New Toddler Dress Pattern

It still needs some tweaking but here is my newest toddler dress pattern.  I started by making a practice pattern on scrap material or Carolyn's fabric.  

Aunt Carolyn gifted to me an amazing amount of material - scraps from her school costume department.  Apparently, these pieces are too small for costumes; they work just fine for my purposes. 

Plaid, yuck, but it works just fine for practicing pattern making.

The sleeve holes needed to be hand sewn.

The bodice.

At the last minute I decided to add a red boarder in the middle instead of at the bottom of the skirt.

The red middle is too low.  I need to plan for it in the next version.

TA DA!!!

Cookie Time - Chocolate chip with Oreo Center

It's Cookie Time!  I saw a delicious looking cookie on the Craft Magazine Blog.  Chocolate Chip Cookies with an Oreo Center.  The opportunity to make them came in the form of a housewarming gift.  (This was also my opportunity to experiment with mailing baked goods.)

Here is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe:

2.75 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
chocolate chips to taste
375 degrees for 9-11 min (This is my corrected version.)

I made the dough and then pancaked it around an oreo.  Baked as usual. 

They were AMAZING, especially warm right out of the oven!

Yummmmm.  Looking at this picture, you are probably thinking "Boy those spread out a lot; she might want to add some flour."  Yeah, my mistake.  I have the original recipe written on a paper with a note underneath - Add flour ? 1/2 cup.  Well I missed the note, thinking this was a rewritten version and the flour had already been added.  So I didn't add flour. 

Second batch I still hadn't figured it out, thinking it was the oreo addition I turned down the heat.

They are a little better in the second round.  That's when I say, "Hey, maybe I didn't add flour?"

First batch and second batch.

Melty, rich, delicious goodness.  Warm right out of the oven.  So decadent I could only have one.  Oh, and a bunch of raw cookie dough.  Yum. 

You Need Sunglasses for This

I took these fabric strips...

to make a toddler dress skirt.  My intention was to match it with this bodice...

After seeing the final pieces next to each other, I realize that is WAY to much yellow!  Instead each will be a part of another dress.  The yellow skirt will get a mostly white bodice and the yellow bodice will get a mostly white skirt.

That should keep people from putting on sunglasses to look at them.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Biscotti

With the assistance of my mother, I made my very first biscotti.  (If I find the recipe I'll post it.)  We used the electric mixer.  Mom showed me her special way of laying out the dough, evening it out, and shaping it.  Bake for a set time, take out to cut them, and bake a little bit more. 

As a child, I watched my mom make them and hated the fact that she double baked them--making them hard dunking cookies.  Now, I don't mind so much.  They are yummy both ways. 

Experimental Shirt for Toddlers

This is almost the same pattern as for my toddler dresses, I just shortened the skirt and width of the gather.

I really don't care for this one.  Maybe it's the yellow bottom, which I definitely don't like.  Not sure if I will try it again. 

My other thought was to make a balloon bottom (Is that what you call it?), where the bottom isn't a flat hem but a fabric fold.  It's a poof at the bottom.

 This reminds me, I need to re-thread my serger.  I've been procrastinating!

Projects For My Children

As my children have been progressing and learning new things daily, I've gotten excited about making activities for them.  Here are the things I'm working on so far:

1. Felt board
2. I-spy rice bottle
3. Fabric tent to replace plastic one - They girls have a tunnel and tent; the tent had a weird plastic when I first took it out, which is something I don't like at all.  Can that be good for you?  Not only that but I had to use packing tape to secure the sticks in the bottom; it's so cheaply made that they won't stay in and are at risk for popping out and poking my babies' eyes out.  So I decided to remake the tent with fabric.  I'll use the tent as a pattern and use the sticks to hold the thing up.  But I can definitely make a much cuter version with fabric.  
4. Twin bed tents - Growing up I had a tent for my bed.  It is like a fitted sheet on bottom with a tent attached to it.  I regularly put it on my bed to play, even slept in it a lot.  It was fun.  Over time the corners wore out and the sticks would pop through.  I want to use it as a pattern to make my own--one for each girl.  
5. Decorative embroidery in hoops -- My mom made me an embroidery piece when I was a baby.  It was put in a frame.  Recently, I took it out and put it in a hoop.  I like this look a lot better but it would look even better as a theme.  I want to make several more embroidery pieces to put in hoops.  These will be hung up in the girls play kitchen area.  
6. Dress up Chest - Someone gifted me their kids Disney dress up clothes.  They are adorable.  I wanted to expand on that and put together a big chest for the girls.  Growing up, I always loved dress up.  I hope my kids do too.  Not sure what I will make the chest out of, or if I will even just use a plastic bin, but perhaps paper mache?  Cardboard frame covered with paper mache to create form, texture, and personality?  
7. ABC magnets - I can make magnets with my button maker, even have all the supplies already.  The girls have become interested in the fridge magnets.  I need to either find their magnets (perhaps under the fridge?) or make some.  Hmmm.

Wow, lots of projects to do.  I'm also looking for other toddler activities to do or things to make for the kids.  Their toys just aren't holding their interest as much anymore. 

Ceramics Apron

I made an apron especially for my ceramics class.  Here it is.  Not the cutest fabric but I just wanted something I wouldn't mind getting filthy.  My first apron.  Yeah!

Creepy People

Dear People,

  When you sit outside a coffee shop after they close -- it's CREEPY.  I know what you are doing.  You're using the free internet.  Seriously though, stop being a creep and go home.

Thank you,

Chariot