Fourth of July Parade

I usually love the tutorials on made, but when I saw the one for Ruffled Streamers... with all the projects on my to do list, I did't see myself sitting behind my machine and sewing together yards and yards of crepe paper. 

But when she posted it again with a patriotic twist, I was suddenly inspired. We were decorating my dad's iconic 1971 GMC truck for the Crozet Gazette float in the Crozet Fourth of July parade, and ruffling my red and blue streamers together suddenly seemed like a must-do. 

I used the trick of keeping the rolls turning on a dowel and it was really quick work. She says she used the tightest tension on her machine, and even held the spool of thread to boost the tension more, but I only had to set my machine's tension at 7 (out of 10). At 10 the ruffles were too tight. I wish it was so simple to ruffle fabric.

My other day-of craft project for the parade was the bunting for the truck's grill. I made the CROZET flags in Illustrator to add to Martha Stewart's "festive pennants" download from the July issue. Printed them on my own printer. I punched holes in the corners and strung it on kitchen twine. 

The truck didn't win any parade awards but it was still my favorite float. Plus they threw some nice candy.

Picnic Sundress

I fell in love with this monkeysbug pattern as soon as I saw this picture in her etsy shop. The way the straps tie behind the shoulders is such a sweet detail.

I made it for Louisa, who just turned three and is 31 pounds, in a size 2, based on the measurements in the e-pattern. However, it still came out looking very big around the chest, and a little too short (although doing the hem right would have helped). I had intended to add some length but forgot before I started cutting. Next time I would make a little extra bias tape and extend the straps because I ended up not having a lot of length to tie the bows well. I cut the pockets but haven't gotten to put them on yet.

I found the pattern to be pretty good, except she usually left out "right sides together" (or wrong sides together) in her instructions, which left me studying the photographs to make sure I was proceeding correctly. I ended up messing up the hem design, but I went with it.

The main fabric is oliver + s city weekend for moda, treetops in aqua. The trim is the same, in downtown turquoise dots.

In Search of a Special Dress Pattern

This little purple dress with white lace trim was mine when I was a little girl. It was sewn for me by one of my mom's co-workers at school. It has an adorable bodice with two darts in front and two buttons in the back. The skirt has perfect twirl. Louisa has been wearing it as often as possible this spring and we all want more. I would love to find the pattern for this one.

Berry Birthday Beer

My youngest sister Isabelle is turning 21 today! In honor of this fun occasion, AJ brewed her a birthday beer this winter. It's a brown ale with 40 ounces of organic raspberries thrown in during fermentation.

Click to read on...

Gathered Clutch

For my oldest friend on her birthday, I made Noodlehead's gathered clutch. I used three different city weekend prints, which I got from Sew Mama Sew. This lady and I have been friend since before we were born (our mothers met in lamaze class). It's a real blessing to have a friend who feels like family.

It was pretty quick and I liked how it came together. I made the card holder pocket but not the divider pocket. I wish I had taken more time to make sure my gathers looked right before I fused the interfacing to it. Some are very crooked and bothering me. Also I was working with a 9" zipper (the tutorial calls for 8"), and I probably should have shortened it a little bit more. The zipper, with its end covers on, really does have to stop a half-inch from each side seam so it comes together right.

I couldn't find the right hardware at Joann to attach a wristlet strap, but I went ahead and sewed the D-ring in so that it is still an option.

Deodorant Update: Men's Edition

Same recipe, less girly packaging.

School Photo Dress

Just as the daffodils are blooming, I finally finished the School Photo Dress (by oliver + s) that I started for Louisa a month ago, and that I intended to make in December. Hopefully she'll get a chance or two to wear it before it is short-sleeve weather.

I used Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush—Bubble Burst Confection for the dress, Mixed Signals Lilac for the lining and the inside of the kangaroo pocket (both from Sew Mama Sew).

I made her a monogram tag with iron-transfer paper and some pink satin ribbon. Didn't turn out like I meant it to but I went ahead and used it.

As always, the oliver + s pattern had amazing instructions and I was able to get the invisible zipper in on my first try, having never sewn one before, and without an invisible zipper foot.

Constructing the pocket is tricky because your cutting and alignment has to be just right, and one corner of mine was a little off, but I decided to go with it. The pattern calls for the pocket to be made from the dress fabric, but since I used some of my Bubble Burst fabric for this project, I didn't have enough, so I made my pocket form the lining fabric, which I think I prefer anyway.

My one complaint about the dress was that it required a fair amount of hand-stitching at the finish. She calls for some hand-basting when sewing in the zipper, which I just did with the machine, but there is no getting around blind-stitching the lining to the zipper tape. You also have to tack the lining to the dress at the hem, attach a hook and eye closure at the top of the zipper, sew a button on the collar, and make a thread chain for the button loop. To learn how to make a thread chain, you have to go to the oliver + s blog. It is easy to make, but I was slow to finish the dress because of all the hand work. Also my first thread loop broke when I was pressing the dress, and my second one I accidentally made too long but I was ready to be done.

It is a size 3T so I think it will still fit her next year.

Yellow Jacket