Happy Birthday Ari!

Youngest daughter's birthday is September 11, so now that she has received her gifts, I can show what I made her for her birthday.  Last week when I was lamenting the lack of progress on THE LIST, I mentioned that I was going to go make a dress.  Well, that was my plan.  But when I got in the sewing room, these two remnants called out to me and I decided to make shirts instead.

The shirts are made from knit that I found on the remnant table at JoAnn's.  The pattern is a really favorite shirt that was ruined by rust that I cut apart for a pattern.  I didn't even transfer it to pattern paper - or even newspaper.  I just plopped the cut up pieces of shirt on the new fabric and whacked it with the scissors, all the while chanting, "Remember to add the seam allowance.  Remember to add the seam allowance...."  The gray one cost $2.50.  (I just love remnants!)  I put 3 little buttons at the shoulder just for interest and double-needle stitched the hem.

The yellow one is a slightly lighter weight knit, so it drapes a little better.  No buttons on this one.  I was going to do a fabric flower but it just didn't work so I gave up.  The yellow one was slightly more expensive.  I think it cost $3.25.

When Ari and I were together last time she said she was thinking about learning to embroider.  I bought her some embroidery floss then - way back in April, I think it was.  Then, a month or so ago, a friend who had an embroidery shop was going out of business and had one of my favorite embroidery tools, the Darice spring tension embroidery hoop, on sale for $1.00.  Who could resist?  Wish she had had a bunch of them, but I got the last one.

Then I had to make a little pouch so she could keep all her supplies together.  The pouch, of course, is made out of Heather Ross Far, Far Away III.  Don't you love those little "drawers" hanging on the line?  (Well, OK, some people might call them "longjohns", but when I was growing up, they were "drawers".)

 It has a nifty little zipper at the top to keep everything corralled.  I kind of wish I had added handles too, but I didn't think about that until it was done and ready to go in the mail.

I lined it with some DS Quilts orang-y circles that I had lying around.  I really must have liked this print because I bought several pieces!  Or I forgot I had already bought some.  But I do like it.  It's very versatile.

I made her a little hexie needle book and filled it with needles, pins and scissors.  Then tucked in some scraps of white Kona in the bag.

And added a copy of one of my favorite embroidery books, Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray.  If you embroider and you haven't checked out this book, you really should.  I'm not much of an artist, so her designs really help me create the design I am trying to achieve. 

So Ari, I hope these little gifts helped to make your birthday more fun!

Happy Birthday!  Love, Mom!