Cute Doll for Emmy

I found this pattern while checking out new Pinterest.  You can find the pattern from here.   I used scraps for everything, but wished I'd made it a little bigger than what printed out. (even though I printed 100%)...  She is 8", but I'm sure she should be at least 12".  Since I couldn't close it up as instructed, I decided  to put lace around the edge.  I really like the way it looks.  Also instead of hand embroidery I was able to digitize a small face to stitch. I added blush with lipstick, but forgot to put lashes, so I will just use my permanent marker and give her lashes.  I hope you will give this cutie a try and let Abby know.  Thanks for looking.

Close up of face

Close up with lashes from a sharpie.  

Today's Project... Baby Body Pillow

What better way to make a new baby comfy than a body pillow that is her/his size.  I've made these in the past.  So I decided to make one for baby Emmy.  I have so many fabrics to choose from.  Thought about using a flannel, minky, polar fleece... But since she lives in Corpus Christi, TX, I have some Riley Blake Stretch Jersey Knit.... PERFECT!    I've made different sizes, but for this one I made it a little longer.  12" diameter and 24" long.   Looks like a stuffed sausage.  The great thing with the knit is; it can be arranged as a curve and it will stay.  With other fabrics, because there is no stretch, they stay straight.  I hope they will like it.  I think once they understand that it is perfect to help keep them from rolling on tummy if she is on her side, will give a better understanding.  

As you can see here, it is nice and long.

And here you can bend it to how you want.  This is also perfect for car seats to help keep baby's head comfortable.

Completed Bunting Gown

I LOVE making baby day gowns for coming home after hospital.  But sometimes what you have envisioned doesn't always come out the way you want it to.  I'm sharing my process of elimination to come to the perfect day gown.  My new grand daughters room colors are pink and gray elephants, if you haven't noticed by now.... But I wanted to do something a little different.

 Looking through my fabric stash, I found this adorable pink/salmon and gray/black floral fabric.  (Henry Glass Fabric, Sweet Harmony).... I started with a white long sleeve baby gown.  I cut the sleeves and serged them, (wish I had a better serger to make them ruffled),  then cut off the lower half of the gown. (Don't worry, I will recycle them too.) I have chiffon rosettes on a spool.  I cut each one individually and trimmed the netting around the rosette.  Next I pinned them to the top and used a wide zig zag to attach.  There were some gaps around the neck so I took smaller rosettes and glued them on which made the neckline fuller.

 

I normally just put a gather skirt to the upper half, but this time, I wanted to make it with cute pleats.  These are 1.5" wide.  I basted them separately and then stitched them together to the top and last I serged that together, to give it a neat and clean look. It needed something else so I added a small bow.  I didn't want to interfere with the rosettes.  As you can tell the bow was too small, and when I tried a larger one, it just over powered it.  I put a 3" hem so it can be taken out if needs to be longer. 

One I finished that, I still needed to turn it into a bunting gown.  Since I didn't leave an opening for the ribbons, (which I normally do), I opened the seam a little under the back side of the dress in the hemmed area.  Using 3/8" elastic, I threaded it through the hem, overlapping the ends and zig zagging the elastic.  The great thing about this is the fact that you can always remove the elastic, just by opening the area which you hand stitched close and cut the elastic and pull it out.  Then just put a couple stitches (by hand), to keep from ripping the seams. 

Again, the bow is just lost.  So I started brainstorming,  what could I do to make it work and look better?  Then I was struck by a lightening bolt (jk)! Actually I fell down and pulled my glut and hamstring, not to mention sprain my wrist and bruised my arm. Praise the Lord they're weren't any broken bones from that ...  Anyway, back to the subject at hand.  For the days I spent recouping, it dawned on me a gray satin sash would be perfect!  Once I was able to drive again, I headed out in search for the perfect gray color.... NOW it looks complete and perfect.... Next will be the headband to go with the gown.... I'm just waiting on my supplies for that. 

Hope this will inspire you to give it a try.  Just be careful not to fall in the process. 

Getting Ready for Baby Emmy

For the next 3 months I will be sharing my project for my soon coming Granddaughter Emmy.  First I have to say, I have BIG plans and lots of items writing down on my "TO DO" list.  I'm in hopes I can get them ALL done before she gets here the first week of April.

Here is the first item I began with  The little bodysuit with matching headband bow.

The way I make these is pretty simple and I will try to walk you through it. The supplies you need to make this is a bodysuit/onesie, matching grosgrain ribbon, and elastic lace. I will add here that if you want to use another non stretchy ribbon, it is done a little different than using the elastic lacy ribbon.   Take out the side seam of you bodysuit. I go from the leg binding to the underarm. This will make it easier to maneuver under the machine.  On the back measure approximately 1" from the leg, I pin the first of the ribbon so it extends into the opened seam.  Then pin your ribbon and bring it across to the other leg and pin. These are the only two places I pin, because I stretch them both as I use my zigzag stitch. If you pin middle you aren't able to give it a good pull.  Now I use a zigzag stitch because it has more give and won't be taunt when the bodysuit is put on baby.  Anchor your zigzag stitch and slightly stretch your elastic ribbon and bodysuit at the same time.  This allows more room for stretching.  Once you finish that row, lay your next elastic ribbon so that it butts with the row above it. Zigzag the same way and continue with the third row, finishing off the back of your bodysuit.  ***Remember to keep the bodysuit opened and clear from your presser foot*** 

Continue the same to the front. I line the ribbon up so that it is above the backside ribbon.  With the front ribbon you DO NOT pull the bodysuit like you would the back.  You want it to look nice and smooth, so just zigzag.  There is enough room because of the elastic and zigzag.  

Now embellish with a cute bow, flower, buttons, yoyo's,  poms.  Whatever you would like.  I used the leftover elastic and made a flower.

Feel free to ask me any questions.