The Handmade Dress

Whoo hoo! I am still pretty sore but I can move around now and I don't have to have pain medicine. I know you are all wondering what was wrong, so I will tell you that first. Basically this is what they said, all my problems were coming from my bladder which is "extremely irritated" (they gave me a ridiculously long name for this condition but hubby could not remember it LOL!) so they gave me some medicine to calm my bladder and I should be feeling better in a few weeks. In my uterus they found a couple of spots (could be endometriosis) that they burned off. OK! Enough crazy talk. I am ready for some crafting! I guess I never realized before how much I depend on sewing and creating things to keep my life in balance. By last night I felt like if I didn't make something soon I would just break down and cry. I grabbed some scraps of fabric, a needle and thread, and some rickrack and went to work. Molly had strawberries on the brain so this is what we came up with...

Hey friends. I am on pain meds and I'm very sore, so I'll just say that I am fine and I can have babies. I will tell you more later. Thanks for all your prayers. ~ xoxox, Samantha

I want to sleep like that! It's midnight and I have to be at the hospital, which is one hour away, at 7am. That means I need to get up at 5am. I want to be sleepy! I'm a little edgy. I didn't mention this before but the surgery is two in one. They are going to check out my kidney and bladder problems; but they are also looking for other problems too. I miscarried at 11wks over a year ago and I have not been able to get or stay pregnant since. The doctor thinks there could be something wrong. I guess I didn't mention it because I would rather ignore it, that way I don't feel so crazy! Looking back I know God had his hand on me the entire time. I don't think I could have handled another pregnancy right away. I took it so hard and I grieved so long. I still get overwhelmed sometimes. He knew that better than me. I desperately want more children, but in his timing. I have struggled with those "what if" thoughts today. For about 60 seconds I had myself con...

Molly told me last night that she felt like she was famous. She said " mama, all I did was sew a shirt! And I'm only six!" Thank you everyone for all the sweet comments, she enjoyed each and every one. She was especially excited that daddy left her a comment, since he has never left one for me, she felt so special. I decided that Molly should have her own category on our little blog for all her sewing projects. "Molly's sewing" will be in the list from now on! She already has three entries! Next up is this award I received from one of the sweetest people, Est over at my cuppa charms . She is always nearby with a kind word. She awarded me the "you make my day award". Est you make my day too! You all need to check out her AMAZING felt houses, they are so detailed and dainty. Wanna know who makes my day? You! Everyone who takes the time out of their busy day to stop by and chat! All of your sweet encouraging comments make my day. I am just...

(This is a video, click the play symbol to watch) While I was on the phone this morning Molly was at her craft table sewing away. Every now and then she would come over and sit a piece of fabric on my chest and then walk away. I didn't ask any questions. Why you ask? I have learned to leave her alone. When she is being creative and has all these ideas, if I come along and tell her the "right way" to do something, all of a sudden she can only think within that box. The box that I put her in. So instead I have learned to leave her alone and let her create, knowing that I am nearby to answer any questions. I am so glad that I left her alone this morning, because I would have ruined this! This sweet moment that was perfect just the way it was! She made something amazing that didn't quite work out for her intended purpose; but then she realized she could still use it for something else, and boy was she proud! I will be having my surgery Friday morning. I am still hoping...

(This is a video, click the play symbol to watch) So here's where the story begins: Before Christmas Uncle Sonny had an accident at work and crushed his foot and broke his pelvis. Yeah, it was pretty bad. He had to walk on a walker or ride in a wheel chair for a few months, so his grown boys (whom you will see in this video) built him what is now called by his loving family "the gimp ramp". Uncle Sonny, being the ULTIMATE cut up, would rather us call him a gimp than feel sorry for him hobbling around; so needless to say Easter was a lot of fun! After lunch we noticed the kids playing on the ramp. Then the boys, AKA the children's fathers, went out to encourage the children to ride these old broke down go carts down the ramp. Boy was it fun! How would I know? Because "mama" rode down in one of my new skirts, and I flipped the go cart to avoid plowing a young child (who did get hit, but only suffered a scratched finger....... and maybe a lifelong complex about...

Easter was beautiful! It was a little cold and windy, but they let me get a couple of shots without sweaters. I have more pictures and a funny video that I'll post later, but now I will tell you about Molly's Easter dress. (this is the original) It all started when I found this collar at an antique store, it was dark beige and yellowish with off white pearls. I immediately thought that it would make a beautiful round yoke dress. I loved the design but not the color, so I made another one a little longer and in white thread (size 10 perle cotton) with off white pearls. After I had my reproduction made to the size I wanted, I decided to soak the original in Cascade (yes the dishwasher stuff), and it turned out brighter than the one I had made! So now I have a collar that I can use on a dress for Maddie, that makes me so happy! (this is my version in white and off white) I love the way it turned out! Thank you all for voting for the growth pleats, I am so glad you talked me ...

Who Am I - Casting Crowns I wanted to share one of my favorite songs with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I am almost done with it! I still have to hem it, and maybe add three growth pleats to the skirt. What do you think, growth pleats or no? If you don't know what a growth pleat is, look at the picture below. They are 1 or 2" pleats that can be taken out as needed to add length to a dress. Every time you take out a pleat you can replace it with two or three pintucks. This technique really does add time to the use of the dress, sometimes letting out one pleat will buy you another season of use. You can also reverse the system! If a big sister dress fits but is too long, you can add the pleats. I love the bodice of this dress! Can you see the rows of crochet tulips? I wondered if people would notice the tulips. I crocheted little angel sleeves around the arm holes. They look just precious on Maddie! I love the way they ruffle over her tiny shoulder. The fabric is linen batiste. The crochet is size 10 DMC perle cotton. I like this thread because it has a shine to it, I ...

After a miserable trip to the mall looking for clothes for the wedding; I decided that If you have had more than one child, and care at all about being modest, then you are flat out of luck! If it's a skirt you want, they only come in two lengths, short and super short. If you are looking for a nice shirt, you can forget it (!) unless you are willing to buy another shirt to go under that shirt. Oh.....and if you have that "I've had three kids roll" on your belly, they all make you look pregnant! Am I the only mama frustrated about the lack of modest or flattering clothing out there? So after crying in the dressing room at the mall - after the sales girl told me a certain skirt made me look 15 lbs heavier, because she wanted me to buy the $79 skirt she had- I was at the end of my rapidly fraying rope! I came home and cried until midnight mourning the fact that I would never be pretty again. I felt so dumpy, ugly and misproportioned. Then a thought hit me, I am a real...

So, my kids have found a new use for VHS tapes: use them as bricks to sharpen their castle and tower making skills. When they got so high that they couldn't reach the top anymore, Dad stepped in and helped them finish. Then he did a little trick of his own. I love being married to this big kid! I took this last week while they were watching cartoons. I'm going to be sad when they don't suck their thumbs anymore. I guess they will have to stop someday, but I just need a little more time! Our creek has water again! I think we are finally almost caught up on rain for the year. I haven't heard much about our water shortage lately on the news. We've been walking to the creek a couple of times a week now to see the waterfall and the beaver dam. Last week we found fossils on the bank! They loved learning what fossils were and where they came from. Isn't that pretty. This is our shell fossil, we also found a leaf and a bug. I will be having surgery in the next...

I hope you all enjoyed the little dress pattern, I would love to see pictures of your projects! The winners for the book are comment #5 Debbie, and comment #22 Karen B. Please email me your address at mamacaffee@hotmail.com . The winners for the patterns are comment # 7 Angie, and comment # 27 Laura. I will email you these patterns this afternoon. I am going to be pretty busy this week with my brother in law Daniel's wedding- it's finally happening!- so I will not post again until next week. I have been tagged by my friend Lynn to tell you random weird things about myself. Since I have already been tagged and told weird things , I have decided to take pictures and tell about some of the random things in my house. This is Maddie's wedding dress. She is not in the wedding but she HAD to have a dress! I will tell you more about this dress when I come back next week (I will have a better picture too!). Easter dresses are almost finished! I will be able to finish them ...

GIVEAWAY! I am giving each of you this little dress pattern! When I made this little diaper bag I got several comments on this little dress, which made it the perfect gift for you on my 100th post. I hope you all enjoy it. Click the picture (the instruction picture) and follow the steps to download this PDF file. You can then print out the instructions and pattern pieces on your printer. This little dress pattern also would be so cute on a little smock or A-line jumper, a pillow for a little girls bed, baby bedding, quilts, T-shirts, you get the idea! (CLICK ABOVE PICTURE FOR DOWNLOADABLE PATTERN) If you have trouble downloading this file please let me know! I also want to give everyone who comments a chance to win a copy of my book "Samantha's Crochet Edgings", or set of my crochet patterns! For every 20 comments I will draw two names, one will win patterns the other a book. This way everyone has a good chance of winning! I will announce the winner in m...