Where is the time going...

It almost feels like it's been months since I've posted here.  And it certainly feels like I should have more to show for myself than I do.  But that's just the way life goes sometimes, isn't it?! 

Here's a another Toddler Pinafore Smock Top.  This is currently my favorite gift to make for the 5 and under crowd.  Paired with a matching little tote, what more could a little birthday girl hope for?!  Of course we fill the tote with chocolate, just so she knows how much we love her!

Pattern is from One Yard Wonders.  Fabric is from the Alexander Henry Collection 2005, called "starling".  It's a really sweet print.  I've been holding on to it for a while now, just waiting for a special project to suit it. 

Although I can't really explain where the time has gone between now and February 20th when this project was first conceived, I'm glad none the less that it's complete.  Let no one accuse me of not fully appreciating the gift of fabric!  Of course, you know what Ruby wanted me to make with it?   A chef's hat (it's just so random the stuff that she comes up for me to make for her)!    Anyway, I've promised her, I'll still make one.  At my current pace, she'll maybe have it by Easter. 

So, that's it.  That's all I have to show for myself.   Sunday will be lovely.  I can't wait to see the girls side-by-side in these frocks! 

I have a few more projects in the works.  Including lots of ideas about the spring and summer dress collection we need.  I hope my energy will return when spring decides to show up. 

Good night. 

Milkmaid Skirt

As promised I have skirts to share tonight. With sick kids on the couch and inside all day long, I just kept coming in and out of my sewing room working on my Milkmaid Skirts.

I think I need to redo my measurements and pattern for this skirt. My first attempt was the Michael Miller Carnival Bloom skirt. I felt like the pockets were too big.

My next attempt I used Robert Kaufman's Sugar and Spice. I have very little of this fabric left, so I was trying to not make any mistakes. Some how the waist ended up smaller than the first one, but I was able to remedy the pockets looking too large.

I'll probably attempt this skirt again. It's really a simple skirt to make. I'm just not sure I like my measurements. I think I would add at least an inch to my front panel pattern piece. Maybe I'll change my mind once I see it on Grace, but for now it just looks a little on the small side to me.

BUT, my Schoolhouse Tunic pattern arrived in the mail today. That might need to be my next sewing project.

Maybe tomorrow I get Grace all dressed up in a new skirt and we can go find some cows to milk or at least see how her new skirts fit!

Emmeline Apron

Raise your hand if you are going to buy yourself the School House Tunic Pattern!?! Mine is already on the way. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will get here in time for me to sew myself a tunic for church Sunday morning.

I second Annee's praises for Meg of Sew Liberated. I bought her Emmeline Apron pattern two Christmases ago, and I've made it half a dozen times at least. The pattern is well-written and easy to understand. Every time I make it I'm reminded of why I think it is such a beautiful apron, but I'm also reminded that it is a labor of love because you are essentially making two aprons.

Here's the Emmeline Apron I made over the past couple of days. The only major modification I make on my apron is the width of the band beneath the bodice. I make it 2 or 3 inches wider than the pattern says.

Sorry my pictures aren't the greatest. The Italian is on a business trip and he's my personal photographer. I was forced to learn the timer on my new camera, and the results were less than awesome.

I'm a little slower than Annee. I'm starting to think she really does have a sweatshop set up over there in Korea! This apron was made many months ago, but it is my all time favorite Emmeline Apron that I've sewn. I *heart* Anna Maria Horner. It's made entirely from her fabrics.

Maybe another reason why I can't keep up with Annee is that I've been eating too many of these.

Try them. They are delicious.

'Til tomorrow friends! I have sick children on antibiotics who by my orders will be doing NOTHING tomorrow, so I have high hopes of making this skirt!

Schoolhouse Tunic, shirt version.

I need to hurry and sew something for my girls, or for my house, so I can quit being the main subject of my show-and-tells.  Here's the shirt version of the tunic.  I really liked wearing it today.  It's super comfy, and I think cute.  I'm surprised how unembarrassed I felt about wearing something that I made myself.  Maybe because I really don't think it looks too "homemade".  I shouldn't be embarrassed.  I know I'm just silly like that. 

And yep, that's the elevator behind me.  I keep my full length mirror in the public hallway, right in front of the elevator.  You know, one last glance before the doors shut, etc.   (wink, wink)

My fabric is from Amy Butler's Daisy Chain line.  Maybe Liz can elaborate for me (can you Liz?).  She used it recently as well.

Also, the pattern says you need more than two yards, I sewed this is in the size 6/8 and I used less than two yards.  Just FYI.  I would definitely buy two yards to make the shirt, but you'll have some nice, big pieces of scrapes left over. 

Okay, until I make a third one, I think I'm done talking about the Schoolhouse Tunic.  It's a great pattern!

Schoolhouse Tunic, etc.

I thought of something to make with the latest Riley Blake fabrics!  I've made this pattern before, but only once.  And every time one of the Ladies wears the jumper, I've thought to myself that I should make more.  Finally inspired by this new fabric, I pulled the pattern back out, and set up my own Cottage Industry sweatshop.  The rule was, I could not move on to the next step, until I had completed the previous step on BOTH dresses!  I knew I wanted two complete dresses by the end of my endevors, but sometimes it's just too boring to completely finish one dress, only to have to start all the way over on the second.

Guess what, it's still boring sewing two of the exact same thing this way too, but by following my rules (I'm so strict sometimes), I had two darling jumpers for Sunday, and that wasn't boring at all!

McCall's pattern 5694

 

I can endorse this pattern 100%.  It gives me very little to complain about.  The instructions are clear, and even come with a few helpful illustrations.  Who can resist a pattern that doesn't call for any notions?!

 

My only caution, this is the size 4, with two inches of added length!  My girls usually wear a size 6 at Gymboree.  I think that means this pattern runs large?  I could have probably sewn the size 5, but I like how it's so fitted in the bodice.

Next...

Inspired by this unknown piece of fabric that I stumble upon, I even sewed myself something this week.  First of all, I still love the fabric!  That's huge for me.  Often by the time I've made it into something for myself, I get to the end and I've lost the love I once had for the fabric.  But not so with this one.  I LOVE THIS FABRIC!  

At first I thought it was going to be a table cloth.  And to tell you the truth, I've used it as a table cloth twice before I realized I wanted to wear that table cloth!  So for that reason, I felt a little bit like Frolign Maria from the Sound of Music, when she turns her old drapes into clothes for the children. 

  

Secondly, this is the Schoolhouse Tunic pattern by Sew Liberated.  I endorse it 100% as well!  I have long been a fan of the Emmeline apron.  Liz and I have each sewn it several times.  The Emmeline pattern is perfection.  And I think the designs that come from Meg of Sew Liberated are truly lovely.  So, I confidently bought the Schoolhouse Tunic pattern a while ago, waiting less confidently for the courage to wear one of my own creations.  After seeing this fabric neatly folded in my fabric stacks, inspiration hit, and I thought, "I would wear that as a Tunic!"  

The rest is sewing history.

  

Thirdly, I really, really, really hate posing for pictures of myself in something that I've made.  I've been trying all day long to find a shot that I wouldn't be too embarrassed to post.  These ones only barely pass.  

  

I thought the addition of the ruffle band on the sleeve, in the contrasting border color was just the  finishing touch I was looking for.  Maybe I made it two inches too short?  Other than that, the pattern is once again amazing.  The pieces fit together perfectly.  The instructions never once left me in tears.  Once I had everything cut out, I think I had my first version complete (photos of that one on a later date) in very close to two hours.   And best of all, I've made two already, and can think of making at least one more.  The options really are endless. 

 

And yeah, all three of us in homemade clothes for church on Sunday does leave me feeling ever so slightly like a pioneer.  But I hope I've done my pioneer heritage proud by kicking up the fashion a few notches.

P.S.  Isn't that awesome that Ruby is patting my belly as if she is reminding me, "don't forget to suck it in Mama!" 

P.P.S.  I offered to make Henry and George ties out of the Riley Blake fabric.  Can you believe they turned me down?!

Mama Edition

A couple weeks ago a kind reader passed along a link for an elastic waistband skirt tutorial for a little girl. A couple of days later Freshly Picked posted a tutorial for the same skirt but for a Mama. Being a mama and a girl, I'm always wanting a new addition to the wardrobe, and The Elastic Waistband Skirt - Mama Edition Tutorial had my brain going crazy on Tuesday.

I used a 3 inch elastic waistband instead of a 2 inch. I felt it would be more flattering on my mama curves. While this tutorial is extremely simple, sewing the elastic to the skirt is tricky. Real tricky. You have to stretch the elastic and sew all at the same time. The line of my stitches along the waistband is so crooked, but once the elastic gathered up the material you can't tell my line is not straight.

My fabric, which was also used on the back of my Thursday pillow, is a Brandon Mably Flora print. Also, the bow shirt I'm wearing is from Anthropologie and is the orginal inspiration for our profile shot on the top of our sidebar. Stay tune for a Bow Shirt Tutorial!!

Lastly I had two baby showers to go to today, so I made Strawberry onesies and burp clothes. The strawberry pattern is courtesy of The Handmade Dress. I found a strawberry ribbon in my stash to tie up the onesies and burp clothes. So sweet!!

Baby Rock Star!

On Friday I had a baby shower to attend.  But the mom is super hip, so no ordinary outfit would do for her first little girl!  While I was slightly nervous that a precious newborn wouldn't want to sport a skull outfit, once I saw it all put together I thought it was perfect!

With the addition of the cuddly blanket (in case she's scared of the skulls??), this new mom was thrilled to death (ha!ha!) about her baby rock star outfit.  Perhaps in the near future I should throw up the proportions for making this super easy tiered skirt.  Spring is just around the corner, we should all have closets full of tiered skirts, don't you agree?!

Baby shower gift, checked off the list!




Thanks for the tutorial, Banner Queen, it came just in time for another friends' birthday. 



This pillow has been on my to-make list ever since Liz sent me the link.  Thanks for letting me copy you Liz!  I will give a follow up report on how well felt flowers hold up under the traffic of four children...and, that was my last pillow in the grand living room overhaul.  It's taken me nearly 8 months to recover all nine pillows (!!), but the end results have all been worth it.  Now, how long until I decide to cycle back through remaking them?



Speaking of spring, look what I found this week at Happy Quilt...


This is from Riley Blake Designs, and apparently hot off the presses!  Now I'm rather distracted with what it should become.  Any ideas??  Happy Almost Spring!