A Ruffle Skirt

I'm done!  Presenting the third skirt that I've had planned for over a month now.  

I used ruffle fabric.  Have you seen it??  I feel like I've seen the ruffle fabric all over the place, but I haven't seen so much of it at the fabric stores.  Well, the only local fabric store that I frequent. (JoAnn's)

But, while I was on vacation at my house in the South and Annee and I had ventured to Hobby Lobby to look around.  We don't have a Hobby Lobby in my area, and if you do, then I'm a little bit jealous.  They don't necessarily have the greatest fabric, but there have more craft supplies then I could wrap my brain around in the 30 minutes that I spent there a month ago.  Anyway, as we were looking around in the fabric area I stumbled across some ruffle fabric.  Now it's pretty pricey at about $10/yd (or was it $12??), but for a little girl's skirt I only needed to buy a 1/2 yard.  I, of course, couldn't pass it up, since I haven't seen it in person.

Then re-entry happened. (Re-entry is that time in your life when you have to readjust to life after a vacation.  It can be likened to astronauts returning from outer space.  It feels that crazy sometimes.)   So, the ruffle fabric has been sitting in my stash for a month.  Finally when George was at school last Thursday and Henry was asleep, I went for it.

I used this tutorial as a rough guide.  I pretty much knew what I needed to do, but it's always nice to have someone tell you what to do especially if they have any hot tips that will save you time in the end.

The hot tip I will give is to check to see how stretch your elastic waistband is before you attach the skirt to it.  My waistband didn't have much give, so instead of adding 10 inches to Grace's waist measurement like Vanessa suggests I should have added 6 to 8 inches. I ended up having to cut off the excess fabric to finish my skirt.

I'm pleased with this skirt, and I think it looks like I spent a lot of time on it mainly because the fabric, but this skirt came together in about a 45 minutes.  My kind of skirt.

Now I'm done with my three skirts...

That took me long enough!

Hopefully the Oliver & S dress is next.  However, Annee's excitement and review of the Apron Wrap Dress had me busy this weekend.  I had to make one, and I have fabric selected for another, so I might need to make another Apron Wrap Dress before the Oliver & S one.  I'm totally procrastinating.

Off to bed!

Guest Post on Toddler Approved

I'm guest posting over on Toddler Approved today.  I've mentioned Toddler Approved before, but let me again sing praises to this blog.  If you have a toddler, if you teach school, if you have grandchildren, or know anyone who interacts with young children, direct them to Toddler Approved.  TA has some amazing ideas and activities for toddlers that are educational and easy to do at home with your children.  Such a great resource!

Toddler Approved, for the second year in a row, is challenging us all to show more kindness during it's 100 Acts of Kindness Project 2012.  From January 16th to February 14th, we trying to complete 100 acts of kindness.

Today I'm sharing how to make a Valentine's Day Party Garland, so we could *heart attack* our friends.  I made a toddler approved version and a Made on Maple version with fabric and sewing.  Head on over to Toddler Approved to see the party garland and tutorial.

Fabric Beach Ball

I finished my last skirt that I've had in the works for only about a month now.  It was fast and easy and is darling if I do say so myself.  It got Grace's approval which makes me totally happy.  I haven't figured out what shirt she'll be wearing with it, so I'll work on that this weekend.  I worked on cutting out an Apron Wrap Dress last night because after seeing the cute ones that Annee made I just knew Grace needed one too.  Sew, I should have some fun things to post next week.

But, last night as I was trying to pass time and pacify my infant and two toddlers, I found the Fabric Beach Ball that I made for George when I think he was one.  Henry went crazy with it, and Grace and George had fun teasing him with it as well.

I decided to put it out for him again this morning.  He just loves it.

I took Annee's advice years (George is almost 4, so it really has been years) ago, and I stuffed a jingle bell into the middle as I was stuffing the ball.  I'd highly recommend doing the same if you make one.

And honestly, if you know a little one, then I do recommend making one of these.  They'll love it.  I promise.  It uses a small amount of fabric.  A scrap buster project really.  Oh, and if you don't have stuffing on hand, you could always *steal* some from a pillow.  For some reason I usually buy a pillow for my mom when she comes to town.  I buy the $5 ones from Target, but they are too fluffy for her.  So, I seam rip a hole at one end, take a bunch of stuffing out, and then sew the side back together.  Maybe you could find a pillow in your house that has a little too much fluff in it and borrow some stuffing.  Just a hot tip for you.

Happy sewing and have a good weekend!

A Patchwork Skirt

Weeks ago (probably months ago, but I don't want to check or admit how long it's really been) I bought some fat quarters of Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi line.  It was beautiful like all of her fabric.  I used two of the fat quarters to create my Hourglass Pillow, and then I've just been staring at the other fat quarters trying to decide what to make with them.

Sometime during the Christmas madness, I decided that I wanted to see the fabrics all together in another patchwork skirt for Grace.  The pattern was in a past Stitch magazine.  I laid the fat quarters on my washing machine and matched other fabrics I owned with them and dreamt of when I'd have time to actually sew the skirt.  I even took the fabric with me to my house in the South but never touched it.

Finally last week while both my older kids were at school I started this skirt.  Three days later it was complete.  (I'm moving slower these days, but I'm not complaining.  I'm just so grateful that I can find any time to sew.)

As always I love how Anna Maria Horner's fabric comes together.  I *heart* all of her fabric!

Grace kept me laughing during this photo shoot.  She was having a love affair with her little Love Jar.  I asked her to put the jar down a couple of times, but she insisted the pictures would be better with it in her hands.

I was having a love affair with the blue wall.  I drive past this blue building multiple times a day, and every time I do I mentally remind myself that I need to use it for a photo shoot.  Don't be surprised if you see it again.

Now I just have one more skirt to complete.  It's only been since before Christmas that I felt as though Grace's wardrobe was lacking some handmade love.  Two skirts down, one more to go, and then I have to tackle this Oliver & S dress.  I have the pattern pieces drafted and the fabric picked out.  Now I just need to "screw my courage to the sticking place" and go for it!

Scandinavian Inspiration.

A while back our Border's went out of business.  I assume yours did too?!  As I was in there on one of it's final days, I found a sewing book on super clearance that I had been wanting.  I didn't pass that chance up, and Scandinavian Stitches has been on my bookshelf ever since.

It's divided into seasonal projects, based on the four seasons.  During November I started looking at the winter projects and started dreaming about making every single one!

My mother's ancestors are Scandinavian.  When I was drawing a blank as to what to get her for Christmas this year, I decided it should be something from this book.  Enter, The January Quilt:

The pattern was straight forward, and I was able to pull from my stash all those different shades of blue!  I had everything on hand that I needed to make this project!

Other than the fox, my next favorite part of the project was how you were supposed to quilt the snow with starts.  I did free motion stars there in the snow!  I thought it was a brilliant idea.  The sky was supposed to have cloud shapes.  I managed to do it a few times, but it proved to be super tricky to get my hands and brain to do that cloud shape.  Go figure!

It was a very satisfying project, and I was happy to send it off to my mom, where she's going to use it as a seasonal wall hanging.

Of course, once you start looking through Scandinavian Stitches, it's really hard to not want to make one of everything.  I love the idea of seasonal decorating.  Which is why I'm dreaming of finding the time to make this sweet spring inspired scene.  Don't you want one too?!

Simple Valentine's Day Wreath

Last week I found THIS darling little number on Pinterest, and it immediately became a pin on my Stuff to Sew or Make board.  Valentine's day is right around the corner, and I really need another wreath (ha!).   Then I realized that I already had a grey wreath, so I could skip that step.  At that point it was a no brainer that I needed to add this wreath to my collection.

My Halloween Wreath

It was so easy to reuse my grey wreath.  All I had to do was remove the bat and moon, cut out some hearts, and zigzag some yarn over my hearts.

And that was all!  I was done with this little number in 15 minutes.  Fast projects are greatly appreciated in my life right now.

Now if you don't have a grey wreath, jump on over to the Yarn Wreath Tutorial and make yourself one.  I wonder what other holidays I can get away using the grey wreath for.

It was a lazy weekend here at MOM West Coast, so I have a few things to share with you.  Hopefully I'll get them posted this week.

A Mini Post

Getting back into the sewing room for me post Christmas has been a bit challenging.  However, this week my husband was out of town for business for a couple of nights, and I finally think I might be back.  Maybe.  We'll see.  I whipped out this Little Mini Skirt for Grace while he was gone.

If you have a little girl, this pattern is very reasonably priced and comes together rather quickly and easily.  And the author of the pattern is in Paris which just makes me like the pattern that much more.  I mean Paris is the couture capital of the world, right?  Handmade is their expertise.

I've got two more skirts cooking up in my sewing room.  With any luck Grace will have two  new additions to here wardrobe by the end of the weekend.

I bought a copy of this book and it arrived in the mail yesterday.  Grace wants a Bear Carrier, and George wants a Penguin Backpack.

I'm also working on a project and simple tutorial for the 100 Acts of Kindness Project.  If you have young kids, or just want to spread kindness, you should jump on over to Toddler Approved.  It will blow your mind!

As you can see, I have plenty to keep  me busy this weekend and beyond.

Now I just need to go get started.  More realistically I should go and clean up a mess, get a kid dressed, or feed someone so I can work on my list of things to sew once the house is quiet again tonight.

I hope to have lots to share next week.  Have a good weekend! Tootles for now!

A little recap interruption.

I still have some really special December surprises that I want to record here on the blog, but I have to interrupt the walk down memory lane, and give you a glimpse into my last two days.

Here are the facts:

• I bought THIS pattern somewhere back in December when all I could think of sewing was anything BUT Christmas presents...
• A dear, dear, dear, lucky friend (because she still lives in Korea and has access to Happy Quilt), sent me some gorgeous Sarah Jane fabric back in November.  What was worth making with it?!
• Recently I thought I had lost my sewing mojo, but suddenly I had the thought to combine the Apron Wrap Dress pattern WITH the Sarah Jane fabric.
• And that, in a nutshell, encapsulates my last two days...
• One final thought on the matter.  I have twins.  If I make one super cute dress, and someone chooses to wear it, it basically becomes the first wearers new dress for life.  Ruby wore the wrap dress first.  It was darn cute, and Jane was twinged with envy.  Jane begged me, even put herself to bed early at 7:30pm so that I could have lots of time to sew, so that she could wake up to an Apron Wrap Dress of her very own. 
• Two days in a row, Two Apron Wrap Dresses later (don't feel too, too sorry for me.  It sews together pretty fast)...

Did I mention it's fully reversible?!  See for yourself:

Two Happy Sisters!

One Tired Mom!

Good Night.

Minky Quilts

I recognize it's only the 9th day of January, but I'm a little sad that it's been 9 days into the New Year, and I have done nothing in my sewing room other then clean it.  It definitely needed a cleaning, but cleaning isn't nearly as exciting as sewing.  I have high hopes that this week my sewing machine will see some attention, but my darling little baby needs to stop waking up so much in the night and getting up so early in the morning.  

To help motivate me to get back into my sewing room, I'm sharing my favorite project from Christmas - Minky Quilts for my two oldest.  I've had two cuts of minky fabric that I bought in the LA Fabric District in my stash since last November.  Grace and George play with the minky all the time, so I thought for Christmas I'd turn them into quilts.

For the quilt tops I used Cluck Cluck Sew's Disappearing 9 Patch.  Have you tried it?  It's so quick and so easy.

Making the quilt tops were easy.  It was the actual quilting that I thought was going to cause me a headache because minky can be a pain to use.  However, I omitted batting, used a TON of quilting adhesive, and then used my walking foot to quilt my minky quilts.  I also liked the look of this quilt that Allison made, so I did straight line quilting on my minky quilts.  

In the end, I would say these quilts were really easy to make.  Even quilting with minky wasn't that bad.  I almost think I'll make another minky quilt for baby Henry when he gets older.

As for fabrics, I used Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pip for Grace's quilt.  I love this fabric.

And for George's I used Sarah Jane's Children at Play.  Another favorite fabric of mine.

I need to figure out what my first project for the new year will be, but for tonight sleep is going to win out!