little apple apron

February 18, 2016April 19, 20167 Comments

this little guy turned TWO last week! i would say “already,” but his unpredictable sleep habits were a major contributor to the fact that i blog a lot less than i used to, so part of me feels like i’ve been waiting him out, knowing eventually he’d learn that waking up crying right as mom and dad drift off to sleep is NOT COOL. anyway, he’s two now! he’s putting extremely adorable sentences together, he sings along to songs with the big kids, and he loves to pretend cook, especially soup!

for his birthday, i wanted to make him a fat quarter apron, which i’ve made for both big kids (never blogged). they’ve been hanging in his play kitchen area and he has been putting them on lately, so it was time. Continue reading →

baby geranium in spectacle

July 30, 2015July 29, 201529 Comments

i’ve been doing a lot of baby gift sewing lately. i have two pregnant sisters (one due with her fourth baby in August, one due with her first in October) and it’s been fun making some special little things for both of them.

unfortunately, due to my chronic procrastinator status, i’m usually sewing right up to the time i should be leaving for their baby showers, and haven’t had time for blog photos. i did get some for this little dress though!

i’ve been getting so much wear out of my double gauze nani IRO alder dress this summer, so i decided to use the scraps to make a baby dress for my sister Laura, who is baking a little girl (it’s her first baby). Continue reading →

handpainted sidekick tote

January 6, 2015January 6, 201533 Comments

a while back, my buddy Anna from Noodlehead asked if i’d help give her newly revamped Sidekick Tote pattern a once-over as she prepared to re-release it, which she did in late November. i’d sewn the Sidekick Tote before and remembered really enjoying it, so i was game. i didn’t remember the pattern having any stumbling blocks the first time, but PDF patterns have come a long way in the last couple years, so I get why Anna wanted to spruce it up a bit. the diagrams are a little clearer, the cutting instructions and sewing directions are a little easier to follow, that sort of thing. this time i thought it’d be fun to try a bit of hand painting on the fabric, inspired by another Portland crafty lady, Anna Joyce. i’ve admired Anna’s work at various craft shows and boutiques around town. i also follow her on instagram, where i noticed lately she’s been doing a lot of simple but graphic handpainting/stamping onto fabric, and it’s the type where i go “heeeeey i think i could do that!” Continue reading →

thank you foldover clutch

October 1, 2014October 1, 201429 Comments

before i show you the sewing, i’ve got a little story.

it’s no secret that my little gal has a strong affinity for elephants. she has since she was about a year old, and the obsession continues to this day. it’s pretty cute to have this feminine little girl that loooooves giant gray mammals with huge noses, but hey she loves what she loves!

well. she has about 20 stuffed elephants, but her favorite has always been Frankie, and E is very attached to her. Frankie is Real in the Velveteen Rabbit sense – loved to the point of shabbiness. one day, E dropped Frankie somewhere between summer camp and home, and we didn’t realize she was missing until bedtime. her absence caused a panic. E has a huge heart and tons of empathy for everyone and everything, and she was so certain that Frankie would be very sad and lonely without her. of course, E was very sad and lonely without Frankie. my husband and i were worried that someone would see a “ratty old stuffie” on the sidewalk and would just toss her in the trash. it broke our hearts, and after making the walk himself to look for her, my husband even found and ordered the same type of elephant on ebay (though of course Frankie could never be replaced).

fortunately, this story has a happy ending. in fact, E happened to drop her in front of pretty much the best house possible. Monica, a mom of three little boys that could see how loved Frankie was, noticed her on the sidewalk and kept her safe that night. my husband and i actually went to high school with Monica and say hi when we see each other in the neighborhood, and her son was even attending the same summer camp! it was a wonderful coincidence that the next day at camp (after I had searched the place top to bottom) she came over and said “is anyone here missing a stuffed elephant?” i freaked out, hugged her, and beelined straight to her house, where she had kept Frankie dry (yet visible!) during the overnight rain…

i mean! oh man! it made me cry! E was thrilled to be reunited with her special stuffie, of course, and thought it was funny that Frankie “spent the night in a tree.” i had to make Monica a thank you gift. wouldn’t you?? an especially good deed deserves a handmade thank you, for sure.

i made a foldover clutch from my tutorial (with two tone variation tutorial by Cherie). Continue reading →

stitched together for rachel: a little star

July 28, 2014July 31, 201421 Comments

one of my favorite kids clothes bloggers, Rachel from Stitched Together, is having a baby any day now! it will be her fifth child (!) and the new little gal definitely deserves some special gifts and attention.

another sweet blogger, Victoria, had the idea to make Rachel a collaborative baby mobile and contacted some of Rachel’s bloggy friends to secretly plot and sew. we set a color theme of navy, gold, mint, white, and peach – all used in a favorite fabric line, ARIZONA by April Rhodes. i love the colors in April’s line, so this was great news to me!

Continue reading →