My mother in law loves to cook. So for Christmas last year, I decided to make her an apron. After a quick trip to the fabric store, Alice picked picnic cloth fabric with ants all over it. 

I made each section separately, kind of eye-balling it as I went. The only part I actually created a template for was the bib. I added a large pocket in the center for holding things like ties, measuring spoons, a small towel, etc. The top just goes over the head- no tying. There is a tie around the waist.

I think it turned out cute! 

This year, my husband and I were really excited about Christmas. It was technically Alice's third Christmas and it was the first Christmas that she would really be into opening gifts. We had decided to take her to ride the Polar Express in the mountains of North Carolina. After talking to my sister in law and some friends, we all decided to rent a cabin so everyone could go. In all we had 6 adults and 5 children. (Poor Alice is the only one without a sibling...maybe 2013 will change that!) 

I wanted to do something special for the kids. I knew that the best part about the Polar Express train ride was wearing your pjs...oh, and meeting Santa. At first I looked for matching pajamas to buy then I thought, "Why buy when I can sew!" The next time I get that thought, I hope someone smacks some sense into me! While it was so fun getting it all done for the kids and it was just precious to see them in their matching pajamas, it was a ton of work! (Of course, I know I would do it again in a heartbeat!)

I drew my own "template" based on the sizing measurements for each kid. Because we were going to the mountains, I made the pants with a flannel lining. Each pair had a cuffed leg. The shirts were made using the same train template, just shrunken down based on the shirt size. I cut out the train using the same fabric that was used for the pants so they would be a matching set. I used interfacing on the shirts. 

When it was all said and done, it took me about three weeks to complete all 5 sets. These were the first big project I made (other than curtains) and I learned a lot about sewing while making them. Now I feel like a semi-pro...especially when they didn't fall apart in the wash!

My sweet girl has been a fan of Nickelodeon Nick Jr's "Bubble Guppies" for quite some time. However, recently, it has become somewhat of an obsession for her. She loves this show! It is so funny to have conversations with her when she randomly throws in a comment about Molly, Gil, Deema, Oona, Nonny, Goby, and even Mr. Grouper! She had been going on and on about wanting a "Guppies party" for days. I thought she was talking about her birthday party (which is 9 months away) so I was like, "Okay, honey...if you want a Bubble Guppies party, that's what we'll have." Well, little did I know she meant NOW! My best response was, "If you are good at Nene's tomorrow, we will have our own Bubble Guppies party." Can I just tell you, she woke up at 3:30 AM and would NOT go back to sleep! I guess she thought the earlier she got up the faster she could get through the day! 

Her favorite female character on the show is Molly. So, when I picked her up from daycare after work, we went to Hobby Lobby and bought a white t-shirt and all of the colors of felt needed to recreate Molly. Then we went home and printed tons of fun stuff from the Nick Jr. website (typically used for birthday parties)...things like decorations, party hats, and cupcake toppers. We made "Guppies pizzas" served with Goldfish. We also made cupcakes together. We enjoyed all of this in our living room floor...our "picnic" area as Alice calls it, while watching our very own Bubble Guppies marathon (THANK YOU LORD FOR DVR!). 

The following day, I set to work creating Alice's very own Molly t-shirt. I printed a large picture of her and used it as a template. Then I had to hand sew many of the parts together. Once she was together, I was able to use interfacing on both Molly and the shirt. After about 10 minutes of machine sewing, the shirt was done and Alice was ECSTATIC! She was the talk of the daycare that Monday! 

Since she loved the Molly shirt so much, I decided to make her a second shirt by recycling an old onesie that my mom had gotten her and she had since grown out of. I cut the design out, gave it a felt backing with interfacing and simply sewed it onto a t-shirt. SO EASY! And once again, Alice was tickled! 

My next Bubble Guppies project will probably be a comforter for her bed...maybe that will encourage her to sleep in her own room! Agh!