sewing • cooking • crafting • all things domestic
So we have four young children in our family which means we go through a lot of snacks and I mean A LOT! So back when my oldest two were itty bitty I sewed together some reusable snack bags that we have been using for many years. Since then we've added two more children and I decided it was time to sew up a few more for all our summer outings. … continue reading
Dear Caspian, Today you are 9 years old! Happy Birthday, Buddy! I can't believe you are only one year a way from double digits. My, how the time flies! Here are some things I'd like to remember about you when you were 9 years old and some thing you might like to know too........ … continue reading
It's that time of year again.........time for summer sewing! I've rounded up a group of Free Summer Sewing Patterns & Tutorials for your little girls. Although, fall is my favorite season of the year, there is something so sweet about summer sewing......sundresses, bonnets, ruffles. Also, the bright colored fabrics and trims make my heart swoon. I've collected several dresses, hats, skirts, shorts and hooded towels that are all available for free here on The Cottage Mama blog. So I hope you'll enjoy this round-up of projects! … continue reading
Last weekend I created a New Summer Picnic Dress which is another version of my Free Summer Picnic Dress Pattern. I haven't made this dress in a long time, so it was really fun to sew one of these again. I originally created this dress for my Matilda (who is now 6 years old), but the one that I sewed here is for our little Josephine (16 months old). … continue reading
Dear Matilda, Happy Birthday! Today you turn 11 years old. You've been counting down the days until your birthday for about 20 days now and the day is finally here! Things are a little different this year on your birthday since we are experiencing a global pandemic (COVID-19), but nevertheless, we will still be celebrating our special girl (you!) today! Here are a few things I'd like to remember about you when you turned 11 years old and a few things you might like to remember about your 11 year old self...... You love all things NASA. You know so much … continue reading
Reversible Tulip Petal Sun Hat My dear, sweet friend, Evy Hawkins, has created a wonderful tutorial for taking The Cottage Mama 'Tulip Petal Sun Hat' free pattern and making it reversible.......thus a Reversible Tulip Petal Sun Hat! She's also sharing how to add embroidery to this darling hat. Isn't the one she created for her granddaughter just the cutest? Evy is an incredibly talented seamstress and has so much knowledge to share! … continue reading
My children love stuffed animals and I wanted to make a sweet little bunny plush toy for our new baby girl, Josephine Mae. If you own a copy of my 'Woodland Hand Applique Set' you can simply use the large bunny applique to create this adorable toy. This bunny rabbit takes no time at all to sew, so if you're looking for something to make for your little one, give this a try! … continue reading
Dear Savannah, Happy birthday, Savannah!! Today you turn 12 years old. 12 years old.......I can hardly believe it. In a years time, I will have my first teenager. It just doesn't seem possible. When I started The Cottage Mama, you were a little toddler and now look at you.......you are a beautiful young woman. Here are some things I would like to remember about you when you turned 12 years old and some things you might like to know about your 12 year old self. You love, love, love dance. You spend 6 or so days a week dancing working on ballet, pointe, tap, … continue reading
One of my daughters’ very favorite presents has been a collection of art supplies for her to use and get creative. We are on the go a lot, so what better way to bring her art supplies along than with a Crayon Art Tote. If you have a budding little artist in your life, make them their own Crayon Art Tote……….it is guaranteed to be a present they will treasure for many years to come! … continue reading
I absolutely love having special Christmas outfits for my kids. The last two years my mom (aka Grandma Jane) has volunteered to make the kids Christmas dresses / outfits, but since she was out of commission recovering from her aortic valve replacement surgery, I knew I was definitely on duty this year. Generally I like to make the girls coordinating looks, but this year I decided to go for completely matching. I used my Georgia Vintage Dress Pattern and made Savannah a size 6 and Matilda a size 5 and they both looked absolutely darling (if I do say so myself). Now … continue reading
Lindsay Wilkes is the owner and designer behind The Cottage Mama. She creates timeless, vintage inspired sewing patterns for children’s clothes. She is also a fabric designer for Riley Black Designers / Penny Rose Fabrics, author of the book ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls’ and can be seen teaching nationwide and online in her video series ‘Lessons with Lindsay’ sponsored by Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery machines.
