Since we're getting ready to leave, and Jordan is already in route to us, I think it's safe to do this post now. Note: I wrote this when I turned in my final entry for the LBB & Dharma Design Challenge. The contest is over now, and I ended up getting 4th place!! Never in 100 years would I have imagined being a finalist, much less doing that well! Thank you all for your support!!
I had been struggling with this dress for a few weeks. I had this vision in my head of the perfect dress for Abigail to wear when she sees Jordan again in Germany, and I couldn’t get a tie-dye color to match my vision. Until this weekend.
This is my fourth, and final, entry in the Lil Blue Boo and Dharma Trading Design Challenge. I used the recycled t-shirt hoodie pattern, and lengthened it (with a ruffle) to make it into a dress. I picked up this “GI Joe” t-shirt clear back at Christmas time and had been waiting for the right inspiration to make it into a dress for Abby. Well, Germany seemed to be the perfect inspiration, and when I saw Ashley’s hoodie pattern, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I used Dylon’s Olive color to tie-dye some white knit fabric, and it turned out perfectly (after trying other colors, which looked horrible with the t-shirt). I knew that I needed to put some pink in there somewhere, so people knew Abigail was a girl (in case the ruffle didn’t give it away!).
I added cuffs to the sleeves (from the collar of the pink t-shirt) and used Ashley’s freezer paper stenciling technique to add a red, white and blue stripe to the ruffle.
It turned out perfectly, and I think Abigail’s dada will be very happy when he sees it! Of course, he probably won’t care what we’re wearing when he sees us, but he’ll love the dress, I’m sure of it!
The finished product
A detail shot of the hood/collar.
I used pink thread, and I’m really glad I did ~ I really love the contrast
As most of you know, I started sewing when Jordan left for Afghanistan. And, if you've been following the blog for any length of time, you also know that I had a few enteries in the Lil Blue Boo and Dharma Trading design challenge... Well I found out today that I'M A FINALIST!!
I was so excited I was practically dancing in my office at work! I have only been sewing again for a few months, and there were some really amazing entries. I am still in shock, I think. A lot of the other enteries were made by ladies who are pretty amazing... they have etsy shops and lots of followers, so I'm really blown away that I'm in that kind of company!
Now, it's up to YOU to decide who wins! Voting ends on the 9th and you can vote once per computer, so spread the word! Go here to vote! My entry is the last one (#15), titled GI Joe "My Hero" dress (no there wasn't a blog post about this dress, more on why this weekend)...
This is my third entry in the Lil Blue Boo & Dharma Trading Design Challenge! I made this dress a few weeks ago, but had issues getting my model to "work with me". My parents came down this weekend and I took advantage of them being here ~ my mom helped me keep my model happy!
It's been cold here in Kansas City and we've had lots of snow, which means it really hasn't been "dress weather". For that reason, I decided to make Abigail a dress out of old thermal shirts, in the classic combination of pink and brown. I used the Sienna dress pattern, which is the first pattern I bought. And, I love how it turned out!! I used part of the pink shirt to make the heart applique.
I also made her a little hair clip to go with it. She's finally letting me put clippies in her hair. Before, she would just pull them out, so I'm not sure what changed (I believe it was lots of coaxing by Pam, her babysitter ~ Thank you!), but I'm oh-so-happy about it!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about Jordan being gone (couldn't have anything to do with our upcoming trip, I'm sure!) and I've been trying to see the upside to the whole situation, and I think I found it. He has been gone technically since early August. In late August I talked to him about getting a sewing machine, and in early September he was home for a few days, so I did it. I went and bought a sewing machine. I have since spent a lot of time ~ okay, as much time as I can spare ~ making Abigial clothes. Dresses mainly, and appliqued onesies (I actually made her and some of her friends matching onesies ~ I'll have to do a post about those later).
A week ago I was at WalMart and they had the cutest "candy" shirts on sale, super cheap ($3!!). Double Bubble, Twizzlers, Reeces Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey Kisses...
My friend Stacy's daughter Reagan loves Hershey Kisses, so I couldn't resist making her a dress out of the Kisses shirt. I seriously think it's my favorite so far. This dress is another entry of the Lil Blue Boo and Dharma Trading Design Challenge (it ends Monday, so there's still time to enter). I again, used the Tie-Back/Halter pattern, which I think is quickly becoming my favorite. It's really easy to follow, and Ashley gives you very detailed directions.
I cut the little hearts out of the rest of the t-shirt and appliqued them onto the dress. It was a miracle that I had just ordered the cream fabric with brown polka-dots the week before ~ it matched perfectly. I really like the look of the ruffle at the bottom and I loved how the fabric curled up, so there was no need to finish the hem.
Wednesday I dropped the dress off for Rea and she was so excited! It made me really happy to see her so excited about it. I was a little disappointed because it was too big for her, but she loved it anyway, and now it'll just fit her longer, right?! I already told Stacy that when she outgrows it I might have to steal it back for Abigail (is that bad of me??) ~ I just really love this dress.
Jordan rarely buys clothes. Like, he only buys Army gear for himself without someone there to help him pick things out. So, when he came home with this onesie for Abigail, it was a big deal. And, he did good.
I really liked it! It wasn't something I ever thought he would buy (he doesn't like pink camo). The only problem was that it was the smallest 12-18 month onesie I had ever seen. Seriously, he bought it at the beginning of October and I think it fit her for a month or so. I tried putting it on her a couple weeks ago and it was way to short.
So, I decided I was going to "refashion" it (a word I've seen used on lots of blogs by super-crafty people!) into a shirt for her. That way, it'll fit her a lot longer. It was really easy. Saturday I bought a rotary cutter and cutting mat at JoAnn's ~ they must have been having a super-sale, because I got both of them very cheap. I have to say ~ a rotary cutter is the way to go. Coupled with my ruler-thingy, I was able to cut both the onesie, and the pink shirt (that I used for the bottom) quickly and straight!
I have been anxiously awaiting this post - there will actually be three posts eventually, but only one for now. Anyways, I'm really excited about the Lil Blue Boo and Dharma Trading Design Challenge. I have talked about Ashley over at Lil Blue Boo before - she is who designed the awesome Sienna pattern that I used to make Abigail's Northwest t-shirt dress. I made this dress a few weeks ago, but had problems getting my model to cooperate! Go figure - a 15-month-old not wanting to pose for pictures?!
I wanted to make Abby a dress out of my old lifeguard t-shirts. I lifeguarded forever, then taught swimming lessons and managed two pools for a lot of years (only one pool at a time, don't worry!). I thought it would be perfect for the summer - since we plan on spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. But, I couldn't find any old t-shirts that said "LIFEGUARD" on them. I had one that said "GUARD" across the front, but that was it! Bummer. I decided to try embellishing with freezer paper stenciling and it was surprisingly easy! You just have to cut the designs out of the freezer paper, iron it on and then use fabric paint and voila! when you peel off the paper, you have your design (I hadn't realized freezer paper would iron onto fabric). The most difficult part of the entire dress was cutting the word "LIFEGUARD" out of the freezer paper.
I'm really happy, overall, with how this dress turned out. Abigail's photo shoot didn't exactly go as planned, I would have loved a little sun and warm weather to set the tone, but no such luck. We have snow instead, and we're supposed to get more tonight/tomorrow. Fun.
She looks so innocent...
Smiles! At last!!
The back
I love that this pattern has options for the loops and tie back, instead of just being a halter. It's a lot better for little ones.
LIFEGUARD
(she'll hate me for this picture one day!)
My beautiful girl!
Sitting at her new table from Great Grandma and Grandpa Tyser
This is what you get when you ask her to say "cheese"
I got a sewing machine back in, oh, August (maybe September) and up until last night have used it to make some little things, but haven't attempted any big projects ~ I think I was waiting for just the right one.
Well I stumbled upon this blog ~ lil blue boo. The creator, Ashley, is a stay at home mom with amazing talent! She not only makes her daughter the most adorable dresses and clothes (many out of recycled t-shirts!!), but also makes patterns so that other moms can use her designs! She is a painter, too, and a really great one! I am thinking of commisioning her to do a portrait of Abigail... what do you think?
Anyways, I bought one of her patterns and I was seriously, so excited to try it out. She emailed it to me yesterday, so I stopped at JoAnn Fabric on my way home and picked up spray starch and a disappearing ink pen. I contained my excitement while I fed and bathed Abigail, while we played and finally! she was in bed and I could begin. I sat down to print out the pattern pieces (this is the age of computers - it is an ePattern - how great, right?) and what do you know? We're out of paper! Of course we would be out of paper. It was too late to go somewhere to get some, so I improvised and used card stock. Not ideal for patterns, I know, but it was going to have to work!
I cut each piece out and followed her instructions very carefully. As the title of my post says, this was a recycled t-shirt dress. So, I found an old Northwest t-shirt... I wanted something that, if this didn't go so well, I wouldn't be heartbroken about, but if it did turn out, would still be amazingly cute. I settled on a yellow Northwest t-shirt, and a green (with white polka-dots) tank top. I pieced everything out how I wanted it and made the first cut! I had decided early on all I was going to do last night was cut everything out, and maybe pin one sleeve...
Well, after cutting everything, starching it (the pattern came with not only instructions, but helpful tips and tricks - like starching your t-shirt material, since it likes to curl), and pinning the first sleeve I couldn't resist! I had to sew...
the sleeves on the front...
then the back on...
then do the top stiching (notice, I actually had a straight line!!)
I ended up sewing almost everything together (I was up until 11:30). I left the ruffel and collar for today. I knew the collar would be difficult, and it was important that it was straight, so I decided to sleep and try it this morning.
the pinned collar...
THE finished dress!!
I used the sienna dress pattern. It's really great. Not only does Ashley give you tips and tricks, but there are also so many variations for it. She tells you how to do each variation and if I can do it, anyone can. Seriously. I don't think I have made a piece of clothing since 4H, and that was in Jr High (if not elementary!).
So, start sending me your old t-shirts and I'll start making them into adorable dresses for my little girl (or your little girl!)
Here are some pictures of my model... she wasn't very into modeling, she would rather play!
