You know how once in a while you stumble upon a sewing pattern that seems to be just about perfect?  One that you wonder how you ever got along without it?  Well, a few weeks ago I bought the  ‘Sassy Knit Peplum Tank’  an instant download PDF sewing pattern from  Cole's Corner Creations on Etsy, and I absolutely LOVE it.  I’ve made it seven times already!  I bought the size 1 –7 and have made sizes 3, 4 and 5.  I have found that the sizing runs a little small, so I cut up one size and it fits perfect.  Then I then went back and purchased the same pattern for sizes 8 – 16, because you never know when you might have to wip up a Birthday gift or something. (that sounds so much better than ‘just because’ lol)  This pattern is so quick and easy to sew you’ll find yourself making several. Once I started I couldn’t stop. Even with the peplum it doesn’t take much fabric,  making it a great scrap buster. I used fabric left over from other projects, remnants and tee shirts to make mine. The only problem I had was the neck and armhole bindings, but that was my error, not the pattern’s. I stretched where I shouldn’t have and it made them a little loose, but not enough that I wanted to unpick and re-do them.  It is such a pleasure to work with a pattern that comes together so easily and so nicely.  It makes me want to sew even more!  I just wish it came in my size!




I made each one a little different, varying the trims and bindings. The peplum can be made lined or unlined.  I lined them with coordinating fabrics for that added pop of colour. Instead of hemming the unlined peplums I added ric rac or trim to the hemline, making it even faster and easier! Don’t you just love the cute high low hem?

I am thinking of lengthening the peplum and turning the top into a dress. I think it would be adorable.  I can’t say enough good things about this pattern, and look forward to trying more of  Cole's Corner Creation's  patterns!  And since everything looks better on a cute little girl, I’ll leave you with this…… my little ‘adopted’ granddaughter hamming it up for the camera.

So do yourself a favour and hop on over to Cole's Corner Creations and pick up your copy today. You won’t be sorry!
Happy Stitching!

I am not affiliated with Cole’s Corner Creations, I am just extremely happy with this pattern!

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As I was looking through my pictures this evening I came upon this little dress.  I made it back in August for my Etsy Shop, but with all the baby excitement  and a visit with my grandmother, I completely forgot to post about it.  I think it is adorable, but then I could be just a little biased!  It sort of yells ‘SUMMER’, doesn’t it? It was so easy to make,and I’m sure I’ll make loads more for MacKensie as she grows.
I didn’t think to take pictures of the process, but it is pretty self explanatory. A regular tank top is layered with ruffles to make a dress for a toddler, or a top for an older child. The fabric is a fun baseball-esque print cotton.  I sewed the flower to a pin back, making it easier to wash, or even wear on another outfit.



I love adding fabric flowers to my projects. They just seem to add that extra little personal touch to any outfit.  I’ve been scouring the internet for more tutorials, looking for as many different ones as I can. These are a few of my favourites.

      
This is a Russian site, with links to several Kanzashi tutorials.

‘Anna’s Flower’ from Sew Ritzy Titzy

And these beautiful ribbon Peonies from Make It Do.
There are literally dozen’s of tutorial’s to be found.  The hardest part is deciding what to make first!


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Just not here.  The cool weather has been creeping in, signalling to one and all to dig out warm weather gear.  But, in my usual fashion, I’m behind the times.  I made this little outfit a few months ago, and only just listed it in my Etsy shop tonight.  Better late than never, right?  I love it.  The pink eyelet is so soft and feminine, and the twill is a cheerful combination of white, yellow and pink.  I used a vintage Simplicity pattern, (7304) that I can’t find a picture of anywhere. The pattern also includes shorts and a dress.  I made the same top for my daughter in white eyelet when she was small.


I have several more items in various stages of completion that I will soon list. (hopefully! lol)
This past weekend my daughter Hillary and her boyfriend Ben came home for a long awaited (in my eyes at least) visit.  As always it was wonderful to have them home. Ben has recently started a photography business, and was kind enough to take several pictures of MacKensie, along with her Mom and Dad.


Ben did such a fantastic job!  If you would like to see the rest of the picture’s, hop on over to Ben’s site and take a look. Just click on the first pic to start the slideshow.
http://benjamingarden.com/?page_id=260
I think they are fabulous! (Of course the little model may have had something to do with it…)


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St Patrick’s day is such a happy holiday!  Everyone laughs and jokes, and there are hugs all round.  (I’m not sure how much that has to do with the annual green beer, lol)  Do any of you have any grand plans for the day?  I am staying home, in my pajamas, sewing up a storm!  I have decided to boycott housework and laundry, and I may even forget where the kitchen is!  As my mom used to say, ‘Today is Every Man (or Woman!) for Himself Day’. Which meant we were all responsible for feeding ourselves! Of course, that only happened once we were teenagers.  My Mom was a firm believer in ‘Mom’s Day Off’.  A tradition I was happy to carry on.  She thought that Mom’s should have a scheduled day off,  just  like any other worker.  It is so easy to become bogged down with responsibilities and worries, that we forget to take care of ourselves.  I know how difficult it is to have time to yourself when the kids are young.  But try to take even an hour to yourself. Let your husband have a turn with the kids. (and Please don’t say they are ‘babysitting’.  Nothing annoys me more than hearing a man say he is ‘babysitting the kids’.  How can you babysit your own children?  Just sayin…) ( sorry ‘bout the rant!)  Anyway, back to you.  Start small. Take the dog for a walk.  Get your hair cut.  Just wander the mall aimlessly.  Anything to get you out and away.  If you aren’t comfortable with that, take a long bubble bath.  And  LOCK the door!  Listen to your ipod and relax.  As I said, I understand how hard this can be to arrange. (I had six little ones at once!) But you NEED  some ME time, if only for your own sanity!  It will make you so much happier,  and a happy Mommy makes happy kids. You will find yourself refreshed and more able to deal with life’s stressors. So, plan some ME  time, and see how your well being affects your family!
Well, now that I have that off my chest, I’ll show you what I originally intended to post about! (isn’t it funny how posts just seem to wander off by themselves?)    I am trying to add new stock to my etsy, and have been running my machine into the ground. I’ve made two more Peasant dresses. I still plan on adding a big flower or bow to each of them, but since the one dress fits into the theme of the day, I thought I’d post them now.

 

What do you think? I love them. The bright cheery colours and prints just make me smile.
Happy St Paddy’s day, and happy sewing!           Anne


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Alright. I am keeping an open mind. Or at least I’m trying. Even though this is what we woke up too a few days ago…

The snow was so wet and heavy that it clung to everything. One of the larger branches on this tree broke off because of the weight. (it is on our front lawn) We have had a couple of milder days since, so some of the snow has melted. But not enough!!! It snowed again today. Not much, just enough to let us know it was coming down. I really don’t think Mother Nature got the memo. THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING IS IN SIX DAYS!! (21st) Everyone is ready for it, even the die-hard winter fans.
None the less, I have been doing some sewing for Spring. It just helps to make me feel better. (as long as I don’t look outside, lol) I haven’t listed anything new in my etsy shop in a while, so I thought it was time.  These little dresses turned out so cute! I just wish I had a little girl to model them for me! I used Simplicity #5695 view B,  for both dresses.

I used coordinating fabric for them both. The first one I made is black, white and yellow.
I wasn’t completely sure about using black, but now that it’s made, I love it. The yellow in the pattern really brightens it up. When it was finished, I thought it was a little plain, so I sewed a flower onto a pin back. Making it easy to remove for washing.

I made the second one this afternoon, in coordinating yellow and white. It is so bright and cheery!

This one deserved a flower too!

I have three more of these cute little dresses cut out and ready to sew. Now I just need the time to do it!
Thanks for visiting, and have a great day ladies!     Anne

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The moon and stars and all of the planets were aligned correctly today. My housework was caught up, and the laundry nearly finished.(not that not having these things done has ever stopped me!) I could finally sew!! I was so happy to sit down at my lovely machine. The whirring sound of the motor was music to my ears. After more than six weeks of abstinence, I was sewing! For my first leap back into the sewing world, I decided to try my hand at a 'paper bag' skirt. After seeing so many in blog land, I had some ideas of my own. Since my etsy shop desperately needs updating with fall fashions, I decided to make it child sized. It was very easy to make, basically two rectangles sewn together at the sides, with two hems. I made a one inch hem at the bottom, and at the top, a three inch hem. I made a half inch casing for elastic, leaving about two inches at the top for the 'paper bag' effect. I added belt loops and a self belt for the finishing touch. I think it turned out really well.



The top picture is closest to the actual colour. The true colour is a deep purple. I'm still learning how to use my new camera, and haven't quite figured out the light settings. Unfortunately, I'm not the most tech savvy girl on earth. I usually have to get my kids to show me how to do anything even remotely techy. (is that even a word?) It is sad that they have been teaching me to do things since they were quite young. Oh well, maybe one day I'll catch on!
So. Now that I have again been viciously bitten by the sewing bug, the only question is, what's next? The possibilities are endless!

If you haven't already, pop on over and visit Carolyn, from Handmade by Carolyn. She is hosting a giveaway for her followers!

Hello ladies! Welcome to my blog! I realize it is now early Saturday morning, ( 12:30 a.m, to be exact!) but better late than never as they say! I've just finished sewing for the evening. I have a baby shower to attend tomorrow, (today?) for twins, and I wanted to finish as much as I could. All I need to do tomorrow is sew on a few snaps and buttons. So typical of me to leave it til the last minute! (lol, not to mention being the last one to jump on the Friday blog party!) I will post about what I made after the shower, just in case the mommy to be stops by. I want her to be surprised when she opens her gifts! I don't have any of my own projects to show you now, but I will leave you with the pic above, from a wonderful little shop called Winter Peach on etsy. You don't actually buy the little shoes, but the pdf pattern. For only $4.50! And as a bonus, a pattern for little sandals is included! This is a fantastic deal. And, if you like, you can buy this pattern, plus two others, all for $10.00! How great is that! I have a feeling that a pair or two of these little beauty's will be showing up on my blog in the near future.... Anne

Another stinkin' hot day in Southern Ontario! Who would have thought? The temperature itself isn't that high, but the humidity is a killer. It started out cooler this morning, so I hoped we'd have a bit of a respite from the heat. But, no luck. And in my infinite wisdom, this afternoon, I decided to bake a cake. The sky was overcast, and there was a breeze, so I thought to myself, it won't be too hot to bake! Ha! As soon as I started mixing, the blistering sun came out. Naturally. Foiled again. But I plowed ahead anyway, and by the time I was ready to put my cake in the oven, it was hot enough in my kitchen to cook it on the counter. ( I put it in the oven anyway, since it was already on, lol) It is baking now, and the delicious smells wafting from my kitchen make a little (little?) suffering worthwhile. I will be doing a post with the recipe later today or tomorrow, depending on how it turns out!
Now, on to the main attraction of my post. A few weeks ago, my good friend Connie, gave me several pieces of fabric. Amongst them was the remains of a vintage sheet. Part of the sheet had already been cut into strange (she got it that way) large 'pocket' shapes. I have no idea what the original owner was doing with them, but I knew I could come up with something. I also had a white, eyelet trimmed pillowcase in my stash, just begging to be used. After a few days of brainstorming, I came up with this. I call it 'The Petal Skirt'.


Unfortunately, neither my camera, nor my picture taking skills have improved, so we're stuck with another blurry picture! I thought the skirt turned out fairly well. I added the yo-yo flowers and ribbons as an afterthought, because the skirt was kind of boring without. I know you can't really see it, but the center of the flower is actually a shiny bead, the same dark pink as the stripe. It twinkles in the light, which I thought little girls would appreciate!
Here are a couple pictures of the back.


Here you can see the pillowcase 'slip' under the petals.


This skirt was so easy to do, I'm sure I'll be making more. This one is a size seven, and will be posted in my etsy shop soon!
My newest sewing projects are matching outfits for twins! My friend Connie's daughter is expecting a boy and a girl in mid-October. D already has a three year old daughter, so she will be incredibly busy! But I know that Connie, being the fantastic Mom and Grandmother she is, will be there to help as much as possible. I will post the outfits later in the week, possibly on Sunday, the day after the shower.
Have a great evening everyone! I'll be back tomorrow with the recipe for Peanut Butter Crumb Pie!