The correct version

As you know, I shared a big boo-boo I made when making a strip jumper.  Here is what it is supposed to look like.  You will notice two jumpers, that is because when I found the mistake, I was able to make a correct size three jumper just from what I had cut off. 

I wish you could see the fabric, it has sparkles all over it. 

Thank you for sharing some of your mistakes, sure makes a person feel better and not so alone. 

I wish I could promise somehow that I won't be doing any more mistakes, that from now on my sewing will be perfect, but then that would not be true.  I am sure will will goof many more times in the future, just so happy this was an easy fix.  Well, except for the one that flew off to Arizona, we will see what happens there.

My Confession

I was making a jumper sundress for Chloe from a pattern I had from You Can Make This, I have made the jumper before and didn't have any problems, so I proceeded on.  When it came to cutting the strips, I read the amount to cut and the length.  As the dress came together, it was looking funny to me, I re-checked,  the measurements, why did it look so big.  I decided it was just supposed to be long even though the measurments said this was knee length. 
After Zoe saw the dress, she wanted one too. So I started one for her, again the strips looked wrong.  I even had to get out of bed one night go to the sewing room and read the instructions, something was wrong.  Well, after a couple of days and this is so embarrasing, I finally look to the left and there in tiny, tiny print was the size to CUT the strips, the bold number, the one I could see was the finished length of the dress, measured from the shoulder no less.
I was able to recut Zoe's dress but Chloe dress is on it's way to Arizona.  I have told my daughter in law to please mail the dress back and I will fix it.

This dress will need to be re-made.

Huge Mistake

I noticed this morning a huge sewing mistake.  I mean this one is a biggie and I feel really stupid!!  I will share the mistake with all of you but not quite yet, first I have to find a fix for the mistake, then and only then will I tell my secret.   I am sure(well almost sure) I will be able to fix the mistake.

Makes me wonder, what was your biggest sewing mistake and how did you fix it?    I knew I would probably be messing up some since I have not sewn for six months, guess I didn't dissapoint myself. 

So for today I want to think of summer and flowers and will share a picture of a very valuable sunflower. What makes it so valuable is, the seeds came for a friends garden and that friend lives in New York!!  that's a very long way from here.  

Sharing the seeds of friendship.

Trip down memory lane

While sorting pictures I came across these:  Could that much time really have flown by already?  The first picture is Zoe's first bishop. I had not sewn/smocked for many years and here I was faced with my first grandaughter. What else was I to do but dust off the pleater and try my hand at smocking once again. 
Maggie Bunch came to my rescue and held my hand through this first bishop. 

I then was hooked, and knew she needed yet another bishop, this one was to close at the shoulder.  Yikes how to do that without buying another bishop pattern!!  Again, Maggie to the rescue, just use a regular bishop pattern and move the closure to the shoulder.  That made for interesting pleating but was doable and now my little one had two bishops.

I was getting braver now, and wanted to try my hand at more embellishments. What could be more challenging then those bullion roses I kept seeing.  with her first birthday approching I new she would need a new birthday dress and I knew it would need to be smocked.   So, I set about making bullion roses and I must say, those also are addicting and now need to be added to almost everything I sew.

So there is but a brief time spent in the memories, of what has become a passion of not just sewing and not just smocking, but of a way I can show my love of family. That is making memories.

Now, I must get very busy in the sewing room once again, as God has gifted me with yet another granddaughter.  Besides that, what is a grandma to do when met by the sentence of " I have lots of empty hangers in my closet grandma".   Of coarse nothing short of filling up those hangers

Sewing for Zoe week!!

I knew when I saw Linda's skirt that I just had to make that.  Zoe had picked out these fabric's and they were sitting in stash waiting for inspiration.  I felt the skirt would need something to be worn with it, so I made two blouse's, she can mix the tops with the skirt.  The tops also look cute worn over jeans.

This was the first time I used my gathering foot and I liked it much better then using the ruffler.  The designer suggested the ruffles not to to tight as they tighten up in the wash.










The blouse's are sewn from a oop pattern, which I love for it is fuller and longer then the new patterns, the pattern is simplicity 7670.

working my way back

I did not realize how much I lost in being away form my sewing machine for so long.  I can admit now, it was a fight with myself to even want to sew.  I decided I would set a time limit and would spend the time sewing even if I did not feel like sewing.  To do this, I said one week for my precious granddaughter Chloe, who now lives in Arizona and the other week would be for Zoe, who has been after me to make her something.

This is the results form my first week.  I know, I made plenty of sewing mistakes but that all in re-learning.
The dress is very simple strip skirt.  I know she love's bright colors so it should be fun.

The little jumper is from the Bonnie Blue patter Hunter/Holly. The applique is from designs by JuJu. 

This little set is also a Bonnie Blue pattern, Lydia. I has many variations but since it is warming up in Arizona it is something she can use now.

So, there you have my first week back to sewing, just simple little items but they did take the full week.  Who  knows maybe I will get faster

The project is done!

I had so many ideas and I thank you all:  As you know I was going to go for the skirt.  I had to add a fabric to make it work and after many trips to the fabric store I was not finding anything, plus the word dress kept poping up. DRESS?  I only had a yard.   Then a friend mentioned sundress, there was that dress word again. I knew I would still have to add a fabric to make a dress.  Well, there sitting on my fabric shelf was a pink fabric.  Would the pink work?  Most of the pinks I held up to the fabric took on an orange tinge and looked horrible.  

I pulled out a pattern and thought this will work (I hope).   The reason still was the word sundress.  This is a sundress plus a jumper.  The pattern Simplicity 2680. My only hope now is that Zoe likes it.  I also added a blouse, with pink trim on the collar and sleeves.   Of coarse I had to add a hat plus a bow.