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Thanks Todd, that helps!

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Here’s a post on butane irons and a video of one being used. Not so scary…

http://www.granny-miller.com/butane-clothes-iron/

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Super expensive (and scary!) is this option: butane iron — no electricity, no cord

https://www.lehmans.com/p-1106-butane-clothes-iron.aspx

Sad irons are cheaper if you have a way of heating them:

https://www.lehmans.com/p-2508-sad-clothes-irons.aspx

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Chiming in for the small but mighty New England state of Vermont! Sarvi, we have lots of farms (cow, goat, sheep and sunflowers to name a few), iconic red barns and covered bridges, mountain views and river valleys, loads of colonial history and even our own sea-monster, Champ. I can’t guarantee we’ll see him but Lake Champlain is gorgeous all by itself.

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Anything smaller than a sheet of paper, I take to our recycle center. Yes, they recycle fabric scraps!

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Hmm, and I just saw this one: http://www.bellabliss.com/product/Jaquelyn_Dress/dresses_and_jumpers

They got poor Sugar City too: http://www.bellabliss.com/product/Brooke_Dress/dresses_and_jumpers

Well, they’ve effectively lost me as a customer — I can already sew myself what they’re offering!

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Fourth-ing on the dressing gown, but pleeeeese no wrap and tie! They never stay closed, or tied. Something elegant, with buttons or snaps, perhaps with a raglan sleeve — like this one (which I made in size 2 but can’t find bigger!): Simplicity 5217 Simplicity 5217

Really, I’ve looked — there’s nothing like this in stores…

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I agree with Nicole — you don’t need the batting for structural reasons but I’m glad I didn’t cut the corner there as it makes it feel much nicer than a thinner layer would.

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Wow, so glad I’m not the only one too lazy to get up and walk across the room to get my card info 😉

Seriously, on smaller company web sites, I like the added protection of not having to send my personal banking numbers to be processed. Paypal is an added layer of security from hackers and unvetted small mom and pop shops.

As far as I remember, O+S’s pp checkout was the same as every other small site, so I’m no help there.

Thanks for asking, though!

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I just pin mine into a scrap of fabric or paper, mostly so it doesn’t fall out of my wicker trash basket (whereupon I’d then surely step on it), and toss it in the bin. But then, I don’t change them NEARLY as often as I should… 😉

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I have to say the bear carrier gets the least amount of use around our house but I think that’s because we are in a rural area and most day-tripping stuffies get left in the car once we reach our destination. I could see the carrier being much more useful in an urban area with public transportation as the means of traveling.

Now the bucket hat, tutus and apron — I can barely get them off of her at night!

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I can’t say for the size 10, but my daughter is 5, quite slim, and I cut the elastics to 4 inches for her. There was plenty of room to slip on the top and I could have made them slightly shorter without a problem.

Hope this helps.

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I’d also recommend aprons, either bibbed or waist tied. Often my kid (5 1/2) will throw on an apron over her regular clothes to make up her character. It’s a simple way for her to look down and see the costume without the fussiness of climbing into one and fastening up. The bibbed aprons are especially easy to fancy up into ball gowns and uniforms and take much less sewing and materials too.

I second super big snaps. They are a pain to sew on but don’t snag like velcro or require tying skills.

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A felt roast chicken! Well, technically that was last week.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13756623@N06/6521922473/in/photostream

The kid asked for an 18th century play kitchen so we’ve made twig whisks and gingerbread play dough, sewed linens and muslins and I’m just now putting finishing touches on the (wooden) cradle and (cardboard) fireplace.

Accessories shot here — some thrifted, most made, a few gifts:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13756623@N06/6560894583/in/photostream

Ya gotta love a kid with an imagination and a love of history!

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If I’m working with something that frays easily or sheds (like terry or cord), then I’ll often serge the edges before sewing to keep things neat and clean. I’ll also serge pieces ahead of time if my fabric is thick and I don’t want a bulky seam finish, usually with pants or winter shorts in the inner leg area, on cord dresses or shirts under the arm. I don’t like finishing seams after I’ve sewed them together so this works for me.