Embroidered Easter Coat

I've been thinking for some time that I'd like to make an Easter coat for Caitlin.

I dug out Style 2439 that is no longer in print. It's a size 18 months.

Digging through my stash for a warm fabric, I found some Doctors flannel that was part of project for a class I took with Gail Doan. The project was a child's jacket in size 4 as seen in her book Sew Cute Couture.

But I can't wait for Caitlin to be a size 4. Luckily there was enough of the fabric to cut out the pattern.
I wanted the coat to have a Vintage 50's theme. I traced this bunny on to tissue paper, tacked the tissue paper to the outside of the coat and stitched with 3 strands of embroidery floss, following the design using a split stitch.

I made up the flowers myself. With embroidery, just about anything works.

Then I put a little embroidery on the collar and piped the collar using a mini piping. The collar looks uneven in this photo, but in real life it does look even and sits flatter than it does on the hanger.

I got carried away and stitched some embroidered flowers on the back.

Again, I just made them up.

For a few days, I had been tossing around the idea of making bound buttonholes on the jacket. I have never done them before as I've been fearful I couldn't do them. But they turned out to be rather easy to do! Go figure.

I followed instructions that looked similar to these.

I found 3 vintage buttons that belonged to a jacket that was mine when I was a little girl.

For the lining, I used this bunny fabric that I bought maybe 12 0r 15 years ago!

I matched the colour floss to the lining.

I am pleased with the results. However, I serged the armhole and it's not sitting right. I won't do that again.

Now to make a matching bonnet!

Mystery Dress

I came across this pattern in my stash and wondered what it would look like made up. I couldn't find the accompanying photo in the magazine, Creative Needle, Nov/Dec 2004, just the pattern.
It's called "Parker's Apron. Is Parker a boy? Is Parker a girl, as in Parker Posey?

So I made it up using this pretty ice blue fabric that's been sitting in my fabric stash for years.
The pattern worked up quickly, the instructions were fairly straightforward but probably would frustrate someone new to sewing.

I had to spent $5.00 on the buttons as I just didn't have 15 little white ones all the same in my button collection.

I made a mistake with the bias binding on the front. There was a seam in the binding and I went and put it at the front and not a back corner.

The back has a pleat and a belt. Cute!

But I really wanted to see a photo of it. So I e-mailed my friend Judith, who is busy working on a pattern design of her own. I know she was a fan of Creative Needle and I somehow thought she would have the issue where this pattern came from.


And she did! Parker is a boy and this pattern is supposed to be a shirt, not a dress.


Oh well. I think it looks good as a dress. The size is 12-18 months.

Children's Corner Carol #2

I really like this pattern. It's quick, easy and the results are good.

On the front pattern piece, I cut away the front pleat line, added 1/4 inch as well as added a 1/4 inch on the pleat part which is part of the 'fold' section.

Happy with the results.

This is 12 months.

Children's Corner "Carol"

Well this pattern was a breeze to put together. It went together in just a few hours.

The instructions were clear, illustrations made sense and there were only a few pattern pieces.

Hemming it took a little longer than I wanted. But I will absolutely make this pattern again.

Next time, I think I will trace the pattern, and cut out the centre pleat. Then add 1/4 seam allowance to the pleat and front piece. That way, I can make the inside pleat in a different fabric.

New Look 6575

This dress is a size large. It's supposed to fit a 9.5 Kg baby (21 lbs.) but I'm thinking it ought to be a really bulky 9.5Kg baby. It's huge! Also, I think the neck is too big.

It did work up extremely quickly and the instructions are clear. The pattern was supposed to be for a layered look, such as organza over cotton. But I just chose using one layer of this cute pink and chocolate polka dot cotton fabric.


I made it once before in newborn size, 3Kg (7 lbs.) but I think the baby I made it for couldn't wear it until she was well over 7 Kg. (15 lbs.)

Oliver + S Bubble Dress

Here's another Oliver + S pattern that I've been itching to try out.
Overall, it was a really easy pattern to follow. Except the placket construction was done differently than I'm accustomed to, and the illustration for the placket was somewhat confusing.

I added some piping between the bodice and the bubble skirt. I used a quilting stitch to outline the sleeves and it puckered the fabric. Note to self: don't use the quilting stitch next time.

I will definitely make some more dresses using this pattern.

Oliver + S Birthday Party Dress #3

Here my 3rd attempt at making this pattern. It went together really quickly now that I've done it few times.

Here's the front and this time I used a ribbon.

The dress fabric is pinwale corduroy, nice and warm for the fall/winter season. It's size 18-24 months.

Oliver + S Birthday Party Dress #2

Here is the second attempt at the pattern Birthday Party Dress. The construction went much faster than the first attempt. Overall, this is a very easy pattern.

I tried to get creative with the finish of the front tab. I piped it in hot pink, and used hot pink rayon thread setting my machine to a quilt stitch.

But what was truly fortuitous, was this button. In my stash of buttons, this was a lone one and it matches the green of the print fabric exactly!

This dress is size 12-18months.

Oliver + S Birthday Party Dress #1

Using Amy Butler's fabric 'Ginger Bliss' I made this Oliver + S Birthday Party dress.
It's size 6-12months. It was an easy pattern to follow.


For the front tab, I just used a flower shaped button with a blue pony bead to cover the button holes.


For awhile, I couldn't figure out why the pattern came with a cardboard sleeve. Eventually, I realized that sleeve was for cutting to use as a paper doll. Doh!

I have another dress in the works and yet another version I'm musing about.

First project completed.

There are 2 meters of this fabric in my stash. Here's what I did with it to try and use it all up.


The dress and bloomers are from Simplicity 4243 and the bonnet Simplicity 2908.

For this project I got to use the 3mm rolled hemmer that I haven't had a chance to use before now. Plus I used the pointy tool. I don't know what it's called, but it was handy.

Instead of casing, as called for in the pattern, I chose to zigzag over elastic.

I used to use this method years ago when I made smocked dresses for my daughters. It's easy.

The results are good too.

I also got to use some tracing paper and the tracing wheel. Two items I haven't used in years.

So here's the dress completed.

The bonnet.

The bloomers.

The outfit on Caitlin.

I have a 1/2 meter of the fabric left over. I'm thinking of assembling scraps of 30's fabric and make a baby quilt. Another project for another day.