Monthly Archives: October 2012

Pinafores and such

Elsie Marley is a sewing blogger who hosts an annual Kids Clothes Week Challenge (KCWC). Those who participate, spend the week making one kids’ clothing item each day for seven days. Their creations are shared on their blogs, Flicker, Pinterest, and some are featured on Elsie’s blog. Half way through the week I was so delighted and inspired by all the kids clothes being made that I had to jump in myself (unofficially).

It started with a simple play pinafore.

I rifled through my fabric and patterns and came up with this Echino print I bought on sale last year and an out of print Simplicity pattern.

I found these simple wooden buttons in my old button stash

and added a vintage looking tag to the back flap.

But I couldn’t stop there. The pinafore had gone so smoothly but it was a little on the small side. I made another, but this time I re-traced the pattern and added some inches to the length.

This time I used a natural colored linen blend. You can see from the pattern piece how ridiculously simple this pinafore is to make. Just one pattern piece, and two button holes.

I made my own fabric design by stamping butterflies across the length of the fabric.

I used fabric paint and a cheap brush to apply the paint to the stamps. It was a little time consuming but I really like the way it turned out!

As I was cutting out the pattern I realized I had made the neckline a little too big and I worried that it would fall off E’s shoulders. I compensated by adding four pin tucks to the neckline. I’ve never made pin tucks before so they aren’t perfect but they got the job done. It’s a fun way to dress up a plain tee and jeans.

I also finished another Summer and Polka Dots dress for E.

I kept is simple with a small floral calico and a solid chambray for the main body of the dress. The chambray hangs so nice and has a subtle texture to it that I like.

I added some small hand made “house” tags for a little extra embellishment.

I was finally able to use one of the vintage jade flower buttons I bought at the quilt show a few years ago!

I have this stack of material on sitting next to the sewing machine. I have plans for a double layered circle skirt for the girl. I also promised the boys I would make flannel pjs again for them this winter. The nights are getting cold and they love to snuggle up in flannel pjs!

If you get a chance you should check out Elsie Marley’s blog. There is also a KCWC Pinterest board that you can find here. And if you still haven’t gotten your fill of amazing kids clothes you can check out the KCWC Flicker pool.

Have a great week ~April

In the Kitchen

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In my kitchen~

* There is a small girl pushing her pink grocery cart and singing “I’m a little teapot short and stout…”

*Fall strawberries. There is something so perfect about fall strawberries. The last of summer sweetness right before the long cold spell. Smaller than their summer cousins… bite sized… an unexpected treat.

* Fresh bread, now that our heat wave has finally relented.

*Cookies, chocolate chip of course. A nice stack of crispy, golden cookies and the last pan that got forgotten and burned (happens a little too frequently).

*Piles of dirty dishes.

* Creamy sausage, kale and potato soup (recipe from The Pioneer Woman)

And my new favorite recipe, Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip. It is delightful. I love guacamole but this dip is even better, smooth, creamy, tangy, with a little bit of heat. Get yourself a bag of pita chips and you are set.

This post inspired by Soulemama who has a lovely kitchen.

Apples and October baseball

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We have been enjoying all the activities autumn has to offer… only in 100 degree heat. I’ve stopped checking the 10-day forecast because it’s breaking my heart.

Our school field trip was scheduled for the first of October and the optimistic part of my brain was hoping for crisp, sweater-wearing, proper fall weather. No such luck. Regardless, a great time was had by all!

The Cover Apple Ranch is a small but lovely little place tucked into the foothills of the Sierras.

It boasts a small locomotive train, a duck pond, an assortment of farm animals, 7 varieties of apples, a small pumpkin patch, a gift shop, and a play area. In other words, the perfect place for children.

One of the new calves. Such a sweet face!

The trees were full of apples.

The children were treated to a pie-making demonstration. Everyone at the ranch was so friendly, they really worked hard to make it interesting for the kiddos.

After a tour of the ranch the kids were treated to fresh apple juice and cookies. I didn’t get any pictures of J because we were separated into groups and he was in the 2nd grade group while I hung out with the kindergarteners.

I can’t get over how cute those apple cups are. I wanted to steal them from the other children. I didn’t.

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Our favorite baseball team is going to the playoffs! So, we took the kids to see the A’s play the Rangers. They put on a good show! They even scored a home run. We all cheered and hollered until our voices were hoarse.