Monkey skirt!

One really fun thing about having a toddler to sew for is that you can make really fun print skirts! Here is a super easy twirly skirt that I made for my little monkey!



The fabric:



Madelyn contimplating the fabrics for two skirts (the other one is almost done)

Finished skirt!

Welcoming Bonnie to the wonderful world of sewing.

**edited to add picture**

Today we welcomed our good friend, Bonnie into the wonderful world of sewing. We started out our adventure at our local drug, I mean fabric, supplier, JoAnne's. We started our innocently enough, looking for old lady fabric for Bonnie's girls, and Denise going on her own mission for applique something or other. Bonnie found some super cute fabric, one of which she stole from Denise, and we got our numbers for the cutting table. That's when I realized that we were no where near ready to be cut! So we laid our numbers down and headed to the ribbon, ruffle, and button aisles. So much fun! Bonnie kept asking me what kind of ribbon to use and I was absolutely no help because I had no flipping clue how to make what she was planning to make, so I kept running between Bonnie and Denise asking questions. I felt like a translator, I'm sure I drove them nuts. Then we found a cute ruffle and some cute buttons and headed over to the notions. This is where Bonnie said the words she never should have said. She said "get me whatever I will need" and I think I went a little crazy just throwing things in her cart, but we found out that she used everything we bought, so it was all good.

Pins, scissors, measuring tape, pin cushion tomato, bobbins, and 4 spools of thread later we moved to the patterns and looked at the rotary cutters. This is where I got jealous. Bonnie bought the self healing mat, rotary cutter and straight edge pack that I'm drooling for. I have the self healing mat though so it's just a little drool. We had fun looking at cute little girly things because if we ever get our full clans together (does my one child count as a clan?) there are 9 girls in all. I think that warrants lots of ruffles, glitter, and pretties.

Bonnie got her fabric, elastic, and ruffles and we headed to the checkout after 2 hours of shopping! I would like to interject here that the kids were wonderful! Madelyn was at school and Emmalyn just rode around so sweetly in the shopping cart, Paige stayed with us and Claire was as sweet as sugar in the stroller! I'm beginning to wonder if it's my daughter that's the heathen?

Anyway, at the checkout we made Bonnie sign up for the mailing list, laughing about how we had bossed her around the whole store.

Bonnie headed over to my house to get started and after winding a bobbin and figuring out her machine, she made a dress for Emmalyn! It is so beautiful and I can't wait to see her two girlys being so sweet and matching! For a beginner, Bonnie is an awesome sewer! Even if she does that crazy measure and cut straight lines thing. ;)

Labor of love....

Because I enjoy fixing things and making them pretty, I enjoy doing things that may seem "chore like" to others.

Chris returned from the field and his trust field pillow had split a seam (it's just two pieces of fabric serged together with some batting stuffed in) and he asked if I could fix it. I took great pride in ironing some nice seams to reinforce the entire pillow (don't want another blowout).

I had to remove the batting...it was pretty packed, after all this pillow has been around since 2003 and has been to Iraq and tons of training exercises.

I was so happy to show Chris his new improved pillow when he got home! I'll be making him a removeable cover for it and possibly a whole new pillow that I can send when he is deployed.

-Katrina

PS - posting and crafting from me is probably going to be slow for a bit. We are gearing up for a a deployment and something about saying goodbye to my husband makes me fell less than inspired.

FINALLY back in action....

I am so happy that one of us over here at Three G's Crafts has been crafting.  Thank you KATRINA for holding down the fort.  I have been super busy with the girls, appointments, a sick husband, a visit from my parents and preparing my house and shopping for our 10th Annual Super Bowl Party.  Which is where this next trio of shirts was inspired for.  Go COLTS....  We aren't even Colts fans but you have to pick a team and go with it.  So, I decided very last minute to make the three girls shirts to show their temporary team spirit.

My fabric choices.

My three girls

The oldest, Reese. I hand made her ruffle, my first ever.  Thanks to the tutorial over at MADE.  The adorable Market skirts are theme idea for Reese's 6th birthday party in September.  I need to "kidnap" Katrina and go for another trip to JoAnnes for searsucker.  I want to work on more ruffles because this one didn't come out ruffly (did I just make up a word?) enough.

Here is my ever silly Paige.  I love her eyelet lace trim. 

And my baby doll, Claire.  I love her little shirt.  I love the dark blue ruffle on the bottom.  I attempted a pair of bloomers for her but the didn't quite get them right.  Oh well, next time.

I can not wait to get started on their little shirts for

Saint Patrick's Day. 

Oooh and what are we doing for GIVE AWAYS?

We need 30 FOLLOWERS first.

So start following..

DENISE :)

Another ruffle shirt - completed!

I finsished this tonight and couldn't even wait to post it until tomorrow when I could do a proper photo shoot with natural light!

This is my favorite part of the fabric, it looks like a little wave of flowers and hearts!

After I finished sewing the straps I needed to attach them to the shirt but I couldn't find it. I looked on the floor, under everything I had on the table, in the family room and just couldn't find it, so I stood up to get a better look and found it right behind me on Madelyn! I had put it on to check strap length and forgotten to take it off. She was just playing happily, not questioning why mommy had put some weird shirt over her nightgown.

One strap on, checking for placement...and apparently it's good for running. Like how my family room looks after I spend time at the sewing machine?

Finished product! This one is a shirt so it's supposed to be short and since we weren't doing a proper photo shoot I saw no need for pants. :)

I promise fun pictures tomorrow that include something on the bottom. :)

-Katrina

From like to LOVE

In a previous post, I claimed to have finished a dress for Madelyn as modeled by Pooh Booh. After thinking about it and looking at it more and feeling like it resembled a ruffley pillowcase, I made a few changes and now I am in love! A little pleated ruffle at the bottom and some cutie patootie flower buttons and be still my heart. Now this really is a Valentine dress because I love it so much.

Valentine ruffle tunic top

I am sorry I haven't blogged in awhile, Craig is out in the field, Paige had three speech therapy appointments this past week, then ended up sick Thursday night. Reese had basketball practice's, game and team pictures. Claire is crawling and pulling up on furniture, so there really hasn't been the time or the energy to sneak off into my little sewing hole to finish up projects. Plus, I was waiting for my partner in crime, Katrina to get her butt back from NC to make a trip to Joanne's with me to buy some much needed supplies. One, the elastic to finish off these adorable little shirts. I came across this tutorial on how to make a simple ruffle sleeved tunic top and just had to do it. I have a pair of booties cut out for Claire and I plan to embellish a simple onesie to match the big girls shirts. Should be super cute. What do you think? Make sure you leave us comments.

I love the way Paige is looking at Reese in this picture, Reese just kept making faces and Paige was like, can we get this done so I can get back to my jelly beans.

the fabric

Paige eating a very unhealthy morning snack...

They are so darn cute.

My older adorable little girls, the both love PINK... so I am sure these shirts will get worn out.

Thank you Candace over at Sparkle Power for a great Tutorial...

BOYS.... well booties for one for Jessica's Give Uh Way...

Finally! I got back into my little hole and was able to sew one pair of BOY booties... the other 4 pairs planned are all cut out, assembled from 6 pinned pieces per shoe into their three finished pieces per shoe they just now all need to be sewn together. No biggie, right? Well, I am behind on my packing up Christmas, Paige is not starting an intense speech therapy program. Claire is really crawling now. Craig is due to go to the field and Reese started basketball back up. Late night sewing for me. This first pair of BOYISH booties is for Jessica's "Give Uh Way". I will be featured in her 12 weeks of "Give Uh Ways" in February. Until then check her site out weekly for the other amazing vendors along with her great sense of humor. Katrina and I are planning to do some sort of Give Away soon too.

I honestly think the is my best pair yet.

My little Claire modeling

These are so cozy. I really need to try to make adult sizes.

Booties to "Give Uh Way"

My sewing machine was running tonight after a days rest, hopefully I can keep it going for the next few days, I have some catching up to do. You might recognize the polka dot fabric from the girls runner I made for their dresser the other night, well I had actually cut these booties out a few weeks ago but they have just been sitting on my table neglected. I cut two pairs out, one for Claire of course and one for an option

for a fellow blogger's "Give Uh Ways". Go see Jessica at http://www.thelowefamilynews.blogspot.com/

she has been giving away some amazing things. Plus she is pretty darn funny and her family is super cute. I plan on making a boy option for her winner to choose from.

the fabric beginnings into the 12 pieces per pair that will be all sewn together to make the following...

Claire is modeling her pair, for what ever reason I made a minor mistake on hers though you can't see it. I think I was just sewing and not thinking, I do that with a lot of things.

Don't you just love her yummy chubby thighs??

The "Give Uh Way" pair for Jessica.

What do you think???

My Christmas gift turns into more leg warmers for Claire

My sweet husband bought me 6 pairs of socks for Christmas. Don't pick up on any sarcasms there, I LOVE socks and was in need of more dress socks (regular length ones). I have plenty of thin socks, atheletic socks, TONS of warm and fuzzy socks so just plain trousers socks is what I wanted. I am 5 foot tall and most knee highs are too long for my short little legs. My husband knowing I have been on the hunt for some cute knee highs bought me some by mistake. They were six GREAT pairs, and I actually asked him, "did you buy these for me or for me to make into more leg warmers for Claire?" his response was "You, you asked for more dress socks", not wanting to hurt his feelings, I responded "yes, and these are wonderful", but he saw my brain working and told me to do what ever I wanted with them. I looked at them all day and decided only to sacrifice one pair, these purple and green striped ones because Claire has a set of onesies that would look adorable with them.

the beginnings

the cute end result

she is getting much stronger and on the verge of MOVING....

Sister, Paige stealing some shots.