Olabelhe

"Tilly"

2012-02-02T00:51:00.000-05:00

Remember This One???

Here is little Miss "Tilly" being modeled by Abby. I have to say this one looks so much cuter on someone rather than on the dress form. The moment I slipped it on to Abby I knew it was a keeper. This little blouse is sure to be a favorite this summer and once Abby tried it on she said "Mom, I'm going to need more of these!" I paired it up with a simple pair of shorts that I whipped up in a flash and I really like the way this little set looks together. The shorts are not going to be a pattern but they were super easy to make. I just used my favorite pant pattern, turned them into shorts, added a ruffle around the leg, added lace and the bows and Voila! super cute, and very girly shorts in a no time.

Dawn

Spring Pattern Sneak Peek...

2012-02-01T19:52:00.004-05:00

Meet "Annelise". . . another new pattern coming out this Spring. I was thrilled beyond belief that we are experiencing unbelievable weather here in Virginia. Today the temps soared into the mid 70's so Abby and I took full advantage of this glorious day and went to a visit a local garden. Sadly, we are going to have to wait a little longer for all the flowers to be in full bloom but it was still a pretty back drop for a photo shoot even in February. This little dress is so light and breezy and perfect to wear on those steamy summer days which will be here before you know it and I really love the look of layering it with a pretty little lacy camisole underneath. I really had fun with this dress and added "ruching" on the sides which cinch up with pretty little satin ribbons and tie into little bows and a hint of lace on the under skirt. BTW I am thrilled that Abby and I decided to grow out her bangs. Her new "do" is so sweet and the timing for Spring photos was spot on perfect. Growing out bangs is not fun...but we survived it even though I can't tell you how many times I was temped just to give up and cut them to get them out of her face. So glad I didn't!

Dawn

More new patterns photos coming tomorrow

Even More of Daisy

2012-01-29T13:09:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are not so into all pink and girly here's another version of Daisy. This time in yellow, green and blue with a chocolate bunny and traditional daisies with yellow centers. I have been very busy working on this new pattern all weekend and believe it or not I only have a little more to do and this one will be ready as well. So, that's 6 new patterns that will become available within the next few weeks!!!

Dawn

More of Daisy

2012-01-28T16:57:00.000-05:00

I just loved her little pout in this photo

Can you believe this crazy weather? It's almost February and it was warm enough this afternoon for us to be out in sleeveless dresses. Thank goodness, because I really needed to get some pictures of Abby modeling "Daisy" so that I can start working on the cover for the pattern. As you can see Abby and I had an absolute blast as usual and she was busy skipping through her favorite little meadow and swinging from the trees. Honestly, it was a bit of a challenge to get her to stand still long enough for me to snap any non-moving photos of her. I have received a bunch of emails from anxious moms and grandmas wanting to sew this one up for Easter and wondering when it's going to be released. I hope to have it available sometime mid February for you. Plenty of time for sewing up this fun and easy Easter dress.

Dawn

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail....

2012-01-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

bottom of skirt detail

Just thought I'd show you a little something I'm working on for Easter. Once again this idea came to me in my sleep and of course I woke up after the dream and headed straight for my sewing studio and had to make it. This one has been hanging in my sewing room for about a week and today I thought
...hmmm, I wonder if I should turn this one into a pattern as well. So, that's what I have been working on this morning. I had to come up with a name for it and not one but, two people suggested that I name this one "Daisy", so "Daisy" it is. This dress is so much fun to make and as I was making it I thought how many other things you could do with it. After all it doesn't have to have a bunny on it. You could add anything you wanted to. This design was inspired by another dress that I have coming out soon but this one has been switched up quite a bit to transform it into a very sweet Easter dress. I also made up one of my little "Madison's Jacket's to go with it to show how cute this little jacket is with this dress too.

My desk is stacked with all kinds of stuff. Completed patterns as well as patterns in various stages of development. I hope to start releasing these within the next two weeks so keep a close watch for news about my new Spring patterns.

Dawn

Want A Peek?

2012-01-25T05:33:00.003-05:00

This is where I left off yesterday with "The Dress". Currently, it's all just pinned to the dress form because I was anxious to see it coming together. Sadly half way through making the skirt I ran out of tulle and I had to run back out to JA last night to get 12 more yards! Yes, and that's after I had already added 12 yards of the stuff. That's 24 yards of tulle on this one!!! I have to say for those of you are anxious to make this dress. You have been warned. This one does require a lot of patience and time. You will certainly not whip this one up in 2 hours, but the end result is looking like it may be worth the extra time and effort. What do you think???

Oh, btw when Abby saw this one on the dress form she was almost rendered speechless...and for Abby, that's HUGE!!!! When she finally did say something this is what came out of her mouth. "Mommy, this is the most beautiful dress you have ever made me and I LOVE it! When can we go and take pictures?" Keep in mind not ten minutes earlier she was outside digging in the dirt with Henry and came inside with a baby slug announcing that it was just the cutest thing she had ever seen. That child do not discriminate and truly loves ALL, and I do mean ALL living things! I have a great story to share with you about that, but I will save that for another day.

Dawn

The Trouble With Terri!

2012-01-24T12:50:00.000-05:00

Remember this dress? A few days ago, without me knowing, Terri from FF&L decided to stir the pot just a little. She posted a photo on her FB page of a dress that I had made for Abby ages ago and asked her followers what they thought and that's where the trouble began! The response was huge and dozens of people responded with wonderful comments and pleas for me to make a pattern for the dress. Then I began receiving a bunch of emails with the same request. Well, I hadn't planned on turning this design into a pattern any time soon, but because of Terri's mischief and so many people wanting this design how could I say no? So, today I am working on this new pattern. When Abby saw what I was working on she got all excited and said..."I remember that dress!" and she is very anxious to see the new one come together. She is in my studio right at my side helping and making all kinds of suggestions. She's also making her own version for her stuffed zebra named "stripes". This should be interesting!

Dawn

Pierre

2012-01-23T10:41:00.002-05:00

Meet "Pierre" who I found on a recent outing of treasure hunting. It actually started as a little bit of a joke that I just knew my kiddos would love. You see, it's become somewhat of a tradition around here that the very first thing out of all of their mouths each morning ... especially with Oliver is "Hey Mom, What's for dinner tonight?" As most of you know, I really do love to cook and my kids love to eat. I have been very lucky in that none of them are picky eaters and no food allergies and they are all eager to try just about anything I make. Oliver, is our resident foodie, aspiring young chef and now my sous chef. Every week we sit down together on Saturday morning to plan the next week's meals and make our shopping list. I don't plan out what we will have each day but rather 7 dinners which are completely flexible.

Well, I have to admit that I am thrilled that I have such enthusiastic little eaters but, after hearing "Mom, what's for dinner?" several times each day it begin to get just a little annoying repeating the same thing over and over again. When I found "Pierre" I knew he was the answer to my problem and mega cute too! Now each and every morning I make the decision of what we are going to make for dinner and I write it on Pierre's chalk board. That way when the kids start coming down in the morning "Pierre" is waiting to tell them what's for dinner. Tonight it's chicken & biscuits one of their many favorites!

Dawn

More For Spring

2012-01-22T05:10:00.000-05:00

No, now don't get too excited. This isn't going to be a new pattern. Mainly, because I just used two existing patterns to create this one and so can you. The bodice is "Lindsay" and the skirt is "Miranda". I omitted the sash, but I added tons of gorgeous lace. So, here's a hint. If you wanted to recreate this dress I would HIGHLY recommend using one of your JoAnn's 40% off coupons for the lace. Because that stuff rarely goes on sale and when you are buying a lot of lace like this 40% off will really help...trust me! For this dress I just used really nice Kona cotton in white and lavender and the crinoline underneath is also in lavender. Wouldn't this be perfect for Easter or an upcoming wedding!? Hope you liked this idea...

Dawn

Little Stitches

2012-01-21T10:09:00.002-05:00

We've been very busy with all of our home improvement projects, but we still have a long way to go before I can show off the big reveal. I have to say we are all loving all the changes...especially the kids! They are LOVING all the fun colors and whimsy. You just can't help but smile when you walk into this part of the house now. I was struggling a bit with what to put above our fireplace. prior we had a huge clock but it was very "grown up" and it just wasn't going to work. So, I came up with the idea of doing a wall hanging quilt of something really fun and unexpected. I had done a similar quilt a long time ago and it hung in our first place and we just loved it as did all of our guests. It was a great conversation piece. However, the colors in that one just wouldn't work with our new color scheme. Time to start digging in my stash and begin recreating the infamous chicken quilt. I have been busy working on it for the past week or so in the evenings. I'm in the final stages but it's slow going with all the blanket stitching that needs to outline all the details to make our funky chickens come to life. The kids are so anxious for me to finish so we can hang it in it's new home.

Dawn

New Patterns Coming Soon...

2012-01-19T12:04:00.002-05:00

With the bow in the front

Or with the bow in the back

I've been busy writing new patterns and on my desk today is "Gabriella"! I've received so many emails from you wondering when this new design was going to be ready. Well, it's coming soon. I only have a bit more writing to do and then pattern pieces to draft and then it needs to go through the final stages. So keep a close watch for this one. I also plan to start working on "Madison" very soon. These two new patterns will be perfect for a really sweet easter outfit. This particular dress was made from "Dear Stella" a new fabric company and the Paris print is from their J'Adore collection. If you are interested in these fabrics they are available at Allegro Fabrics.

Dawn

How About This One???

2012-01-15T03:21:00.001-05:00

Here's another new pattern I've been working on. This adorable little blouse is called "Tilly"and I have really enjoyed playing with this new style. So comfy and girly all at the same time without being too fussy. This one is going to be perfect for Spring and Summer. I have already made a bunch of these and I am dying to take pictures of Abby in it because it looks so stinkin' cute on. Just imagine this with a sweet little pair of capri length pants or shorts. I just have to wait until it's warm enough for us to go out and take pictures again. I have to say, living here can be a little challenging when it comes to taking photos of Abby modeling things outside. Currently it's way too cold but in just a few months we will all be wishing for these days again when the thermometer starts rocketing into the sweltering heat and then it's too hot to go out. So, for now I will have to be content with giving you little glimpses of some of the things I have been playing around with and anxious to hear what you think.

Dawn

Spring Sewing Sneak Peek

2012-01-09T07:54:00.000-05:00

Oh, lots and lots of sewing has been going on in my studio over the past few days! I already have a pile of new Spring goodies to share with you. I have 2 new dresses and a darling little blouse to show you. All of which you are sure to love and they will be perfect for the upcoming warm weather. Over the next few months I will be working on lots of patterns some new and some that I have been meaning to get to for some time. I already have three brand new ones ready to go but I am waiting just a wee bit longer until everyone is getting inspired to start making pretty new clothes for Spring. Until then, here is a little peek at the bottom detail of one of my new designs called "Annelise". Just wait till you see this one! It's a very loose and breezy sundress which will be perfect for those steamy days ahead, which right now seem so far away but you know as well as I do they will be here before you know it.

Dawn

Quilt Blocks

2012-01-03T12:01:00.002-05:00

This morning I started on a new project.... a quilt! I haven't made a quilt in years, so I thought it would be a fun little project to work on. With all of the home improvement projects going on around here and our fresh new look I wanted to add a pretty new quilt. My inspiration for this entire re-do was inspired by Cath Kidston, a wonderful British designer with a fun and whimsical sense of style. Bright and cheerful colors with a playful use of florals and polkadots. Think Laura Ashley meets Mary Engelbreit. Who just happen to be two of my favorites. So, when I read about Cath Kidston and her style it was love at first sight. Plus, perfect for a house full of kids!

We have big plans which include new furniture, new paint, and lots of fun touches and whimsy. So, here is the beginnings of what will soon be a cozy new quilt for chilly winter days to cuddle with by the fire with a great book, a bowl of popcorn and a steaming cup of cocoa. Stay tuned for more news and updates on more projects I'm working on.

Dawn

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T07:15:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012!

Time to get back to work. The holidays are over and it's time to get back on track. I have so enjoyed this past month of relaxing. I vowed to myself not to touch my machines and I didn't, but that didn't stop me from dreaming up new designs and fun new projects for this year. Now, it's time to start turning those dreams into realities. I have a long To Do list and I am anxious to get started. Not to mention it's time to get the kids back on track for school and I am also in serious redecorating mode. I am so excited about our fresh new look but more about that later on. Today, I am just going to breathe, take a long walk and spend this last day of vacation with my family.

Dawn

Abby & The Nutcracker

2011-12-27T06:40:00.001-05:00

waiting for the show to begin...

...on pins and needles

Abby and the Mouse King

with the Sugarplum fairy and her prince

Yesterday, Abby and I went to The Richmond Ballet's Nutcracker. It was a big surprise for Abby and she had no idea where we were going and I managed to keep her on pins and needles for the entire trip up to Richmond. When we arrived and we stood in front of the theatre I asked Abby to read the marquee and the expression on her face was priceless. We walked into this gorgeous old theatre which has recently been re done and it was just spectacular and we both were taking every moment in. Finally, the bells rang and we were able to go in and find our seats, which by the way were pretty awesome. I kinda splurged and got great seats because I wanted her very first experience to be perfect. We had a great time people watching as everyone filed in and Abby and I were checking out all the dresses that the little girls were wearing. Then the lights began to flicker announcing that it was about to begin and Abby was instantly on the very edge of her seat with anticipation. I'm not sure which was more fun for me ... watching the ballet or watching the expressions on her face throughout the performance. She just loved it! Afterwards we went to a very special Tea Party where the children can meet the performers and have their pictures taken with them. Sadly, I only brought my little point and shoot camera because I didn't want to lug the big one but I did manage to get a few pictures to share. After the Tea Party was over we headed back to the car for one final surprise. My dear friend Linda's daughter is a real ballerina and she sent Abby a pair of her toe shoes that she wore this year in the Nutcracker and she signed them for Abby. Abby's comment "Mommy, thank you so much for a perfect day!" I know she will remember this forever, and so will I.

Dawn

Enjoying the Season...

2011-12-20T08:21:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to do a quick check in to let you know that I am still here. I cannot tell you how much I am loving relaxing and spending all this time with my kids. These past few weeks have been so much fun and even though I am missing sewing I needed to take a little break and take time to re-energize and it's working. These next few days are going to be so nice and calm. We have finished with school and the kids are officially on holiday break, all of our shopping is done, presents wrapped, cookies baked, and we are jus having fun spending time together. The kids are all counting down the days until Christmas and we are all really looking forward to the big day. However, I must confess I am a bit more excited about the day after Christmas for a big surprise I have up my sleeve for Miss Abby, but I fill you all in on that later on. For now we are living in the moment and enjoying the season. Hope you are too.

Dawn

Cookie Making Recipe Swap

2011-12-14T10:07:00.000-05:00

Let the baking begin!

Each year the kids and I make an assortment of holiday treats and it's always loads of fun and a big mess. Flour and sugar everywhere and lots of sugary smiles. Each year we make classic cut outs and a variety of other cookies that have become family favorites. One of our favorites are Kris Kringle's which are basically a fancier version of the classic and all time favorite chocolate chip cookie! So simple...but so good. Do you have a favorite family cookie recipe that you make every year? I thought it would be great fun to share some recipes. If you have an awesome cookie recipe you would love to share email me the recipe and I will be happy to share it with everyone. What a great way share and inspire others with some delicious new recipes. Here are a few of our family favorites to get things started.

Kris Kringles

what you need

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2-1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 pkg. (6 squares each) BAKER'S White Chocolate, chopped

2 cups dried cranberries
make it

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BEAT butter and sugars in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate, nuts and cranberries.

DROP rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 1-1/2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.

BAKE 9 to 11 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 3 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Snickerdoodles

what you need

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon

make it

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix butter, sugar, eggs thoroughly. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.

Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Mix 2 Tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.

Roll balls into mixture.

Place balls 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.

Remove immediately from baking sheet.

Lemon Whippersnappers

what you need

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

make it

In a large bowl combine cake mix, whipped topping and egg; mix until well combined. Chill the dough several hours or overnight (or freeze dough wrapped in plastic).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Form tablespoons of dough into one inch balls and roll them in the confectioners' sugar. Place the cookies on greased or parchment lined cookie sheet a couple inches apart.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until cookies are set, but not browned. Cool on wire rack.

Butter Pecan Cookies

Caroline's recipe

what you need

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at
room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

make it

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth. Turn off the mixer a few times so you can scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and nuts. Continue mixing until the dough looks like moist pebbles, then turn off the mixer.

Gently squeeze the dough together with your hands. When the dough comes together in a mass, place it on a large piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, shape it into a log 10 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Unwrap the dough and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into slices 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on the foil-lined baking sheets.

Place 1 baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies until their edges are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second and then the third baking sheets.

Lift the cooled cookies off the baking sheets with your fingers. Store the cookies in an airtight container. Makes about 40 cookies.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Judy's recipe

what you need

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

make it

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 2 baking sheets with butter.

Put the confectioners' sugar into a bowl and set aside.

Mix the ingredients
In another bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 1 egg and beat on medium speed until blended. Add the other egg and vanilla and beat until blended.

Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended.

Form the cookies
Using a tablespoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of dough. Scrape the dough off the spoon into the palm of your other hand. Roll the dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar until covered. Place the balls on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies
When 1 baking sheet is full, put it in the oven and bake the cookies until they are crackled and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Linzer Cookies

Petra's recipe

what you need

1 cup hazelnuts or slivered almonds, toasted and skinned
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. finely grated orange or lemon zest
3⁄4 tsp. vanilla extract
1⁄4 tsp. almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. salt
About 1⁄4 cup seedless raspberry jam
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

make it

In a food processor, finely grind the hazelnuts using short pulses. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until combined. Reduce the speed to low. Add the egg yolk, orange zest, vanilla and almond extract and beat until blended.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon and salt into another bowl. Add the ground hazelnuts and stir to blend. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon until blended. The dough should be soft. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide into 4 equal portions and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Remove 1 portion of the dough at a time from the refrigerator, place between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll out 1⁄4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter about 2 1⁄2 inches in diameter, cut out the cookies. Using a 1 1⁄4-inch cutter, cut a hole in the center of half of the cookies. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough, then reroll the dough scraps as needed to make 24 cutouts total, cutting holes in half of them. If the dough becomes sticky, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes before rolling out.

Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Loosen the cookies with the spatula, but leave the cookies on the sheets until thoroughly cooled.

To assemble, spread the solid cookies with a thin layer (about 1 tsp.) of raspberry jam to within about 1⁄4 inch of the edges. Dust the cutout cookies generously with confectioners' sugar. Top the solid cookies with the cutout cookies.

Spiced Molasses Cookies

Angie's recipe

what you need

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
About 3 Tbs. granulated sugar

make it

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 8 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350° F. Grease 2 baking sheets.

Place a large sheet of waxed paper on a work surface and sprinkle it with the granulated sugar. Using your palms, shape the dough into balls 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Then roll the balls in the granulated sugar, coating them evenly. Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Using the tines of a fork, press the fork into each cookie, pushing down to create a decorative top.

Bake until just set and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheets for 10 minutes. Gently transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Rugelach with Apricot & Pistachio Filling

Jackie's recipe

what you need

1/4 lb. cream cheese, cut into small pieces,
at room temperature

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
small pieces, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

For the filling:

3/4 cup dried apricots, halved
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. finely chopped unsalted pistachios
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

make it

In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, butter, flour, granulated sugar and salt. Pulse just until the dough begins to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and gather into a ball. Divide into 4 equal portions. Place each portion on a piece of plastic wrap, flatten slightly into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the apricots and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruit absorbs the water, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to the food processor and process to a fairly smooth puree. Pour into a bowl and stir in the granulated sugar, cinnamon and pistachios. Set aside.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly flour a work surface. Remove 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator and roll into a 7-inch circle. Spread one-fourth of the filling evenly over the top. Using a large knife, cut the dough into 6 wedges. Starting at the outside edge, gently roll up each wedge toward the point. (If needed, use a thin metal spatula to loosen the wedges from the work surface.) If the dough becomes too soft to roll, refrigerate for about 5 minutes to firm up.

As each piece is formed, place it at least 1 inch apart on one of the prepared baking sheets; bend the ends of the dough toward the center to form a crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, flouring the work surface as needed.

Bake the rugelach until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the rugelach to the racks to cool completely. While still warm, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the rugelach with confectioners' sugar. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Thanks to everyone for sending me their recipes...keep them coming!

Dawn

Paper Gnomes

2011-12-12T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here is this morning's project. A few little "Jingle Gnomes" I designed and created from paper. Gnomes are a very important part of our Waldorf schooling and they also have a special place in all of our hearts. So, I decided to see what I could come up with using a few simple shapes. Once I had the basic shapes figured out I made a template and then made these little guys out of colored card stock, glue, ribbon, scissors, a fine black marker, and there is even a little surprise inside. I had a bunch of little jingle bells so I attached them to the inside so these they are actually little bells as well. Wouldn't these make great ornaments or package toppers? If you are interested, maybe I could put together a quick little freebie tutorial and even make up the templates for you so that you can download them and make up a bunch of these with your favorite little people this holiday season? Leave me a comment and let me know if you are interested.

Dawn

Oh, Deer!

2011-12-10T13:32:00.001-05:00

What to do on a quiet Saturday morning when everyone is still sleeping??? How about making a sweet family of reindeer to add to our holiday finery. I came up with this idea after seeing those clever yard decorations of deer that I've seen for years. You know the ones...they are constructed of several flat pieces that all fit together cleverly with a series of slits in various places. Anyway, I thought..."if they can be made with wood, why not paper?" So, I started experimenting. I used basic cardstock that is available at JoAnn's or Michaels but to add more stability I opted to glue two pieces together. Then I cut out basic shapes like a body, ears, antlers, legs and a tail and also the braces to make it more three dimensional so they will stand up more easily. Then I added a tiny bit of detail with a black marker and finally I made each deer a different little holiday blanket. This project was really easy and so much fun, just a little time consuming to make all the pieces. Can you tell I'm having fun being creative with things other than fabric? Even though I decided to give myself the month off from sewing to re-energize and relax, I still have this incredible need to be creative every day. I wonder what tomorrows' project will be?

Dawn

Holiday Decorating Made Easy

2011-12-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

I'm taking a little break from sewing these days and really enjoying the holiday season with my kiddos. We've been having so much fun decorating and their new mantra is "if isn't moving ... let's decorate it!" They wanted to get in on the fun so we decided to make some of our own ornaments from simple things we had at home home already... and we always have a huge supply of paper. These are as easy as can be and go together really quickly once you get the hang of it. I found a tutorial for them here. We've made dozens of them and the kids asked if we could share some of them with our friends and neighbors along with the mailman, UPS guy, FedEx guy, garbage collectors, recycling men, etc. You get the idea. I'm thinking they would be so festive in a simple cellophane bag tied up with a pretty ribbon and a nice little card wishing them a Happy Holiday. Just a little something to let them know we are thinking about them and appreciate all that they do for us throughout the year. So far we've only made them in solid colors but I am itching to test them out on pretty holiday scrapbook paper. Hmmm and I even think I have some Joann's coupons can use.

Dawn

The Halls Are Decked...

2011-12-05T12:08:00.001-05:00

Phew...what a week it's been. As you can see I've been just a little busy. Christmas decorating at our house is quite the production and this year I didn't even do as much as I usually do, crazy... I know! For my kids this is honestly the best part of Christmas, when we turn our house into a Christmas wonderland. Complete with an old fashioned candy shoppe filled with all kinds of classic sweets, small toys and gifts and a cash register so the little ones can pretend to be shop keepers. We have been doing this for years and it's one of the highlights for them each year. This year we decided to use the China cabinet that used to be in my studio as a Toy Shoppe and we filled it with some of the kids favorites toys from years gone by. Each year we always add a little more to our line-up. This year the kids voted that we give the powder room a holiday makeover and we decided to go with a penguin theme. I just wish I could get some better shots from in there but with my camera lens I can't get too close to things and lets face it it's a powder room so it's not exactly huge. But I will tell you that it's just adorable and now it's the only bathroom that anyone wants to use because it's so much fun. I just have a few more little touches to add like the big red bow on the wreath over the fireplace and a few other minor adjustments here and there. There is a fire in the fireplace, holiday candles burning and yummy smells coming from the kitchen and we are all counting the days until Santa arrives. Hope you are all enjoying this very special time of year. The other day my very wise 9 year old said "Mom, do you know what the worst part of Christmas is?" puzzled I said "No, what is it?" and Elliott's response was "It ends!"

Dawn

Busy Fingers

2011-11-28T11:30:00.001-05:00

Abby knitting

My very first attempt... not too bad for a newbie!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Ours was fun filled and action packed because my folks were in town visiting so that meant lots and lots of activity. However, over the weekend I also taught myself how to knit! Yeah...it's been on my wish list of things to learn for a very long time and I finally sat down and figured it out this weekend. Needless to say, my little shadow was right at my side as always and completely fascinated with knitting and wanted to learn too. Well, the funny part about this is Santa told me that he got Abby this adorable knitting basket filled with yards and needles for one of her Christmas presents so I thought it would be a good idea for me to learn so that when the time came I could teach Abby how to do it too. But, she wanted to get started right away. So, we went out and she picked out her yarn and needles and as you can see she doing pretty darn awesome for a first try, and she is loving it! First thing this morning she came down stairs and wanted to start knitting right away and she's been busy for hours. Now, little Henry wants to learn how to knit too, but we are going to start him off with finger knitting and see how he does with that. I can see how this is going to be completely addicting and why so many people have taken up knitting and it's becoming very popular. I have to say that I'm just tickled to see so many things that used to be the norm for women making a huge comeback and people learning to love so many of the domestic arts all over again. Now, if someone could just come up with a clever way to make house cleaning an absolute blast!

Dawn

Have A Wonderful Holiday!

2011-11-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again! My folks have arrived and we are busy preparing for all the festivities. Last minute shopping is being done and lots of laughs are being had by all. Here's wishing you and your loved ones a safe and Happy Holiday. I will be taking a little break for the next few days to enjoy time with my family. See you back here next week.

Dawn

Hope

2011-11-21T03:40:00.001-05:00

A few days ago I asked all of you to pray for a dear friend of mine who desperately needed a miracle. Sadly, the miracle we had all hoped for didn't come true and she, and her husband are now trying to put the pieces of their lives back together. So, now more than ever they need the love of their friends and family and the kindness of others to get through this difficult time in their lives.

If you would like to hear the story, I would love to share it with you. In hopes that somehow, someway, some good may come of all this. I'm hoping that perhaps by telling this story a new miracle might just happen....

Several months ago on a warm and sunny afternoon my dear friend Karen called me to chat. Which is completely normal for us. However, this call was different. She told me that she had just received a letter from her adopted daughter's birth mother wanting to know if she knew of anyone who was looking to adopt a baby who was due to be born within the next few months. Karen didn't know of anyone at the time, but asked me if I did. Without hesitation I said "Yes, I know where this baby belongs!" and I asked Karen if she knew if the baby was a boy or a girl and she said "Yes, it's a girl!" and then I knew. I have been a long time admirer of a fellow blogger and have followed her blog for years. Several times a week going to visit her special place on the web always in anticipation of what beautiful story or handcraft she had created next. About a year and a half ago she announced that she and her husband had begun the search for their adoptive daughter. I can't explain it but I somehow at that moment felt connected to this but I had no reason to feel that way. I had never spoken to her, never commented on her blog, only admired her from afar. I then began to tell Karen about her and Karen said "How do we contact her?" within minutes I was at my computer sending one of the most bizarre emails I have ever sent..."Hello, you don't know me but I just may know where your daughter is..." kinda message. Within 10 minutes I heard back with a beautiful message saying "Yes, please call me!" We, Alicia and I spoke for what seemed like hours and I told her all that I knew about the birth mom, her circumstances and her unborn child. From there I gave her karen's number and then they spoke for hours as well. Karen and I both knew in our hearts that this was meant to be and that there was some greater force bringing us all together for a miracle. From that moment the wheels started turning. Letters being written and connections being made.We all spoke often and Alicia kept Karen and I up to date on the progress. Within weeks she and her husband Andy travelled half way across the US back to their home state of IL to meet with the birth mom. When Alicia and I spoke after they had met with the birth mom she was so filled with hope and they all felt a mutual connection and the birth mom asked them if they would like to adopt her little girl. For weeks they planned and prepared for their little angel and Alicia and I spoke often talking about so many things including their hopes and dreams for this little girl and I was so thrilled for them. Finally, as the days grew closer to the birth we received news that the baby was on her way and they were headed to IL. I waited and waited and Karen and I both were perched by our phones to hear the news. When the call finally came it was pure bliss. They had her in their arms and they were a family. Karen and I both received text messages with a photo of this little miracle and our hearts were filled with joy for them. The birth mom had surrendered her rights and was thrilled that she had found the perfect parents for her beautiful baby. I felt such a warmth come over me and I knew that in some tiny way I had been a part of this miracle.

The next morning disaster struck. Karen called me with tears in her voice saying that a potential birth dad had shown up out of nowhere at the hospital wanting his daughter and that we needed to pray. For hours sketchy details were coming in about this guy and our hearts were in our throats. You see, all that we knew prior was that the birth mom wasn't sure of who the birth dad was and that he was no longer in the picture. However, in IL birth fathers have just as many rights to their children as mothers do and when he received word that he may have a child he went to the hospital to claim her. We were all in shock and never ever saw this twist of fate around the bend. The DNA testing took place and for days we waited to hear the news. Finally, the call came and all of our worst fears came true. During the waiting period Alicia and Andy had temporary custody of little Maisie, which is what they had named her. For one week they got to be parents to this little girl, loved her, cared for her, and prayed for her. When the social worker arrived they had to do the unthinkable...give her back. That night their hopes and dreams drove away in a car to an unknown life. They are now safely back home trying to put back the pieces of their life.

I have struggled for days with all of this trying to make sense of it. Cried myself to sleep, talked with other friends who have gone though adoption nightmares and prayed. We will never know the "Why's", but in my heart I know they are destined to be parents someday soon and somewhere out there their daughter is searching for them. Over the past few months as I have gotten to know Alicia and Andy I have fallen in love with them as people and as friends and I know that they are going to be amazing parents and the child that is meant to be theirs will be truly blessed. And so, I end this story with a heavy heart and ask you to please keep Andy and Alicia and baby Maisie in your thoughts and prayers.

Dawn

Something New...

2011-11-18T06:45:00.001-05:00

I've decided to add a new feature to my blog to help you. If you look over on the righthand side there is a new section called "My Designs". I've made a list of all of my designs so that when you click on any particular one it will then take you to see all the posts where I have talked about or shown you examples of that design. I've gone back though years of posts and added tags to each post where I have shown you one of my designs. Now you can easily search for things that I have made to use as a reference or inspiration without having to go back through a gazillion pages trying to find something you saw ages ago. I hope this is a useful tool for you and it makes it easier to navigate my blog.

Dawn

...and She Wore Purple

2011-11-17T02:57:00.001-05:00

Here's another "Erin's Skirt" for you to see. I wanted to show you just how sweet this little skirt looks worn with a pretty little blouse and sweater for a completely different look. I have been having a lot of fun lately mixing and matching Olabelhe pieces with things Abby has in her closet already or with things I find while shopping (mostly on-line). The little blouse is one I found a while ago on-line at April Cornell, the sweater vest was found at TJ Maxx and the boots and hat came from Target. Abby loves purple so we went all out. The fabric for the skirt came from FF&L and is just gorgeous! I plan to show you more mix and match ideas using my designs and things that Abby has in her closet to give you ideas as to how to expand your little girls wardrobe even more. I especially love this look for a little bit older little girls.

Dawn

Oh, Abby wanted me to let you know that she loves this skirt and it's even great for climbing trees in...

Introducing "Erin" & "Stacy"

2011-11-16T04:54:00.000-05:00

2 New patterns are on their way! Meet "Erin" & "Stacy". This little combo has been one of my favorites for a very long time and I finally got around to making them into patterns. Let's start with "Erin". A fun and sassy little bubble skirt that uses my hand pleating technique for a fast and super easy little skirt. I've made about 10 of these in the past few weeks and trust me they are addicting and they go with so many things and let's face it they are cute! Then we have "Stacy", a swingy little A-line smock with lots of personality. Stacy is a great design for using some of those bigger prints on to show off the fabric without losing the integrity of the print. Both Erin and Stacy work perfectly in any season. In these photos I just put a simple long sleeved T on Abby and some tights and boots, but it also looks adorable in the warmer months with just a simple T-shirt or a peasant blouse underneath. I am putting the final touches on both of these new patterns, so keep and eye open for news about their arrival in my shop. Hope you like them!

Dawn

Autumn in Virginia

2011-11-15T13:13:00.003-05:00

Autumn has arrived here in Williamsburg and Abby and I just needed to be a part of it this morning. So, we packed up and went to one of our favorite spots that Abby calls "Abby's Meadow" for a quick photo shoot and more than anything to play in the leaves. The entire time, all I could think was that this looked like a scene out of one of our favorite books "Anne of Green Gables". Abby is wearing "Cassie's Dress" one of the next patterns to be arriving in the shop any day now. This dress is very similar to "Abigail's Pinafore" with the exception that this one is made from one fabric and has the addition of a ruffle. I just love the old fashioned charm of this little cross front dress has and it works perfectly with a pretty blouse underneath. Plus, Abby wanted me to let you know that this one is really comfortable and perfect for running, jumping, skipping and playing in the leaves.

Oh, and I know I am going to receive a bunch of emails about the hat. Isn't it adorable!! Well, it's a true antique and it's classic Buster Brown Children's hat. I found it in one of my favorite antique shops near Richmond and it was a must have. I have just been waiting for the perfect opportunity for Abby to wear it and today was the day.

Dawn

Special Offer

2011-11-14T10:47:00.001-05:00

For some time now I've been wanting to offer special pricing for those customers who are interested in buying a bunch of my patterns at the same time. So, from now on, if you purchase 6 or more of my designs at the same time I am happy to offer you a 20% off discount. This applies to both E-books as well as the paper patterns. However, due to limitations of my website you will have to email or call me directly to do this. Just let me know which patterns you would like and you will receive personal attention and receive 20% off your purchase! So, if you are new to Olabelhe and want to start building your collection or a long time fan, this is a great way to build your Olabelhe library. This offer will not expire and I will honor it at anytime. Happy Shopping!

Dawn

Studio Photos

2011-11-08T07:36:00.000-05:00

One of the things that has been on my "To Do" list for quite some time is to update the photos of my studio on my website. Some of you may remember that I gave myself a studio re-do for my birthday this year and completely re-did my sewing space. Well, that was back in April and here it is the beginning of November and I am finally getting around to updating the photos. I absolutely love my new space and as you all know I spend a lot of time in here so I wanted to make it pretty and functional. "The Great Wall of Fabric" is so much better than what I had before and it's like having my very own fabric shop. How can you not love that!? The cutting table is a dream and makes life so much easier especially when I have all that great storage underneath for even more "Stuff". My sewing machines are perfectly positioned for efficient sewing and I am surrounded by all the things I need to be creative and bits of inspiration everywhere. Sadly, due to space constraints I had to say goodbye to my cozy chair where I used to curl up and do all of my thinking, planning and hand sewing but it just took up too much valuable real estate in my studio and honestly I'd rather have more space to house fabric than a chair. So, here are a few pictures I snapped yesterday of my studio. Now, you can see where it all happens. To see even more photos you can visit My Studio on my website.

Dawn

It's All About The Shoes

2011-11-07T10:30:00.003-05:00

Lately, I have been receiving a lot of emails about Abby's shoes/boots and where I find them all. Well, first of all let me say that "The girl loves shoes!" and she doesn't get that from me. I am happy in either my tennis shoes or my cute little Mary Jane style crocs, but Abby on the other hand is a little Imelda Marcos with a very impressive collection of all kinds of shoes and boots in every style and color. Where do I find them? Well, a lot of them I find on~line at places like Zappos.com but I also find them in various shops. The Children's Place has a fun and interesting collection of shoes and boots and often I find them at Gymboree, Old Navy, Stride Rite, Janie & Jack, Garnet Hill, J Crew, Mini Boden, Payless, Target, Nordstroms, Crazy 8's, and of course Ebay to name a few. I am forever looking for the next pair of great shoes for Abby's collection and then of course sometimes I find the shoes first and then build an outfit around the shoes which is always lots of fun. Currently Abby is really into animal prints especially giraffe and there a huge story that goes with that coming soon. I have found a few places that have giraffe print shoes but sadly not in Abby's size. So, if you see giraffe print shoes in a girls size 3 please let me know.

Update ~ The giraffe shoes have been located and purchased! I actually found them at Crazy 8's but they were sold out of Abby's size. However, determined mommy that I am I started calling every store until I found a store that had them in her size and they are being shipped out today! Score! Now to get busy on the giraffe outfit.

Dawn

A Visit With Santa

2011-11-07T05:31:00.000-05:00

This past week has been super busy. I've been busy sewing up tons of new ideas and working on new patterns. Plus, we've gotten a bit of a jump start on Christmas preparations this year by getting the kids to get their wish lists together so we could send them off to Santa. Abby and I even managed to squeeze in a trip to see him. Abby wanted to make sure that she and her brothers had all made the "Nice list" and indeed they did! Santa checked his special book and and not one of them made the Naughty list. Their lists have been sent off to headquarters and are being processed. I'm so relieved that "Christmas is all taken care of" and now I can actually enjoy the holidays without stressing about certain things...if you know what I mean...wink! However, that being said for the next week or so they Big Brown truck will be here a lot! and I have to somehow keep a close watch to try to meet him at the door before the rings the bell and I can somehow sneak packages in without alerting curious munchkins.

Yesterday we also had a big Birthday Celebration for Henry who turns 6 tomorrow! I can't believe my baby is six!!! Thankfully he's still a peanut and still has certain adorable qualities which make him the youngest. I am going to do a Henry photo shoot in the next few days to mark his sixth B'day and I will be sure to share.

Sadly, Abby is taking a small modeling break due to the fact that she and Milo had a bit of a set to over the weekend and Milo won. Needless to say Abby got scratched up and she needs a few days to heal before we can get back to work showing you all the new stuff that has been coming out of my studio. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Dawn

Button, Button, Who's Got A Button?

2011-11-02T06:51:00.003-04:00

Now, there's a story that goes with this new little dress. It was yet another thing I dreamt up the other night! So, there I was at 2 am with this great new idea and I actually had to wait until 10 am when JoAnn's opened so I could go buy the fabric that I had just seen the day before when I was there and didn't buy it and then I go and dream about it...I knew I should have bought it when I saw it! Anyway, this sweet little button fabric was clearly on my mind and inspired this precious new dress, and I have to say it... "I'm crazy in love with this one!" It's truly the perfect party dress and if you add the cute little jacket it can be worn in the cooler weather...yeah! So, here's a little more about this one. The dress has a few very special features like, the sash bow can be tied in either the front or the back and either way it's adorable! Like Miranda & Natalie this one has a built in petticoat so it's very full and super girly, and you know how we love that! Little covered buttons down the back, of course if you didn't want to do the covered buttons you could use regular ones but...let me tell you these little 1/2" covered buttons are super cute! Then the sleeves, Love Love Love the little capped sleeves! The jacket is super easy but I have to tell you when I was making this one I was very thankful for packing tape. The outside of the jacket is made from white pin wale corduroy and the inside is red snuggle, it's like minky but without the bumps. Needless to say it's gorgeous and super soft and cozy but...it sheds and red fuzzies on white cord, well you can just imagine the mess I had for a while. Thankfully packing tape saved the day and I managed to get rid of all the fuzzies. Then, I stayed up half the night hand sewing on all those little red buttons all the way around the jacket...crazy, I know! But I tend to get a little nutty when I'm working on a new project and I was so excited I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. So, here is the result. Abby says this is her new favorite and I'm with her on that. Now... yes, this is going to become a new pattern, for the dress and the jacket, but keep in mind this is just the first one I have made. I need to make a few more and then sit down and start writing, editing, writing some more, drafting pattern pieces, etc. so it's going to be a while. I know I shouldn't even show you these things until I'm done but this one was just too cute to keep under wraps. I'm naming the dress Gabriella and I am still undecided on a name for the jacket. Any suggestions? Trust me, this little dress is going to be worth the wait!

Dawn

Like A Kid In A Candy Shop

2011-11-01T06:03:00.001-04:00

Here's another "Clara" for you. This time I went for a bit of a gingerbread theme. The dress is made from a gingerbread colored fabric, thank you Moda, with tiny little white pin dots and it's all trimmed out in red and white and lots of eyelet. Abby and I decided the best place to take these pictures was at our favorite candy shoppe! She's so clever...but, even she realized that buying candy so close to Halloween was probably not such a good idea. So, we managed to escape without any goodie bags. I have to apologize for the wrinkles. But if you could only see what Abby and I go through to attempt to get great photos for you. She is such a trooper. Changing in the car in busy parking lots. Honestly, we must look like a scene out of a 3 Stooges movie! This time it didn't work out so well. However, I still wanted to show you this dress so you could see yet another version of Clara to spark your imagination and get you thinking about all the sweet ways you could make this dress for the holidays.

Dawn

I Have A Surprise for You!

2011-10-31T17:29:00.003-04:00

"Clara" is all done! E-book completed and paper patterns sitting here ready to be shipped! This time I decided to wait until I had everything ready to go before I said anything. I just need to load everything into my shop and I hope to do that later tonight after we go out trick or treating. I am so excited about this dress and I'm sure you are all going to love this design. I made this one using some absolutely gorgeous royal blue feather wale cord that looks and feels more like velvet and did all the trimmings in white and silvery gray. I just love all the details on this dress. lace, ribbons, tiny little covered buttons...it doesn't get much better than this! Okay, so while I take the kids out... start thinking about all the wonderful color combinations and start planning your holiday dresses. I have another Clara to share with you, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I promise to get the patterns in the shop no later than tomorrow, they are all just sitting here waiting.

Update ~ All the new patterns are now available at www.Olabelhe.com. Happy Shopping!!!

Dawn

Leaf Collecting

2011-10-26T06:31:00.002-04:00

It's my favorite time of year again...Autumn! Abby and I went out for a leaf collecting adventure the other day and gathered up a few pretty ones, although it's still a little early here and not many of the trees have started to change colors. Not to worry Abby and I still had a great time! She is so seven and so full of life and the simplest things make her happy. Abby opted to wear her namesake today for our stroll. This is yet another "Abigail's Pinafore" in a variety of gorgeous prints. I made this one up using fabrics from Allegro Fabrics and Linda is going to be offering this one as a kit in just a few more days!

Dawn

Abby & Tom

2011-10-25T01:21:00.002-04:00

I just had to share this.... It's just too cute to keep to myself.

Abby ~ "Hey mom, Who's this guy?"

Me ~ "That's Thomas Jefferson"

Abby ~ "What do you think he's writing about?"

Me ~ "I'm not sure, maybe he's writing about how much he likes Williamsburg."

Abby ~ "Hey, I can stick my finger up his nose!"

Me ~ "Nice!"

Abby studying Tom...

Comparing fingers...

Chatting with Tom...

and then, the best part of all.....

Abby ~ "Hey mom! Check it out Thomas Jefferson wears hair bows too!"

comparing hair bows

I LOVE this kid!

Dawn

A is For Apple

2011-10-24T16:04:00.003-04:00

What to do on a perfect Autumn afternoon? Have a special Girls Day Out with Abby. We decided to go over to CW which is basically in our backyard, and go for a walk and take in this beautiful day. Along our walk we happened into our favorite candy shop and they were making delicious caramel apples so of course we had to try one. Abby was so funny, with her new teeth all coming in and in various stages of completion and she was trying and trying to find good angles so she could actually bite into the thing. Great way to torture your kid...buy them a caramel apple when they are missing half of their front teeth. But as usual she was a great sport and we sat on a bench people watching and sharing our apple. All I can say is this is "the good stuff" simple moments shared with the people you love the most. Not to worry the boys were all at home having special "guy time" with their dad!

BTW Abby is wearing yet another "Claudia" and guess what, it has apples on it and so do her red shoes!

Dawn

5 New Patterns Are In The Shop

2011-10-20T09:31:00.001-04:00

All of these designs are now available for instant download in my shop! If you prefer the printed paper version those will become available as soon as I get them back from the printers. Happy Shopping!

Dawn

Here's A Blast From The Past!

2011-10-20T02:47:00.002-04:00

Remember Prairie Skirts? I loved mine! Well, I've decided to revive them and bring them back. Ralph Lauren made these a staple item in every women/girls closet years ago. These skirts were all the rage along with pretty and feminine frilly blouses, chunky belts and boots. I always loved that look and thought it would be fun to bring it back to life. This style meets so many criteria of what is important to those of us who are wanting our girls to dress like girls and still be modest. This pattern will becoming available soon as well and is called "Jessica".

I have to say Abby and I had so much fun taking these pictures. Normally, she is very silly and giggly during our photo shoots however, as you can see, she was very serious during these photos and according to Abby "This skirt made her feel more grown up and she wanted to look like a model in the magazines!" Where she came up with that. . . I will never know because we don't have any fashion magazines. But this last picture cracked me up because it really does look a bit like a "real fashion photo" How we pulled that one off I will never know. To be honest I am a complete amateur with my camera and when I get pictures like this one it's pure luck.

Dawn

More of "Grace", Bridget", and "Shannon"

2011-10-19T07:16:00.003-04:00

Just another idea as to how to wear some of these pieces together. I really love this combination. Using "Grace", "Bridget" and "Shannon" together. One of my friends once commented that my designs were "Little House On The Prairie Chic" and I think this outfit fits that description to perfection.

Dawn

More Of Shannon

2011-10-18T01:38:00.002-04:00

and one more, just because I love her so much and this photo just makes my heart melt

when I see how much she is growing up!

Here is another "Shannon's Skirt". As you can see this skirt looks pretty on it's own as well as paired up with other pieces. This time Abby is wearing it with just a simple black top and a black sweater. Think of all the different skirts you could make to go with tops and sweaters she already has and a perfect outfit to wear to church on Sunday mornings. Oh, in case you are wondering what this gorgeous fabric is it's from Dena Designs latest collection called "London" and this print as well as several others are brand new at Allegro Fabrics and FF&L!

Dawn

More New Stuff To Show You . . .

2011-10-17T03:00:00.002-04:00

Here are two more new patterns I have been working on...told you I have been busy! The pinafore is called named "Grace" and it's so sweet and goes with several things. Remember this summer when I made this outfit?

Well, this is that pinafore! I just loved the way it turned out and knew it would be a great piece in the Olabelhe collection. Just in case you are wondering the dress underneath is named "Sarah" and that one will be out next Spring because the time for sleeveless dresses has passed for this year. But I have been playing around with another long sleeved dress that could also work under this pinafore. Then there is "Shannon" which is the skirt. Remember this outfit? This is "Fiona" and "Shannon" is the skirt that goes underneath Fiona, and yes, Fiona will be out next Spring as well.

You may have noticed that I am wanting to make more separates so that you can mix and match and create your own unique look. Abby and I are certainly having fun coming up with cute ways to wear a lot of different combos so I thought you would too. "Grace" & "Shannon" are almost done as well and should become available within the next few weeks. Told you lots of new stuff was coming.

Oh, btw...in case you are wondering..."What's up with the big hair bows?" Abby and I decided to grow out her bangs due to a very obnoxious cowlick that she has. So, she is at that awkward time when they are still to short and she can't tuck them behind her ear and they are too long to do much else with other than try to hide them the best way possible so they aren't hanging in her face. So, her collection of hair accessories has been growing and she really loves the big bows.. according to Abby "They are cute and girly!"

Dawn

Ooh, La La!

2011-10-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

Doesn't every little girl need a gray leopard coat? Well, Abby and I went out shopping a few days ago... like she needs clothes! Needless to say when she spotted this coat from across the shop it was truly love at first sight and it had to come home with us. But, then what does mommy come up with to wear with such a coat? After a bit of thought, it came to me and at 3 am in the morning I was in my studio stitching away. I designed this adorable little drop waist banded skirt with layers of flirty ruffles. Honestly, it was so much fun to make I have been making lots of them this week and having a blast. I went through Abby's closet looking for other things that I could pair up with these skirts and made a whole bunch of new outfits using tops and sweaters from last year that still fit her. Abby said "Mom . . . this just has to be one of the cutest things you have made! You should make it into a pattern!" and so I am. This one is named Claudia.

Oh, and speaking of patterns just wait till you see. I have a bunch of new ones that are just days away from being ready. That's why I was so quiet this past week I have been working like crazy. So, hang tight just a little longer they are coming.

Dawn

The Original "Clara's Dress"

2011-10-09T06:33:00.002-04:00

Wow! Thanks so much for all the wonderful emails and comments about "Clara's Dress"! Many of you requested to see photos of the original dress that I made for Abby last Christmas. We took these photos at a very special location right down the street from us. Lucky us, Santa has a satellite office right here in Williamsburg and he visits quite frequently. Evidently, he really loves the weather here and it's a nice little get-a-way from his home at the North Pole. Sadly, the day we went to take these photos he wasn't in, but one of his helpers told us he had to rush back to headquarters because the elves were unhappy and were threatening to go on strike if Santa didn't comply with their wishes. It was rumored that they were demanding additional milk and cookie breaks throughout their workday and they also wanted more comfortable shoes! Abby was a little sad that Santa wasn't there as she was really looking forward to having a chat with him to let him know how fantastic she had been and she also wanted to remind him how badly she wanted a kitten for Christmas. I have to admit, I was secretly thrilled that he was out for the afternoon. We had a great time visiting anyway and Abby signed his guestbook and I snapped a bunch of photos. So, here is the dress that started it all . . .

Dawn

A Little Something Else I've Been Working On

2011-10-08T01:54:00.005-04:00

Can it get any more Girly? Here's another design I have been working on. This is "Clara's Dress". Inspired by one of our favorite Christmas traditions. . . "The Nutcracker". This is actually the same design as Abby's Christmas Dress last year that I came up with and I thought that perhaps I should turn this one into a pattern as well. "Clara" is filled with so many pretty little details and lots and lots of lace and ribbon. Perfect for an extra special holiday dress. "Clara" also features a squared neckline which is something a little different from all my other designs. Then of course, it just wouldn't be complete without a pretty sash that ties into a big pretty bow in the back. Abby said "she felt like a princess in this dress". I hope to have this pattern available by early November-ish. Just in time for the holidays. I have had so many ideas for making this design. Just imagine it in a gorgeous jewel tone silk, or better yet how about in velvet! Think Emerald Green, Scarlet, or even in Sapphire. Oh, this one has endless possibilities! What do you think?

Dawn

How About One More?

2011-10-07T19:50:00.000-04:00

I dipped into my treasured "Lilly & Will" to create this "Abigail". This time in strip-work so that I could show-off these gorgeous prints. I can't tell you how much fun these are to make and they really do go together quickly. Abby fell in love with this one and couldn't wait to try it on...hey. it meets a lot of her criteria. . . it pink and it has bunnies on it. How could I go wrong?

Dawn

More Of "Abigail's Pinafore"

2011-10-07T14:19:00.002-04:00

As usual, I have been sewing up a storm, that is, in between writing new patterns, home schooling, doing laundry, scrubbing bathrooms, Fall decorating and lots of yummy cool weather cooking and various other misc. things. This time I decided to play with my New "Abigail's Pinafore Pattern" and not do it in the strip-work version but rather in just one print and add a ruffle at the bottom. . . what do you think? Abby absolutely loves this style and has requested that I make her "at least 20 of these in various colors . . . but especially PINK." This pattern is almost ready to head off to the printers but I wanted to ask..."Do you want this version as well?" that is, not in strip-work. . . this little pinafore is so stinkin' cute on and you can tie it in the back like we have done here or because I have made the ties nice and long if you prefer you can criss-cross them in the back and then bring them around to the front and tie them in a sweet bow in the front.

Have a wonderful Weekend!
Dawn

You Will Be Missed. . .

2011-10-06T07:32:00.005-04:00

Steve Jobs

1955-2011

I'm On a Roll....

2011-10-03T15:34:00.001-04:00

Remember this one???
This is my "Isabelle's Skirt"& "Bridget's Blouse" well, there's good news and sorta good news. I am just finishing up the pattern for "Isabelle"... that's the good news, and I am going to start working on "Bridget" soon! I've made a few minor changes to "Isabelle" by making it a double ruffle but of course if you prefer just the one it would be a cinch to do...just omit the additional ruffle. This way you have two options. I have received a ton of emails from so many people that are super anxious for this one and it's coming any day now! I also have a few new surprises for you that I have been working on! Yeah...New Patterns!!!

Dawn

Busy, Busy, Busy and a New Pattern Is Finally On The Way!!!

2011-09-30T11:05:00.002-04:00

My studio has just been humming this week with all kinds of exciting happenings. I decided to drag out my very first pattern that I ever did and re-do the entire thing. I was very green at that point and still was learning about pattern drafting. Needless to say, I have learned so much since then and this time I got it right! Introducing. . . the new, and greatly improved "Abigail's Pinafore"! Yes, this one was named for my little muse and the funny thing is when I started re-working this pinafore early this week Abby fell in love with it even without knowing it was named after her. I have made a bunch of these this week and that's all she has wanted to wear. This little wrap front pinafore just couldn't be easier and it's so much fun to use up some of your favorite prints. I did this one in Strip-work and I really like how it turned out. The possibilities with this design go on and on and it's goes together really quickly. I am spending this weekend working on the final details and then it will be sent off to the printers sometime next week if all goes well!

Dawn

New Kits At Allegro

2011-09-26T07:41:00.001-04:00

Not much happened this weekend except for the fact that mommy came down with the flu and I sprained my ankle. . . ouch! Silly me I zigged when I should have zagged when I was out grocery shopping in the rain with a fever and I twisted it when I was running to the car with the cart trying to avoid getting soaked. Yes, I know, not the smartest move. So, I didn't do very much this weekend except curl up in bed or on the sofa and try to shake this thing and rest my foot. I had so many things I wanted to accomplish this weekend but mother nature wasn't cooperating anyway and it rained and rained all weekend long. So, if I had to be sick this weekend was a good weekend to do it. Don't you just hate the flu? It's such a waste of time...I just hope this one decides to leave quickly because I have work to do. The great news is 3 new Olabelhe kits are available at Allegro. Linda listed them in her shop over the weekend and they are ready to go. These kits are sure to go fast so if you are interested pop over to Allegro Fabrics to grab one before they are gone.

Dawn

Ai~Chihuahua!

2011-09-21T06:48:00.001-04:00

How cute is this one??? There is actually a really fun story that goes along with this outfit. This is one of the outfits I managed to put together on our very brief stay at our sewing retreat before it was cancelled because of the hurricane. Each year at the retreat they have a local quilt shop come in and she brings a small selection of items from her shop and she sets up a little shop so that we can go shopping. This year the ladies at the retreat posed a challenge for me. After seeing me work they wanted to know if I could just randomly "whip something up" without serious planning and with very few resources. Loved it! I went into see what fabric Kim had brought most of which were gorgeous, but bot necessarily my taste and then I saw the chihuahua print and I knew that was the one! She also had a fun hot pink micro leopard print and this stunning solid in shocking pink. I bought my yardage and then went back into our main sewing room to show the girls what I had purchased and they couldn't wait to see what I was going to make with it. Snip snip snip and then I sat down and started sewing. About 30 minutes later I dashed out to the local Walmart in town which is basically almost the only store where we were in the middle of no where Blackstone, VA and thankfully that one still has a small sewing dept. I found the perfect ribbons to go with my creation and then I went back to work. A few hours later this is what I made. The ladies loved what I "Whipped Up" and I knew Abby was going to LOVE it too! Sadly, this one isn't a kit but you can purchase all the fabrics to make it at Allegro Fabrics, because when I sent Linda a photo of this she instantly ordered all the prints and added them to her shop and they just arrived this week!

Dawn

Another New Kit!

2011-09-20T06:38:00.001-04:00

This time it's another "Meg's Dress & Pinafore"! This pattern has become very popular so I thought it would be fun to make up a new kit with this pattern, especially after the other kit sold out so quickly. This time I used two gorgeous new prints from one of Riley Blake's newest collections called "Promenade". Yes, more gray...I told you I was loving gray this Fall. This fabric is so pretty when I opened the box when it arrived it honestly took my breath away it was so pretty and to be perfectly honest my photos do not capture how truly lovely it is. Both of my new kits are available in my shop now and the new kits at Allegro fabrics will be up this week as well. Enjoy!

Dawn

Bow~Wow!

2011-09-19T03:07:00.003-04:00

Check this one out! This is another of the kits I did for Linda at Allegro fabrics using these adorable prints from Anna Griffin's "Fifi & Fido" collection. Once again, I used Hillary and Audrey to make up this great little combo. This set is perfect for the cooler weather, just add a simple little long sleeved T and it makes for a sweet and easy outfit. I have to say, this is one of my favorite looks for Fall this year. This kit will become available this week at Allegro Fabrics!

Dawn

More For Fall

2011-09-18T03:54:00.001-04:00

Here is another idea for Fall and yes, another kit! This one will also become available next week! I used some really great fabrics from "Adorn It" a great little fabric company. Once again my obsession with gray but this time paired up with this gorgeous tomato red. If you are interested in this one it will be available at Allegro Fabrics! I can't tell you how much fun I am having making these kits up and thanks so much to all of you who are enjoying them as well.

Dawn

Just In Time For Autumn!

2011-09-17T00:48:00.003-04:00

Today we had the very first hint of Autumn in the air, so Abby and I grabbed a pile of some of the outfits I have sewn up over this past week and headed over to one of our favorite spots. Of course we were not the only ones who were loving the gorgeous day. Colonial W'burg was just bustling with people, both locals and of course lots of tourists but we managed to find a little spot off the beaten path and we settled in to take some photos. This is one of my new kits! I am absolutely in love with gray this season and love this combo using gray, cream and a pretty salmon pink. I also came up with the little beret and I hope to add that pattern into the shop very soon. So keep a close watch for news about several new kits this week. There are some really cute ones that are perfect for Autumn!

Dawn

The Case Of The Missing Bunny. . .

2011-09-16T06:51:00.004-04:00

As if things at our house aren't crazy enough. Late last night when I was already asleep I heard lots of commotion in the house . . . Hmmm, something is happening. I hopped out of bed to see what was going on only to hear that once again Milo, our beloved cat had caught another baby bunny and brought it in the house. Thankfully, Abby, our resident animal rescue specialist managed to get Milo away from the bunny so he couldn't hurt it, or worse and Milo was whisked away to the garage by Ole. However, in all the excitement the bunny took off for cover and we all were up for hours searching for this little guy who is obviously scared to death and hiding someplace very clever. So, yes. . . I have a wild baby bunny loose in my house! We all stayed up until the wee hours looking for this little guy and finally we all just gave up. However, I bet you can guess what we will all be doing today. I am just hoping we can find him and get him back out into nature as quickly as possible. I told you it was never dull around here!

Update!

The bunny has been found and rescued! We discovered the bunny in Ole's office due to some very convincing evidence. Then began the long and exhausting process of cleaning out Ole's office to be able to catch the little guy. Once that was done we were able to pull out the sofa where he was hiding behind and within seconds Abby had him safely wrapped up in a soft little baby blanket and we were all just gushing over how sweet this little one is. Of course, I had to grab my camera for a few pics and then after locking up the cat Abby and Henry took the little one out into our yard and set him free. Don't you just love happy endings!!!

Catching Up

2011-09-15T07:34:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I have been so quiet for the past week. I have just been so busy catching up with everything. I haven't really had much time to come up for air. My sewing room has just been humming and there are dresses everywhere. Seriously, in the past week or so I have sewn over 15 new outfits! Not to worry, you will get to see some of them soon enough, but some you will have to wait a bit longer for. This week has also brought a house full of kids with end of summer colds. Lots of sniffles and stuffy noses along with sore throats and low grade fevers. So, I have been spending a fair amount of time snuggling with unhappy kiddos too. At their request I even made a big pot of cure-all homemade chicken soup to "make it better" . . . amazing how that actually works! The colds are now beginning to fade and my plan is to take Abby out this weekend to start taking photos. The great news is that the temps are supposed to start dropping which puts a huge, and I do mean huge smile on my face. Yesterday out came all our Autumn decor and the vanilla and cinnamon candles started filling the house with my favorite smells. Autumn is on the way.... now to leave you with a great and classic recipe from one of my favorites, Ina Garten.

Chicken Noodle Soup

(Barefoot Contessa at Home)

1 whole (2 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts homemade chicken stock
1 cup medium-diced celery
1 cup medium diced carrots
2 cups wide egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breast on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred or dice the chicken meat.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot and add celery, carrots, and noodles. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the noodles are cooked. Add the cooked chicken meat and parsley and heat through.
Season to taste and serve.

Dawn

Home Sweet Home!

2011-09-07T16:56:00.000-04:00

It's so good to be home! We had a blast in Florida and got to spend a lot of time with my folks and the kids are now official fish! They swam and swam and swam, until I was beginning to wonder if they had grown gills. They are all super tan and refreshed but still glad to be home. I tried to relax, but for me that's next to impossible especially knowing how much work I had waiting for me at home. With all of Mother Nature's fury around here of late I basically lost two weeks worth of sewing. This morning I worked extra hard answering tons of email as well as filling lots and lots of orders. Phew... now to get back to sewing! Not to mention getting these four kiddos back into school mode. It's going to be a crazy couple of weeks but I hope to have new stuff available for you soon.

Dawn

Checking In

2011-08-29T07:08:00.001-04:00

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers for our safety during the storm. Sadly, we did loose power minutes after I posted last and we had a pretty miserable night with four very stressed little kids. We made the decision early yesterday morning to leave and head for greener pastures until they are able to restore everyone's power. We have had experience with this before and after hurricane Isabelle several years ago we had no power for almost a week. This storm was worse in some ways because the damage was more widespread and basically the entire eastern half of VA is without power. As are many other states up the east coast. So, we decided to pack up the kids and go on a vacation. Currently, I am in a lovely hotel room in South Carolina with my babes sleeping comfortably beside me. Thank goodness for my iPad and WiFi. We are on our way to Florida to spend the week relaxing by the pool at one of our favorite resorts and making the best of a bad situation. Hey, when life hands you lemons ... Make lemonade, and that's just what we are doing! For those of you who are waiting on orders I will ship them out as soon as I get back. I'm sure not much is going to be open this week anyway including the post office. I will try to check in again and if you need to reach me email me. My very geeky husband even decided to bring our server with us so we could still continue to stay connected to the world.

Hugs!
Dawn

Goodnight Irene!

2011-08-27T20:02:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a week here in Virginia! First up, we have been dealing with smoke from the huge fire that has engulfed the Great Dismal Swamp which is about an hour or so away from us. Yuck! The air has been so bad for several days that there have been several days with air quality advisories. Then we had the earthquake last Tuesday and now a major hurricane. Oi! So, as I am sure you have guessed by now that our sewing retreat was cancelled due to the storm. We went for one day and then everyone headed for home to batten down the hatches or bug out depending on how close to the coast they lived. Many of the ladies there have homes close to the water and they had to evacuate and head for higher ground. Thankfully, we live a little more inland and we are not in the direct line of fire. Although we have been getting hammered all day long with insane winds and tons of rain. Our front yard has a nice little river running through it which is normally not there and the back yard now has a small pond...which also is not normally there. So far we have been incredibly lucky and we have not lost power, but it has been flickering all day and tons of areas around us are without power. I'm actually amazed that we haven't lost power ourselves. Currently, we are watching our very tall trees sway in ways that looks very un-natural and we are praying that none of them snap and land on our house. Oops.... okay, the power is really flickering now. We may loose power any second. I just lit a few candles in preparation for a long powerless evening. Please say a prayer for everyone in the path of this massive storm to keep them safe.

Dawn

Making My List & Checking It Twice!

2011-08-24T11:45:00.002-04:00

... and trust me, the list is long. In just a few short hours I will be picking up Karen at the airport and we will be off to our retreat. 4 glorious days of non-stop sewing... sounds heavenly, doesn't it? I have been busy packing bags and bags of fabric, machines, and anything and everything else I could possibly need for this trip. It's a good thing I have a minivan. So, needless to say I will be out of touch for the next few days. I will be back on Sunday evening and then back to work first thing Monday morning. Have a wonderful weekend!

Dawn

We're Okay!

2011-08-23T14:33:00.003-04:00

Okay, that was scary!!! We never, and I do mean NEVER EVER have quakes here!!! Thankfully nothing broke but the light fixtures were swinging and it did knock a few things over. We have heard on the news that it was a 5.9 and that the epicenter was only about 40 miles from us!! Needless to say we are all completely freaked out and the kids are camped out not far from mom. I have to admit my heart was in my throat for about 10 minutes afterwards and my heart is still pounding! Please pray that there are no aftershocks.

Dawn

Pretty As A Picture!

2011-08-21T10:51:00.000-04:00

This morning I have been busy packing up the next bunch of sewing kits to head off to the post office first thing tomorrow morning. I was completely shocked when my latest kit sold out within hours of me putting it in the shop. I am even thinking of possibly ordering another bolt of this gorgeous print so that I can add a few more kits. I did receive several emails from disappointed customers who were too late to grab this one up. So, if you are interested in this kit and missed out please let me know and then it will help me know how many more of these kits are desired. Thanks to all of you who have been so excited about my sewing kits. There will be a bunch of new ones coming within the next few weeks including some that are perfect for fall. Plus, a few more surprises. But for the next few days I will be getting everything ready to go on my retreat. There is sooo much to bring!

Dawn

Remember This One?

2011-08-19T10:57:00.002-04:00

This was one of the very first "Natalie's" that I created. I made it over a year and a half ago and this pattern, by far, has been one of my most popular! This was also one of the dresses that was featured in the current issue of Sew Beautiful Magazine. I have received so many wonderful emails about this exact dress and so many of you wanting to recreate it. Sadly, because this fabric is from an older collection from Tanya Whelan it was sold out just about everywhere. About 3 weeks or so ago, I received the best phone call from a desperate customer who was "willing to do just about anything" to get her hands on this fabric to make this exact dress for her granddaughter! I couldn't resist, I put in a few phone calls and called on the powers that be to pull some strings and get this fabric. Well, it's here! A full brand new bolt of this gorgeous fabric and yes, I've made it into yet another kit for you. So, if your interested pop over to my shop and grab one before they are gone. Also, I will be offering a limited amount of these fabrics to be sold on their own so take advantage to add some of this to your stash before it's gone.

Dawn

The Retreat

2011-08-15T08:30:00.001-04:00

I've received several emails and comments inquiring about the upcoming sewing retreat. It's held every year in Blackstone, VA at the former women's college. My friend Randee puts this together for all of her sewing/quilting friends and it's an absolute blast. 4 days of non stop sewing. No cooking, no cleaning, no other distractions just sewing. The room where we sew is open 24 hours a day so that if you are an insomniac like me you can sew even at the most crazy hours. Blackstone is about 2.5 hours away from Williamsburg and in the middle of just about no-where. It's a sweet little town with a few eatery's and a lot of antique shops and that's about it, but we we're not going for the local attractions, just to sew. The room that we sew in is a big sunny room with lots of windows with great light and tons of tables and that's about it. We have to bring everything else, and I do mean everything. I have one bag for my personal stuff and countless other bags filled with anything and everything you can imagine. I basically drag a small version of my sewing room there, which is no easy task. This year my dear friend Karen will be joining us and I can't wait to see her. We have been friends for several years and talk just about every day and this will be the very first time we meet "for real" something we have both waited too long for. It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait!

Dawn

Happenings

2011-08-13T09:50:00.001-04:00

This week has been filled with all kinds of happenings. First, and most exciting I had my new intern start on Tuesday and she is WONDERFUL! Her name is Gabi and you will be hearing a lot more about her. We connected a few weeks ago when she sent me a very sweet email. She lives here in Williamsburg very close to us and she will be here with me in the studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also am gearing up for our big sewing retreat coming up in 10 days. Planning and preparing everything I need to schlepp to Blackstone, VA for 4 intense days of sewing and lots of fun. The great news is this year my dear friend Karen is flying in from Chicago to join us. I have another big project I am working on, so those four days will be dedicated to working on lots of projects for that. I have also been busy packing and shipping my new sewing kits. I've also been starting to get back into school mode, we haven't started back to the kids studies quite yet but I am busy getting my lesson plans in check and trying to figure out how to juggle everything I have to do. Here are a few more photos of one of my kits. This time it's "Jillian", and although these photos show this with a simple tank underneath remember it would look incredibly sweet with a long sleeved T as well for the cooler temps which will soon be here, I hope!

Enjoy your weekend!
Dawn

Cooling Off At the Beach

2011-08-08T06:27:00.001-04:00

This is another of the kits that I did with Linda from Allegro Fabrics. It's "Rebecca" all done up in this gorgeous floral print from Kate Spain's "Central Park" collection from Moda which we paired up with a orchid polka-dot that goes with it perfectly. The colors in this are just stunning and couldn't be better for this time of year with all of us counting the days until Fall after this extra HOT summer! You can purchase this kit at Allegro Fabrics and be quick, Linda only has a few left!

Dawn

Farm Fresh

2011-08-07T04:51:00.003-04:00

Happiness is: the smell of freshly mowed grass, bare feet and some sheep. The other day when Abby and I went out to take photos we decided this dress needed to be photographed with some farm animals. Of course, this fabric has darling chocolate cows, pudgy pigs, goofy geese, cheeky chickens and silly sheep on it. Once again mixing in a little school on the go and having some fun with words. Abby had such a great time with the sheep and they were thrilled to have someone feeding them handfuls of freshly cut grass. This is "Lauren", another of my favorites in some brand new fabrics that just arrived called "Farm Fresh". As soon as I saw these fabrics all I could think of was how perfect this dress would be for a County fair, family picnic or field trip to a local farm. Perhaps even the perfect dress for a extra special first day of kindergarten dress. Well, no need to worry I've put it all together for you and you can get this dress as a kit as well. Great news about the kits! After debuting them yesterday I have already sold a bunch of them and one of kit has already sold out! I'm so thrilled that you are enjoying them.

Dawn

They're Here! . . . The Sewing Kits Are In The Shop!

2011-08-06T06:58:00.000-04:00

Yeah! At last, they are finally all ready for you! What an amazing project this has been. I cannot tell you how much fun it has been deciding which designs to use, then shopping for the perfect fabrics to use and then gathering everything you will need to be able to re~create these adorable outfits. It's been a ton of work, but in all honesty, I have loved every minute of it! So, Happy Shopping and I hope you enjoy what I have put together for you.

Click Here to see all of my Sewing Kits!

Dawn

Boo!

2011-08-05T04:45:00.005-04:00

I know, I know ... Halloween already? Well, for those of you who like to get a jump on things check this one out! This is one of the Sewing Kits that I am doing with Linda of Allegro Fabrics. It's "Phoebe" all decked out in these adorable Halloween prints. I can't tell you how much fun this sweet little jumper is to make. The entire time I was sewing it up all I did was smile. So many fun prints and the colors are "spook-tacular", Okay now even I am getting corny! Abby and I had so much fun taking these pictures yesterday she didn't even mind that she was wearing a long sleeved shirt, tights and boots in the sweltering temps. It was even her idea to go to a cemetery to take the photos when I asked her "where we could take some creepy pictures?". She loved it! We even took time out to do a little school by practicing her reading and doing a little math. 7 is such a great age, Abby was so full of questions about life and death and heaven so we talked about it a lot. After our trip to the cemetery we went down to the river to cool off and stick out toes in the cool water and of course I took more pictures but more of those later. This kit, along with all the others will become available very soon. So, keep a close watch. I think this one may be very popular! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that adorable bracelet. I asked a dear friend of mine, Pam from PSB to create a few jewelry pieces for me to go with some of the outfits. Isn't it crazy adorable? We love this little charm bracelet with matching charms that go with the dress perfectly. If you are interested in finding out more about these custom jewelry pieces please email me and I will put you in touch with her. She does beautiful work and I hope to showcase more of her pieces here to help get the word out about her.

Dawn

12!

2011-08-04T06:09:00.000-04:00

Forgive me for being a bit melancholy today, I have been reminiscing about a very special young man in my life ... Oliver! Today is his 12th birthday and I am sitting here wondering how 12 years have gone by since I first held my first born in my arms. He has grown so much not only in size but in every way. This photo was taken on his 3rd birthday. Long gone are the days of themed birthday parties and balloons. However he will still let me bake him a birthday cake, his favorite, my Banana cake. Sadly, he is now becoming a little camera shy and didn't want to pose for a 12 year old birthday pic knowing full well that I would put it on my blog, and to a 12 year old "That's embarrassing"! So this morning I was going through old photos and found this one and decided to use this one instead.

What can I say about Oliver? He's a great kid! Smart and extremely funny, he's our resident comedian, and honestly a pure joy to be around...most of the time! Currently, he's only about an inch shorter than me and we haven't even hit the big "P" yet, but it's coming. He is so much like his dad and loves anything "tech-y"and is a complete wiz on the computer. Oliver is also my right hand man in the kitchen and grocery shopping buddy. The child loves food and cooking and shopping for great things to eat. I am dreading the grocery bills that I know are heading our way when he really starts growing and begins to eat us out of house and home. I absolutely love the relationship I have with him, we talk about everything and we have an incredible bond that I really hope never changes. With his teens just a year away I have made him promise me that he will not become a dork and start thinking that mom and dad are clueless and he has all the answers, he smiled at me and said "Mom, I would never do that!" Well, we'll see.

Today we are going to have a special day at home. He got a new computer for his birthday and he is just over the moon about it. He did all the research himself and picked out everything needed to build it himself, well, maybe with a little help from his dad. So, I am sure he and Elliott will be busy all day putting it together. I will be baking his favorite cake and tonight I think we are all going out to celebrate.

Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mom

Summer In Virginia

2011-08-03T02:38:00.002-04:00

Oh.....it's HOT outside! You can even see it in photo with the haze so thick it's hard to make out the horizon. But once again I need to receive the "Bad Mommy" award for dragging poor Abby out in this horrible weather for yet another photo shoot. Today we went over to Kingsmill Country Club out on the terrace to snap a few pictures. It's such a gorgeous location and even in the heat Abby had fun trying to catch butterflies and we enjoyed the view of the James River. This time she is wearing one of most popular designs "Natalie"all made up in this gorgeous print which just arrived and yes, this one is going to be a kit as well. I'm just about ready to debut the kits. Just a few more things to do and they will become available in my shop.

Dawn

Dreamy

2011-08-02T05:55:00.001-04:00

You just never know when you are going to stumble upon something so pretty. When I was ordering fabrics for my kits, I spotted this print and I hesitated because I wasn't 100% sure. As I am sure you are all familiar with shopping on line for fabrics, it's often very hard to tell exactly what it is that you are looking at. Not sure of the scale of the print or the exact colors and to be honest unless you have already seen the actual fabric somewhere else you cannot tell if you love it or not until it's actually in your hands. This was one of those prints. I was a tiny bit skeptical about it but the moment the box arrived with it, it was love at first sight and I couldn't wait to sew with it. Who doesn't love warm buttery yellows? Even Abby fell in love with these and was really anxious for me to make her a new dress from them. This time it's "Lindsay's Dress" and I am very pleased with the outcome. I have a feeling this one is going to go into Abby's favorite's. Oh, did I mention this one is going to be a kit as well! I am busy working on getting all these together and I am loving how they are turning out. Just a few more days and they will become available for sale.

Dawn

"Abby, Abby ... How Does Your Garden Grow?"

2011-08-01T13:37:00.003-04:00

Actually, it's not our garden. It belongs to our dear friend Tiffeni who invited Abby and I over to do a little harvesting. Sadly, I was not blessed with a green thumb so my gardening skills are non existent. However, I do dream of having a beautiful garden ... maybe someday, when the kids are a bit older and I have more time. But in the mean time we have been enjoying the beautiful harvest shared with us from this gorgeous garden. Today we came home with cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, banana peppers and some fresh basil ... I am thinking pizza Margarita for dinner tonight...yum! I also took advantage of this perfect opportunity to show off one of the new dresses that is going to be available any day now in my new kits. This is "Sabrina" made up in two adorable prints I just received from Riley Blake Fabrics from their new "Farm Fresh" collection. These fabrics are so sweet and this dress is perfect for the upcoming Autumn and back to school. Keep an eye open for more news about the kits. I have lots of them for you.

Dawn

Evidence That Grandma & Grandpa Are In Town...

2011-07-25T06:54:00.000-04:00

Can you tell we had a busy day?

Dawn

Who Says Muslins Can't Be Cute?

2011-07-24T06:04:00.000-04:00

Whenever I experiment with a new idea I always use cute fabrics. After all, if it works, then it's another outfit to add to Abby's wardrobe. Yesterday, while waiting for my parents to arrive from New York I decided to mess around with another idea. Abby got in on the act and helped me pick out the fabrics. She picked out this really cute Matryoshka doll fabric that I had picked up ages ago at Hancock's and she asked for it to be "funky"! Now, you know me ... I tend to go more classic and romantic, so "funky" is a bit of a stretch for me but I gave it a shot and this what I came up with. Abby loves it and it was finished shortly before Grandma & Grandpa arrived. I will be a little busy for the next few days. My parents are here and Ole leaves today to fly to Boston for week to speak at a conference at his alma mater, MIT. I have to admit I am a little envious that he is going to Boston. That is where we met and where I lived and went to school, and I love it there...sigh. Oh, well maybe next time. I have too much to do here anyway and it would not have been a terribly romantic trip if we had the kiddos in tow. The next few days will be fun filled and exhausting...they always are when G'ma & G'pa are in town. Lots of swimming and maybe a trip up to DC to go to Ikea. They leave to head home on Wednesday and then I am going to get back to work. So, if I'm kinda quiet over the next few days you'll know why. Oh, and believe it or not, Abby has actually asked if she can wear her new outfit to the airport this morning to see Ole off, She must really like it. Hope you are all staying cool. It's So HOT here we are all ready to melt. I really don't like Summers in Virginia!

Dawn

BTW, did you see my other sewing assistant in the first photo? One of Milo's favorite places to hang out is on my cutting table which makes cutting fabric quite the challenge.

Experimenting With A New Idea For Autumn

2011-07-21T18:37:00.000-04:00

I have had a lot of people ask me recently if I am planning anything new for Fall and I have to admit I have been thinking about it. Because most of my designs are more warm weather wear I have been thinking about new pieces to add to my collection which could be worn year round. This little jumper was actually inspired by one of my favorite jumpers I had when I was a little girl. I had recently remembered it and thought I should try to duplicate it. So, this morning I sat down at my machine and created this. This is just the first attempt and I can see room for improvement but it's a good beginning. This one has a loose and easy fit and will be perfect with a simple tank, T-shirt, long sleeved T, turtle neck or even a sweet little blouse. Just imagine this with an adorable classic button down blouse with a peter pan collar and a cozy cardy ...perfect for those chilly days ahead. I have to say it's a little challenging getting in the mood for cold weather sewing when right now the temps are soaring into the hundreds. The bib on this one is meant to be low and it has a placket on the side with little buttons for easy on and offs. Now, I just need to come up with a name for it .... any ideas?

BTW .... What do you think of my new dress form? I finally had to retire the little pink wire one because it's just too small. Abby is getting so tall and that dress form is much more of a size 5 so now it is just a treasured addition to my sewing room and a reminder of all those dresses I have made and displayed on it.

Samples Galore....

2011-07-20T14:11:00.001-04:00

Here's just a peek at one of the things I have been working on. Over the past week or so bolts and bolts of gorgeous fabrics have been arriving at my door and I have been busy sewing up sample after sample for my new sewing kits. This of course is my Little "Lucy's Cloche" that I made to go with one of the dresses that I will be making into a kit. Currently my sewing studio looks more like a dress shop than a studio. There are dresses everywhere and still many more to make! I can't tell you how much fun I am having with all of these gorgeous fabrics and there are many more bolts due to arrive any day now. Fingers crossed that I will be able to start debuting these kits very soon. You are going to love them! I will be offering many different styles in lots of different prints. Some of them will be very much keeping within my style and others may surprise you. I have teamed up with Terri at FF&L, Linda at Allegro Fabrics and Jane at Quilter's Way to bring you lots of choices in many different fabrics. Everything from romantic florals to contemporary prints even some whimsical prints which are sure to be a huge hit with the little ones! So, keep an eye open and for news of the kits arriving in the shop.

Dawn

Story Telling

2011-07-14T13:32:00.000-04:00

These past few weeks seem like a blurr. From the moment the new Sew Beautiful magazine starting arriving in shops and mailboxes across the country my life has changed dramatically. I have been packing and shipping patterns and sending them to every corner of the country. However, I will admit, I am becoming pretty familiar with a lot of zip codes in Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. I have also received tons and tons of fantastic emails from so many of you. I have read about your families and love of sewing and I have enjoyed every minute of it. But one of the things that I really love is when the phone rings and I have a new customer on the other end who is so anxious to chat and share a little bit of themselves with me. Just last night I received one of these calls. A very sweet elderly lady called me to say that she had received her issue of Sew Beautiful and when she saw my designs "it was love at first sight". She then went on to tell me how she lives alone and her husband had long since past away and she doesn't get out very much any more and that she relies on friends, family and neighbors to help her out. She doesn't own a computer and in her words "I could never work one of those new fangled contraptions" but she wanted more than anything to have some of my patterns. She dialed up one of her neighbors and asked her to drive her down to the local library so the librarian could help her find my website and from there the librarian was able to locate my phone number so that she could call me. So, last night she did exactly that. Oh, we had the nicest chat and she told me so much about herself and her love of sewing pretty things for little girls and how she just loved my designs and couldn't wait to sew some of them up. But I think the best part of the story is the fact that she doesn't have anyone in particular to sew for. Her grandchildren are all grown up and there were no little girls in her family. But she was thinking of sewing up some pretty dresses and giving them to some of the little girls in her church so they could "dress properly" for Sunday services. I of course was just tickled! I know I have said this before but one of the most rewarding parts of what I do is connecting with so many of you who share the same ideas about how we would like to see our little girls dressing. Thank you so much for taking the time to say "hello" and share with me, I so enjoy hearing your stories.

Dawn

Merry-Go-Rounds...and...Bumper Cars ....and....Roller-"Toasters" ....Oh, My!!!

2011-07-09T05:48:00.001-04:00

As a big surprise I decided to take Abby & Henry to Busch Gardens ...crazy, I know. But thankfully a dear friend of mine came along for the fun. Living here in Williamsburg and having "BG" right down the street it's kind of one of those things that you have to do. This was Abby and Henry's first time to an amusement park and they were truly mesmerized ...especially by the "roller-"Toasters"! Both of their eyes were as big as saucers as they watched these massive contraptions and saw all the people strapped in and having an absolute blast. Of course, they both need to grow a few more inches before they can experience them first hand. Thankfully, they both were anxious to give some of the other rides a try. The Merry-Go-Round being one of their favorites. Abby of course insisted on riding the pink horse...imagine that! They rode just about all the kiddie rides, we had a yummy lunch and saw a great show, and now Henry has decided that he loves "Rock & Roll"! It was a day of new experiences and lots of sensory overload but of course mommy knew when it was time to call it a day. My munchkins were starting to fade and so were the grown-ups. When we got back home they were both anxious to play in our yard and do the things they love the most...the simple things.... like playing hopscotch, jumping rope and collecting ladybugs.

Dawn