{parade of pants: rae's big butt baby pants}

Okay, I don't know if it's because the fabrics came together so well, or because they were the first thing I sewed with my new machine, or because the hems look so darn nice (amazing for me), but....

I. LOVE. THESE. PANTS.

My boy looks adorable in them, toddling around, and the pattern was nice and easy to follow! If you've got little ones in diapers, give these a shot...who doesn't love an adorable little baby bum??!

the "big butt" fabric is michael miller

the main fabric is a denim-looking flannel
super soft and snuggly

{parade of pants: simple fleece toddler pants}

While folding laundry recently, it came to my attention that I have made a fair amount of pants lately. Mostly for my boy, but a little something for the girl, too, as spring approaches!

Now, today it's about 70 degrees here. But I happen to know that in Minnesota, they aren't quite there yet...so I thought I would take a quick week to post my long legged garments before it's full-time shorts around here!

I'll begin with a this very simple pair of fleece pants I made for my son back in November (yep. Posting procrastination.) The color was picked out so that the kids would compliment each other in their Christmas photos. But the joke was on me: he didn't even wear pants for the shoot! (We did it here at home...casual is encouraged.) I didn't mind too much, though. Other than some patch and pocket detailing, the pants were as easy as they come. And they're super comfy for him to lounge around in any time.

If you're interested in making your own pair, just google your favorite pants tutorial, grab some fleece and begin!

nothing fancy, just a good old zig zag stitch for the patches.

hurray! no hemming! 

simple single pocket on backside

A quick, easy pair of pants to round out those winter days!!

{all about the mustache: toddler tee and pants}

My son has crazy beautiful hair. Curls in the back, and of course, still soft and silky. I know it won't be this way forever, and I am loathe to even hint at cutting it. Luckily, my husband is awesome and amazing, and fully supports keeping it as is until we're both good and ready for the first hair cut.

So I get to keep my "baby" a bit longer...and we get to come up with super cool nicknames for his 'do in the meantime! The front runners are Doc Brown and, more recently, Einstein. So I decided to use some fabric paint and the old Silhouette to make an appropriate shirt for our boy.

In the meantime, while perusing the Target clearance section recently, I stumbled upon a men's tee that read "A Mustache Means Business". The price tag? $2.98. (I love you Target clearance!)

And an outfit was born.

I used the Kickin' Back Sweats pattern from my Sewing For Boys book. I just kept it super simple, wanting the pictures on the pants to speak for themselves.

The font and mustache on the top were both from the Silhouette store.

I love those pants! They're a little big right now, so I'm counting on him getting some use out of them for awhile, long after he's outgrown the onesie and the hair!

{mini boden inspired shirt}

So awhile ago, my blogtastic friend Georgine brought to my attention some adorable shirts over at Mini Boden.   Being the inspired, crafty women that we are, we said, "Hey. We could do that!" So we did.

Based on this shirt, here is my end result:

I used my Silhouette for the shapes, and attached them with embroidery floss. I love the red and blue together! The shirt was one I got on clearance at the end of last season, so the whole project cost me less than $5. Hurray!

If you like this, you should hop on over and check out Georgine's Boden inspired tee, too. It's wonderful, complete with glitter!! I have to get up my courage and give her technique a try!

{sick}

so very sick. all of us. on a rolling basis.

hoping tomorrow we'll be back on track!

(on a side note, i did muster the energy to purchase a few oliver + s digital patterns!)

{checking in}

yep yep. I'm here. I'm around. Lurking at other's blogs, trying to be inspired. I had a birthday, we took a mini vacation and I've been a bit under the weather. But I'm hoping to get back into the flow here soon. I have made my daughter some shorts, and I have LOTS of ideas floating around...

Just waiting for them to take root.
Thanks for being patient with me!

{valentine's embroidery by imagine gnats}

Recently, I was thrilled to be able to participate as an embroidery tester for Rachael over at imagine gnats. She designed two adorable Valentine's Day patterns, which are currently listed in her shop, and asked for some reader testing...I couldn't believe how fortunate I was to get in on this! 

I lean more towards the novice side when it comes to embroidery, but Rachael's directions are so clear and concise that I had no problem embroidering both images within a couple of days. Her images are whimsical and clean, and are open to a range of interpretations. You'll find mine here:

Aren't these so sweet?? I love them! You can check out Rachael's flickr group to see other completed versions of this pattern...or better yet, hop on over to her shop and grab your own! Then, swing on over to Rachael's blog and check out the other projects she's been up to...you'll be glad you did!