Spring/Summer appliques in progress

Since Spring and Summer are around the corner, I started working on some new appliques and designs for Addison and Maddie. This past weekend I made 7 shirts for our two girls! I couldn't believe how productive I was and I had so much fun doing them! I made a circle applique with brown and light teal polka dots for Maddie, a double heart embroidered shirt for Maddie, a circle applique with a pink tutu for Addison and Maddie, and a pink and green lollipop shirt for both girls - which I will add a cute bow too. My favorite thing and the hardest applique that I have done so far was the "crazy daisy". I did two colors on the applique (pink and purple gingham)and embroidered Addison's name across the daisy in purple. It turned out so cute and as soon as I finished it I showed it to her. She is only 18 months old on the 10th but already she likes clothes... She held up her shirt and said, "Me"? and then put her arms up to have it put on her. I couldn't resist and I did take several adorable pictures of her in her new outfit.

Fall and Christmas appliques and embroidery

My very first t-shirt that I embroidered was a Christmas ornament ball for Addison and it was actually one the first things that I ever embroidered. I think it turned out great and even Aunt Nan was impressed with my first project. I then made a few other appliques including applique squares with a monogram, and I also found the cutest flower applique and I have made it twice - one with pink and brown daisies and one in red, black and white daises. At Christmas time I monogrammed an outfit I bought for Addison with a large red A in the curlz font - it turned out so cute. I also appliqued a Christmas ornament with red and green polka dots. I made the ornament into an outfit for Ansley (Aaron's daughter) and also as a bib and burp cloth set for my friend Jennifer's new baby Allyson. I did also make a shirt for Austin but only with his name on it in Christmas colors to coordinate with Addison. He is now seven and thinks that appliques are for girls and babies. :) Here are some of the things that I made this Fall and around Christmas time.

I also am including a couple of pictures of Austin & Addison's cousin Grey. I made him a "ball shirt" for his 2nd birthday since he loves balls. :)

More outfits for Addison

After Aunt Nan made the birthday dress she also made several other cute outfits for Addison. Some of these including a pink seersucker trimmed in lace with pantaloons, a blue eyelet dress with bloomers, a red mini polka dot dress trimmed with a beautiful white peter pan collar, a pink and black polka dot top with cropped pants as well as a pink plaid top with cropped pants. I will add pictures of all of the outfits soon. Aunt Nan would just decide to make something for Addison and then we would get an envelope in the mail - it was like Christmas!

Happy "Boo" to you - Halloween dress and costume

Aunt Nan, Karen and I got together to design a Halloween dress for our girls. We went to the fabric store and found this pale orange stripe material that would look perfect with our girls (pale) complexions. And then right in the store - it happened - Karen and I came up with the cutest design - an appliqued ghost with appliqued black and white letters that said: "BOO"! We also wanted black and white polka dot bows and trim. The results were fantastic! Aunt Nan made three dresses - one for Addison, Maddie and for a friend's daughter, Victoria. We will upload pictures of the dress as well as pictures of our girls. Also note that the only pictures I can find of Addison in the dress - she is having a come apart... I am also posting pictures of Austin as "Anakin Skywalker" from Star Wars. Aunt Karen made Austin's costume this year and it looks fantastic - so authentic, but then Aunt Karen is a Star Wars expert. Note: she didn't make the fairy princess costume Addison is wearing or Chase's "skateboarder" costume, but we all know she could have. Karen also made Max and Maddie's costumes this year as well, so I will ask her to add those pictures when she has time.

Addison's 1st birthday dress

As Addison approached her 1st birthday, I began looking for that special 1st birthday dress. I kept seeing adorable dresses online and at boutiques but they were so expensive. I talked to Aunt Nan and told her that I wanted a pink gingham dress with a cupcake with one candle on it with Addison's name on the dress with cute pink polka dot bows. She did not disappoint... The dress was fit for a princess with matching little pantaloons! Here are several pictures of our cutie pie in her precious birthday dress.

Crib bedding enhancements

When I was pregnant with Addison I had in my mind exactly what I wanted for her nursery. But two things were holding me back - one was money (boutique crib bedding that I liked was around $500-$1000)and the other was actually finding what I wanted. I found a pre-made crib bedding set in plain black and white toile with black and white gingham on eBay for $100. The idea that I had in my head was to enhance the bedding with minky dot pink chenille. My husband Kenneth suggested that I call his Aunt as she loved to sew. So I did and she agreed to "make it pretty" for me. :) She and Karen collaborated and presented it to us at our family shower - they even made matching pillows, some backed in minky dot and others with a beautiful swiss dot fabric. I absolutely love it and Addison's room is exactly how I envisioned it and I spent hundreds less much to the delight of my husband. Here is a picture of Addison (a few months old) in her beautiful crib bedding and accent pillows.