Michael Miller's In Bloom

Earlier this summer, I received the ENTIRE line of Sandra Clemons' In Bloom for Michael Miller Fabrics. One yard of each print (24 prints!)... just for winning a giveaway on Facebook - I felt pretty lucky! The giveaway was through Sewing Portfolios which is an amazing resource for anyone wanting to get more involved and connected in the sewing community online. I have come to realize that I have so much on my sewing to-do list, that I don't have time to PDF pattern test any more (but if the right pattern comes along, I may still apply!) Thus, currently, I use Sewing Portfolios to keep track of my makes and for motivation to keep taking "nice" photos of those makes. 

That sewing to-do list is the reason that I couldn't cut into the amazing fabric right away. I knew that I wanted to make E's first day of preschool dress, so I was able to start planning that, even as I finished sewing a pile of knit clothes for the two kiddos. 

Enter: The Juniper Dress by Sew A Little Seam

I used the Sunburst and Garden Patch prints from the teal colorway.

I didn't expect E to love-love it, due to the lack of PINKNESS, but surprisingly, she actually does love it! She asked me to make her Halloween costume just like it (she wanted to be a silver fairy, but after seeing this dress, she wants to be a *colorful* fairy... )

As for the rest of the fabric... I currently have 4 patchwork totes cut out (Christmas presents!!). James will eventually get a reversible vest (Schoolboy Vest by Sew Much Ado) from two of the linger prints and Ev's Thanksgiving Dress will be from the wine colorway (Magrath Dress by Sew Much Ado). 

Even after sewing up the amazing fabric, it is still hard to believe that I won this great giveaway! I'm looking forward to completing more projects with the beautiful prints that I have left.

Of course, since I had Ev all dressed up and fancy, I had to try to get a few nice portrait pictures of her. 

This one may be the winner! 

And now that her dress is done, she can start preschool tomorrow :) 

Handmade in the Wild: Cousin Fun

So, this is my last Handmade in the Wild post for awhile... I need to go through my pictures and see what else we've been wearing out in public :)

Ev and I were matchy-matchy and the Lincoln's Children Zoo! We were visiting Dan's sister's family and enjoyed this fun outing near their house... the kids' loved the train ride!

This was the only time the girls wore their matching Sally dresses - and we didn't even take nice photos!! Sigh. Anyways, this was still a fun weekend with Dan's other sister visiting...

Matchy Matchy Raglans! (post here and here)

Matching Sally Dresses! (post here)

Handmade in the Wild: Hometown Pride

We've now lived here in Mitchell, SD for almost three years, and we have just been loving it! 

One day last summer, they were serving free ice cream downtown... we definitely took advantage of that! Ev loves driving past the Corn Palace every chance we get ;) 

We host a rodeo in town every summer, and there is a free meal served the night before the action truly starts. I'm hoping that we finally attend one of the real sessions this coming summer! We loved going to rodeos when we lived out in Great Falls, so now it's time to introduce the kiddos to it!

Of course, there is the Corn Palace Festival - complete with carnival rides!! Ev loves rides, and James will be right there beside her next year! So much to look forward to!!!

Peekaboo's 4-in-1 Sunhat with stash fabrics (blog post)
A modified Riley Tank from Made for Mermaids using a ruffle fabric from either Hancock or JoAnns.
A simple tank dress that I was testing for Simple Simon and Co, but it never was released - fabric is from Art Gallery and Walmart.

Handmade in the Wild: She likes to match...

The little girlie likes to match! It is inevitable that when I make something for myself, that she will ask several times if she gets to have something that matches! Truth be told, I'm not huge on matching... I feel a bit silly and too-cutesy-cutesy for my taste... but she won't want to match forever, plus it gives me a way to use up some scraps, so I'll continue to make a few more matching outfits every now and then :)

Top picture: Peekaboo Pattern Shop Violet Tunic and Hey June's Lane Raglan using an Art Gallery Print and grey solid... both from Raspberry Creek Fabrics on Etsy.

Bottom picture: See here :)

Peekaboo Patterns Felicity Dress Release

I recently helped test another pattern! This time it is the Felicity Dress by Peekaboo Patterns and it released today (and is discounted for one day only... go check it out here!)

I sewed 3 different dresses throughout the testing process and I have blog posts coming that looks at each one more closely. Until then, here are the specifics of the pattern:

• Felicity is a collared dress with several options.
• It comes with Maxi or Knee length skirt.
• The back can be shirred or full coverage (I only tested the full coverage option).
• The placket in the front can either be half or full (you need to do a full length placket if you do a full back in order for ease of dressing).

I love how this dress conjures up memories of sweet childhood summers. It's the perfect summer dress for Fourth of July picnics, blowing bubbles at family weddings, or just picking flowers with the neighbor kids. 

This was my first collar in a long time - a first that isn't a 4-H project with my mom helping me step-by-step. Amy from PAB does a great job with using clear pictures and great instructions. The collar connects the front and back bodices and is finished with bias tape. The skirt is attached to the bodice with an exposed seam on the inside of the dress, but with the 1/2" seam allowance, a french seam would be a simple modification. 

According to the size chart, my daughter chest measurement is a 2T but her waist is a 3T. These two dresses are straight 3T, and they will fit for the rest of the summer and into the fall. 

**Blue Border Batik: Alison Glass Handcrafted Batik for Andover from a random online fabric store that had a sale last fall :)

**White on White Polka Dots: Stash! (Mini Confetti Dots by Dear Stella from a fat quarter bundle that I won in a giveaway from the Inside Quilters Newsletter Blog)

**Lightweight chambray: Denim Swiss Dot Chambray by Robert Kaufman from Raspberry Creek Fabrics

**Red Gingham: Stash!

(I added the red piping to the blue and red dress - these instructions are not included in the pattern but it is an easy addition!!)

Three PJs in a Pod {ALYOF September Goal Complete}

The cousins love them!

I finished all three nightgowns (and two sets of under-shorts) just in time for a weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's! (The heart is in place until her adoption into my sister-in-law's family is official... we're hoping for next month!)

E was pretty fond of her new "dress," but she also loved that I was making them for her cousins, too. She was always aware of which cousin each nightgown belonged to as I sewed them assembly-line-style.

Nightgown pattern: Riley's Nightgown by Everything Your Mama Made & More
Night shorts pattern: Anna and Alex Summer PJs by Peek-A-Boo
Yellow Fabric: Hancock Fabrics a year and a half ago
Pink Fabric/Purple Ribbing: From a stash I purchased through craigslist back in MT
Shorts Fabric: Pink cotton/lycra from my local Fabric Warehouse

#21 in the Goal Setting Linky

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WIP (works in progress) List

• 1 Monikered Baby Bag (fabric chosen, cut and interfaced... waiting on Mom for the name appliqué... then need to sew it)
• Christmas lap quilt (finish binding)
• E's Halloween Costume (dress/bloomers finished... just need to finish two bows/ears)
• Several dresses/tops/etc for E and me (patterns and fabric chosen... need to cut and sew)
• Burp Cloths 9cut out but need to be sewn)

UFO (unfinished objects) List...

• Twin size quilt top needing a border then quilting and binding
• A quilt top from my grandma needing quilting and binding
• 6 baby quilt tops needing quilting and binding - will need 2 done by February
• A pile of Christmas half-square triangles that need to be trimmed and then organized into a table runner/table topper/pillow/etc

My First Manhattan

This was the first pattern that I ever bought on a whim (and has since opened my wallet up to a lot more whims... and a lot more patterns purchased! I'm definitely on a clothes-sewing-kick!)

Pattern: Manhattan Blouse

Designer: Kate of See Kate Sew

Size: 4T

Fabric: Pink and blue florals are from Tasha Noel's Country Girl fabric line (I won a fat quarter bundle of one colorway over a year ago). The pink for the bottom portion and the lining was from my stash.

I've had this cut out since before JT was born, which is why I cut it in the bigger size - I knew that I wouldn't get to it right away! It is big on her, but I think it's perfect for growing into :)

I love the V-detail and the flowy-ness of the bottom. It is great for over comfy leggings. The one button closure is a quick finish for the back.

I was not that impressed with the way the sleeves turned out - can you see how it turns back into the shirt? Perhaps it was a mistake by me, but regardless, I plan on omitting the bottom of the sleeve the next time I use the pattern.

And there she goes! She was running and hopping all over the backyard in it. Here's to hoping she will wear it, now! A nice sweater over it will work well this winter :)

WIP and ALYOF {September Goal}

I had a couple of yards of this yellow knit that I purchased at Hancock Fabric in Rapid City when I was in the Hills for a wedding last summer. I bought more than I had planned because it was nearing the end of the bolt so I just bought the remnant as well. I always figured I'd make a top or a dress for E, and maybe even for her cousins. Instead, I've decided on making E and her two cousins matching pajamas. It will be perfect for when they're all at Grandpa/Grandma's farm this fall and winter.

Pattern: EYMM Riley Nightgown
Fabric: Yellow Jersey knit from Hancock. Pink and purple accents from my stash - no idea when/where I purchased :)

Official Goal: Finish sewing three nightgowns!

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Finally, an updated WIP and UFO list :)

WIP (works in progress) List

• 1 Monikered Baby Bag (fabric chosen, cut and interfaced... waiting on Mom for the name appliqué... then need to sew it)
• 3 nightgowns (fabric cut - just need to sew it)
• Christmas lap quilt (quilting done... need to attach and finish binding)
• E's Halloween Costume (fabric and pattern chosen... need to cut and sew)
• Several dresses/tops/etc for E (patterns and fabric chosen... need to cut and sew)

UFO (unfinished objects) List...

• Twin size quilt top needing a border then quilting and binding
• A quilt top from my grandma needing quilting and binding
• 6 baby quilt tops needing quilting and binding - will need 2 done by February
• A pile of Christmas half-square triangles that need to be trimmed and then organized into a table runner/table topper/pillow/etc

More Matching Cousins

Once upon a time, I was in 4-H and sewing 2-3 outfits a summer to enter in Fashion Revue. 

For the non-4-H-ers out there, Fashion Revue is a "Youth-in-Action" project. Participants sew an outfit, model it for a judge and answer questions about the construction and care of their outfits. A few weeks later, during the county fair (or in my county's case, 4-H Achievement Days), there is a public event where participants put on a fashion show and model their outfits while the emcee reads a script about the outfit, accessories and a few tidbits about the participant. 

Here I am during the public Fashion Revue modeling an outfit... I believe this was the summer after finishing 6th or 7th grade. One of these days I'll dig out my old 4-H book which has all of my outfits (and records about all my other 4-H activities, too) and I'll post more outfits as part of a Throwback Thursday series... someday :)

This past winter, Mom and I cleaned out her fabric collection, and I found plenty of this JoAnn's Tie-Dye knit fabric leftover from the top I made a decade ago. I had just enough to make matching Skipper Tops (pattern by Sew Much Ado) for Evelyn and her cousin! 

Since the knit fabric was a little older, it didn't stretch as well. I should have went up a size for Evelyn's top... she was only able to wear it a few times before I gave up fighting her to get it over her head. Thankfully, I guessed big for Anna's size and her's fits perfectly! Evelyn's top will just have to go in the box with her other outgrown clothes and wait there for the next baby girl in the extended family :) Besides, someday Evelyn will fit into Anna's! Haha, on that note, she will probably fit into my top someday, too... I'm pretty sure I still have every outfit I ever made!