Domestic Goddess ... I Wish

Having a cute little quilting store just down the street is great for whipping up cute projects, not so good on my wallet. Nevertheless, here is my latest sewing project.

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. But, I can't take much of the credit. I bought the super cute fabric and pattern at Seasons of Home, here in Midway.

The pattern, by Amy Butler, is adorable, but took longer than I anticipated. The photo does not allow you, dear reader, to appreciate the pleats, pockets, and top stitching that make this adorable apron so wonderful. After several long hours, though, I finished and am very pleased with the result. The pattern, although complex, was easy to follow and the finished product is sturdy. This apron is a gift and I look forward to making myself one!

Birthday Banner!

Little E's first birthday was in June and we celebrated in style at my grandparent's cabin in Idaho. I wanted to create something special for his birthday that we could use to start a family tradition. I started looking for a pattern to make a fabric birthday banner. When I saw this on a friend's blog, I was ecstatic. I went directly to the Esty shop at purchased the pattern.


The result: simple to sew and quite fun! I am so pleased with how my banner turned out. I can't wait to use it again and again!

The shop is Bonne Nouvelle. Unfortunately, it is closed for the summer. But I would highly reccomed checking back in the fall!

Dishtowel Bibs

I don't know about you other moms, but I have had a tough time finding bibs that will adequately cover Little E's clothes. Especially now that he is getting older, all the bibs in the stores seem too small. Enter my mom's fabulous creation: Dishtowel Bibs! Once you get the hang of it, these are super easy to make and only take 10 minutes to whip up. These bibs are great if you can find a good deal on the dish towels. I thought you might want to make some, so here's how.

This is my first ever tutorial, so please be patient with me!

Supplies

1 dishtowel

coordinating ribbing (enough for a 3" x 13" strip)*

thread

scissors

sewing machine

*You can adjust the size depending on your baby's head. Little E is 12 months old and through some trial and error we found this size to fit over his head and still be snug. The pictures are of our first try, which was 15" and I thought it was too big.

Instructions

1 - Cut your ribbing into a 3" x 13" strip.

2 - Sew ends of ribbing together. (Right sides facing)

3 - Fold ribbing in half, wrong sides together. (seam inside)

4 - Cut a neck hole in the dish towel. The diameter should be 1 - 1 1/2 inch smaller than your ribbing.

5 - Using 4 straight pins, pin your ribbing to the dish towel, right sides together. The ribbing should be smaller than the hole, so you will need to stretch the ribbing as you sew. It works better if you pin the ribbing down in 4 places so you stretch it evenly as you sew.

6 - Sew using a finishing stitch.

7 - Turn the ribbing under and viola!

Little E seems happy with his new bib!

Sewing Safari Part 1: Dresses!

Dan and I are going on a cruise! Yea! Besides the fun we're going to have, I am super excited about the cute clothes I get to wear. I will need two dresses: a cute casual dress and a cocktail/semi-formal dress. Do you know how hard it is to find dresses? I always have a difficult time finding one I love, that fits, and is reasonably priced. So, I have enlisted my mom's help as I embark on an adventure: sewing two dresses in two months. (Keep in mind that while I technically "know how to sew," it has been years and my biggest projects were dresses for my American Girl dolls)

The first dress, my casual/Sunday dress will use the same pattern as this dress, recently featured on our family blog:

This dress belongs to my little sister, and I almost stole it from her because I love it so much. Yesterday I bought the loveliest green linen look fabric and can't wait to cut it out! I love green dresses!

I really debated about whether to buy or make my cocktail dress. I want it to look really stunning, and I found the perfect dress at Nordstrom. But I wasn't quite ready to fork out the stunning price. So, I did some investigating and found a pattern for the EXACT SAME dress from Butterick! As an added bonus, my mom said it wouldn't be too difficult to sew. We'll see about that.

Favorite Things Installment 1: Sock Attack

If you read my previous post, you will know I recently found a lot of cool new things from my friends.

One of Dacia's favorite things she shared was the CUTEST sock monkeys that she makes for friends. Dacia made one for Ethan and it was the only stuffed animal he liked for the longest time and is still his favorite. The above monkey is not one of hers, but is similar.


So, after a little web research and tons of cuter than cute ideas, I am just itching to make my own. Of course, being Michelle, I would need to buy a book. Because there is a book for everything. This is the book I want:





Oh, my gosh! Doesn't that little dog just kill you?!

But, I must hold my breath on this one. You see, dear reader, I already have enough crafty projects for one little Michelle to handle at the moment. For now I will just dream in socks!


If you are interested in making your very own adorable creation, you can see a step by step tutorial by visiting THIS WEBSITE or a simple overview on THIS WEBSITE.