Dreaming of summer

With all this rain and cold weather, I have found myself dreaming about summer, which leads to the realization that I will not be buying any new swimsuits this year if I stick to my challenge. Ahhh!! This Burda pattern swimsuit is so cute, but I'm just not sure I could pull that off. It doesn't seem extremely difficult to sew but I get a little intimidated looking at it.

So cute!!
I need to at least try...right?

A little pull-over hoodie

A little inspiration from mer mag +

an old sweatshirt of mine + an outgrown tank of Ella's = a new sweatshirt for Julian
Julian has been the recipient of a lot of items lately, which is good because it seems so much easier to make things for Ella. He doesn't really notice or care but it makes me feel better.

After those pants I made for him this project was a great deal quicker and easier. Yeah!! Fleece is also an easier material to work with. Again, I just used one of his sweatshirts to block out a pattern and added a little all around so that it would not be outgrown too quickly. It looks like I could have added a little more to the length but it will work for now.

I finished the sweatshirt and was so excited to try it on him and wait...uh, oh...it didn't even fit over his head. So after several attempts to stretch the neck and ram it over his head while making my poor child scream and cry, I decided I better just give the neckline a little snip to open it up. I love fleece. A quick edging stitch to my snip and it fit perfectly.

Tiny Boy & Big Girl

A couple of collars for a couple sweet pups. I'm bummed I don't have pictures of the cute little dogs these collars are for, but Yoshi said she would stand in as the model. Well Yosh, you are kind of a plus size model, but we'll let you squeeze this one in.

This one is for a big girl...

and this is for a tiny boy.

Vintage Patterns

These all make me smile...and laugh.
I guess Ella gets a couple also.
Can't wait for summer!

Love the long sleeved dress. I think I may want it in a small flower print also. The jacket with the belt is also cute. This one gets me motivated to start.

Hmmmm...but it does make me laugh.

Maybe...

Cute!! I'll take a couple.

WOW!! And the ruffle on the bottom. A sure head turner.

I'm not sure about the sizes on these. The actual measurements on the back don't seem too far off from my measurements, but the sizes are way too big. Anyone know about vintage sizes?

Curried Carrot Soup

Some of you may be thinking 'YUCK', but if you enjoy curry like myself, this is a really easy tasty recipe. This is also a good way to use a vegetable that you buy in bulk and don't know what to do with it. Turn it into soup like I do with anything I have a good portion of.

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large heavy bottomed pan. Add 1-2 Tbsp curry powder and fry for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add 3 1/2 cups chopped carrots, 1 lg chopped onion, and 1 tart apple chopped, and stir until coated with the curry powder. Cover the pan.

3. Cook over low heat for about 15 min, stirring occasionally, until soft. Spoon into blender and add 2 cups chicken stock and blend until smooth.

4. Return to pot and add 1 cup chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a swirl of plain yogurt.

boy's pants - with a zipper!!

So I have been wanting and talking about and thinking about making clothes for myself, but I am completely intimidated for some reason. I found a bunch of vintage patterns that I think can be turned into something super cute and here I sit putting it off, making other crafts, starting other projects and making clothes for a little someone.

This little guy is in need of new pants and I have never made real pants before so I thought I would start with a little pair of pants, to build my confidence, then make a larger pair for myself. Now when I say a real pair of pants, I mean the kind with a front fly and a yoke and all that extra sewing. Ahhh!
I was trying to get a picture of his pants and he was doing this weird stick out his belly and do some sort of yoga pose. He was making me laugh so hard I had to take a picture of the face that went along with the big belly yoga pose.

Since I am intimidated by patterns and all the pinning that goes along with that and since I didn't have a pant pattern, I just blocked off a pair of pants that fit him nicely and made them a little longer. Luckily they actually fit him and came together pretty good. I did make my own pattern on paper just in case I got lucky and they actually came out ok. I'm not going to lie, though, these pants took me forever. Just trying to figure out how they are constructed and what to sew first was the biggest challenge. I think I worked on them for 3 nights.

I'm not super happy with the back pockets, but I'm not redoing them. They came out a little too narrow and not too masculine, so I tried to bulk them up a little with the little piece below the pocket and then added the flap. A little better.

I even added the adjustable waistband, which I am really excited about. Those adjustable waistbands are a lifesaver for both my kids. It was actually a lot easier than I thought. So I think I have built a little confidence and will soon start on a couple of items for myself.