Not really blogging, but had to show you my new baby!

If you followed my blog back in the fall, you know that my machine first got dropped, then fixed, then went up in smoke due to a power surge!!!  That is one reason I decided not to blog anymore.  I was still sewing, on a couple of borrowed machines, but it just wasn't the same.  But, now I have a NEW BABY - her name is HONEY J (named for my grandmother, Honey, and my home ec. teacher Mrs. Johnnie J.) I've already had a problem with her, though.  I was sewing away when, I sewed over a pin (I know, I know this is a NO NO!) and a belt slipped off!!  I nearly cried, but my machine repairman, who is becoming my best friend, BTW, fixed it in one day.  I brought her home, and sewed all day yesterday.  She is very sensitive about some things, so I'm just going to have to learn how to deal with her personality!!!  Maybe, she's having to learn to deal with mine!!!  Anyway, isn't she pretty!?!                                                                          

I've made a couple of pillows shaped like an E and a G for my grandson's for a Valentine's gift.  And........ this dress for my friend's granddaughter.  The collar is made from two of my friend's mother's or grandmother's handkerchiefs.  The dress part is made from my friend's blouse that had pin tucks on the front and the back.  I turned the blouse around backwards and used the pintucks as part of the design.  I didn't get a photo of the back of the dress, but the pin tucks are in tack, as well as the placket and buttons from the blouse.  The dress opens all the way down the back.  The meidera applique at the bottom was just something I added from some dotted swiss fabric I had in my stash.  I thought the little yellow bows were just the thing to finish the look.

Now, am I blogging again?  I  don't know.  It all depends on if I have time with this new job.  I am finding a little time here and there.  So, I may have a here and there blog!  Gotta go do some job duties right now, as a matter of fact. 
The biggest issue is in not having time to read all of your blogs!!!

No more time

At least for now, I don't have time for blogging.  I may be back in the future, but probably not.  If I'm not, I want those of you whom I've formed a friendship with over the last few years to know that I won't forget you.  I have email addresses for most of you and will occasionally email you.  If I am back, I'll see you then.

Paper Doll Set for Miss R

When our oldest grand, Miss K, was about 3 (too young for paperdolls) I made her a look-alike paper doll set.  The doll looked somewhat like her, and most of the clothes were things that she actually had.  I had made lots of them.  So, a couple of years ago, I made Miss J her set.  So now it is Miss R's turn.  I was late getting this to her for her birthday, but I let her know that there would be one more gift on its way.

                                                     Here is the princess herself.                                                                

 Ballerina

 Easter 2011

 Ballet practice

 Christmas 2011

 Christmas 2010

 Easter 2010

 Fourth of July 2011

 Bumble Bee outfit

 Birthday 2011

 Birthday 2010

 Hair accessories

 UT fan, summer fun, a cool leggings outfit, and pjs

 Fall and winter

 Miss R ready to dance and twirl

 All dressed up

 Ready for a swim

 Going to a game

 Cutie pie - This is one outfit she really doesn't have, but I may have to make one like it.

 Magnet strips on the back

Boys are outfitted for Christmas!!!

As you can see here, I didn't make the shirts this year.  I just didn't have time.  I couldn't find one in a store in Little Little Man's size, so I ordered one to be sent to his house.  So, I just photographed his outfit without a shirt.  I forgot to tuck the tie in.  Oh well.                           

 The pants are a very, very soft houndstooth check.  I'm almost sure it is the same fabric, except in brown rather than black, that I made Big Little Man's coat from last year.  The coat is brown fake suede.  I lined the coat with a satin lining that I had in my stash.  The sweater vests are made from an XL man's sweater that I bought for $14.  I couldn't find what I wanted already made, didn't have time to really look, and didn't have time to knit

The above photos show Little Little Man's suit. The photos below show Big Little Man's suit.  LLM is one now, and walking!!!  BLM is 3 1/2, almost!  They are growing up!!!

Our little Miss R is 6 today.  She's the one who got the pink ruffled dress for Christmas.  I posted about it a couple of posts back, if you want to see it.  I posted about some other things I made for her birthday in my last post.

Reversible Christmas "and after" jumpers

Here is Lil' B's dress.  Hers has a tiny polka dotted background and Santa Buttons.  I guess the tree speaks for itself!                                                               

 The reverse side is fine welt corduroy with a big B and a bear.

 Lil'E's is a bit more standoutish.  I suppose that isn't a word, but I couldn't think of one that would work.

 The reverse of hers is also the fine welt corduroy with her initial, an E.  Hers has a butterfly.

I guess they'll wear these with white turtle neck shirts and big white bows in their hair (or green or red or black?????)

Three dresses done, and.......

.........2 more that just need buttons.  The boys' pants just need hems, buttons, and button holes.  Next will be boys' jackets and ties.  I'm not making the shirts this year.  There is not enough time.
In my last post I told you that I got on the Justice website and so did my three grands in Connecticut.  These are the dresses that they liked and the versions that I came up with for them..

The first one I'm showing is for Miss J.  She liked the ombre effect of the Justice dress.  She didn't really care about having the sequins.  She also wanted sleeves.  So, this was the only ombre fabric that I could find other than some that was orange, rust, yellow, etc.....  She loves purple, so I'm hoping she'll like this fabric.  The fabric is very shimmery.  Can you tell in the photo?

Next is Miss K's dress.  The one without sleeves is the Justice version.  Miss K wanted sleeves.  It's hard to tell from my photograph, but the fabric is very much the same as the Justice dress.

And then there is Miss R's dress.  She liked the black ruffled dress from the Justice website, but she wanted it to be pink and with sleeves.  I have made it with a tulle sash and I also make a chiffon sash that I didn't show here.   It looks wonky hanging on the dress form, but in real life it isn't.






 Miss R has her 6th birthday in a few days.  I borrowed another idea from Justice.  At school the other day, a little girl had on a dress that came from Justice.  It was a long sleeved tee shirt with a chiffon skirt sewn on the bottom.  I used sequined fabric for Miss R's skirt.

 I found these tights to go with this dress.  I sure hope Miss R likes all these sparkly things, since I also

 bought her this shirt to go with some gray jeans that are trimmed in pink.  I added these tulle and sequined butterflies.

 

You might remember these dresses from last year for our Lil'B and Lil'E.  They have moved from AZ to SC, so the people in SC haven't seen them yet.  I just let down the hem and added the green ribbon back into Lil'B's.  Her mom took the ribbon out after Christmas last year so she could wear it for Valentine's, etc....  Thank goodness, I put in a very big hem.

 For Lil'E, I had put in a deep hem and a growth tuck.  She may be able to wear this next year, too!  This is the Christmas side of the collar.

 Here's the Valentine's side.

So, this year, I am making them jumpers that are reversible.  One side has a Christmas applique, and the reverse side has an E on Lil'E's and a B on Lil'B's.  Lil'E's also has a butterfly and Lil'B's has a bear.  I'll show them as soon as I get the buttons on and take some photos.
The boys things are about half done, so I need to get busy!

I'm off to see the..................

fabrics and patterns, of the wonderful Hobby Lobby and maybe JoAnn's.  Since those are really the only two stores in our area that carry fabrics.  Well, I take that back, there's also Gina's and Katy's, so I may visit those, as well.  I've talked with my daughter, who is the mother of Misses K, J, and R.  They have looked at the Justus website and these are the dresses they like for the holidays and band/chorus concerts.  The first one is the one that Miss R, who is almost 6, likes best.  She wants it to be pink, however.  I will probably put sleeves in the dress, though.                                                                                    

 Below is Miss K's favorite.  She's 11.  She does want cap sleeves, though, so I'll need to look for a similar pattern with sleeves for her.  I probably have one already.

 Finally, this is the dress that Miss J likes best.  This is very similar to the one she liked best last year.  Finding the ombre fabric was the hard part, so I had to compromise.   I hope I'm able to find it this year.  Miss J does want sleeves, too.

 These bolero sweaters are pretty and practical.  I don't know that I'll try to make these, but I might keep my eyes open for possibilities.

Lil'E and Lil'B don't live where they did last year, and they are both able to wear the dresses they had then, with adjustments to length.  So, I'm just going to make them cute little holiday jumpers that are reversible, maybe.

The boys, Big Little Man and Little Little Man, both need some dressy clothes and not much else, so I will be on the look out for patterns and maybe some houndstooth fabric for jackets and coordinating fabrics for pants, shirts, and ties.
I'm on my way!!!!!