If You Give a Mouse a Cookie: Delia Creates

Most of the blogs I frequent I am unable to tell you the exact post I was hooked, usually kind of a gradual "like", you know?  Well, I remember one of the first posts of Delia's I read, I was hooked, her Lip Gloss Tutorial from Color My Summer Series.  Her photos.  Oh, her photos.  All magazine worthy as you'll see below if you haven't experienced them before.  You'll be hooked, too, not just her photos, but her fun projects, and her cute personality will help reel you in, and make you wish she was your good friend next door.  
I give you delightful Delia!

I have to admit. When I got the email from Katy asking me to participate in Once Upon A Thread, my heart just about leaped out of my chest. I absolutely loved the spring edition of this series and am beyond thrilled to take part for this round. Katy is someone I really look up to. She is such a wonderful source of inspiration in so many ways. Her taste is impeccable, her numerous talents- envious, and her writing is intelligent and witty. Most inspiring to me...are her mothering skills which I hope to emulate one day.

For my post today, I chose one of my favorite books...

It's one of my three year old's new favorites as well. There's something magical about sharing a book you loved as a child with your own children; and it's even more rewarding when they love it too. 


"If you give a mouse a cookie,

he's going to ask for a glass of milk."

"When you give him the milk,

he'll probably ask you for a straw."

My little mouse didn't ask for a napkin, although he probably should have.  :)

 

Taking some inspiration from the mouse's overalls, I came up with some of my own...

Now, I searched every fabric store in town and online for a good overalls pattern. I couldn't find any in the stores and the online patterns were going to cost more than my fabric. Didn't want to go that direction. So...I took MADE's pant pattern and added some overalls elements to it.

Sorry...no tutorial but you can kind of see what I did from these pictures here.


I sketched the additional paper patterns and used them to make a cloth prototype out of some old bed sheets. This step allowed me to try it on my son before I cut into my more expensive corduroy. It also helped me play around with the design more effectively.

I still had to tweak and edit as I went {which is why there is no tutorial}, but I have to say the process was really fun.

I went back and forth about using denim like the mouse's overalls. In the end I chose to use this nice gray corduroy instead, and I'm quite happy with it.

This is honestly the most care I have put into a garment to date. Every raw seam was zig-zagged {still dreaming about owning a serger}, many of the seams were reinforced and sewn flat. It was such a rewarding endeavor for me.

Taking the time to sew and sew with care is something this project has taught me I need to do more often.

To make my button holes I used this tutorial from Grosgrain.

To sew on my buttons I used this technique from Ruffles and Stuff. Once you sew a button on this way, you may never go back. I haven't.

This picture reveals the mouse's back pockets.

I loved the striped detail on the pockets, so I added some to my overalls using thin gray bias tape.

It's my favorite part...that and the back buttons.

 After I finished making these overalls and a batch of cookies for my 'mouse,' I felt quite a bit like the little boy from the end of the book...

but most things that are worth doing will do that to you.

Thanks for letting me play along Katy!

You're hooked, huh.  Little boys in overalls are one of the cutest things!  Great job, Delia!