If at first you don't succeed

try, try again -- and it worked!

I had to apply the piping to the insert and then work it into the shirt -- success...it isn't perfect, but I had to rip the whole thing apart to do redo it, and I think the shirt got a little stretched --

now to figure out how to address the raw edges on the inside...next time, I'll apply the piping to the insert, then surge the entire insert then put it in the shirt -- i think that will address any raw inside edges...

isn't this cool looking???

I'm human, I can mess up

Thought you'd like to see what I am working on right now...this is a Tshirt with a ready to smock panel, this is the first one i've tried to do so it looks BAD and I wanted to show you all that I mess stuff up! BAD! I think I have an idea of how to make it better next time...Maybe my next post will be prettier...not all puckered & wonky

They don't tell you how to put the piping in -- so i had to try the corners a couple of ways...now I know. Thank goodness this wasn't a pretty picture smocked panel and just a blank! I did get the bottom left corner to work so there is hope!

Our Pumpkins

The girls decorated pumpkins on their own at the Corn Maze this year (www.westfarmcornmaze.com) and I think they turned out nicely...

2 more bishops

I completed 2 more bishops for palmettokids.net the green cord one is size 18 months and the red gingham is size 7 (I folded under the hem on this one that is why it looks a little short, right now it is about long enough for me!) -- What nice holiday fabrics!

Ready to Smock little Girl's Shirt

This is a size 2 ready to smock girl's shirt. Won't this be cute when it is smocked? This is for Debra at Palmetto Kids -- made two of these this week. The sleeves sure are easier to do on a girl shirt than a boy one! The only difference in the boy & girl shirts is the sleeve actually.

Happy Halloween!

Did I scare you?

Wreath Bishop dress Finished

This one turned out exactly how I wanted it to look -- I am proud of these results! (Click the picture for an up close look)

Susan's Wreaths - Smocked Bishop on Corduroy

This is a sneak preview of the bishop I'm smocking for a friend. She brought me this gorgeous light sage corduroy and wanted wreaths smocked for her size 2 granddaughter...I adapted the smocking plate a little (As usual!) and did beads and a bow -- the original smocking plate was Ellen McCarn's Holiday Greetings.

I should finish it tomorrow and I'll post the final shots before I pass it on to her.

This bottom right picture was just so you would see how a bishop dress looks after you smock it and before you finish it off...weird looking huh?

Three Ready to Smock bishop dress

Finished these for Debra & Kim at http://www.palmettokids.net/

Can't wait to see how pretty they will be -- the red & green microcheck are size 6 with elastic sleeves...the red, green, and white plaid is size 12 mos...

Ready to Smock Boys Shirt Size 3

This is a brother shirt to go with the brown bishop I posted yesterday -- it is a size 3 ready-to-smock boys dress shirt -- it has buttons down the back. It was made from the Chery Williams pattern called "Button-on Suit"

You'll have to click on the picture to see it more closely.

Another ready-to-smock bishop

I sure like making bishop dresses!

This are also for Haydebug Heirlooms at http://www.palmettokids.net/

Cool Handmade Gift ideas site

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/09/23/handmade-gift-ideas-for-teens/

Check out all this cool handmade stuff!

2 Ready to smock bishops

These are for Haydebug's Heirlooms at http://www.palmettokids.net/ -- I can't wait to see the fall theme she smocks on them...isn't the orange on the arms a nice touch?

Our "little" Ridgeback Jumps Through a Hoop

I know this isn't a craft, but it took my time and talent to teach the dog to do this...Took about 10 minutes a day for a couple of days to train her...She'll do anything for a Milkbone! She won't do it every time and gets scared when her back legs bump the hulahoop -- that is why she runs off at the end of the clip -- funny girl!

Cinderella Smocked Mary De style dress

finally finished!

this is a "mary de" dress in a size 3-4 with added sash to tie in the back.

Smocking was derived from Tiny Nay's plate named Fairy Godmother.

Can't wait to see a pic of the sisters in their dresses!

Preview of the Sister Cinderella smocked dress

I'm not quite finished, but here is a preview of my latest project...It is supposed to have a horse in front of the carriage, but there wasn't room for him so I put the castle in the background -- This is a Tiny Nay smocking plate called "Fairy Godmother"

It is the sister dress to this one:

http://craftyjnet.blogspot.com/2008/09/cinderella-bishop-finished.html

White Slip Dresses

I made these three white "slip" dresses from Simplicity Pattern 5226 variation B.

Alteration to the pattern is that I fully lined the bodice of the dress instead of using the bias strip edging on the neck & sleeves.

These are size 3,5,7 for my daughters and niece for a family photo we're having done with all of us. I machine embroidered the first initial of each girl on the front and added decorative machine stitching near the hem where the topstitching would be to hold the gathered piece on. I think they turned out gorgeous and would look good in one of those "on the beach" family photos!

Horse Embroidered on a $2 shirt

My little horse lover is THRILLED with this project - I digitized an image I found on the internet into my Singer Futura embroidery machine and did it in all black - sweet!

Ready to Smock

In case anyone who knows me is interested, for now, I will prepare ready to smock bishops for $15 for a basic bishop style dress or shirt (just a shorter dress) from babydoll/teddybear size through elementary school sizes.

You supply the fabric, sew on your own buttons, smock on your design, and hem it yourself, I'll just serge the bottom edge to seal it up.

Pretty good deal right?

Halloween Pillowcase top

This is my daughter as the model, but it is actually for Savannah...won't she be "cool" in her new halloween top?

Please ignore the fact that she doesn't have on pants...it is actually a shirt, and I think I may be raising some kind of nudist...ha ha

Thought I'd add a little more detail --

This takes about an hour to make from start to finish. They fit great as a dress for an 18 month to 2 year old, then again as a shirt as they get to be about 5 or 6 years old -- they look great with a long sleeve shirt underneath so they extend into the winter season -- I've seen lots of kids wearing this type of top at school this year - even a teenager had a dress like this at church on Sunday!

Ready to Smock Bishops

I made these three ready to smock bishops for Kim who smocks for Debra at www.palmettokids.com on the haydebug's heirlooms link -- I can't wait to see what she does with them!

Flower Blooms

This is the end of the summer so there are only a couple of blooms left in the flower garden, but they sure are pretty -- the yellow is an Angel's Trumpet from my Mammy and the purple ones are from my sister...

Cinderella Bishop finished

Isn't it adorable?

Cinderella Bishop Preview

I am still making this dress for my sister's friend who wants sister dresses for her girls, and I just had to post a preview picture since it is taking a while to get finished. I pulled this out of a design by Tiny Nay called Fairy Godmother.

Isn't it cute so far? I think I'll ask her if she wants the sleeves left billowy like this instead of putting the elastic in, I think it is cute this way.

I'll post the finished dress when it is complete...then I have to get to the big sister version, wait until you see it!

Well, I'll have to take the sewing machine to the shop now!

Anyone who knows me will know these aren't for my own kids...after sewing all of that Carolina fabric, I am sure I'll have to take my sewing machine to the shop for a good cleaning -- ha ha...

i think Miller & Savannah will LOVE them though...

Claire's Jeans Patches

Claire's momma dropped my daughter off at home after school, and I noticed that Claire was picking at a small hole in the knee of her jeans...I told her to rip those things off and I'll put a pretty patch over the hole and she can wear them to school still...so this is what I came up with = ironed on a square of fabric with that fusable web and then zig zagged around the edges...I added the patch to the pocket just for cuteness...Claire loved them!

Michael Phelps at an early age

Sorry you guys but this made me laugh out loud...

I Really do need help

Not with sewing this time, but with my addiction. I admit that I am a fabricaholic - I love to have it, look at it, sort it, buy it, but Walmart is my supplier of my drug. The lady stopped me this week and told me that the signs aren't up, but that all of it is 50% off -- ALL THE FABRIC IS 50% OFF!!! just in case you didn't hear me people -- The bad news is that they will be eliminating that department eventually...when it all runs out. Of course I went crazy buying a TON of fabrics (thank goodness with my husband's blessing)

Here are my finds:

I need Help

I was all inspired to try my hand at pleating a top for my daughter out of this stripe and I think it will be beautiful after it is finished, but I can't seem to think of what to smock -- I am actually thinking of just cabling across every row and leaving it like that - or maybe every half row? Or does it need a fancy geometric? I am leaning toward doing the smocking in a monochromatic -- maybe in khacki?

And on a side note, I am also not liking these floral pants with it -- I am thinking I need to find a sage green, or this weird color brown as the capris...

I know this is really going to look good when it is finished, but my inspiration has officially run out on this project...I need your opinions. Now that I look at it more, if I smock using the green you see on the leaves in teh pants maybe they will work -- but maybe not...anyway, you can see I am all over the place and need some assistance.

Brown Hawaiian Fabric Sundress

I made a pair of these dresses several months ago for my daughters, but they just didn't have any kick...today I decided to add this stripe flounce to the bottom of them and wow, it sure did look good! Now my girls can't wait to wear them instead of them just being ho hum about these...I only got a picture of one, they're sleeping right now and I don't want to rummage in their closet to find the other one.

Mirabelle, the doll, got a matching dress too, I'll get her portrait tomorrow.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Cookies

That is a mouthful! I actually invented this little recipe (a first for me) by combing several recipes together to get just what I wanted and BOY ARE THEY GOOD!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Cookies
· 2 cu all purpose flour
· 1 package (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding
· 1 tsp baking soda
· 2 eggs
· 1 cu butter (or margarine) softened
· 2 cu quick cooking rolled oats
· ¼ cu sugar
· 1 cu white chocolate chips
· ¾ cu packed light brown sugar
· 1 cu chopped macadamia nuts

Mix flour & baking soda and set aside. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla pudding mix in large mixing bowl and beat until smooth & creamy. Beat in the eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and mix just until moistened. Barely stir in the oats, chips & nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheets and cook at 375 Degrees for 10-12 min, cool on wire racks – yield 4-5 dozen

Today's Cupcakes

It continued to rain and rain most of the day so this afternoon we made a quick trip to Walmart for toppings and made these gorgeous cupcakes...

Skittles, M&Ms, macadamia nuts, peanuts, Hersheys Kisses, on from scratch cupcakes (off the back of the hershey's cocoa container) and vanilla frosting from a can...Can't wait to taste them tonight.

Tissue Box Crafts

Here are our rainy day crafts we did today before lunch. Both are made from a tissue box and you can get instructions at:

http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/boxes.htm

Brooklynne's Back-of--the-seat Pouch

whipped up this cute back-of-the-seat pouch for my daughter's friend who is having a birthday party this weekend -- won't her mom be happy when she has somewhere to put her toys in the minivan?

Pockets make Major Improvement

Thanks for the idea Tracy, this outfit finally looks

"finished" -- The pockets are from McCalls 5572 - I knew exactly which pockets I wanted as soon as I was given the idea because they have just a touch of the stripe to tie the two together...Aah the feel of success!

Aline/Swing Floral top & Striped Capris

I made that reconstructed outfit for my youngest so I had to pull something out of the cabinet to make for my eldest daughter -- I got this fabric a long time ago (with you Tracy) at Walmart and it took about 3/4 yard of each fabric and about 3/4 yard for the lining on the top

I created it using New Look 6695 - alterations are that I used size 7 for the top but cut the length off at the size 3 mark and I used a full lining instead of facing. Also added a ruffle to the bottom of the capris -- she LOVES it...

Revamp of my Revamp

Originally I planned to make some blue shorts and trim them with the leftover plaid, but ended up using jeans as the bottoms of this outfit and after talking to Mom & looking at it a while I agreed with her that the little ruffle was weird looking since I didn't make the pants out of that fabric so I took it off and it looks MUCH better now!

Finally I tried a Man's shirt Reconstruction/Recycling Project!

This link was my inspiration: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=170402.0

Here is what I came up with:

I started with a Goodwill purchased man's XL Izod dress shirt and a pair of jeans that were almost too short from her closet...Added these grosgrain ribbon straps and a little blue pleated ruffle for modesty on her chest...The back of the men's shirt is the front now, and the front is now the back -- I had to add some 1/8" elastic inside the top hem on the back of the top to get a good fit. I was able to use the factory hem on the back of the top, but had to create one on the front, but I just traced the exact countour off of the back so it is almost imperceptible.

Cut off the bottom of some bootcut jeans and used them as a pattern to create the fabric piece for the legs. I created them off of the sleeves of the shirt.

I am not used to working without a pattern, so this was out of my comfort zone, but I am very happy with the result and will be doing more of this kind of stuff.

I think it is adorable...Can't wait to make one for my older daughter...