Swingset Tunic Dress, CC Taylor & Portrait Peasant Top

 

Here they are again. One day I will get a picture with both of them in it. For now, they must safely remain in separate photos. I've already blogged about the Swingset Tunic Dress that I made for Lucy. I love Oliver+S. I love this pattern. Charlotte is rocking Taylor again and the reverse side of this one is...

 

this made from my leftover bird fabric. Lucy wore a dress (CC Kitty) made from this fabric for her birthday when she turned one and then I just set the fabric aside and sort of forgot about it. I'm glad I found it again this summer to create some cute matching outfits for the girls. Lucy is wearing this peasant dress. I lengthened the shirt by about three inches to make it into a dress and used some pink gingham for the sleeves because I wasn't sure how the bird cages would look when gathered and sewn raglan style.

I rarely put their first initial on things, I'm not really sure why? I think it's because in my mind I think if I put one initial it should be an "E" because it is then reusable, so I put a full monogram which is never reusable. I finally realized a full monogram is less reusable than a single letter. I mean eventually my friends will have kids and surely someone will name them something that begins with a "C" or "L." Here's hoping!

She's come so far! Charlotte should be able to wear this one next summer and Lucy will still fit in her peasant dress it will just be a top. Hooray for sisters born almost exactly two years apart and hand-me-downs!

4th of July Sisters!

Charlotte is wearing Taylor by Children's Corner and will be wearing this bubble for the rest of the hot days of summer. I have made lots of them! I need to take a picture of them all hanging on a clothesline just because it would be cute. The pattern is reversible and fits her great with room to grow. I whipped this one up during Lucy's nap time on the 4th of July right before we left for our friends house, eek! 

Lucy is wearing this sort of strange little pattern I got from here. It is this baby dress which looks really cute and simple in the picture. It was cute and was simple to put together minus one detail - the pattern didn't include seam allowances...I don't think? Well, it said "seam allowance needed" on all of the pattern pieces so I assumed that meant I should add it. Well, I did add it, myself, as I cut it out. This was not the most scientific approach and therefore I had to do a little patchwork on the inside facing, but that's just between you and me! I finished this one about midnight on July 3rd. New goal: make clothes ahead of time, at least a few days ahead.

I love these crochet appliques. They are so easy to add. I just use my button-attaching foot and tack them down. I have a few more in my drawer just waiting for the right outfit. I also feel a strong urgency to order more. I don't need more. I don't need more. The ones on these outfits are from here. (Woah! When I just visited their site to add the link, they have really jazzed up the place! I mean, it's still not super cool, but for a quilting website, I'm impressed.) 

I have these...

  

I sort of want these...

& have you ever looked up "crochet applique" on Etsy? Probably not.

Amazing.

These are from Applique Farm and they ship from Malaysia.

 

I love the owl. I need the owl.

These are from Annie Design and ship from Ireland.

Clearly, I am not the only one into crochet appliques, just maybe the only one in the United States.

They match!

I put a picture of Charlotte's Classic Raglan Daygown a few posts ago, but here she is with her sister. They match! Well, to be honest they match a lot. That's what my next few posts will be about. Sister outfits of all kinds. I mean it's just too easy not to make them match when I sew most of their clothes myself.

I stole this photo from my mom's facebook and it was taken with her iphone so it's not the best quality, but you get the idea. Charlotte is wearing her Classic Raglan Dress and Lucy is wearing an applique t-shirt with matching ruffle pants. These pants are great due to the fact that they fit for a couple of years because they just get shorter. 

Lucy sat next to me at my sewing machine while we appliqued her shirt. She picked the squirrel! She would. 

CC Hillary & Michie #132 Sunsuit

I finally finished these outfits for my little girls! They have each been about 75% complete for over a month. I am making myself go through my stacks of unfinished things and hem them, add button holes, sew on buttons, etc. so that I have finished outfits before I start any new projects. I still need to make a monogrammed patch for Lucy's dress, but that will happen eventually. Now that I know I will have someone else to wear everything I'm becoming much more conservative with my monogramming, unless of course I put our last initial.

 

Martha Pullen's Classic Raglan Daygown

One of the reasons I blog is because I like to look at other people's blogs and see patterns already stitched out. I like to see patterns created from heirloom and modern fabrics, with different styles and embellishments. It often amazes me how one pattern can be interpreted in so many different ways.

Here is the Classic Raglan Daygown from Martha Pullen's Precious Baby Daygowns Round Yoke Collection sewn in the original way it was intended. It is sweet and simple with solid batiste and lace. I made it for Charlotte to wear in photos and at all the fancy events she will attend as a newborn (so, probably not much!). If I had known she was going to have such fair skin I probably would have made it in pink, but the green looks just as good and coordinated nicely with Lucy's birthday dress.

The gown just has a bit of lace around the neck and hem. I'll take a picture of it hanging or flat sometime, but right now I'm pretty sure it is in a wad in the laundry hamper. Oh well,  it was so nice while it was starched clean.

Oh and remember this dress. I used the exact same pattern and achieved such different looks.

Creations by Michie #120 Sundress

So what if Lucy coordinated with the table cloth at her birthday party. Everyone else should be glad I didn't make them coordinate as well. I always see these tie tutorials and one day I'm going to create one and he's going to have to wear it!

I know I'm biased, but she's pretty cute! It's also pretty amazing how much better professional pictures are then the ones I take. Thanks again MD Turner Photography!

I love Michie' Mooney's patterns and I can't figure out why? I guess it's just that they are so classic, but their directions seem to have been written in modern times. Well, I know they were written in modern times because she comes out with new ones all the time and has a blog! One day when I'm old and have time and smock I'm sure I will love these patterns even more.

I used Amy Butler's Love Fabric for this little number and I think Lucy pulled it off, along with her table setting, quite well. Purple has always been her color. I never regret sewing with high quality fabric. I just wish it were cheaper!

Lucy turned 2!

Lucy turned two on June 14th and she was so excited about her birthday party, cake, and candles. She had no idea that presents were even involved, so they were just a bonus and something we really could have left out all together. I set a simple table and we celebrated the Saturday morning after her birthday with a few family members and out-of-town friend. 

I made this tissue paper garland and a quick fabric table topper out of 2 yards of fabric. We had breakfast casserole, fruit, and an amazing strawberry cake.