Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Holiday Preparations

With the holidays fast approaching, I have been on overdrive trying to get things done.  I have lots of great deals in store for this Black Friday- Cyber Monday, some new items, and a new pattern to list as well!

Then of course, because I didn't have enough to do already, I decided that I must make something new for my daughter to wear for Thanksgiving.  I've had a skein of Indian Corn superwash merino wool (from Expression Fiber Arts) sitting in one of my yarn totes, calling to me for a couple of weeks now.  It was begging me to transform it into something fantastic!  But I just didn't know what that might be.  A hat?  Perhaps a scarf?  Hmmm....

It finally came to me a couple of nights ago... a new outfit for my daughter!  At first it was going to be a dress, then it became a flowy long tank top.  Then I realized it could be a convertable ensemble.  If I make the straps adjustable, it can function as a short dress, a long top and a skirt with suspenders!  Plus, it will grow with her, so that she will get lots of wear out of it, which is important to me.

I'm happy to say that this is now more than halfway complete, as I have several other items to create, finish, photograph and list before the week is through.

 

 

 

These mittens are my newest pattern and are set for release on Black Friday!  They will be half price through Monday for the holiday sale.  They are the Amazingly Cozy Crocheted Mittens, as they are to be worked up in Amazing yarn by Lion Brand.  They can of course be created in any medium weight yarn, but I just love the wooly cozyness of that yarn!  One of my testers worked up a pair in Caron Simply Soft which came out beautifully, and would make a great option for those with wool allergies.

 

They are offered in three different adult sizes (women's small and med/large and men's large) with a length variation for the men's large.  Each size has its own different cuff.  They work up very quick and easy, making them a great last minute gift idea.  Make some for everyone in your family!

 

 

I have also been trying to get holiday presents made for my own family.  I love homemade presents!  I love making them, giving them, and receiving them!  They are just a little more special.  Something given from the heart, made with your own two hands.  All of the hours of thought and work that goes into it.  I have been making presents for my family for years, and for some reason, I never seem to start early enough.  I am always racing the clock up till the very end to get things done.  This year is no different.  In fact, it's a little tougher to get my own stuff done this year since starting my own business.

I have at least started.  I have a beautiful stuffed mermaid doll which I am crocheting in more superwash merino wool from Expression Fiber Arts ( I just LOVE her yarn!), that is nearly finished.  She will be a present for my daughter.  I also plan on sewing some flannel pj bottoms and a pillow case for her.  I'll be crocheting her another animal or two as well as a new ornament (I make her one each year).

I have socks nearly finished for the hubby, a hat for my mother in-law, and some other items for my family.

There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day during this time of year.  Wouldn't you agree?

 

I will be offering major deals in my Etsy shop this coming weekend as well as a couple of flash sales on my facebook page.  So keep checking in periodically to score some hot deals and finish your holiday shopping!

 

Oh.... and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

 

 



Hootie Cuties (free pattern)

 

 

 

 

There has been a bit of interest in these cute little owls I recently made.  They were simply the result of an afternoon of playing with my yarn scraps.  So when I was asked if I was selling the pattern, I was kind of surprised. 

I really didn't have a pattern.  As I said, I was just playing with my yarn.  Sometimes I like to do that, and just see what happens.  It took me a minute to think of how they came to be.  I typed up the pattern in a quick message.  Then I thought, why not share it with all of you!

So here it is; Hootie Cuties, the pattern!

Enjoy!

(I would love to see your finished owls!  Please feel free to post them on my facebook page)

 

 

 

*This is an excellent scrapbuster, as it doesn't take up much yarn at all, and all of those little cut tails you accumulate can become the ears!
*The faces may be embroidered, sewn on pieces of felt (both good options for children under 3), or you could use buttons/safety eyes for the eyes.  The possibilities are endless and entirely up to you!

ch2, sc 6 times into 2nd chain from hook
then you just work in the round (no joining)

increase row: 2sc in each sc (12 total)

increase row: 1sc, 2 sc, repeat (18 total)

increase row: 1sc in the first 2sc, 2sc in the next, repeat (24)

Now you'll have a good sized circle. You can choose to
continue increasing if you want based on the increase pattern.

 

Once you've reached the size you want, continue working sc in the round for about 3 rows
Begin your next row with a sc decrease, continue in sc around

 

 

 

Sc in the round for 2 more rows

 

Begin the next row with another sc decrease, continue sc in the round

The size of your owl is entirely up to you, and they will vary based on yarn choice and hook size. 
I continue to sc crochet in the round until I reach the desired height.
Then to finish him off, I stuff him generously with polyfil, mold his little shape and at one side of his head.....
ch 1, and sc across the top of his head (closing him in the process)

 

 

Now comes the fun part (well it's all fun, really)!  Grab all of those tail ends from various projects (if you're anything like me, you have billions!  I refuse to throw out "perfectly good yarn"), group several together, and pull them through each corner of the head, knotting them.  Do this to each side of the head at the corners, creating ears.
There are many options for the faces.  I chose to sew pieces of felt for the face.  I then stitched "sleepy eyes" to one and button eyes to the other.  Both are cute, but I feel more comfortable with the embroidered and felt faces for young children.  Buttons can pose a choking hazard, so please remember this when deciding on a face.

 

Most importantly, have fun and get creative!  You can do lots of different things with these little guys, and by using up your scraps, each and every one will be unique! 

 

You can even make them little homes.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think these Hootie Cuties would make excellent stocking stuffers!  Don't you?
 

 

 

If you don't crochet yourself, but would like these as a stocking stuffer this year, please check out the listing in my Etsy shop!

 

 

 

 



Free Yarny Goodness!

Check out this box of yarny goodness!  Picked this up while trick-or-treating.  How cool is that?!

A friend's mom had all of this yarn, and gave it to me, so I am going to have lots of fun with it!  There is some virgin wool, acrylic, and several skeins in the same color, so maybe I can make a larger project.  I see another sweater or two in my future.  Perhaps I will make her a pair of mittens or a cowl as a thank you.  Still trying to decide what to make her from this....

In the meantime, I have been working on some sweaters and a couple of hat and mitten sets for my cousin's boys.  I have found sweater making addicting, and my daughter needs to have her fall/winter wardrobe bulked up, so this works out quite well.  I am also trying to use up a lot of the yarn in my stash before I will allow myself to purchase anymore.  Call it a yarn diet.  So I created this sweater vest from some leftovers that I thought went together very nicely.  It's almost finished.

 I have another sweater in the works, a Christmas colored one, that is using up some more of my Simply Soft acrylic.  I have been debating whether to keep it, gift it, or list it for the holiday season.  It would be a good sweater for a little boy, and I always seem to make girl's items since I have a little girl.

 

 

 

My cousin wanted to buy some hat and mitten sets for her boys.  She said the ones in the stores were cheap quality and thin.  She wanted something nice that would keep them warm.  So I am busy at work on those at the moment. 

 

 

This one is for her 3 1/2 year old boy, whose favorite color is blue and has that and lime green on his winter coat.  I thought this yarn I had on hand would be perfect.  As much as I love working in natural fibers these days, she didn't want wool (scratchy), and acrylic is really easier to care for.  When you have two boys, 2 and 3 1/2 years, you need easy care items.  I doubled up the strands for the hat, and I think I will also be lining it with some fleece for extra warmth and softness.

Her other little boy is my daughter's age and loves Elmo!  So naturally I am going to make him an Elmo hat.  I made one for my daughter, and it was a big hit with everyone.  I don't list them in my shop due to copyright and licensing issues.  I want nothing to do with that.  But I am more than happy to make them for friends and family!  He'll get some red mittens to match.

My daughter in her Elmo hat I made for her

 

 

In other news, I will be offering a new special starting Monday and running through the end of this year!  Each week I will offer one hat from my Etsy shop at a 20% discount!  Every Monday I will post a different hat on my facebook page at 20% off.  One hat per week(whether it sells or not) and after that week it will return to its full price.  This offer can not be combined with any other coupons/offers.  This would be a great way to save on some holiday shopping if you're buying handmade this year.

I am also planning several things for the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so stay tuned!

 

Have you started your holiday shopping/making?  I am behind already, but I'm working on things now.  Not much time left till Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween!

I can't believe Halloween is already over!  Time is going far too fast these days.  This was our daughter's first year of trick-or-treating, so it was pretty exciting!

 

 

She was Minnie Mouse this year, and looked absolutely adorable! 

She loves all things Mickey and Minnie, so I had it in my head for months now that I would be making her a Minnie Mouse costume.  I was originally going to do the red with white polka dots, as that was the first thing that came to mind.  It was Minnie's costume for years.  I have a picture of myself as a child in Disney World with Minnie wearing that outfit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 But these days, Minnie has gone pink! 

I ordered a great shade of bubblegum pink yarn about 2 weeks before Halloween(I know, cutting it very close).  It arrived quickly though, and I got to work on her skirt.  I used the basic idea for my toddler skirt/poncho (pattern to come soon!) and made it very large with a drawstring.  This way it will be fully adjustable and able to grow with her.  Also, this made it more "twirly", and what little girl doesn't love a twirly skirt?  In fact, as soon as the skirt was crocheted, my daughter had it on and was twirling around the living room.  She didn't want to wait for the finishing touches.

I made this skirt a little longer than the other one (I love the other skirt, but wish I had made it just a bit longer), and then I added some handsewn lace all along the bottom.  Minnie Mouse has frilly bloomers worn under her skirt, so I wanted to add that extra frilly touch.  I think the lace really made the skirt!  Then I added white polka dots cut out of felt.  I sewed them on with a simple "x" stitch so that I could easily remove them later if I wanted to.  I did a simple black chain and looped it over the button of her skirt for a "tail", which seemed to be everyone's favorite part.

Then I made her a simple black beanie, added her mouse ears from her birthday headband, and used the leftover pink yarn from the skirt to make a bow.  I added some smaller white felt polka dots to the bow and sewed it onto the hat.

 

I am so happy with how it turned out!  It makes me feel good to be able to make things for her that she can wear and enjoy.  It was important to me that I make her costume, rather than buying one.  My mother always made our costumes, and they were always so much nicer than the store bought ones, in my opinion.  My brother and I always looked unique, and we both won lots of contests.  But what I remember most is the love that went into each costume.  She enjoyed making them for us, and getting us ready for trick-or-treating.  I have great memories of all our Halloween's together, and I wanted to keep up with that tradition.

 

 

My little girl with her daddy (note she is eating a banana, not candy,lol)



Walking through her grandma's neighborhood
We wound up adding the sweater I made her to the costume
as it was very chilly out.

...and out goes my back

When it rains, it pours!  I have had some pain in my lower back and hip, then I got sick, and then I woke up unable to move.  Yup, out goes my back.  Ugh....

Haven't had this happen in about 7 years.  Worst part is, I don't even know how I did it.  Just happened.  Makes me feel like I'm getting old.

I was told no work for a few days (can't really afford that, but I have no choice), and don't bend or lift anything.  Yeah....sure!  I have a two year old!  Not exactly easy, but I have been trying to follow the doctor's orders.

The bright side to all of this, is that despite the constant pain, I am confined to the couch and my crochet (yay!).  So I am getting quite a bit accomplished.

 

My daughter needed some warmer clothes for the coming cooler months.  Seeing as she had outgrown most of her sweater, sweatshirts, and long sleeved shirts, I decided that I better make her a new sweater.  So I did!  It came out beautifully, if I do say so myself.  The best part is that she LOVES it!  She didn't want to take it off.  Always makes me feel good when she enjoys the things that I make for her.

 

 

 

Next on my agenda is finishing up her Minnie Mouse costume for Wednesday trick or treating (this will be her first time!), and making hat/mitten sets for my two nephews.  Not to mention, I have several other new ideas of things I would like to make.  It seems there is never enough time in a day, but now that I am stuck on this couch, most of this stuff may get finished this weekend!

 

I also just released my first pattern on Friday in my Etsy shop!  I was hoping to list it on Craftsy as well, but haven't gotten that far yet.  Maybe I will get it on there by the end of the weekend.  I have another new hat in my shop as well, and more to come.

 

There are several other patterns in the works at the moment, and I am deciding which ones will be next.  As soon as I get them typed up and tested, I am hoping to release a few more this year.

Back to Work

 

It has been quite a while since my last post, as things have gotten very hectic lately.  I left a job, started a job (which was much too far away), found and started another job much closer to home (left the other), and then my brother's wedding in Newport.  Add to that the regular busyness of life with a 2 year old, a giant custom order (finally completed), and my first craft fair.

Whew!  I'm tired just thinking about it.

But now I am back to work.  I am revamping things a little bit and trying to add new items to the Etsy shop.  I am working more in natural fibers partly because they are much better quality, and partly because I just enjoy them more.  I am cutting back on my items using synthetic fibers.  I will still be taking custom orders in whatever kind of yarn you prefer, and I will be using up all of my acrylics on hand, but I plan on working in wool, cottons, and alpaca fibers for the most part.

There is an amazing yarn site, Expression Fiber Arts, where I have been shopping for much of the yarn I have been working in recently.  Please check it out!  She is a pleasure to work with and has very reasonable prices.  The yarn is gorgeous and arrives very quickly.  Placing my 4th order with her this week.  Yay!

 

In other news, I am working on writing up several of my patterns.  I have been wanting to do this for a while.  I have one of my patterns out for testing now, and I am hoping to release it by the end of the week in my Etsy shop.  I may also list on Craftsy (I have not decided yet).

My newest design is "The Aurora Slouchy Hat", inspired by my daughet's love of flowers (and hats).  I am loving this new style, and had to keep the first one for myself.  It works up in a lightweight fingering yarn and is a great accessory for the whole year through.  I will also be selling completed hats in addition to the pattern.

 

 

I have added more adult sized hats to my shop, as well as some fingerless gloves and other accessories.

 

I am a busy bee and hoping to add about 2 or 3 patterns along with new items by sometime next month.  If anyone is interested in being a pattern tester, please let me know.  You can email me at:  cavendishclassiccrafts@gmail.com

 

I have the following patterns in the works:

Toddler Skirt/Poncho

Cozy Crocheted Socks

Warm Wool Mittens (toddler/child-adult)

Little Red Riding Hood

Big Bad Wolf

and

Mermaid

 

Of course, not all of these will be released immediately.  I am hoping for the first 3 by December.

 

And I also plan on posting at least once a week here on the blog.  Please keep checking back for updates and possible upcoming deals!

 



Our Weekend in Newport, RI

The veiw from Bel Mer on Goat Island

 

 

 

 

Well, it was a beautiful weekend in Newport, RI.  I didn't get much crafting done (except for the car ride there), but we had the best time! 

 

 

 

One of the fountains on the grounds of Bel Mer on Goat Island

 

We headed off to rehearsal for the wedding shortly after arriving.  They had the wedding on Goat Island at a place called Bel Mer.  It was absolutely stunning, and no pictures could ever do it justice!  Such a beautiful place for a wedding.  The views of the sail boats on the water, the amazing bridge, and the lovely grounds made this the perfect location!

There were inground fountains, a fire pit, and an incredible set of driftwood chairs and a table!  Seriously, the whole set was carved from driftwood, and it was the most comfortable chair.

 

 

 

 

One of the four driftwood chairs

 

 

The wedding planner gave everyone their instructions for the big day, and I was told whatever my daughter did would be just fine (whew!  Hard to predict the behaviour of a 2 year old).  Our goal was for her to walk down the aisle before the maid of honor (most likely escorted by myself since she was very nervous in the big group of people).
She had fun running around the gorgeous grounds during the rehearsal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here she is with the only dandelion on the property,lol.
She loves her flowers, and we didn't want her attacking the rose bushes.

After we finished up, we headed to the hotel to check in and see my aunt from California.  She was very excited to see my daughter (she had last seen her at 10 months old!) and they had a great time together.
The hotel suite was amazing!  I didn't think to take pictures though :(

Off to dinner at the Atlantic Beach Club, which was also gorgeous with ocean views.  Had a lovely dinner.  My daughter had her first corn on the cob, and devoured it.

 

We got up early the next day so that we could enjoy the sights before getting ready for the wedding.  Had a delicious big breakfast, and then we walked it off.  Did a little shopping through town (browsing for us), and there was an awful lot of walking. 

 

 

My daughter(wearing pearls,lol) clutching Mickey Mouse with my aunt Bonnie

A family pic (very rare to get all three of us in a shot)

 

We headed back to the hotel for a dip in the pool before we would have to get ready for pictures.

 

 

 

 

She enjoyed kicking and splashing water at my brother and my aunt
(I made her little sunhat which fortunately did the trick, as she was the only one who didn't get red)

 

 

She was such a trooper all day long, but after that swim she was pooped.  She got in a little power nap before heading out for pictures.

 

 

 

 

My little cutie sleeping in the big king sized bed.  She was exhausted from her day, and still had a big night ahead of her.

 

 

Wedding pictures coming up.......

Next time:)

 





And the Winners Are..........

Let me start off by saying thank you to everyone who took part in this giveaway, from the vendors who offered prizes to all of you who entered.  Thanks so much for making this giveaway a success!  I am happy to say that I have reached and surpassed my goal of 750 Facebook fans!
So, here is our list of winners......
Drum roll please........



Deborah Lewis Jones- Hillbilly Boutique 5x7 print
 Lexie Tifft- Garden Party Bowtique

 Sarah Heyder- Expression Fiber Arts
Michelle Wulf- Cavendish Classic Crafts custom slouchy hat
 Jessie Taylor Goodwin- Amanda Laurette Photography
Tracy Estes- Cavendish Classic Crafts mini blanket and halo headband
Diane Best- Feathers Designs
Karen Wood Highlander- Cavendish Classic Crafts 40% discount on custom doll
Michelle Wulf- Njcrochetlady2005
Denise McCaskill- Hillbilly Boutique tub salts
 Jessie Taylor Goodwin- Four Little Monkeys
Jennifer Gregg- Simply D' Best
 'Jen Basham- JLA Crochet
Pam Amsdill- Simply D' Best
Jessica Dougherty-Hardt - Tutu Fantasia

All of the winners have been notified by email and have 48 hours to contact the vendor who's prize they won.  If prizes have not been claimed in that time, they will forfeit their prize and a new winner will be chosen.  If it is discovered that someone did not follow the rules, the winner will be redrawn.

Thanks again everyone!

A Crafts Room Reclaimed!

For a while now, I have been wanting to fix up my crafts room.  I have been perusing all of the studios/crafts rooms of everyone online while wishing I had a place like that.

The thing is, I do.  Or at least I did when we first moved into this house.

We bought the house in the spring of 2009, and I made sure that one of the rooms was designated for all of my crafting.  I even painted it a rather creatively inspiring shade of orange called "pumpkin pleasure"( we have a rather intense love of all things Halloween in my family).

{Thinking of taking down the doors and placing a desk or work table in the closet to increase work space}

  I hung some artwork on the wall (paintings by my grandmother and uncle), a shelf, and plopped in some furniture. 

That's right, "plopped".  I don't think I really knew how I wanted to use any of it, and what my main focus would be.  I love to paint, though I haven't done it in years, and I love drawing with oil sticks.  In recent years I have gotten into machine sewing.  I also started working with mosaics and jewelry making.  When you combine that with my love of crocheting, embroidery and handsewing, I really didn't know what kind of set up I should have.

 

For the most part I seem to work best in the living room on the couch with my family.  I don't really need a separate room to do that.  The problem is that my supplies have sort of exploded into the living room and taken over.  I would like to have a space that is specifically set up for all of my supplies so that they can finally be organized.  It would also be great to have a little space in there set up for me to create.  A place where I can craft with my daughter; where we can paint, color, and do all kinds of crafty things.  I would also love a comfy seat or rocking chair to crochet in on occasion.

The room is not very large though, and there is quite a bit in it already (besides the boxes and bags of storage items that took over).  Some furniture needs to go, and some needs to be brought in, but I am starting to visualize my perfect space.  I must have it done this year!

These are all my original before photos.  I don't dare share the photos of it now!  It has sadly become a storage unit.  Picture some furniture with about 20 boxes and bags full of clothes we no longer wear.

Hoping to have some after pictures very soon!

My Little Flower Girl

My gorgeous little girl (almost 2 now!) is going to be the flower girl in her uncle and auntie's wedding next week, and her dress just arrived.  So we decided to have a little fashion show to make sure it fits (yay, I don't have to alter a thing!) and to figure out what I am going to make to go in her hair.  I am thinking a crochet covered headband with fabric roses created from the remnants of the bridal party dresses.  I will also probably make her some hair bow clips, just in case she decides she will not keep a headband on that day(hard to predict the daily behaviour of a toddler, heehee).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the back

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combing her hair ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

She loved the poofy skirts and ribbon!

 

 

 

 

I crocheted her a little cream colored alpaca shrug just in case it gets cool later (it is an evening wedding).  It is sooooo soft, and though it has a fairly open stitch and is very light, will be quite warm.

I have decided to make myself one as well.  Mine is in a orangey/brown (rust) color, and it won't be quite as cute.  I added a nice shell stitch edging around hers.  Mine will be a bit more open(stitch-wise), but we will kind of match;)

 

Well, back to work now.  I have many projects to finish in time for our trip, including:  my shrug, a portable dvd player holder(for the seat in the car), crayon rolls(for flower girl and ring bearer), a birthday present for my brother, a custom Red Riding Hood doll, hair accessories, my hubby's hat (promised to be done weeks ago, oops!), and the list goes on.

Enough procrastinating.  I am off!
But don't forget to head over to the giveaway and get your entries in!  Several can be done daily.  Giveaway ends in a week!

 



My First Pattern Test

 About a couple of weeks ago I got the chance to test a pattern for a fellow crocheter for the very first time.  Diane of Simply D'Best, put out a call for testers for her newest pattern, the Angelique Cloche (which is currently a part of our big 750 giveaway).  She does beautiful work, and I thought it would be a fun way to help out a fellow crocheter.

It is important to have patterns tested to make sure that they are easy to understand, without typos, and most importantly, that they turn out right.  I don't know how many of you have ever bought a pattern only to have it not work out right.  It's happened to me on several occasions and is a bit frustrating.

Well, this adorable hat was a lot of fun!  It worked up quickly, and it just so happened to go perfectly with a baby dress that I had made for a custom order. There are a couple of options for the edging, giving it a different look.  She has also added an adorable flower to the Angelique Cloche, and the possibilities for embellishments are endless.

She has graciously offered up this pattern as a prize for two lucky winners.  So please check out her page, and don't forget to enter for your chance to win this fabulous little hat pattern!

Giveaway Kick Off and New Ideas

Well the giveaway is off to an excellent start!  Welcome new fans, and thank you everyone for your support and participation in this event.
If this event does well enough, you can plan on several more taking place in the near future.
I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions of items you would like to see in the future.  Several have already mentioned patterns.

As many of my facebook fans know, I have been working on my first pattern to list.  I have several of my patterns written already, and I plan on typing them up and having them tested before release.  Hopefully my new toddler skirt/poncho will be typed and tested this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also have a diaper cover and matching hat set and a couple of dolls that I have been toying with.  If you have any suggestions or special requests on patterns or anything for that matter, please leave a comment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Last Call Vendors!

Happy Friday everyone!  The big giveaway celebration begins this Sunday!  Today is the last call for all vendors who want to participate.  If you want to add an item to the giveaway, I will need your info and a picture of the item by this evening.  Your item may be something you made, a pattern you designed, or a discount to your shop.  I will need a link to your page and a photo of the item, as well as shipping info if it applies.

 

 

I have at least one more item that I know of which will be added today.  That will put our count at 15 awesome prizes to give out!  The giveaway will run for a week and a half.  Plenty of time to get those entries in.  You will need to be a fan of my facebook page as well as a follower of this blog to enter.  There are many ways to earn more entries, as well as one or two that can be done each day.

I ask that all of my vendors are promoting this giveaway as much as possible.  Let's make this giveaway a success and have some fun too!  All vendors are welcome to enter for other vendor's items(excluding myself), so you are all welcome to join in the fun too!

My goal is to at least reach the big 750 by the end of the giveaway.  I am currently around 35 away!  Let's make it happen!
http://cavendishclassiccrafts.blogspot.com/


The Perfect Shoes

A while back I bought some adorable patriotic fabric with the intention of making some little 4th of July skirts.  I had some fabric in my stash (my mom's fabric actually) with stars and stripes, and I wanted to add to it a little with some new prints.  So I went to one of my favorite places to buy fabric, fabric.com, and picked up some Red, White & True Blue Girls Cream and some Red, White and Blue Regatta Navy.

 

I couldn't wait to make some cute little skirts.  I was on a major sewing kick at the time, and my favorite thing to sew was little skirts.  I had made quite a few for my daughter, which she loves (and looks adorable in if I do say so myself), so I wanted to make more to sell.

I made this skirt, currently listed in my etsy shop.

Then I decided I wanted to do something a little different.  I wanted to add to my daughter's summer wardrobe, and she now had more than enough skirts.  She didn't have many dresses though.  By this point I was delving back into my crochet full force and decided I would crochet a top and add a fabric bottom.  I started by making this one with granny squares.

The matching capped sleeve cardigan I had made for her for Easter.

 

 

 

Then I decided to do a cute patriotic nautical one because I had the perfect blue cotton yarn for it.

So I made a halter top that was adjustable in the back with ties (I make everything for her so that it can be worn for the longest amount of time possible) so that she will hopefully get at least a couple of years out of it.  The bottom was made with gathered fabric from my patriotic collection.

 

 

 

 

Not the best picture, but my model wouldn't stand still, heehee:)

 

 

 

The only problem now was shoes.  She had just outgrown her old shoes, and the two new pairs we had bought her would not go with this dress at all :(

I didn't have the money to be buying new shoes, but figured I would keep my eye out for a sale.

No such luck.
Then, while discussing shoes to match her flower girl dress (she will be in my brother's wedding) with my soon to be sister in law, I had mentioned she was now a 7, so she could find the right shoe.  Well she sent me shoes for the wedding, and an extra pair that she just thought was cute and had to get.
The PERFECT shoes!

 

I seriously could not have found a better pair of shoes to match the dress I made her!  I hadn't even described the dress to her.  It's funny how things work out like that.

Unfortunately the shoes for the wedding did not fit, but she found another pair that does, and my daughter loves them!
Both of the dresses I made, and the shoes, will be going with us to Rhode Island for the wedding next month, so there will be lots of pictures soon!