I'm absolutely in love with the newest line of Aneela Hoey fabric, Little Apples. Not only do I adore the sweet little prints of kids and clothes and turtles but I just love the name, "Little Apples." My husband has grown fond of calling our newest baby his Little Apple or more often "Little-apple-dumplin"!
So after eyeing it for a few days... while pouting because I haven't had much sew-time lately... I decided to bring some of this great "clothing" print home. My hope was to make a simple gathered skirt for AV and if that didn't happen then I'd just horde it away for awhile until the time came when I could sew.
But when the girlie, AV saw it she decided it was to make doll clothes with. When I said that it might be too little to make doll clothes from and that I was planning to make a skirt for her with it she stood her ground like a good little four year old and insisted it'd be for dolls....
Like some kind of mind worm I could not get her little idea out of my head.. I had to make it work. And even more important I HAD TO SEW!
Several days later, after lots of pondering I started playing with some ideas... a few failed prototypes later here is what I have:
So after eyeing it for a few days... while pouting because I haven't had much sew-time lately... I decided to bring some of this great "clothing" print home. My hope was to make a simple gathered skirt for AV and if that didn't happen then I'd just horde it away for awhile until the time came when I could sew.
Like some kind of mind worm I could not get her little idea out of my head.. I had to make it work. And even more important I HAD TO SEW!
Several days later, after lots of pondering I started playing with some ideas... a few failed prototypes later here is what I have:
I drew a little apple girl of my own and embroidered her (in the style of Aneela) onto felt (because fabric sticks to felt). After she was stitched I backed her with more felt, machine sewed around her and cut her out as seen above. But how (you might ask) did I cut out those tiny little shirts and dresses without having them fray and fall-to-pieces?
Well... MOD PODGE!
I simply roughly cut out all the little outfits (for the doll I went and bought a fat quarter of the clothes print with white background) laid them down on top of freezer paper and coated each one with a layer of Mod Podge. After they have dried I cut them out more precisely.
It works! When you press the little clothes onto the felt doll they stick on. They will fall off with lots of jostling, but so will the clothes of paper dolls so I think overall this is a success.
I'm delighted and after this little (Apple) success and due to my in-laws gifting me with some much needed toddler free sew-time I also made the skirt I'd been planning. Plus for an extra boost to my creative streak I made up a new reversible version of the simple gathered skirt I always make for her.
I'm even more delighted by the results of this twirly number that I'm gonna have to make time to stitch some more!
This is all a surprise for my little apple when she comes home from her sleepover at Nana and Poppy's so I have to hop off now. I still have several outfits to cut out before Aelyn gets here!
