Piper-Sydney's Closet

2009-06-29T12:19:00.003-04:00

Here is the latest one of Sydney's summer sundresses. This is a very sweet pink and purple floral. (One guess who picked this fabric out!) This is a sailor pattern that I have been meaning to make up for two years now. Well, now that Sydney is in a 5 and the pattern only goes up to a 6 I figure I had better get sewing! The floral is a pique and the white sailor collar is from a Dakota collar. I embroidered some little bullion roses and some fun lazy daisy flowers on the back of the collar for some details. I love doing embroidery and really should do it more often. It is so relaxing just playing with the thread. I just love it! I think I had a smile on my face the entire day of working on this little number. The six buttons on the front are Mother-of-Pearl large buttons that I got from an antique sale. They are super heavy and just so pretty I thought they should be up front for everyone to enjoy. Love them.

Yesterday Sydney wanted to wear it to church and here we are out in front of the house. She is channelling some Fonzie pose here. But I just think that this sundress got a two thumbs up from my little sweetheart!

Peter Rabbit and friends

2009-06-15T09:40:00.005-04:00

Here is Miss Sydney in her new sundress. She thought it was just way too bright to take a picture without her shades. We went to the farmer's market and she was a huge hit. Here is the back of the dress. Instead of the usual buttons I opted for ties for a more casual feel. I love this look. The fabric is white with pale blue so the ties and the piping are both done in a pale blue microcheck. Click on the photos for a close up of all the Beatrix Potter scenes on the dress. There is Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck (who is Sydney's favorite!) and the Floppsy Bunnies.

And not to be left out is Haylie. This is the same backwrap pattern that Sydney is wearing. Haylie even has ties too. I barely had enough fabric to squeeze this out, but this was the request from the beginning. That her and Haylie have a matching dress. Mission accomplished!

Customer sewing

2009-06-08T13:48:00.003-04:00

I have started sewing in my new sewing studio. It's heavenly. Ahhhh! The natural light, the looking out the windows and hearing the wind chimes out of the front porch. I could live in here. So this weekend I did some sewing for customers. This first one is a cover-up that was bought and it was just plain white. My customer wanted pink and white ribbon. Little Makenzie will be adorable and oh, so, stylish this summer with the finished cover-up. I got an e-mail about an hour after giving this to her Mom and she said that when Makenzie got home she put it on and wouldn't take it off! So, I would say that she liked it! That makes me very happy!

A friend of mine, who I have done lots of matching outfits for her adorable little darlings wanted to get back into smocking. She did their Easter dresses and these are for summer. I love an angel sleeve bishop and these turned out better than I could have even imagined. I pleated them and constructed them, but that wonderful smocking was done by her. Great job!

I will say that while I have been constructing them yesterday, Sydney kept asking me where hers was. I guess I will have to make my little one happy with one for her closet. I just love pink and green!

The big reveal

2009-06-06T11:18:00.003-04:00

Drum roll please....Thanks for coming by. I know it has been a while, but I have been under construction for about 5 weeks now. I am still putting rooms together, but I thought I would give you a little peak of my favorite new room in the house...my sewing studio! (Pause for gasps and claps to subside so I can continue!) Here we are in the foyer looking down the hall. Notice there is a nice little sitting area off to the right just in case you need to take your shoes off to thoroughly enjoy my new red oak flooring. It is heavenly. I am in total love with it. Notice too how the direction of the wood changes with each room. The long lines invite you to move forward. Kind of cool isn't it?

To the left are the double doors that lead into my sewing studio. (Like how it's a studio instead of just a room? I think it sounds more professional that way, don't you?) Anyway you can see on the left-hand side my Machine Embriodery machine and a space for Sydney to do crafts or for cutting out fabric. And even a sneak peak of my stash. There are doors on order that will cover all that lovely fabric up so the sun and light doesn't discolor it. But for right now, I am enjoying eyeing all my purchases.

I am also thinking of frosting the glass. Sometimes I am not the neatest person and I would like to be able to just shut those doors and not have everyone who enters my house see my work-in-progress.

Walking straight in the room this is what you see. All my lovely fabric folded nice and neat and divided up according to type. Thicker fabric on the left with corduroy, flannel, twills and piques. Ont he left hand side are broadclothes, batistes and lots of cottons. The large totes at the top hold bags for customers, quilted fabrics and interfacing. The containers between the fabric and at the bottom all hold ribbons and trims of every kind divided up.

I have changed my color scheme throughout the first floor to apple green, white and then some beiges and tans for the walls and some accessories. These green containers from Target fit in perfectly.

On the other side of the room are my sewing machines and sergers and a large bookcase with magazines and sewing books. I am not showing you that right now because I have some work still to do with hanging curtains and a white board. Stay tuned as I finish up my room of my dreams.

Okay, off to finish some sewing for customers right now. Hope you enjoyed my tour. Come back soon!

Baby Lions

2009-06-04T21:53:00.004-04:00

Here is a little bunch of baby lions. Backstage waiting to perform the cutest hip-wiggling, kitty cat growls you could ever imagine. I was in heaven watching my little one strut her stuff across the stage like she owned it! The others were cute too! Hee-hee!

This is Sydney with her best friend, Chelsea. They are all dolled up with eye shadow and lipstick. They are a pair together. I forsee lots of late night giggling at slumber parties in their future!