Little House on the Prairie Dress-up Clothes

A long time ago (as the book begins), when I was a little girl my crew of farm cousins/neighbors/friends was absolutely obsessed with Little House on the Prairie. Egged on by the books and the TV show we would divvy up the parts and play for hours. My mom made calico dresses, aprons, and bonnets in multiple sizes (my aunt made them for her girls too), and we had a vest and peasant shirt for my brother to flesh out our fantasy. We hitched two hay bales (Pet & Patty) up to an old wagon in my uncle's shed and pretended we were headed west with all our worldly possessions, fording rivers, and evading Indians. I used to pack a metal pale with blocks wrapped in a tidy bandanna and pretend it was my one room school house lunch. We used to climb to the top of the steep pastures then run down the tall grass on the hill pretending to fall just like Carrie does in the opening credits of the TV show. My childhood didn't involve poverty, or upheaval, or prairie crossing, but I identified with the agrarian, nature loving lifestyle of the fictional Laura Ingalls (as opposed to the actual Laura Ingalls whose story would break your heart!). 

My city kids have to imagine even harder to put themselves under prairie winds and big skies, but looking the part always helps. Last summer L asked for a sunbonnet and an apron she could gather things in. For Christmas I gave her those two things, and a dress and petticoat for good measure.

The dress is heavily inspired by the beautiful garments of Taylor's Scarlet Threads. Had I waded into the weeds of this project with more time to spare, I might have just ordered an outfit. For what I spent on fabric, The Scarlet Thread dresses are beautiful and a relative bargain. But, I started with less than 48 hours to finish, and there is joy in the making. I wanted something that could be mixed and matched for pretend play, and worn alone to church. My dress is based on the Violette Field Threads Zoey dress. I bought it for the simple gathered sleeve and relaxed fit at the waist (hoping it will fit for a while). I added a button placket (rather than the snap front) and a round neck opening. I used the width of the skirt from the pattern, but modified the length, and didn't use the ruffle. I made 3 one inch growth pleats in the skirt, and 2 half inch growth pleats in the sleeve. L measured a girls size 10, but I bought the tween pattern (a little bigger in the chest only) so I could make the design again as she grows. I love that VFT offers tween sizes, I think older girls would love the designs (totally not reflected in my demure translation!). I'm perfectly pleased with the VFT line of patterns, and have a first communion dress design picked out for spring. 

The dress fabric is Robert Kaufmann Sevenberry Petit Fleurs Stems Midnight from Fabric.com. From the moment I unwrapped it, I loved it. It's exactly the scale and colors I was hoping for. Pretty but believably historic. The cotton shirting is suited to garment making, and has a very satisfying rustle that L (and I) love. 

The bonnet is from McCalls M7231 that I originally bought with the intent to modify into this dress. The bonnet is just fine, but a little too big.  I have nothing good to say about the dress pattern, so I'll keep my comments to myself. The pattern is probably better suited to someone brand new to sewing.

The bonnet fabric is also Robert Kaufmann from Fabric.com. The body is 1/8" Carolina Gingham in Chocolate, the visor lining is Sevenberry Petit Fleurs Tiny Flower Midnight. Next time I would skip the second fabric, the combination is a little busy for my taste. 

The apron and petticoat are improvised based on the final length of the dress. I will make a second apron. This one already had a run in with some hot apple cider in a togo cup. Who knew apple cider stained! 

The apron fabric is (of course!) Robert Kaufman Essex Linen, the choice for a big ol' apron. The petticoat was a late addition made from cotton eyelet, and lace trim I given to me from my mother in law's vintage stash. 

My husband got me Prairie Fires the Caroline Fraser biography of Laura Ingalls for Christmas (although he may have regretted it when we were on our way to Christmas dinner and I was weeping over Pa's death). The chapters on her childhood, and early marriage are tough to read. I read the First Four Years (and haven't let my kids read it yet, wanting to foster the magic before the reality come crashing down), I know life was hard. I knew the books weren't all facts, and any blogger knows we present ourselves in the way we want to be seen, not necessarily in the way we actually are. But, when I read how hard parts of her life were I was heart broken. I felt like a dear friend had withheld something from me. Thank God she pulled herself up by her bootstraps in the end! 

The book is fantastic, and puts the Ingalls/Wilder experience in a useful national context based on historical events and the work of other writers. It also clears up the tricky business of how much influence her daughter Rose had on the children's series. I'm not quite finished, but it's a good read!

I was a little worried the 8 y.o. mind might file dress-up clothes in the reviled clothing category of gift, the one that gets tossed aside before the lid is even fully off the box. Luckily, I was wrong. Given the choice between this costume, and the pink crushed velvet dress I made for her birthday, she's chosen this dress every day since Christmas. It saw 4 days of continuous wear from the second she unwrapped it. She wore it to grandmom's for Christmas dinner, and stuffed it into snow pants to go sledding, leaving me one very satisfied maker. 

Dress Fabric: Kaufman Sevenberry Petit Fleurs Stems Midnight from Fabric.com
Dress Pattern: Modified Zoey Dress from Violette Field Threads
Apron Fabric: Kaufman Essex Linen Blend White from Fabric.com
Apron Pattern: My Own
Bonnet Fabric: Kaufman 1/8" Carolina Gingham in Chocolate available at Fabric.com
Bonnet Lining: Kaufman Sevenberry Petit Fleurs Tiny Flower Midnight from Fabric.com
Bonnet Pattern: McCalls M7231
Petticoat Fabric & Trim: Vintage, from my Mother-in-law's vast fabric archives.

* Fabric.com links are affiliate links. I paid for all of the fabrics, and only recommend what I like.
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Purl Soho Garter Earflap Hat

Just checking in to share a couple of lightning fast baby gifts I whipped up a few weeks ago. I usually make my own Simple Ribbed Pixie Bonnet pattern for new babies, but after a long season of almost exclusively knitting pixie bonnets, I was looking for a change. This is the Purl Soho Garter Earflap Hat.

The pattern uses short rows for the earflaps, and the whole thing comes together quickly. The yarn is from deep in my stash, and I've long since forgotten what exactly it is. The weight and stitch definition are just right for this pattern. I made these hats in the car during our Thanksgiving travels. I didn't have the full range of needles with me, so I had to fudge the proportion based on the gauge I could get with the needles I had. Luckily, the pattern is simple enough that it's easy to to make small adjustments in the height.

Worsted weight yarn seems to be my sweet spot, especially for babies. You can knit up a worsted baby hat in just a few hours. I'll definitely be making this worsted weight hat again.

You can find my Ravelry notes HERE.

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Sewing for Dolly : A handmade wardrobe for a Waldorf doll.

One week until Christmas and I've still got two stocking to finish, cookies to bake, and a skirt to make myself for Christmas Eve. With the Christmas insanity deadline looming, and a mid-December birthday to sprinkle magic all over, it seemed like a good idea to document every single article of doll clothing I've made in the last year. Documenting old projects is a great use of limited time (smiley face with crazy eyes)!

This is Dolly. Since Dolly moved in with us last Christmas L and I have been working on her wardrobe, making Dolly outfits out of the scraps of L's dresses. Nothing against the more popular doll collection that many little girls will have under their tree this year, but I prefer this doll for now because she is easier to take care of. Her yarn hair doesn't tangle easily, and she's easily dressed because her firmly stuffed limbs still bend. I also appreciate that she doesn't come with a ready-made narrative and props (or a glossy catalogue to aid my kid in developing her shopping habit). L and I like to make things, with this doll as our muse we can make her whatever we want. This simple doll fits our family, and is the perfect project for scrap fabrics. L cuts holes in them, scotch tapes them, or ties them in knots to make a constantly shifting wardrobe for Dolly, and I sew little things out of whatever is left. Here is a recap of my contribution to Dolly's handmade wardrobe inspired by the clothes I make for L. 

The one and only quilt I've ever made. The chambray is from L's second Long Summer Sundress. The pillow has a different colorway on each side. The purple colorway is from the first dress I ever made for L. Both quilt and pillow were made to fit the doll bed J made her a few years ago. 

Left: Coat made with scraps from the 2014 Halloween Kitty. The scarf and beret is improvised with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted in Papaya. Right: This the most recent make. The top is based on the quilted heart Cocoon Dress, and leggings fabric is from a raglan dress. The boots are red pleather from L's cowgirl costume, and are the closest copy I could make of L's red boots with materials I had on hand. The outfit took an hour and a half to make the boots took days. More detailed photos of this outfit are in my Kollabora post.

Left: Based on the self-drafted rainbow ruffle dress, and a sweater that I haven't blogged. Right: Based on a Ice Cream Dress and leggings.

Left: A doll sized version of the first Long Summer Sundress. Right: A tunic made with scraps of some capri pants, and pieces from her leggings.

With all of these pretty things to wear you will still find her most often naked with crazy things in her hair.

Last Minute Gifts : Lola the Owl Gift Card Holders

Once I got started with my Lola the Owl pattern, oh Gussie, the ideas started flowing, and a purse just didn't seem like enough. How about Christmas tree ornaments? I hate to call this a last minute gift, because let's face it, I've only just started to think about Christmas gift giving. I still have unrealistic plans to make one (for now top secret) homemade toy per child, and a perfectly vintage inspired holiday dress for L, not to mention knit Etsy orders into the wee hours of the morning. All the more reason to whip up a few Lola ornaments now with the tiny bits of fabric I already had on hand.

We give an embarrassing amount of gift cards over the Holidays. Can a homemade gift card holder make a gift card less of a cop out? Let's hope so, because I shrunk down the back pocket to be just the right size for one. 

I'm also pairing the Lola ornaments with stuffed hearts in a bright red cookie tin as a Christmas themed gift for a December bridal shower. The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Details:

Print out Lola the Owl Pattern at 40% and construct as directed.

Add 1/4" to the length and width of the back pocket.

Use 3/8" Buttons for the center of the eyes.

Add a little loop of ric-rac so you can attached it to a Christmas tree or gift.

The perfect little addition to a perfectly wrapped gift, or a present on its own.

Gingercake's Lola the Owl Bag

I have been smitten with the Lola the Owl Pattern since I first saw it on the Gingercake blog. Virginia offered to share a copy of it with me as part of her Holiday Gifts Sewing Series. What little girl wouldn't want to snuggle up with a Lola pillow at bedtime, or tuck a few treasures into this sweet little Lola purse? My daughter can't leave the house without a book, a snack, and a toy, so I was thinking the purse would be just the right size to keep her stuff together, and in her care (rather than mine).

My goal was to make this project without any pesky trips to the fabric store. Infact, I finished the whole thing, in my pajamas, in less than 2 hours. I usually just start to get going when I realize all the stuff I forgot about, but this project is the perfect way to use up fabric leftovers. The body is denim from Joann (left over from this project), vintage quilting fabric from my Mom's attic and a few wool felt scraps.

Such a matchy, matchy look. L normally won't wear this sweet little coat (she thinks its too boyish!), I bribed her with lollipops for the pictures. I couldn't resist topping the look off with a bright red pixie bonnet.

You're going to love the Lola the Owl Pattern, I thought of 3 other things to do with it just while cutting out the pattern pieces (will share one of them later). Virginia's blog is packed with homemade gift ideas, and even more great patterns, be sure to check it out.

Tutus for Two

The best kind of present is one you don't have to share. A second tutu and wand for a cousin turning four. Made with scraps of the Ikea fabric, that I can't seem to get enough of, and tulle from Jack B. on Fabric Row. The wands are the Ikea fabric and wool felt.

Check out Small Fry today for some really lovely Pixie Bonnet pictures.

Last Minute Gift : Craft Bags

There is just nothing like making a project out of a project. Like most moms, I make everything during a fleeting window when Kid 1 is at school and Kid 2 is napping. How hard can a drawstring bag be? Easy as pie, right? No reason to plan ahead or even think anything through.

You'll notice the slight variation in detailing between the two. One was made during nap. No time to reference the vast body of interweb wisdom. MUST GET IT DONE! Just reinvent the wheel. The second was done after my walk to pick Kid 1 up at school. The stupidly simple solution washed over me, as soon as the stroller hit the pavement.

I hate to call these craft kits. Kit implies a prescribed end result. While I can wonder down the path of possibility, who am I to tell this kid what to do with her art supplies?

A Sweater for L

 As mentioned last week, L had a birthday a few weeks ago. I had the best intentions of knitting her a sweater, because I always think I have more time than I actually do, and that I will make things much faster than I actually can. So, L got a remade sweater. One that was in my Etsy shop, until I have decided to tear off the unisex color scheme, and girl it up with a jumbo, pink, vintage (of course) button and a small calico print.

I'm going to have one cozy toddler this winter. Although, looks are deceiving. 

The whole photo session went more like this.

A Sweater For Dolly

As those with December birthday's know, the event tends to get swallowed by Christmas activity. L turned 2 in mid-December and I was lucky enough to get two handmade presents finished in the midst of holidays chaos. The first gift was a sweater for dolly. Made with the SCBC technique. I had intended to put a collar on it, but changed my mind after it was finished. The single, large, vintage (of course) button is really easy for L to fasten. Although, she still prefers undressing dolls to dressing them. 

To be clear, I didn't make this doll, but I do love it. Christmas brought two more dolls to our house, so I have no reason to buy another. If it did, it would be this one. I almost can't look at the listing again, without buying one.