Just a couple of things

I'm a failure at making lists and them sticking to them, haha!!  However, I have been sewing my bottom off... but I almost never end up doing what I'm supposed to do.  Here are a couple things I have made however (I have more to photograph.  I will do it.  I promise).

First of all, this dress!  I love this pattern.  I mean I LOVE this pattern.  It's my go to for just about everything.  The hardest part is the yoke and the rest just comes together.  And with her being in the smallest size right now, I can use a fat quarter of fabric for the yoke... which is amazing!  I'm working up a Zoo version before we hit up the local zoo. (I did use this fabric to make the Goodship Dress but for some reason, I thought the smallest size, size 2, would fit little Molly.  Well that's just crazy.  So my cousin is borrowing it for her daughter who is actually a size 2.  I didn't take pictures, oops.)

Then I did actually do one thing (that I photographed) from my list.  The puppet show dress.  I lied, I made the tunic.  But squirt is short so it works as a dress right now.  Plus chunky thighs on a baby is cute so I'm letting her show them off.  I also whipped up some bloomers so when she is crawling, there was matching cuteness.  I also added a crocheted edge to the collar since I wanted to give it a soft and classic touch.

And now for something very exciting, at least to me!  I started making stuff for myself!!  Actually, I made the first thing that has ever actually fit me.  I have a long history of making myself charming little potato sacks.

I know, it's a cell phone picture.  We are pretending it's an extremely well taken, high resolution, high fashion photo, ok!  Anyway, I made this pink top and I'm obsessed with it.  I've worn it so very many times now.  This top also ties into my apparent obsession with Oliver + S.  I follow them on Facebook and this workshop was posted to the page the other day to make a linen caftan.  I jumped on it and I'm so glad I did.  I'm on my second one now, except I'm making a dress this time.  And my mother and mother-in-law have both called me to force me to make them one too!  It wasn't super hard to force me though, fabric coming to me in the mail that I don't have to pay for, I'm in!!

Anyway, I am almost done with my first smocked dress, if I could only find that embroidery floss to finish it.  I just hope I'm done before Molly outgrows it.  And I also made my very first bubble dress with no pattern!!  Pictures soon!

The Great Sewing Pattern Sew Through

And so it begins!!  As I have mentioned, I have an outrageously large pattern stash so I am beginning my sew through  now!  Luckily, I do also have some fabrics in my stash because this would otherwise be a very expensive thing to do, haha.  Well here is my list, in what is probably the order I will do this:

1. Oliver + S Puppet Show Dress for Molly in the summer
2. One Girl Circus Goodship Dress, also a summer thing
3. My first ever smocked dress, pattern from a heirloom sewing store, for little one for Easter (We'll see how this goes haha)
4. Seamingly Smitten Miss Mod Top, which will officially be the first thing for ME!!!
5. Figgy's Patterns Banyan Tunic, for small fry for the summer/fall
6. Oliver + S Fairytale Dress, for two weddings we are attending in the summer

Ok, I think that's a good start to this list!  I'm sure I will be working up a few other things in between these too but I think I ought to finish these project before I allow myself to get any more patterns!!!!!!!!!!!

The Happenings and Such

So being February, it's probably later than normal to write about some New Year's resolutions.  But I've never been normal so now seems as good a time as any to me (and I just realized yesterday that it was February!  Seriously, where has the time gone?).

This year, I seem to keep stacking them on.  Every time a announce a new goal, I declare it a New Year's resolution.  So here is a very short list of new years resolutions:

1. We have decided to try to reduce our waste (i.e. using vintage rags we picked up from a thrift store instead of paper towel, starting our very first compost pile, always bringing those cloth bags to the store that I seem to forget just to name a few goals)
2. Become less judgmental (this includes trying to have nicer feeling towards everyone  and myself. I can be seriously harsh on myself sometimes when I don't look/ do things perfectly.
3. Slow down a bit.  On that, I'm learning to knit (and more on that me knitting later) and it has taught me patience like nothing else before.  I've been working on a scarf for about a week and a half but I'm starting to like slowing down, sitting on the couch, doing the same routine of knitting over and over while spending time with my husband after M has gone to bed.  There is something wonderfully relaxing that I'm getting out of this scarf that no store bought scarf could ever give me.

Now from here, I have decided these are more New Year's goals:

1. Build our back porch by July!  We're hoping to have it done in time to use it for M's birthday party.
2. Sew through ALL of the patterns I have purchases.  And I have a lot.  I always here most sewers talking about a huge fabric stash.  I wish that were my problem.  I have an addiction to buying patterns.  And every time I start to build a fabric stash, I break it was a load of new patterns.  I think I counted about 25 new ones that I need to get through before I'm allowing myself to buy any more patterns.
3. Sew something for myself.  Lots of somethings, actually.  My long term goal is to fill my closet with things I love to wear and not have it stuffed full of clothes and feel like I have "nothing to wear."  I'm slowly going to sew things that fit perfectly that I will want to wear again and again.
4. Make my garden work this year.  Our garden was so sad last year.  This year, I'm going to grow more of our food!

Hmmm... I think that's about all today!  I have been sewing up a little summer wardrobe for the little one so hopefully I'll have some things to post soon!  I have also been working up recipes for the whole family (we're starting family dinner with our daughter now that she is 7 months old).

Christmas Dresses and my first Oliver + S Pattern

So I did decide on the Oliver + S Pattern.  And on that subject, I'm smitten.  The instructions are complete and informational and paired with their online forum where help is always at hand, I felt like I was pretty much set up to succeed!  If you haven't tried them, I highly recommend them!

And besides that, I love the final result!!  I can't wait to try more patterns (I suggested this to my family as a great Christmas present, haha).

M wouldn't smile for me at all that day so this is the best picture I could get :( but I will be taking pictures of her and her cousin together at Christmas time in their dresses.  I am officially sewing my 4th Playdate Dress!

Phone Update

Holiday season is in full swing here!! We have parties to attend and therefore lots of presents to make :)

Just a quick photo of an ornament I made for a Dirty Santa gift exchange! Can't wait to post some of the other things I'm up too!

Here is the link to the felt ornament tutorial!

Pattern Review: McCall's M6590

I tested this pattern before I decided whether or not to make Molly and her cousin Riley matching Christmas dresses with it.  All in all, I'm very pleased with the look of the dress (even though I made it using old fabric I had lying around, haha).  If I plan to use this one, I'll probably dye it and then actually add buttons.  This dress also gave me an excuse to practice the automatic buttons holes.  I loved i so much that I went a little overboard on button holes, haha.

The pattern was pretty decent for a commercial pattern!  I chose dress A and traded the sleeves for the long sleeves and opted to leave the neck ruffle off (I simply finished the neck with bias tape).  It all went together pretty well so my only complaint is that the instructions were very limited.  I often sat at the machine and stared at the picture and then the words before figuring out what was supposed to happen.  But once I got through some of the more confusing parts of the instructions, I was able to fly through the rest.

On a side note, during this project, I'm finally getting closer to mastering gathering!!  I'm terrible at gathering (I guess everyone has their "thing").

Anyway, I'm still undecided about whether to use this pattern to make Christmas dresses or if I should use one of the Oliver + S patterns that I have wanting an excuse to buy anyway!

Pumpkin and Bean Crockpot Chili!

I think one of the best things about fall is chili!  So the other night, I decided I needed to make some!  A little late in the fall, I know.  Time fly when you have a new baby!  It was November before I even knew what happened. Anyway, I didn't have any meat on hand so it is a vegetarian dish (if you use veggie broth, of course).

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Pumpkin and Bean Crockpot Chili

Ingredients

Broth (it doesn't matter, whatever you want to use or have on hand)

1 Cup of Water

1 Cup Lintels

1 Cup of Red Beans

2 Cups of Pumpkin Puree

1 Cup Chopped Onions

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Molasses

1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder (not sweetened)

1 teaspoon Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Paprika

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Oregano

Cayenne Pepper to taste

Throw it in a crock pot and let it cook.  If you are going to be around, I cooked it on high for about 2 hours, one hour with the lide off so it would thicken.  If you aren't, put it on as low as possible and let it go!!  I love crockpot recipes!

Enjoy!