Baby Hats!

 The "You Be the Judge" contest this year for our fair is baby hats that will be donated to local hospitals. This contest is one of my favorite contests. Besides trying to win for most votes, I usually try to win for most items made. This year I have challenged everyone to make at least one hat a day for a whole year. So far I'm on schedule to do just that. I'm sewing most of them, but since I can't take my sewing with me in the car, etc., I'm crocheting and knitting some as well. So far I've been on a crochet kick. Here are some of the beauties I have made:













Both of these patterns can be found at http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/. I absolutely love her patterns and they are so easy! Although the Mickey hats are very cute, I think the owl hats have been my favorite to make so far. I can't wait to make her owl granny squares!

Let the Halloween costumes begin!!

 This year Claire wanted to be the opposite of what she was last year. Do the pictures above give you a clue?

 How about this?

 It's Mother Gothel in all her glory! We couldn't find a curly black wig that wasn't outrageously expensive, so this $8.00 one from Target will have to do.  I used McCall's 5499 to make Claire's dress. I squared the neckline and combined the straight sleeves with the bell sleeve part to make a single flaired sleeve. I bought the material at Joann's in their clearance rack-it was drapery fabric marked down to $3.00/yard. Woo Hoo!

I love the back of this dress. The pattern doesn't call for a zipper, but there was no way I was lacing Claire into this thing every time she wanted to wear it. So I added a zipper and then sewed one side of the back closure part to the dress and added velcro to the other side. Now it's very easy to get in and out of!

 Here she is, next to Kate who is modeling the Rapunzel dress I made for Claire last year. What a difference! Up next is a Minnie Mouse dress for Kate!

Happy Birthday Eleanor!!!

This sweet daughter of mine is 10 years old today!  Happy Birthday to my fairworthy girl!!!

Entry day

Well it's finally here-entry day! We've been busy finishing up entries and actually will complete some of our baked goods entries this morning before we take them in this afternoon.  I didn't take pictures of everything, so here's just a sample of what was entered:

To see more pictures and to see what categories these will be entered in, click here.

4 days and counting-Yikes!

I have just finished the smocked bishop gowns and have started to work on construction on my last smocked item-a jumper with some picture smocking. I've never had much luck using my machine getting the insert in straight, so I have to do that by hand. It takes a while.

A lot to do this week. I have a list. I need to get realistic about what can and can't be completed and remember there is always next year.

7 days and counting

One week to go! Today I made 13 bullion roses on the bishop baby dress. I actually had to redo several of the roses and they are still just okay, but I just had to stop and call it good. So I didn't complete the dress, but I did one of the things I hate and now it's done. Hoping to get the sleeves done on both bishop dresses and get them hemmed. I have to go to JoAnn's tomorrow to get more plastic snaps since I've used up all I had on hand.

I finished crocheting a handle for a purse for an 18" doll. Just need to sew the end of the handle to the purse and that will be done.

Tomorrow I go to JoAnn's to get fabric for the princess dresses for Claire's American Girl Doll and to get a button for the felted purse. I still need to cut out Eleanor's prairie girl costume, but I need to get a smaller pattern for the bonnet as the one that came with the size of her dress is way too big. It's wonderful that a good sale on patterns and the fabric I need will start tomorrow with an additional 25% off coupon. I'll take it!

Claire baked her cupcakes today and they are waiting in the freezer to be frosted on Friday (entry day) and Kate made her cookie dough which we froze into balls to be bake on Friday as well.

Not sure how much I will get done next week as it's going to be pretty busy and I have Ben and Eleanor using my machine to complete some of their projects. I definitely will be working at night.

8 days and counting

No pictures today, but I did get a bit accomplished. I sewed the side and back seams of a baby dress I smocked and added the neck binding. I'm not happy with it, but I'm leaving it as is. I love to smock, but the construction always gets me. I have a hard time getting the dress blocked appropriately at every stage. I guess if I made more, I would get better (like making pie crusts). I need to sew on snaps, hem the dress and finish the bullion roses. I hope to do all that tomorrow. We'll see. I was going to work on it tonight, but I'm beat.  I have an 18" doll dress that is done except for snaps and a hem. Oh, I forgot sleeve bindings. Need to do those on both dresses. Yeah, not going to finish those tomorrow after all I'm thinking.

Need to get frames for some penguin cross-stich that Trent and I made. More plastic snaps at JoAnns and some fabric, but will probably wait until Friday for that as there's a sale and a good coupon on the sale stuff. I'm hoping to make 6 or 7 Disney princess dresses for an 18" doll for Claire for Christmas, but I want to finish them so I can enter them in the fair. Otherwise they might not be in good enough shape to enter next year.