Kids Clothes Week Challenge: Double Layer Twirl Skirts

It is now Day #3 of the Kids Clothes Week Challenge and I've made three items--woo hoo! My goal was five (ambitious or crazy? You decide). Items #2 and 3 were both skirts--Double Layer Twirl Skirts, to be exact. I used a tutorial from one of my most favorite blogs ever, The Cottage Home. Lindsay, aka The Cottage Mama, sews so many adorable things for her girls and I just love her patterns. She always includes detailed instructions and great photos--check out the blog if you haven't already!

Anyhow, I wanted to make a couple skirts for my girl for next summer (since she already has too many for this summer. Seriously. You should see her closet.) Since I made them a size up I didn't get any photos of her modeling, but I'm really pleased with how they turned out. Sewing simple skirts like these is one of my favorite projects since I know I can usually finish one in under an hour. These were no exception--each one took approximately half an hour each.

But first, let's please talk about fabric. Have you ever checked out the Out to Sea line by Sarah Jane Studios for Michael Miller? You must. This fabric line is from last summer and is getting a little harder to find, but it's still out there in some Etsy shops. I love just about anything nautical and this weaves in the more traditional "boy" look of nautical and gives it a more feminine look by mixing brilliant pinks with navy. I used a border print to show off the sailboats for the top layer, which was a great use for a print like this!

The other skirt was made using some red/white and blue/white seersucker. I think both fabrics are from Joann's? I don't remember...but anyhow, I went with the whole "nautical" theme for these and I think they might be my new favorite of the week.

Two more days, two more items to make. Think I can do it?

Kids Clothes Week: Ice Cream Social Dress

Project #1 for Kids Clothes Week was based on a tutorial by Craftiness is Not Optional called the Ice Cream Social Dress. I've made this dress a few times before and can't say enough good things about it. For starters, it's adorable. The tutorial is very simple to follow and the dress can be made up in under an hour. Another bonus? It can be worn as a dress for a season or two and also as a tunic top if it gets to short as the child grows. I like that kind of versatility!

The only change I made to the original pattern was on the sleeves. Instead of the ruffled sleeves I made four separate strips for shoulder ties to make for a more casual look. Also, I didn't have any 1/4" elastic on hand so I had to improvise :)

I used about a yard of fabric for this project. The fabric is Retro Rose out of the Poppy Love Collection by Swirly Girls Design for Michael Miller. I loooove this collection and have a few other cuts from other designs that I can't wait to use.

Stay tuned the rest of the week to see the other projects!

Pictures in the Park

So my camera lens broke, which was quite a bummer. An expensive bummer, too, which is why I am living without that lens (and of course it was the "I do everything" lens, the 18-55mm that the camera came with). So while I save up to buy a replacement (grrrrr) I've been using my 50mm f/1.8 (code for "the lens you use for close ups and portraits where you want a sharply focused foreground and blurred background"). Being forced to use it has meant that I've learned a few things about it and how to take better pictures than I could just a week ago. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's been a blessing in disguise, because blessings don't typically come with high price tags, but still. I've enjoyed working with it and my favorite subject has agreed to act as my model, so long as she gets to run around in the park and receive as many applesauce snack pouches as she can eat and play with my makeup. Deal.

That was Friday. Here was yesterday:

Side note: the gray floral dress she's wearing in the photos above is one I made this week as part of a sewing challenge I'm participating in, which you can read about over on my sewing site.

And on another unrelated note, Chad just finished his second to last MBA course. As in, second to last class ever. The end is in sight (even though he won't officially be done until March). That means that while we've barely had time to speak to each other for the past six weeks we get to enjoy a nice break. And Inspector Lewis just released the most recent season on Amazon Prime, so with that I leave you. There are mysteries to be solved.

Have a fabulous week!

~Stacy

Kids Clothes Week!

I'm excited to be participating in my first Kids Clothes Week Challenge! Kids Clothes Week is a personal challenge to spend at least one hour everyday for a week sewing kids clothing. There are no rules and nothing to win at the end, other than scoring some new clothes for your child(ren) or a another child you sew for. This contest theme is Summer Staples, so I searched for some simple summer patterns to make my two year old daughter.

My girl has an early summer birthday and received a lot of summery outfits, plus I did some sewing for her in the spring so she was pretty well stocked for summer clothes for this season. So this week I'm focusing my efforts on making her some clothes for next summer--my ambitious plan is to make two dresses, two skirts, and one top. Think I can do it? I'll let you know by the end of the week ;)

Yesterday and today have been my prep days--choosing fabrics and patterns, pressing, cutting, pinning,etc.

So far so good! I've actually finished one dress already, thanks to the little one taking an extra long nap. Here's a sneak peek:

Looks like it'll be a busy sewing week!

The 5 Year Quilt

Do you often start sewing projects and maybe forget to finish them? I do that all the time. They usually end up getting finished (usually...) but I get distracted during every project and eager to start new ones--which is why I usually have at least three projects going at once and another half dozen in my head.

This quilt is one that I didn't think would ever get finished. I started it five years ago, not long after I learned to sew, and it was going to be my first quilting project without any help. I got as far as picking the fabrics and cutting the blocks, then I stacked them up neatly and put them in the bottom of my fabric bin and ignored them for the next 60 months.

When I pulled them out a few weeks ago I debated giving them away, but that just felt wrong. So I decided I would finally finish it, even though the fabrics aren't necessarily designs I would pick today. I figured it would make a good picnic blanket (which it does).

My first job was to recut every. single. block. My cutting skills have drastically improved since I first cut these blocks and the original ones were something of a mess. After that it was ready to piece, which I did in a repeating brick pattern. I added some cream colored borders and a sage green backing with tiny cream polka dots, and a coordinating green binding.

Funny story about the binding. I sewed it on backwards, so when I flipped it over to hand stitch it to the back I had a raw edge looking at me instead of clean folded edge. I decided to just let it be and sew on as it was, raw edge and all, since this was just meant to be a casual picnic blanket and not a bedspread or wedding gift or something where it might matter. I knew if I had to rip all the binding off and start over it would be another five years until this was finally finished. :)

And now I present the "making of" photos:

It feels good to call this one finished!