Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Daddy's old shirts


Grammie sent E a Dora backpack! She wears it often and does not like to take it off when Mommy says (for instance, to get in the car). The backpack is terrycloth and folds out into a towel. E wore it to the gym, takes it on the school run, jumps with it on the trampoline (it makes her fall over even more than normal).
Here is darling M with no teeth. They're coming in now, and I have no idea where all the teeth are going to fit. They're huge!
V and M are both loving science right now. They're doing science fair projects at the school, and I think V might do one, too. Probably have to buy a board for E, too, because no one can stand to be left out at our house. Much screaming when Daddy takes someone out in the jogging stroller. Everyone wants to go.
Speaking of screaming, I had trouble getting good pictures of this dress. (The other picture is at the top of the post, I couldn't get it to move and am too tired to fight with it.) E was so busy on her motorcycle that I couldn't get a straight shot. But isn't it precious? I've been very busy sewing the last couple of weeks. This dress was made from Nathan's old shirt, off a tutorial I found. So cute that I've made one for V, too. There are several ideas online for how to turn a man's shirt into a toddler dress, but this is my favorite because it's so clever. It not only uses the back yoke for the front dress yoke, and uses the button for the back closure, it evens uses the curve of the armhole opening to make the flutter sleeves. Some of the other tutorials are just basic dresses cut from a shirt, but this one appeals to me. And V is so happy about having something made from Daddy's shirt that I don't even have to put pink on hers! I could have avoided the pink on E's, but it looked beautiful with the navy blue, so there you go.

With all this renewed interest in sewing (renewed because I finally have a sewing machine and all my sewing equipment and my kids in the same place! and a permanent sewing table!!), I'm realizing what a cheapskate I am when it comes to this stuff. I'll post pictures soon of the charming jumpers I made for the girls, with $2.25 fabric. V's dress from $1 fabric didn't turn out quite as well, but still cute. So I don't get exactly what I would have chosen otherwise -- working within my cheap preferences pushes me to be more creative, right?

4 comments:

Tasha said...

Ok I had NO idea that you sewed! Not only do you sew, but you had victory with that dress! I tried making the same one and it was such a huge flop I didn't have the energy to try again. We'll have to get together so I can pick your brain lol!

Czechers said...

Love it! When I have a girl you'll have to show me the pattern ;) You're so talented! Did you sew Halloween costumes this year too?

Morgan said...

We should totally get together, Tasha :) And Val, no Halloween costumes this year. They're reusing last year's or just pulling stuff from the dress up bin. Of course what I really ought to be making is curtains ...

Susan said...

Too cute daddy's shirt pattern. Cheap fabric is good. But every once in a while the mommy needs to buy some really wonderful fabric for herself.