I’ve created a monster!

For Christmas, Bea got a Janome DC1050 and the book Pretty in Patchwork Doll Quilts from Santa. 

She and I marked the quilting lines with a washable pen. I was a little worried that since it sat around 2 weeks before she actually quilted it that the blue marks wouldn’t wash out. But they did!

Santa also brought two doll clothes books that came with instructional DVDs.  We sewed this dress on Christmas day.

I love the little appliqued daisies with button centers.

According to Bea’s first grade teacher, she writes about sewing in her morning journal nearly every single day.  And these came home in her folder in January.  Of course I saved them!

I’m not sure what one person would do with 100 sewing machines, but it sounds good to me!  I love the little drawing of a sewing machine she put at the bottom.

My husband jokes that one day “the student shall become the master.”

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday.  Have a great weekend and hope you get lots of sewing done!

Trying New Things—the doll edition

The girls got an American Doll knock-off last weekend, and I made my first foray into the world of making doll clothes.  I feel like I’m learning this sewing thing all backwards…I should have followed the natural progression of sewing by making doll clothes as a kid and moving up to eventually making quilts and more complex things.  Instead, I am a thirty-five year old making doll clothes!

It’s been a real learning curve for me.  Amazingly, none of it was much of a challenge though.  Maybe my quilting experience paid off.  I just drew out a shirt pattern and it worked!

I did make one silly mistake.  I finished the seams on both the back parts of the first shirt exactly the same, so on one side they are on the side that shows.  Nothing new there!  I make mistakes like that all the time even when I’m following a pattern.

I attached the first shirt in the back with velcro.  The second one I made out of an old t-shirt.  This was my first time sewing with knits.  On one hand it was a success because it did come out looking like a shirt.  But on the other hand, I need to learn how to sew knits without getting the fabric snagged down under my throat plate a hundred times.

On this second attempt, I even made a little matching trim for the bottom of the skirt out of leftover t-shirt material. 

I never really understood the allure of making doll clothes until now.  The dress she came with is made of the same substance as gauze—I’m sure it wouldn’t survive the washing machine and the velcro would never hold up to my kids’ handling.  So I’m proud to say that while not perfect, both these outfits will last.

Linking up to Trying New Things Thursday.