Hannah's Quilt

It's done! It's really and truly done!
I determined I would make a small quilt for each of my children long before I ever had any. Heidi's was completed while I was pregnant with her. After that the time for sewing wasn't quite so abundant as it had once been and Baby#2 didn't have her quilt started until she was nearly three. It was, however, completed last night, and happily Hannah still sleeps in a toddler bed so she can use it there for a couple of years before it becomes a lap blanket.

My little girl is thrilled with all the butterflies,

and I was thrilled that when I went to the store to buy material for the outer edge I also came across this delightful butterfly print I could use for the back. Other than those two fabrics I used all scraps I had on hand, so now Karl's thrilled that I used up a bit of my stash.

Now it's time to start Levi's!

Formal Gloves

I did it! I finally found a way to make gloves for the dress up box that doesn't cost a lot of time or money.
A couple of hand-me-down stretchy camisoles and about fifteen minutes and they were accomplished.
My Heidi finally has her wish and is ecstatic.
Hannah's pretty thrilled too.

My Little Seamstresses

Heidi and Hannah made their own skirts this week! It's been a long-asked for project and I finally made it happen. They chose the fabric, determined the style, helped me measure and cut, put the pins in themselves, then sat on my lap and guided the fabric through while I operated the pedal.
I made them some shirts to match and I had two (very) orange girls.
and one bewildered looking little boy.
Who felt he needed to taste his sisters since he didn't get an orange outfit.
In the end, however, I think he approved.
Great job girls!

This Year's Winter Coats

Lil' Chefs

My girlies helping me make cookies in their new chef ensembles. Heidi's styled after her current favorite skirt in her favorite colors, and Hannah's in her favorite color and a bit more of Momma's style. They have oven mitts and hot pads too!

Heidi's Sewing Again

Heidi's been asking for a top sheet for her bed for a while now, but as she still sleeps in a toddler bed, they aren't readily available. I finally got around to cutting down an old sheet of Karl's and mine that I had saved for the purpose and she helped me sew them up for she and Hannah. Great job Heidi!

Pretty Princesses

Heidi's New Favorite Dress (and it's not a princess one!)

Auntie Summer brought Heidi a delightful dress from Africa (I think Kenya) when she came to visit. It fits her perfectly, but was a little cool for fall and winter here so I sewed an under dress for her from the same pattern as her nightgown out of brown cotton. She loves it and wants to wear it everywhere, church, the doctor's office, the grocery store...

She doesn't exactly look African, but I think it's pretty cute on her anyway.

New Nightgowns

Heidi is into all things dresses. preferably gowns, everything she wears of her own volition includes a skirt. Everything she does, Hannah wants to do too. This was a bit of a problem at night because the weather's turning chilly and the only nightgowns owned were short sleeved. I pulled some flannel out of my stash and somehow squeezed in time to make the girls some cozy nightwear. I think I'll have to find time to make another set, these are being well loved!

She Can Sew!

I started her with a blunt needle on plastic canvas.
Then advanced to a blunt needle and burlap.
And just last week, we pulled out the real needle and felt.

We're working on making 25 little stockings for an advent calendar. I'm hoping we'll get them all done in time for December. With Heidi's help I'm thinking we just might.

Future Designer?

While I was sewing this week, Heidi sat down and started designing patterns for me to sew. She spent lots of time getting them just so.

She even gave them names, such as the "etehobi gown" and the "beauty gown".

And designed a special one for Aunt Summer.

How fun to have her interested in the things that interest me!

Pretty in Purple

Just thought Grandma and Aunt Amber would like to see how the fabric they helped choose looks now that it's dresses. All those sparkles make even lavender acceptable to my red lover.

Heidi was cooperative that morning, but Hannah certainly was not, so this is the best I got of the two of them together.

First Sewing Project

Heidi's favorite color is orange.
Orange!
Those of you who know me know I had no influence in the choice of favored color whatsoever. She is her own person.
Today when we began the long-awaited first sewing project, the only qualification for the fabric we used was that it had to be orange. Thankfully I had some scraps in that most desired of colors left from a quilt I had made.

I thought Heidi did a great job pinning and guiding the fabric through the machine as I pushed the pedal. She has watched me, oh, a few hundred thousand times I suppose, so she had a good idea as to what was expected before we began. Still, I was impressed at how careful and competent she was.

Our finished drawstring bag

Heidi was hesitant to pose for me until I told her the orange fishing pole could be in the picture too. She's pretty pleased with her bag and is busy filling it with all sorts of wonderful things as I type.

Sunflower Festival

The sunflowers aren't blooming yet, but we went to the sunflower festival! The girls had fun wearing my latest creations (finished last night) and watching the parade.

We went to the petting zoo where Heidi had a blast, but I got better pictures of Hannah as she was a bit more sedentary. I think Heidi's goal was to pet every animal there.

Heidi had energy left for the bounce house, where, once again, the activity level left us with blurry pictures.

Heidi really wanted to try cotton candy and I agreed to a little sugar. When she got it, however, she was convinced you were supposed to drink it and was upset that I wasn't showing her how to do so. Daddy saved the day when we got home by putting a bit in water which she could then drink and went down for her nap a happy and very tired Heidi.