9 posts tagged “toddler”

I made Kate this twirly skirt from some cute poplin fabric I had lying around. As you can see, she's is absolutely ecstatic to wear it.

Kate's been under the weather this week and has wanted to be held constantly. Which I don't mind, BUT... I need my arms to, well... do stuff! For this carrier, I used my mom's old black jeans for the shoulder and waist straps. I used leftover fabric for the carrier and hood. I wasn't very familiar with mei tai carriers before I made it. Kate loved being held in a Hot Sling and Baby Bjorn when she was little but since she's so tall, she quickly outgrew them both! The Mei Tai can hold a toddler up to 40 pounds. Kate's 28 pounds, so I think I'll have a while. It basically holds her in a piggy-back position on my back. It's surprisingly comfortable to wear (thanks to extra padding I added to the shoulder and waist straps). I think when Brad and I go to New Mexico next month, we'll bring this instead of a stroller. Kate mostly likes to walk places but when she gets tired, I'll just strap her on my back and go!

... okay, really, REALLY bad joke (sorry). Last night I got a heap of fabric in the mail that I ordered with some b-day money.

And even though I was going to take a break for a few days from sewing, I saw the hot pink Euro-style knit fabric (bottom of pile) and HAD, I mean HAD to make something right away. I googled "shirring" and found some tutorials on craftster. I was intrigued. So, I loaded my bobbin with elastic thread and went to town. Shirring isn't as scary as I anticipated. Although, I did pull the threads a little to tight, so the dress is a wee bit snug. But hey, fashion hurts sometimes, right?

Jenny :)

My daughter, Kate, is wonderful. She's smart, sweet, and quirky. But the girl is ALWAYS thirsty. Which means I end up lugging sippy cups wherever I go. And when she starts to have a melt down for "hoose" (which she calls any beverage), I end up frantically digging in my giant diaper bag for it. No more, friends. No more! I used Kathy Mack's awesome pattern and adapted it a bit to make a sippy cup / water bottle holder for my girl. I made it during her nap time today and she doesn't want to take it off (jack pot!!). Plus, she thinks it's fascinating to repeatedly shove the sippy cup in and yank it out of the holder.

Jenny :)

I whipped this up last night (another Ottobre pattern). It's #3 from the Spring 2008 magazine. It went together pretty well. I'm very happy with the actual hood part. I gathered a little too much on the front panels, so the vest lifts up a little in the front. Oh well, I'll know better next time! I like the fabric on this vest; it's cotton but has a sateen finish. The inside is lined in fleece.

Jenny :)

I made these pants for Kate last night from the Ottobre Spring 2008 magazine. They are so stinking cute. The only thing I am not pleased with is the waistband is a little large. But the sash helps cinch it. Kate's between sizes right now, but I went ahead and made her the larger European size (92) because I figure she could get more use out of them. Especially since the poplin fabric is so light weight, she really won't be able to wear them until at least April. Take a look!

Hmm... if the pictures aren't enough for you, here's a sweet video of my not-so-shy model!

Jenny :)

I received my first Ottobre magazine in the mail this week and ... OH ... MY ... GOODNESS!! I am so in love. All of the patterns come on these poster-sized sheets that look like gibberish but as it turns out, the patterns are relatively easy to trace. I took the large sheets to Mardel's this morning and got them laminated for $1.80. I guess I can't fold them up anymore but now they'll last forever.

Anyway, last night I sewed this pinafore dress from the Spring 2008 Ottobre catalog for Kate. I got the fabric from Sewzanne's. It is from Anna Maria Horner's "Chocolate Lollipop" line. I just adore how bright and cheery the fabric it. And if anyone is interested, the customer service and prices at Sewzanne's are killer. I will most definitely order from her again!

I just had to have Kate wear the pinafore dress today, even though it's only 30 degrees here in Dallas. I did put the cardigan on her though. Besides, who couldn't use a little punchy fabric on a dreary, wet day?

Take a look:

* Now it's time to decide what to sew next from the Ottobre mag :)

I also made another crayon roll (this time for Kate).

I have had a lot of requests to post a tutorial for the nap mat. Here is the tutorial if you would like to download the PDF and print it.

My friend Jaime needed a nap mat for her daughter for preschool rest time. I love the fabric on this nap mat; it's so girly and fun. Minky fabric is pretty slippery when sewing. But other than that, the pattern was a breeze. Speaking of pattern, I found a free one online I kind of liked but I wasn't sold on it. I modified it a bit and came up with this:

I used a foam insert instead of batting to add extra cushion. I also finished one length of the mat with velcro, so the foam can be easily removed before washing.

Thanks for looking!

Jenny :)

Oh my goodness, I will never, ever, not in a million years sew on this plastic-feeling purple, slippery fabric again!! The princess dress didn't turn out nearly as well executed as I had hoped (and apparently zippers are tough for me), but it's done! And Kate will be snazzed up for her friend's princess-themed birthday party tomorrrow. The pattern was Butterick 4320. Take a look:

Jenny :)