Sequin Sparkle Easter Dress

Most of the time I am inspired first by a design then I think about the fabric second. But when I walked past this cream organza with flocked polka dots I had to have it and luckily Easter was around the corner and I had a purpose to use it for. Just bolts away from the flocked polka dots was a gold sequin overlay fabric that paired perfectly. The fabrics told me what they were to be made into.

{Nash is sort of covered up in the above photo only because I didn't sew his outfit, except for his tie. That doesn't mean that he isn't the most handsome sweetest little love of my life. Just that I don't really sew for boys, darn it.}




It's all about the collar. As a last minute thought, I used a metallic gold piping around the edges and it turned out to make all the difference. There are so many frustrations in designing and sewing that it is nice when something turns out just like you wanted it the first time you tried it. I think I kissed that collar after it was sewn in.




I also scored these cute mint and gold shoes from H&M (to match the brother's shirt) and a cream tutu underskirt on clearance for $2.50 that was exactly what the dress needed. You can see it peeking under the dress and I could kiss it too.




I tried to keep the design simple on purpose but did add a couple details like the exposed metallic zipper in back and the button closings on the back of the sleeve cuffs.




Hey even Bunny got a matching dress for Easter. I thought about making hers with the collar, but then I thought no. There are more crucial things in life than sewing collars for stuffed bunnies.




And not only did Drew's Easter dress come together so smoothly, but my kids actually loved eachother when I was trying to take pictures of them. I'm glad I documented this early because on actual Easter morning when I tried to get pictures before church, things were not so friendly.




And just for fun...



It was last year's Easter dress that voted me into the Project Run & Play competition! I love that dress although I think she only wore it once or twice. She decided to grow super tall and make that short dress a little inappropriate for church.

Stop growing up!

All Types of Stripes

When I was thinking about Chevron Week for Project Run & Play, I knew I wanted the chevron I used to be subtle. A couple years ago I updated all of our patio furniture cushions and pillows in a bold yellow and white chevron print. While I still like the cushions, I like that they are outdoors and not in my house. I guess after the experience I tired a little of chevron and I have never bought more of it again.



But I am a sucker for stripes. Probably half of mine and my children's closets are filled with stripes. And I have been pinning dresses that play with stripes in all different directions and I am liking that too.



There was no quick part of creating this dress. It took me time to figure out the pattern. Then it took me a lot of time to cut the pieces in the right direction using the right side of the fabric. And then piecing and sewing it all together took longer than I expected too. And in the end there is no actual chevron in the dress, although you are supposed to see it going vertical up the sides of the dress.



This last picture makes me laugh a little. The way her neck and shoulders are all tense and I know her face is scrunched up because I asked her to turn around for a picture of the back of the dress. You see, Drew has been modeling for me since she was two and the girl does not like to be told what to do or directed in her photo shoots. She is in charge of the photo shoot and my job is to just stay quiet and snap away on the camera. "How dare she tell ME how to pose," she is thinking.


Next week is all about the details- choose a favorite detail to showcase in a children's wear design. I'm thinking pleats.

Traveling Artist

I have been looking forward to sewing along with Project Run & Play again, and perhaps sewing past the first week and doing all of the challenges. It is just so much fun to play along!

The first week's challenge is to be inspired by art- Choose an artist, art movement, or artwork and create a children's look inspired by your choice. I thought and thought about this one. There were so many possibilities. But every idea I kept coming up with did not pass my Is This Worth Making Test: Will Drew wear it?

Because see, there are too many of my precious hours hanging up in her closet going unworn. It doesn't matter if it had every color of pink and was covered in mermaids, rainbows, and butterflies, and sang the My Little Pony theme song. This girl is all about ease and comfort.

Which for her is a knit dress. No zippers or buttons to deal with. Nothing to give her a wedgie (which she claims every pair of shorts and pants does). Something she can tear off in an instant and put on a different knit dress that better suits her fancy. Knit dresses are the only thing I can get her to wear without putting up a struggle!



So I found this paint splatter knit jersey, in reference to Jackson Pollock of course, and made a simple dress by copying the pattern of her favorite H&M dresses she wears every day and lengthened the shoulder seams. Cutting and sewing this thing together was a breeze. I'm starting to like her easy taste.

So did it pass the Is This Worth Making Test?...



Yep! It's easy and comfortable and she loves it. Add it to her slew of knit dresses she changes in and out of all day long.

And for fun I painted on the little pocket and flowers using a black textile paint and a paint brush. I can't take credit for the pocket idea since I saw it on a cute dress from Anthropologie here.



Since we are on the topic of art and Drew, Drew is an aspirting artist herself.

I think it was Pablo Picasso who said that, "Every child is an artist." I'm sure this is true. I can't speak for every child, but with Drew she is an artist because of her confidence. She doesn't overthink and she doesn't get stuck. That girl produces and produces and I have dresser drawers full of her art, drawings, books, etc. to prove it.

So a couple of weeks ago Drew came up with a whopper of an idea and even though I told her no several times, she persisted and I finally let her follow through with her plan. She combined her love of art and her new found love of earning money and decided to sell her art on the side of the road.

Yes. She made art. Then she made a sign. And she stood outside our house and tried to sell her art for 5 cents a piece.



Her exact words to me, "Everyone will want to buy my pictures and I will make so much money!"



Sadly, she still has much to learn on the business side of things. Her sign was too small and even though she continuously yelled out loud, "Picture Sale for 5 cents!", everyone that drove by didn't know what she was doing and just smiled and waved.



A neigbor taking out her trash did hear Drew's yelling though and came over to see what she was doing. She bought her butterfly picture and even paid her a whole dollar for it. I finally convinced her to close up shop and go back inside after she made a sale.

She rolled up that dollar and carried it around the rest of the day! And then her Daddy came home from work and bought the rest of the pictures from her.



Her confidence makes her an artist and I hope she never loses that. Also her drive to earn money. I think this kid is going to be successful.


If you want to see the looks I made back when I competed in Project Run & Play, check out this post!

Baptism White

[photo by Plainly Taken Photography]

For a very long time I have wanted to sell my tuxedo dress all in white as a baptism and special occasion dress.


[photo by Plainly Taken Photography]

The tuxedo dress is sort of my bread and butter. Over the years I have made well over 200 tuxedo dresses in all different colors. It looks great in every color, but I especially love it in white.


[photo by Plainly Taken Photography]

White is not a color kids can wear every day, I don't think. But a white dress for a blessing, a wedding, a baptism, or at the temple is definitely appropriate and special. Girls in white are angelic.


[photo by Plainly Taken Photography]

The details of the dress are harder to see but as a coordinating fabric I use a white-on-white pindot print for the ruffles, sleeve cuffs, and tie around the waist.


[photos by Plainly Taken Photography]

I hate to add this not pretty photo after all those beautiful images but in order to see the pindots I had to zoom in, boost up the contrast of the photo a ton, and point it out to you with arrows:



Can you see them?

The close up is of the white tuxedo dress I made about a year ago for my new baby niece's blessing day. I wish I had a picture of her wearing it because she is dang cute, but I just have this picture from my phone...




It is quite the challenge to make dresses in these tiny sizes, sewing in those little sleeve holes. But they sure do turn out so cute.

You can find this dress in my shop now finally, I am so excited.

***Also, the beautiful images I noted above are taken by Heather from Plainly Taken Photography who is super talented, as you can see.

****I love this poem...

My Three White Dresses
by Linda Gay Perry Nelson

My mom bought me a white dress,
Not red or pink or blue.
She said it was a special dress
Like very other few,
There has been just one before,
A dress now put away,
That I wore some time ago
Upon my blessing day.
As a little baby clothed in my first white dress,
My dad held me in his arms,
There to name and bless.
So pure and clean was I just then,
With time to grow and learn
About the Father's plan for me.
My glory I must earn.
Now I've reached the age to judge
The wrong road from the right,
And I am here to be baptized
In this dress of white.
So once again I'm free from sin.
The path is clear to me.
I'll grasp the rod and hold on tight, I vow with certainty.
Just as mud would stain my dress,
Sin would stain my soul.
The key is to repent or bleach,
For whiteness is my goal.
And if I try my very best,
Then richly blessed I'll be,
Wearing inside God's holy house
White dress number three,
So today I make this pledge:
I'll strive to choose the right,
Through this sacred baptism ordinance
In my second dress of white.

Happy Love Day and a Dress

Happy Valentine's Day! With my holiday-lovin' girl it feels like we pretty much live holiday to holiday around here. My last post was for Halloween and today I deliver Valentines Day. Sure, my blog may have missed a few holidays in between, but it is mainly because we are living it up so much in real life.

This year my valentine asked to design her own dress so she came to me with the following sketch.



Her drawings melt my heart. Because she's my oldest I sometimes treat her like she is older than she really is. But then I see the little figures she draws and I realize that she is still my little girl... neck-less and with balls for hands and feet.

Her requirements: long sleeves, pockets, and a bow.



I met one of her requirements. The dress has pockets. We compromised with the sleeves since even in February in Phoenix, long sleeves are impractical. Plus these elbow-length sleeves are kind of my thing. I really love them. Also my new thing, those contrasting shoulder pieces. I don't think I am going to stop using those for a while. They are so fun to add to make a simple design special.

As for the bow, she nixed it once she saw the finished dress. "No bow. I like it just like it is," she said. I totally agree with her design decision and am proud she knows how to edit her ideas.

There was one big problem with the finished dress though. One big, gaping problem and that was the neckline. Even though I've sewn with knits a lot I still run into problems with hemming and usually in the neckline. You have to be careful not to stretch or warp the fabric as you work with it. By the time I finished sewing the binding around the neck, the thing had at least doubled in size. So frustrating! You can see it in my below Instagram pic (if you want to insta-follow me, my username is chelisepatterson)



Drew loved it anyway and still insisted on wearing it, even though two of her heads could have fit through that thing. But I'm kind of wierd in that I would like the things I take so much time and effort on to actually be wearable. Wierd I know.

So I picked off all the binding, stitched a gathering stitch along the front neck, gathered it in, and re-sewed on the binding. Fixed.



The day I finished the dress with the gaping neckline though, I got online and ordered this Knit Stay Tape I have wanted to try for a while. I ordered mine from here and received it quickly, only a few days later. I can't wait to try it on my next knit project! I will iron it around my neckline pieces before I do any sewing with the fabric.



Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

........

To get the free photoshop arrows I used in my pictures, go here! (Except for the arrow-through-the-head-one, I modified that.)

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Also, here is the valentine my kids sent out to family this year! Drew wrote in the names on her white heart after we had them printed.



Smooch!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Princess Peach and Mario! Drew decided their costumes this year and wouldn't be swayed. I would have rather done something really original and unique, but hey I guess Halloween isn't all about me. So even though I saw ten other little Marios running around our church party last Saturday, I love how the costumes turned out.

Especially Princess Peach's dress...



The bodice is a basic pattern I use all the time for her that I know fits perfectly. The skirt piece is a circle skirt with a strip of hot pink sewn along the bottom. I took a basic sleeve pattern and about tripled it's width to get the poofy sleeves. The scalloped collar uses heavy interfacing to get it to stand up straight. And I used this tutorial to figure out how to make the side poofy things.She also wore a tutu underneath to give the dress more oomph. I did a tutorial for the treat bags here.

And then there is Mario.



Awe man. This little guy will forever get whatever he wants from me. I am powerless to him. I kept his costume as simple as possible since I knew it wouldn't get worn for dress up or anything.  His overalls I made by drafting a quick pattern from a pair of his pants. The hat was made using this tutorial. And his shirt is his big sister's size 4 tee that of course fits my 18-month-old. He's a man-child, expecially with that mustache.

Now let's see if I can get geared up for some more trick-or-treating tonight!


Also, thanks to those who voted in our pumpkin contest! Jason's Headless Halfback pumpkin won by two votes. Yay.

Cast Your Vote!

We were up until 2am carving, gutting, pizza-eating, sculpting, Mountain Dew-drinking, laughing, helmet-wearing, and picture-taking. Patterson Pumpkin Carving Contest 2012. It was a perfect night. Now is your time to vote! (super quick survey at bottom of post)

Meet the contestants...



Prior to suffering his season-ending decapitation in 1991, Joe Smith (aka the Headless Halfback) ended more players careers with his vicious hits than anyone. Since, however, nobody has done more to promote safety in football with his "scared-straight" seminars. The audience really responds to a talking body-less head in a helmet. After the seminars, his handler Hans Reiser will carry Joe to the local pub where he enjoys an appletini prior to embracing the ladies of the night.




And his worthy opponent...



Cast your eyes on Gourdusa, the stone cold pumpkin killer, but men it may be your last look. However this beautiful seductress ain't all that bad. She volunteers most of her time between the local pet shop (where all the small mice seem to go missing) and the male school for the blind. Despite her obvious feminine charm, she is no pampered princess: her main hobbies include masonry and stone sculpting.



Here they are together one last time...


Now VOTE!

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