Back to School: Second Grade Fashion

We've had a nice, easy transition into the school year with Isabelle so far. We have yet to complete a full five-day week, so that's nice.  =)  

I thought I'd share some of her special outfits from the past week and a half.

I saw an adorable skirt on The Pleated Poppy blog a while back and knew I just had to make a similar one- is this not the cutest?!? The one featured was blue yellow with navy blue, but this pink, green, and burst of yellow combo was squealing out my name. So pink, green, and burst of yellow it is.

Yeah, oops. I made the pockets too narrow for her little hands.

We had a nice chuckle over that. =)

The buttons are for show only. The waistband in the front is reinforced with interfacing, and in the back, 1 3/4" wide elastic. Or is it 2 inches? Perhaps I'll do a tutorial in this skirt in the future- it was different from anything I've tried, and I like how it all came together.

I don't like that it doesn't look like a "little girl" skirt. Gah. Why does she have to grow up so fast?

 Oh, and please excuse the weeds and such growing out of my garage/driveway. What? By the end of summer, I just can't keep up with rampant weeds anymore.

This dress is a very basic A-line shape with straps and buttons. The material is a lightweight denim, which allows it to hang better than if it were just a light cotton. Such a fun print, too!

You'll notice this pink shrug a lot. A LOT.

We kind of both love it.  =) 

Best $1.99 I ever spent (The Children's Place)

And tennis shoes. She really, really wanted tennis shoes this year.

Only she calls them her Skechers. ha ha

 I love everything about this outfit. The skirt will be a staple this fall during those transition temperature changes because it will look perfect with boots. I'm thinking of taking a few orders for this in my shop...I'll keep you posted.

The tank top was sort of accidental. I made one for me, which I adore, and Isabelle asked me to make her one so we could match. I think I had it finished within the hour, ha! I know she won't want to match me forever, so I'll take it when I can get it.

Confession time.

Here is what Isabelle wore on the first day of school.

 Big brother wanted to have his picture taken with our little second grade scholar. So sweet!

I let her choose, and she chose hot pink leopard shorts and yes, you guessed it, the pink shrug.

I could lie and say it didn't bother me, and that I didn't even shed a tear or two about it. My baby girl is growing up, and I didn't want her to feel like she owed it to me to wear something I made for her- I want her to be happy to wear those special things, not forced to. That makes sense, right? Needless to say, she chose lots of Mommy-made pretties the rest of the week.  ;)

That's it for now...hope you have a great day!!

You can find Rose & Ruffle on instagram HERE 

and keep up to date on our life HERE.

Sweet Birdies

I knew this adorable fabric would become the cutest ever nightgown. And it did! It's even cuter than I'd imagined. I love it!

The background is a true white, not sure why the colors look a little different in each photo. I'll say it's because the light that day was wonky.  =)

So far, I've made this in a toddler size and a newborn size, and they each made me giddy. I will be taking a break from the shop in the next few weeks, and I won't be making any new summer items, so if you've been on the fence, now is the time to order.  =)

I'll be back with some gorgeous new things for fall...

Finishing a Project When You're Ready to Give Up

Good morning! I think this post could be alternately entitled: "The Project That Made Me Cry. A Lot."

A couple of months ago I put a picture of a tunic top I was making on instagram.

And I just knew. It was going to be that kind of a project.

Well then. Since none of us has two right arms, there really isn't much need for a double right-armed top now, is there? But that's what too-early, dark mornings will do to a girl.

And I had zero extra fabric.

After repeated trips to the store and looking online proved futile, and the print is just so pretty that I hated the thought of giving up entirely, I amended the project. Shorter length, slightly narrower width. Problem solved, I smugly thought.

And then this.

Oh it might look innocent enough, but it was brutal, painful, nauseating...all of it! The seams refused to line up, the fabric insisted on puckering where flat and smooth were required, the lining...well, wouldn't- it fought me Every.Single.Step.Of.The.Way.

I thought I was going to have to toss the whole thing out, but I just couldn't. The fabric is so pretty and dainty (neither of which you could possibly tell from the awful photos above), and I could see the finished top in my head and it looked so, so cute. Very much unlike the one staring me down on my sewing table.

So I did leave it alone for a few weeks. Sometimes that's what you need to do before you can move forward.

And here it is on my little girl, after winter fiiiiinally ended and she could get by without fifty layers to keep warm, ha.

I'm not going to lie and tell you that I'm incredibly pleased with the results, that everything worked out perfectly. It did not. I had to get creative with hiding those puckers and mismatched seams (decorative buttons), and really just let go of the idea of it needing to be absolutely perfect. Nobody but me is going to inspect it, and it does look as pretty on my beautiful daughter as I imagined it would. Plus, she loves it, which is really all that matters.  =)

Here she is on our recent Girl's Day. Cute tops just scream for ice cream!

 

We enjoyed a beautiful day at The Fells in Newbury, NH with Mimi (my Mom). There were so many flowers to see and sniff, and we took a tour of the estate which belonged to John Hay (an advisor and friend to Abraham Lincoln) and his family. Fascinating history there, and perhaps the older two gals of our happy little trio enjoyed that part more than the adorable little pip squeak, but she did a good job listening.  =)

Apparently all of the surrounding area was flat, clear farmland, which gave you a view of Lake Sunapee from every vantage point on the estate. No more. The trees have filled in, obscuring much of it, but it is still breathtaking. There is one small view below from the main garden in the back of the property. 

My beautiful little girl and me

 There was a trail that led to a Fairy Village, where children can create fairy houses of their own. This is one versatile top...from ice cream to fairies!

I have been extremely busy keeping up with orders, so thank you thank you thank you!

This darling set was mailed out last week for sisters. I just love it!

And of course, I still make time to sew special things for my baby's babies...

You can find me on instagram- roseandruffle - to see other projects and snippets of our daily life. Say hi!  =)

Isabelle's Denim Tiered Maxi Skirt

Good Monday morning! The sun is shining and the summer fun is in full swing...plus two are heading off for sleep-overs today. Doesn't that always put an extra happy spring in your step?  ;)

I still cannot fathom how this baby girl of mine is growing up ever so quickly. She loves dresses, but she is really into long skirts. Only she didn't have any for summertime. So I whipped up this lightweight denim maxi skirt in about an hour on Saturday evening, and she hasn't wanted to take it off since church yesterday. That's what I call success! It will transition perfectly into Fall, too.

I have had several requests for these skirts in the shop, so that might be a possibility in the coming weeks. With all my free time, that is.  =)

I also post sewing projects (and the occasional mishap!) on instagram if you want to find me (roseandruffle) there.

Have a fabulous week!

A Fun Summer Tote Bag with Pockets

Okay, first things first. I have no idea what's going on with the color in these pictures, so I'm going to go ahead and blame it on the weather conditions. I only remember sunny skies, but hey, the problem couldn't be me, right?

Anyhoo.

I was green way before it was widely accepted, as I used to make myself tote bags back in high school. They were known to hold flowers on occasion, the ever-present glass bottle of Lemon Iced Tea Snapple, writing journals, knick-knacks, sometimes even my flute! So maybe I was more of a dork than an environmental activist, but I loved to sew, and I loved bags. I saw it as the ultimate win-win.

For whatever reason, I hadn't sewn totes or pouches or clutches in a really long time until just recently. I had this one in mind for Isabelle's teacher, who is such a sweetheart; she also just lost her Mom two weeks ago after a long illness, and we feel so sad for her and her family. Isabelle and I decided on a tote bag with lots of pockets because we could fill them with goodies for her for the summer.

The colors are bright and fresh, but since they are cottons, I added a little quilt batting for some stability. I realized too late that I should have added batting or at least interfacing to the straps, but they are layered and stitched together, so unless she's using this tote to transport bricks, she should be set.

The straps are long enough for the tote to be worn on the shoulder, but not so long that they'll be a pain simply to carry. I like that in a tote.  =)

There are no pockets on the inside, but there are six outside. They're rather narrow but not too deep, so they should hold sunglasses, phones, water bottles and the like very well.

Some of the fun things we included were small bags of candy, pens, a crossword puzzle, a cute spiral journal/notebook, some sparklers and a few other simple items. We sure hope she loves her new tote bag and the surprises inside.

I shared a photo of the bag on IG and a few people asked if it will be for sale in the shop...I don't know! (But thanks for the vote of confidence!)

I wrote about some of our summer traditions over at Celebrate...the post is here if you want to read it. Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

New Item at Rose and Ruffle: White Cotton Nightgown or Portrait Dress

I just love watching my little girl twirl and dance around in some of her summer nightgowns. Her smile lights up her whole face- as well as everyone's around her, too- and she tells me how much she feels like a real-life princess. She literally beams, and I soak in as much as I can.

I've just added a new listing for a white 100% cotton muslin nightgown for baby, toddler and little girls. It's so soft and delicate, has a generous ruffle at the hem, a white ribbon bow, and flutter sleeves. I can also add lace to the sleeves for an additional fee. Sizes are Newborn through 5t.

This would be a wonderful portrait dress as well. I can imagine how pretty it would look for beach portraits, or even portraits in the park.  (No, it doesn't have to be just a nightgown!)

If you have any questions, you can reach me at 3sonsplus1@gmail dot com or simply contact me over at Etsy in my shop, Rose and Ruffle.

Have a great night! We are glued to the TV (well, obviously some more than others, ha) watching soccer. GO USA!

Favorite Recipes for Dads

Happy Father's Day a little early! I'm so thankful for a godly husband, who is such a wonderful and caring father to our children, and for my Dad, who I just adore and still to impress on a daily basis (in the good way).

In honor of special Dads everywhere, I put together a round-up of some favorite recipes over at CELEBRATE!. I hope you enjoy them!

Here is a little preview to whet your appetite...  ;)

Friday Feature: Little Girl's Summer Halter Dress

Watermelons and halter straps just say it's summertime like nothing else can.

This adorable halter dress is made from a cool, lightweight cotton blend that mimics seersucker, minus all the wrinkles.

This is the LAST ONE!

An oversized red and white polka dot bow and a ruffled bodice...yes, please!

Size 5/6

This dress can be in the mail today!

See this link for order/purchase details: https://www.etsy.com/listing/126592046/girls-summer-halter-dress-red-and-aqua?ref=shop_home_feat_1

This is the last of my sweet watermelon fabric, but there are other prints and colors available in this halter style. Contact me through my shop and I would be happy to create a custom dress just for you!

Happy Friday!

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Friday Feature: Patriotic Halter Dress

Okay, so it's now Saturday...oops!

In the spirit of patriotism, and for the love of a really cute summery dress, I thought I'd feature this adorable Stars & Polka Dots halter dress today.

The dress is comfortable and easy, perfect for those hazy summer days.

Size 4T/4, and can be mailed to you immediately upon purchase.

Here is the link for more details:

Rose & Ruffle: Halter Patriotic Dress

This is the very last one!

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Bethany

If you're looking for a fun, festive, summery (and EASY!) dessert, check my recipe for crepes here.

The Ultimate List of Chocolate Recipes

Good morning! I've been working on a few tutorials to share, but until I'm finished with them, I thought I'd share some of our very favorite chocolate recipes. Enjoy!

Aah-mazing Brownies with Cream Cheese Topping

 Copy Cat Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs - why make these just for Easter? They are SO good.

 The most versatile chocolate cookie ever!

Whoopie Pies with REAL Creme Filling - these are always a hit!

No-Bake Vanilla Cake Bites and Chocolate Truffles