Sewing for Abby

I've been sewing a lot for Abigail lately. Several of my friends have asked me how to do the dresses I've sewn. Here goes my best shot.

This dress is made from Simplicity 2574. The fabric was purchased at Hobby Lobby,  the green ric-rac at Wal-Mart. There is three sizes of ric-rac on this dress, tiny, medium, and huge. The  buttons were in the stash.    

  

This pattern has a front yoke and a back yoke. I cut the front yoke out of a scrap from my stash. But, the fabric is still available.
I've already pinned the patterns down so many times I've almost worn out the pattern.
The pattern is a Project Runway pattern. It has several variations. One has a buttonband (flap) at the neckline with a ruffle. I left off the ruffle.
I will take pictures of the sewing process for the construction of the next dress I sew. See that post for details of my process. (Editted to add: See post "How did you make that dress?")
The ric-rac across the chest is sewn on after sewing the front yoke to the dress front. Press the seam towards the yoke. The first row of ric-rac covers this seam. The next two are placed by eye making sure they will be under the button flap.
Pin the button flap to the dress front before sewing on the front facing. I sewed the buttons on before the front facing also.
The tiny ric-rac around the armscyes and neckline were sewn on after the dress was completed. The jumbo ric-rac was applied after the dress was hemmed. (FYI, I use lace hemming tape just 'cuz I like it.)

Thanksgiving

Fall Birthdays are in progress. Brayden is now 3, Joe is 2, and Abby is 1.

Ryland Henderson Griffin

Ryland Henderson Griffin made his way into our lives Monday night, June 20, 2011 at 11:09. Ryland weighs 7 lbs , 9 oz and is 20 inches long. Both he and Rosalie are doing well. Snapper is doing well also. He was due July 10. Rosalie is glad to have him 3 extra weeks before she will return to the classroom in Aug.
   I counted up our family members, Ryland is Jack Jack's 14 great-grandbaby and the family now numbers 46. It's a joke that we come in HERDS when we show up.
As Ryland and Rosalie reside in one hospital here in town, my oldest brother is in another hospital across town. He has had a bloodclot go through his lung. He had a biopsy done on lymph nodes in his groin several weeks ago. He hasn't gotten to hold Ryland yet. Ry and Rosie will most likely be discharged before Ernest.

It's a boy

Ryland Henderson Griffin will arrive in July!

NEW BABY

Snapper and Rosalie are having a baby. Ryland/Sawyer will arrive in July. Gender will be revealed at her next doc's appointment.
This will be Daddy's (gotta count them up Brian, Justin, Meghan, Ethan, Emma, Mya, Breana, Luke, Allie, Bryson, Brayden, Joseph, Abigail) 14th great-grandbaby. We are blessed with children. Heck, we are b-l-e-s-s-e-d with family. Period. Daddy has 5 living children with 6 wives/husbands; 12 grandchildren with 8 wives/husbands; and 13th great-grandchildren. We come in herds when we come!!!

Literally wrapped in prayer

I am on a blog-crawl this afternoon. I am enjoying reading blogs and my quiet time quite nicely. Both Brayden and Abigail are napping. Buck and David are in the new house finishing up the punch list. Jenn is working. In short it's me time.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to blog crawl. At least I call it 'blog crawling'. I start on a favorite blog, read it, and the follow that writer's roll to a blog I've never read before. And repeat. And repeat....
Then it happened. I found gold.
Backstory--I often sew or quilt for loved ones. My loved ones know that I am a praying woman. They also know that my sewing etc isn't often for sale. And that is limited to folks I care about also.
This blogger was quilting a quilt for a neice with cancer and the child's sister. She mentioned that she wrote prayers with a permanent fabric pen for each girl on the seam allowances of the binding to literally 'wrap her in prayer'. The girls would not know exactly what their aunt had written because she had sewn the prayers up in the bindings. But they would know there was a prayer inside their quilts.
What a treasure! Thank you Lord for sending this to me.

I lost a friend this week. Completely unexpected. Stunningly unexpected. Dan taught in the room next to me. He did have a chronic desease he had fought since childhood. He was fine at school Wednesday. He was actually participating in an online college class when he died. His wife of 5 years found him after she returned home from church. They had adopted a 2 year old four months ago.
Dan, I'll miss your smile and encouraging words. I was blessed by you daily.

Jenn and David will move out next weekend. Their new home is completely finished. I will miss late night snuggles with the grands, and early morning- fresh from sleep- hugs. Our home will be much quieter without the two little ones. Abbi learned to crawl and walk here, she celebrated her first birthday and Christmas here. Brayden mastered opening doors, both inside and outside house doors, as well as the door of the fridge.

Time passing

We took the grands to the Alexandria Zoo on 1/28/11.

We can do the wave!!!

Joe and Abby have matching carseats. Abby is tired of my taking pictures. She is only threatening to scream. No sound is actually being produced. She is too funny.