New Skirt for Ava

Today during naptime I turned an old t-shirt into a super-comfy skirt for Ava. I just traced another skirt I had made for her, centering the design. Then I serged the side seams, serged the bottom edge, and added a casing for elastic. Simple!


Also, instead of throwing away some cheap, ugly wrapping paper I've been wanting to get rid of, my husband unrolled it on the floor for Ava to draw on.... kept her busy for almost an hour!

Little Punkin

I made Ava a Halloween t-shirt today while she napped. These are the faces I got when I asked her to smile:

Ava's Birthday Skirt

Ava's second birthday is tomorrow (already?! how is this happening??). I haven't sewn anything in quite a while, but I knew I wanted to make her something special to wear on her birthday. I think she's going to love this skirt:


I used this tutorial, and it only took me about half an hour from start to finish. This is a seriously easy project, and I can see more of these in our future. I had to guess on the length since the birthday girl is taking her nap right now, but it looks like it is going to be a good fit. I can't wait to try it on her!

Happy Birthday, Ava!

New Cards

When I saw these cards last week, I knew they were something I wanted to make.


Luckily, Ava is talking up a storm these days (like, non-stop), and we have been keeping a list in the kitchen of all the things she comes up with.



I haven't used a store-bought card in ages, but lately I've been spending so much of my crafting time working on sewing projects. I haven't had (or made) time to work on cards. These are quick and easy, and still satisfy my need for making and sending handmade cards.

Sorry for the poor photo quality. It's dark, and my hubby with be working on his thank you notes and sending them out tomorrow morning. Right, dear?

"Uh-oh Ava Diaper"

This morning I heard on the monitor: "Uh-oh Ava diaper, uh-oh Ava diaper" over and over. A few seconds later I heard "Jammies wash." Sure enough, when I went in to get Ava, her jammies were off, the diaper was on the floor, and she was in her crib playing happily and nakedly with her toys.

Ava's Easter Dress

The first version of The Shirt Dress I made for Ava made her look like a sausage. It was so tight! I followed Dana's instructions, and her tutorial for turning a men's shirt into a dress is so clearly written and easy to follow. After the first flop, I decided to use a pattern that I already had instead of using my own (clearly flawed) pattern. Here's what I ended up with:




I was in too much of a hurry to take a before picture, but the dress is made from a jacket that belonged to my mother-in-law that was headed to Goodwill. I love the way the embroidery looks. Unfortunately, the jacket/dress is made of linen, which is not the best for toddler-wear.



Also, it was so cold on Easter that Ava had to wear a turtleneck under her dress. Don't worry, it wasn't the red one in the photo below- that was just for practice.

Yes, those are her socks on her hands. She wouldn't keep mittens on all winter, and now every time she has on socks but no shoes, the socks end up on her hands as "mittsocks."

New Dress in Action

It was nearly impossible to get a shot of Ava in her new dress, but here are a few:


I looked everywhere for instructions on how to make a dress like this, but ended up having to just figure it out on my own. I wonder if anyone would be interested in a tutorial??

Toddler Wardrobe Re-Fashion

Clearance holiday t-shirt from Target+ fabric from my stash + a few minutes of sewing=


An adorable dress for Ava!

I saw dresses made exactly like this in a local children's boutique. They were a little too spendy for my taste, plus I knew I'd be able to make one myself. This one is not hemmed yet; I have to wait for my model to wake up from her nap first. I'll post a few pictures of Ava modeling as soon as I can.

How to Occupy Toddler and Daddy

I came home from teaching today and all Ava wanted was "Bup, bup, bup" (up, up, up). I held her for as long as I could (she is heavy), but I needed to get some things done. I set Ava up with her crayons and paper, but she scribbled on the wall instead. I remembered seeing a recipe for homemade playdough in one of my cookbooks, so I decided to give that a try. It was magical. Ava sat at the table and made cookies and snakes and even tried feeding some to Hank and to herself. Ava and Daddy played long enough for me to change my clothes, do some laundry, check email, and read a few blogs.


Playdough Recipe:

3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. salt
6 t. cream of tartar
3 1/4 c. water
3 T. vegetable oil

Whisk dry ingredients into a large pot. Whisk in wet ingredients. Cook on high 3-4 minutes until dough forms. Separate into portions and add food coloring if desired.

Note: This makes a huge batch. I only made half and we have plenty. I like this recipe because it is totally non-toxic. Your kids can eat it, but they won't take more than one bite!

Ava takes her first and only bite of playdough.

The Cutest Trick-or-Treaters in Waldeck

Ava's Nana made her a Little Red Riding Hood costume for Halloween.


She trick-or-treated with her cousins.


And we went to visit Great-Grandad.

The Beach and a Birthday!

Ava has had a busy month so far: a trip to South Bethany Beach and her first birthday!


Checking out the birthday shirt from mama:

Cousin Luke checks out presents, too:

Cake!!
This year has gone so quickly. It is amazing how much Ava has changed. A few observations about Ava at one:

-She can walk really well, and has figured out how to move the playpen that blocks the doorway in the living room so she can escape (time to get a real gate).

-She says lots of words, including mama, dada, Hank, more, cracker, talk, ball, and no.

-She loves to give Hank hugs (even though he got sprayed by a skunk while we were away and is totally gross).

-She naps twice a day and sleeps all night long (about 8:00 pm to 6:30 am).

-She nurses four times a day, and eats lots of different foods.

Tomorrow we go to the doctor for some shots and a checkup. Happy Birthday, Sweet Bunny!

The $1 Skirt

Since I got Sew What! Skirts last summer, I've made a few a-line skirts with zippers, and none of them fit me quite right. I've also tried a few a-line skirts with an elastic waist, but those were horrible, unflattering disasters. I've had this yard sale denim (purchased for $1) sitting around, and I decided to try one more time. Instead of using the measurement suggestions in the book, I just used a skirt I have to make a pattern. The result:A skirt that fits well, has little "bunching" at the waist, and is super-comfy. I have worn this lots already, and it will be perfect with tights this fall and winter.

In non-sewing news, Ava is almost one now, and started walking about a month ago. She is so curious, and last week she did a little experiment with Hank's food and water.



She managed to eat a few pieces and dump both the food and water bowls in the few seconds my back was turned. That's paint on her knee, but that's another story.

Having a 9-Month-Old is Hard Work! (And we also had a snapping turtle in our yard)

Ava and I have been home alone together a lot lately, as Mr. Bird's second summer job is in full swing. This kiddo is so, so busy. All. The. Time. She is still only when she's sleeping. If something is within her reach, she explores it. Every day she finds something new that I have to put up, secure, hide, etc. We're having a lot of fun, though. She is learning some signs (her favorite and most frequently used is the sign for "milk") and even says a few words: buh (bye), mama, and muh (more). And on a completely unrelated note, look at the big, ugly creature that Hank found in our yard the other morning:

This huge snapping turtle was laying eggs in a muddy spot by our creek. I assume that's what she was doing, anyway.

... I sewed a little something...

During one of Ava's naps the other day I managed to put together two zippered pouches.


I am done with my part time tutoring job for the summer, so one would assume that I'd have more time for sewing. So far, that's not the case. We've been working hard on Ava's sleeping-- mainly getting her to fall asleep in her crib by herself. Last night was um, challenging, but tonight was smoooooth. I'm using lots of ideas from The No Cry Sleep Solution.


I received my apron from the Summer version of the Sassy Apron Swap. When we have a sunny day again, I'll take some photos and post them . I love it! Thanks, Amy! Better get started on the apron for my partner....

Getting Ready for Easter

Here's my apron for the Sassy Apron Swap:
I don't think my partner has received it yet, but I hope she likes it!

We Had a Date!

Today I only had one student to tutor, so hubby and I had our second date since Ava was born! My mom watched her, and we drove to Camp Hill for XPN's Free at Noon concert. We saw Ryan Bingham-- MEE-ow! Check him out. I wish all shows were like this one- in the middle of the day, seats for everyone, no smoking, and no one spilling beer on your shoes. I highly recommend this concert series. They offer a free concert every Friday.

It's been a busy day, and I need to get to bed. Good night.

Ava Sits!

...and she's getting two teeth! She has also been working on a cold for the past two days, so that makes for some restless nights for all of us.

I Finally Finished Something!

Ava is almost five months old now, so it's about time that I finished this little book about her first week. I bought the book before she was born. We didn't find out what we were having, and at that point I was convinced that she was a boy! After she arrived, I got some "girly" papers and embellishments. I finally got motivated to whip this up. It didn't take long to put it together, and it was fun to create these little layouts. More photos here.

Sewing for Ava

I finally got around to sewing something for Ava. I made these pants last night with some fabric I picked up at Joann's 99 cents a yard sale. They are a little big for her. She was already asleep, and I didn't want to wake her up just to measure her waist!

Now that winter has arrived in Waldeck, Ava bundles up in her pink suit (not made by me!).