Elsie Marley hosted a sewing for kids week and after seeing so many cute creations, I decided that I wanted to participate too…

I found this sweet brown floral knit at JoAnn’s a few months ago, I bought it knowing I would use it for the baby.  All I did was trace a pair of “short-alls” that she already had to create the pattern.  This was my first time sewing with knit, and I am really pleased with how it turned out.  It will be perfect for the warm weather here (each day we inch closer to our first triple digit day).

Best part?  It fits perfectly!

Sewing for little girls is really fun, you can add extra touches to make your pieces special….things like bum ruffles!

I used some Japanese fabric that I had been saving and paired it with some of my Bubble Gum Basics.  I modified the rise on these (because the last time I made them the rise was WAY to high), but I went too far i guess, as the rise is now too short!  I will be unpicking it tomorrow and adding a casing out of the polka dotted fabric to bring the rise up a bit.

I still think they turned out super cute!  Next up, the little one needs a jacket…i’m thinking linen with embroidery.

This is what 5 looks like…

pattern to make your own crown here, just add glitter.

A big thank you to all of you sweet people who commented and wished me & the baby well!!  We find out tomorrow what the gender is and I am on pins and needles, all I want is for healthy!

here is a little knotted blanket I finished for The Baby Gardner.

Didn’t it turn out so sweet?!  It’s backed in a moda print and the embroidery is from an old Vogart idea book!

Well, we’re home and today marks the first day of my daughters ballet career.  I drove all over town looking for used ballet shoes ($17 for shoes she’ll wear for 4 weeks just seemed too much)- which we didn’t find.  Next on the list was Target for a black leotard- you can’t buy a simple plain one anymore- they all come with bows or sparkles and skirts attached.  Then it was off to the appliance part store to by a new Evap Fan Motor for the fridge that is no longer keeping all of the groceries I bought yesterday cold.

Despite the chaos I found myself up at 4am (I know, crazy!) researching new refrigerators, fan motors, living room chairs (really like this one over at Tar-jay) and queen bed frames.  I also managed to make my daughter a pretty skirt to wear to ballet class.

Let’s face it, when your 4 the best part of ballet is pretty sparkly clothes.  I admit I picked up a sparkly pink fabric first, but replaced it for this fun aqua with sparkly sequin like things on it.  I get so sick of dressing my daughter in pink sometimes, and I didn’t want her to look like all the other little girls in the class.  I wanted her to be cute in her own way (which in a few years she will fight- as I did when my mother wouldn’t let me dress like everyone else.  I always felt she wanted me to look too granola-y, when all I wanted was to wear keds and espirit like all the other girls).

The skirt was simple to make, I cut a strip of the fabric approx 35″ wide by 12″ high, hemmed the bottom and sides.  I gently gathered the top and then folded some satin ribbon over the gahters and sewed it into place.  I used snaps to secure it to her waist (i could have used fold over elastic, but I thought the ribbon would look nicer).  Then I tied a bow and hand stitched it to the waist band between the snaps.  Super simple wrap around ballet skirt!

By the skin of my teeth I was able to finish this before we leave.  It has flaws…and it takes a lot of self control to not point them all out to you (although, i did point one out if you click through to flickr).  I didn’t have time to make a pattern for the shirt I really wanted, and hope to do that when I get back.  Also found this blouse online…i want to make one like it too; and maybe this one too but with a different collar.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to: run to the post office, vacuum the van, fold laundry, pack suitcases and make sure I don’t forget any one’s toothbrush!

Today has been a mix of strange, sad and delightful, and it’s only 2pm.  The delightful you ask?  I went by the post office to check the box because I was expecting my Handmade Nation tickets (which were there) and I was surprised to find this lovely little package from Amy of Nana Company!

The fabrics are all so beautiful!  Thank you so much Amy!!  New dainty and pretty fabrics just make me giddy, I have so many ideas for them bubbling around in my head.  However, the best and most generous thing Amy sent?  A LARGE cut of a lawn cotton print that I had admired in her photo gallery.  People, I love it!  I was so excited I immediately laid a pattern out on top of it, I just KNEW it needed to be a new summer blouse.

I only hope I can squeak enough time out this week to complete it….  Thank you so much Amy for this wonderful surprise and for your continual inspiration- your photo stream is one of my fav’s!

I could also call it the dress from h-e-double hockey sticks.  Putting sleeves in a sleeveless dress- way harder than I thought it would be.  Big thank you to my friend Kate for her emails of support!  Once I got the sleeves in I thought I was scott free and the rest would be cake.

Despite my handheld guidance, and big blue tape for security, I still didn’t get the zipper even.  Perhaps if I had sewn it sometime before midnight maybe it would have gone better.  Then I tried it on and it was too baggy under the sleeves and cut off my blood flow tight around my lower rib cage.  Thankfully the skirt has gathers and the top had darts, so I was able to fix it.  My seam ripper and I spent quite a lot of time together last night.

And?!  What was I thinking posing in front of the bookshelf with pearls and heels on?  I look like a 1980’s Olan Mills outtake.  This is what happens to me when I stay up past 1am, I loose my sense of judgment.  I threw a 3/4 sleeve white cardigan over the dress before church and I felt more comfortable.  I’ll probably wear it again.

well its getting warm here, high 70’s and such, shorts weather.  My daughter went through a growth spurt this past winter, because all of her shorts wear like little daisy dukes.  not exactly the look i am encouraging.  I had a large scrap left over from my weekend skirt and decided to make her a summer/spring outfit.

I used Simplicity #5537 (minus the doofy pockets) it was super duper easy!  This whole ensemble took less than two hours from start to finish.  i picked up the white-t at target on sale for $4, cut out a scene from the fabric, adhered it with a little Steam a Seam and zig zagged the edges.

The craziness around here has ebbed thanks to the purchase of a used House On Wheels.

good word i love all the space and compartments, it’s like a moving house compared to my little sedan.  having a few issues with the permanent tattoo it leaves on my image; “suburban mom”, but with all those cup holders and dashboard buttons, i think i’ll get over it.

thank you for the advice on the dress…I *think* I’m going to do the V in the back and lower the neck just a bit in the front, because I too can’t stand a really high neck.  I’m planning on making it this week, getting it ready for Easter Sunday.

This weekend I made myself a new spring skirt using a print from Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern.

I used New Look pattern 6843, and would not recommend it.  I bought the pattern years ago-back in college- and used it successfully once before.  Because it is such an old pattern, it is designed to be high waisted, me, I’m a big fan of anything low rise.  I cut the pattern a bit bigger so that I could wear it lower, which caused problem with the darts, and then it didn’t hang right.  I tried a new way (rather than the successful way I’ve been doing it for years!) to stitch the zipper…which caused some puckers.  Then the center back seam created a pleat.  There was much time spent hunched over with a seam ripper in my hand.  I finally got it wearable, however the waist is still higher than I would like.

Anyone want to recommend a skirt pattern- something simple that can be dressed up or down?  I think I need one more new skirt.

p.s. the sewing room always looks like that when I’m in the middle of a project.  A total mess.