Devil in the Details: Sewing the Cutest Little Girl Dress

Crafts & DIY
Written By Rebecca Grabill

What is up with me? I hate sewing - loathe it - despise it. But here I am, sewing like I'm, uh, I don't even know. Martha Stewart (does she sew? Did they allow sewing machines in prison?).

Here's dress for Pie #2:

The top skirt matches the sleeve and bottom ruffle, the bottom skirt matches the bodice, etc. Not as complicated as it looks. But what really makes it are the little trimmings Pie picked out. A bit more sparkly than my choices, but they're 100% sweet, so 100% Mud Pie.

Dragonflies on the bodice:

Crystal button to set off the rushing on the bottom skirt:

And to think, I only pricked my finger hard enough to bleed once!

more like this...
Halloween DIY: Globster Plush Stuffed Toy!
Halloween DIY: Globster Plush Stuffed Toy!

What, you may ask, is a Globster? Well, one might say it's a mythical sea monster, a relative of the classic horror beast, The Blob. Or, if you're familiar with the amazing picture book Halloween Good Night, you'll learn that a Globster is: epically cute, squishably cuddly, not the slightest big frightening, and every preschooler's new must-have bedtime friend! 

Dum Dum DONE! My First Rug Hooking Project Finished At Last!
Dum Dum DONE! My First Rug Hooking Project Finished At Last!

At long last the Rug That Would Never Be Finished is all grown up!

Another Upside to the iPhone 5: Cutest Purse-Bag-Diaper-Bag-All-In-One Ever
Another Upside to the iPhone 5: Cutest Purse-Bag-Diaper-Bag-All-In-One Ever

I needed a new bag with separate pockets for phone and keys so my keys don't, duh, scratch up my phone!

RTD: Rug To Date
RTD: Rug To Date

An update on The Rug That Will Never Be Finished.

DIY Wool Cloth Diaper Soaker Cover With Floral Applique!
DIY Wool Cloth Diaper Soaker Cover With Floral Applique!

How to Sew a Wool Soaker!

Step 1: Collect 100% wool sweaters. Medium to heavy weight, any style or color. Thrift shops are fabulous for this. As is your closet - finally a way to use all those "thoughtful" wearable gifts from your mother-in-law!

Step 2: Felt the wool. It sounds fancy but is as easy as...

Dorky Postpartum Obsessiveness (I Made Wool Diaper Covers!)
Dorky Postpartum Obsessiveness (I Made Wool Diaper Covers!)

How's that for a groovy title? Let's see how many Google search hits I get - thinking zero. Anyhow, there's something about maternal hormones, and being on maternity leave from writing, and being a wee little bit cheap, or um, frugal ... and maybe a bit touched in the head.

But I got in my craw that...

Long Lost Rug
Long Lost Rug

When was the last time I took a photo of my rug-in-progress? Before the finger break, I think. Anyhow, here it is. I'm probably about one third of the way through. Far enough to realize I'll need a two-inch border to tie it all together.

Nesting Instincts Gone Awry: or How to Make Your Own Fitted Cloth Diapers
Nesting Instincts Gone Awry: or How to Make Your Own Fitted Cloth Diapers

Six years ago when I was expecting Mud Pie, I was all out of nesting opportunities. We had a nursery (from Fish and St. Nick), diapers, clothes (we didn't know Pie would be a girl), car seats, dishes, toys, everything. So what did I do?

I tie-dyed all my prefold diapers. And a heap of onsies. And...
Devil in the Details: Sewing the Cutest Little Girl Dress

What is up with me? I hate sewing - loathe it - despise it. But here I am, sewing like I'm, uh, I don't even know. Martha Stewart (does she sew? Did they allow sewing machines in prison?).

Here's dress for Pie #2:

Funkify Your Wool: A Tutorial on Wool Dying for Rug Hooking or other Crafts
Funkify Your Wool: A Tutorial on Wool Dying for Rug Hooking or other Crafts

I'm easily bored so the excitement of that Great Goodwill Find of a Hideous Blazing Purple jacket soon wears off. I start to wonder what that purple would do to a light brown, or whether I need a hazy blue-white for snow or sky or what that Blue Blazer would do to white slacks, just because it might be cool and...

Rebecca Grabill

Rebecca has been writing since childhood, her first book about a kitten published between homemade cardboard covers in second grade. Although she studied religion and philosophy in university, she continued writing, earning an MFA from Hamline University and publishing multiple picture books (no longer with homemade covers) and a collection of poetry with a variety of New York and independent publishers. She has also published a wide array of fiction, essays, and poetry in magazines and journals and photographs for Getty Images. She balances writing with homeschooling the younger of her six children, launching her young adults, church activities, and overseeing a small flock of chickens in rural West Michigan.

www.rebeccagrabill.com
Previous

Theft and Motivation
Next

Mama Why?