Simplicity Pattern 3588

It's birthday time at our house, both my son and youngest daughter have their birthdays in March. For their birthdays I like to take their photos each year and display it in a name frame in our house. Because I have to look at these photos for a year I like to make sure that the kids look nice in something special- I had made my middle child her dress this year for her birthday using Simplicity pattern 2320, (you can check it out here) so I thought I would make my littlest a dress this year also.

I used Simplicity pattern 3588, dress variation D.

Using the measurements on the back I went against my gut and followed the pattern and made a size 4 instead of 3 (which my daughter normally wears,) it was a mistake because I think that the 3 would of ended up fitting her better with less tailoring in the end and because it was a size bigger I feel like the waist is a little lower than it should be.

Here is how the dress ended up. I liked it allot until I put it on her and I felt it looked too plain...

So I decided to add a ruffle...

I cut a piece of the black fabric, 6 inches wide by double the length from the bottom of the belt to the back of the neck, where the zipper is. I took the fabric and sewed under the two raw edges, both the same direction, and folded the piece in half, lengthwise.

I was going to gather it but I liked the look of the pleats so I pinned it all down and stitched across it.

Next do the other side, making sure they touch in the center.

And there you have it....

I think it fancied it up allot!

But it made my little 3 year old look so grown up!

Oh the time is just whizzing by me... they grow up too fast!

Personalized Kids Backpack

 I got this Oliver & S Little Things to Sew book for my birthday. I love so many of the patterns in it I already made the Messenger Bag (I made it into a bike bag, check out my post here.) I also used the Bucket Hat pattern in my entry to Project Run and Play (check out the post here.)

Two of the girls on my soccer team (they are twins =) are having a birthday party and we are going. I wanted to make them something special and I thought of the backpack pattern in the book.

I think that they turned out great! I found this great printed broad cloth at Hobby Lobby and got to use my embroidery function on my machine.

I made a few changes to the pattern.

First- I was afraid that the pattern was too small and the bag would turn out too small for a regular size folder or papers, so I increased the size of the front and back panels by about an inch all the way around. I also had to increase the width piece so it would be long enough to make it all the way around the bag.

Next- I found after I traced and cut out all the pattern pieces that even though the photo in the book shows the backpack in the plain style (with a single piece flat front) as well as in the penguin embellished style with the split front, that the pattern has the split front panel for both styles. So I used the front panel liner as the pattern piece for the front panel piece as well as for the liner front panel piece.

I did the personalization and the pocket onto the front panel before starting the pattern directions and assembling the bag.

After I finished the bag (but before inserting the lining) I had my girls try out the bag and found that having the straps sewed into the middle (ish) of the bag made the top of the bag hang over and look weird. This could be because I made the bag bigger, but just warning you, you might want to try it our before inserting the lining. So I moved the straps up and inserted them into the seam at the top of the bag.

I also couldn't find the 1.5 inch strap adjusters the book calls for. So I just used the 1 inch backpack strap adjusters I found at the store. Just adjust your straps to be 1 inch instead.

Here is the finished bags:

I lined the bags with a soft cotton in aqua and it really finished off the bags.

The bags turned out to be a great size, can fit several coloring books and toys!

Hope the girls like them! Have a great weekend!

Finn and Jake Applique Shirt

For my son's Adventure Time birthday this year (you can click here to see the cake, cupcakes and figures I made) I appliqued him a t-shirt that he wore to school on his actual birthday.

Here is how I did it....

First draw out the figures and then trace them onto the iron interfacing (you will need to reverse the design if it matters which way it faces). Trace each piece that is a different color separately.

Iron on the pieces to the correct color, do not cut out the pieces yet.

After the pieces are ironed on then cut them out- this will ensure that the iron interfacing goes all the way to the edge.

I made a back piece to iron all the little pieces on to for Finn. This back liner also has the iron interfacing on the back so I can iron it onto the shirt after attaching all the pieces.

I didn't have to make a backing for Jake because his body is all one color.

Iron all the pieces together then iron the completed figures on to the shirt.

Now all that is left is to zig-zag stitch all around the figures.

I painted Finn's eyes and mouth with fabric paint.

And that's all....

What Time Is It? Birthday Time!

As I have mentioned before on this blog my son is a huge fan of Adventure Time, a cartoon on Cartoon Network. So it was an easy decision to choose the theme for his birthday party this year.

Here is the cool card my mom made.

Here is the cake, I meant to have Finn front and center but after I finished Jake I wrote Happy Birthday and forgot to turn the cake back around so Jake ended up in the front.

 

I also made some Finn cupcakes for his classmates.



I just used mini marshmallows for the hat ears and chocolate chips for the eyes, this made the 24 cupcakes really easy and fast to decorate.

I also appliqued him a Finn and Jake t-shirt to see how I did it, click here.

I also made some cute little clay figures from sculpty clay. They were really easy to do.

Just sculpt the figures out of clay, bake and paint. Ialso clear spray painted them so they are a little more durable and chip proof.

Hope you had a great time!