Sunday, June 20, 2010

June happenings and a sneak peak

June has certainly been a month of busyness. My boys have had swimming lessons for the past two weeks which have eaten up every morning. By the time I drive the 45 minutes to the swim academy, wait around in the heat for the lessons to wrap up, run an errand or two, serve lunch and get everyone into bed for naps/quiet time, I'm completely bushed. Whew! Being pregnant in the summer is kicking my behind!

Also in the month of June, both my boys have a birthday. And a birthday party. Thankfully they mostly have the same friends, so I can get away with throwing only one party. This year each had a specific request for a fancy birthday cake. Nathan - turning 6 - wanted a CARS cake, and Daniel - turning 4 - wanted a "Cookie Dog" cake. (Cookie Dog is his much beloved and somewhat mangy stuffed dog that he carries around everywhere. Don't ask me why he named it Cookie Dog. My kids went through a faze where they named stuffed animals after food.)

Here are my cake creations. I used Wilton cake pans with directions, which were invaluable. They were both A LOT of work, but my boys were so happy that it was definitely worth the effort.


In between all this activity I have managed to squeeze in a wee bit of sewing time. Here is a sneak peak at my latest project, Simplicity 2724. I borrowed the actual buttoning shirtdress idea from Trena's review, so it looks slightly different than the envelope picture. The top fits great, the skirt only needs a small fitting tweak at the side hip. But there is a lot more work to be done, as I'm lining the skirt, making the collar/collar stand view, and modifying the sleeve to be long with french cuffs.

Wondering whatever happened to my Burda 4-2010-125 red wool skirt? I ended up making a very dumb rookie mistake and cutting the back off grain. I couldn't figure out why the side seams were pulling toward the back and the waist area had stretched out even though I stay-stitched it. Upon closer inspection I detected my error, but unfortunately do not have enough fabric to re-cut. What a bummer! I'll remake it sometime in the future, when I find more red wool or order again from Fabric.com.

Yikes! It's already June 20th and I still have a lined jacket to crank out for this month after I finish the above dress. Why do I always leave that project for the very end?!

19 comments:

  1. me encanta tu blog, feliz embarazo

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  2. That dress is looking great! Bad luck about the skirt. Cakes look yummy too :)

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  3. Love those cakes. Cookie Puppy must be awful cute. The dress is looking great. Having had an end of August pregnancy in the Texas heat, I feel you pain.

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  4. I'm not sure where you are finding the energy to make those awesome cakes and make great progress on the dress which is looking good too.

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  5. Wow! You have been busy! The cakes and the dress all looks great.

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  6. Oh, I LOVED making cakes for my babies when they were smaller! Sniff. SO cute. Lu was like that with naming things, her beloved baby doll when she was little is named Roy. ROY. We don't even KNOW a roy!!! :D

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  7. You are quite the talented lady! Your cakes look great!

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  8. Your cakes amaze me. It reminds me of the Tightwad Gazette author who always said this is the one skill that's worth mastering. I can see why! I'd make more of an effort to learn if I had kids. I'd start by buying those funky-shaped cake tins I see at the thrift store and build from there. At least I have a box of Wilton cake dyes I have yet to use!


    I app-solutely ♥
    my ✄ Fabric U ✄
    iPhone app!
    http://tinyurl.com/242bua9

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  9. Oh what adorable cakes! I know your boys were thrilled and felt special to have such wonderful birthday confections.

    Isn't it HOT?! I don't get along with the heat and know you are miserable.

    Barb

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  10. I am sure your sons were totally excited about their cakes.. they are so cute. The dress is coming along nicely.

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  11. Amazing job in the cakes!! Your dress is coming along great, too!

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  12. Your cakes look great and so does the dress. I love how the line work with the ruching.

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  13. My daughter was born in August,in Houston. I empathize. Stay hydrated and put you feet up whenever possible so that they won't swell.
    Cute cakes. I loved making birthday parties for my two boys . They had one every year until they were about 7 or 8. Those were sooo fun!
    I have the Simplicity dress pattern and was going to do a one color dress. Yours two color dress looks nice!

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  14. You are a real supermum!!! Those cakes are gorgeous and look so delicious - I bet your sons and their friends were thrilled. Oh, and the Simplicity dress is shaping up really nicely.

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  15. Everything is adorable! It's so funny how creative minds are so much alike in certain areas! I love making my kids cakes and I think they appreciate it more too! You did a fab job on everything! Way to go mommy!!!

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  16. Those cakes are just adorable! Happy birthday to your boys. :)

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  17. The cakes are amazing! I love that your son wanted a cake of his beloved stuffed animal. It never occurred to me to ask for a cake of my doll.

    I wore that dress this week! So happy with the functioning button front.

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  18. I found your blog this evening and I cant stop reading! Your clothes are beautifully made and the rate at which you make them is astounding. I feel inspired... I love finding a really great blog.

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