Archie Doll

I've decided to make a boy doll for Ronan's first birthday in March. And since I get into the sewing room about once every 3 weeks I figured I better start early! I ordered an "Archie" doll pattern from Wee Wonderfuls online. It comes to you via .pdf and I printed it out at work on the color printer. :-) So far I have the pattern pieces cut and all of the fabric too. I've gotten as far as sewing the hair on and am stuck on one of the directions so I have to do some figuring. I may be able to work on it a bit more tomorrow during Ronan's a.m. nap (that is usually the long one)

I've been an admirer of Hillary Lang for some time now and am very excited to be making one of her dolls!

What the hell is going on around here??

I am taking a quick minute out of my work day to write a blog rant and I fully appreciate how lucky I am to be able to do this. What is going on in this country right now?! I can't wrap my head around it. Every time I log on to the internet, headlines of layoffs bombard me. Today I heard a commercial on the radio for a Twin Cities car dealership that guarantees if you buy a new car and lose your job within one year they will allow you to return the car. This is insane, I really don't know how to process it, or even know what else to brace myself for. I feel pretty confident that I will be able to keep my job but I still have panic attacks on a slow day for fear it will look like I am not a necessity... Today I googled Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine to see when the next issue was coming out and there is just an empty page with a short note saying that it is no longer being published. That they will be sending out Martha Stewart living instead. So apparently only the Marthas of the world are making it, no thanks. My only solace is knowing that we at least were able to get Barack Obama in the white house. But it already feels like its about 4 years too late...

What are your thoughts or predictions? I would love to hear..

Handmade Holidays #4

I thought I had posted these already, but I guess I just had them on my flickr account... Anyway, I made these awesome, adorable, easy skirts for my two Texas nieces for Christmas. I used the Oliver + S Lazy Days skirt pattern (free by the way!) It is a super easy pattern that has a cool new twist on how to hem the skirt with ribbon. I made 3 skirts for each girl. My sister confirmed that they fit perfectly!! I am thrilled. I think this might be the first thing I made for them that actually fit. It is very hard to properly fit clothes for kids that are so far away.





Shoot, I guess I never took pictures of their third skirts.. I made them each a corduroy skirt, one red with fairy tale ribbon, and one blue with gnome ribbon. They were cute. I even added a pocket on each of those, and the pockets were lined with the corresponding ribbons.

Handmade Holidays #3

Now that my sister has finally received my late, late Christmas gifts, I can post the linen placemats that I made for her. I heard that she has a beautiful new dinner table and doesn't want to use a table cloth to cover it up. So I made her 4 reversible placemats. One side is a cream and green ivy cotton print, and the other side is a natural linen and celtic knot cotton design. I was inspired by so many sewing bloggers' love of linen, and thought I just had to try it for myself. I think the final product is just lovely, and I would use it again. I wouldn't keep it for my exclusive fabric choice, however. I am not crazy about how little give it has, and it frays easily and has more bulk at the seams than I care for. But this was a really fun project and I thought my sister would like the look of the natural linen.


As you can see in the top photo, the edges ended up a little wavy. I'm assuming that is because the fabric had a little more pull in some areas than in others. I still like the way they look though, and they are nice and flat when ironed. I top stitched along the edges and did a decorative feather stitch along the pieces on the top, where the linen and cotton fabrics met. It will help it to keep its shape when washed.

My sister said she really liked them and I look forward to eating off of them when I go to visit her in February!!

Handmade Holidays #2

My friend Amanda at work knit this scarf for me as a Christmas gift and made one for our boss as well. This is so soft and warm and just the right length, I love it!! She made a beautiful black chenille scarf for our boss. I felt like she really captured our personalities when she picked out the yarn. What I love most about making handmade gifts is that while you are making them you are thinking about the person that you are giving it to, and I believe those intentions are sewn/knit/crafted right into the final product. I really feel that in this scarf, and I think of Amanda when I wear it. Thank you Amanda!!

2009 Fabrics - Michael Miller Sneak Peek

I read on the Michael Miller Blog "Making it Fun" that this adorable new robot camp fabric will be available soon at your favorite sewing shoppe. It is a great help to have such bright and awesome fabrics like this to combat the huge void of cute boy clothing patterns that are out there. I found one great fabric pattern for pants for Ronan a while ago and I've made about 8 pair from that so far. And he has many sizes to go! I think this fabric will surely end up as a pair of pants. Or who knows, maybe I will be brave and make him a shirt!!! Oh, how cute.