My New Hobby

I've taken up a new hobby. Last spring, I made my daughter an Easter dress.




It was sort of a complicated dress to make for a beginner. There was a net ruffle and slip underneath that makes the skirt poof out more. Plus it was fully lined. I was pretty proud of myself when I finished it. I only wish I had made it a size bigger so she could have worn it longer.

But it was a while before I attempted a sewing project again. We had a horrific stomach bug that kept getting passed around throughout December and January that kept me from trying anything. I did want to make her a dress for Christmas, but then decided not to. Then, I tried to make doll clothes for my daughter for Christmas, but ran out of time.

In February, I went and picked out a pattern and some fabric to make an Easter dress for her again. Then I got the crazy idea that I wanted to make a dress to match her. So I pulled out an old pattern of mine for a dress I made when my husband and I were first married and was going to make that. But I didn't get started on the dress right away, figuring I still had a month. But then, my baby was born in the middle of March. Despite the fact that I had both my mother and my mother-in-law around the first few weeks after he was born, I didn't find time to start the dress. In fact, I didn't make it for Easter at all. Then I discovered that I was nowhere close to the measurements for the dress pattern I was going to make for myself. So I went back to the store and bought a skirt pattern that required the same amount of fabric that I already had. I decided to make the dress for her and the skirt for me for the weekend that we both baptized our oldest son and blessed our baby.

I got the dress finished. The pattern had a purse pattern as well, so I made the matching purse. My aunt took some of the leftover fabric and made the cute matching headband.

I still haven't made the skirt. My measurements are all weird. According to my waist measurement, I should be a size 12 but my bust measurement shows me at a size 4. And my bum and hips, don't even want to go there.

So I've been holding off on the skirt.

But then, in the in between time, I've done a LOT of mending. Sewing patches onto jeans. Mending rips in dresses and other clothes. I have really enjoyed sewing.

So, now I have a few projects on my list that I'd like to do, some of which sort of have deadlines.

Project #1: T-shirt dresses

I'm making these for all the granddaughters on my side of the family. There are twelve of them, ranging in age from ten down to newborn. I bought a bunch of blue T-shirts and onesies that were clearanced at Children's Place and then found some cute black and white clearance fabric. All I have to do is measure out the fabric and start sewing. But my deadline for that is August 10th. See, on August 11th, I'm driving to my mom's house for my brother's wedding on August 18th and I'd like to have the matching dresses done so we can get a family picture with the girls wearing them.

Project #2: Baby blanket

I found some cute fleece with a monkey pattern on a green background on clearance a few years ago and bought it. It's the perfect size for a baby blanket. Not a newborn blanket, but one that will last for a few years, or life. All I have to do is edge it somehow. My baby is almost five months old and it would be nice to give him the blanket that will be his for childhood. If I don't do it soon, he probably won't even care for it.

Project #3: High chair pad

Our high chair that we've used for the four kids is a hand-me-down. The original plastic pad was completely worn out by the time we used it with our daughter. I bought some cute fabric and batting with the intention of making a new pad but never got around to it. My baby is four months old and will be starting solids and sitting in the high chair in a matter of months. So I'd better get cracking on that too.

Project #4: My skirt

I need to get cracking on this skirt that I want to make that will match my daughter's yellow dress. Before she outgrows the dress. I guess I'd better get cracking on that one too.

So, here is my list. First, I finish the T-shirt dresses. That one has the most immediate deadline. Then I should probably do my skirt because the other two projects do not have set patterns. The third one should be the high chair pad because I have to figure out the size and shape and stuff on my own (I did keep the old, worn out pad to use as a guide). The last one, and easiest, will be doing something to that baby blanket. I don't know if I will sew some satin around the side or just zig zag stitch all the way around, but I want to do something, I don't like tied fleece blankets at all, I find them annoying, so I won't be doing that.

In addition to these projects, which I intend to finish by the end of the summer, I am going to make our family's Halloween costumes. It's already been decided that we will go as characters from the Wizard of Oz. So I'll need to get started on that next.

Then, at Walmart the other day, I found a bin that had 97 cent patterns in it and found a whole bunch--a dress for my daughter, a child's apron, a dress for me, some capris for me, a doll dress and a bib pattern. I may go back and raid the bin again without my children so I can have more time to find some more.

And then, I found this great book at the library.



I have already been reading it and am so excited to try and make my own skirts. I can even use the information in this book to adjust the pattern I bought to match my daughter's dress so it will fit me better. I think I will have to buy this book so I can use it!

Yea for fun new hobbies! Especially ones that are so useful.