And it fits MUCH better than the size M does (though I’m sure she’ll grow into the first one). She is absolutely fascinated by the big buttons, though- so, if I make this again, I might just stitch the shoulders together- it slips over her head, anyway. Those are the bloomers included in the pattern, by the way- I like the pattern for them a lot.

Well, as you can see, her latest dress is too big right now- maybe for quite some time. I’ve learned that the sizing information isn’t always accurate on some patterns. I was actually worried when I realized I’d grabbed the smaller size range of this pattern, as Gwen’s stats put her at the top of this, the largest, size. When I make another, I’ll go down a size- and narrow the chest a bit, too. It is fun, anyway, though- I love the fabric covered buttons! It’s so cool how easy they are to make with the little kit. Layer, pop! Cute matching button!

Her eyes are so funny right now- pretty, but, funny. They started to change to brown months ago- and stalled. The inner ring around her pupil is golden brown- while the rest of her iris is a cool gray-blue. It’s so hard to see unless she’s in bright light and her pupils are tiny. I did an extreme crop here to try to make it easier to see. It’s not often she’s sitting still long enough to look.

I wonder how long it will take for her eyes to settle?

I’ll be honest- this was a challenging project for me- my first zipper, my first quilting (on the bottom panel), my first time sewing with interfacing, my first time sewing piping- a lot of firsts! I used a tutorial/pattern from Made By Rae- it made it all possible. There were still parts that were over my head for a minute, and I had a few panic attacks during the process, but, I can definitely recommend it if you are an intermediate or even advanced beginner with a sewing machine.

And I’m pretty sure he likes it- that’s the important part! He’s had a lot of fun zipping it up and stuffing it with toys and books. And he was a willing model- that, alone, speaks volumes!

The back is sweet- it’s cut just high enough that you can get a view of the bloomers.

I made a diaper cover to go under it- Prudent Baby’s tutorial- and added some ruffles.

And a little flower clip to go in her hair.

First she blew me some raspberries…

Then, she gave me a thumbs up.

I think it will be perfect for crawling through a HOT summer.

This one just made me laugh! She can look so serious.

But, yeah. She’s not.

Ooooh- and the 44″ long tie strap for this one? I found a cool trick for turning straps with a serger, if you have one. Set it to rolled hem, stitch a looong tail- about 5-10″ longer than the tube you’re about to make- and take the end and tuck it inside the tube when you serge it together. Keep it out of the way of the needles and knives, and hold onto the end while you serge- when you’re done, you can give it a tug and turn the whole tube rightside out! SO much easier than any way I’ve done before, and quick as could be!

Gwen has a cute little ball with fabric tags that she likes to chew on, but, she isn’t quite up to holding onto to it for long, so I added a few more as a tail to this toy. It should be a little easier for her to grasp.

I love that my sewing machine has opened up so many fun crafts! Yay!