Pink Saturday

It is the season for flowery flowey (is that even a word?) dresses and little girls (and boys) running outside in meadows and long grass, making daisy chains and bouquets for mom (that get squished by chubby little hands before they make it to mom, and mom is THRILLED)

I have been working on some this week from Sandy Henderson's Portabello Pixie patterns with my recycled fabrics---though I did add a few splashes of new fabrics to get the combinations of patterns and colors just how I wanted them. 

This one has an apron for mom out of the peony print of the apron on the dress:

 They look adorable together, (but I think my photos are blurry?)  Can you all tell me if they are clear on your monitor or blurry, please.  Made me wish I had a little toddler  for that dress!  

Today is my daughter's Junior Prom!  Her dress will be a bit more like this!  (Not quite, but...hopefully some photos of her will be forthcoming as well!  Today was fun seeing her new haircut and doing her nails to start getting ready!!
   

Here is Bev's Pink Saturday link so you can visit the other Pink posts!      
      http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Here they are!!

I really did finish my peony apron and little girl's coordinating dress!  The weather isn't cooperating with taking their pictures together, but here they are!

The mama's apron

Daughter's apron dress with the "apron" matching the mommy's!  (This is basically a Portobello Pixie pattern by Sandy Henderson.  I so like being able to combine lots of fabrics into  a dress!)  I remember how much my little girl loved to wear something that went tied us together...she would point it out to everyone!  I could also make a child size kitchen apron, but I HAD to make this dress with this combo of fabrics....I am recycling a duvet cover (the peony print) and a pillow sham (the beige print) the dark red with white silhouette flowers is new, I must confess...the others are upcycled fabrics that were remnants but new!   When I was ironing the little dress (this one is 2T, but it can be made in 6Mos all the way to a 4T),  I found myself quite wistful, wishing I had a little girl to give it to! 

I love the pleating on this pattern.   The apron ties can be tied in front if you are on the small side, which looks very summer Japanese kimono to me!  (yukata)  Tied in back, though brings out the pleating details; I liked it both ways... the fabric combo is also very Japanese to me (I lived there for one year in the 80's!)  I was only 20 and discovering the world, but peonies are one of the many flowers I associate always now with Japan and their beautiful, artistic landscape.

What is your peony story?! 

I feel spring!

This is one of the dresses I finished this weekend!  It really makes me feel happy looking at it, and I am hoping it will do that for a little 3 or 4 year old girl.  When I am working on these little girl clothes, it brings up such great memories of my daughter running and playing in the garden and park with her brother and her little friends!  Chloe was a flower lover, and frequently picked flowers for me from my giant garden...often the flowers were pulled out roots and all!! But of course, I loved it!

 

What I hope to figure out soon is the whole scanning in process!  I used to paint children, and would love to share some photos of those paintings with you here..but the photos aren't digital.  (This was back in the prehistoric age of F_I_L_M!)  I loved to photograph them in gardens or at the lake or parks doing their thing, not posed, and then paint them. 

 

Here's another little treasure that sold already, but I thought I 'd share anyways.  It is made from beautiful vintage organza-like cotton dotted swiss in blue and white.  I totally fell in love with this vintage rose trim, too.  And the fabric for the apron has little flocked daisies running down it!  TEA PARTY!!  and Alice in Wonderland!  

These ties in back are upcycled and reImagined from a vintage apron.  I just love recycling!!

Cupcakes, Polka Dots and Rik Rak

 

I am having my patience grown.  After 3 weeks of the flu, I loved being in my studio again to create this little outfit for a new baby!!!!.  Since it is close to valentines' day, I did one side in a pink heart fabric; the other is spring polka dot colors, and then the embroidered cupcake!   The little orange and cream buttons were so sweet.  I've been saving them for quite some time for the right outfit!   These little white bloomers in vintage dotted swiss or eyelet fabrics are really fun to make.  I am going to offer them in my etsy shop in sizes up to 4T;  also have some hot pink linen ruffle pants in the sewing machine now, and an AWESOME,  reImagined big pink roses Vera scarf becoming ruffle pants.  I forgot to photograph just the ruffle bloomers for the shop, though, cause the outfit was going out the door to my friend!  So the next pair is going in the shop!    I also got my Portobellopixie pattern in the mail finally, so I can start putting those fabrics together into little girl apron dresses, peasant tops, and even some mommy sized aprons!  Sandy Henderson is an awesome designer;  I'm really excited to be working her patterns with vintage fabrics!

Now, it is off to finish MY almost 17 year old's birthday present!  (No, it's not an apron dress!)