Busy with the sewing projects

I wanted to post some pictures of the sewing projects that I have been busy with the past week. I am not much of a seamstress, in fact I hardly know what I am doing. But as with anything new, I dive right in to try and figure it out.

It has been a treat having my mom's old machine to work with. When it works it is wonderful...when it acts up, well, it is then that I am ready to give up on it. I was able to figure out that it only likes plastic bobbins (not metal). I felt like a sewing machine whisperer. Trying to figure out why it was getting stuck and burping out the back side. But once I figured it out (thanks for the ideas Mom), it all went smoothly.

As I posted before, our first project was the dolly dresses for a friend. That motivated us to make more American Girl clothes. First up...I figured I would make my own pattern for a skirt. That's right, I said make my own pattern. Sometimes I wonder if I am a glutton for punishment. What make me think I can make my own pattern??? Am I crazy???

Here are a few step pictures for my own reference for then next time I feel like doing this.






















The inspiration of this skirt was the skirt that Molly came in. We thought we would make these a little longer. Here is the side by side with the Molly skirt.

Here is Molly modeling her new skirt with the shirt that Tally designed with her new AG t-shirt gift set. We all thought the mitten design shirt was really cute. (Thanks to our very good friend "earthgirl" for the gift set.)















After all the skirts we had to make jammie pants. Tissy designed her shirt to go with cute plaid PJ pants. This was the first time I had made this pattern too (not my own this time, this one was a store bought pattern). The purple pair of pants were Tissy's choice. She picked out a remnant of matterial that matched pretty well.














A neighbor friend of ours gave us a bag of material that she didn't want anymore and we made a pair of jammie pants for Tally's doll too. We weren't sure what to do with the fabric (most of it is geared toward making baby things or doggy beds). The ABC fabric worked well for the jammie pants.


Then I thought I would try and make a new bag for my clothes pins. My old one didn't work all that well with the hanger (baby sized) it was on. Now it works better. Good way to use that doggie print material. I feel just like Aunt Millie in the Kit books (sorry if you are not familiar with the AG Kit stories), "waste not ~ want not". I didn't want to waste that new material.

So as you can see...we have been busy. I have been sewing like the wind (sorry ~ another vague reference ~ The 3 amigos if any one is still following this rabbit trailing post). {BTW, that last one was for you Chuck}