Kidstuff

Here's what I've been working on most recently. Lots of kiddie stuff!

I sewed some Barbie clothes as a birthday gift for my niece T using some vintage patterns I have. I think these patterns came from my great-grandma via my mom. I have other patterns that I know were from my great-grandma, including ones she designed herself (she used newspaper pages as her pattern medium - she was ever so thrifty!). It was pretty cool to be given these patterns along with a few others as I do remember and still possess the doll clothes my great-grandma lovingly hand sewed for me as a kid.
I sewed these little retro fashions on the machine (faster than completely hand sewing everything) and took this photo before I completed the little bits of hand sewing I did to attach the fasteners and some bits of fancy.
I would've used my own Barbie to model these, but as she's in storage and I was lazy... you'll just have to imagine them being modelled. I will have to drag my doll home just so I can try such little bits of sewing fun on her. I must admit that I only dreamed of having the clothes I made for her as a kid turn out this well. It's nice to know that my sewing skills have come a long way since childhood. Well, that and my patience in figuring out how to make these tiny sewing projects go smoother has improved with time. Looking back I'm amazed at how I persisted. These tiny clothes certainly present their own challenges. Now I know why my mom shook her head and asked me how I could be bothered with such piddly little things. She had it right in that I think it is easier sewing larger items because the larger scale is more forgiving when you make a boo-boo.

Grrrrrrrrrr!!!! This fellow is destined for my nephew B. B is into the dino-craze phase that little boys seem to go through, so I'm thinking he should love this soft yet ferocious looking T-Rex. This was the easiest stuffie I've ever sewn. All the pieces were printed on fabric along with sewing instructions, which explains the lovely detailed markings he has. I must admit that this bit of goodness was a thrift store score. A mere $2 for the printed panel, some polyester stuffing which was also a thrift store major score ($4 for a huge bag that retails at $13), and a little quality time with my machine and VOILA! A perfect birthday gift for B.!

Finally got the gifts boxed up and sent off today. I always enjoy making gifts like toys and the Barbie clothes allowed me to revisit the countless hours I spent as a kid designing and whipping up my own doll fashions. Best part with the small stuff is that it's completed faster. Now it's back to bigger sewing projects now that this gift making is over...I'll keep you posted ;o)