Yes another dress for my little girl

Etame calls this her apron dress.  It's a bit fancy for the name, and for where I'll let her wear it (no playing in the dirt with new article of clothing I make!).    I have been sewing this dress up for about a year.  Yep, procrastination, distraction, general ADD, it all contributes to the fact that I have more projects than time to complete them.  But that just makes it all the more rewarding when I finish one right?!

I tried to use as many fabrics as possible from my stash, which in this case included a men's dress shirt that I picked up at Goodwill for Calvin.  He didn't like the fit but I love the fabric quality and colors (the main bodice one - blue with pink stripes). 

I like to recycle, what can I say?  It must be the Oregon that comes out in me.  I still am infatuated with the simple tied patchwork quilt that my nana made with old (70's polyester) fabrics.  I wonder what clothes she made them out of and who wore them.  It seems to have more meaning to me than fabric that came from JoAnn's.  But the coordinating fabrics did come from there.  :-)

I added a lace bottom trim that reminds me of a detail from my childhood, ribbon strung through the eyes of the lace.  Sweet.  The one thing about this style of dress is it was super difficult to find and decide on coordinating fabrics!  I suppose you could simplify and use only a couple but I like the end effect and Etame seems to also.  She wouldn't hold still and kept throwing her hands up in the air.  Sweet dress for a sweet girl.

Pillows!

Recently, I made a few pillows for our fabulous neighbors.  She picked out the fabric which is a beautiful swirly crewel work (anyone familiar with crewel?) in a floral pattern.  I made the cording and sewed up three pillows for her to use in her dining room.  I was pleased with the result, and have more confidence in cording.

Our neighbor seemed thrilled to have them.  She had her chairs covered in the same fabric one pillow
sits on each chair to the side of her table.  It's rewarding to finish a custom project like this and also such a relief to complete as you never know how it will turn out.  I'm such a procrastinator too that I wait until I have a definitive deadline to complete it.  Then I finish it in a couple days.  It drives my mom nuts as I am always telling her all the projects I have going on.  Too many!