My friend Kelli has been smocking again and so today I am turning the blog over to her to inspire you with another amazing creation! Sometimes a piece of fabric speaks to you and you have to have it! Ok, let's be honest: often times, almost always, you can see a fabric online or in a store and you have to have it! As the meme goes: sewing fabric and collecting fabrics are two different hobbies. So we buy that we must have, not always knowing what the fabric will become. O

Last year on my #MakeNine Sewing Goals, I listed making a top or dress from the Building Block Dress Book by Liesl Gibson. it has taken me until this year but this little outfit is the result! If you have ever wanted to dabble in pattern drafting, the Building Block Dress Book is a great way to start! Using the dress planning sheet provided, I sketched out my design and then followed the tutorials provided. I made a 12-18 month size and used Victorian Blue and Blue Pique fab

Today I am continuing on with our Smocking: The Basics series!. This is the 7th post in the series. So far we have covered everything from the history of smocking, to choosing a fabric. You will find all of the previous posts by clicking on the pink link above. Today we are tackling the topic of which pattern to use to make your first smocked garment. As I explained in the History of Smocking, Part 1, smocking originated as a way to control the fullness of the fabric in a gar