M6594 and moe crocheted toy bags (tiger bags)

I spent much of yesterday going through and washing lengths of cloth out of my remnants box.  This is M6594 by McCalls, peasant dress with pants pattern.  It is the third time I've used the pattern - as it is time-consuming and also takes lots of elastic and fabric in general.

I had a hard time finding something I wanted to make it out of - not enough of a fabric, too bright and loud etc...finally mixed and matched these two light colored prints and came out pretty good.

The one on the right hand side was my project today.
Where a dress with regular facings usually takes me about an hour to make, not counting the zipper - this one takes about three hours for some reason -- mostly because I'm not used to dragging all that elastic through.

 

A crocheted toy bag to help contain some of this giant collection below... at least they aren't tumbling down off of shelves and such.  The white crochet net I made a few years back is providing some backup ... but I probably need to make a third one out of the orange yarn I have to really make sure it is all contained.   Good thing is - they aren't sitting in cardboard boxes where things can lurk at the bottom, and she can see through the bags to dig for one she wants.

  

Bluebird Dress

We went to the roller rink today (in a different dress).  She met one of our friends there, and she also played air hockey against several boys and really held her own.  Her friend tried really hard and was able to walk and skate a little by the end of the three hours!  Esme was really rocking on her skates - the first time she has worn them to the rink.

When I got home I was looking for a project to finish up on... this New Year has gotten me in the mood to want to straighten some things up and make my work areas and projects more productive and not just scattered turf etc etc..  I sort of finished this blue dress months ago, but I hated how it hung on her waist... just too baggy yet I didn't want to take it in because then there wouldn't be any room to grow.  So, I used some leftover ribbon from something and made long ties.  And then I added a little bluebird embroidery to the side of it just to give it something extra for a reason to wear it.

Trying her best to look 'adorable'

shot of the bluebird embroidery

We had a bit of a scare with one of the puppies - but we think he is eating again and does not look quite so pitiful.  We aren't really sure what was wrong, or if it was just circumstances - asleep at the wrong times to get food etc etc...

Tired... have tomorrow off, too....

The odd collide of first grade values

Don't know what it is about this year - but Esme is just getting hit from left and right with ideas that are so clearly nowhere close to hers... And, I know that will happen.  But, wow.  She comes home one week convinced she can't read, or cut, or write.. comes home the next happy as a lark, then she is in trouble for another and feigning headaches, then she is spitting in someone's face, now she "doesn't want to be a princess" but be a blue bird instead.. and is still in trouble, but doing fairly well on all of her subjects and homework, when she takes the time to look at things and not just blow them off as unimportant. 

The teacher is trying to accommodate with me on some of the AR work for her.. but I know that the main work is still boring to tears in some places, tough and 'why do we do this?' in others, and the social wading is just something she will have to get through on her own, in the class, at lunch, on the playground... on the bus...  I've made a deal about going to town - which she wanted to do today since I had it off -- but we are NOT going if she gets red (or worse, she reminds me) tomorrow.... she will stay home with Daddy if need be and I will take Grandma to town.  I don't want to have that happen...

*sigh*
I made her a pair of pants a few weeks ago, but did not get to the dress.
Made it today, on the same pattern as the last raglan - but only after I looked through everything else, and finding that pattern again by accident... chose to run with it.

It has ties in the back so it can be drawn to the right size.. and I hope I put the zipper in the right amount.  I had originally cut it (being that it is a 60s pattern) for the buttons as shown and forgot to adjust for the zipper facing being smaller.  So, I just bent it back and kept it all underneath. 

And looking at this dress Esme said she couldn't wear that - it would be like a princess.. and she couldn't be a princess just now.  But then, just before bed - she said she would wear it tomorrow.  We'll see...

Sewing for School Clothes

These are the sleeveless dress tops I've made for Esme's first grade school year.  There are a few more things on my list to make.  I've completed two out of the four pairs of pants. 

 

 Esme says this is 'Horse City' - and she enlisted my help in making it a bit more than she had started out with - it now has a public library, grocery store, 'clock' tower with a pointy top, and her potions store, and my cloth store.  She put a big roll of purple cloth on top of the cloth store, and a 'bottle' on top of the potions store.  She insisted on there being a playroom and bathroom in the library.

 

The rail system and house she built entirely by herself.  Mark and I were both impressed by her use of powered rail and lever switches.  She had a disagreement with me about the pronunciation of the word 'lever'... and didn't know why we laughed when she said we had said it wrong.  

Simplicity 8717 red and white and black

It is 'red and white and black day' at school tomorrow for Dr. Seuss.  We have black pants but nothing red and white for a shirt.  I bought this fat quarter at a small local business, Mockingbird Threadworks of Huntingdon, TN and hope to just barely squeeze the front facing and both sleeves out of it.  I have had this white striped red fabric for a while and it should do up nicely with the other fabric and still not be 'too' busy. 

 

The sleeves turned out great, but I had to do more to the bottom than the original pattern had to make it work.  I just didn't have enough width left in either the stripe, the fat quarter or anything else except the 'first villages' red, white and black fabric - which was so busy.  It did end up getting used though, as the back of the front facing and all of the back bottom facing (see last picture).

 

All four of the catahoula hounds had to get in on the act.
This is my favorite picture in a while!

 She is ready for Cat in the Hat day, tomorrow, at school.

Making the bottom edge match up was the hardest thing I've done in a while.

There was no leeway, as the front edge was already done and I had to use a little origami, tack it, then sew it in place.

Mostly simple brown dress

 Brown dress (this is a color that looks good on Esme, so I grabbed it up when I saw it at two dollars a yard), with little leftovers of blue dot fabric for facings and a butterfly/bug applique for decoration.

I started this Christmas night and finished it tonight.  I haven't done one in a while and it was nice to finish one again.  Esme has been wearing handmade dresses during her school break and they still look so good on her in this style.

Purple sundress and lightning bug hunter

sundress from scrap fabric

tieback sundress with lined top and long skirt

pictures courtesy of Mark

The fabric was from the flea market and it was already cut up in to long narrow pieces, so the front top is pieced vertically and the back top is pieced horizontally - with long tie straps out of several other pieces and the skirt of course pieced vertically out of the the rest.  Not too bad, considering - although the plaid mismatches all over from that.  In another fabric the same weight, it would be as nice, but it might not have come together the same way - as I did not use a pattern for the skirt and placed the pieces over another dress of mine to see how to cut and join them.

I really like the way it swishes and after making the skirt part (which was my original intention) it seemed to require a top that matched it and could 'hang' the skirt in a looser manner than a drawstring, zipper or elastic.  Esme and I also made cupcakes today, and she took a few up to Grandma with some watermelon.


Esme, the lightning bug hunter

She told me today that she says the WHEN now, not the FROM - the FROM makes the head go explode, so she says the WHEN now, is that good?  Well, yes... that sounds wonderful!  Thank you!  She is also saying things like 'ally-oop', 'eureka', 'luigi' and other words I have never heard her say before.  She asked me if dinner was a meal.. to which of course I said YES, and she said good, it will make her grow.  On the other hand - we had a discussion about her wanting to stay this size to play, and what a flea market was (when she knew what it was after I told her about giving away kittens there before).  When we were at the flea market she said 'oh, this is the yard sale.'  She is in the bath and there is school tomorrow... she found a little mud outside like usual ;) and a frog which she wanted me to take a picture of (A Mama frog with all the colors and the legs that go up and go down and she is stuck.. oh, (she went away))

Dahlia dress and almost first lost tooth

I know we've used this doorknob as a height indicator for a while in pictures - now her head is actually even with the lock above the doorknob. She is 46 inches tall.

This is also the Dahlia dress I made last night out of the modern (2012 copyright) pattern.  McCalls M6594.  The elasticized neckline took so long to make - and I worry that it will not hold up.  We will have to see.  It looks very different on her, as well - it is growing on me, but I am used to seeing a fitted neckline.  She says it is 'amazing' - so that is a good review there ;)

She said she had to have her arms all the way up... it shows the elastic on them pretty well. 

Making her cow into a walrus with stick on suction darts.  He has also been a unicow lately.

Esme is also about to lose her first tooth.  Fittingly, it is the first tooth she ever got as a baby, as well.  She is worried about it, and not sure what will happen when it is gone.  She knows what is supposed to happen - a new one grow in, but she is still worried ;)

I have also knit/crocheted a hat to match my gloves, it is nothing spectacular but it fits better than the other one I had made.  I have some yarn for dishcloths and a lot of laundry to do today.  

Planning Winter dresses - first one

How to spend a Tuesday night sewing a dress and talking about the azimuth of the sun, axial tilt and how it pertains to day length and solar radiation...  Mark and I decided that Esme needs a better science book, as hers only gave half the story when we went to look at it.  I should have called my Mom - I have been hearing her voice in my dreams, her symbols - telephone everywhere in my subconscious.... this always happens.  But, I wanted to do this, and I didn't think it would get done.  Also, my sister and sister-in-law were having a catfight on my facebook page, so I decided to delete the message they were fighting over and have some peace and quiet for the night.  Esme began playing a weather dressup game on pbs along with her SuperWhy - and that led Mark and I into a scientific discussion about the weather.

Butterick pattern 3200 circa 1960, girls size 6 

Almost done, needs the sleeves finished, hem at the bottom, zipper in back.

This is the first for the winter, and if it fits well, several more will follow.  If it doesn't, I'll try another pattern in the box and see what gets me there best.

Sunday pink dress

Size 5.5 dress
mixture of McCalls 8001 size 5 and Butterick 9644 size 6

She wanted a pink spiderman costume with a mask. I told her if I could get a pattern to work well I would put a spiderman emblem on a pink dress. I have one drawn out for her, and this pattern did seem to work fairly well. The sleeves need to be a little larger and the waistline could be more even and lower by an inch or more. But, as the lady at the store today said, 'I didn't even notice - and no one else should be looking that close, either.' Yes... *hmm* I still bought more pink fabric. It will be Friday when I have another full day off.

Pattern Alterations:

9644 Butterick circa 1960, size 6
could not find the front bodice piece this time


McCalls 8001 size 5, circa 1961
I've been using this one for nearly a year now

Sleeves: 8001 dress sleeve laid over coat sleeve, cut according to length of remaining remnant of fabric. Skirt: Butterick 9644, own version of gathering done all around. Bodice: 8001 dress with 9644 back bodice as length indicator..



being a little goat herder girl
leading the goat around the yard by waving a stick by her - so she gets curious and wants to try to eat it


Loula hanging out with Mouse cat in the background



Mark took this photo a few nights ago. This puppy was given away to her new home today - and I think the lady will really love her. It is also a great shot of Esme smiling :)

Cooking Spaghetti and Robot Dress

washing hands to help cook

This is the robot dress I made her out of a half yard of robot fabric and scraps of two other recent items. I think it turned out very well for on the fly! These pictures I took as Mark and Esme scuttled around the kitchen cooking. She had just had a much needed bath, but I did not wash her hair. She had been out in the garden dirt with me after I got home from work 'helping' by staying far out of the way as I used the little tiller on the garden. She also kept Loula pup away and helped me water some of the plants we put in the ground the other day. She did a good job with her responsibility, and then helped Daddy stir the noodles for supper. The spaghetti was very very good! We hope to be able to plant in the garden plot sometime later this week. Mark also took the big tractor over Grandma's garden today while Esme played with Grandma.


mid chew of a popcorn kernel...
silly face!

Loula pup is doing so much better...
she seems like she is out of the woods
and is looking healthy again

helping stir the noodles

Pink dress by request

The other morning before I went to work Esme tried to convince me to stay home and 'play dress.' She picked out a wide pink satin ribbon and said she wanted it with this fabric, which I had been saving for a long time (since Mother's Day, actually).. She wanted a dress just like the one she was wearing (dragon front brown dress) but in that pink fabric. So, I told her I would - but not that day. She was pretty upset with me at first - I told her not to cop an attitude, to which she gave me a great HUH? look... I washed the fabric last night and had it ready to cut out and sew tonight. The sleeves are a tad long, but she will grow into them quickly - if history tells anything over the last few years! Ha. She likes it a lot! Pattern is McCalls 8001 again, with skirt front alterations and the dress sleeve laid over the coat sleeve and cut out.

shawl progress, dress and snow

We had a short spurt of snow this morning. Esme got to hold a small chunk of it, but then I whisked her off to the bathtub.


looking at the snow before the bath...


Snowball!


Braids

After the bath I put the same dress back on her - as it is the warmest at the moment, and I haven't gotten good pictures yet. This is the altered McCalls 8001 in size 5 (circa 1961) Alterations: Two front pleats instead of one central one, and the coat sleeve superimposed over the cap sleeve in the pattern to make a long sleeve. It has my own 'make-do' of putting two small pleats in the back upper sleeve instead of setting it in properly... I always do that, because I hate fussing with sleeves and that takes the fuss out. It really does fit her very well, even with a 'short' zipper in the back. There is no fussing with the 'other arm' in this dress style, because the back is open wide and there is not the tight quarters of some of the previous patterns in the waist area. The wide waist is drawn up to her back with ties placed two inches underneath each armpit (this is in the pattern, too).


back of the dress is just plain, but fits well

I made her get her hair washed. This is still no small feat. She is STRONG and it is hard to get her to stay in one place when she does not want to. I did manage, and after her hair was dry she brought me four hair ties and said she wanted 'bossy lamb hair'. I didn't quite get the description... but she did mean she wanted braids.


happy bossy lamb

I've heard some other odd langauge from her as well - the other day we were playing air hockey on the floor and I missed a puck, which went far behind me. She said something on the order of 'you missed it, don't worry home-boy, just try again Come on, don't be scared now.' What in the world? (have been hearing that one a lot, too actually) - for a kid that doesn't watch broadcast TV and doesn't go to daycare or preschool... she comes up with some doozies.


playing the 'light drum' with a pair of expired light sticks

She has taken a recent bout of bringing a chair and a footstool up to the puppies and saying she is 'Grandpa Esme' and sitting there pretending it is a rocking chair while the pups vie to be picked up individually. Daddy says if she ever accomplishes that one - being a Grandpa - he WILL be impressed. She takes her little flashlight and shines it into her piggy bank (Daddy says: future veterinarian?) and also into her tanker truck she picked at Tractor Supply yesterday. She told me she needs to put water in it - because it is a water tanker truck. She has been saying she wants animals, so we took her there to look at the Schleich figures she has been adoring on in the past. I set her free in front of them saying she had ten dollars to spend and could pick out one big one or two little ones etc... She picked up a spotted horse for an instant.. but it was a big one. She then made a beeline to the diecast ERTL trucks and picked out the water tanker and a school bus. She was set, those were what she wanted. It was just over ten, so she did get to take those home. After she was embraced of new toys, and full of fried chicken, she came home in a pluckier and more active mood than either Mom or Dad were ready for. She ran us into the ground for the rest of the night begging for us to play with her, read books, paint pictures etc etc.... We are both almost out of the sickness that had kept us down the past week or two, but not entirely.

I have not been wanting to go to our 'school room' because of the temperature down there - it is very cold. She won't stay out of there. Mark and I were watching a movie lsat night and she was down there and back up for the better part of an hour - doing nothing more than staring at the materials. I brought anything she asked for upstairs and she played with it for a few minutes, and then was back in her chair in the school room pretending. Novelty? Independence? Reminiscing back to crafts and things we did in there when it was warmer? I'm not sure.


triangle shawl progress

Making some more progress on this. My circular needle came in the mail but it was not what I had expected. There was some mixup and I received a much smaller size. So, knitting this long straight needles. It will probably be about 20 inches 'tall' when I am finished and much wider. I also received the Baker's Creek and Seed Saver's catalogs in the mail.... very tempting!

Odd Preschooler thing of the Day: She told me today at 3:00 that her animals were coming in the truck, up there, in the truck in fifteen minutes, have to wait for it, go get them. I'm a little weirded by that - as I think that is what arrived at Grandma's house instead of ours (because it won't fit in our mailbox), and she only saw them by accident on Ebay when I was watching the auction. I told her I would 'consult with Santa' on sending them. I did win the auction later that day, but took an extra day to pay for them... how would she know when they were being delivered? Simple answer: She heard the mailman, and things Mama asks for on the computer come in the mail? So, if she heard a mailman it must be her toy coming...? ok -- it didn't actually come in the mail, but it could have, and I'm still impressed at her memory skills!

finished McCalls 8001 - can't love it, but it works

I finished McCalls 8001 dress tonight. As Esme says: "I can't love it" But, it does work. Remember it is a size five, which she just barely doesn't swim in. There is room for growth here. Take a look at how the skirt is open when she is sitting, and relaxed when she is standing. That was not easy to get right, and I still think I did it a little haphazard. The ties in the back were essential to not making it stick STRAIGHT out in front of her. Note: These are also the 'wiley pants', although the major feature of them (a flat tummy band) cannot be seen.


Heading off downstairs with her broom and 'wand' (a pencil)


skirt detail and 'magic wand'
It would do nicely with a red ribbon sash all around the middle.
Then I put her hair back up, so she could see and I could see her.


The dogs decided to take center stage.


Partially because they realized
she had a cookie and might drop it!


McCalls 8001 size 5, circa 1961

The reason I bought the pattern was for the coat, which is still to come ... the dress was just tempting and fit the type of fabric I had on hand better, although I did have to piece that, too -- the two color version of the dress was due to not having enough of either to make the whole thing.


And a better shot of Nova's puppies


She is still very protective of them and has not left them for very long at all.

Now for cupcakes, as the laundry and dishes are nearly done.
//note// Esme quote of the night : Upon seeing Lisa Simpson kiss Nelson, and while standing on her head in our bed... 'ew gross. That's a gross kiss.' Daddy and I both lost it. Mark says: 'And... I guess that's four?' (as in years old)
//note// We played with the pattern blocks at her request. They were a very good investment. We read one of her easy books together and she knows more words by sight than she used to - mostly color words and a few words like 'and', 'the', 'come' and 'for'. That is all from Starfall. She said the word 'sleep' was 'sheep' so she is just memorizing the look of the words.