Belle costume

Happy Halloween!

this year for Halloween I was Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. the costume is based from the live action movie with Emma Watson. I absolutely adored the blue outfit in the movie, thus decided last year to make it.
yes I made this last year to wear last Halloween but due to unforeseen events I was unable to wear it. those unforeseen events happened to be a car breaking down. I needed new breaks and while I thought this was not going to be a big deal it turned out it was a big deal. the part that holds the breaks on literally fell apart while being changed and new parts had to be ordered so what was supposed to be a quick job turned into a three day job and I was left with no car for my Halloween weekend plans and ended up staying home.
so I did what any one who had spent hours upon hours sewing a costume I I saved it for this year. Yea!



unfortunately being made last year I cannot remember what patterns I used. I should have written it down but I didn’t. I actually only used a pattern for the skirt. and the back of the vest. I drafted the front of the vest on my own. the apron I didn’t bother with a pattern as its just a rectangle gathered onto a strip of cloth with the edges all hemmed.
the pocket was pretty fun to make. its a dish cloth that I made the slit in the front by sewing the edges together about 1 1/2” in leaving an opening for my hand, I then clipped the edges and turned them to the outside and hemmed around the opening. I then centered the opening and sewed up the ends then added that to a waist tie like a apron has.



the scarf was again just a rectangle I sewed the edges around.
the shirt I didn’t make I had it already and incorporated it in.
I also made a necklace that is Okay but nothing to brag about.
the shoes are just some shoes I had as are the socks.
I thought it came together rather well and am definitely happy with the end results.

attic window quilt

I saw this quilt pattern for attic window in a better homes and garden patchwork & quilting book from 1977.
I saw it and I loved it. so I kept the book to save for when I could make the quilt. move ahead a few years and a friend was given a huge amount of quilting fabric from a fellow seamstress that was moving. in that stash there was quite a few batilk’s which my friend does not like so she let me have some.
I was really excited about the black with polka dots because it was perfect for the centers of the windows.
I went through my stash and found that if I tried really hard, and pieced just a few of the pieces together I had enough to make a lap quilt, which turned out to be perfect because I also had that size batting just sitting there wanting to be used.
in the book they show this quilt as a small wall quilt in a frame which looks really cute but I wanted a useable quilt, so I had to refigure for the bigger quilt, which was not hard. the piecing together was not hard at all. the only thing I wish I had done differently is made the top and side also have the points on them. but the pattern itself didn’t have the red and yellow at the top and one side. but to finish it off I wanted the colors all around. I still like the way it turned out though it looks really cool.

for the back I didn’t have one piece large enough so I pieced the back using the some fabrics I had.
so all in all I used just pieces of fabric I had left over lying around and the pieces given to me. even the batting was a left over piece. so all in all I made this from my stash. which is a good thing because I really need to use what I already have rather than buying new.

yetti! plus another blog

just a quick little post.

last year I made all the little ornaments from simplicity 8035 except the yeti because I didn't have any fur. I didn't want to buy fur just for a tiny little ornament, so I waited till I had a bit of scrap before putting together this cute little guy. it was super easy to do. and now I have the whole set!

also I started a side blog about cooking! I'm not like this wonderful cook or anything but I am working through an alphabet cookbook that has a recipe for every letter in the alphabet. it ought to be fun!
my side blog lizzardtears cooks

falling hearts shirt

I came across this multi color heart fabric at a second hand shop. I very rarely bother looking for fabric at such places unless I want something for a quilt, as the pieces tend to be no more then scraps, but I was there so I thought I would give it a look see, and found this fabric. its a very soft knit, which I knew would make a comfortable shirt, and the print reminds me of ,and probably is something from the 1980’s.

it was about 1 1/2 yards of fabric, but 60” wide so the possibility of it being enough for a shirt were high enough I spent my $1 on it.
I had in mind immediately what I wanted to make, and was pretty sure I had a pattern to work with.
I wanted to make something that kept the idea of the 1980’s but not quite all the way 1980’s. so I used a... 1940’s reprint!
yeah, I know that doesn’t exactly make sense but I knew the pattern had the basic shape I wanted. I used simplicity 1692. a pattern I have used before when I made my Bamboo shirt.
I cut out view C extending the length by 1 1/4” and the sleeves by 1”. I only used the two pieces then made my own bands for the sleeves, bottom and neck line. I also extended the neck line a little so I wouldn’t have to add the buttons to get it over my head.

I cut it out one size bigger then my size so it wouldn’t be so fitted and didn’t add the pleats the original pattern calls for.
this shirt is really comfortable and I think it turned out really cute. definitely something I can wear for everyday wear.

pink butterfly shirt

I finished this shirt a while ago, took pictures ages ago, and then never posted it. not really sure why that is. I guess I just forgot.
its made from a new look pattern #6045, and was relatively easy to make.
I made my normal changes of adding to the bodice length. and also I made it short sleeve for two reasons, one fabric restraints, and two I prefer a short sleeve to a long or sleeveless. I just made view B, and left off the bottom part of the sleeves. then added a little slit, which I finished with a bias cut ribbon to tie.

I didn’t like how low it was though, so I tried to make the neck line not plunge quite so much. the pattern picture doesn’t look that low, but it is, and I remembered this from when my sister made this pattern. unfortunately bringing up the neck line caused the shirt to be a bit restrictive across the shoulders. apparently there was a reason it was cut that way.

and then I realized why do I even care how low it is, I have to wear a cami under it anyway because I didn’t line the bottom half of the shirt and the fabric is sheer. which has led me to think about trying to redo the neck line back to the original cut.
which is probably why I haven’t posted this yet. I was going to try to improve upon it. however I am finding the idea of tearing it apart and remaking it a bit daunting at the moment. so this may be one that I just am not exactly comfortable wearing, but yeah I have been wearing it anyway and will probably continue to do so. I don't think it looks bad, its just a comfort thing.

red ridding hood cape and snow!

I made this cape years ago for a red ridding hood costume. using Butterick pattern #B4377.

I thought our most recent snow fall would be a good time to revisit the cape. I love getting out in the snow once or twice a year and just playing. sledding down my big hill is always fun but taking pictures in the snow is one of my favorite things to do. and its always a good excuse to play a bit of dress up.

the cape was fairly easy to make, though I do have to admit it was a bit hard finding a place to cut it out, the pieces are rather large. I ended up going to a friends and borrowing her cutting table to cut it out, because I didn’t have the room to lay it out. the fun thing was my cousin Dressed as Robin hood for the same event that year using this same pattern so we ended up going together to cut them out. which I think made the whole cutting out process take twice as long but that's ok because giggling always makes it worth the extra time, and whenever we get together there tends to be plenty of that going on.

I didn’t line my cape, for one because I am lazy, and two I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle the weight of it if I did. which I still think is true, the fabric I used is a fairly heavy cotton blend, though I have to admit I can not remember what the blend is. and its weighs more then one would think.

I do remember freezing the first time I wore the cape and wishing I had lined it, it was terribly windy that day and what we were doing was outside.
but wearing it this time, even though I was in snow I wasn’t cold at all. its amazing how much warmer it feels when there is no wind.
I just love the way the cape swishes when I twirl!the rest of my outfit is a mish mosh of other costumes. except the boots they are just my winter boots.
the shirt also being from red riding hood.
the skirt is part of my Alice in wonderland costume from several years ago.
the vest is a bit of a preview of the Belle from beauty in the beast costume I made but then didn’t get to wear.
I will write about that later in the spring, when I plan to get some pictures in the mountains but I have to wait for the snow to be on on its way.

a dress for my niece’s birthday

a few moths ago I was on etsy looking at vintage patterns, just browsing not really intending on buying anything, when I came across this pattern, DuBarry 2132B. my niece was over so I showed it to her and she freaked out. it was so cute! I asked her if she wanted me to make it for her birthday. she excitedly told me yes, and so I ordered the pattern. then came the finding of the perfect fabric.

I first bought a solid color fabric in a teal color a bit lighter then the green dress on the pattern, but that fabric didn’t work out. when I pre-washed it I didn’t like the way it reacted, to the washing and drying . the fabric wrinkled badly and was really staticy. meaning it would need to be ironed and rolled every time it was washed something I knew would not happen. so I ditched that fabric idea (I’m going to use it in something else.) and decided to try to find something else.
at the fabric store I searched for the perfect fabric but couldn’t decide what to get I had pretty much decided, when I put it back afraid it would be something she didn’t like. my niece is getting older which means she’s not quite as easy to shop for, bubblegum pink just doesn’t do it anymore. so I asked her mom if they could meet me at the fabric store. the best thing is when they got there after spending probably an hour looking at all the fabric she chose the one I chosen. I do know my niece! yea!

now to the cutting and sewing.
I got an extra half yard of fabric then what it said. I tend to buy a little extra fabric so I don’t have to worry about it. turns out that was a good idea, I needed the extra fabric for the back bow. the pattern assumed that the fabric would be same right side and wrong side, which modern fabric is usually not that way. I wonder if the fabric from the thirties was generally the same on either side. I ended up doubling the fabric on the bow so it would be the same colors on both sides for a nicer finish when tied.

the pattern called for purchased frilling, but, yeah in order for the ruffles to match I made my own.
the ruffles were not bad at all to make. I have a ruffle foot and can I just say I love it! I had to make four yards of ruffle which means I needed eight yards of straight fabric to be ruffled. and anyone who has had to make that much ruffle knows it can be a pain.
I also put the ruffles on different then they said too. they wanted me to sew them on facing up, then press it down to cover the raw edges. I thought doing it that way would probably cause the ruffles to stick back up every time the dress was worn, and again the pressing thing, so I opted to sew them the way I wanted them to face then added the ribbon detail to cover the raw edges,plus it gives that extra little pop of detail.

the main part of the dress I put together just the way they told me to.





the sleeves I did slightly different only because its easier to serge on the binding at the bottom of the sleeve rather then the folding the bias over the raw edges, I always mess that up. I also added the ribbon to the sleeves for a pop.

the bows I did completely different. they had me make strips then they wanted me to actually tie them! I’m not the best at tying, so after some trial and error, that had to do with math, I figured out how much shorter the strips needed to be to make a different kind of bow. its basically sewing at the center, pressing then making a little tab to wrap around it. pretty easy but takes a while simply because of the small size of them.


the fabric we chose was wonderful to sew with, there is something to be said about buying the higher quality fabrics they really do sew nicer. as I was sewing the dress I decided I was totally jealous of my niece and when I was finished and looked at the dress I was still jealous. I love the way it turned out. I loved the puffed sleeves and the big bow in the back, I love the shape of the dress and I want one too. too bad I’m not good enough to rework a child’s pattern to fit me.

and the best part is my niece loved it! she kept twirling and giggling once she put it on. she told me she loved it even more then she thought it would, it just turned out so good.!
there is nothing better then when people love what you spent so much time making them.

cute little ornaments

I don’t usually buy patterns like this, but I was waiting at the fabric store for my niece and her mom to show up so my niece could pick out some fabric for her birthday dress. since I had time to waste I was looking at the pattern books. normally when I go through the pattern books I skip all the crafty bits, sticking to the clothing, buying up patterns when they are on sale that I then hoard, because well... I think they are pretty?
since I did have so much time though I looked through the entire thing and this pattern said to me “buy me, make me” so I did just that I bought it.

the pattern is simplicity 8035.
I didn’t exactly follow the directions in the pattern, a lot of it was gluing the pieces together and I am against gluing what can be sewn. so I basically didn’t pay any attention the instructions, which I find worked just fine. every bit of it was done by hand, and sewn wirh embroidery floss. I really like the way they turned out.


on the snowman I gave him a scarf rather then the bow, just because I liked the idea of the scarf, and I have to say his hat was the hardest part of the entire pattern. it was so tiny!


the star was the easiest and I had it done fairly quickly


the deer took the longest, as it has the most pieces but its so cute! and I did it so its legs move. I also used buttons for its spots rather then using the spots the pattern called for, it was a bit less fussy that way.


the ginger bread man turned out so cute I could just eat him up.


I used purple on the little penguin even though I had bought black to make it with. when I saw the purple I thought it would be cuter.

miraculously I managed to make them all before Christmas even though I bought the pattern only about a week before. that is I made all the felt ones. I opted not to make the yeti, even though I think it is adorable I didn’t have fur to make it with, and really I am not a fan of working with fur. maybe next year though I consider it. it will after all complete the set.