Chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins

I don't recall exactly how I first stumbled across these beautiful creations but I do know I immediately pinned them. The version I made and pinned came from Joy the Baker's blog.

I love muffins - they're handy. I can make them ahead of time. They fit in one hand. They travel well and are pre-portioned.

I love donuts - they're yummy. But...they're no treat for the hips, so a baked version has to be better right?

I love chocolate - enough said.

So what could be better than combining all those things together?!

As with all things, I had to make a few changes...

I eliminated the nutmeg because I didn't want a nutmeg flavor to them.
I used skim milk because that's what I had on hand.
I used vanilla yogurt rather than plain because that's what they had in small sizes.
I used semi-sweet chocolate rather than unsweetened because we like our chocolate to taste really chocolatey.

Overall, easy to make and worth the time invested, though I really thought they tasted like a dense version of my vanilla cupcakes.

The chocolate glaze was perfect. I may never make icing/frosting for any cupcake ever again. The glaze was prettier and easier and yummier than any other recipe I have ever made.

Robin Hood Jacket

About a year ago I cast on the Robin Hood Jacket from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits for Tots.  I knit this pattern a few years ago for a friend's new baby and really enjoyed it.  I always knew I wanted one for Lil' Hoot but thought I'd make it in a larger toddler size so (hopefully) she can wear it longer.

What I didn't like about the pattern is that all the pieces are knit separately and then seamed together.  I thought I'd just go ahead and knit the fronts along with the back and leave arm holes when I got to that point.  Good idea, in theory.  It turns out I didn't leave a big enough space for the arm holes, so when I realized I couldn't fix it, I did what every frustrated knitter does...I shoved it in the closet for awhile until finally ripping it all out to start over.  By that time it was well into fall and there was no way I was going to get it finished.

So this Spring when the first trimester exhaustion peaked and all I could do at night was sit and watch tv, I cast on for a new RHJ in a much larger size.  I decided, in my tired state, I should follow the pattern to the letter.  It worked out much better...except...despite being on gauge and knitting a larger size, the sleeves seem to be a bit tight, somewhat remarkable considering my skinny child.  Blocking works wonders though and her sweater is all set for fall...almost...

As you can see, it still needs buttons.  It's not for lack of trying though, I just haven't found the right buttons yet.  I hereby publicly declare to find them, buy them and get them sewn on before fall (if it ever comes).

Smocked Sundresses and an Itty Bitty Baby Dress

Boy-oh-boy am I slow in posted (and completely finishing) these dresses!



Ok, so these dresses have been done for awhile but were part of a super-secret surprise gift for a friend.  I made the Itty Bitty Baby Dress from Made By Rae for her new addition (due any day now) and a Smocked Sundress from Heather Ross for her little girl.

Of course, I couldn't stop at just one Smocked Sundress - Lil Hoot needed one too.  I did the straps differently on Lil Hoot's dress.  I knew she wouldn't stand for straps that tied at her shoulders so I made straps by encasing elastic in a fabric tube.  It's easy-on that way.  What I didn't consider is that it is also incredibly easy-off.  Lil Hoot is constantly taking the straps on/off her shoulders which allows the dress to slide on down and expose her top half - not really what you want to happen at church on Sunday.

Snappy Toddler Top

I've been in the mood to just follow someone else's steps and not have to design from scratch, so I started the Snappy Toddler Top pattern from Prudent Baby...months ago.  It was one of those projects that I just had to put away for a little bit before I could make any progress.



First, always read the comments (if available) before starting a project.  The many people who have gone before you probably have something good to know.  I didn't.  I just dove right in and found myself very angry with the snap installation process.  If I got them to line up right then hammering, even gently and on a soft surface, inevitably bent the snap and made it un-usable.  When the instructions said to "simply line up and hammer in place" - they lied.  So I completely ruined my first set of yoke pieces with trial and error on snaps.  It was okay though...

My first set of yoke pieces didn't come out very smooth.  I'm still new to the machine I'm using and sewing all the small curves of the yoke on this machine certainly had a learning curve (pun intended).  So having to make a second set of yoke pieces ended up being a good thing because the second set came out much smoother.

And I now read all the comments and even collected advice from friends about snaps.  I put the whole thing to the side for a bit while I worked on other projects.  I waited for a sale and then I purchased a pair of snap pliers.  (Great snap tutorial at Sew, Mama, Sew.)  Taking a cue from the comments, I installed the snaps last.  Success!

Of course, since it took me two months from start to finish, I already need to let out the bottom hem so it's not too short!

Lil' Hoot chose the fabric and thanks to Jessica for having sent it along to my stash!  

Doll Stroller Make Over

I found Grace a little doll stroller for a few bucks at a garage sale, but...the seat was icky - slick, stained, odd fabric.  Yuck.  So I knew I'd have to make a new one but it looked simple enough.

I started with this:



Then I ripped it all apart and made the pattern pieces:



And, eventually, I ended up with this:


And a very, very happy Lil' Hoot:


I said "eventually" because I forgot to mark where the pieces should be sewn back together and gave myself a little fit until I saw an online tutorial for an almost identical stroller seat and had a realization. Also, I wanted to make this from things I had in my closet already - no running to the store or spending more money on it. So I used stash fabric, ribbon and bias tape instead of canvas webbing and re-used the same buckle. The dolls really aren't picky and neither is Lil' Hoot. I have a feeling it will rip out before too long though since my tiny toddler refuses to believe the stroller is only for dolls.