Toddler Halloween Skirts

Walking up the garden path,

I spy a yummy sweet,

Halloween is here again,

Knock, knock - trick or treat?

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Two years ago I made a couple of little bitty identical skirts for two little sweeties.  Rosalie was 1.5 years old and Avery was just over two.  The fabric was some I had left from other projects in my stash (probably from JoAnn).  Perfect with the orange lace for these two cuties!

Black & White Capsule & Some Halloween Looks

A Capsule School Wardrobe for Chloe

Capsule wardrobes became a big topic of conversation a few years ago.  Many blog posts and articles were devoted to ways to shop/sew to create more versatile wardrobes for both children and adults.  The idea was to choose items like pants/skirts/shorts that would go with many tops.  It was like the Mix and Match doll clothing that we (of a certain age) could purchase for our Barbie and Midge dolls!  

My personal live little doll at the time of the big capsule conversation was my sweet friend Kaye's daughter Chloe.  She has been the recipient of many of the things I make.  Alas, she is now a big fourth grader with her very own sense of style and I make less for her these days.  I did make several items for a black/white capsule for her when she was in kindergarten.  Many of the items were worn into first grade getting more 'bang' for the time spent creating them.

Chloe in a Lazy Days Skirt and a Class Picnic Blouse.
Both patterns from Oliver + S.

Patterns:  Halloween Skirts:  Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt
Dress:  Oliver + S Croquet Dress
White Blouse:  Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress & Top
Shorts:  An old McCall's pattern (?)
White/Black Floral Skirt:  Oliver + S Butterfly Skirt
Spider T-Shirt:  Made by Chloe in kindergarten
Blouse with Gingham Bodice:  Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse
Black Gingham Peasant Blouse:  Simplicity #4206

A Little Honey of a Dress for Honey Bee: Reversible CC 'Lucy'

This little sweetheart has just charmed me!

You should hear her sing!

Rosalie (AKA:  Honey Bee to me) is the daughter of my friend and kindergarten team mate Marnie.  I have written about her busy bee speediness before when blogging about things I've made for her.  Her last name also contains the word 'bee' in it and her mama uses a bee theme in decorating her classroom.  It is the perfect nickname for this adorable toddler!  I love making bee themed things for her!  (See:  Winnie the Pooh and the Bees outfit HERE.) This one was made last Autumn and served two purposes.

This sweet little two piece outfit is actually reversible!  It was made using all stashed fabrics using the Children's Corner 'Lucy' pattern. (This was my first 'Lucy'.  For Honey Bee's Bunny 'Lucy' see this POST.) The appliques of the skep and bee were hand cut and machine blanket stitched based on some images I found on Pinterest.  (I wanted to credit the designers of  the original designs but it doesn't identify them on the links to the pins.) 

I was very happy with the way the machine

 did the blanket stitch!

It looks almost like hand work!

Fabrics, Etc.:  Mary Engelbreit bee fabric,

 black/white Imperial gingham,

Orange Kona Cotton, ? Halloween panel fabric,

 black jumbo rickrack, stashed black and brown wood buttons,

 and scraps of stashed fabrics for the appliques.

Patterns:  Children's Corner 'Lucy', view B (size 3, length of a 2) and

 'Heidi' (size 2) from Australian Smocking & Embroidery #81

The flight line of the bee was actually stitched by hand

 using a chain stitch.

I made a little black/white gingham peasant blouse trimmed in rickrack and a sheer black ribbon bow using the 'Heidi' pattern from AS&E #81.  I adapted the pattern to add fullness and a bit of length to the sleeves.  It coordinates with both sides of the reversible dress.

Although the Bee themed side could be worn in Florida all year, the Halloween themed side of the dress was only worn during the Autumn.  I have had the pocket panel fabric for at least ten years.  It was found sitting in a remnant basket by the counter in a quilt shop and I purchased the last two panel pieces.  I have used them on little trick or treat purses (see HERE) and a couple of other items.  A little happy last minute purchase!

I hope this inspires you to make a little reversible dress or something Halloween inspired 

for the upcoming holiday!  

Thank you for visiting!

Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt For Halloween

It's that time of year again!
We see children sporting Halloween themed clothing throughout the month of October and then even into November!
It is a favorite time of the year for little ones!
 Kindergarten teachers, like myself, get to answer the questions, "Is it Halloween yet?" and "Do you know what I am going to be for Halloween?" every day... multiple times a day.

Last Halloween I made (and never blogged) several little skirts for some of my favorite little people.  I used the free Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt (HERE) with added width and buttons over the belly button to help the girls to keep the skirts on straight.  These skirts were quick and were well loved.

This one was for Chloe and worked with a couple of the blouses I made for the Black/white capsule set.

This one was for Kayla.

I can't remember for whom I made the next two skirts!

This one was for Emma.

Are you sewing any Halloween themed clothing?

Catching Up Part One: Kitten Witch Pocket Dress & Halloween Forget-Me-Knot Dress

This was a post that I had saved in my drafts that I forgot to post last October!!

This little dress was made for Cassidy, my godchild, several years ago that I had never posted on my blog.  It is one of my favorite dresses that I have made.  I loved the kitten pocket with the free hanging body and the appliqued head/hat.  I adapted a design from one of Mary's Patterns for the basic shapes of the pocket and added the hat, bow, and apron.  You just lift the arms up and the rest of the body is a pocket!  So clever!  The dress pattern is my 'go to' pattern by Primrose Lane:  "Annie's Sundress and Jumper".  I had already made a lavender gingham peasant blouse for another outfit for Cassidy that she wore under the dress.  I just loved how this one came out and it looked charming on Cassidy.

The next dress is for Cassidy's little sister, Delaney, also my godchild.  I made this one a couple of weeks ago.  It is a much simpler design.  I am slowly getting into making more modern style dresses without the full skirts (that I adore).  It is a sweet dress but doesn't have the "Wow" factor that the other one has.  (It doesn't twirl, either.)  The pattern is a PDF pattern from Ruby Jean's Closet:  "The Forget-Me-Knot Dress" in a size 3 for a just above average sized three year old.  I am going to try it again in more feminine fabrics and trims and see if I like it better.  Don't get me wrong, the pattern was wonderful.  It was very clear, had great step-by-step photos, and everyone who saw the dress liked it a lot.  It is just me.  I like girly-girl things better. 

Halloween Sewing

As soon as the October calendar goes up in the front of the classroom, the children are squealing with delight.  Halloween is almost here!  The 31 days to wait is nearly torture for them!  The fun little Halloween shirts and outfits have been showing up in my kindergarten classroom for the last two weeks.  The children delight in wearing clothing featuring ghosts and spiders, pumpkins and witches.  This week my class will be making tie-dyed Halloween pumpkin shirts to wear to school on THE BIG DAY next week.

This year I am making a couple of little dresses using a pattern that is new to me but I am not ready to share those with you yet.  So I went through my files and found some things I have made over the years that I don't think that I have shared here.

The large candy totes above were made for a friend's daughters.  Each one was a little different with pictures I cut from a Halloween panel appliqued on each side.  The lining was another Halloween print.  (You will see that lining fabric again later this week as I finish these two new dresses.)

The dress below has that same print as an attached apron paired with a blue plaid and some ribbon trim.  The doll's outfit was made to coordinate.  I used my 'go-to' pattern "Annie's Sundress and Jumper" by Primrose Lane and made a little lacy peasant blouse to wear under it.

 The dress below is made with the same pattern but  trimmed differently.  I made this one for my godchild Cassidy.  For her sister Ashlyn, I made the patchwork skirt below the dress.

 Here the girls model the dresses.  They aren't this little anymore!  Ashlyn is now in middle school.  Time moves on whether we want it to or not!

 This purple skirt was made for Marietta, another friend's daughter and a former student of mine.  The favorite color for both mama and daughter is purple.

 This one was made for another teacher-friend's granddaugther.  I do love that bright fabric!  You will see that fabric again later this week in another dress, too.

Here is a little ditty I sing to my students every year.  I have no idea where it came from!  Sung to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush":

Sometimes I like to walk in the dark.

I like to shout and scream.

I sneak behind somebody I know.

"BOO!"  It's Halloween!

Halloween Costumes for Girls and Dolls

 What adorable witches!  September was in my kindergarten class two years ago and her little sister Jannon was in my class last year.  Their grandmother, a friend of mine and a very frequent volunteer in my classroom, asked me to help with the costuming  when September was in kindergarten.  She made Jannon's costume and both hats. I made September's skirt, vest, and blouse.  September won a local costume contest that year!

 After making the costume I was inspired to make an outfit for another friend's daughter's American Girl doll.  I winged the skirt pattern and used patterns from youcanmakethis.com for the corset, hat, and blouse.  Fun!  I've always liked making doll clothes!

A teaching friend shared the following song with me and we sing it in our classroom.  It is sung to the tune:   "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians".

Three Little Witches

One little, two little, three little witches. (Hold up 1,2,3 fingers)
Fly over haystacks, fly over ditches. (Make flying motion with hands)
Fly over moonbeams without any hitches. (Make flying motion with opposite hand.)
Hey, Ho, Halloween Night! (Clap)

One little, two little, three little witches. (Hold up 1,2,3 fingers)
 Flew over barbed wire and tore their britches. (Make flying motion with one hand, then turn and show your "torn britches")
Had to go home and get some stitches. (Pretend to sew)
Hey, Ho, Halloween Night! (Clap)

Briar Rose's Dress-Up Cape for Delaney Kate

 My youngest godchild is almost three years old.  It is so hard to believe that time goes so fast!  It feels like I just made her embroidered onesies!  She is a beautiful little blond blue-eyed sweetie who is really into princesses and considers herself one.  So a princess needs a cape to go over the ball gown, right?

I made this one following the directions in the book Scrap Saver's 101 Great Little Gifts.  The book was published in 1994 and I found it in a thrift shop for $2.  The cape is sized to fit a child aged 2-6 but Delaney's 9 year old sister Cassidy is enjoying wearing it, too.

 I have next to no shiny/slippery fabric in my stash so I purchased a yard of each of these colors from Jo-Ann's.  The colors reminded me of Briar Rose's dress that the faeries in Disney's Sleeping Beauty movie argued over and kept changing.  The neckline casing has elastic in it and can be slipped over the head after tying for those many quick changes little ones want without re-tying over and over. It can also be worn with the blue side out.

I made Delaney a little sundress, too, that I will share in a day or so.  Have a wonderful, peaceful, and fun-filled Sunday!