Fall + Harvest Dress

Fall is here!! Hooray for my favorite season! We did a bit of decorating (which I'll share later) and visited the Harvest Barn for my preschooler's first field trip last week. So fun!

Tractor rides. Climbing on hay bales. Petting goats. Picking the perfect tiny pumpkin. Apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes. Check, check, check.

I made her this little green and brown dress especially for the occasion. It was a maternity dress that doesn't quite fit anymore, but the print has a certain harvest-y, little house on the prairie feel to it. I just cut off the bottom, added a band and reattached the sleeves. Easy peasy.

Enjoy your first fall weekend! Hoping our baby shows up to celebrate it too :)

Guest Contributor @ Sew Mama Sew

And just one more thing to share - I have a guest post up on the Sew Mama Sew blog today - Finishing A Garment Without A Serger. If you are interested in sewing but want results that look more handmade than homemade, take a peek at this article. They have tons of other fantastic sewing tutorials too and a shop full of beautiful, high-quality designer fabrics.

Thanks sew much for having me SMS :) It's such an honor!

The Strawberry Muffin Blouse + Free Pattern

Hooray!! I have a new free pattern for you today, modeled by the lovely Miss Leah!

So I really wanted to call this pattern the Strawberry Muffin Top. It kind of makes me giggle. But my husband, who is about as crass as they come, thought it was mean and that no one would want to make their little girl a muffin top. So I changed the top to blouse. Was he right?

The empire waist with the more narrow lining kind of reminds me of the way a muffin puffs over the top of the pan. And the colors are very reminiscent of a strawberry. A Strawberry Muffin. Top, blouse - hey even a dress if you lengthen the lower panel :)

The extra details on the bodice make this top extra special. What little lady doesn't get excited about a couple of ruffles and jumbo buttons?! None that I know!

The back has a pretty keyhole detail as well. And I love that no zipper or button panel are required.

The shoulders are quite simple to keep the focus on the other details, but add a nice pop of color in a contrasting fabric. Very fun to sew and I think she likes it too :)

Download the free pattern here in size 4/5T.
(And if you enjoy and appreciate the free-ness of this pattern, I would love if you'd consider becoming a follower of this blog - pretty please with cream and sugar on top?)

And view the video tutorial below.

Hugs and love, Sabrina

Star Spangled Apron Top

Hi there, how was your 4th? We visited family, went to a fireworks show and did a lot of lounging around yesterday. It seems like we've been doing a lot of that this week - just hanging out and playing, trying to keep my little gal entertained while her siblings are on vacation.

Other than kiddie crafts and going to the beach, I did steal a few minutes to make Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom's Fitted Apron Top that was shared on Prudent Baby last week. Such an adorable summer design! I added a belt around the center so there would be 2 ties in the back.

But unfortunately did not make the bodice quite wide enough to cover more of her back. It should be okay with a swimsuit top underneath though. What do you think?

She has worn in several times now and tells everyone who gives her a compliment "thanks, my mom made it for me" with such pride. Makes it worth all the effort! Hoping the charm of mama-made clothing lasts a long time :)

We are off for a swim, have a great day ♥

Busy Bodies

Wow has it been a busy June so far. We have had so much going on and days so full that I can hardly believe today is Wednesday and now is nearly over.

Lets start with last Friday. A nearly all day dress rehearsal. Itchy costumes and one very antsy little boy made for an extra long day, but it's the only chance for the moms who have to stay backstage to see the entire show, so worth it.

Somehow we still had enough energy to take a mile long walk down to the bridge. Actually make that run. The kids ran all the way there. We stopped to take lots of pics along the way. This one is my favorite :)

Saturday and Sunday morning both were the final T-ball games of the season.

And in the evenings we had dance performances. They had one great show and lots of fun with all the primping, make-up and back stage girl time. Very cute :)

Also hit the big 6-month mark with this pregnancy! Still need to take some belly pics of that. Have been cleaning, planning and organizing like a mad woman! Hope this energy keeps up cause there is so much to do.

I've been making a bunch of stuff too but either I can't share it yet or am just to lazy to take pictures other than in Instagram - hope these will suffice ;)

These nightgowns were made from some pretty vintage pillowcases that have been in my stash for a while. Made them to look similar to the dress from this tutorial by Blooms and Bugs if you want to create something like it. I tucked instead of gathered and added fabric flowers in place of a bow.

Made some jammy pants too with skully fabric and this tutorial by Dana Made It. These were my first ever pants and wow they were way easy! I will no longer fear legged bottoms!

A customized planner for keeping track of summer days.

And a  few baby bibs using scrap fabric and this simple tutorial by SewSheSews. Skipped the quilting part and they still look super cute :)

Phew, that was a long post! Hope it counts for the whole week cause I think I'd rather spend the week creating instead of online. See you soon!

Candy Confection Birthday Dress + Bodice Pattern

Hello, hello! I am so happy to say that after 2 months, I finally have photos and a bodice pattern for Miss Leah's 5th birthday dress! The dress top is such a great shape for spring (a little late now, eeep!), the skirt looks like a jumbo sized stick of cotton candy and the pale pink makes it oh so girly - and perfect for this girly girl.

Ooh the layers of ruffles! I never get tired of them. The top 2 tiers are chiffon, the middle 3 are lace and the bottom layers are made of poly/satin. The different textures add so much interest, don't you think? The skirt is the width of the fabric - so no cutting or measuring required - and then gathered at the top to fit her waist.

 (In case you noticed, nail painting is never a good idea while wearing a fancy dress - we got a bright pink stain right in the front within 10 minutes of the party starting! Oops!)

This is also the first top I've ever finished with (functional) buttons and wow, is it easier than expected - and inserting a zipper. Normally I always use a pattern for the bodice but since ours are all size 4 and under, this time I had to create my own. Also much easier than expected and insured a *perfect* fit.

You can download the bodice pattern right here.

The sleeves are just a sweet and simple ruffle - a tapered length of fabric gathered all around. Since the are so small, I was able to tuck them into the lining to hide the seam completely! Hooray!

And this little lady was very happy with her dress. If only we had birthdays every week. :)

Have a beautiful day!

Boy's Vest

Today is a busy day in our house, so I'll make this post quick. Mr. requested a vest for his birthday and although I have never made any boy clothes before, this way actually pretty easy and fun. I created the pattern from a t-shirt and stitched it up in about an hour or so.

The outside material is flannel, which I did not realize to be so flimsy, so it is lined with some brown corduroy. Makes it a little more manly and rugged too :)

I think he likes it ;)

Have a great weekend!

DIY: Sweetheart Crop Top

Hello! I have a little refashion/DIY toddler top to share with you today! It's been forever since I've done one of these and am really hoping to get back in to doing clothing tutorials, after all that was one of the main reasons I started this blog :)

As you can tell, my own little sweetheart wasn't much in the mood for posing and modeling this morning, but her and her sister both adore their new tops for Valentine's Day. The heart ribbon was made from a die intended for cutting paper but those hearts are just too cute to stay tucked away in the pages of a scrapbook!

(I'm also giving away some felt heart ribbon - more on that below).

This top has such a cute shape and the best part is you hardly have to stitch any seams since it's refashioned from a ladies button-up top. I never ever buy new material for a project like this that will likely be outgrown or just plain abandoned within a few months - or let's be realistic, a few wears -it is white after all :)

Okay, ready to make one yourself?!!

You will need just a couple things -
*adult white button-up shirt
*5 shades of ribbon -> any will do, I cut felt to make mine (from Felt On The Fly - amazing quality, made from 100% merino wool)
*1/4" elastic
*sewing machine and thread
*pattern to make the top or draft your own

To get started -

1. Cut out your pattern. I just had 2 pieces - the body and the sleeve. Shorten the body to make the cropped shape.You can use a smock top pattern you already have or create your own by tracing the outline of a shirt - remember to leave a little room for seams! I like to use that shipping paper that comes in boxes for making patterns. It's just the right weight and you can iron it flat too (and it's free).

2. Trace your pattern onto material and cut out. I placed the pattern directly in the middle of the shirt, with the bottom of the hem at the bottom edge of the pattern. You should end up with:
- 1 front piece (cut from back of shirt)
- 1 back piece (cut from front of shirt)
- 2 sleeves (cut from extra body material)
- 1 long length of trim for bias tape around neckline

3. Position your ribbon across the front where you want it to stay and cut to measure.

4. Attach ribbon in place with vertical pins and stitch on. Use a lot of pins so it stays in place. If you want you can switch out the thread with each color of ribbon but I thought the white looked just fine - ie. I'm not that ambitious :)

5. Now stitch the garment together. (right sides together!) This is the order that works best for me...
- shoulders
- sleeves to bodice
- sides
- bottom hem if needed
- bias tape around neckline

Serge or pink your seams.

6. Figure where your child's waistline hits on the shirt and sew the elastic in there. Pin it in the middle to start with and stretch to edges to ensure even gathering. Sew in place with a zig zag stitch.

That's it! Your all done. It looks extra cute with a matching tank underneath - otherwise you could see her tummy!

If you're still reading and if your interested, I cut a little extra ribbon from all 7 colors of my felt and I'd like to send it to one of my followers so you can create your own top or just whatever you'd like. :) Just leave a comment letting me know your interested (and please follow me if you don't already) and I'll choose a winner in a week or so.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sweet Sugar Plum Birthday Dress

Hey there. I've been MIA this week - but not for lack of material to post. The mornings are so busy if I don't preschedule a bunch in advance then I just never get around to it.

Anyway.... I want to share the dress I put together for my little miss' 4th birthday. She requested a purple dress this year and we picked out some very pretty pinky/purple lace from Ben Franklin. It took almost 15 yards to make a size 3T!

The shape is just a basic A-line - I taped together a bodice pattern with a skirt slip pattern and did a little snipping here and there to create the shape I was going for.  The lace is sewn right onto a good quality muslin without any ruffling - that might have been even cuter though!

I tried the keyhole neckline again - such an amazing alternative to sewing in zippers! The button closure was covered with a bit of scrap fabric that was that same shade of purple. For the dress lining I used an old ribbed sweater so it would be extra cozy and warm inside.

The sleeves are my favorite part of this dress!! I wanted the shoulders to be very poufy but the sleeves to be slim. I cut down a pattern for regular sleeves but still had to make a 1" seam to create the very slim silhouette. They could have been just a touch longer but it probably would have bothered her and gotten into her food - still a messy eater - so we compromised.

And one more look at the front view :) I don't like taking photos inside with the flash but it has been so cold here there is just no going out without the heavy artillerary for even a few moments. We picked out some black sparkly tights to go with and she has been asking to wear both every single day this week and has thanked me about a million times. I am just so glad that she loves it. Every little gal needs to feel her very best on her special day.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to post my new skirt tomorrow. Night!

Halloween Costume: Little Mermaid

Yesterday I finished up the final kiddie costume! Saved the hardest one for last since I never did find a pattern that was just right. The green sequin material and netting came from Joann's and the purple is from a thifted wrap top and tank. Pattern was made from measuring her clothes.

We couldn't do the sea shell top because it will just be too cold so I sewed in a tank top covered with a sheer top. It's just disassembled from the wrap top and sewn together in a smaller size. Left an opening on the outside of the sleeves and added in a couple fins there. Ariel doesn't have those, I was told, but she did accept it when the costume was finished.

There are fins on the sleeves and also on the hips. I put a wire stem in each one to help them stand up a little.

And the tail. It was so hard to make this look realistic and easy to walk in. We settled in the middle and added some extra ruffle detail to make up for the lack of authenticity. There is about 2 yards wide of tulle ruffled together to help it poof out. Hmm, maybe I could just sew an extra triangle of fabric in between the fins? That might look much better.

Added a fin in the back as well.

My little gypsy fish. We're off for the first round of trick-or-treating tonight at the zoo. What are you planning to be or will you dress up at all?