Brown gingham pinafore Simplicity 3603

homemade pinafore over storebought shirt

The shirt came from her aunt Gail the Christmas before this one - and it is one of the few items I can stretch the neck on wide enough to get Esme to cooperate with it. I'll try to make her some of the blouses out of this pattern or another later - because she will outgrow it.


Simplicity 3603, undated

The only pattern I could find quickly was Simplicity 3603 in size 5 (pictured). I am at the point where I believe Simplicity patterns are sized just a tad bit bigger than McCalls... the 8001 size 5 was a very good fit, this is a bit big even witha shirt underneath it. The split square necked front was a bit of a challenge, as well as the skirt was actually VERY full... I tend to pleat instead of gather, just because. I'd never get anything done if I had to fuss with gathers instead of neat pleats. Esme doesn't seem to mind, so I keep on.




A single snap holds it right now...

The back opening also overlaps a little on a reinforced buttonband...
buttonholes to come next, as I usually do those by hand. Esme requested pink buttons. I'll probably put a few down the front, as well? And the brown rick rack would look really nice if I could get my hands on some. The white rick rack... I'm not sure what the point would be?


Loula and Esme are like two peas in a pod now


Esme actually has the puppy thinking: 'Will you slow down?'
Mama and Daddy feel that way most days, too!

Blue Rabbit dress

I made this a few days ago, mentioned it but did not get a chance to take any pictures. She wore it to town today. It is a McCalls 8001 alteration - with the two pleats in the front instead of one, and a dropped skirt front as well. It is the last bit of the blue dobby rabbit fabric from Japan bought several years ago. It was previously featured as two pairs of pants, so it has done well for two yards!

She put her socks and shoes on herself. We had to take a package to the 'mailman' for Grandma, and Esme enjoyed the idea of helping with that, even though she was more interested in reading her bike book when we got there. The train set pictured is a clearance item Daddy found for her and she nearly lost quite a bit of hair to it yesterday - we had to work it out! She still did lose a little hair, but it is very hard to tell, as Daddy did a good job rescuing what he could from the track mechanism before finally cutting a small lock off with it. Hopefully she will be more careful with it now.

Today I am inspired by the Betsy McCall paper doll archives I found on the internet. I can't believe I hadn't seen them in all this time! Several of the dresses shown for the paper dolls have the corresponding McCalls pattern number the dress can be made from.


January 1960 McCalls magazine paper doll dress
brown dress with a white pinafore
Betsy McCall sees Leonard Bernstein's youth concert...
It lists the pattern to use is 2358

I saw one brown dress with a white pinafore (January 1960) that I really liked. I want to replicate the look but with a brown and white gingham check pinafore. I bought some fabric but could not find any brown rick rack at the store - they had a place for it, but something else was there. :( I'll poke around and see what is in my collection, maybe I have some hiding - I know there is red and blue... I'd like the pinafore to go over a blue dress or a brown dress. Esme has been painting a lot lately and both of her new short sleeved dresses have bodice and skirt frontispieces FULL of paint splatters.... that don't wash out! Well, that is the good thing of being a seamstress... clothes are not irreplaceable, it just takes a little time set aside to make or remake them. And paint splatters do not make them unwearable... just maybe not the best attire for town trips et al.


McCalls 2358 girls dress and pinafore sewing pattern
I've passed up the chance to buy this one a couple of times... I wouldn't again!
It looks so different in the plain brown above with the white pinafore

I also know I have another pattern (or two) that are similar enough to work with... going to go sort through them now and find one about a size 5. Side note: Mark got me some peppermint coffee which is VERY good. :) I really love peppermint coffee and am sad it is only available during the 'holiday' season.


McCalls pattern 6631
'red riding hood style cape'
size 6, 1940s

I've ordered a copy of this pattern to come in the mail. I don't see Esme wearing the armholes like that - but I could be wrong. And, it doesn't mean I can't alter it into something she would wear. I am very interested in the assemblage of the hood - and the general idea itself. I might be able to expand it larger to make one for myself... which I probably would wear as pictured.

Homeschool prep - books and curriculum

Planning out some 'curriculum' that will last her for years to come, whether or not we do the homeschooling track.

Reading:
have:
The New We Three (1960s reading book dick and jane book 3rd in series)
Fun with Our Friends (dick and jane type book 1st in series) (coming in mail)
Dr.Seuss - Cat in the Hat, Hop on Pop, Green Eggs and Ham, The Nose book, Ten Apples up on Top, If I ran the Zoo (a few more)
Bernstein Bears - The Hat Book
lots of other things - computer, printouts, letter tiles/scrabble game, Electric Company videos
want:
More Fun with Our Friends ("" book 2nd book)
any other Dr.Seuss' we come across

Science
have:
Seeing New Things (1955 one of a large collection called "singer science series") very nice subjects covered - I'm sold and want the others!
Grandma got for Christmas :) thank you!
Cat in the Hat's: Inside your Outside (beginning body/anatomy book) (Esme loves)
Cat in the Hat's: A Map on My Lap

going to get soon:
Cat in the Hat's: There's no Place like Space

have:
Solar System easy reader level 2
Dinosaurs easy readers: level 1 and 2 (coming in mail)
anatomy chart of bones with names on it (coming in mail)

want to get:
Smithsonian solar system book
want to build a solar system model for her
weather and seasons books - one of the singer books is on this
earth science and physical science - singer books have each
book about tools, hammers, saws, shovels, rakes etc...
how plants grow book, how we make food book
book about inventions and mechanical things

Math
have:
Mama Cat Tells Time book with a clock in it
pattern blocks and worksheets for them.
mancala, dominoes, go fish, playing cards
thinking about and looking for:
book about money
book about platonic solids and 2D shapes

Spelling and/or Writing
I think they want a book on this, but I am using letter tiles and computer printouts and hooking it into reading practice right now.... and the dry erase board Grandma got her she is practicing more letters.

Problem Solving
manipulatives like blocks, pipe parts

Spanish
I might have to look into some Dora books here... to supplement the Youtube and Pocoyo videos

Art
watercolor paints and paper
playdough
beads, tissue paper, pipecleaners, glue projects
computer paint program

Social science
have:
USA puzzles (2)
looking for:
Book and/or coloring book about U.S. monuments
Book about families, brothers and sisters etc...
book about towns, roads and the buildings/services in them
Book about school (besides Morris the Moose, which we have)
Books about jobs - farmer/doctor/nurse/mechanic/cook etc etc..

Nature
Fish identification book, have one she likes
bird identification book for kids - find a good one?
Going on a Tree Hunt: A Tree Identification Book for Young Children by Judi Stinz Bird
Thornton Burgess Bird Book for Children and online resources
Edward Dolch book Friendly Birds

Christmas Day 2011

Daddy and Esme with the hex spider


how does that work?


Loula with the cats


Scooby Doo was a hit


from Nana in Minnesota


The animals are here!

She also got a cow like these animals in her 'sock I hung on car bed!' Christmas Stocking. The red and white and blue striped socks were her other stocking item and she was happy with those, too. Grandpa Harvey from Iowa called and she talked to him and Grandma Gale about what she got in her stocking and how she was going to the white house to see Grandma (Irene) and Grandpa (Henry) soon and bring them presents!


Grandma


Grandpa got a copy of the Constitution
and the Declaration of Independence

We are glad Grandpa is home and everyone could be together. I hope Grandma and him eat a lot of good food and rest up!


Esme really enjoyed these blocks, too.


Mama

Daddy spoiled me with coffee and yarn and candy, knitting needles and DaVinci model kits. He says he gets to help me with the kits, they are for both of us ;) He wrapped the yarn in old coffee cans which made it look like he bought me five cans of coffee - what a good joke he almost let me believe it! I bought him a shirt and socks and candy.


Construction toys!




Oh boy my cube!, thank you Santa!
and then she ran off... and we had to call her back
to open it and see what it really was (animals)


It was all a little much for Loula
so she crashed on a jacket

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa! It has been a great day and we are trying to get some rest here at home - hope Grandma and Grandpa do, too! Mark is downstairs preparing a long slow roasted porkchop for his dinner tonight. Esme is playing with her Silly Putty and Optimus Prime transformer... and still introducing all the new toys to each other. She has had a round of painting with her new watercolors and then begged to watch Transformers with her new toy.

Puppy parcel, meet Loula

Loula is the last of Nova's puppies... out of eleven puppies and two days of trying to give them ALL away, we were left with this one. Unless someone really needs one, we might end up keeping her. Esme says 'It is my Lou-ah'. Hmmmmm.... And anyhow, don't they just look like two puppies sleeping there?

I'm working my way through a robot kit from Tamiya we bought about a year ago... I think I'm halfway. Lots of parents have to do assembly on Christmas Eve. ;) hehe.. no all of Esme's presents are already assembled and mostly wrapped. All we have to do is hang the sock in the middle of the night and go to Grandpa's with the full bucket of presents tomorrow afternoon.

Christmas Eve

I'm back from work and ready to get everything in order for the day!
We have one puppy left. Decisions, decisions!

Here is Esme demanding pictures while sitting watching cartoons. I caught pictures of her breaking up laughing with Daddy - and then he had me pose for one, too. Her eyes are still so blue!