A Dress Like Maggie's

comments: 66

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It's been a quiet week here. Andy and I were fighting colds all weekend, and they actually came and went very quickly, but there wasn't much energy for things beyond the usual chores. Greta was called out of town unexpectedly, so all orders from this week and the end of last will go out today, when she returns. I cleaned the office and put away piles of things that had been stacking up. So weird how those piles happen. I shudder at clutter like that, so I think just going through some of the stuff I've been meaning to get to for a while actually made me feel better. That and a lot of Cold Calm, Airborne, and Sambucol, and orange juice and the amazing chicken soup (his specialty!) that Andy made for us on Saturday! Don't omit the dill or the peas on that one. It's ever so delicious.

One of the things in the office that stared me down and won was the gigantic fabric scrap bin that I keep under the table. It's overflowing. I had some 1 1/4" paper hexagons (that I found under one of the piles, actually) and finally got a brainstorm for pillows for Amelia's window seat. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for these pillows but recently I saw this gorgeous pillow that Kristen made (the one on the porch swing) and thought I would try that. It's been a long time since I made hexagons (back here, where I very pedantically explain how, and here, where I put them together a little bit). I ironed a few big handfuls of my scraps and then tossed everything in a basket to take out to the living room at night. I cut the squares with scissors just by eyeballing the square, around the paper hex. I've been doing them for about an hour or so the past couple of nights. My crochet and my embroidery are just sitting there. I seem to need something even easier — no counting, no reading, no papers of any kind to shuffle through — at the end of the day. When I get enough of these, I think I'll lay them all out and make an 18" square, and then turn that into a pillow cover. Well, at least two pillow covers, for the window seat. And actually I'm pretty sure we have two pillows at each end of the window seat, or at least we should, so that would be four. (If you're sitting in the window seat you gotta be comfortable.) I like log cabin pillows, too, so maybe I'll make a couple of those?

I really want to start sewing entirely from my stash, but I just love taking Amelia to the fabric store so much. She loves being in the shopping cart — any shopping cart, really — but the fabric store is far and away my favorite place to hang out with shopping carts. That said, I do not need one more fraction of a yard of fabric. At all. Ever again. Maybe we could shop for buttons, or ribbons. . . . I really, really want to use up what I have. I have so many plans for things I want to make for her. I made her a little Maggie Rabbit peasant dress yesterday (from vintage pattern Simplicity 7197), and when she saw it she grabbed it and kissed it (and then wiped her nose with it) and oh how that inspires a mama!!! My heart did little handsprings across the (now cleared) sewing table. Next up is the dark green calico in Simplicity 9532 (also vintage).

Thank you so much for the sweet comments on the quilt top! A few people also asked about my garland: Very easy. I used this heart punch, this circle punch, and this scalloped circle punch to make shapes out of this cardstock and this one. Then you just stack four of the shapes on top of each other and sew through them using regular polyester thread on the sewing machine. Hold the threads as you stitch the first shape or they'll get all tangled up. Just keep sewing to twist the threads and then add the next set of shapes (I just did mine randomly). When you get it as long as you want it just open up the layers and fold them outward until you get a puff you like. Easy. I'm not sure how good this is for your sewing machine, but I change my needles a lot so I wasn't too worried. But you'll probably want to change your needle after sewing it at least.

Windy and cold today!!!

66 comments

That picture of her sitting in the gingham-checked upholstered chair wearing her Maggie dress and leaning against the sheepskin. Yes, that one. :)

I love homemade calico dresses for babies. Amelia looks beautiful in hers.

Ahhhh! Love your photos of calm and soothing life. Amelia is as beautiful as ever. I'll be back in Portland next month. Hopefully there won't be a blizzard this time. If you ever have the time, Gracie, Taci, Teresa and I would love to have you come to our bloggers girls lunch. We have a wonderful time talking, talking and eating!
Blessings,
Betsy

Glad everyone is feeling better!
I've been feeling that need to do something simple at night too.
Maybe spring will inspire and bring the motivation for complex stitching.

Your photos are like meditation.

It sounds like you have the perfect excuse to buy fabric,I mean the happiness of your child is by far the most important thing. :) Shop away, fabric is after al fabric.

I just about fainted just now...feeling like Sally Field at the Oscars. And I was just now inspired by you, being inspired by me--this is getting very meta. ;) xoxo

What pattern are her little boots? They are sooo cute!

M. Michael Payne says: February 26, 2014 at 11:19 AM

Today's a day to get out and go for a walk. Breezy, going to die down, and be warm. It'll take away the last vestiges of that cold. Blow it away.
We're leaving for Bolivia in April for a couple weeks. We'll bring you back something. Take lots of pictures over the Andes and the Amazon, there and back. We get back the 22nd. Gonna spend Easter with the other grandkids. Love and kisses to you all.

Ha HA!!! NO WAY!!!

I am, literally, knee deep in peasant dresses, as I type (bopping over just to thumbs up a Mumford and Sons on Pandora). I've been trying (and failing) at peasant dresses for years, and as my girl's about to outgrow mama-mades (ouch! talk about handsprings...) I was determined to give it one more go. So last week, I finally gave Citronille's Marie a go -- and bingo!! SO happy.

So happy, save one bit, namely the thread-gathered top. Loved the look, not the process. So after stewing over it in the middle of the night, I thought back to Miss Maggie's dress, and thought, why not? Elastic thread? Try?

So I've just threaded it through, and am about to stitch a band about the neck, and have been thinking all the while, "Oh my, I'm now taking my cues from stuffed bunnies..."

I dare say, it's a fine strategy.

Hope you are all feeling better.

xoxo,
M

ps: and yes, it's all about the stash :)

That beautiful hair!! Oh my.

Your little girl's slippers are so cute? Are they homemade or available for purchase somewhere?

Beautiful dresses! So lovely pictures.

Look at that little sassy lass in her darling new dress! Too cute for words. She has got to be the best dressed toddler around! I love her little fringed vest too! I am going to have to try your cold remedies next time I have a cold...I don't wanna cold though!

Oh I love English paper piecing at the end of the day. Often it's all I'm fit for. I do so envy you your window seat. It's my dream to have a window seat and a nice view. I love the picture of Mimi in the chair. One of the best pictures of her ever. That hair! So gorgeous.

Better sew quick if you want to make clothes for Amelia. My son is now 3 and already telling me what he will wear and what he won't wear, so from now on I won't make anything without full approval in advance (yeah, like he'll remember that a week later...) in case it's a wasted effort.

Darling dresses and lovely prints.
Oh torturous and sweet inspiration!

You have taken us to an entirely new level of WOW with that Maggie dress on that sweet girl. That photo is an award winner in my book.
You inspired me to make a quilt top, and while I got very angry with it at the end of the day (don't forget to eat when working on such projects as grumpiness is sure to follow), I was able to fix it and I have to say I absolutely love it. When I went to Jo Ann's to buy backing fabric, I bought more 1/8 yard strips for my next quilt. I am going to follow your directions from your Valentine's day quilt you made last year for Amelia as I think I will get along much better with straight edges, even if they take more work up front.
So, I am very happy with you right now Alicia for getting me off of my behind and into a project. My "No Place Like Home" quilt is going to be amazing on my new hammock when I get it this spring. I see many cozy days ahead.

I am a new-ish reader who doesn't comment much. But I have to say what I think EVERY time I open your blog. "Stop, just stop it!" - the cuteness, the beautiful things, the adorable baby, the CUTEST baby clothes I have ever seen. Each post just kills me with sweetness. Thank goodness I have my own 11 month old girl to put energies toward in the cute clothing dept. Thank you so much for your blog! I just love it and it is ever inspiring.

Love reading your blog and seeing your beautiful and inspiring photos! Have to ask (as I see others have!) about the adorable booties/slippers that your adorable daughter is wearing! did you make them? is there a pattern? I love them so!

as always, alicia, you are such an incentive. i have so much yarn and fabric, but i know how tempting it is to buy new ones. everyone should have a swap meet and trade. could we see some photos of amelia on her feet? the boots are so cute. did you sew pants to go under the dress, too? thank you for the tutorial on the garland. just the push i need.

I too would love some more slipper info please! I love seeing your posts in my reader.... a little bubble of calm and happy.

Glad you are feeling better. The dress is too cute for words and I plan on making that chicken soup if I can find fresh dill...around here?
Is Amelia in a "timeout" in that picture...lol? She looks like she might be...what a doll. I can just imagine her personality is precious to match.
I just did some hexies and need to do more as I just can't focus on anything too difficult in the evening and watch t.v. at the same time and I want to watch t.v. as I am alone all day and need to hear some adult conversation...even if it isn't mine. Ha! Ha!

I have a great idea so that you can buy more fabric guilt-free! After all, wouldn't want Amelia to be deprived of shopping carts or you of the fabric store....I would GLADLY buy some of your stash...seriously! I can not find those vintage looking calicos anywhere near me & it's getting to the point that I may plan a trip to Portland just to visit all the fabric stores on your "things to do" list. What do you think? :)

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About Alicia Paulson

About

My name is Alicia Paulson
and I love to make things. I live with my husband and daughter in Portland, Oregon, and design sewing, embroidery, knitting, and crochet patterns. See more about me at aliciapaulson.com

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