Sew Busy Baby

 

Sew, this has been one heck of a week.  Two days of tornadoes (Sunday and Monday), rain, lightning, hail, and more rain.  Stressful, sad, and my only escape is sewing.  Sew, I sewed.  I made lots and lots of baby clothes for two friends who are having baby girls.  I used a combination of Simplicity 2264, an old McCall's Easy Stich 'n Save M5079, and a New Look (0156) 6970. 

The McCall's little dress which I called "Strawberry Shortcake", matching panty, and sun hat were fun to sew. 

 I had difficulty lining up the rick rack on the pockets, and I could have done a better job.  But overall, it is really sweet.  I used some fabric I've had for at least fourteen years.  I also made a matching sunhat using a red print that looked nice with the strawberry print.  I lined the dress with yellow gingham.  I'd have liked it to be reversible, but the yellow gingham was much to light and the pattern showed through. 

As I was on a roll, I then used the leftover yellow gingham to make another of the same pattern, but this time I omitted the pockets, and added some homemade crocheted lace down the front with some bug buttons. It is lightweight and sassy, and is perfect for an Oklahoma summer.

My next project involved making the New Look jumper and bloomers.  I had some amazing fishy fabric that just looked fun for this.  I used large matching yellow buttons.  I didn't quite follow the instructions, so when I attached the ruffles to the legs, I was not happy with the attachment.  If I had bothered to read the instructions I would have attached them differently. 

The pattern is very easy, and also easy to modify.  It would make an adorable little dress by lengthening it a bit and making panties instead of bloomers.    I loved the pattern so much, I made it again with some adorable mouse fabric that I trimmed with grey and white polka dot.  I have to say that this one is my favorite.  Sweet and sassy and I do love little mousies very much.

 

I've added a few pictures so you can see the hat, the fabric, and the bloomers, which I modified a bit. I also used the pocket from the earlier pattern.  I added the ruffle and then used single fold bias tape to make an elastic track.  The bloomers were less ruffly than the others, but the tape covered the stitching nicely.  The grey looks really nice with the mouse fabric, don't you think? 

 

 

And finally, I made a little dress from Simplicity 2264 that I think could be an heirloom dress.  I used a fabric with bluebirds that made me keep humming, "somewhere, over the rainbow...".  I made the top in a plain white so that the dress looked just like a skirt and top.  I used fancy ribbon to trim the sleeves, pocket,  and the bottom of the skirt.  Matching panties complete the look.  This pattern appears to run a bit large despite cutting a small.  This might fit a 9-12 month old.  But no worries, babies will need clothes. 

 

Sew, my friends, I've got one more young lady at work having a baby (sex unknown), and my hairdresser having a boy in the fall.  So I will be making a few little boy things soon.  Sewing children's clothes are generally not difficult, but fiddly.  Fabrics are cute, but I like the challenge of sewing for adults.  But I would love to have this dress.