HaLlOoWeEn!!

Here's our Halloween creativity for 2012!  The last three costumes were made about an hour before we were suppose to be at a party.  Not too shabby for a brain steeped in pregnant-fog. 

Happy Haunting!!

 Hermione.... again.

 Cole DX (a Ninjago ninja)

 A biker and a bowling ball.

Merdog.

New Dachshund Shirt for Lucy

Lucy out grew her old dachshund shirt, so a new one was in order.

Halloween Treats for Busy Mummies

I looked up the directions and made a shopping list to make adorable crafty cupcake spiders and cupcake owls for visiting grandchildren.  After an hour at the store trying to select the right kind of candy, Oreos in two sizes, Pocky Sticks and frosting for a project that would probably crumble in my hands I passed a sack of Clementines on sale.  They cost less than one of the six $4.00 bags of candy in my cart, which I was buying just so I could use the brown ones for eyes and the orange ones for an owl nose.  

 Figuring their health conscious mom would prefer them, I went with the Clementines and dumped the other items.  I used a permanent marker to give them their Jack-o-lantern faces.

 And these mini powdered sugar donuts found their way into the cart.  So I dressed them up for Halloween too.  Chocolate chips did the trick for this treat.

Ta-Da!  Halloween Treats for Dummies and busy Mummies.  Leaves you more time for making costumes or growing a pair of twins! 

Baby Sister Jacket and Beret

 I had so much fun with the size 3 dressy coat that I decided to use a remnant to make a little jacket for a baby sister.  I used a simple jacket pattern as my basic front, back and sleeve guide. (Simplicity 3582).  

For the beret I used Simplicity Pattern 2745 but cut it one size smaller (about 1/4 inch).

 I made my own collar and stitched it on to neck, right side of collar to wrong side of jacket, flipped the collar over and pressed. Then I stitched down the seam allowance, easing as I went instead of a facing.  This only works with fleece.  

To finish the hem edge I cut a 2 inch strip of fleece about 1/3 longer than the width of the bottom of the jacket.  I finished one edge with a blanket binding stitch and gathered the other edge.  Easing gathers to fit , I stitched the ruffle to the jacket right sides together.  

Dressy Coat and Beret

Sometimes I talk to my fabric and ask it what it would like to be.  This raspberry fleece remnant was begging to be a little girl's coat and hat.

And I am glad the button stock was low the day I decided to finish the project.  I wanted big round plain buttons but these pricier flower buttons seem perfect! 

Made from Simplicty 2745, a pattern designed just for fleece.

Puppet Show Dress

This little orange outfit was made from the Oliver and S pattern titled "Puppet Show Dress".  The curved bodice line, little darts and buttoned sleeve band are details that make it a quality item. 

Inspiration to make the dress came from a 50 year old apron that my mother frequently wore when I was a girl.  In de-cluttering her house a couple of years ago I discovered the thread bare half apron but decided to hang on to it and incorporate the embroidered parts in a dress for a grand daughter.

So I used those bits on the sleeve band and the collar.

I like the shorts with the little gathers at the leg opening and handmade bias trim.  The pattern also calls for two pockets but I chose not to use them in this application.

Rounded Yoke Dress

There is a two year old birthday girl in the family and thanks to older cousins, she is a fan of 18 inch dolls.  So for her birthday she got a knock off American Girl Doll and I made a few outfits for it.  This green colonial doll dress inspired me to make a similar dress for the grand daughter.  

Doll dress was made using McCall's Craft pattern 3627.

Girl's dress is from an old Simplicity 7643.  I modified the sleeve by moving the elastic from the end of the sleeve to about 2 inches from the end, creating the ruffle.

 I used embroidery floss for a hand sewn pink top stitching and accented with pink flower buttons.