weekend in the workshop

i am so thankful for my husband--he took the girls saturday morning so that i could give undivided attention to sewing and orders. i was able to get a lot accomplished--i can't even imagine how much i could get done if i had more than just naptime and from 10pm-12am to sit behind my machines every day! i finished four pairs of denim ruffles, three birthday number tees, one big sister shirt, nine boys' tees, one ruffle skirt and one corduroy ruffle dress (that i am in love with and seriously secretly hopes does not sell at the art fair i am participating in this weekend for my niece's school!)...and i cut out many more things in prep for sewing this week.  by far my most favorite thing that i made this weekend was this little set...

  

my oldest daughter's friend's older sister and the best friend of my little neighbor was diagnosed with stage four cancer in late july. i wanted to help bring smiles to the family faces again even for a few minutes. i made small little things for the kids in the summer but wanted to do something more for little ava. this isn't much but i am excited to pass it along to her. ava turns five in two weeks and one of my first customers through the etsy shop (and actually a family friend of ava's daddy come to find out!) suggested that i make her a birthday tee and something matchy for her favorite doll. this was the first time i sewed for a doll and it was a lot of fun (i wonder if customers at the etsy shop would be interested in coordinating outfits for daughter and doll--something to think about and get feedback regarding i guess!!)! lil miss happens to have the same or similar doll as Ava--lil miss calls hers affectionately "baby with the stripes" since her original outfit was multi-colored and stripey, but Ava, i hear, calls her baby "straw baby" (sp?)! hopefully ava and straw baby will enjoy their new outfits and headbands!

 all in all, it was a great weekend with family and with my sewing machines!!

a knot dress sorta day

this little lovely is headed to holly! it is big sister's coordinating dress to wear alongside her little twin sisters!!

 and here is my newest knot dress! kinda crazy, but super fun and full of fall! just listed in the shop!

paisley perfection

i love this new paisley print that brother/sister fabrics released recently at hobby lobby. the navy paired with the bright pink and other fun colors is just a+++! i bought one yard the other day and am very sad i didn't spring for more--i went back to buy the rest of the bolt only to find it sold out! at least it is still available online if i get desperate! this is what i made using one yard of the paisley fabric and its coordinating splotch print...

 one pair of 18-24 month ruffle pants...

a 3T ruffle skirt...

 and a 6-12 month bubble romper...

 

also on today's agenda...another retro dots apron--check! (it is going to be overnighted tomorrow so that it makes it just in time for a little girl's cupcake-themed birthday party on saturday!!)

 ...and birthday tees for twin-almost-three-year old boys who apparently adore buzz and woody!

and now, it is time to rest my head! good night to all three of you who read this little blog! thanks for keeping up with me and chickadee chickadee!

romper room

i think i am renaming my crafting space (not that it had a name before)...  my sewing machine and serger helped me make these four rompers yesterday... so that title seems fitting!

 

 i just love making these rompers! they make beautiful baby shower gifts and are so easy for baby to wear and very stylish and modern a the same time! denise from the delightful whimsy couture pattern shop created this pattern and i have to say she did a fabulous job--these are by far my bestsellers (one and a half weeks into opening the shop!) and i have had three requests for wholesale orders of these happy little bubbles...i am still trying to figure out how that would work and i don't know yet if it will (i have to sleep sometime and right now i am not!!).

and this is a pillowcase dress for a friend's little girl to wear to homecoming weekend at baylor university! her daddy commissioned this dress for his little one to wear while touring his alma mater--so sweet!

last night's crafting...

well, my night didn't quite go as planned...when putting lil miss down to sleep, i dosed off too...wouldn't be that big of a problem, in fact it is just plain wonderful that she actually wants to cuddle these days, but i had SOOOO very much to sew! i came to around midnight, snuck out of bed and crept to the craft room. there i stayed until 4 am...bad idea. really bad idea. sweet pea still nurses once during the early morning (i know...what can i say? it is a bad habit and she surely doesn't need it, but i like to snuggle her too and i know this phase passes way too quickly to be a stickler on it...) and what do you know but that my head just hit the pillow around 4:15 when little sweet pea beckoned...so i didn't fall back asleep until close to five and then viola...two hours later the sun was rising and so was lil miss.
while i am kicking myself for pulling these kind of hours, i am pleased with what the night produced...

 

 heading back to the sewing room!!

little girl, big ruffle...a win win!

think that little bitties are too itty bitty for ruffles?

think again!

i have had the pleasure of making teeny tiny ruffle pants for babies in 3-6 months sizing lately...they are so adorable i cannot even stand it! check out the difference in size between a 3T dark denim ruffle and a 3-6 month pair! yummy! i just had to try to squeeze sweet pea into them...

 and one of my dear friends ordered macy's apple picking pants for her baby...they look so cute on little katherine!!

and off to the post man today...

it has been a long while since i have made aprons...even though they used to be my go-to project and were definitely the ensembles that jump-started my old etsy shop and taught me how to sew...

 the reason i haven't made many lately is a somewhat sad story to save for another time or maybe never to share at all. but the events that transpired this past spring involving these aprons really discouraged me. those events prompted me to take a break from my old etsy shop and to focus on regathering my strength and courage during the summer before braving the big bad betraying world again. i am over all that happened now and can honestly enjoy sewing these again and when a random order popped up last week from my old (almost dormant) shop, i was pleasantly surprised! i think i will add them to chickadee chickadee now as i am in the process of consolidating store fronts! so look for these guys soon!

 and today was a big fabric finding day! i can see oodles of ruffle pants and corduroy dresses coming from these lovelies! i am expecting a shipment from one of my favorite fabric shops, buttercuppity, any day now--i am crossing my fingers it is today!! check out the fabric section and guess what i ordered for the shop!! yummy!