Oh, the joys of hand crafting...Haha

Why can't that joy be easier to get to???
For Fourth of July, Mommy and I both had some projects we wanted to get done. I wanted to get some hairbands with stars done, and Mommy wanted to make some matching tiered tee shirt dresses.
After experimenting for about an hour on making a star to go on the hairbands, I finally asked Mommy to look for a pattern online. I looked at the pattern she found, and it all made sense- finally!
And as to the hairbands... I've made them before (with the same pattern). I had no problems with them last time. This time... they look like earmuffs. The yarn was just too thick to make good summer hairbands (not to mention the one that should have fit Bethani fit me instead, and she was able to wear Emmi's!!!). So, I'll most likely be finding thinner yarn and starting over. Maybe these ones won't look quite so out of place in November.
And then there are the dresses... I offered to help Mommy with the gathers on the tiers, since she dislikes that part. Let's put it this way- I need some more practice!!!
First, I had finished gathering the skirt to the size of the shirt. Then I started evening out the gathers. I must have pulled the wrong thread or something, because the next thing I know, I don't have any gathers left!!! So, I needed to start over. Then I snapped the thread and... you guessed it. I had to start over. Finally I was ready to pin the shirt and the first tier together. I pinned it together.. backwards! So I had to take ALL the pins out, put ALL the pins back in, and then Mommy was able to sew it together. Then I took all those gathering stitches out, gathered the next tier, and pined it on the first tier... BACKWARDS!!! And had to take ALL the pins out, put ALL the pins back in, and let Mommy sew it. Luckily I didn't pull out the wrong threads when I was taking out the gathering threads!
So, the lesson from this experience? Tiered skirts are (much!) harder to make then they look... And when a pattern for hairbands says "use this yarn"... use that yarn!!! Now time for more knitting... don't be surprised if I have another "handcrafting mistakes" post up soon... haha...