More than a Hobby

People ask why I sew, and then sum it up to a hobby. Which it is - a pervasive, consuming hobby! But I realized as I worked on my latest project that sewing is so much more for me.


This week at KandF Shops we are doing an Easter theme (gosh, Easter is early this year! Yikes!!). I have the perfect Easter Fabric, it's sweet and pink and has flowers and gardening tools and the sweetest little bunnies peeking out of flower pots. I pulled this fabric from my stash, knowing it would be perfect in theme, and felt a sense of desperation. I looked at what I had left (about a yard) and realized that dress I was envisioning would use the rest of this sweet fabric up, and I would no longer have it sitting in my stash.


I know you are thinking, "So what? Big Deal! There's always cute fabric, and your stash is rather, um, large anyway." The thing is, this fabric means so much to me. Seeing it and touching it takes me back to my little girls being babies. Why? Because my sister made Abby the sweetest spring outfit using it -- a onesie from the fabric, and then the cutest sherpa leggings and a sherpa jacket with little bear ears on the hood. She then gave me the remnants from that project, and I made Draya a little bitty baby outfit from it as well. And then she wore the sherpa outfit as a hand me down.


So as I fondle this fabric, which in reality is probably nothing special, just a nice cotton knit, I am taken back to when Abby received that cutest little bear outfit. And then to Draya snuggling in her romper type outfit from the same fabric. You know how they say a smell can bring back a memory? Fabric does that for me.


However, it was too perfect not to use. And while I mourn the loss, I hope some little girl and her mommy will find joy in the last of this fabric:

And those are my somewhat sappy mommy reflections for the day :)

Celtic Fun and Planning ahead again!

The theme this week and KandF was Celtic Inspirations. I sorted through my collection of embroideries and found some that fit the bill, I was so happy! I found a celtic shamrock I had collected somewhere along the way, and I realized this will also be the perfect shirt for St. Patrick's Day, which we celebrate being Irish.

I have also got to start on my girls' summer wardrobes, or they have no prayer of getting done before summer. In the spirit of that, I made some embroidered capris in the size I think Abby will be wearing now. Thankfully, they do fit pretty well, so now with a few alterations I will have one pattern ready to go to sew for her! I think I will also be using this embroidery for her, I love the simplicity of it. I think that is why I like celtic designs so much, they are simple but beautiful!

I am also VERY excited for this weekend! We have finally saved up enough money that we are going to go and get some real grown-up furniture! We have been married for almost 7 years, and in that time we have been blessed with used furniture hand me downs. Our living room doesn't come close to matching, which didn't really both us that much. We have been paying things off and saving like crazy to purchase a home in the next year or so (if the real estate market would stop tanking!), and we decided it was time to reward our good behavior with something fun that we wanted. So we are going shopping tomorrow, and hoping we find what we want in our budget! It will be nice to have a comfortable place to sit and cuddle with the kiddos, and will be great not to have that expense after we buy our house! I'm starting to feel like a real grownup!

Happy Valentines!

Ah, the day of love...and the day of the sugar rush around here!

The girlies had great parties at their school, and came home exhausted, full of candy and sugar, and toting bags of valentines from their classmates each. They wore their Valentine Shirts I made them a few weeks ago, and just melted my heart walking around school in their semi-matchy matchy outfits. I do love having two little girls to coordinate.

Daddy got each of them a candy valentine, and they gobbled those up as soon as they were opened. Tonight you can tell they are coming off the sugar high, and will be crashing hard for bed!

I was a bad mama for valentines for their classmates. I had wonderful aspirations of crafting homemade valentines with them, but in the end the Dollar Store valentines with Dora and the Backyardigans won out for convenience!

I hope you all had a wonderful and loving Valentine's Day!

To be soooo tired

I love how kids can sleep anywhere and everywhere when they are exhausted. Andraya is at that age where when she is tired, she can just crash. Even if it's in a random spot or her dinner plate. I came out the other day to find her in our living room like this:

And I love seeing the sewing love surrounding her - leggings and shirt made by me, a skirt that I got from another Sewing Mama (and there is a tut in her awesome blog), a blanket made by my mom and a wristlet purse made by me.

I know I will miss these sweet moments when she gets older.

Monsters for Girls!

Again for the stocking Friday at KandF Shops, I just finished up my monsters for girls dress! Abby is in love with this, and will get this one if it doesn't sell, or I promised I would make her one of her own. It is her favorite type of dress - soft, comfy and spinny. And she adores pointed hoods!

Of course she also pointed out that this monster is perfect for Valentine's with a heart on her tummy, so if this sells I am going to be in a rush to get hers done in time for V-Day. I guess the novelty of the conversation heart shirt I made her has worn off already!

I Heart Farbenmix!

I have really gotten into European patterns the last couple of years - things like Ottobre, Onion, and Farbenmix.


I got especially hooked on Farbenmix when I picked up their Olivia dress pattern from Sewzannes Fabrics at least a year ago. The funky under dress made from knit with a long knotted hood is a staple in my preschooler's wardrobe.


My only complaint is that Farbenmix doesn't instantly translate all of their patterns to English, so being the impatient person I am, I ordered some of the ones I was dying for direct from them. I will say their customer service is excellent, and shipping was surprisingly fast. And I had a good giggle from some of the strange translations that came across from their email translator.


One of the patterns I picked up was the Farbenmix Xenia, a little cross front sundress. Since I am starting to plan the girls' summer wardrobes, I pulled this out the other day so I could give it a test run.


I am in LOVE. Their sizing is so consistent, and it's so nice to be able to trace, cut and sew, and have something wearable!


Here is Abby modeling her trial run Xenia made from $1 clearance fabric:




I did the version that ties in the back like a halter. Being rather lazy about it, and not really seeing sense in a halter dress, I omitted the zipper and just put elastic in the back part. I also wanted it to slip on easy, as it is a pretty fitted pattern, so I traced a size larger than she normally wears. She is usually a pretty good fit in a 104 (European sizing, about a 5), so I traced the 110/116 so it would be less fitted and easy to get in and out of without a back zipper.

I am sooo happy with it! Next time, though, I'll shirr the back instead of inserting elastic. I think it will give it a better fit across the back, and more of the look I want!

Gotta love a dress that cost all of $3 to make!

And would you look at my little girl's long hair?? Sniffle, sniffle. She has grown up far too fast.

Monsters are Coming!

I have been sewing up a storm in preparation for my first stocking with KandF Shops on Friday, February 8! I am so excited by the theme for that week...which is Monsters!

One of my all time favorite boyish print is the cotton interlock ooga booga monsters. I love love love it. So much that I have plowed through about 10 yards of it. Sadly, I have only a little left, and part of that went into this set for boys:

I really hope the person who snags this will enjoy it as much as I do! I found this cute little monster guy for one pocket:

And digitized Ooga Booga for the other:

Also, I used a little of this stacked monster knit to make, what else? Boxers :)


I hope to get a monster dress done for the girl monster lovers out there like my daughter, but time is limited as always!