From Ratty Jeans to a Cute Skirt

I have been so tired from the many goings on in our lives that I haven't been able to finish a project in ages. I am hoping that will change now that things are settling down a little.

My daughter loved these jeans and was not about to let them go. So, I got online and got busy. They went from this:

To this:

Much better.

But don't ask her to hold still for a photo.

This is a project that can easily be completed in an evening. There are plenty of tutorials online that will show you how to make a skirt from a pair of jeans. Go find one and have fun!

Birthday Girl

Every girl needs a new outfit to wear on her birthday, right? I thought so.

This year I got this crazy idea to make my daughter's outfit, complete with a matching purse. She loved it. The fabric is Clementine by Me & My Sister Designs for Moda. This is one of my favorite fabric lines for little girls. My daughter has a pair of pajamas from this and I still have a layer cake of this fabric! Sorry, there is no pattern for the skirt.

This is the matching bag. She loves purses and has many. The best part is she uses them all. By the time I got around to taking a picture, she already had her bag filled with the essentials: chap stick, lotion, coloring book, a box with her Polly Pockets and toy ninjas.

The pattern is Quilts Illustrated Deli Desk Tote.

Christmas PJ's

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know we did. It was of the nice, quiet, stay at home variety - my favorite kind.

Every year the kids get new pajamas on Christmas Eve. Last year was the first time I made pj's for my daughter. After making these pajamas, I realized I DO NOT like making pajama tops. Even though these lavender flannel pj's are among my favorites, pj tops take too long and she grows too fast!

So this year (and several pair of PJ's before this) I made pants and appliqued a t-shirt. I think the applique is so much more fun, to make and to look at. It wasn't until this morning that I realized the gingerbread man has no mouth, and my daughter wants him to have a bow around his neck. I will have to fix that ASAP.

The fabric for the pants is from Northcott and may be a year or two old. I don't know for sure as it came from my mom's stash. I don't remember the name of the line. The t-shirt is from Target and the gingerbread man applique is a scrap from a friend's stash.

As my other kiddos outgrow the need for pajamas with feet, they will start getting the really cute stuff, too.

Holly Jolly Snowmen Quilt

I just finished this quilt top tonight, and I love it! I love the fabric, Holly Jolly Snowmen by Kathy Schmitz for Moda. The colors are absolutely beautiful and the designs are so fun and happy. This photo doesn't do justice to the beautiful fabric. If you don't already have some of this fabric in your stash, get it while you can!

The quilt pattern is Done in a Jiff by Heartspun Quilts. It wasn't too difficult, and I love the results. I made some mistakes in making this quilt, but I learned some new things that would have made the final result much better. Just new knowledge for the next quilt.