Recent sewing projects

Lucky for blog addicts, I'm on house arrest while our floors are being redone, so I'm getting some pictures posted.
I"m sure I've mentioned before that Parker is OBSESSED with stuffed animals, and all tiny animal figurines.  She builds them homes and dresses them up.  It's hard to find clothes for a tiny horse, especially when no one is interested in taking you horse clothes shopping.  Parker is finding ways to make her own....there's a puppy dog somewhere that has a tube dress made from the plastic bag that comes on the newspaper.  One saturday morning, she was struck with the need to actually SEW something.
So I found an old tshirt and had her trace out a pattern with a sharpie and cut it out.  I pinned and she sewed using my machine. 

Ta Daaaa.  The pattern needs some adjustment, but I'm told that the horse doesn't it mind it being non-form fitting because he just sleeps in it. She's been bugging me for a little sewing machine, but I'm thinking I'll just pass mine down, and ~I'll~ get a new one. 

Here's something I did.  Parker wants some "loungewear" made from  tshirt material, similar to some I have.  She's requested that I give them to her when I grow out of them, but since I'm hoping that won't happen, I found a youtube video tutorial that shows you how to make yoga pants out of an old tshirt. 

Notice that I salvaged the pocket.  It has a cool logo from an electrical company.

Ta daaa.  The finished product is just as sloppy looking and ill fitting as most of the home sewn stuff I see on the internet.  This pattern may need an adjustment as well.

Volleyball

Long time no blog (aside from the most recent one).  You can't believe how busy we are this year.  Not that much has changed, but it seems like I just run from one activity to an errand to another activity or meeting.  In fact, the only way I'm getting this blog post done, is to take my laptop with me while I'm waiting on Parker.

One thing that is eating up a few hour a week is VOLLEYBALL.  Parker is finally old enough to play in a rec volleyball league.  She tried soccer when she was 3 (?) but didn't care for being trampled.  She has always loved the game of throwing a ball or stuffed animal or ball of socks or balloon back and forth, and luckily she likes volleyball too. This would have been a long season had she not.

In 2nd grade, you serve overhand for your first try, and then you can serve it underhand.  Parker played her 5th game 2 weeks ago and she FINALLY got one over the net serving overhanded. Bob and I nearly lept off the bleachers.  She has a good strong underhand serve and she can bump a ball well when it comes to her...in fact the coach for the other team told her players "watch out - she's little but she hits big"...but the overhand serve has been really tough.  Hopefully now that she's had some success, she'll continue to do well.

She'll practice until dark if we let her.  Of course she needs one of us out there to watch, cheer, critique and feed her the ball.

All the other girls are wearing the traditional volleyball 'booty shorts' that look like short bike shorts.  Thankfully Parker prefers basketball shorts or running shorts.  I doubt I'd be able to find them small enough for her anyway.

BREAKING NEWS:  In saturday's game, Parker was AWESOME!  She had 2 or 3 overhanded serves that went over the net, one for a point at match point! (she didn't realize she was serving for the game winner until I told her in the car after the game)  She also hit nearly every ball that came to her back over the net too.  Her underhanded serve was solid as always.  They won the game, after being on a long loosing streak and they were all so thrilled!