Pink and White Ready to Smock Daygowns

The white one of these is up for grabs. It is the same gown you see below in blue and purple checks, but these are solid colored and have a pleated long sleeve. 5 Buttons on the back -- made from poly/cotton broadcloth. Long sleeves have 4 rows pleated near the cuff. $20 for the white one.

Ebay Stuff

I have several things I've posted on this site as a first chance offer -- soon I'll take them all off this site and list them on ebay -- I think I'll wait about 2 or 3 more weeks and then list them all on ebay so people can get them in time to smock for easter...my ebay id is johnbass72

Two Infant Daygowns -- ready to smock

Whipped up these two infant daygowns this week. They are both made of a poly-cotton blended check -- one in blue, one in purple. The blue is the same fabric as the romper two postings ago. These are available for $18 each -- first come first served -- the pattern says they fit infant up to 18 pounds. They have a small pleated patch right under the chin -- I think it is like 30 pleats -- 6 rows of pleating. (I flipped the blue one over in one photo so you can see the back) They have 5 buttons on the back and are hand hemmed. All interior seams are serged. They have two pleats in the back for more fullness in the dress. I LOVE THESE!

Ready to Smock purple swirls bishop

This is a ready-to-smock bishop dress in a size 2 T. I made it for my 3 year old and never got around to finishing it before she is now wearing a size 5! I keep wondering where time goes! It's made with a carefree poly cotton. 7 rows of smocking available. It is 20 inches long from neck to hem. It has two elastic button enclosures on the back The short sleeves are banded in a bias strip and side seams are french seams. -- $18 -- to the first one who wants it!

Blue Checked ready to smock Romper

This is a little boys (or girls depending on what you smock!) romper in size 3 months. It is made from a carefree poly/cotton blend. It has buttons on the back, snaps along the crotch, and a ready-to-smock area on the front -- $20 -- first come first served -- the one on the right I already smocked for someone -- the one on the left is available. It is a blue check fabric with a white collar. Seven rows of smocking on the chest.

Several More Ready to Smock Dresses

Lots of ladies can smock really well, but can't assemble a bishop dress on their own, so I do a lot of business just making the ready to smock bishop dresses.

Some Smocking Ideas

Several Smocked pieces I've made over the past couple of years.

Smocked Bib

These were fairly easy to smock and sew, but they are two layers and they were really hard to send through the pleater so until I find an easier way to do that part, I won't try it again!

Teal Smocked Bishop

This is a neat alternative to smocking all the way around a bishop dress. It's called deep front smocking and you don't smock at all on the top of the shoulders of the dress so you end up with nice loose, puffy sleeves -- Think I sold this on Ebay last year.

Smocked Sailboats on a Jon Jon

These were a lot of work but they really look impressive!

Strawberry Jumper

Cute Strawberries in little baskets that I smocked on a yellow insert on this jumper dress. It was for my oldest daughter -- wasn't this strawberry fabric a find for only $2 a yard! Also made this puffy sleeved shirt to go underneath in the same fabric as the insert...

Ready to Smock Bishops

I made all of these for a "workshop" that my sister had to teach her friends to smock - It was fun to make them! My favorite was the orange floral seersucker -- that one was different and pretty too.

Last Year's Easter Dress

This was last year's dress...I loved the little egg on the wagon -- click photo for more detail.

Daisy Bishop

Made this one last year -- has a daisy chain around the hem of the dress and I carried the theme into the smocking

Flamingo Mary De Dresses

Size 7 and size 5 -- these are too pretty. This is a neat poly/cotton fabric that has some variations in it that I think make it look like linen, but it is are totally iron free so that is nice! I created some "grass" between the flamingoes and on the sides because it needed something else. Only one bad thing - you can't see the black on the end of their beaks because of the navy fabric being too dark, but everyone will know what they are without that detail. So the girls have another seasonless dress for as long as they fit...I like these...I still have to sew the buttons on the back, but enjoyed putting them together last night as I am finally over the flu! I'm calling it. Well at last.

Here's that Mary De pattern I keep using: http://www.sews.com/patterns/childcorn/1001401l.jpg

Oatmeal Cookies

I finally felt better yesterday afternoon so my youngest daughter and I whipped up some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (This is about a third of them!) -- MMM MMM Good

Preview of the Next Project

I haven't posted any real crafts this week because I #1 have the flu, and #2 am working on this project and smocking is kinda slow -- can you guess what it is going to be? It isn't finished yet. This is the same Mary De dress pattern as the lollipop dresses, but I am smocking on a different picture -- the girls are excited again and I hope to get some smocking done today on them...any guesses?

New Breakfast at our House

We tried something new this week (slacker mom). It is frozen french toast sticks in the freezer department of Wal-mart. The Wal-Mart brand (Great Value) of cinnamon french toast sticks taste like and smell like an elephant ear from the fair -- no kidding -- both kids love them now.

(heat three of them on a plate for 40 seconds in the microwave) Couldn't get easier than that -- they didn't even ask for syrup! (I didn't check the ingredients for eggs/nuts, Sis)

My Hairbows

Here are all of the hairbows I've made up to this point...these are all before I caught wind of the awesome website I linked below...I thought they were pretty good, but now I really have a pattern to go by so they will likely improve. I was just making them up myself before the tutorial website.

Make your own Hairbows

Awesome site to help you make nice hairbows for the girls. At the top of this site, there are about 40 or so links to hairbow designs -- very good ones!

http://bowdesigns.50webs.com/index.html

Lollipop Mary De Dresses

I was surprised at how excited the girls were when they saw these two...
These two Mary De style dresses are for my own girls. I am fond of this Mary De pattern because they don't require you to smock the back of the dress. Also they are seasonless like a jumper because you can wear them three ways: as a sun dress, with a short sleeve shirt, or with a long sleeve shirt -- for any weather. They weren't too hard to make because I didn't have to keep changing the colors very much while smocking. The coordinating ribbons sure did make this pattern "pop." I thought they were "ho-hum" until I got the ribbons on there and then they turned cute. They are size 7 and size 5 -- I LOVE them and the girls do too. As always, click on the picture to see a closeup.

Pick your Candidate Survey

Take this candidate selection survey. Very, very interesting. You answer a few questions and the survey matches all candidates to your preferences on issues. I think it is nice to select a candidate on their issues instead of their ad campaign...

http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460

Navy Bishops are Finished!

These are for a wedding in May so I didn't hem them yet, but the dresses are complete sans hem. I think it will be so cute. I think the plan is for a little girl to push a baby down the aisle of the church in an old fashioned pram wearing this dress...too cute! The smocking is in an ivory color to match the pearl beads near the neckline. I think the flowers made it so pretty. You can click on the image to get a better look at the smocking these are some of the prettiest I've made in a long time.

Martha Stewart "Coming Home" Poncho

Was in the mood last month to do some crochet -- Made a kids poncho out of that "soft" yarn.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7119356/

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-scallopEdgePonchoKids.html

Navy Smocked Bishop Preview

I haven't had many sewing posts this week because I have been working on a couple of bishops for a spring wedding...size 6 mos and size 2T -- here is what I have so far...I still have to do the flowers in the space along the top and then assemble the dresses...aren't they elegant looking?