I'm a Yankee Doodle Baby

This is a little dress I did as a pre-birthday gift for a friend's daughter. She's turning one in July but needed a patriotic dress for the summer. I used a blue fabric with white stars, added a red, white and blue star stripe trim and white star appliques. Red ribbons keep it secured at the shoulder.

Wow...I am totally neglecting this poor blog!

To be fair, though, I have been really busy.  Life in general has kept me pretty occupied, running kids and doing chores, etc. etc.  But, I have also found a little spare time in which I have been sewing (instead of blogging).  So I am bringing this poor, neglected blog up-to-date with the recent projects I have completed.  I also WON!!! a prize in the month-long EtsyMom Street Team SUPER GIVEAWAY!  You really should visit the EtsyMom blog;  you can enter two giveaways everyday. 

So, here we go...

The first project I completed was a set of pillows for my new sectional (which came in the day before my son's first birthday party to which we had invited 40 people!).  I used Joel Dewberry's Ginseng fabric, which I have been dying to use since it came out.  I bought pillow forms and made envelope style pillow cases (that way if I change my mind later, or some designer comes out with something I like better, I just have to make another set of cases).

When I showed my aunt the super awesome fabric I would be using for pillows, she instantly declared she wanted a bag made from that fabric.  

Then I tackled the two dresses I wanted to make my niece 

for Christmas.  For the first dress, I used a Robert Kaufman print...I love damask and my sister's favorite color combination (which she used in her wedding) is pink and black.  I used a Butterick pattern that I adapted to fit her size and also added the banding at the bottom and made it sleeveless.

For the second dress, I used a fun Alexander Henry print and just patterned a very basic jumper.  I am hoping that she can use them as dresses with tights and/or leggings and long sleeve shirts this winter and then as dresses in the summer and I think I left enough room that in the fall they can be long, oversized shirts she can pair with leggings.  I am having a fellow EtsyMom team member (and seamstress) make matching headbands.  You can check out WeezaWear's Etsy shop for some great items!

So, hopefully, that will bring us up-to-date.  I have several projects awaiting my attention:  I am assembling a blanket for friend for Christmas, I have 2 no-sew fleece blankets to make for gifts, and several blankets to be made for my Etsy shop.  I also have some lovely fabric that wants to be an apron.