Care Bear Play Mat

Maddy has been collecting the little mini Care Bears in the blind bags at stores for a few months.

After a few she would be getting for her birthday, she would have all 12 of the bears available right now.

I wanted to make her something to hold them in and play with.

There really wasn't anything out there like that so I invented my own.

Here it is.

I covered the outside with leftover Care Bear fabric from making her nightgown. 

So when it is closed it looks like this...

I made a pocket for each bear with their belly badge on it.

The finished product...

Little Scarecrow

This morning I took Maddy over to the pumpkin farm so that I could get some pictures of her in her scarecrow costume. Here they are.... I'm not sure about the shirt I had her in but I couldn't leave it without a shirt... she was way too naked. So, I improvised.

Of course after pictures we had to walk around and play a bit...

Mom's Play

As everyone who knows me knows, I don't believe it can ever be too early to plan or make things. So, with that in mind I began making some things for upcoming birthdays and holidays over the past few weeks.
First, I saw this idea on Pinterest of making dolls out of popsicle sticks and washi tape. I thought it was adorable and a really good way to give Maddy something she will like but won't take up a lot of room.
This is what I came up with....

They were really fun to make so I started brainstorming what else I could make. I decided to do another set but this time they would be Disney princesses. I didn't use any of the tape this time. Just markers.

In order: Jane, Ariel, Belle, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Rapunzel, Snow White, Aurora, Alice, Tinkerbell, Tiana, Cinderella, and Brave.

They didn't all turn out exactly how I wanted but I think they are really cute. 

Abi loved watching me make them and decided to make some of her own. She came out of her room a few minutes later with these...

I also started on Halloween costumes. I let Maddy pick from my Pinterest board and was so happy that she picked the scarecrow. I took my inspiration from this idea.

I couldn't figure out how to make the hat so I decided to just get a straw hat and sew some felt on it. It was a long process but I watched Doctor Who while I did it so it was fun!

Here is a picture mid process...

and the finished hat...

Santas Elves

I have mentioned that at Christmastime we get visits from a an elf named Elvin. We adopted the idea of Elvin from my sister. This year I wanted to expand on it a little. I like the idea of having an elf that is tangible like the Elf on the Shelf or Magic Elves but I knew I could make one much cheaper.
I found a great tutorial with a pattern on pinterest. It is by GwennyPenny. But since I wanted to make a boy elf it wouldn't work out exactly the way I wanted it to. Then I found these cute printable tags, also on pinterest. They looked so much like I picture my elf.
It was at that point that I decided to make a boy and a girl. Elvin was to have a friend- a girl elf that would be training with him.
I gave Elvin a longer name- Elvin Eggnog and named the girl Peppermint Sprinkles.
One night last week I got out some fabric and felt and started figuring out the pattern. I used the face shape (although I altered it a little), hair, the ears, and the arms, mittens,boots, and legs of the pattern from GwennyPenny and then I drew the hat, some of the hair, and the outfits myself basing them on the tags and then cut them out to use as a pattern.
This project was a prime example of how I mess my way through sewing. I cut out some of the arms and legs with the stripes going the wrong way. I wanted them all going horizontal. So, I decided to use the vertical for Elvin.
I put all the pieces out after I had cut them out to get an idea of what they would look like. Notice how they are the same size.



I then spent a few nights last week and this week putting them together. One night I went back to them only to realize how badly I had sewn the night before and had to mend some spots. * I was tired!*
Finally a few nights ago I finished the sewing and last night I drew on their faces. I really like them. I think they are cute and fun and they look funny sitting up (you'll see that later!) but you should notice that they are no longer the same size for some reason. I have changed their relationship to Peppermint being Elvin's big sister.

 

http://www.gwennypenny.com/2010/12/haul-out-holly-day-11-with-jane-of-all.html

The project

As I have mentioned before, Abi and I have been reading the Little house on the prairie series for a while now. We read a chapter or two every night. It has been so much fun. 

Because of this, we decided that later this summer we will be visiting a few of the places where the Ingalls family lived and where the books took place. 

I knew that when we got there I would want to buy a dress and bonnets for the girls so I decided that instead I would make some so they could be fully immersed in the experience and I wouldn't be tempted to buy them there. Also, this way I could make them out of any color and fabric I wanted. 

I chose gingham prints for the dress because I have loved gingham all my life- ever since playing with the Gingham girl paper dolls as a kid and watching the wonderful barn raising in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

So, I picked up some gingham- blue for Maddy and purple for Abi since it is currently her favorite color. I decided to make the bonnets out of floral fabric that would complement but not be too matchy.

I was determined to get these dresses done early so they could wear them to the Pioneer day picnic.

That did not happen. I figured this would be pretty easy. It was a basic pattern or so it seemed. I have done much harder sewing. I was mistaken. I just barely finished Abi's outfit last night and after trying it on her this morning I need to take up the bloomers one more tuck. 

So, now I will have to get to work on Maddy's. Hopefully it won't take me another week since I perfected a few things on Abi's but it might. 

Like usual, I had to invent ways of doing things because some of the instructions just didn't make sense to me but in the end I am very happy with the results. 

Here is Abi modeling her dress, apron, bonnet, and bloomers....

Some more sewing...

I won tickets to see the advanced screening of Tangled in Chicago this weekend and I just couldn't go to it without dressing Abi up like Rapunzel!

I remembered that Doug's mom had sent me some purple fabric a long time ago so I pulled that out along with some pink ribbon, some lace, and some leftover white lacey fabric from my wedding dress and used my twirl shirt pattern to whip this up....

It's not exactly like her dress but it should be more comfy than a dress would have been. She will wear it over a pink tee shirt since Rapunzels dress has long pink sleeves.

A while back I also saw a hair clip holder in Chasing Fireflies for $100. I thought I could make it so I bought some yellow yarn for a couple of bucks and then used felt, ribbon, and buttons I already had to make this...

Speaking of twirl shirts, the Christmas one I made was patterned after a dress I saw and loved. That dress was worn over a beautiful white shirt with white fake fur cuffs.

I loved it but knew it would be expensive.

So the other day I was in Target and saw some womens knee high socks back by the shoes. They are red with white polka dots and the top was a fake fur cuff. I bought them and proceeded to cut them up. I cut off the cuff and sewed it onto a long sleeve white shirt Abi already had, then I cut the foot off so that the leg part can be used as leg warmers for Maddy and the bottom part for ankle socks for me!

A few more projects... done

I wanted to make a backseat organizer that I could hang on the back of my seat whenever we go on road trips to hold all Abi's stuff. I just used some fabric and denim that I already had to make it. It won't be in the car all the time... just when we need it.

I made another hairbow... these are addictive..

I made some shoes for Maddy...

I wanted a taggy blanket for Maddy's birthday this weekend so I made one of those....

And for Christmas I wanted some number beanbags for Maddy.....

Twirl shirt and bows!

I had to make one more clothing item for Abi. A while ago I saw a really cute Christmas dress with an apron and I wanted to make it. I didn't really have a pattern that was similar to it though and put the idea aside. The other day I was looking at some of my leftover fabric and thought it looked like Christmas... so I pulled out a pattern for a twirl shirt I bought on You can make this.com and came up with an idea. I had to make up the apron part on my own- this pattern did not include an apron- but I really wanted the apron with holly on it.

The only mishap was when Maddy ate three red buttons!

Yesterday I finished it and am quite happy with the results!

I then got to work on some bows to match this and other outfits I have been making. I followed a tutorial my sister in law did on her blog here.

I told Doug that this sewing/creating hobby has become quite addicting.

Finished!

Last night I finished the Feliz dresses for the girls. I can't try on Abi's yet so I hung it on the kinderquin to try to get a good picture.. of course it doesn't hang quite right but this will give you an idea.

Here is the front...

and the back which will look better when the bow is tied right. This was in the wee hours of the morning...

looking at it from a different angle...

I wanted to get a picture of the two of the together.

I didn't want Abi to see hers yet but knew it wouldn't matter for Maddy so I tried it on her this morning when she woke up. They will be wearing little blouses under these.

Also, this was quite big on Maddy but I think over the blouse it will fit better- I wanted it to be worn for a couple years!

So there you have it- my two first feliz. I love them so much that I'm sure I will make more... just not for a few months!

Preview

I'm on my last *big* sewing project for matching clothes and it is making me giddy.

A few months ago I was looking at some pictures on a Disney sewing forum. I saw a dress and fell in love. I had no idea what it was and started trying to find more pictures of this type of dress. I had to have it!

I finally found out it was called a Feliz party dress.

I searched all over the internet for the pattern. It turned out that at the time the only one I could get had instructions in German (it is a European pattern) or were sold out. I was so impatient and kept checking all over. I found out that the makers had made a book that had this pattern along with a few others for just barely more than the one pattern would cost so I started looking for that book. It finally became available from Amazon and I got my copy. Funny thing is that I just saw it in Joann's and Hobby Lobby this week... so much for it being so 'unavailable'. Ha.

So, a couple of weeks ago when I finished the twirl skirts I broke out the fabric I have had for months and the pattern pieces to start my Feliz dresses.

I need to say that I have NEVER traced a pattern. I have always had a good pattern to cut out. This pattern has all the sizes layered over each other and you have to trace it.

I was so nervous. I finally decided to just use typing paper and sharpies. I drew over Abi's size in black Sharpie and Maddy's in pink. You'll see if you enlarge the picture that the sizes are indicated by -..-..- or ...... and other types of lines. Pretty crazy. I could then put the typing paper over the top of it and see the marker through it. I then traced each piece onto paper taping many sheets together,then I cut those out and used rotary cutter to cut out the fabric around the paper.

The other issue is that my favorite thing about this dress pattern was the embellished bodice and the RUFFLES down the back. Oh the ruffles!

So, what did I find out when I got the pattern? They tell you to embellish it however you would like and give no pattern. So, the pattern is just for the underdress and the overdress plain.

I was so worried. Could I really pull this off?

I found a great tutorial online and followed her instructions for the ruffles but added a few lines of them to make even more ruffles. I had to completely figure out the bodice by myself.

I am not done yet but I am so excited about the bodice of both dresses and the ruffles of Abi's that I had to give you all a little preview.

First, here is the pattern tracing in progress...

the front of the overdress ...

the back panel of the underdress with all those ruffles!

I won't be taking any pictures of Abi in this when they are done but I will post pictures of the finished dresses and I will put Maddy's on her for a picture.