There have been so many requests for the 3T version of the Itty bitty Dress. Thank you all for your encouraging words! The link is finally fixed and the dress pattern can be downloaded here.
If you're quick, you can even get it done in time for Easter, this Sunday April 11! Enjoy!
This is definitely on the list of to-do's once we are settled into our new place and I've recovered from the arrival of the baby (only four more weeks!)
So, my daughter turned 2 today! Those two years went by so fast. I can hardly believe how much she has grown and how much she can do now. I've decided that the little toys I take places (church, doctor's office, etc.) to entertain her are just not cutting it anymore. So it's time for a quiet book. I brainstormed ideas for several books following different themes, but eventually decided to start with a summer book (which I hope to finish while it's still summer!)
I'm inviting any who'd like to make the book along with me and share your adjustments or creative additions. I finished the first page today and 
Sammi was already eager to play with it. That's motivation at it's peak! The book is constructed one page at a time and the pages can be put in any order. Pages will be sewn back to back to hide the stitching and other mechanics of the design. Instructions on that will come at the end once all the pages have been posted.
Quiet Book Page 1
Velcro
Pond with Five Fish
Cut out two fish for each color of felt. Sew one side of the velcro to one fish of each color. Place the other fish of the same color on top and zigzag stitch them together. Fish are done!
Align pond on center of 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch piece of felt that will be the page of the book. Appliqué or zigzag stitch the ripstop from one side of the opening along the perimeter to the other side of the opening. Pond is complete!
The neckties were so fun to make that I thought I'd try a bowtie onesie as well. Actually, I was inspired by my friend Melody. Her son wears a bowtie to church and I think he's just adorable.
The bowties proved to be more challenging for me to create than the necktie. I had a vision of what it should look like. It took me a couple of weeks to problem solve and decide on a way to make it work. I pleated the "bow" part of the tie and then ironed it down. It gives it some depth and I think looks an awful lot like a bowtie. So, maybe I am a bit of an artist after all...
Enjoy the Bowtie Onesie Free Pattern. I'd love to know if you make any and how they turn out. Wouldn't it make a cute set to give a bowtie onesie and a necktie onesie as a gift?
**In the instructions I suggest using Wonder-Under to fuse the fabrics together. A cost-saving method I learned from my mom is to use a plastic produce bag instead! Just cut out the bag so it's larger than the pieces and place it between the onesie and the fabric. Cover it, carefully, with a scrap piece of fabric or an old tea towel. Iron over it with the iron on the hottest setting. You need to be more careful when removing the tea towel than when using Wonder-Under, but it works well.**
I have seen these adorable onesies floating around the Internet. I am not that great of an artist so it is hard for me to create a "picture" version of something and have it really look like that something. So, I enlisted the help of my talented husband to create a pattern for the necktie. Not only did he draw the tie for me, he helped me get it in digital form so that I can share it with others who may not want to draw a tie themselves!
This is such a cute and easy project. It makes a great gift for expecting friends.
Enjoy the Necktie Onesie Free Pattern. I'd love to see the onesies you create using it!
**In the instructions I suggest using Wonder-Under to fuse the fabrics together. A cost-saving method I learned from my mom is to use a plastic produce bag instead! Just cut out the bag so it's larger than the pieces and place it between the onesie and the fabric. Cover it, carefully, with a scrap piece of fabric or an old tea towel. Iron over it with the iron on the hottest setting. You need to be more careful when removing the tea towel than when using Wonder-Under, but it works well.**
I finally finished the enlargement for the Itty Bitty Dress from MadeByRaehttp://www.made-by-rae.com/2008/04/free-itty-bitty-baby-dress-pattern/! Now both the girls have finished dresses. This pattern is so fun and easy to use. Here is the pattern for the Itty Bitty Dress Enlargement. It makes about a 3T size dress, which is a little big for my daughter, but I have no idea how much she'll grow over the next few months before the baby arrives.
In order to assemble the dress, you'll need the instructions from the original pattern which can be found here.
Happy Sewing!
The pattern includes instructions for several sizes (0-6 months, 12-18 months, 2-3 years, 4 years.) I'm thinking of making matching sweaters for my girls for the fall. Now I just have to pick a color...
JoAnn's is having a sale on their baby yarn now. But I think I'll go to the local yarn shop to buy yarn for this project so I can get their help on any parts of the project that may stretch my current skills a little too far.
Now that I've found a new project, it's time to finish that baby blanket...
I was able to spend a lot of time this weekend on a recently revived project: a challenge quilt for the Utah State Fair. The theme this year is "Making Music" and the fat quarter fabric that all entrants receive is black musical notes on a white background. I had originally envisioned an elaborate scene depicting all the characters of my daughter's favorite songs; however, I was having a hard time getting myself to make that quilted wall hanging. So this weekend I toned down the design to contain just her favorite song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
I found a cute quilt block combo in a book but the blocks are shown in the finished size. I have therefore spent the last three and a half days trying to get my pieces the right size so that the square will be the right size to sew into the complementary block. I started late Friday night and cut all my pieces out and then sewed on block together. Much to my disappointment it turned out to be a squished rectangle! I was so sad I could hardly sleep. I tossed and turned all night and finally had some kind of solution in the morning. I tried that but then the finished block was an inch too large! So, several attempts later, I finally have the right dimensions for all the pieces to get the size I need. Whew! Now I just hope I have enough material left.
The block is a traditional pattern called "evening star." When it is sewn into the quilt, I want a 3" square. So I need a 3 1/2" square to have a 1/4" seam allowance. I came up with the measurements of a 4 1/2" and a 3 1/2" square.
For a 4 1/2" Evening Star block:
In the main color, cut the number indicated for each block you wish to sew:
