Teacher Gifts: Noodlehead Divided Baskets

 When I came across Noodlehead's Divided Basket, I knew they would make perfect teacher gifts.  

 


I used fabrics that I already had.  This one is a particular favorite, Sketchbook from Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room line of home dec prints.  I bought a whole bunch of yardage a few years ago, most of it lives on as curtains in the girls' room.  I had bought extra intending to make pillows.


   

S has four teachers, so that's how many baskets I made.  Unlike last year, I didn't leave it till the last minute.  It took me a couple of days to complete all four.  The hardest, most tedious part was cutting all the layers of fabrics and interfacing, but once that was done, all the pieces came together pretty fast.

I added the large ric-rac to a couple of the handles, just for fun. 

Also embroidered names on the back.  I love how they turned out. 

 

 

After these pictures were taken, I added a bottle of wine and some cookies.  These baskets can hold a surprisingly huge amount of stuff.

 

 

And finally, here is S on her first day of preschool wearing her Oliver & S Bubble Dress.

 

 

 

Last day of preschool, and the dress is now a tunic. 



A Butterfly and a Bee

These butterfly wings were made using Martha Stewart"s tutorial found here.  Since it seemed like the original pattern was too big for my 4 year old, I shrunk it by a couple of inches, which also meant that I had to redraw the inside design to fit the smaller wings.  Once the pattern pieces were all cut out though, it was a pretty quick sew.  I used wool felt and one inch foam.

 

 



And here's our cute little bee. The Oliver & S Bubble Dress pattern was pretty much perfect for this costume.  I cut up the skirt portion into black and yellow stripes but was too lazy to add seam allowances, so the dress ended up a little short on her.  Both the tights and wings were bought at JoAnn's on super clearance.  The antenna headbands I made myself out of pipe cleaners and yellow pompoms.

 

Happy Halloween to all the other little insects out there!

 

 

oh hello

hey i'm back. we've had a fun and busy summer.  i'm sad to see these lazy crazy days at an end.  but then there is the lure of routines, a slower pace, and, dare i hope, time to sit at my sewing machine.

today is the first day of another year of preschool.  s has a new dress, made from the oliver & s bubble dress.  it's now available as a digital pattern.

that's a size 4 she's wearing.  a little short maybe?  the pattern only goes to size 5, but i think that if you lengthen the skirt and/or the bodice, you might be able to eke out another year or two.

 

 

 i added ready-made piping between the skirt and the bodice.  i like that the piping is subtle but defines the waistline.

 

b had to get in on the action too.   a matching dress in size 2, but with pink piping instead of white.  the fabric is by dear stella that i found at cool cottons.

 

so another dress, and a new school year.  it's only a little sad this year.