Have you met Jo-Ann?

I went to our new fabric and craft store, Jo-Ann, yesterday for the first time. I was (and still am) a little skeptical of the idea of another store of this kind within such as small radius, especially in this economy. However, there was a quote in the newspaper a few months ago from the owner of a local sewing shop that in this economy, their business has actually increased. That makes sense if you think about it because many people are turning to making things instead of buying them (hello, have you looked in the specialty shops and catalogs???) I realized last year that I could make some things for much less than I could buy them.

I love Hobby Lobby and I shop at Hancock's occasionally. For a small store (as compared to the square footage of the other stores), this Jo-Ann store really packs in a punch. I saw lots of fabrics that I am interested in and lots of other things, too. It is nice to have lots of options in Tupelo.

See more in my Etsy shop!

I opened my Etsy shop a few months ago, but not too long after that, I found out that we were moving, so sewing was put on hold for a little while until we could get settled in the new house. I love having my own sewing room. It gives me a lot more opportunity to get creative and be more productive (when I have time). I added a few items earlier this week and will add more as things are finished. Thanks for looking. Pass it on! Here is the link: www.etsy.com/shop/SewWhatsGoingOn

S is for Spring...S is for Skirts!

This is a sampling of some skirts that I have been working on lately. I just love the Layer Cake skirt and have made quite a few of them. They are so cute, easy to make, and easy to customize, whether it is for a 2 year-old, a 6 year-old, or even a teenager.

I made this Layer Cake skirt for my niece Claudia's 2nd birthday. She had a Minnie Mouse themed party and I thought this would be perfect for her.

I decided to try something different, so I thought I would try a 2-layer skirt. I really like how this one turned out and have started on several more in different fabrics.

Finally, how can you go wrong with using only one layer of fabric? I don't think you can. Even though this skirt does not have the gathering and layers that the other two do, the elastic in the waist works to give it a gather and a little pouf. Caroline wore this skirt a few days ago with just a plain white T-shirt and sandals and it was so cute on her.

More burp cloths

Here are some of the latest burp cloths that I have made. I have made some others, but I have already shown those fabrics before, so I didn't want to duplicate. A friend of mine wanted several, so I e-mailed her some pictures of some that I had done for her to choose from. She asked if she could send the pictures around and then that afternoon, a co-worker wanted a few also! E-mail can be a wonderful thing sometimes.

New Menu Item: Layer Cake Skirt...endless flavor options!

Here is my latest creation! I am getting ready for spring and getting a head start on making cute clothes for Caroline and praying for warmer weather. In case you didn't know, it snowed again (we're in Mississippi...this isn't supposed to happen multiple times in the same winter!) I found a tutorial recently on Prudent Baby for this adorable "Layer Cake" skirt and just had to make one for Caroline. I showed it to a friend of mine and she loved it, too and wanted one for her little girl. I guess I need to get started on that one...if I could only decide which fabrics to use! The possibilities are endless! The skirt featured used three different fabrics, but I couldn't decide on three from my stash, so I chose two that I hadn't used yet.

Shaking things up..Pillowcase Dress...without border

I made this dress quite a while ago and I forgot to post the pictures. I decided to make a pillowcase dress with one fabric and no border. I knew this would turn out so pretty and sophisticated. So, here is a little twist on the pillowcase dresses that you have seen here before.

Getting back in the saddle soon

I have taken a break from sewing for a while, but I didn't really mean to take this long. When we knew in November that we would be moving soon, everything got put on hold and put away. We moved in early December and it took a little while to get everything unpacked and settled and then Christmas came and I said I was going to get back at it after Christmas. Well, Christmas was a month ago and I still haven't gotten anything done! Last week, while Caroline was napping, I went into my sewing room (yes! now I have a sewing room!) and sat on the floor and laid out all of my fabrics for some inspiration. Since then, I have been online searching for new projects to get me excited. Maybe sometime this weekend I will have something done! I just needed a little inspiration and I think I have found some cute ideas.

Baby Blanket and Burp Cloths

Here are some of my latest projects. I haven't had time to do much since the move and trying to get organized.

Minky dot/fleece baby blanket...so soft


Sampling of burp cloths

Burp Cloths

A few weeks ago, I made some burp cloths for two baby showers that I went to. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of them before I wrapped them up! I will try to make some more soon and post some sample pictures. These make great gifts because a mom can never have too many! When I had Caroline, I received about 30 burp cloths as gifts.

Exploring new options as the weather changes

As the weather gets cooler, I am becoming inspired to work with some new fabrics. I have seen lots of fleece and corduroy on sale and I think now may be the time to buy and experiment with something new. Stay tuned to see what I come up with!

Latest Dresses

Here are my most recent creations. If you see anything you like, let me know. I am branching out and trying new things, but the pillowcase dress and A-line jumper are two of my favorite styles.

This is Caroline's latest pillowcase dress. I modified the pattern and I think I made it better. I was a little nervous about working with stripes at first, but it turned out really well. It looked really good on her and didn't look as much like a bubble like the previous one.

Big Sis/Lil Sis matching A-line jumpers

I made these for a recent baby shower gift

Green/pink/white diamond print A-line jumper, size 1/2

Pink/hot pink/green print A-line jumper, size 1

Brown bubbles print A-line jumper, size 2

This is Caroline's maroon jumper, perfect for football season and any season. This will look great alone or paired with a white turtleneck as the weather cools off.

More Fabrics

Here are the most recent fabrics that I have bought. All washed and ready to cut!

Maroon and White!

Well, my search for the perfect maroon fabric has ended. I was so excited when I found this fabric and knew it was the right one. I had looked at a few places and found some colors that almost made it, but just wasn't sure about them. They were close, but not IT. Sometimes you just know it when you see it...and I did. I thought the matching gingham looked really good, too. Now, if I can just figure out what I want to make...probably either a jumper or pillowcase dress, but maybe a top and shorts or pants. Football season starts this weekend, but Caroline has a few outfits to wear to get her started, so thank goodness I don't have to rush too fast on it.

It may not show up well on your screen, but I promise it looks good in person

More dresses for Caroline

Here are my latest creations for Caroline. I've got some other projects in my head, but I am trying to decide what to do next and with which fabrics. I have lots of different patterns to work with so it is hard to decide. My pattern collection is growing because every time they go 99 cents at Hobby Lobby, I take advantage of it!

I made a jumper in a smaller size because the first one was too big, but at least she can wear it later on. This should be perfect for fall and winter with a turtleneck underneath.


I found a different pattern for a pillowcase dress and it turned out as I thought it would as I followed the pattern. (Sometimes I have my doubts when I start on a new pattern and I just tell myself to follow through with what it says and just wait and see...like when I made shorts for the first time and they turned out fine.) It's not bad, but as I thought, it is a little short and wide (bubbly) on her. However, the very top of this one is wider than the previous pattern and I think this gives it a much better scrunch with the ribbon tied. I think I will modify this pattern the next time I make it and go a few inches longer and narrower. She can probably wear this one a year or two down the road as a top (maybe even three, seriously). I think I'll make some pants out of the blue fabric to go with it as it gets shorter on her.

A-Line Dress also makes a great top

Here is my latest creation for Caroline. I liked the A-line jumper so much that I made a shorter version as a top and I made some shorts with a pattern from a previous two-piece outfit. I am very pleased with how this one turned out. I can't wait for her to wear it!

New Fabrics

Here are the latest fabrics added to my collection this week. I made some shorts yesterday to go with the pink paisley pillowcase dress/top from a previous post. I'm thinking Caroline might wear that tomorrow when we have some out of town family visiting. She'll be super cute! Stay tuned to see what happens next.

A-Line Jumper

I took a break from pillowcase dresses and decided to make an A-line jumper. I started it yesterday afternoon and finished it off today with the buttons and buttonholes. It was really easy and didn't take long at all. As before with the two-piece outfit, when I was done sewing, I didn't have any buttons on hand to go with the dress. I haven't built up my button supply yet and I don't always know what I am going to make with the fabric when I buy it; I usually just know that I like it and want to make something with it (I guess as I buy more button packs, I will gradually build my collection and will have buttons on hand when I need them). Caroline has a birthday party to go to on Saturday. Maybe she will wear it then. I think it will be so cute on her!

Latest Creations--More Dresses and Some Bloomers

I forgot to post a picture of these bloomers when I made them. Caroline wore them a couple days ago and go something on them. Sorry, but you get the idea.


Here are my latest creations in pillowcase dresses. I decided to make the pink paisley one without a border, just to be different from the others that I have made and to just let it be shorter as a top with bloomers or shorts, or maybe even pants. I haven't decided yet.
I have intentions of showing what these look like on, but our fit model doesn't always want to pose for pictures. She prefers action shots instead of stills and that doesn't always work to show the dress properly.
FYI: the pink one may look bigger or wider. It is actually shorter and the picture was taken closer to crop around the dress. They are the same size, but the pink one is shorter because I left off the border.




I haven't decided on my next project yet. Maybe I will make another style dress or I may go back to another two-piece, if only I can figure out which pattern and which fabric I want to use.

Bias Tape Can Be Your Friend

I made another pillowcase dress over the weekend and instead of double-turning the armhole seam, I used bias tape instead. I wish I had known about this earlier. I knew it existed, but I didn't know how to use it until recently. Let me tell you, I will continue to use it because I do not like stitching armholes on little clothes. They may not be as bad on adult sizes, but when you are making something for a 14 month-old, the curve is much tighter.

Look What You Can Do With Some Fabric and a Box!

I get so many sturdy boxes from buying diapers and wipes in bulk that I sometimes save them. These boxes can be useful for storing things and toting things around. Occasionally, I use some of these boxes to carry things or to keep stuff in my SUV. I had an idea one day to make a slipcover for a wipes box so it wouldn't look like what it is. I thought I could keep things in it and keep my SUV better organized (and look good, too).

My Graduallly Expanding Fabric Collection

Here is a sampling of the fabrics that I have so far. I just love picking out new prints and dreaming up new ideas. It's been a little addictive. Click on the picture for a closer look. Some of these are featured in the previous posts below:

Just Lacks Two Buttons!

As many of you know, I am new to this. I can say that I have sewn before, but I am talking about 8th grade Home Economics. I was inspired then to make several things on my mom's sewing machine, but that was a long time ago. Sewing is like riding a bicycle, though. You don't really forget. You just jump back on. Making dresses is one thing (especially pillowcase dresses), but I discovered a whole new world in making this two-piece outfit. I made it through. It really wasn't hard. It was just a lot of steps I hadn't done before (that I had to analyze thoroughly and make it make sense), like the shorts and the facings on the inside of the top. I was a little intimidated by some of the steps involved, but I would compare it to the book, "The Monster at the End of this Book," starring lovable, furry old Grover. I bought this book for Caroline last year and I remember it from when I was little. Moral of my story: it wasn't that bad like I thought it was at first when I had the pattern pieces laid out (shorts look really odd at first and then they make sense). Now, I am ready to do another one of my two-piece patterns.

It is basically finished. I just need to get two buttons to fasten the tabs at the shoulders and stitch my button holes. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it is going to be a little big on Caroline, but that's better than being too small. I used the size 1 on the pattern, which was the smallest.

Dress No. 3

I finished this dress a few days ago. I just love it! For some reason, it makes me think of candy, so I call it the "candy dress." I can't wait for Caroline to wear it.

Aside from pillowcase dresses, I am working on a two-piece outfit right now. Not sure how this one will go. The top is pretty much done, but I have never done any kind of shorts or pants before (or bloomers for that matter). We'll see. I may end up sticking to dresses. Who knows?

Pillowcase Dresses

Well, nearly a month ago, I bought a sewing machine. I figured I could really get some use out of one right now. Caroline has a few smocked dresses that were just about dragging the floor, so I needed to hem them up now and then I can let them out next year for her to wear again because they seem to be plenty big and there doesn't seem to be a big difference in the sizes, except in the length.
I have seen these pillowcase dresses and love them. I thought to myself, "I can do that," so I went to Hobby Lobby when their patterns were 99 cents and bought several patterns, some fabric, and a few supplies. When I put my mind to something, I go for it. I was so excited to get started. Here are just a couple that I have finished recently. The first one is my favorite and the first one I made. I couldn't wait for Caroline to wear it to church today. I don't mean to brag, but she got lots of compliments. I have another one in the works and several more ideas to come with the other patterns I bought. I am already dreaming up something MAROON and WHITE for this fall!



These are great because she can wear them now as a dress and later as a top when it gets too short. They usually fit a range of 2-3 sizes; just scrunch it up at the top with the ribbon to fit. Also, in the fall & winter, you can pair it with a turtleneck and tights or leggings.

Sew Here We Go!

I decided to start this blog because I already have 3 sewing posts back to back on our family blog. I am a born-again sewer and am enjoying making a few things for my 14 month-old daughter, Caroline. I decided to start sewing again when back in the spring, I had several dresses for her that needed to be hemmed up in order for her to wear them this summer. Then, I was inspired to buy some patterns and some fabric and voila! Who knows where this will take me? So far, it has been fun and full of new learning experiences.