White puppy soft toy 9 inches tall

I'm getting back in my old groove again. I sat down last night and cut out a 'sample' pattern from scratch for this little guy. Originally supposed to be a kitty - kind of looked like a bear, but upon seeing the pictures of it Esme said 'white doggie!' She also tried to put a dog leash on it and drag it off but I didn't let her. It is safe in a mailing box waiting for a new home and new adventures to go off to. Decoration only, stays sitting up position 9 inches tall. Hand embroidered face with black thread and black felt eyes and nose.

in the shop

Choo choo pants and playdough

I caught this little montage of Esme this morning playing with her playdough. I couldn't choose between them.. so put all three together. She is wearing the choo choo pants (Train fabric) she was so insistent about. I love the way her hands move and the intent expression.

Also last night we had a game of balloon baseball going on. Daddy was watching a zombie flick and Esme was very disinterested in it - which was good, in my opinion. She brought me a balloon and kept saying 'ready! ready!' for me to throw it at her, so she could smack it with the fly swatter and say 'I did it!' It was loud but cute. This morning besides using toys to stamp her playdough she and the kitty are having a loud fun time chasing superballs around the house. Esme will carry it in a plastic cup and then let it go - and the cat and her will chase it or she will just tell the cat No No No and then try to get it before the kitty does.

I was going to work on that green dress again last night but it didn't happen... choo choo pants were demanded to be made. She chose the fabric and then when Mark was waiting for the pizza to cook she brought me over to the sewing table and said 'choo choo mama - peeeeez?' She used her 'I'll be sad if we don't' face on me.. so I cut them out and then sewed them after supper. While I sewed she drew with her crayons and kept an eye on the process. She wore them to bed and they were still completely dry this morning (wow) so she gets to wear them today as well.

Laugh moment: Mark and I were visited by the little girl from the exorcist today - at least that is what Esme's voice sounded like when she pointed at the bag on the table and said 'I want a cheeto' loud and monster-like.

Unprinted pattern and choo-choos

I had the day off, and we went to town for a few things. I had a mail pickup to get - a 1946 unprinted pattern for footed pajamas. Wow. This was before they printed and folded patterns. An actual person cut this pattern with scissors, piece by piece using some hardbody template - and then carefully folded it into an envelope with printed instructions, which someone else bought and stored for 70 years. Now I'm unfolding it on my desk, in close to perfect condition. Mind boggling.

It does remind me some of the drawing paper and newspaper patterns I make when I am altering patterns or making them up -- except on an industrial scale.

At the WM Mark went to look some movies while I took Esme around the fabric department. She identified horsies and kitties and birds and apples and bees.. and then fell in love with a choo-choo fabric. I have it in the washer and intend to make some pants out of it. She has been insistent about seeing the choo-choo on Starfall lately as well... I was very surprised she put the horse and cat fabric down as soon as she saw the trains. Is this my Esme?

She is so cute at the store - saying 'hi' to everyone, counting the aisle numbers out to me and identifying as much as she can (that boy has a zip-zip jacket, I see oranges, I see chips!) etc... She cried loudly though at the bank (earlier in the trip) because she didn't get a sticker. Right now she is brushing Daddy's hair and doing a halfway decent job of it. A moment ago she was flying her little airplane around by the wings and saying 'fly fly.'

Hope to get more done on the size 5 dress later today...

green size five - half done (no pic)

I've worked on it for a few hours and it is looking good! I have the entire body finished and one sleeve in. The zipper is pinned in already. Handsewing the zipper, putting in the second sleeve and hemming all around the bottom and the sleeve wrists is on tomorrow's agenda. I'll then find out if I want to make the belt pieces or keep it as it is. It is BIG compared to the size 4, and would go down to her feet. WOW... the green against the print fabric is looking excellent.

I think having the other fabric to make another size 4 (which she could wear now) gave me enough oompf to get going on this one -- which would lack some of the satisfaction of her being able to wear it immediately. Without the incentive of 'getting to play with the new fabric when it's done' it might have sat a bit longer (hang head) Gotta listen to the instincts :)

feeling like green

I went to Mockingbird Threadworks on Friday afternoon, and bought a few green fabrics to make Esme another dress. Yes, before I even put the size 5 together. What? Why? I really wanted another color green. I didn't need it - but I had the fabric itch.. to go and feel the fabric in person and compare colors. I had tried it online and just felt like I wasn't getting inspired or anywhere else either. Maybe I'm flaking out ;) The store only had a quarter yard of the fabric I really really liked. I bought another yard of something coordinating and hope I'll get a size 4 out of combining the two. The darts are finished in the front of the size 5 and I've been taking little scraps of blue fabric to work to make into cats on my lunch hour... cutting freeform and not following any pattern -- just to keep my mind active.

Also on Friday Mark helped me take the sewing machine apart again and find where it was squeaking. I ended up cleaning it quite a bit again, too. It now runs without any squeaks... which is a little eerie considering how I've gotten used to at least some noise from it! Three in one oil is a wonderful tool.

Esme had such fun playing 'tea' and petting the ceramic kitty at the store. Jean, the owner, was really genuine in her interactions with Esme. She talked to her and listened to her and showed her books and agreed things were pretty. Between Mark and Jean I actually took a breath and looked at all the fabrics I wanted to before making a choice - sometimes I usually feel I must rush and settle for something so as not to spend so much time... ie: give the toddler a chance to throw a fit when Mom's attention is elsewhere etc... you know how it goes. Mark and Jean talked with Esme and I wasn't afraid she would start getting into things she shouldn't under Daddy's watchful eye. It turns out Jean also did the hat monogram for the baseball hat Mark wears everywhere. She worked years ago at the store that made the specialty monogram - and still had a copy of it in her computer files... *whoa*... I guess unique makes for memorable.

I feel bad I won't go more often to the store to buy - especially since it is right there in Huntingdon. She does carry more 'seamstress' and children's designer fabrics than the other quilt shop in Camden does. That is the main reason I've been there three times in a few months... and do plan on returning, but only when I really get the itch to touch, compare and find a fabric I can't get anywhere else and don't want to wait for/pay shipping. She has a small shop, but definitely a treasure and one I hope stays in our community.

Green size five - in progress

fabric colors and picture of 1960s pattern

This is the progress on the green size five dress - which will be large enough when it is done that Esme will actually have to grow INTO it. I know I should make another size 4... and I've actually made two of them already, so this is a case of me just wanting to dive into the new thing! As I look through it I realize it isn't entirely 'new'... In many ways, this pattern is just like the size 4 (1975) dress I made. But there are several different elements in it that peak my interest. First off, it has darts on the front center - right at the belt attachment. And then the sleeves are much stranger... posted a few little picture of them here.





The one thing I worry about right now is that the collar piece of the pattern is missing... but can probably be made up if I think it is necessary. The belt pattern piece is missing as well -- but I never use the actual pattern for that piece as it is.



Esme in her blue dress, the size 4 that already has some 'growing room' in it. (So you see why me making a size 5 right now is very early!). She is playing with the check writing machine and eating her orange at my sewing table. The machine is an antique with lots of number slots that move like a combination lock and a big lever she loves to pull on. It still imprints on paper but there is no ink in it. We bought it at the flea market for 10 dollars last year and she loves it.



Also she loves to play with her 'grandma' and 'grandpa' and 'baby' playmobil characters. She will grab the phone and put on a play about going to see her grandparents.