Little Girl's Pinafore Tutorial

I love, love, love pinafores on little girls. They are so versatile. You can put a long-sleeved shirt and leggings under it in cold weather and it grows with your little one, starting out as a dress and ending up as a shirt. Multifunctional and adorable, what more could you ask for?

This is the second reversible pinafore I have made for Monkey. I got the original 6-12 month pattern from Smashed Peas and Carrots, but have had to modify it a lot for my 22 month old petite little miss (the original pattern was way to wide for her and slipped right off her shoulders). This version is better, but there are a few more alterations I want to make. I will post the final pattern when I finally get it adjusted.

You will need 1/2 yard of each print (I used 4 fat quarters), coordinating thread, and 2 sets of snaps or 2 buttons.

Cut pattern from both prints of 

pre-washed fabric. Don't forget to 

flip the back panel pattern over 

before cutting the second piece or 

you will essentially end up with 2 

left sides or 2 right sides.

Pin back panels to front piece,

right sides together, and sew.

Then press the seams (this is an 

important step that really makes

homemade projects look more

professional, so don't skip it!).

 Pin the 2 print to each other, right 

sides together. I like to err on the side 

of caution, and use a lot of pins.

 Mark a 2-3 inch section across

the bottom, so you will remember

to leave and opening for turning.

Sew pieces together (I use a 1/8 inch 

seam allowance, but you can use 

what you are most comfortable with), 

backstitching about an inch on either 

side of the space you left open for 

turning.

 Before turning, clip little Vs on the 

curves of the straps, neck, and arm

holes. This will help the fabric lay

flatter once it is turned right side out.

 Turn right side out, press, pin 

opening closed, and topstitch using 

the smallest seam allowance you

are comfortable with (this helps

your finished product look more

clean and professional).

Add snaps or buttons, and put it on your cutie!

Inspiration - Jewel Tones

I really love deep, bold jewel tones. I like wearing them, I like seeing them, and I like working with them. Here is a collage I put together of some jewel toned photos that inspire me.

Recipe for Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Mahkani)

We really love "ethnic" meals at my house. Even my (nearly) 2 year old tears 'em up! Here is our favorite Indian dish. It is a little spicy but you could half the measurements of each spice to "white bread" it up. The recipe might seem intimidating at first, but it really is pretty simple and you can find all the ingredients at a run-of-the-mill grocery store.

 What you'll need:
For Marinade-
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 teas. black pepper
1 teas. cayenne pepper
1 teas. red curry powder
1 teas. hot madras curry powder
1 teas. cumin
1 teas. cardamom
1 teas. coriander
2 tbl. lemon or lime juice
5 garlic cloves - minced (or 1 heaped tbl. of pre-minced garlic)

For Sauce-
1 large onion - chopped
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz.)
1/2 can crushed tomaotes (you need 14 oz. but I've only found 28 oz. cans)
1 pint heavy cream

1. Cube chicken to 1/2 inch pieces (I find it helpful to put the chicken in the freezer for about 40 minutes before I cut it. It really helps you get more uniform cubes)

2. Add spices, garlic, and lemon/lime juice. Let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (the longer the better!)

3. After chicken has marinated, saute onion in half of the butter (1/4 c. or half a stick) on medium until translucent. [Start rinsing/cooking rice while the onion sautes and everything will be finished at the same time] Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add crushed and diced tomatoes cover and cook for 25 minutes.
5. Add cream and cook an additional 5 minutes with the lid off.
6. Serve over bismati or jasmine rice (these types of rice should be fluffy, not sticky. This is the method I use and the rice is perfect every time).

We like to pair this with curried zucchini (in picture above - recipe coming soon!) and homemade naan with raita (yogurt sauce), but sometimes I'm not up for the challenge. When I'm being lazy too busy to make everything from scratch, we have pre-packaged sides from the Indian section of the grocery store like Palak Paneer (creamy spinach with Indian cheese) and Puppodums (think slightly puffed, saltless cracker) with Mango Chutney.

*Note: This recipe is my own, after years of trial and error, so if you are going to re-post it or pass it along please remember to credit me as the source. Thanks!*