Our Big Girl turns 6!

Our BG turned 6 on Thursday. And that meant plenty of sewing!



For starters, her Daddy painted the room pink! The new quilt on her bed was a family project. I appliqued, my mom pieced, and my aunt machine quilted. The curtain took about 30 minutes to put together. The bed skirt is actually a panel hemmed on all 4 sides and velcroed to the day bed frame. The beanbag is also a new addition--and there's the story...



I found really clear instructions for making a bean bag here. The instructions taught me how to draw off the pattern and to put the bean bag together. Easy, easy, easy. But---I went to our local Hancock's to "pick up" 3 bags of bean bag filler. How much could that cost, right? Oh my goodness. That stuff was 23.99 a bag!!! I wasn't spending almost $75 on a silly bean bag. After fretting for about an hour, I called the local vacuum cleaner hospital (who's other claim to fame is bean bags) and found a bean bag for $19.95! Needless to say, the filler went back to Hancock's. The hubby and I created a make-shift funnel and emptied the 19.95 beanbag into the new one!

Finally!!!

Well, like every other die-hard New Orleans fan, I have watched every agonizing minute of Saints football this fall. And, while the sane, fair-weathered folks would have long given up, I tuned in Sunday night with my fingers crossed. And finally...

• The Drew Brees we all know and love made an appearance.
• Reggie Bush played like the Heisman Trophy winner he is.
• The Saints played Defense!

If Coach Payton impressed you with his gutsy, go-for-it plays on 3rd downs, you can vote for him as Coach of the Week here.

Shall we try for 2!

My first vintage pattern...

I am so excited! A "enabling" friend passed me a bag of fabrics and patterns. Two of the patterns were from 1970--and this is my favorite!

Is 37 years "vintage"? I'm calling it that.

So, how can I wear it now? I'm still working on that!

Halloween sewing

Look! It's only October 11th and I've already finished 1 Halloween costume!!!!! (Just ignore the fact that she actually needed it on October 10th at 6:30 and I finished it about 5:30 that same day.)



This is from Simplicity 3997. I made view D out of red and black buttersuede, based on the drawings my Big Girl made several weeks ago.

If I did it again, I would make it a little bigger than a 6, as my BG is tall! I added the fringe and pockets by hand, simply because I had a lot of car pool time this week. It probably would have been easier by machine--but you must be home to do that!

As for the Little Man's--still underconstruction...

Look what we caught...

I don't enjoy fishing. Never have really. But look what these 2 have caught...

Our BG caught her first fish over a year ago. She gets very frustrated if she doesn't catch a brim with her first cricket! (just like Mom)

The LM caught his very first fish about 1 month ago. His idea of fishing is dropping a cricket in a brim bed that Popo has found, reeling one in, and that's it--he's fished and he's done! This LM can catch crickets too! I think that must be more fun than catching fish!

Notes on Simplicity 4020 and 3692

Simplicity 4020

Wow! Wha a quick and easy pattern! I cut this one out one afternoon and literally whipped it together the next. The fabric is a novelty knit I picked up at JoAnns on sale. I cut the band at little bit larger, so that it wouldn't be sucked up to my tummy. It actually ended up a little too big around the waist, but I still like it. The finished sleeves are a little longer than 3/4 length, but the sleeve bands hold them up nicely. The neck band was a breeze. Best of all--my hubby loves this top and asked where I bought it!

Simplicity 3692

This is my second Built by Wendy pattern. My first experience didn't go so well. I have also tried this paticular pattern before, and I wasn't thrilled with the finished project. This time I am! This is cotton jersey I picked up a Hancocks on the dollar table!!! The shirt is simple enough to put together, though I broke a needle stitching on the sleeves right where the facings and the shirt or seamed. TI had planned to make view B, but it almost had a maternity feel, so I had to rethink the hem line. I really like the way the bottom hem fits on one of my Hot Patterns shirts, so I opted to finish the hem with a 2-1/4 inch casing and 2 inch elastic. I find the style extremely flattering on my mommy tummy. The small embroidery on the yoke was the result of killing time in the carpool line! It's just a small daisy.

What I've been making...

In addition to everyday life, I've been baking...







and I've been sewing...

Simplicity 3667


Personality Childrens Clothes




Simplicity 4020


Simplicity 3692


and getting my fall designs together...







visit http://www.personalitychildrensclothes.com/ to see them all!