Here’s more info on the dresses/shirts

Just in case I forget where I got the stuff for my recent sewing project, I am recording it here. Read if you want, skip if you want…

I got the pattern from Froglegs and Ponytails. I got the Amelia shirt and Caroline dress. Jenna and I have the shirts. Jenna’s is the XXS and mine is the Med. I ordered the “Mommy and Me” set from her Etsy page. It was cheaper to get both patterns together than each pattern separately. (I LOVE Etsy, but can’t go there much because it makes me want to order too much. )

I made Jade the above dress today. I felt so bad about her pathetic dress that I made this weekend, so I made her this “Caroline” dress. I made it out of scraps that Aunt Mary Sue had given me a couple of years ago when I was just starting to sew. (Ok, so I’m STILL just starting.)  The blue is covered in various colored polka dots. Probably from the $1 table at Wal Mart. The lady from Froglegs and Ponytails added a change to the pattern on her website. This option made it where you can make a button closure rather than a “tie a bow” closure. Since Jade is FAR too wiggly while I tie her bow, I opted to try for the button. Just one problem- I have never sewn a button on anything, much less made a button hole. So, I whipped out my manual and figured it out. It worked perfectly!

Ok, so you’re thinking, “If you can’t sew a button, why did you even have a button in your house?” Good question. You see, I have a BUNCH of sewing machines. (well 3, but that’s a lot since I can’t sew.) I have MaMa’s (great grandmother Lucy) Singer treadle sewing machine, I have Granny Mac’s (Great grandmother Annie Mae) Cleveland treadle machine, and I have my Brother machine that dear Jeff bought me. MaMa kindly left an old peanut butter jar full of buttons and what-nots in one of her drawers. I have never removed this jar even though I don’t use this machine as anything more than a side table in my living room. Today, when I needed a button, I went to that ole peanut butter jar and lo and behold, MaMa left me the perfect colored blue button. Thanks MaMa.  (She died in 2005 at age 100)

I’m impressed with my button sewing skills!

If anyone has ever sewn you anything- call them and tell them thank you because it is truly a labor of love. It is not as easy as it looks. I have this pattern pretty much “under control” now and it’s still a LOT of work.

So, Aunt Mary Sue thank you for the countless items you have sewn me over the years. (Even “helping” with that one outfit for my 4H project- won 3rd place!)

Caroline- Please tell Kathy thanks for sewing those dresses for Jenna.

Above: Granny Mac’s machine. It has been at Daddy Mac’s (my grandfather)  sister’s house until recently when the last of that family died. Daddy Mac was left to clean up the estate and he asked if I would take his mother’s machine since I also had MaMa’s. I agreed and have it placed in my foyer. Everytime (well almost everytime) that he walks over to visit he comments on the shirts that his mother made for him on this machine. He never fails to point out that when he was a “young buck” he broke the handle off the bottom right drawer. He must have gotten in big trouble because it’s been 80 or so years ago since that would have happened and he still remembers it.

Above is MaMa’s machine. I have never heard Mama- Mac talk about MaMa doing much sewing, but I reckon she did some. I remember this being in MaMa’s den. When we were small PaPa would put a stick of Juicy Fruit in each drawer on the left side. (One drawer for each great grandchild) We would rush in to check our “mailboxes” as soon as we hit the door.

 

Here is the peanut butter jar with MaMa’s notions. (Like that sewing term?!")

After I found such a great button in MaMa’s jar I wondered what is in Granny Mac’s machine drawers. Wow- they are FULL! That will be a post for another day. I saw some marbles right off…no telling what else is there. I did see a few buttons like this one above. The look intrigued me so I pulled it out and upon a brief inspection is appears to be an old bottle cap that someone crocheted a cover for. There is a whole set of these. I only recently acquired this machine, so I haven’t explored it, yet.