Pink for Spring

For Bug's birthday last year, she got spoiled with McKenna, the American Girl Doll of the Year. She has been a wonderful addition to our family, as Olivia needed a big sister. My girls spend hours every day playing with their dolls so it has been a good purchase! She loves to pick out outfits then have me help set up photo shoots for her dolls, much inspired by Super Inky and Pleasant Piper. Love that silly girl of mine!

We have been working hard on McKenna's Spring wardrobe these past few weeks. Bug has informed me that Pink is the best color to wear in the spring... and she has kept true to that trend as she has designed clothes for me to make.

I used a Liberty Jane pattern for the pants, the fabric is from a pair of thrift store jeans. It has a bit of shimmer which is perfect for a 6 year old. Everything's better with a little shimmer. I mixed a couple patterns together for the top, and it could have been a bit more successful, but I'll take what I can get sometimes. Bug is happy, so I am happy.

Bitty Baby Love

Every couple days (yes, DAYS!) Bug comes to me and requests that I make one of her American Girl dolls a gift for the doll's birthday. Sometimes I have time, others... it's a doll for crying out loud. However, recently I had time so I went for it. This one turned out pretty cute. She is loving designing them herself & she's getting pretty darn good!

 

Doll clothes seems to be the bulk of the sewing that I do lately, you might just be seeing more soon!

crazy sleepless sewing

All three kids have RSV and are in different stages of being sick. Moo came down with it about a week ago, and she is just now beginning to feel a little better. Both girls are off oxygen during the day, and only Bug needs it at night. Mr has been fine in that regard, but he coughs so hard he pukes. So keeping him hydrated has been a chore! All three still spike fevers now and then so I have to be on top of that all day and night too. Ugh.

Some how in my sleep-deprived state Bug convinced me to sew some clothes for her Barbies. She is an amazing sweet talker, because I said yes. So, inbetween breathing treatments, tylenol doses, oxygen saturation checks and Pedialyte, I got some done!
I used Jess's tutorials for all but the pink dress, for that I was just winging it, and it totally looks like it! Ha! I have a couple more in the works, but not sure I have enough energy to complete them!

watermelon girls

We have slowly been adding to baby Gretta's wardrobe. Our latest addition is this watermelon dress with the LBB pattern {again!}. Love these little watermelon girls!

LBB "America" dresses

I took an unintentional break in June. My computer died, and I have had worked some extra shifts to cover for a coworker, but I am back now.
Yesterday as I was explaining what the 4th of July is all about, the girls asked for "America dresses" to go to the activities in. Hello, how could I say no? I hauled out a big mess of t-shirts from my stash and this is what we came up with. LBB patterns again, I can't stop with them.

Bug insisted Olivia match her again, so she got another dress to add to her ever-growing wardrobe. She is a spoiled baby!

Moo's dress has Popeye in the center of the star and she keeps calling it her "popper the sailor man" dress.

We went to all of the celebrations at Huntsman Springs in Driggs today, and although I do think it's kinda cheesy to dress up for holidays, I loved that they were patriotic. 

Twirly skirt

... because a girl needs options! Shirt tutorial {here}

Skirt tutorial {here}

{clothes for bitty baby}

Shortly after we had our birthday festivities for her baby doll, Bug decided her Bitty Baby was much better. I agree. She has been hauling her baby to Joy School, Church, and everywhere else we go. The ladies at our local thrift store even know "Baby Girl" by name. After several months in the same jammies, it was time for new clothes. I found this great tutorial for a shirt and Bug picked {surprise!} polka dot fabric. Oh, that girl is funny! I made my own legging pattern and was super surprised when it worked the first attempt while taking into consideration I had A LOT of help making the pattern. I also found a pair of 3-6m Old Navy jammies at the thrift store and altered them so she had more clothing options. I love being able to make doll clothes for $.50 and less than a half hours' time.I also have a Halloween costume for her in the works...

CELEBRATE!

We have had a week of celebrating 'baby girl' turning 3 - the same age as her mommy. We went out to eat and she got some new stickers... She got her own custom dress (based again on this tutorial)... a new sun bonnett - I used an infant hat and made four rows of gathering with elastic thread in a desperate attempt to make it fit... ...and a custom i-spy bag. Her best friends even got new clothes for her party we had at home. Spoiled rotten, I think.

crazy?

Sometimes I think I need a sanity check. Seriously. I have been drooling over this pattern from Heidi and Finn for months, and when it finally warmed up I bought it. I had this fabric in my stash waiting for a perfect project to come along, and I love it for this! It is reversible, and has a brown and green daisy print on the inside that's really nice.

Here is where the sanity check comes in. Both of my kids seem to want to drag the naked dolls around town with us. In an effort not to waste the leftover fabric and clothe a doll, I decided to make a matching outfit for a naked groovy girls doll. I just eyeballed the pattern and measured the doll and went for it. It turned out cute, but was a total pain in the butt and took just as long and making the toddler top. I do love the look of casual rolled-up jeans, but this look is more out of necessity than fashion. She has grown into her sister's 3T jeans and I just haven't gotten around to hemming them yet.

So, pattern review: another one I love. Simple pattern pieces and great instructions with pictures, it's quick and fun for any level of sewing skills. And reversible? Hello! Perfect for a long day out when you know the chances of your kid spilling something is high. Just turn it around and you are ready to go. I left off the pocket because in this print it just looked really, really busy. I made the back a little more modest on this one but like it the way the original pattern has it as well. This pattern will be another staple for our summer wardrobe for sure!