Try not to look at my poor dead grass, sniff-sniff! It has suffered too much this hot dry summer. It will perk up in the fall, but for now it is crunchy. Here is Sydney in this mixmatch of patterns of a Fall jumper and peasant blouse. At first I didn't like it and thought it looked kind of clownish, but now seeing it on her I rather like it and it IS the right color purple, so who is going to argue with a 4 year old on that one? 
These are all fabrics of Fresh Market from Sandi Henderson and I couldn't wait to make something up. I had this idea in my head one night before going to bed and ta-da, here it is. That is just the beauty of sewing to me. I have that Field of Dreams moment....if I can dream it, I can sew it! It goes something like that! 
This is one of the first back to school dresses I have done for Sydney's Fall wardrobe this year. I entered it into a little spaghetti bias tube challenge that Sally was having over at Farmhouse Fabrics. I have decided that my theme for Fall is apples. I love the red, white and blue colors to work with and there are some really cute apple fabrics out right now. 
Don't you just love this little pocket. I played with about 4 pockets before I decided this one was the winner. I was so excited when I finally got it right! Sydney was very pleased with it too so that was just icing on top!
This swing jumper is one of my favorites to make. It swings open and the lining fabric shows thru so it is a great one for fun coordinating or theme fabrics. I made the red dot pique blouse to go with other things for Fall. I wanted to make some little corduroy pants with a red jacket, but when I showed the sketch to Miss Sydney she firmly told me that she didn't want ANY pants this year. I may have to make them anyway, I think this 100 degree weather has her confused. She might be singing a different tune when it is 40 degrees and raining. 
I have lots more apple themed things to come! My sewing room looks like a tornado went off in there right now, but I sure am having fun! 
I just love all these bohemian style dresses and fabrics that are available now. And I just love these Ginger Blossom fabrics from Sandi Henderson so much! They are so fun and fresh. I just can't wait until her new line comes out. Sydney loves this dress. I am thinking with the brown I can count this towards Fall sewing!
This is for an outdoor portrait for Sydney tomorrow. We are going to an old plantation house with a gazebo and a garden. Well, I do live in historic Williamsburg and you know how we have plantation houses and horses everywhere! I thought I would recreate an old fashioned look here with black and white photographs. Maybe some of those photographs that are brown and cream would be pretty too. I can't wait!
I really love this collar and the swiss organdy was really a dream to work with. The shadow embroidery was lots of fun and I can see holly leaves done with a red velvet dress would be breathtaking for Christmas on this type of collar. Oh, to dream....
Sydney is shaking her booty in the first picture. I think she thinks this is very funny to do. And in the second one she is doing her best princess pose. She thinks this is demure and makes her look just like a princess. (Can you feel my eyes rolling right now?) I showed it to her and asked her if this was what she thinks a princess looks like, and she says very matter-0f-factly, "Yes. Exactly like a princess!" And then she takes off twirling and spinning and giggling away. Ahhh, to be 4 again.
Sydney wanted Dolly to have her own Blanklet, so I gathered up all my favorite pink and green cottons and started cutting away. This was so much fun. Just stitching 4 by 4 pieces of fabric together and then off I went. This little blanklet measures 32 inches square so it is big enough for her to sit on with Dolly and have tea parties, but small enough for her to carry around the house with her. 
The backing for this quilt is some leftover fabric I had in my stash from a sweet dress I made her last summer. I think I may have to make some more of these! I think I have opened up a huge can of worms with this quilt! I loved it! I can't wait to make another one. 
Ever have those days that everything is fun and you are creative and your little one is just a complete joy to be around? Well, today was one of those wonderful days for us. First, the weather was wonderful. It was about 78 and no himidity! Wonderful! We played out in the sprinkler and a large blue bucket of water. Such simple fun!
Then when ate lunch outside and ventured inside for a while. I cut up cute pieces of fabric into 4 by 4 squares and started sewing them together. These are just 5 remnents that I just loved from dresses lately. Then I just layed them all out. I love it! Sydney played with play doh and kept coming over and ooohing and aaaahing all over them. I think this will be a quilt for Dolly. 
Now I need to figure out how to get them all together! I have strips already cut out to do between them. Hopefully, this will look like a quilt in a couple of days or so....maybe weeks or so is a better plan.
Then we went back outside and I picked off a bowl full of gardenia's from my large bush outside the back door. Right now the whole house smells just like them. It's wonderful!
Then for dinner we made pizza's. My little helper had a great time with the flour as you can tell by this picture. But, what a wonderful way to top off the day with her. I love my life!
