Cute Baby Clothes

My oldest son and his wife had their first baby last August.  I didn't get to make nearly enough baby clothes as I was busy working ridiculous hours as a theatre costume shop manager.  This year will be different *evil grin*  This kid will have so many clothes, her mother will only have to do laundry once a month.

I did manage to make this batch early on before my work got beyond insane.  They didn't find out she was a girl until she was actually born, so I made mixes of girl and boy clothes.

I love footed pants for babies.  I think they're so adorable and they eliminate the dreaded Lost Sock Syndrome.  The tops are all onesies with binding around the neck and leg edges and long prong fasteners at the crotch.

These were made from Big 4 patterns, and as we all know, the fit left a great deal to be desired.  I used the newborn size and naturally they were all too big.  And my granddaughter was not a particularly small baby.  Let's just say she wore those footed pants with the narwhales for quite some time.

When my contract with the theatre ended in October, I did some serious revamping of the onesie pattern and also made Granddaughter a few dresses.  None of which I took pictures of, of course. 

However, she needs more, so I will definitely get pics of those.  I've got three different kitty cotton knits (okay, one is tigers, but those are just big kitties, right?) that I've been just dying to cut in to.

I've also got a red brocade to make her a Christmas dress (hey! can't prepare too early) but I'm going to wait on that for a bit.  Guessing what her size will be six months from now is not likely to be accurate.

Mini Wardrobe -- Finished Contest Entry Safari Style

So here it is:  My finished contest entry.  Safari style extravaganza!  If you're a PatternReview.com member, you can vote for your favorite mini wardrobe.  Check out all the entries.  So many people have done such a fantastic job.  It was a real pleasure to chat with them on the message board for the whole trip.

The tank top is a modified Kwik Sew 2517.  It would have to be -- that pattern is actually a dress.  I've made this tank top lots of times and I really love it.  For this one, I used the original armhole curve, but I've also modified the pattern to make a racerback tank top as well.

The pants are Jalie 2908 stretch jeans.  For these, I added expanding cargo pockets to the back and thighs and narrowed the pants legs so they'll fit smoothly into my boots.  I love these pants.  I wore them all day yesterday and they are oh-so-comfy.

The button down shirt is Jalie 2322 done in a stretch linen.  Also a comfortable fabric.  I wish I'd bought more than just enough for one shirt.

And the vest is Butterick 5616 made in the same stretch sateen as the pants.  With extra pockets.








I am really loving all of these outfits.  Different shoes give a whole different look to them, too.

Mini Wardrobe -- I Finally Have a Plan!

I started out thinking that I wanted to make a professional outfit for the mini wardrobe contest.  I've since changed my mind.  I need casual, everyday clothes. That look good with boots, or nice shoes, or pumps, or flats or even hiking boots.  All of which I wear depending on my mood and what I happen to be doing that day.  I like Burda's "safari" type designs, so I'd like to make my mini wardrobe something along those lines.

I made this drawing last night.  This is a mini wardrobe I can believe in.  It's not very colorful, but then again, neither am I :o)

I already have the patterns for the button down and the tank top.  They are both TNTs and I  have used them many times already.  The pants and vest will be trickier.  I have lots of patterns, but none of them are exactly what I've sketched here.  But the variations are mostly pocket-themed, so I'm thinking that they shouldn't be too difficult.

I have all the fabric I need, too.  The tank top will be in a jersey knit, either black or possibly a green that I have lying around.  I'm not sure the green is the right shade to go with the coffee color of the other pieces -- I haven't checked that yet.

The button down, as I've already mentioned, is an off white stretch linen with a tan pinstripe.

The vest and pants will be a coffee-colored bottom weight stretch sateen.  It's a beautiful fabric -- I've made a couple of Youngest Son's pants with this fabric and they turned out and held up beautifully.

So now that I finally have a plan, I can get started.  Linen and button down pattern are on the sewing table, waiting patiently for my attention.  Coffee colored sateen is going into the washing machine. Time to go change the thread on the machines.

Woo Hoo! The LBD is Finally Complete!

This was quite an adventure.  Like all adventures, it had some exciting parts and some frustrating parts, but all in all, it was just plain fun.  I have every intention of making this dress again, because I really like it, and next time I'll be able to do it better and faster.  The pattern was good, the instructions terrible.  I'll write a review in the next couple of days.

I am wicked happy with my Little Black Dress, even though it's not as perfect as I'd like it to be.  It's the most flattering neckline I've ever worn, I think, though it's not very practical for cooking dinner or vacuuming or any of the other mundane chores that fill up my days.   But I need a few non-practical pieces in my wardrobe.  That way I can claim that I have to go out so that those fab outfits aren't wasted.


I'm a day late and a dollar short as far as the contest goes, but I like the idea of doing photos to show The LBD with different possibilities.  So here goes:

This is the LBD,  plain with pretty much no frills.  The necklace is a antique bronze tree medallion, the shoes are a leather/houndstooth.  I'll take some closeups of the shoes once my camera battery recharges.

 Here it is with black tights and beaded necklace (different one in either picture).  These shoes are plain black leather with patent leather toe caps and heels.  They're very cute.  It's a bummer the shoes are just not coming out very well.

And here's with a burgundy sweater over the top.  This is pretty warm, considering the dress is made with wool flannel (not to be confused with cotton flannel, mind you). 

Darn it, where are my feet? 

Now since the holiday season is a-coming, I had to do a holiday outfit, too.  Complete with holiday drink and ruby slippers.  Because there's no place like home, you know.

























Hair up? Hair down? Depends on my mood.  And which way it looks better that day :o)






I really wanted to find some fun places around town to take these pictures, but my photographer is busy.  And it's kind of damp because there's a half inch of snow on the ground.  And it's 30F degrees.  It's also nighttime, which could work, but is trickier.  So I had to settle for these definitely less-than-ideal shots.


I'm going to make my pictures more interesting in the future.  Honest.

How Many Ways Can I Wear the Cognac Top?

I guess I really love the Scoop Neck Shirred Front Tee. Here's a few ways I can wear this top with pieces I already have.  These are not great pictures, since they're taken indoors and at night.  I'm going to get myself a new camera soon and work on my photography.

I can go weekend casual, of course.  Jeans, top and platform clogs.  I love these clogs, by the way.  They make me feel tall.  I'm tall, I'm tall, I'm so happy to be tall!

Then there's office casual.  Black dress pants (Jalie OOP), top  and heeled loafers.

Dressier office.  Same black dress pants, top, and New Look 6659 Vest

And afternoon casual.  Polyester velvet skirt (Fashion Bug), top, and knee high black boots.



That was fun. :-)