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A few READY TO SHIP strapless dresses … FYI!

December 8, 2011 by robiedodson

My head is spinning.  Maybe even literally, I can’t tell.  Christmas season is fun, isn’t it!?!

In addition to planning a leadership party at my house Sunday night, and a Craft Crowd Make-It Merry Christmas craft night at my house on Monday night, and two kids’ friends hangouts on Tuesday, and a Chistmas Bazaar on Friday….I have decided to make a few READY TO SHIP strapless dresses in my freakishness spare time.

Soooooo….just in case you’re still looking for that perfect gift or that fun dress to wear to your company party…here are three options for a size Small/Medium.  Each dress is Ready To Ship immediately … this means it’s already made…and each dress is $55.  They usually sell for $68-81 but hey, it’s a recession.  (Don’t worry, if you need larger – or dare I say, smaller – sizes, those are coming OR you can suggest a size!)

sorry it's a blurry photo...but it wouldn't be a proper So Sew Something post without the gratituitous blurry photo!

There, that's better! The belt is an OBI belt - similar to the one shown in my Etsy shop on the Asian fabric. NOTE: the pretty white shirt is from LOFT and is shown so that you can see how cute these dresses look gussied up for winter!

Probably my newest favorite - I'm digging the RockaBilly vibe ... it's shown with a green/blue houndstooth sash, but I can just easily create a red or yellow sash that would look "rockin'!"

I mean seriously, can there EVER be enough houndstooth???!!!

Love this fabric pairing - striking Michael Miller fabric paired with vintage style polka dots - totally sweet and charming ... throw on a motorcycle jacket and you've all of a sudden got a tough chick...well, a pretty tough chick!

And now for the close-up!

So there you have it – three more strapless dresses from the girl who can’t stop making them!  I love wearing these year-round, and I think you will too.  Feel free to take one of these off my hands …for my blog readers, I’ll even throw in FREE SHIPPING!  Just let me know you read it on my blog!

Merry Christmas lovelies!

Posted in Craft Crowd, Craft Nights, dresses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Christmas Outfits…what???

December 4, 2011 by robiedodson

It’s late.  I’m up.  Soooo, I thought I’d share with you, before I forget, something I’ve been working on.  I’m working feverishly on Etsy orders, but to keep my mind fresh I always sneak in extra projects.

The first such project was to coordinate our outfits for our Family Christmas Photo Shoot we had last Monday.  Now, each year I make REAL plans to do this.  This, however, is the first year I have actually followed through.

Ellie desperately wanted pink.  DUH!  I knew I didn’t want our photos to have pinkness vomited all over them, so I had to go with something muted.  So, for the girls I chose a fabric you’ve seen before on a big scarf because I just love it.  It’s super soft, and it looks good on babies, girls and adults.  I coupled it with beige muslin and doses of black and white houndstooth.

(As usual, sorry for the lame photos!) I wanted them to coordinate but not be identical. So, Ellie got a fun tunic/dress with ruffley bottom pants. Rosamund had a baby version of my Team Spirit dress that I added huge pleated ruffles.

Twenty minutes before the shoot we had to sneak owen in to get a haircut. I'm glad we did because this is the only pre-shoot photo I got of Ellie.

We had to keep a bib on Rosamund to keep her from drooling all over her dress, but you can atleast get the idea!

For Owen, I finally found a truly AWESOME pattern for a boy’s jacket.  I was looking for a sports coat pattern, but I found something way cooler and way better for a boy in Austin, Texas.

This is Lillygiggle's photo of her KREW JACKET pattern that you can find here. Awesome, huh!?! It's a repurpose project using clothing that's too small! Genius!

I was in a hurry, of course, so I only had time to get the pockets sewn onto a sweatshirt. Even with just that, my husband said "What!?! Make ME one!". I call that a victory!

All in all, I'm super happy with how they turned out. Actually, I'm ecstatic that all three kids had something!!! woohoo. I will remember this long after they do!

Alrighty.  Now back to shopping.  Or sewing.  Anything but sleeping!

(Oh, and here’s a super special shout out to our amazing photographer, kara, from Click Chick Images.  She was SO awesome!)

 

Posted in boys, DIY, dresses, kids, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

Smocks are new again!

December 3, 2011 by robiedodson

I can’t even believe this is true – but it’s December 2nd, and my Christmas tree has yet to be put up.  Gasp!!!!  Not only that, but I have not put out a single Christmas decoration yet.  Moan.  Insert frowning emoticon here.

HOWEVER, I have managed to begin the process of sewing Christmas “things” (aka. clothing!) for my kids.  Sometime this weekend I’ll show pictures of the kids’ family photo outfits … but for tonight, I wanted to show you my most recent project for Rosamund.  A Baby SMOCK!  Yes, it’s what you’re picturing in your head.  A sort of apron-like top…sort of a like a pinafore.  I found a pattern.  I used it.  I love it.  I will make more!

I started with View C of Butterick 5625.

You have to use your imagination when choosing these patterns because their photos/renderings are often quite hideous outdated.  I knew I would be using a Christmas plaid for the outer fabric, and I decided to use a polka dot for the lining to keep the vintagey feel to the piece.

Here is how my (first) version ended up.

You can see the polka dots peeking through in the back.

I also chose to add rick rack to the back section only. I will pretend that this was on purpose because I am very happy with the outcome. (The truth is that I ran out and didn't have enough for the front. Some mistakes are well worth making!)

I am just all smiles looking at this - Gosh - I hope I'm not becoming a stage mom!

I followed the pattern almost exactly as written...EXCEPT, I added this cute little yoyo pocket - be sure to apply BEFORE sewing the two sides together...

..and I added the rick rick. As with the pocket, be sure to add the rick rack to one side first, then sew the two sides together along the rick rack stitching line.

This project really is very simple – especially if you leave off any embellishments.  I can even see a bazillion options for boys as well.

Time: I’d say anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending upon what embellishments you add.

Cost: $6.50….Pattern-$1.  Fabric – 2 fabrics, about 1/4 yard each so approximately $2.50 for fabric, $1 for buttons, $2 for rick rack.

I hope you’ll send me photos of what YOU come up with!!!

Posted in DIY, kids, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Bolero Jackets – I heart them!

November 27, 2011 by robiedodson

Now that it’s almost December, I’ve decided to begin preparations for cold weather.  Sorry Jeana, but there’s just no need to do this any sooner here in Texas.

I found this darling pattern at TooSweets on Etsy and couldn’t resist.  It’s ridiculously affordable and your pattern arrives in your inbox!

Here is what I have made (SO FAR!) from this pattern…although, I am quite certain there are more versions on the horizon!

Keep in mind - it's more than just a little difficult to photograph babies and silly 4 year olds!

Rosamund's jacket is made from Joel Dewberry fabric and lined with a yellow linen-look fabric.

Sadly, Rosamund was more impressed with her $1 Store cow than she was with her made-with-love bolero!

For the record - the "lovely" securiy blanket is NOT one of my projects!

I am learning the importance of a hidden camera! Ellie's bolero was made from a Moda print and lined using a small portion of duvet cover I found in the As-Is bin at Ikea.

Here is the breakdown for this project:

Cost: about $20.  The pattern is $5.95 but you only have to buy 1 because it’s good for sizes 12m – 7yr!  I made a 12m & a size 6, neither required more than a yard for each fabric.  So, for about $10 per jacket, you’ve got yourself a GREAT jacket!

Time: This a harder one to calculate.  The pattern is easy to read and easy to follow – but for the new sewer, you might get hung up a bit around the neckline.  I found that the pattern pieces didn’t form a circle for the neckline, so you have to cut up some of the fabric.  This doesn’t take long, but if you’re not experienced with this, it might add a bit of time for you.  Soooo, I’m going to say that this pattern will take you about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

This is a darling pattern and I really happy with the results!  (I promise I’m not getting paid to say this – I just bought the pattern and made the jackets…so I thought you might like to know about it!  Plus, Etsy sellers enjoy promoting other Etsy sellers!)

See you tomorrow, I hope, with details of Thanksgiving!

Posted in DIY, kids, patterns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Yay – a new ONESIE DRESS TUTORIAL!

November 21, 2011 by robiedodson

Oh my stinking goodness y’all – I don’t even remember the last post I made … much less my last tutorial!  It has been steadily increasing in crazy around here.  Strangest thing has been happening.  My baby doesn’t sleep ALL DAY anymore.  Weird.  I might need to take her to the doctor.

Anyhoo…tonight….because I’ve been developing hives from non-blogging-activity….I decided I simply MUST share a really fun (and of course FAST, CHEAP AND EASY) project for baby girls in your life.

Believe it or not, but in about 15 – 20 minutes, you can turn a cheapo / boring onesie into a faboulous, one of a kind DRESS…. like this…

Here’s how to do it …

Start with a Onesie. Duh. (sidenote: you'll probably want to choose a size bigger than your baby)

Fold the onesie in half lengthwise. (this is sort of optional, but folding in half guarantees that the sides are cut at the same place)

Cut that onesie at the waist. Of course, I just guessed where I wanted to cut...but feel free to measure if you're into that sort of thing.

When you open the two halves up, this is what you'll have.

Now, pull out some great fabric that you've had in your stash for a while. I chose a very lightweight cotton print ... but just about anything will work. Heavier fabric will produce a fuller skirt! Cut a rectangle - I use the entire width of the fabric and cut a length of about 12-18"..but again, I don't measure. I wanted the skirt to be long, but any length will work.

Join the two selvege edges, sew. Then, finished the bottom hem of the skirt.

Sew a gathering stitch / basting stitch along the upper edge of the skirt.

Now you're ready to assemble your dress. Take the bodice of the cut onesie and turn upside down.

Turn the skirt wrong-side-out, pull the gathers, and then pin the skirt to the bodice - right sides together.

Now take the bum half of the onesie. turn it wrong side out - making sure to put the back side with the back side of the bodice -t then pin. You will have a sandwich: Inside - bodice, right side out. Middle - skirt, wrong side out. Outer - bum, wrong side out. Sew three layers together using a BALLPOINT needle.

And you're done! That's it y'all. I mean seriously - let me hear you holler - AWESOME!!!

And...if you've got an extra 5 minutes, add a fun fabric flower for an added punch. If you don't have time, don't ever think about it again - no big deal!

I love this more than just simply making a skirt because everything it attached - so much easier to create an outfit!

Seriously - loook at your watch. If you've got 20-30 minutes and a ballpoint needle, you can DO THIS!

Here’s the breakdown…

TIME:  Like I said – about 20-30 minutes…unless you can’t decide on a fabric!

COST:  About $2.  TWO DOLLARS!!!!  The only cost is the onesie because you probably have enough fabric on hand to make the skirt!

I think I need to go now because I want to make about 30 more before I go to bed.

Posted in DIY, kids, Scraps, TUTORIALS, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Montreal & my first crocheted scarf …

October 30, 2011 by robiedodson

Goodness.  I have missed creating new tutorials lately.

Sadly – this is not a post to remedy that.

However, this IS a post to show that I really did get to wear that scarf that I made several months ago – my very first crochet project.  (Confession: I haven’t crocheted much since – it takes soooo stinking long to crochet something!!!)

I mentioned here that I made this scarf, and I planned to wear it during my time in Montreal.  Well, last week I had my time in Montreal!  It was a GREAT gettaway with my husband — alone.  Just the two of us.  Kind of weird, but really nice.

I tried to snap a few photos of me actually wearing this scarf so that you can 1. see who i am – I don’t post too many photos of myself – for everyone’s benefit!, and 2. see that I really do make use of what I make.

(for the record – I did not love Montreal.  I did, however, LOVE Fabricville in Montreal!)

Here I am at a coffee shop on St. Catherine street - showing off my newly acquired fabric from Fabricville! There was SO much fabric. I am quite certain I was walking around drooling and mumbling like the deranged fabric hoarder that I am!

Here I am leaving the Old Fort area - skyline & scarf = pretty cool shot if you ask me!

This is how me and my scarf feel about signs in French.

I just like this picture. pretend you can see the scarf!

Much love to you all – I’ll post a bit tonight or tomorrow about the kids’ halloween costumes, and then I’ll do my best to get some more tutorials up!  Miss me!

Proudly showing off my scarf AND my husband!

Posted in Crochet, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

Carepackages are FUN!

October 22, 2011 by robiedodson

If you look back into September’s posts, you’ll find a fun guest post from my friend Ginger who wrote about celebrating the art of giving hand-sewn gifts.  (She also makes wonderfully hand-sewn party decorations … be sure to ask her about how much she enjoyed, cough, making “real” bunting!

Well….to the point of this post … my husband and I have friends living in Malasia who after having three beautiful children heard the news that they had been given one of those “surprise!” pregnancies.  That surprise pregnancy turned out to be TWINS!  Yes, that’s right.  They went from being content with three children, to being content with FIVE!  In August, Sarah Joy delivered two beautiful baby boys.  Wow. Their quiver is SO full!

She asked me just before they were born if I’d make the boys onesies with their initials on them.  Of course, I agreed.  I also decided to make all the kids something.  It ended up taking WAAAYYY longer than my intentions had hoped, but alas, it’s finished and ready for the post.

pants for the 2 year old boy, dresses for the girls, and onesies for the tiny babies!

One with an S and one with a J - Samuel and Justice. I used a solid quilting cotton and a striped calico fabric, then used a satin-stitch on my machine to applique them to the onesie.

It's hard to fit girls I've never met, so I used a very simple, loose-fitting pattern for their dresses. I wanted them to be similar but unique. After all, there is only one set of twins (for now!) in this family! The blue dress is made from Amy Butler Soul Blossoms fabric. For the ruffle and hem, I used two fat quarters. The pink dress is made from a Michael Miller fabric I purchased for $2.85 a yard!!!! crazy wicked awesome. The bow and hem are made from muslin fabric - the bow is a pin that can be removed.

Isn't this fabric AMAZING!!! It's Echino - and is 45% linen. I love handling this fabric and can't wait to get more! These pants are, admittedly, a bit bold, but Owen gave them a thumbs up so I'm hoping our friends will too!

So there you go – I hope I’ve inspired you make something fun for someone else … I don’t know why, but sometimes it’s very hard to let go of my “stash.”  But seriously????  What is a fabric stash for if not to give away!?!?

Posted in DIY, dresses, kids, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Candy Corn Bunting – a project with Kids!

October 18, 2011 by robiedodson

I love decorating for Christmas.  If I could, I’d have a tree in every room, wreaths on each window, real-live garland hanging over every doorpost.  Christmas decorating is fun to me.  I am, however, not usually the mom who decorates for every season.  I have been perfectly content to let Valentines, Easter, Fourth of July and dare I say it …. even Halloween (GASP!) go by without much decorating.  I think it’s the exhaustion factor.  =)

This year I want to change that.  I want my kids to begin having memories of a house filled with anticipation for lots of holidays and special events.  So, I’m starting with Halloween.  And —- I’m starting by including the kids in the process.

Owen, Ellie and myself spend a few hours together a few Saturdays ago to make this really fun and happy Halloween Banner (or bunting, for you official types).

It really was easy – Owen is 6, Ellie is 4 – and they will vouch for me – it was easy and fun.  (Confession: the hardest part is for mom – it is very difficult to allow this to look like a kid project.  I resisted the temptation to erase all child-like evidence … and I’m glad I did!  Sometimes I have to remind myself of that, but mostly it’s true!)

Sorry for the blurry shot but kids are a little challenging to work with! ... Draw the 3 sections of a candy corn, and assign each child one to trace and cut out many times on felt pages. I think we cut out 22 of each.

Once you have all 3 sections cut out many times, begin placing them in order - this is the preparation for sewing. You could skip this step if you make this without kids ... but I liked letting the kids see what they had been making.

While it's true that working with kids can be a little, shall we say ... free form...

... a little snip with some scissors cleans it up a bit. (I simply sewed each layer onto the next. Then I trimmed the sides.)

Once again we laid them all out to admire our work. Then, I chose some black and white ribbon and attached the candy corns with my machine.

I didn't measure the distance between each candy corn - but I suppose, if you're crazy, you could. Regardless, you'll end up with something like this.

And then you'll hang the banner in a prominent spot for all to see and admire. I chose to hang our banner so that the "front" / more polished side is facing the door.

You can see here the other side - and all it's lovely and perfect imperfections - I chose to not erase or cover up all the ink marks, etc. I am, however, considering turning the banner around so that it does look more perfect to passers by ... who knows.

Regardless what side is facing where, I just love this project because I love the memories we made.  I can’t wait to do it again for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines, Easter, blah blah blah.

Cost: About $4 – felt is so cheap.  I bought the ribbon on sale for $2.

Time: without kids – about an hour.  WITH KIDS – an eternity…I kid.  about 2 hours.

If you make your own – please do send photos – I’d love to see your little ones’ at work!!!

 

Posted in DIY, felt, kids, TUTORIALS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Coming Soon – Bias Strapless Dress

October 12, 2011 by robiedodson

I am on a bit of a roll in regards to finally creating new options for my Etsy shop.  I am ALWAYS thinking about dresses that I’d love to make and offer in my shop; however, most of the time those dresses remain in the closet of my brain.  And that is a very messy closet!

First, I added a sleeved version to the Team Spirit Dress.  Go Team!

Now, I’ve added a billowy version to my line of strapless dresses.

I. must. find. reason. to. wear. this!

This version was drafted using a vintage pattern from the ’70′s.  I love the sweetheart neckline!  I added length and the sash.  I think it’s a bit updated but still funky.  I suppose different fabric options could play it up or down in pretty cool ways!

These, as you can tell, take a LOT of fabric.  (whenever you cut something on the bias it tends to take up lots of fabric!)  So, I will need to price these a bit higher than my standard strapless dresses; however, I think it’s worth it.  There is a LOT of POW FACTOR in this dress.  I’ve created this one long, but, of course, it could go shorter, too.

This version is what’s titled OOAK in Etsy language … meaning: One of A Kind.  I’m offering this one at a discount since it’s my sample…$78, size 6/8 possibly even a 10!

I hope to be posting many…okay, a few… more new dresses soon!  And coats, and capes, and yada yada yada.

Posted in dresses | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The old is new again …

October 5, 2011 by robiedodson

One of the most common requests I receive via my Etsy shop goes a little something like this, “Can you make me one of your Team Spirit dresses except with sleeves?”  This request is usually preceded or followed by a derogatory comment regarding the requestors arms.  For some reason, women tend to hate their arms.

Well, tonight, after years of turning customers down … I can now say YES!  YES, I can offer you the Team Spirit Dress with SLEEVES.  I’ll even double your order by adding in-seam pockets if you want.

I am swooning over this jewel-toned if not total LEMON hued cotton fabric!

I am really really excited about this.  In the off chance that we experience winter in Texas this year, I think having one (okay, FIVE) of these long-sleeved versions will be awesome!

While, of course, my photos are ridiculously lousy (and I’m not ashamed about this because I have three lovely children who call me mom and not photographer…), here are a few shots of the details of this dress.

The bodice is exactly the same - except, of course, for the pleated sleeved shoulders.

I moved the ruffle to the bottom of the sleeves. No need to worry - the ruffle is still there!

My second highest request is for pockets - so I've added them as an add-on option as well. If you want to save money, leave them off and get a cross-body stachel for your lipstick!

I just might pretend it's cold here tomorrow so that I can wear this. I'm thinking ... gray patterned tights and dark gray peep toe booties. No wait ... no tights, knee high socks and fabulous leather boots. No wait....

All in all, I’m really excited about creating a “new” version of the Team Spirit dress.  It was a fun day!

 

Posted in dresses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

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