First; here is the out of print pattern.....

This is a little girls dress that I set aside and now I'm close to finishing. Plaids are so rich and fun to play with. Of course, when I bought this fabric (years ago) I'm sure my manager asked me what I was going to make with it! (my old boss at the fabric store) And I probably just said, "I don't know yet! It will just go into the fabric stash until I find the "right item it needs to be!" Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm sure I didn't tell her that.... (she would have looked at me funny! As you are now!) But I'm sure I told her I didn't know yet! A while back I believe I showed you the plaid and maybe even the pattern..... (researching!) Alright... I didn't show you the plaid, or the pattern.... I just wrote about them a little is all. Back in May! Ahem, well.... some of us just can't win! But I will try to rectify that right now!

The picture of the oop pattern was just my starting point. First; I changed the neck made it a bit larger.... more open.... so that the little girl can wear a blouse or long sleeve t-shirt with it and it won't be too clingy. Also; I wasn't into the old fashion sleeves.... (see oop pattern above!) Just too much fru-fru for me! I wanted it to be a bit more simple, and mostly have the main focus on the plaid and the person wearing it! Notice the cute print lining the bodice? Well, the pattern doesn't call for it to be lined, just faced but during a trip to the fabric store a while back, I happened upon this.... It called out to me! And it was just the right piece to go inside of this cute plaid! I still need to hem, add buttons and button holes. And honestly... one day when I find someone to wear this then maybe I will get a picture of it on someone. But until then, it will hang in the closet..... waiting! One more thing, on the pocket front edges I put just a tad bit of light yellow ric rac. Just to give it a touch of whimsy!

It's been fun. I'm not too sure yet about what buttons to use. Maybe I will go with just a clear round type.

Now that you know that I've not just been messing around... I guess that's all for right now! I suppose it better be! It's almost November.... Actually today is the oldest grandson's b-day!

Happy Birthday Little Guy! We love you!

It's Starting To Feel Like Fall

So yes, life gets busy. What can I say! I forget to write things down and well b/4 you know it... a month has past! Almost two!

We took care of the grands again... it was fun... they are growing up so fast though.

Here they are out in the garden playing in the dirt!

Our oldest grandson (he is almost 5) wants to be a Transformer for Halloween. His mom is working quite hard to make him a cool costume. A week or so ago, he looked at the costume (which is being made out of cardboard) and said, "Mom, are we going to spray paint it? Cause I don't want the kids to look at it and say he's wearing a box!" "I don't want to be embarrassed!" Our daughter did the "mom thing" and told her DH that no matter how much time she puts into this, that when all is said and done, if he looks at it and he thinks their son will be embarrassed.... she will scrap the entire thing! Now is that love or what? I'm thinking yes! Indeed yes! I will have to take pictures of the grands to let you see how things turned out!

I've been busy working on a pile of fabric's that I've pulled from my stash.... I'm about half way thru them... I'm cutting out 10 1/2x 10 1/2 inch squares; 4x4 squares, and triangles... oh, and also strips that are 2 1/2 inches wide and all sorts of lengths. There are a lot of floral's, some lights and some dark prints, also a variety of dark's too. I haven't come up with the type of quilt that I will for sure make with these... actually, I'm thinking it may end up as more than one quilt.

This picture; is of the second half.... that I haven't cut up yet!

About a month or so ago... I bought this dress on clearance... which makes it more fun and cheaper to play around with.... I did get it at a better price.... than shown here!

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/52081/58263/cotton-tiered-dress.aspx?colorid=013&refLink=outlet-dresses.aspx&Skn=outlet at Cold Water Creek....

It's an all white dress, if you go to this site you will see it... anyway I don't really wear sleeveless dresses, but I do like to play with things I buy. Not only do I see in my mind what I can do with fabric, but I also see things on people, in catalogs, store etc.... and think.... hmmmm, what can I do to improve or modify them so I would like to wear them?

So, this is the added eyelet to add to the length. I still need to do the sleeves.

Alright now for one, it was a bit too short for me..... (which because I had forgotten to read the customer comments... I could have figured that out b/4 hand... but I didn't! )I'm not crazy about my calves.... so I like a dress a bit longer. Also the sleeveless thing.... not quite my thing. So, because the dress has a variety of materials that it's made from I'm going to add sleeves that I have made from a couple of materials. For the base of the sleeves I will be using a knit white spandex, and then over the top of that I will be using a doily..... I know your laughing now.... but you just wait! Hopefully when it's done, you won't be! The dress has a cotton layered bottom and the top is made out of various knits. Since there wasn't enough of the doily to make the entire sleeve, that is why I'm using the spandex knit to build a base. Hopefully when it's done you won't even notice the base and your eye will go to the embroidered cotton doily. If it turns out like I plan.... I will be happy. And let's be honest.... I'm doing this for me right? So, who if anyone needs to be happy? You got it! Oh, and your probably wondering..... why is she working on a dress she won't wear now until Spring? Because that's just how I am! I just don't always get to things when I need too!

What with canning and fruit drying and recovering from hurting my back.... (I have no idea what I did....) but it's taken me several days to feel like a human again.... I've been walking around like I'm 90 years old. But stubborn as I am.... I will persevere!

Oh.... I did take time to brush out the dog.... there was an entire other dog in the bag that I put that old hair into! She looks much cuter now.... and I suspect that she is much happier too.... no more itchy hair to try to get off when she is outside!

I will be doing another post, so this is all for now!