sew

Winter Pastime

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Well, if you can believe it, my family has found itself in the midst of yet another run with the flu.  My youngest, who never got the brunt of the flu the first go-round, got slammed with it full go this week.  Poor baby.

So, yet again, we have stayed close to home, passing the time near the fire, with those activities that make home-time so much fun.

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I did get in a bit of sewing while my little one napped this past week.  I made this jumper for each of my gals.  I’ve been referring to it as my first “real” outfit I’ve ever sewn 🙂  It is Butterick 3772.  I would highly recommend it if you are a novice sewer like myself.  It went together very nicely and fit the girls really well.

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I hope all of you find yourselves enjoying your time indoors this winter as well!

Her First Project

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As I mentioned on Tuesday, my three year-old received a sewing machine for Christmas this year.  Now, many of you may be wondering, “Why on earth did this crazy mom buy her three year old a real sewing machine?”  Well, when researching the kids-type sewing machines and speaking with the lovely gals at my local sewing shop, they informed me that many of the machines geared towards kids will fall apart over just a short period of time.  They told me that by spending just about $40 more, I could get a nice, quality machine that can grow with her.

Obviously, this real sewing machine (as my daughter refers to it), involves a lot of assistance from mama at this time, but I have no doubt that in a few years this little lady will be sewing away all by herself.  But for now, I run the pedal, and she feeds the fabric through the machine, with mommy’s hand gently atop hers to insure it doesn’t get too close to the needle.

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The week my daughter returned to pre-school after the holiday break, they were suppose to bring in a toy they received for Christmas for show-and-tell.  So, my tiny seamstress wanted to make a quilt, and bring that quilt in to show her class because “Mommy, my real sewing machine is too heavy to bring into my classroom and I don’t think it will fit in my school bag.”

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So we worked and worked on a cold afternoon, while Big Sissy was at school, and we created this tiny little quilt.  She is so very proud of this crafted bit.  She has been taking it everywhere, and showing it to anyone who will look.

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I just had to add this picture here at the end.  My daughter told me she had to iron her seams with her iron to make sure they were flat.  Quite the professional little seamstress she is.  I’m such a proud mama.

A Place Of Their Own

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I’m sure all of you mamas out there know how this goes.  The holidays are now over, and space needs to be created for all those gifts that the little ones found under the tree Christmas morning.  Our biggest issue this year was that both girls received a lot of project materials (which is amazing…don’t get me wrong), but the problem arose when each girl wanted her own space to create, discover, and “just be in peace.” (That was my oldest…always wanting her “peace” 🙂 )

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So, I ventured to my parents’ basement, where I can always find a few trinkets that I need, and emerged with an antique desk that my sister and I used when we played “school” all those years ago.  I then went to the thrift store and picked up a table.  I painted both these pieces to match our existing decor in our basement.  It must, of course, all coordinate right?

And yes, that is a sewing machine…for my three year old.  That was the one item she asked for for Christmas.  She never wavered, never faltered.  Each and every time someone asked her what she wanted for Christmas, her response was, “A real sewing machine.”  Oh my.

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I also let my oldest paint the trim on her table, to add a bit of personal pizzazz, and then covered it with a water-based finish to avoid any chipping.

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Now each girl has a bit of space, all her own, where she can get lost in her creative world.  More on the projects created in these spaces later this week.

The Gift of Homemade

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The season of gift-giving is upon us, and this year we have decided to take a different approach to our most-loved holiday.  We hope to create many of our gifts with our very own hands, thus giving our friends and family something truly from deep within our hearts.  Here is a bit of what is in the works right now…

Nook

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All of us mamas need our space now and again.  A place where we can just sit, and be still.  These times don’t seem to come often, but when they do arise it is so very nice to have a place to call our own.

Last week, my girls and I were completely worn out by the extreme heat, so we decided to spend an afternoon in the basement.  Once we were in this nice, cool space for an extended period of time, we realized the place needed a little pick me up.  We spent the afternoon organizing, all while Belle (aka Beauty) and her gang sang to us in the background.  When we were finished I realized that maybe, just maybe, there was a way I could set up my sewing machine in the basement in a permanent space.

The girls and I got back to work and moved furniture around a bit, which they loved because we discovered lots of lost treasures hidden beneath couch cushions and tables.  And we also realized there was, in fact, a bit of space available amongst the chaos for a tiny sewing nook.

I shared this idea with my mother and father-in-law and to my absolute surprise, three days later my father-in-law had built me an absolutely fabulous sewing table!  He is one crafty guy I tell you.  So I then went rummaging through my parents’ basement, found an old abandoned chair, painted it and now I have a cute little space to call my own.

I can’t wait to start my first project 🙂

Something For Mama

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I have been getting the itch to sew a bit again, so late last week I decided to make a little something for myself.  Since my sewing skills are by no means fabulous, I settled on a Butterick Fast and Easy pattern, B5757 to be exact.  The pattern is for a long skirt, but I decided to shorten it up a bit to make it a little more conducive for these scorching days we have been having of late.

As you can see, my little mermaid decided to set up her ironing board and iron a bit with mama and keep me company 🙂  The finished product turned out to be a comfy skirt, perfect for playing in the back yard and hitting up the farmers market.

“Sew” Much Fun

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It seems that every year when January and February roll around I get this need to do a project.  Last year it was the girls’ new, shared bedroom.  Out with the crib and whole nursery scene and in with the “big girl stuff,” as my girls like to say.

This year when January rolled around I again got this yearning for some sort of crafty undertaking.  I happened to be on a blog that I love and follow regularly, SouleMama.com, and she had some pictures of the most adorable little flannel night gowns and I knew that I had found my project.

In her post she mentioned that she used a Butterick B4910 pattern for the gowns and I began to get a little nervous.  Now you see, I had never actually used a pattern in my entire life.  My sewing skills up until this point consisted of items like one-seam sun dresses, pillow case dresses, quilts, and fabric napkins.  So you can image my surprise when I carefully opened the Butterick package to find those lovely brown pieces of tissue paper with print all over them.  Oh my.  Talk about a flood of anxiety!

But after some work, I realized that I truly LOVED this whole sewing thing.  And then I became obsessed.  I made 6 nightgowns (some for my girls, some for a birthday present, some just to make for when I come across anyone who may want one).  Here are two of the gowns I made for my girls for their Valentine’s Day present.

Then I thought to myself, “My goodness, if I can make this gown, why not try the shirt and pants that are in the pattern as well?”  So on I went with my sewing, a little bit each day, and my how I have realized this is an amazing way to relax and unwind at the end of a crazy day.  Here are some of the PJs I made out of some vintage cotton curtains I thrifted.  I felt like Maria straight out of Sound of Music…ha!

Once I was on the repurposing kick, I found an old sling I used with my youngest and decided to make a school bag for her because she will be starting preschool in the fall.

I definitely believe I have found a new love, and it is my Brother sewing machine.