plates. Binder: Perfect for smocking plate organization-throw in some new smocking plates for an extra special gift. Embroidery Scissors: sweet, pretty little…
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Stuff It!
Recently I made a quick trip to Children’s Corner Store for a Sit ‘n Sew. I can’t sing enough praises for Sit ‘n Sews. It’s such an amazing way to make connections with other sewists, learn new tricks, and spend time with women who love helping and celebrating other women. During this trip, I belly laughed, I made new friends, I vented, I was inspired and I worked on the boy version of the Children’s Corner Pattern, Alex. This is a straight-forward sew with extremely well-written directions. The only deviation I made from the pattern was in regards to strap length-they were a bit too long for Robby. Make sure…
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Children’s Corner Maggie: The Smocking Saga…
Have you ever had a project that almost made it into the burn pile…I mean trash can…multiple times? Well; this project was that for me. These sweet little teddy bears have a dark-side, people. Like all masterpieces, they required discipline, perseverance, and what I recently heard referred to as, “power words.” Feel free to use your imagination. Many power words have four, blunt letters. Lets start at the beginning, shall we? Robby’s outfit basically made itself. I found this adorable lace insertion at Textiles in Nashville. If you’d like some, give them a call, last time I went, they still had it. It’s a Children’s Corner Johnny that I modified…
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Deer Costumes
If you’ve been following along for some time you probably know my husband is hunter. A serious hunter. We have a giant elk hanging in my “sewing room” (basement) as proof. Because of this, my daughter is quite convinced that deer are the greatest animals on earth. She’s also convinced that she’ll be “getting a big buck” every time her dad goes hunting. This little lady is going on year two of being a deer for Halloween. Last year I made her a Children’s Corner Lee in brown velvet, picked up deer antlers and a tail from Target’s Dollar bins, est voila, we had a deer. I was able to…
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Collar Tips and Tricks
My mom started sewing before I was born. She continued to sew throughout much of my childhood. Watching her sew was most likely the impetus for my interest and desire to learn about sewing when I had my own child. She ended up having four girls (enough work in-and -of-itself, let alone while sewing!) and put up her sewing machine for about a decade. When I began sewing for my own little girl, my mom helped me whip up a bonnet, Bishop, Jamie, and learn the basics. Her re-entry into sewing has been incredibly eye-opening for me, as we’ve both improved our skills through dramatically different ways of learning and…
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Three Yards of Fabric…
What can you do with three yards of fabric? You can make three pair of Parker’s Pants, one Paulie, one Eleanor and a partridge in a pear tree! Seriously though; this is why I love fabric that is 60 inches wide. I ordered this fabric with the intention of making the Paulie and the Eleanor but quickly realized I had more than enough to whip up some Parker Pants. Admittedly; two of the pair are only a “size one” but you’ve got to agree, that was a nice little bonus. I also ordered three yards of this plaid and made two long sleeved Johnny shirts with it. It is only…
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Tailgating Attire
Okay y’all. First thing’s first. I’m not technically an Auburn fan. However, I am 1000% a fan of Auburn tailgating. One of my sisters currently attends Auburn Veterinary School. Getting to visit her and also attend games is a blast. Luke and I had the pleasure of attending a game last year and I absolutely LOVE how family friendly, fun, and rich in tradition the atmosphere is there. So naturally; We can’t wait to visit their “favorite aunt” (she’s named herself that) for a football game this year. When in Rome, dress as the Romans…right? Our impending visit with my sister provides me with the perfect excuse to make the…
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Smock ’em Straight: Smocking A Bishop Straight
When I first learned to smock I remember being taught about blocking, having no understanding of what I was doing and then assuming that smocking was too hard for me. This prevented me from smocking for quite some time. When I finally regained the courage to do it, I purchased a million pre-pleated inserts and just practiced. After that, I was hooked, and I was already smocking straight. I stuck to inserts (give me all the Michie Playsuits and Alan’s bubbles!) and did not venture out. When I finally attempted a Bishop, I did so with help. My friend Margy and I pleated the Bishop below using the methods I…
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Smocking A Bishop Straight-Pleat First.
Recently my good friend and mentor Margy Hood posted the picture above on her Instagram. She immediately received tons of messages and comments asking her how she smocked her bishops. Apparently there are quite a few ways to smock a bishop! So here’s how we do it. First things first: Some definitions written by yours truly. Pleating is the act of putting the bishop through the pleater and scrunching up your fabric. Smocking is the act of using decorative thread to create a design on the pleats. It will actually act to hold the pleats up when completed. When I first began smocking I used the two terms interchangeably, not…
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Tips for Fabric Shopping Online
Online shopping is one of my strongest skills. I’m not even going to pretend I haven’t honed this skill with much practice. Amazon, Walmart Grocery, Whole Foods Delivery, Target…you name a store…odds are good I’ve shopped there online. Much to my husband’s chagrin. That being said, shopping for fabric online is a different beast. Particularly if you’re a new sewist and aren’t certain what type of fabric you need for a project in the first place. I cannot tell you how many times I have purchased fabric online thinking it was one thing and ending up with another. I have purchased 8-wale corduroy thinking it was feather wale (see image…
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Part Three of Sewing Curriculum-Hand Embroidery and Smocking
This is the third post in my most recent series of posts. Click here to find parts one and two. My goal for these posts is to create a list of patterns to sew that gradually build sewing skills while increasing confidence through repetition. A sewing curriculum of sorts. In this list you will find patterns that I find particularly challenging, introduce a skill that has not been previously covered, or continues to reinforce previous learning objectives. I’ll be including learning objectives for each pattern beneath the options. I’m a former teacher. I’m all about some learning objectives. I’ll also be linking up all the patterns to various shops. Hopefully…
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Part Two of Sewing Curriculum: Sleeves and Collars.
In my previous post I listed the patterns you ought to try (in order) if you’re a new sewer. If you missed it, check it out here. My goal for these posts is to create a list of patterns to sew that gradually build sewing skills while increasing confidence through repetition. A sewing curriculum of sorts. I’ll be including learning objectives for each pattern beneath the options. I’m a former teacher. I’m all about some learning objectives. I’ll also be linking up all the patterns to various shops. Hopefully that will introduce you to the different sewing shops in the United States/on the Internet. Speaking of fabric shops, let’s talk…
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Part One of Sewing Curriculum: Beginner Sewist? Start Here.
Are you interested in sewing? Not sure where to begin? Here’s my list of patterns to try in order. This list is designed to first build confidence and then slowly challenge and build your abilities. This is the list I wish I’d had when I started sewing. It would have saved me a lot of heartache (think attempting to make blankets with minky….the devil fabric). I’ll be including learning objectives for each pattern beneath the options. I’m a former teacher. I’m all about some learning objectives. I’ll also be linking up all the patterns to various shops. Hopefully that will introduce you to the different sewing shops in the United…
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My Sewing Journey
Three and a half years ago my sewing journey began. Mainly because I was a pregnant runner who was too miserable to run. In desperate need of a hobby, sewing became my go-to form of entertainment and stress relief. After scouring the Internet, the pillowcase dress seemed like a good place to start. I was and still am incredibly proud of these first few dresses. They were made using a sewing machine that I did battle with every time I tried to sew. After sewing these dresses I moved on to minky. I kid you not…minky…and I’m still sewing…can you even believe that?! If you are considering learning to sew,…
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Children’s Corner Eleanor/April Hack Draper James…yes please!
Who doesn’t love Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James clothing line? No-one. Everything in it is timeless, tasteful, and fun. Sometimes I like to browse adult clothing lines to try to find inspiration for children’s clothes. Or just to see how others have obviously been inspired by classic children’s clothing. Draper James is one of the sites that I frequent for inspiration (particularly for Mama-Baby matches) I am not alone in this (slightly nerdy) hobby. My sewing mentor and friend, Margy recently texted me this picture from Draper Jame’s and asked if Maria needed a child equivalent of this outfit. My response: I need the adult equivalent and yes please. We brainstormed…
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Children’s Corner Patterns Jamie
I’ve mentioned the Jamie in a couple of other posts but I’ve only recently begun to appreciate its versatility. I’ve needed to make baby gifts for strangers, family and friends quite a bit recently-I find myself reaching for the Jamie for every gift. Each time I think of the ideal garment to see a one-month-old or a one-year-old in, I think of the Jamie. Whether you do it in knit (I have a blog post of this too!), broadcloth, or a delicate batiste, it is always a hit with moms-to-be. As I mentioned in my sunsuit post, I have a thing for chubby baby legs. They’re irresistible. The Jamie highlights…
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Heirloom Dabbling-Christening Gown
I did not get started in sewing because I had wild aspirations of sewing intricate heirloom gowns for my little girl. I started sewing to make practical items that my child would use and love. I get a different kind of pure joy when I am able to create for my children; be it a dinner Maria declares “yummy,” a simple appliquéd shirt she drags around the front yard because she doesn’t want to let it out of her sight, or an intricately smocked dress I spent weeks on that she twirls around in happily. I love making for my kids and I love challenging myself. Heirloom sewing seemed like…
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Creations by Michie Sun Suits-A Pattern Review!
A Pattern Review: One of the first garments I wanted to make when I began sewing was a sunsuit. In the hot summer there is very little that can compete with the cuteness of a plump, rosy baby in a sunsuit. The sunsuit remains one of my favorites. I have tried and loved several patterns (and tried and not loved some others that I won’t mention here). Creations by Miche has two viable options: Number 123 and a new option (that is featured in this post) Number 149. Petite Poche (Wendy Schoen) Suzzete is adorable but crazy hard to find. I’ve also tried Children’s Corner Bailey which is fun for…
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Attaching Gathered Fabric to Flat Fabric-quick tip
Don’t you love it when people show you a quick tip that changes your sewing life? I absolutely love it. My sewing mentor recently dropped this little gem on me so I thought I’d share! When attaching gathered fabric to flat fabric you can use this little tip to keep your gathers PERFECT. So next time you attach gathered trim to a sleeve, a skirt to a bodice, or gathered trim to beading, this is a quick trick that will make your life easier. Gather your fabric (in my case trim) as normal. Making sure gathers are nice an straight and evenly spaced. Lay a paper towel down on your…
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Ironing…the glamorous part of sewing.
To say that I did not enjoy ironing when I began sewing would be an understatement. I skipped ironing steps, sewed with only polyester blend fabrics, and even postponed projects if they included too much ironing. I did not like ironing because I did not know how to do it. Ridiculous right? You just iron out the wrinkles…enough said. Every single time I went to iron my garment or piece of fabric looked EXACTLY the same after ironing as it did before ironing. It was infuriating. As I watched women sew during sit-n-sews I learned (while trying not to creepily stare) the value of ironing. I also learned the value…
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Smocked Bonnet- Southern Stitches
This bonnet is so sweet! I mean does it get cuter? It’s reasonably priced and can be found here. But ya’ll know me…I like a challenge when I see one. I took one look at this and decided I could definitely make it. I went on a hunt for a pattern and hit a gold mine! Southern-stitches has some seriously cute patterns-this one included! I purchased the “Button Bonnet” pattern and made my own insert but she literally has this exact pattern. The patterns are clear, well written and available in PDF. Here’s my version! I used pima batiste and made my piping out of Spechler Vogel “Baby Blue Stripe”…
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Bulk Sewing
My entire family recently got the flu :(. Not fun. I’d had the flu shot so it wasn’t debilitating, just annoying. During our quarantine this nesting mama went a little nuts. I sewed everything and I’m out of things to embroider. If you find yourself in this situation or just want to prepare for the summer, here are some tips for sewing en masse. 1.Choose your pattern wisely. Pick something that does not have smocking. The fewer pieces the pattern has, the better. A few options I’ve had success with are the Children’s Corner Patterns Johnny, Creations by Michie Jumper, and the Children’s Corner Patterns Robert. 2. Choose similar fabrics.…
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Modify the Children’s Corner Robert into a jumper!
First of all..the Robert is now offered in larger sizes guys! This is great news for all the younger kids wanting to learn to sew-the pants would be a FANTASTIC first sewing project in my opinion! Now; as I’ve explained before, I often use images on instagram as inspiration for new sewing projects. I recently saw this adorable jumper and had to recreate it. The belt on the jumper made me immediately think of the Robert from Children’s Corner store. Using the Robert I was able to whip up this cute jumper in one nap! Directions: Retrieve the appropriate front belt piece from the pattern. This is the only piece from…
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Children’s Corner Robert Obsession
I have been on a “Robert” kick lately. I made six pair in two days. Six lined pairs. So basically I made twelve pair. I’m not 100% sure what caused this…I’m going to blame pregnancy because that’s what I do these days. Each pair of shorts required only about a half a yard of fabric so I was able to use a lot of remnants that were too big to toss and too small to make a dress with. It was so nice to use the fabric that otherwise would have just sat on the shelf and stared at me. I made the pants and shorts more “girly” by adding…
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Christmas Craft for Inspiring Sewists
In another life, I taught biology. I am a teacher by nature. I have transitioned from teaching biology to high schoolers to teaching life skills to a toddler. One of these life skills is called the Pincher Grasp. Apparently it is critical to help your child hone their pincher grasping skills in order to prepare them for writing and feeding themselves without making a huge mess of things. Making this beautiful garland is a fun, relatively safe way to help your toddler practice this life skill. Maria has watched me sew for a long time and always wants to “help.” Her helping usually involved playing with and stacking…
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Inspirism…my new word
The majority of my sewing inspiration comes from my instagram feed. I often find myself looking at images of boutique brand outfits and trying to figure out what pattern they used to create them. Its a game to test my knowledge of patterns….I’m a sewing nerd…possibly just a nerd. So I’ve come up with a new term to describe my style of sewing: Inspirism. I look at dresses made by various companies or individuals, figure out the pattern they used, and improve on their design by using various techniques that I’ve learned or learn to make my dreams reality. Here is an example of outfit I’ve made using this technique.…
