Bibs du jour

What is the origin of the baby bib?  Who can know for sure?  What is certain is that new moms will be doing a lot of laundry and one thing that can help is to have a lot of bibs.  Now you can buy bibs in plenty of places around town - easy-wipe vinyl from drug stores or big-box stores; fancy, lacy or even designer bibs from clothing stores and high-end boutiques and Etsy will offer many handmade lovelies to choose from.  It's funny - with all those options, it is still nice to make your own. Sometimes Nana’s and Momma’s just want to a DIY project to put a little extra love in there.  XOXO!  Such was the case for us last weekend.  

I fell for these two fat-quarter prints.  They just reminded me of our little Fiona who's current best friend is her real family doggie, Berkeley.   The tiny daisies on the black field is also a winner destined to hide a splatter of smashed carrots.   I bought a new clean white terry cloth bath towel for $2.99 at my local Wal-Mart to cut and use as the soft and absorbent backside of the bib.  The fabrics are laid out below after I pre-washed them.

With little Miss Fiona and her Momma (my daughter Lauren) spending some extra time with us while Daddy/Hubby was on a business trip we had grand illusions of getting a great deal of sewing/crafting done over the week.  Unfortunately the little granddaughter ended up getting the dreaded cough and cold AGAIN and so most of our efforts were toward getting her through that and getting some sleep.  :-) 

Now luckily bibs are not terribly difficult and the folks at Instructables made it very simple for us.  I got started and made the doggie bib first and then Lauren turned out the adorable tiny daisy bib.  We ended up extending the pattern to make the bib about 1/2 inch longer since Miss Fi is nearly 12 mos. old.  We used Velcro as the closure and its working very well. 

Mis Fi was starting to feel better by Saturday afternoon she was kind enough to model the finished products.  Love that face!  We think these are bright, fun and great additions to her everyday bib wardrobe.  Already we are thinking of ways to dress the next ones up with rickrack and floral adornments.  Don't be afraid to try this project if you are a beginner.  **You might use flannel as the backing fabric instead of terry cloth for an even easier sewing experience.

Here's our model now...

Mid-Century fashion love

I have been smitten by fashion since I can ever remember. My mother was a beautiful woman with fabulous taste in clothes. As a youngster there were always Glamour magazines around the house and when it came late summer my mother always bought Seventeen - the college issue as well as Glamour, Mademoiselle (is that even around any longer?) and of course the biggie - Vogue Fall issue. In fact checking I find Mademoiselle left us in 2001. Truth is all the women in my family knew how to put a terrific outfit together including my aunt and grandmother. They were not wealthy people but they had great taste and knew when to add the pearls, a rhinestone broach, a patent leather belt or a smart alligator bag. I have amazing memories of these days - particularly the 60's and early 70's.

My grandmother made a lot of square dance dresses - mostly before I was born - but they were still in use and filled the extra closet when I was little. I loved the colors and texture of the petticoats and the braids and rickrack trimming. I took sewing as part of Home Ec. in Junior High School and also took it as a summer class. Back in April I blogged about being inspired to sew again and I've been taking an informal class on Tuesday nights which I love.

Well I just discovered Recollection, by Irish designer Sandra Murphy through a fabulous interview on Collete Patterns written by Kirsten. Recollection is described in one phrase as: New Clothes With Old Soul. I love that! Sandra even creates all of her own prints so you won't see them elsewhere and she is making all of these garments in the U.S. which I do love. She is also feeds that trend committed to fewer, quality garments, over a closet full of masses of "cheap disposable clothes". I wish her great success. Take a moment to check out her web site where she is featuring her Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. You can click on Looks to see individual shots but don't miss the video showing of the same line - really creative. I think you will agree that these are lovely designs and quite wearable. It makes me want a job in the big city (San Francisco) again as I had in my late 20's and early 30's. Of course I'd like to be in my late 20's and early 30's again, too! I might look a little more like the stunning model Valareia Eva. I have to tell you - her hair is the greatest isn't it...I can do that. Ha ha!

Pattern Selected

This is just a quick update to mention that I found a pattern to use with that solid green fabric you saw in my Thrifty Discovery post. I love this pattern and it should be a challenge for me as well. It's been more than a decade since I attempted buttonholes and those feature prominently in this adorable dress. So here you have it - drum roll...........Butterick B5600! Wish me luck!

Big Bold Vintage Checks

Boy, the sun is out and my creative juices are flowing. I'm currently passionate about the sewing scene. I'm talking about - pulling from your stash or finding the fabric at thrift shops or rummage sales and the same for the patterns. I've been bitten for a while, ever since I discovered the amazing Mena over at Sew Weekly . She really sets the bar high but I've also seen through her weekly challenges that there are a lot of other gals out there in the Sew Weekly Community that are so into this. The UK ladies and their Charity Shop finds really knock me out! I've been afraid to get started but just this past weekend I found an unbeatable deal on this green gingham check. I know - I noticed how large that check is as well, but I'm not deterred. I also found 3 yds. of some solid green cotton/linen fabric. It is more substantial and weighty than the check. What to make - what to make? Now if I'm honest I'd admit that I already have a stash of patterns and fabric in my craft closet. OK - I do - you caught me. Ha! These patterns range from pillows and bedspreads to 80's jumpers and pajama pants. I'm on the lookout for a pattern of a Spring/Summer sundress or top. I have two possible pattern choices from my own stash and I think they have possibilities if I add trim or perhaps some handmade flowers. I may do a little more rummaging around before deciding. I'm looking to Anthropologie for inspiration because basically they use a lot of simple patterns for blouses and dresses and it's more about the fabrications they use, the color combinations and the details in stitching that make these items so current. After all, I've invested $3.50 in fabric and expectations are high! I'd love to hear from you in comments if you have any ideas for me. Keep in mind - I'll be 50 soon so I do need a certain level of classic in my wardrobe though I have a young spirit. Stay tuned.