Baby its cold outside

Its cold in the house too. The boys are building a fire as I sit here under my cozy blankets and type.

How about a tutorial?

Bloomers....so cute on little girls!

Bloomer are fun and easy to make. I love how they look peeking out from under a dress. My youngest dd, who gets the lions share of my sewing, was needing a pair. I am making the pair that the little girl is wearing.

This is McCall's 4505. Its still available as far as I know where ever McCall's patterns are sold. I think I own three of these patterns. I wait until Joann Fabrics puts their McCall's patterns on sale for $1 each and then purchase new patterns. In my opinion this is a timeless pattern and very useful.

The next two pics are for information purposes only. On patterns you will see the markings that I zoned in on for the pic. I usually make a small clip in the fabric where the marking are, about an 1/8-1/4" clip.

Two markings denote the back of what ever you are working on. These marks are commonly seen on the back of a sleeve and bodice too. One marking denotes the front.

I have gotten, over the years, to where I mark everything on my pattern. I don't try to guess it anymore. It saves me frustration in the long run. Among my favorite sewing tools are the colored wax paper and the marking wheel. Here I am marking the line where I will sew the bias tape on for the elastic.



The pattern directions call for laying the elastic on the line and sewing it or zig zagging it down. I don't like that. At least not on garment for little girls. I like to make a casing for the elastic. Today I used some bias tape pieces that I had.

Next iron under the hem. I folded under 1/4" and then folded and press again on the 1/4". Then stitch the hem.

Run the elastic through the casing and stitch the inseams of the legs together.

The result was this. If you look closely (maybe) you can see that the leg on the left is right side out. The leg on the right is wrong side out.

I put one leg inside the other, RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. Meaning that when you look at this...

on the outside you see the seam allowance. If you look on the inside (after pinning) you will see the other seam allowance. I stress this b/c when working with fabric that has no right or wrong side, its easy to over look the seam allowances that are on the wrong side...(hehe I've sewed them together wrong several times in the past) Sew the crotch or the U as I call it, pull the one leg out and Viola!

I turned the waist under 1/2" and then 1". Sewed it down and ran my elastic through. I like to over lap my elastic and zigzag over it a few times. I hate it when elastic breaks in the waist band! It is usually preventable.

I have a spool of soft blue ribbon that I keep in my sewing drawer. I cut of a 2" piece and sew it into the waist band to mark the back from the front.

The finished product. Cute little girl bloomers!

Meet Rowan

Rowan, I love her name.
I made up the pattern for the overall construction of her vest. There is supposed to be a zig zag type pattern in the middle section of the vest and there is, its not easy to see though. I'm still learning about what types of yarns go with patterns and stitches. I found the zig zag pattern in a book I checked out from my local library, The Complete Book of Knitting. It must have over 100 different stitch patterns in it. At this point a lot of my made up knitting is trial and error. I end up hoping a lot that my knitting falls on the side of a successful trial instead of an epic error.

I made up the hat pattern too. I was attempting to go for more of a beret look but it didn't come out that way not sure what I need to do different to get the right look. I added the button holes around the ribbing just in case the hat was too big I could add the ribbon to cinch it up a bit.. I was guessing on the amount of stitches I needed to go with. I have a doll beret pattern but it is knit flat on straight needles and I wanted to do something in the round and it didn't have the beret look I was going for. Also it called for sport yarn and I was using worsted which would result in a bigger stitch. So I guesstimated AND it came out. The hat fits fine without the ribbon and it is so stinkin' cute on her.
Rowan is ready to go in my store, Folky Dots.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
March 30, 2011

Outside my window...gray, overcast morning. Hoping for some sun today.

I am thinking...that 12 years ago today my son, Ezra was born.

I am thankful for...Home birth. So much better than my hospital births.

From the learning rooms...lots of reading going on. The days have been so damp and rainy that going outside isn't much fun. So the children have all been reading a lot and I've been reading "Saddles and Lariats" by Lewis B Miller out to the children everyday. Its a good story. Love Lewis B. Miller!

From the kitchen...eggs, sausage with cheese and home made yogurt for breakfast.


I am excited about...finishing a doll today and church tonight

I am praying...for secret things.

I am wearing...old, khaki skirt, black sweater, socks and sneakers.

I am creating... dolls and doll clothes.

I am going... to pick up milk today (good fresh Jersey milk!!!) and to church tonight.

I am reading...my bible.

I am hoping...to get some peeps. (chickens)

I am hearing...children talking.

Around the house...my bathroom cupboard needs cleaned out.

One of my favorite things...knitting when the house is quiet.

A few plans for the rest of the week...deep clean some areas in the house, plan Sunday dinner and dessert and finish dress for Livia.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...Ezra, my 12 year old cowboy. He was born here at home at 11:57 pm. What a blessing he has been to our family. God has used this child in my life.

Echos From the Past 2

I have a friend, that every so often will come and visit the church I attend. I love her because she is a dear, helpful soul that never seeks attention for what she does but quietly goes about her business of raising her children and doing for others.

It so happened that she was at church recently and we visited for awhile. There is always something to say when there are 20 children between friends. :) I got to thinking about the first time we'd met.

17 years ago my husband and I were contemplating home education. We had 3 little children and our oldest was in kindergarten. Through a series of circumstances we were invited to go to a home school gathering that a local church was putting on. It had been advertised on the radio inviting all the home educating families in the area to come.

Back then I was not a Christian and I wasn't used to being around Christians, especially Christians of the home educating variety. I say this with the greatest affection but they were different. There was such a radical difference between them and me. I would now say the difference was Christ but back then I could only say it was clothing and the number of children. I think its kind of normal to think others are judging us (harshly maybe) for the same things we are judging them for.

My friend was one of the first to introduce herself to me. There I stood in my tight jeans and shirt, feeling like an outsider and there she stood in her denim jumper and head covering, (which I'd only seen Amish wear up until then) holding a baby on her pregnant belly and little mini's of herself and husband running around, joyfully playing.

She talked to me for awhile and I got my nerve up to ask her about having so many children, home schooling and discovered that she was just people. Standing there in her denim blues, holding a baby, pregnant, smiling, visiting with me, God ministered to my lonely soul. Without knowing God at all, I got a glimpse of his heart and I wanted to see more. It was her clothing and children that at first drew my attention. Yet, when I thought back to our visit, it wasn't her clothes or children that came to mind. I thought about how genuinely nice she had been to me.
I didn't know much about Christians but I was becoming interested and I knew enough to know that Christians were supposed to be different. I was searching and unbeknownst to me, God was fixin to surround me with real Christian women. It wasn't their clothes or children that made them different really, it was their hearts. God loved me through these women.
I became a Christian not quite a year later. My new friend, although I only saw her on occasion, always talked to me. Every time I saw her she was the same, the only change being the new baby in her arms and MAN! did I wanted to be like her.

Fast forward to standing and visiting at church. We visited for a bit and then she had to go and I gathered up my offspring and headed out to the van, reflecting on my friend and how I had so wanted to be like her. I questioned myself....did I still want to be like her? The answer? Not really. Not because she had changed but because I have changed. Somewhere along the path of life my goal made a metamorphosis. Denim jumpers and lots of children never make for a  real Christian. Christ and Christ alone is what makes a Christian. It was never really my friend that I wanted to be like. It was Jesus in her that I desired.

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Confessions of a Pattern Junkie

I confess that I love practical everyday patterns. Practical patterns that have lots of dress design or lots of mix and match outfits. Practical patterns remind me that sewing is for everyday life, not just special occasions.

Check out this practical and pretty dress pattern.
Simplicity 4924. Copyright ? I can't find one on the envelope. I'm guessing 60's as the pattern is $.50

Several years ago I made a dress similar to these for my youngest daughter for everyday wear. My older daughter and I both commented on how strange it was for me to make her a dress just to play in. Usually if I make a dress we at least wear it it church for awhile before it becomes an everyday dress. I especially like the two dresses at the botton on the right. I think I'm going to be making both styles for my younger daughter, Livia pretty soon. One for church and one for everyday. I like the tailored look the buttons give the yellow dress. I was thinking of doing that one in blue/aqua color with red bias tape and red buttons.

Meet Mary Beth

What fun I had making this sweet dolly.


I learned something new about knitting too. I learned that when picking up stitches along the front edges of a cardigan...one must pick up about 20 stitches, not 15. 15 stitches cause the front edges to curve a bit. It looks good and gives her cardigan a bit more character than it already had.
The black floral fabric in Mary Beth's jumper is some of my favorite fabric EVER! I had used every last scrap of it and was weeping and wailing every time I opened my fabric cupboard door when one day, one glorious sun shiny day, I found it online while browsing through fabric at Joanns.com. I promptly ordered 5 yards. A girl has to have her favorite fabric!

Mary Beth is in my shop. :)

Maid Marion

Jenny of the lovely Little Jenny Wren Blog hosts Dolly Day Friday. Stop by and visit her blog and plan to stay awhile.

When I was a little girl, my mother made this dolly for me. Her name is Maid Marion.
She is worn and floppy but filled with love and memories. I've thought about giving her a redo. I could stitch down her hair where it is coming lose, stuff up her body a bit and stiffen up her neck, but I don't want to change anything my mother did. So worn and floppy she remains but with love and memories.

I love the retro polka dots and her dark turquoise skirt. My mother made her bloomer/shorts out of a rough feeling fabric.

I'm sure she cut up old clothes to make Maid Marion. She was like that. Great at putting together something scrappy and making it beautiful.


My mother also made these yarn flowers by the hundreds. I remember she used them all over to decorate her crafts and quilts. These ones are larger than the regular flowers she made but they hold Marions hair nicely.
Mothers are one of God's greatest creations. My mother passed away almost 7 years ago. I'm thankful she was my mother and that I still have this piece of her love for me.