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Baby Gifts

Paul's cousin Jessica asked me to create something memorable for a set of twins.
Here they are, two lined burp cloths with each babies’ birth announcement info. I used a seer sucker fabric striped with primary colors so it was matching but unisex.

I also stitched out two personalized burp cloths for each one, but as I often do, I hurriedly dropped them in the mail without taking photographs.

Holden’s One-of-a-Kind Nursery Ensemble

This post is WAY overdue! Thanks Dad, for taking pictures. Last year, I was elated to find out that my sister was expecting another baby. You might recall that entry. Sometime has passed since then and I now have 2 adorable nephews via my sister (not forgetting my 2 delightful nephews & charming niece from Paul’s brother).

photo taken by the uber talented Janica Boles http://www.janicabolesphotography.com/

I was totally stoked to get to create a one of a kind nursery ensemble for the littlest ones bedroom. After searching high and low, my sister settled on Alexander Henry’s Roping Ranch Scenic in Clay. It was a fabulous print!

So, here it is... finally!

We used the Roping Ranch fabric for the bumper pad and accents. I created jumbo cording with denim fabric for a masculine look. The dust ruffle is made of denim and has one simple box pleat on the front and back. To hold the bumper pads in place, I made "belt loop" ties to continue the masculine look.

The center front of the duvet has Roping Ranch Scenic fabric with a border of chenille and another border of denim. The back of the duvet is primarily chenille with a sweet but masculine button closure that matches the Roping Ranch.

To finish off the look, I made a box pleat valance for each window and covered her existing glider cushions with denim toping them off with buttons in the Alexander Henry Fabric. I even made denim panels for each window, but they must not have made the photo shoot... Mandy?

I love you guys and hope there's more babies for me to create sweet nurseries for in the future!

If any of you are wondering about his name in rope, I wish I could claim creative talent on that too! Instead, through the blog of my very talented friend, Teri Mason, my sister found an artist who creates names from rope. Check out Buckaroo Style.

Mommy & Me Bath Wraps

From Sew Keeli Chic

Paul & I are very blessed to have a great group of friends. Our dear friends Kyle & Laurel are always there to help. During our recent move, Kyle really went out of his way to help with his chiropractic expertise. As a small thanks to them, I made Laurel & Elle matching bath wraps. And of course, Kyle wanted to know where his was. Kelly green just isn't his color, but Kyle, yours in on the way.

Barnyard Bash

Sweet Baby Elle is turning 2! For her second birthday, the theme was barnyard bash. It was a blast! Laurel bought her a cute basic tank which I appliqued a number 2 on the front of in red bandana fabric.
Happy Birthdy Elle!

Baby Houdini?

Is a climbing toddler keeping you up at night? How about a snuggle swaddle? This zippered front sleep sack will keep your baby covered and in the crib while sleeping. Warm fabrics for winter, or open airy cotton for those hot summer nights. My dear friend and talented photographer, Jody Horton asked me to create a few of these for his adorable son.

Repurposed ButtonUp Shirts

From Sew Keeli Chic

From Sew Keeli Chic

Stephanie, my friend and long time hair stylist is guilty of shamelessly encouraging my sewing addiction during my visits to her salon. She recently asked me to repurpose a favorite pearl snap shirt of her own into a dress for her niece, Ariana.
Stephanie also picked up this plain western shirt at a thrift store for yet another adorable button up shirt to little girl dress conversion.
Cotton t-shirts to elegant silk button ups can be repurposed into many great gifts or reusable treasures. Contact me for ideas!

From Sew Keeli Chic

Liturgical Vestments for the Traditional Latin Mass

We are blessed in Austin to be offered the Traditional Latin Mass each Sunday at our beautiful cathedral. Paul & I enjoy the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite for its beauty and solemnity.
The exquisite vestments (liturgical garments) used in Roman Catholic masses have always interested me. More importantly, I am intrigued by each pieces significance and symbolic connection to the passion and resurrection of Christ as told in the Bible. Our faith journey introduced us to a wonderful friend in Austin who then introduced me to a delightful seamstress in Ohio who has compiled a wealth of information on vestments from various historical texts. Ms. Judy Fradl of St. Benet’s Guild very kindly mailed me 2 CDs full of information. My dear husband had all the documents printed and bound for me.
In 2007, we were fortunate enough to make another trip to Europe. Our friends, Vince & Silvia helped me get my hands on some fantastic damask fabric and galloons. On our return, I meticulously began sewing a complete set of violet colored vestments for Father Robert Bradley, S.J.
Father Bradley is the epitome of a traditional priest. He’s a teacher, a servant of the Lord, a sheppard to his flock. Thank You Father Bradley!

Special Baby Shower Gifts

From Sew Keeli Chic

Rachel, my cousin-in-law and friend, wanted to give her best friend Holly’s second son a memento that he could keep for years to come. Inspired by his nursery ensemble from Land of Nod, I made this denim and chenille blanket embroidered with a sailboat to match. To top it off, I sewed a denim and white trigger pillow personalized.

From Sew Keeli Chic

From Sew Keeli Chic

Bridesmaid Dress to Decorative Pillow

From Sew Keeli Chic

My dear friend Julie asked me to create a very special Christmas gift for her sister. Julie came up with the idea of using the bridesmaid dress that she wore in her sisters wedding to create decorative pillows.
I’m waiting on Julie to send me a picture of her in the dress J before I took the scissors to it.
There are many more special gifts that can be created from formal gowns that just hang in your closet. Contact me for ideas on what to do with them.

From Sew Keeli Chic

From Sew Keeli Chic

From Sew Keeli Chic

Unique Decor and More

A friend of mine, Scarlett, asked me to sew a few things for her darling daughter, Sophia's playroom. She had a very specific dream for this room and found the most adorable fabric on Fabric.com. I love the way it turned out and so does she.
I sewed two panels to soften the open entry of the playroom and a valance to top her ready made red panels. Come to me with your home décor dreams and I’ll help you effortlessly execute them!

If you're a fabric addict like myself, you'll love Fabric.com. They have many unique fabrics, their prices are great, their delivery is prompt, and any dealing that I have had with their customer service has been more than pleasant. Check out their site and see what inspires you then contact me so we can start creating!

German Dirndl Apron

In my husband Paul's family, there is a peculiar Christmas tradition of men wearing strange things. To unwrap presents, his dad wears a sequin bordered, felt vest that has been passed down for years. You’d have to see it to understand as I personally think it’s a bit sad looking from deterioration over the years. His uncle is known to show up for dinner with Christmas boxers on the outside of his pants. You don’t want to see this…
So, a few years ago, I decided that his mom needed something of her own to wear at Christmas. Because of her German heritage, I decided that a Dirndl inspired apron would be the perfect solution!
Now, I present to you, Sharon in her Christmas Dirndl Apron!

Home Decor & more

Home décor is one of my favorite sewing genres. Some time ago, my hair stylist and good friend Stephanie Migues asked me to create some window treatments for her.
My challenge, to meet Steph's eccentrically bold style with fabric! It was a challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed. Look at this beautiful bold home decor fabric that I found at Hobby Lobby.Over her kitchen sink, I created a window valance with cute wooden bead trim.For her sliding glass doors, we used the same fabric in reverse to wrap a padded wooden cornice board. This dramatically dressed up and softened an often awkward but necessary space in many homes.Near the same area, we again used the right side of this beautiful woven fabric to create a flat roman shade to provide privacy without comprising beauty or functionality.

From Sew Keeli Chic

From Sew Keeli Chic

From Sew Keeli Chic

From Sew Keeli Chic

Photography by Steph's lovely and talented husband David of ATX Photography.

Lions & Tigers & ELLE, oh my!!

For years, I’ve been longing to sew infant and children’s Halloween costumes. As a child, one of my fondest memories included the elaborate costumes that my mom would create. Everyone’s admiration for my mom’s talent made me such a proud kid.
Now, I yearned to give a special child that same feeling. I couldn’t think of a more special child than Elle. She’s the daughter of some of our dear friends who we are blessed to live near and spend lots of time with.
She’s an incredibly friendly little red head who fit the part of Dorothy splendidly.

From Sew Keeli Chic

Elle complete with Toto, basket, and ruby red slippers!

From Sew Keeli Chic

For more pictures of Elle in costume, visit her Halloween blog post.

Think of me next year when looking for that unique Halloween costume or for any special occassion costume or dress!

Euro Mermaid Dress

Meet Lucy! Lucy is the daughter of my one of my dear college roommates Cheri. You'll notice that one of my first posts is of tiny dresses I created for Lucy before she was born. This past summer, Cheri asked me to create a special dress for Lucy's first birthday using a mermaid theme. I stumbled upon this super cute and popular fabric and this is what I came up with.
Isn't she adorable?!

From Sew Keeli Chic

As a gift to Lucy, I created a flannel pendant banner with applique' letters spelling "Happy 1st Birthday Lucy". It's something she can cherish for years.

From Sew Keeli Chic