My New Serger

photo from http://www.babylock.com/sergers/evolution/

I am so excited about my new babylock serger! We sort of went overboard and bought a serger that also does coverstitches, which means that the machine not only serges, it also sews a nice seam at the same time. You don't even have to bother with threading the thing, just stick the end of the thread into a hole, push a button, and the machine threads itself. You can read more about this amazing machine here.

Thanks to my husband for my wonderful early christmas gift. Now I am truly committed to making this purchase pay for itself. The girls will be wearing hand made clothes from now on, up to and including their wedding dresses.

Another Day, Another Toddler Backpack

i finished another made by rae toddler backpack. this one is for a little girl who is turning two.

s liked it so much that she wanted it for herself. i had to promise her that i would make her a princess backpack. better get on that.

the polka dots are michael miller and the stripes are amy butler lotus. both fabrics are quilting cotton that came from my stash. i used the same process as the previous backpack; lining the quilting cotton with heavyweight interfacing and bottomweight twill.

i am officially obsessed with making these backpacks. they are just so fun and satisfying. tomorrow i am making the trip into the city to look for fabric for my two nephews and another of s's little friends. all three are boys so it will be a challenge to find something cute and boyish. did i mention that these will be christmas gifts?

speaking of christmas gifts, i have a couple of projects that i want to make for s. one is a cinderella dress-up dress. and of course the princess backpack and a doll from this book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1584798580?tag=weewonderfuls-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1584798580&adid=0B06F4GD13TPZDB433Q5&

that's it for now! going upstairs to cut the cinderella dress.

Made by Rae's Toddler Backpack

can you believe how adorable this little backpack is? well, i can't. it was made from this pattern.

this was made for one of s's little friends who is very into cars and trucks. the fabric is a quilted cotton from joann's. i used heavy-weight interfacing and lined it with a bottom weight twill. this combination i thought gave the backpack a sturdy structure that was perfect.

the pattern itself was easy to follow and fairly simple. and the result is so cute! it is the perfect size for toddlers. i've already pulled fabric to make another backpack, this time for a little girl who is turning 2. i am thinking polka-dots and stripes!

oliver and s school days coat

i'm finally done with the oliver and s coat! it took me awhile just because i kept making silly and careless mistakes. first off, i somehow missed cutting the placket and didn't realize this until i was almost finished with the coat. the other mistake that i made was that i cut the cords a half inch too short, and of course when i tried to button the jacket, the placket ended up looking puckered.

anyhow, here are the details. i used a double faced designer wool melton and a fun amy butler quilted weight from the midwest modern line. The wool was beautiful to work with and ironed really well, although the bulk was a bit problematic at times. the pattern did say to use a walking foot for thicker fabrics, but because i didn't have one on hand, i just used an ordinary one. it worked fine but i am definitely saving up for a walking foot.

all in all i am pretty happy with the result. the coat is just a bit too big so hopefully it will last s this winter and next. i gave it to s today and she loves it! she kept saying thank you and even gave me a kiss. so all the time and effort was worth it just for that.

Next up is a made by rae toddler backpack for one of s's little friends who is having a birthday this coming weekend. i guess i'll have to get busy...

cribs and bags

well, i'm happy to say that i finally finished baby b's crib bedding. i started this 2 years ago, intending it for her big sister but never got around to finishing it. finally this week, i finished the bedskirt and now baby b is the happy recipient. i based the design on the modern crib pattern in amy butler's "little stitches for little ones." i omitted the pockets and added an edge trim to the bumper. i also added a true pleat to the skirt.

i also finished a dance bag for s. i used fabric from anna maria horner's drawing room line of home decor weight. the lining is a sandra hendrickson fabric that has been in my stash for a while. i used a pattern from pink chalk's "mailbag." this is the mini version. it was a super easy pattern and i finished the whole thing in less than 2 hours. i am half-way done with the bigger version for me.

next up is the oliver & s school days coat for s!