I see it in the broody hen, who growls at me and fluffs her stuff every afternoon when I steal her eggs away.

It’s there in the wildflowers and miner’s lettuce, clutched in eager fists.

And there, on Opening Day.

And here, in the first shorts of the year.

And always in the stitching, that anticipates the season even on the dreariest day, piecing together the promise of sunny afternoons ahead.

Find the tutorial for the Milkmaid Skirt here.

SUPPLIES:

1 1/4 yards flannel fabric

2 1/4 yards bobble trim

matching thread

DIRECTIONS:

Prewash your fabric.

Open out the fabric, then fold it on the diagonal. It should measure about 58 inches on the long edge.

Cut along the straight edge.

Pin and machine baste bobble trim along right side of two shorter edges of shawl, beginning and ending at folded edges and extending the ends of the trim slightly beyond the edge. Be sure to baste the trim onto only one side of shawl, not through both layers.

Now, turn the shawl so right sides are facing, with the bobble trim sandwiched between (except for the ends, which should be poking out so they will finish to the inside). Stitch a 1/2-inch seam along the raw edges, leaving a 4-6-inch opening for turning.

Clip corners, turn and press. Topstitch all three sides, sewing closed the opening in the process.

You’re done! Tie it in front, wrap it around and tie it in back, or just drape it over your shoulders… You’re all set for a brisk night of stargazing!

For the most part, I’ve tried to keep Frog Creek its own little world… free of too much “me,” and too much stuff. In a brief departure, I want to just mention Craft Hope.

Founder Jade Sims says, “Craft Hope is a faith-based, love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those less fortunate.  It is our hope to combine our love for crafting and desire to help others into a project to make a difference around the world.”

For their current project, Craft Hope is collecting handmade dolls to be distributed this summer to the children at Casa Bernabe Orphanage in Nicaragua. There are free tutorials all over the internet, including a couple of my favorites–the  Black Apple Doll and the softie doll from 60 piggies. The deadline to get the dolls to Craft Hope is June 13th.

My daughter and I will be working together on a doll or two.  If you have any suggestions for more great doll tutorials out there, please leave a comment with the link.

SUPPLIES:

3/4 inch elastic to fit waist, minus 2 inches

2/3rds yard each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple fabrics (This skirt is sized to fit girls size 6-8. Adjust the length accordingly! If you are making a skirt for a toddler, I think you could adjust the dimensions of the pieces and use fat quarters.)

thread

yard stick

dressmaker’s chalk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut a 24″x30″ single-width square of one color of fabric. Fold this square in half lengthwise, with the 24″ ends together, and iron along the fold to mark the center.

2. Open out the fabric and mark 3″ in both directions from the center of one 30″ side.

3. Using a yard stick, use your chalk to draw a line from the mark to the bottom corner of the fabric. Repeat for the opposite side. Cut along both of these lines.

4. Use that first piece of fabric as a template to cut your remaining five pieces. Arrange the pieces in rainbow order.

5. Beginning with your red and orange fabrics, stitch the right side of the red to the left side of the orange, right sides together, with a 3/8-inch seam. Work your way around until you’ve completed the circle, at the end stitching together the purple and red. Press all seams to one side.

6.  Trim the corners where each two fabrics meet all along the bottom of the skirt. You’ll want to cut a gradual curve, beginning about 4-5 inches from the point on each side.

7. Hem the bottom of the skirt. Press up the bottom edge 1/4-inch, then press it up another 1/4-inch and stitch all the way around.

8. Before you move on, fold down the top edge of the skirt 1/4-inch and press all the way around. This help you in step 9! Set your elastic 1-1/2 inches from the top edge of the skirt on the wrong side of the fabric. Using a zig-zag stitch, sew the elastic directly to the skirt.  Begin with a few stitches to afix the elastic, then pull the elastic tightly toward you while you sew, using your other hand to guide the fabric. As you complete the circle, be sure to layer the last inch of elastic over the top of the first inch.

9. Now, fold down that top edge along the 1/4-inch crease you made in step 8. Then fold the waist again over the top of the elastic. Edge stitch along the folded edge, pulling taut the elastic as you sew.

Please remember that this tutorial is offered for your personal enjoyment. Please do not sell any products made or inspired by this tutorial.

SUPPLIES:

1/2 to 1 yard eyelet border embroidered cotton

3/4-inch elastic, to fit waist

matching thread

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prewash your fabric to take care of any shrinkage. You should probably iron it before you start, too. As you can see, I didn’t. I’m lazy that way.

2. Open out the fabric and refold it lengthwise, with the borders aligned.

3. Now, I’ve made these bloomers using patterns for pajama bottoms and girls capri-length pants, but for the purpose of this tutorial I’m just using a pair of my daughter’s jeans for tracing. It really doesn’t matter what you use; just be sure to add some width to the pant leg, and be generous in your seam allowances when you trace. The upper photo illustrates placement for a full-length pair of pantalettes. If you’re looking for more of a capri-length, slide the pants down a bit, as shown on the lower photo above.

*Please note: If you are using jeans or other snug-fitting pants as a template, I would advise adding at least a full inch to the long, straight edge of the pants, extending the point of the crotch by 1 1/2-2 inches, and generously adding to the width of the pants on the crotch side, including the buttocks/waist. I put together this tutorial during naptime with the pair of pants I had on hand… but they came out more snug than I prefer and will be passed on to my daughter’s petite cousin!

4. Trace along the flat length of the pants, adding a half-inch or so seam allowance– more if the pants you’re tracing are particularly snug-fitting.

5. Add about 1 1/2 inches to the top of the pants; this will become your waistband. If the pants you are tracing are elasticized like these, be sure to just continue a straight line up from the widest part of the waist.

6. Add some width to the legs as you trace the crotch side of the pants. Extend the point of the crotch by an extra inch or so, then draw your line straight down from that widest point.

7. Flip the pants over and repeat the process, then cut out your pieces.

8. With right sides together, stitch the inner leg seam. Repeat for the remaining pair of pieces. I like to clip the corner of the seam allowance at the bottom so the scalloped edges don’t show through later on.

9. Press seam allowance to one side. With right sides together, stitch crotch seam.

10. Flip the bloomers around until they look like inside-out pants, right sides together, then stitch the outer leg seams on both sides. Again, you’ll probably want to clip the corner off the seam allowance at the bottom.

11. Iron down 1/4 inch along the upper edge of the waistband. Then turn it down another inch and press again.

12. Edge-stitch along the bottom edge of the waistband, leaving an opening for inserting the elastic. Edge-stitch all along the top edge of the waistband.

13. Using a safety pin attached to one end, feed the elastic through the waistband. Adjust the length of the elastic to fit, then sew ends together using a zig-zag stitch.

14. Edge-stitch the waistband closed.

15. You’re done!

…because girls like to climb trees too.

I bought yards and yards of this cotton fabric with the embroidered eyelet border. My girl likes her skirts and dresses, but she’s not what you would call, um, “lady-like.”

The solution I’ve landed on is bloomers. I made some for her little sister too, and while I was at it, I stitched up a pair for myself.

I would be happy to put up a tutorial if anyone would like some simple instructions, but this 15-minute project hardly seemed to require one.

If you only knew the train wreck that was my project last week, you’d understand just how happy I am with this little skirt. It’s insanely simple to make; only the applique requires the teensiest bit of patience.

Supplies:

1/2 to 1 yard 44 or 45″-wide muslin (90″ -wide muslin for size 6 and above)

45″ long ribbon (90″ long ribbon for size 6 and above)

2 buttons

various small fabric scraps to form owl

thread

1/2 inch elastic, to fit child’s waist X 2

Wonder Under fusible web interfacing

So here’s how it went together, step by step:

1. You will use the entire 44″ width of the muslin, selvedge to selvedge. Cut your muslin to the desired length. For my 2T/3T daughter, I cut it at 18 inches. (*If you are sewing for an older girl, age 6 and above, I would suggest using the wider, 90″-width muslin to maintain a full skirt. Or you can stitch two lengths of fabric together.*)

1. Download and print the owl image.

Trace this image onto double-sided, iron-on interfacing (Wonder Under). Cut the image until each part is separated (you’ll want to trace the eyes on separately from the face), then pin these pattern pieces onto the desired fabric. This is a great time to dig deep into your scrap bin! With the adhesive side facing the wrong side of the fabric, iron interfacing to fabric pieces. You’ll end up with a series of pieces like this:

2. Now it’s time to start piecing that owl together. Begin with the outer rim of the eyes:

Next, iron on the inner circle of the eyes:

3. Before continuing with the owl, you’ll need to find the center of your skirt. Iron the muslin in half, placing the short ends together, to mark what will be the center front of the skirt. (If you are sewing for an older girl and using two lengths of fabric, find the center of just one piece, which will be your front piece.) Now measure about 6″ from the top to place your owl’s head. Iron it into place:

4. The body will be next, then the wings and feet. When all of the pieces have been ironed into place, machine stitch about 1/8th of an inch from the edge around each piece:

5. Sew the buttons into place on the eyes:

6. Place the ribbon about 3 inches from the bottom edge of the skirt and pin. Stitch in place:

7. Now, for the skirt. Fold the muslin in half, right sides together, aligning the short ends. Sew along the short end in a 1/2 inch seam. (If sewing for an older girl, place skirt pieces right sides together and sew along both short ends in a 1/2-inch seam. Press. Hem the bottom of the skirt by pressing up 1/4 inch, then turning up another 1/4 inch and stitching close to the edge:

8. For the elastic casing at the top of the skirt, fold down the raw edge 1/4 inch, then fold again 1 1/2 inches and press.

Stitch 5/8-inch from top edge of skirt, leaving an opening to insert elastic. Stitch again along bottom edge of casing, leaving another opening for the second length of elastic. First insert elastic in the top casing, using a safety pin to guide the elastic through. Stitch ends together. Next insert elastic in lower casing and stitch ends together. Sew casings closed.

Please remember that this tutorial is offered for your personal enjoyment. Please do not sell any products made or inspired by this tutorial.

Here’s the image I used for the applique, if you’re interested.

Her older sister wants one too, but not for the sentimental value…

She wants one this BIG!

…I’ve been transforming my youngest into Little Red Riding Hood for the upcoming holiday,

taking a field trip to the local CSA farm,

inadvertently feeding the local wildlife (the deer are wild; the guinea fowl and kitty are not),

sewing up projects for the school’s craft fair,

adding children of the canine sort to our family,

playing in the hay,

and, of course, riding the railway at our local pumpkin farm.

Tevis will be checking in soon!