Ellie Inspired

Were you wondering what took me so long??  LOL  Life got in the way a little bit but Sweet Daisy Girl is here now and ready for you to purchase!

Sweet Daisy Girl is a fun sundress with a gored skirt that flares out slightly.  There is an option of a sash that ties in the back with a bow, or a belt that buttons.  The dress can be smocked or un-smocked.  An optional fabric rose embellishment is included as well as an optional hand embroidery design.

This is not only my first pattern for an older age group but it is also my first pattern with colored diagrams (don't worry - they still print out great in black and white).

Thanks for all the responses for participating in the next Sewalong!  I am excited to start that.  It will be a couple of weeks before it's ready.  In the meantime, you can take my button on the right and add it to your blog and we'll try to get lots of people before the first step is posted.

Speaking of sewalongs, here are some pictures from our last Ruffle Halter Sewalong.  I just love the combination of fabrics she used.  And she even made a matching headband.  These summery sherbet colors look beautiful on her darling daughter.  Thanks JennyLyn for sending me these pictures and participating in our last sewalong!  I love how this turned out!

I love how this turned out!  Thanks to my wonderful testers and my editor, Cindy Johnson, and Annastasia Cruz for her beautiful photography for the cover.  This is my very first pattern for sizes 4-12.

By now, you probably know my process of writing a pattern.  After it comes back from the testers, I do one final test sample and my final revisions so when you see the last of the pictures from me, it means that the pattern will be available for sale within the next day or two.  Thank you everyone for your interest in this pattern!

We had a fabulous day visiting with relatives from Norway.  It was the first time the cousins had met face to face and they had so much fun together.  When we left, Nathan, my oldest said he wished his new cousins could come live with us.  I wish so too!

So, I have nothing new to show you yet.  Since I didn't sew this weekend, I thought I would show you some new pictures that were added to the Ellie Inspired Flickr group.  Did you know that you can add your finished project pictures to the group?  I love to see what you're working on.

This is my Ruffle Halter dress from the sewalong we did a couple of months ago.  Sew42mom made this super cute size 1 dress. 

This is a tester picture from the new pattern coming out, Sweet Daisy Girl.  LOVE her mylar embroidery designs on the dress!!!  Thanks Kathy!

One final little thing...

I have had lots of people ask me where I got my wood dress form.  I didn't realize they were so hard to find until I started looking for one.  So, since I couldn't find anything affordable, I drew out a sketch and asked my smart carpenter husband to make one for me instead!  I have used it hundreds of times and love it!  It is so useful when you are trying to get a hem even, photographing completed garments, and hanging up half-finished Works in Progress so they don't get wrinkled.

I asked my husband and he said he would make more of them.  So, for right now, they are just for sale in my Etsy shop.  There are two sizes and they are custom-made.  You can choose your paint color or if you would like it stained.  There is some light assembly required when it is shipped to you.  Although, all the holes are pre-drilled so it is super simple to put together.

If you would like one, please visit my Etsy shop and order it through there.  Thanks!

We have a winner! 

Thank you OrganicMommy for giving me your input on naming the pattern.  Contact me and let me know which combination of two coordinating fabrics you would like and I will send you the finished pattern in the mail!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions on naming my new pattern for the "It's a Girl Thing" collection of patterns for sizes 4-12.  In the end, I actually went with a combination of them. The ones I didn't use will definitely be used for upcoming patterns.

Thank you to Annastasia Cruz for her stunning photography, too.  Sweet Daisy Girl will be in the shop very soon.  I am doing one final test like I always do when I do the final edit after getting it back from the testers.  So, I will show those pictures shortly and announce when I send it out around the county.

Today, I went with our SAGA group to a couple of local stores to see some demonstrations of things I've never tried before.  The first one was at Designer's Desk for a demonstration on needlepunch work.  Their store is AMAZING!  I was in awe over the tons of different flosses and specialty threads and fibers!  I have never been in a store like theirs before.  I don't think you can purchase things directly from their website but they do list their inventory and have an 800 number you can call to place orders.

Punchneedle, or Needle Punch, is an ancient rug-hooking technique shrunken down onto a much smaller scale and uses a special twice-threaded hollow needle, embroidery floss and weaver's cloth.

Here is a great example of needlepunch work.

These pictures were taken, with permission, from Erin5115's shop on Etsy.  She makes very intricate needlepunch sachet pillows.  I am amazed at her detail.

I stocked up on some great unique flosses and beads while I was there too!

I'll show you the second place that we went tomorrow.  It was really cool too and we got to actually participate and practice the technique.

I have lots and lots and LOTS of fun stuff to announce to you in the upcoming weeks.  New patterns, another fun sewalong, some new tutorials and "classes", and some great big EXCITING news that will be revealed shortly.  Keep checking in...all of this has me so excited that I can't sleep at night and I can't wait to share it all with you!

Image(s) courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

AMERICAN FLAG

It seems like the stars

from the night fade away

into the flag's side.

The blue comes from

the coat of a man

who believes in the flag.

The red stains from blood

jointed together

in our body.

The white appears from clouds

that help us breathe

through things that hurt us,

that know the flag is ours

because it presents us through

colors that our ancestors won.

Written by Brooke, Age 8 - © 2005

Is this poem touching?  Did you see the age of the author?

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend with family and friends celebrating our Independence.  BBQ's, fireworks, the county fair, and the town's 4th of July parade await us. 

I have one darling picture to leave with you.  This is from one of my testers, Sylvia, for the new one coming out for ages 4-12.  She did it in a patriotic theme so I thought it was a perfect time to show it to you.  Her smocking is so pretty on this.  And, she even added star buttons to straps.  Thanks Sylvia!  You did a great job!

Now, I can't keep calling this pattern "the new one" so I want your help in naming it.  It is for the "It's a Girl Thing" collection of patterns so all the titles in this collection will end with "girl".  Twirly Girl is coming up next so here are my choices for this one:

Silly Girl

Sassy Girl

Island Girl

Sweet Girl

I'm open to suggestions too!!

Leave me a comment or email me your vote!  For everyone who is kind enough to take time to give me your opinion, I will enter you in a drawing to win it free along with enough material to make it!  Thanks in advance!  It should be just another week, I think, until it's ready!

It was seriously so hard to pick out of the many beautiful pictures Meridith sent me of her two daughters in my newest pattern.  (I definitely need to settle on a name for this pattern!!!)  LOL  And, she also made TWO!  I love the fabric she used and I love how willing the girls were to model these for us!

I think this pattern should be ready in the next few days.

I got a chance to test a pattern too for my friend Annastasia at My Treasured Heirlooms.

 Is this little crocheted skirt too cute?  It is made of flounces crocheted in a spiral.  I was scared when I first saw the cover because I don't spend a lot of time crocheting anymore but it was super simple and didn't take much time to finish at all.

Today I hit 70 with my member list  and I think there are 51 Google Followers as of this post.  Some of those people are duplicates though.  I'm thinking of having another giveaway when I hit 100 followers and I'm thinking it will be a big one! 

I've said before many times that I have the best testers....well, Shannon went the extra mile and made my new pattern TWICE for both of her girls and was kind enough to send me pictures of both of them, holding hands and twirling away! 

Such sweet, beautiful girls.  I know you will have trouble even noticing my pattern now, right?  Thanks, Shannon!  You did an awesome job!

She elected to do the sash option instead of the belt.

And are these individual shots too cute, or what? 

The LORD your God is with you,

       he is mighty to save.

       He will take great delight in you,

       he will quiet you with his love,

       he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

1 John 3:1a

Here are some more cute pictures to show this upcoming pattern...which still is nameless! Ha!

Thank you Michelle (and daughter!) for your wonderful work.  I adore the prints you used on this dress.  It looks very fun and summery.

Doesn't this just say "Summer"!?

Remember I said that after many requests to make Daisy Bell available for older girls, I was working on an older girl version?  Well here is a sneak peek.  I don't know what it's going to be called yet but I have a few testers working on it and here are the first pictures I've gotten back. 

What a beautiful girl, huh?  The dress looks gorgeous on her.

See how the neckline is a little different than Daisy Bell to suit an older style? 

What do you think? 

This one will be available in sizes 4 - 12!  I can see moms using this as matching sister dresses too with the Daisy Bell pattern.