Alterations

Arielle and Liana were asked to be junior bridesmaids in their brother's wedding in July. Rather than spend a fortune at a bridal shop for dresses, we found patterns that echo the design of the bridesmaids and fabric that will contrast with their dresses. The patterns are not difficult, but fitting is! Everything the girls make has to be altered.

Liana also wanted a cotton version of the dress to wear this summer. She chose a pink floral print that suits her perfectly. I made one bodice and realized it didn't fit well. Then after some adjustments, I made another out of the ugliest fabric we had on hand because I knew it would be tossed later. It still needed some tweaking, so I made another out of this same brown. Just right! So last night I made one more out of the pink flowers and it fits perfectly.

So I will complete this dress, making sure there are no fitting problems in the skirt part, and then, FINALLY, I will use the altered pattern to make the eggplant satin dress. By then, I will know this pattern inside and out! Hopefully it will go together quickly because I am also working on Arielle's dress.

Unique Purse

Liana made this project last year. More people have commented on this unusual purse than probably anything she has ever made. Everyone wants to know where she got it. It was not difficult to make and would be good for a beginner. All those little strips of cloth would provide a lot of machine straight-stitching and pivots. This one has boning in the handle, but I wouldn't recommend it for another purse. A softer handle, one with cording in a casing, would be more suitable.

Easy Outfit

Liana's first year of 4-H when she was nine, she started with the pre-requisite elastic-waist project. She made these cute pants with cuffs. But she wanted to make a top to go with it and did a great job. She even learned to put in a zipper. The outfit earned her ribbons at the Fashion Revue and the 4-H Fair.

Learning to Sew

When the girls were younger, they learned to sew on the machine by doing some simple projects that were fun to make. These pillows gave them practice on sewing straight seams with some added curves and pivots. A variety of designs can be used, so the creative child doesn't feel stifled by restrictions. Arielle and Liana made these two pillow that are totally different from each other. Their fabric choices are also a reflection of their personal tastes.

If children want to sew clothing, a simple elastic waist pajama pants or a skirt is a good choice. Arielle made this one her first year of 4-H. The gathered flounce made it a little more challenging, but it was not a problem for her.

The girls made these skirts at home just for fun.

Sister Sewing Day

One cold wintry day the three girls decided they would each make a purse.  Liana had made a tiny one earlier and she knew how to do it.  The rest of us tried to decipher the complicated directions, but in the end, the purses were not that difficult after some modifications.  Marissa got a lot of comments on hers.  Everyone wanted to know where she bought it!  Here is a more detailed view of Arielle's.

Quick and Easy Envelope Purse

We love to make purses!  Arielle and Liana have made several types of bags during their time in 4-H.  The easiest of all and great for beginner seamstresses is the envelope purse.  The girls have made these to match their outfits and we made several to give as gifts.  They use very little fabric and are quick to make.







Tote bag

I don't know why I didn't continue to sew over the years, but I didn't. I remember my step-mom teaching me to sew when I was little. With Deb's help, I made a quilt for my American girl doll bed and a beautiful green and violet floral printed dress to wear to school (Arielle would have loved the fabric). We also crafted dolls out of yarn. Those dolls inspired me to make more dolls out of twigs, flowers, grass and things that I found in our yard.

Now I'm re-learning the basic skills of sewing. I struggle to follow pattern directions and feel victorious with each stitch that doesn't require a re-do. My own patterns, however, make more sense to me and don't require the constant use of seam rippers.

My latest design is a yoga mat tote. I have made it both cute and functional. The liner of my mat bags will always be made out of fabric with some slip to it. The purpose of this is to allow the yoga mat to easily slide in and out of the bag. My Jade Yoga mat was sticking too much in my old, bought mat bag. Problem beautifully solved.

Another Apron

We had a request from a friend to make another apron.  Arielle selected the fabrics from our huge stash and mom did the sewing.  Aprons are a hot item right now, and if we have our on-line store as we hope, this might be a good product.  Sizing is not so important and a person can't have too many aprons! 

The following story came in one of those e-mails that gets passed around.  We don't know who wrote it, but we hope people will decide that they need an apron!


The History of Aprons

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress
underneath because she only had a few and because it was easier to wash
aprons than dresses and aprons required less material.
But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans
from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even
used for cleaning out dirty ears.  
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy
chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming
oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot
wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from
the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much
furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her
apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to
dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will
replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

We would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on
that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love... 

Aprons

We have a dream of someday having an on-line store and selling our homemade crafts and designs.  Arielle and Marissa started work on some aprons a few weeks ago and last night completed them.  Marissa also wants to make tote bags for yoga mats and brought over a nearly finished one.  She did an amazing job on it.  Since she is a yoga instructor, she knows there is a need for this product.  A photo will follow soon.

Introduction--Marissa

I like to make things beautiful.  When I was a kid I enjoyed drawing, painting and tearing beautiful images out of magazines to create collages.  When I was in high school I fell in love with ceramics.  Now I work in the beauty industry as a hair stylist.  

One of my favorite painters, Renoir, believed that the point of art was to be beautiful.  I couldn't agree more.  I enjoy making a variety of things.  Some of things I am currently working on include hair accessories, aprons and oven mitts, yoga mat bags, and pillows.

When I'm not creating I like to practice yoga, rock climb, run, cook and bake.  And of course add beauty to whatever I can.

Marissa

Introduction--Arielle

Hey. My name is Arielle and I'm 13 years old.  I have four guinea pigs named Sunshine, Poppy, Clover, and Nutmeg. 

I like to sew because I like making something unique that is all my style and not someone else's, like you buy in a store.  Mostly, I make summer dresses, pillows, skirts, aprons, and purses.  One of my favorite parts of sewing is picking out the pattern and fabric.  I think the fabric that you pick tells some about a person's personality.  Personally, I like bright colors and small prints. 

Besides sewing, I like to read, play my guitar, take pictures, hang out with my friends, shop, and draw.  My favorite books are The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, The Mysterious Benedict Society books by Trent Lee Stewart, and the three Crispin books by Avi.

♥ Arielle ♥ 

Introduction--Liana

Hi, I am Liana.  I am eleven years old.  I started sewing when I was six.  I made a handmade quilt.  Since then I have sewn dresses, purses, an apron, skirts, pillows, pants and a top, and doll clothes.  In 4-H, I am making a special occasion dress and matching shrug.  I can't wait to finish it and post a picture.  I hope one day to teach my children to sew. 

Besides sewing, I love playing with my friends, reading, playing the violin, and designing dresses.  I hope that the tradition of sewing can be carried on for many years. 

Liana:-)

Introduction--Deb

We come from a long line of women who love to sew.  My grandmother used an old treadle sewing machine to make my dresses when I was a child.  My mother was always making gifts of clothing and quilts. She used to surprise my sister and me with doll clothes she made during the day while we were at school.  I learned to sew when I was eleven and made my own clothes in high school.  Later I also became a quilter.  My daughters began sewing even earlier.  Liana was only six years old when she hand-pieced a small quilt.  Arielle made the same type of quilt on a sewing machine when she was eight.  And you are never too old to learn to sew.  Marissa is in her twenties and just beginning to enjoy sewing.  She is full of great ideas that she wants to create.

After visiting the 4-H Fair one summer, I was a little anxious the girls would want to raise a pig or a cow.  Instead, they were fascinated by fabric!  The crafting club was raising money by selling fabric of every sort and color.  The girls wanted to join immediately and have been sewing for several years with this club.  

I have been working as an assistant with the 4-H girls for the past couple of years.  I am enjoying seeing a new generation of children discovering the fun and satisfaction of creating fabric crafts and clothing.  Our 4-H club is a little out of the way for some folks and requires a huge time commitment.  I decided to offer an alternative--beginner lessons with flexible scheduling in my home.  We hope to find some like-minded girls (and moms) who want to learn to sew.

Deb


Arielle's quilt, age 8



Liana's quilt, age 6