Thursday, August 29, 2013

I guess were back to monthly posts.

I recognize that we have next to no followers probably left on MOM, but this blog was originally started to document the many projects that Annee and I made, and in the sake of wanting to document my hard work somewhere, I will continue to keep MOM alive.  Barely alive, but alive.

I didn't sew a ton this summer.  Instead I threw all my energy - mental and physical - into creating a summer full of fun for my kids.  They weren't signed up for one single camp.  Not one.  There were days when I wasn't sure how I was going to survive without a break from my darlings, but they'd go to bed, and I'd see them sleeping soundly and I'd fall in love all over again with the idea of having them all around me all day long.  Then moments after I tucked them in for the last time at night, I would pass out from sheer exhaustion in my own bed.  So, my sewing machine saw little action, and I was totally fine with it.

Then the week before school got started I made a list of all the things I should have sewn during the summer, but waited until the last minute to sew.  I had a panic attack (fell on the floor laughing and crying with my husband staring at me wondering what in the world was wrong with me), and then I just went to work.  I mean what were my options?!?!

Grace's birthday wrapped up our birthday season (a birthday a month since April), and she requested a birthday outfit and an all girl girlie party.  

Grace's birthday shirt and skirt were made as well as two other birthday shirts not pictured here because they got wrapped up and delivered before I realized I should have snapped a shot of them.  But two more shirts were made!



This skirt was started at 9 p.m. the night before Grace's birthday.  It's not well made, and I made like 300 mistakes while cutting it.  Too bad because the fabric choices were so cute.  Originally I was going to make it a flat front skirt with just elastic in the back of the waistband.  Then it was going to be a Dana Made It Market Day Skirt.  In the end, it is a double Lazy Day skirt made very poorly.  Thank goodness you can't tell in my pictures.


With a girlie party in the works, a girlie party favor was needed.  I decided on Noodle-head's Open Wide Zipper Pouches filled with lip balm, stationery, and pens and pencils.  


The last thing I made for the big birthday party was a fabric streamer garland.  Is that what it's called?!  I wanted a cute backdrop for for taking pictures.  I had a friend come and take pictures of the party, and I think the fabric garland turned out so cute.


The best part??  All the fabric was from my beloved scrap bin.  Such a great use for scraps.  Too bad it didn't put a dent in my scrap bin though!



As soon as the party was over, I was then scrambling to get First Day of school outfits figured out and sewn up.  George got an anchor shirt to match his H&M shorts.


I wasn't really planning on making him anything, but he caught word of Grace getting a handmade outfit, and I could tell he wanted something too.  I told him I was putting an anchor on her shirt, and he said he wanted one on a shirt too.  Really it was so easy, and I love the look.


Grace got a Kirstin Skirt made with Liesl from O&S's Lisette fabric from JoAnn's.  The blue looking stripes are actually small waves of water with tiny hot pink sailboats (sorry no close up).  I found this fabric in the clearance section of JoAnn's.  I knew I needed it, and the anchor shirt idea I had running through my brain matched the fabric perfectly.  The Kirstin Skirt was discovered years ago by Annee.  It's an oldie but goodie.  It's funny because when I first sewed the pattern I'm pretty positive I thought it was so hard and tricky to figure out.  Either I just remember how to sew it, or else my skills have improved since my first go around with it 3 years ago.



 As soon as I sent my big kids off to school, I set up a real life sweatshop in my house so I could appliqué 8 shirts and sew 8 American Girl doll dresses for a party I agreed to do in April.  I live in an area where we have an education foundation that is funded by the parents of students and the community, and using the donations they pay for really nice things in our district - extra teacher, science programs, art programs, technology programs, etc.  It's pretty amazing and overwhelming all at the same time.  I'm NOT a big donor to the foundation at all.  I live here, but most days I think I probably fit in better somewhere else.  Anyway, last year I was approached to host a party for girls that were my daughters age.  The party would be auctioned off at the big annual fundraising event, and instead of just being auctioned off to the highest bidder, as many parents as possible could buy into the party for a set price.  My friend and I agreed to this back in April when life wasn't so stressful, and we even decided on the date of the Saturday after school got started.  It was really the worst timing and it was so stressful pulling everything together, and sewing all that stuff made me feel seriously crazy, BUT it all turned out super cute, and the girls loved it.  And, I was so thankful that I only had to sew for 8 girls.  What if 20 girls would have bought into the party?!


After making all those dresses and shirts, I thought I wouldn't sew for at least another month.  Then George came home from school saying that the second week of school was suppose to be color week.  The poor thing didn't have a thing to wear on Yellow Day, and I couldn't let him go without. (J/K!!)


But I had this shirt in my stash for awhile, and Batman is cool and has yellow on it.



This little kid thought it was totally cool and was so happy I made it which made me so happy I made it.


So ended the summer sewing that all took place in 2 weeks.

Hopefully I'll have a post to show for September.  Right now my sewing machine is getting a much needed break.  I have some ideas cooking in my brain, and I'm slowly working on a quilt, so right now I'm not sure what if anything I'll have to post, but you just never know what is going to happen in life!!
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