Princess Anna's Coronation Dress

I FINALLY finished Delilah's Princess Anna dress!

Check out my lovely princess.

Delilah loved this dress, worn by Princess Anna of Arrendale in the movie "Frozen" for her sister's coronation as Queen.  Unfortunately, it was NOT for sale in the Disney store.  So I decided to sew it.  Here's a shot from the movie of Princess Anna wearing the dress.

Given that my princess is growing like a weed, I decided I wanted to make this dress with room to alter it as she grows.  That added a new level of difficulty to the project.  I also had NO PATTERN. 

So yeah, this project may have given me an extra grey hair or two. 
But check out this smile.

My girl was happy.  Very happy.  And that makes me happy.

D wore this dress at Disneyworld, and got quite a bit of attention.  (And I had a few offers to make them for other kids.  That's flattering, but I prefer to sew for my own kids)  Princess Belle told her she was the most authentic Anna she had seen.

This dress has a 4' hem, with extra fabric in the seams and straps so I can let it out for wear later.  All the fabric is cotton, which was so my daughter could wear in the Florida heat of DisneyWorld.

Disney is now selling a version of this dress, but I *think* only inside Epcot.  I am guessing it will be available to the masses soon. 

I have a gazillion photos.  Coming up I'm planning on posting some info on how I made this dress, in case any other intrepid sewists out there are interested, and I'll post more pics.  Stay tuned!

Janimal

 

Mama Needs Marc Jacobs

Some time ago I wrote about making a simple cotton shift from some Marc Jacobs fabric purchased at Mood.

I wore this dress A LOT this Summer. 

 

The thing is, I first purchased this print in grey, then called Mood and asked them for all the other colors.  The grey print is my favorite and I just reeeeally want to make something awesome with it. 

So I looked around a bit and found how Marc Jacobs used the print.  Check out this ensemble!

Oooooh.  I had originally thought a shirt dress so I am dead chuffed that MJ and I both thought "shirt" with this print.  Great minds think alike eh?  I have no idea what the retail price on this is, but given MJ prices I've seen for other garments, a couple thou?  Yikes! 

 

But I don't think I can pull that look off.  But pants, hmmmm, pants.....

 

Here are some more garments from the Marc Jacobs 2012 Cruise collection:

 

Gosh, I have this print too!  Only in cotton, no shiny stuff.  But ummmm yeeeeah!

 

This one looks like the print I used.  This version has pockets and back zip - but retail price is $1k.  And sold out!

 

I also found the dress below.  I think this one was on sale, you know, it being a 2012 collection, but the sale price was about $600.

 

 

So now I just HAVE to figure out what to do with my lovely Marc Jacobs fabric.  I paid $14-$18 a yard for it.  What a deal!

 

Stay tuned....

 

 

Janimal

Easy Peasy Coat Sewing

Super Easy Coat Sewing!

Well, I have been doing a fair amount of sewing lately.  Just not so much blogging! 

Since I have a few new items done, it's time to get some pictures taken and share them.  This morning I wore a garment I made to work, so I managed to ask a coworker to take a pic. 

Here is my new coat!

The

This is a Burdastyle pattern #6989.  It says "Super Easy" and it really was!  The pattern calls for loden wool, but I wasn't about to cut up some expensive wool for an untested pattern. 

There are pockets on seam that you can't see in this pic.



There were no reviews on patternreview.com.  After a disappointing visit to JoAnne's, I ended up using a $10 blanket to make this coat.  Yep, a TEN DOLLAR BLANKET! 

The seams are not hemmed, so that makes it super easy and fast.  But I think it would be nice to consider making this in other fabric and lining/hemming.













The pattern has two other options.  A shorter jacket version, or a vest. (Pattern pic of vest here)

This coat might do well with some embellishment of some kind.  It's simple and sewed up super fast.  I'd like to find a fabulous fabric for the next version. 

My pattern review is here: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/92741

For now, I will enjoy staying warm in my wearable blanket!

Janimal
 

Fresh Beat Band Tour & Dress

Delilah is a big fan of the show "Fresh Beat Band". So when they announced a tour, we bought tickets right away.

And of course, D needed a new dress for the occasion.

The Fresh Beat Band has four characters, Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout. Delilah decided to be Marina. So....here's a pic of the character Marina.

And here is Delilah as little Marina!

Delilah had such a wonderful time. Heck, we all did. The show was high energy and fun. And since we had great seats upfront, Delilah got lots of waves and attention from the band as she moved and grooved and danced along.

Despite being SO excited, when Delilah got her chance to meet the Fresh Beats and get her picture taken with them, she got a little shy.

But this gave Marina a great opportunity to play peek-a-boo with Delilah and make her giggle. I don't have a picture of that but we have the memory, and that was pretty cool.

Hanging from Delilah's neck are a glowing stick and her afterparty pass. She had SUCH a good time that even after the party, way past bedtime, she was in a silly, happy, mood.

Oh, the dress! I made a peasant dress from this free pattern on fabric.com, and made up the little tab fronts. I sewed the buttons right on the dress and made the belt buckle from wool felt.

And...the Fresh Beats announced ANOTHER tour date back in Atlanta. So come August maybe we'll have more success with that photo op!

 

Cheers,

Janimal

Musicbox Dress

Once upon a time I made Delilah a Musicbox dress - a pattern by Oliver & S - in a classic Liberty of London print.

It was too big to wear at the time, not that it stopped me from putting it on her. Check it out here.

NOW IT FITS PERFECTLY!

My little girl is growing up. Sigh.

Love when she makes funny faces.

Janimal

Wee Wonderfuls Kitty

Some time ago I got the book Wee Wonderfuls.

I recently gave Delilah the book and asked her to choose something for Mommy to make her. Check out her kitty!

D asked that she be purple. Good choice I think. LOVE the shoes.

Purrrrrrrr. This was a fun project. My next project from this book will be the BOY doll. Delilah has requested a Prince Eric to go with her Ariel Little Mermaid doll. Mommy must oblige!

Take care,

Janimal

Delilah's Ballet Dress

Recently, Fabric.com posted a link to a free peasant dress pattern. I made one in almost no time at all! Check it out here.

I think the Minnie Mouse slippers really make the outfit, don't you?!?

VERY simple to put together. Given Delilah's new obsession with only wearing red, pink, or purple, I've been sewing accordingly. I found this pretty pink fabric with red and pink ballerinas that I just had to get for her -- I think it was from Hancock Fabrics. Sorry I can't recall. Darnit. I'll update with the name of the fabric later.

A lovely dress to pick flowers in.

And make funny faces in.

The instructions include putting elastic in the sleeves so they are cute little poufs. I tried the dress on D and just left the elastic out. This is a 3T and just fits her and I didn't want the sleeves too tight and turn her off wearing it. The next version I'll make a 4T and include the elastic. SO quick to make this simple dress. And if I say so myself -- SO CUTE!

I have SO many pretty fabrics in my stash, but since D is just interested in her favorite colors, there's no point in me sewing with them. I want to make things she WANTS to wear. So its red and pink and purple all over my sewing room for a while. I bought some fabric to make MYSELF things when I need to rebel and sew something blue or green!

Coming up, I have cute toy from the Wee Wonderfuls book to show off - and am in the midst of making a very special dress to enter my local ASG contest. I hope it looks as dreamy in real life as it does in my head.

Later skaters,

Janimal

McCalls m4815

Over a year ago, I bought a McCall's pattern to make Delilah a dress. M4815.


It was a simple dress with a cute little tie at the neck for detail.



I decided to use a checkered bias tape for the sleeves, and after sewing one on, didn't like it. So it has sat in my sewing room, unfinished for over a year!

I finally got around to finishing it before Delilah got too big for it. But used a solid bias tape at the neckline.


To me, it looks a bit home-made with the bias tape I used, rather than hand-made. Know what I mean? Friends who know I sew, look at Delilah's outfits, and ask if I made them, and they mean it as a compliment. With this dress, it looks obviously home-made, which isn't as much a compliment.

But when worn by my sweet girl, I like it much better! She makes this dress look gooood!

I sure do love my model.

Later skaters,
Janimal

Sleepover Pajama Pants - Hooo Hooo!

Finally getting around to showing these pajama pants I made for Delilah.

They are the Sleepover Pajamas from Oliver & S. The top is cut and I started to sew it but haven't finished. Hopefully I'll get the top done before she's too big to wear these jammies!

What is brilliant about these pj pants is the hem. It's made to be folded up and tacked, and then the tacks can be let down later as the child grows. The finish of the bottom of the pants is lovely.

What really makes me happy about these PJs is that my sweet husband bought the fabric as a Hannukah gift. Cute, right? He went to Whipstitch Fabrics, because he knows whatever he buys there I'm gonna like. Seriously I love everything in that place. This is Urban Zoologie from Kaufman Fabrics. Love. I've got to get that top sewn!

Now to find the time to make that top...

Janimal

March Madness BasketBall Taggy

Hello! Long time no blog! Life is just crazy with two wonderful kids and a fulltime job. Although there is less time for creative pursuits, I don't want to abandon blogging altogether.

I'd like to share a little toy I made for Shane. At 4 months old, it is a big hit with him! It's the right size for him to hold and chew!

In honor of March Madness....

This was made using an embroidery machine download from The Purple Hat HERE.
Loopyloo toys.

It stitched out so well - I must make more!
I added his name to the back. I've had it in his carseat at daycare dropoff and have had several requests to make them for other babies. Ahh, if only I had the time. My list of projects I want to sew for my OWN children is LONG.

I hope to be back soon and share other projects.

Be well!

Janimal

Delilah's Matching Dresses

Happy to blog today about some recent sewing projects!

But first....Where oh where have I been?

Ah, just getting to the end of pregnancy and have had lots on my plate. So blogging has not been a priority. I'm not apologizing for not blogging - I think my priorities are in order. But I do miss interacting with the online world quite a bit.

Here's who I have been interacting with. This little girl, who just turned 3. Poor dear woke up sick on her birthday but still agreed to wear a little 3 shirt I appliqued for her and was a sweet and cuddly little one all day. She is the cutest most amazing kid ever. Just sayin'.

I wish I had her hair!

Happily, she was not sick for her birthday party. I made her a cake with princesses on it and we enjoyed ourselves.

I have gotten some sewing done lately! I'm so very happy to show you this Popover Dress for Delilah for next Spring/Summer AND a matching dress for her to put on a doll. I have a prettier doll in mind, but this one was the closest available when I was ready to take a picture.

The fabric is Willow Grove by Alexander Henry and I just LOVE it! (Patterns are available for FREE download from the Oliver & S website)

I alspo recently made Delilah's Halloween costume. I'll try to post pictures after she wears it, in the meantime, here's a clue about what she wants to be...

Oh, the cute! I know that no one finds kids as charming as their parents. These days I am feeling especially in love with my daughter and just can't help expressing it.

I'll be back with more projects. Including a tutorial for some tab top curtains I made.

Take care all,

Janimal

Delilah and Daddy Coordinating Outfits!

I am in the final few weeks of pregnancy. Hard to believe!

After the little man makes his appearance, I am pretty sure I won't have much time for sewing. In the meantime I am trying to make a few more projects before my hiatus.

Recently I got to test a pattern for childrens' pattern designer Oliver & S. But this is a new kind of test -- not a new pattern test. But an OLD pattern test! They have several patterns that have gone out of print, but as new sewists discover this great company, they still want them. So O&S is looking into making the patterns available as pdf files to download. As a tester, I was sent an out of print pattern that was converted to a pdf to print myself and sew up.

I already own the pattern, the Puppet Show Dress. It's the pattern I used to make Delilah's Snow White dress, actually. Just a lovely little dress pattern!

So here is the test dress I sewed up! D is currently fitting well into 3T, but I made this dress is a 4T so she could get a little more wear out of it. Not too big though - check it out!

The fabric is "Innocent Crush" by Anna Maria Horner that I bought at Whipstitch Fabrics. You may recall I used this print to make my sweet husband a tie. So Delilah and her Daddy had coordinating outfits to wear Saturday night. Unfortunately, I didn't do so well capturing their matchiness. I do have one funny pic of a crazed looking D, with her Daddy and his tie in the background.

"You talkin' to me?"

I sewed this dress Saturday afternoon, and found myself scrambling to finish to put it on D before we raced out to a wedding reception. So instead of following the lovely hem facing finishing instructions in the pattern, I haphazardly folded the bottom and sewed a very rushed hem. I felt like a contestant on Project Runway trying to get a garment done before racing to the runway. I can only imagine what Nina, Michael, & Heidi would have said if they got a look at my hem.

I'll finish the hem properly and get some better pictures!

Thanks for stopping by!

Janimal

Fabric Bin Tutorial

Hello! I am so happy to share with you a tutorial for making a fabric bin today!

We have a robot theme going in our new nursery and I just fell in love with the I Heart fabric from Timeless Treasures that was designed by Rashida Coleman-Jones. (Purchased at Whipstitch Fabrics) This lovely fabric came in cotton, and also a lovely cotton/linen blend that has a lovely weight I enjoyed working with very much!

Pretty soon I will be able to share photos from the finished nursery. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this little sneak peek at the decor, and this tutorial.

And oh yeah, we picked a name for our new baby - check it out!





This fabric bin will either store baby toys on the floor. Nice and soft for the baby to access. Or, we'll use it to store diapers next to the changing pad. I have other fabric bins too, so now I just need to figure out where they go!

To start, I cut five 10' by 10' squares of the outer fabric and some interfacing. I used a medium stiffness interfacing. I considered using fusible fleece but I didn't have enough on hand. If you have batting, that would work too.




Next I laid out the fabric pieces, with a piece of the interfacing on top. (this is when I realized fusible interfacing might make this a bit easier.) Because the robot fabric is directional, it's important to get the layout correct so each side has robots that aren't upside down! The arrows here show how to layout the fabric.

Ok, the layout is good. Now I must sew each panel in place. I pinned the center piece to a side piece first.

This was sewn together with a half inch seam. VERY IMPORTANT - start and end sewing a half inch before each side.

I sewed two opposite sides first.

Now the other two sides, and this is why that half inch space in sewing is important. If you sew with a half inch space again, you should have a perfect corner.

Now it's time to sew each of the side panels together. It was tough for me to get a picture of this. Basically, if you fold the bottom panel into sort of a triangle, it's a bit easier to put the side panels together to sew.

Once all the sides are sewn, you have something that is starting to resemble a box!

I pressed each side seam open, and if I had been thinking properly, I would have trimmed the seam down to a quarter inch. So do as I say, not as I do, and trim that seam!

The lining of the fabric bin is constructed almost exactly the same way, except leaving a space between a side and bottom panel for turning.

These seams were pressed open also.

OK - It's the home stretch! Now insert the lining into the outer box, right sides together. Pushing into each corner and lining up each side seam.

I started with a pin in each corner, lining up the seams, and a pin between each corner to keep the lining in place

Then sew around the top with a half inch seam.

My favorite part - turning! Use the gap in the bottom of the lining to pull the fabric bin right sides out!

Ta-Dah!

A good press around the top and look - it's a fabric bin! You can top stitch around the top at this point, but I didn't. The turning gap in the lining can be handstitched closed at your leisure!

I really hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I am pretty excited about our robot themed room and am looking forward to sharing pics of it. Please stop back by!

Later Skaters,

Janimal