Aaaaand, It's a wrap

Whew, what a dreary weekend.  Is it really May because I could swear it felt a bit like February at times.  I finally finished up my last few items from KCW over the weekend.  That "week" of sewing somehow turned into two.  It was great fun and I think I actually made a bunch of things my kids will wear - bonus!  Anywho, these are the last few things I made for Maggie.     

First.  A Geranium tunic for Maggie.  She normally wears a size 6 or 7 but she's tall and lanky, and her measurements matched the 5T, so I thought I'd give it a go.  And, not surprisingly, it worked.  I'm telling you, that pattern gives the perfect fit!      

I used this black and white dot fabric from Joanns, which is nice and lightweight (and cheap!).  I added purple piping and blue buttons to the back.  I scooped the neckline on both sides so that it might be a little breezier for her.  I also thought it'd be fun if she wanted to wear it reverse but she seems to prefer the buttons on the back. 

ETA: Having a foggy day and forgot to mention some obvious points.  First, I also adjusted the pattern by adding buttons all the way down the back (duh).  Also, I was inspired to use this fabric after seeing it in a couple of other geranium dresses, namely this one and this one.  : )   

 

Next.  Bubble shorts - a pattern by Elegance & Elephants.  These were everywhere during KCW.  I just couldn't resist!  Super cute fun pattern for sizes 6 months-8yrs and easy to follow.  I wasn't totally sure she'd go for them but she seems to like them.  I sewed a size 7/8 in these.  The pockets are huge and awesome.  I told Maggie she can pack all kinds of goodies in those!  I made them with Essex yarn dyed linen in denim - an absolute favorite fabric of mine. 

Last.  This little tank was a super quick sew!  I used the Flashback Skinny Tee pattern and an old shirt of mine that was too small.  I kept the bottom hem and added the pink rib knit to the neckline and arms.  I also scooped the neckline on this one a bit, but probably should have stuck with the pattern as it's a tad too big.  She seems to love it though!  Aww, look at those dimples...

Ok, so I officially caught the kids' clothes sewing bug.  I love having found a few basic patterns that I can use over and over again and that are easy to adjust and customize.  Thanks for following along on this fun challenge!   

KCW Days 2 & 3

Short and sweet - this time I mean it!  Just a few words about this cool shirt.

Pattern: Shwin & Shwin's Maxwell Shirt
Size: 5T (he usually wears a 4 and this fits perfect)
Fabric: Very lightweight cotton (seersucker?) bought from Joanns a couple of years ago

This one took me some time, but the most difficult part was convincing my model that it is in fact, a cool shirt.  Our photo shoot went something like this:

Model: This shirt stinks.  I'm definitely NOT going to crack a smile.

Details, shmetails.

I don't care what you say, this shirt is not cool.

I can act silly in the photo shoot.  Hmmm...now we're talking!

Woohoo!

I WILL rock this shirt. Booyah!

 

Mission accomplished!

Kids Clothes Week: Day 1

It's that time again...Kids Clothes Week (KCW) - a fun challenge to sew an hour a day for 7 days, making clothes for your kids.  I've done it a couple of times before and have always found it to be so motivating and inspirational.

This year I decided to set a goal to make one *great* piece of clothing for each of my kids.  Easy, right?  We shall see!  I also wanted to use up some fabric in my stash instead of buying new fabric.   Today, I finished up a couple of pieces for my girls.  I had some time to myself over the weekend so I got a head start.

I made this fun hoodie for Maggie using Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee pattern and this tutorial (for turning it into a hoodie).  I talked about how much I love her Geranium Dress Pattern last week and I feel the same way about this pattern.  I just love how her patterns have all sorts of little helpful tips, lots of photos, and very clear instructions.

And, again, the fit is absolutely perfect!  I sewed a size 6, lengthened it a little bit (as Rae describes in the pattern) and made it a tad bit wider for Maggie, mainly because the knit fabric I used was on the thicker, less jersey side.  I'm pretty clueless about knit fabrics, and I got this one a long time ago (when I could barely sew) from someone on a cloth diaper forum (go figure).  I'm thinking maybe it's an interlock knit but not sure.  For the cuffs and trim on the hood I used a rib knit from Joanns.  I decided to omit snaps or buttons on the collar...mainly because I don't have any snap pliers...or muscles.  

I'm so happy with how this turned out and she LOVES it.  It screams cool beach nights, don't ya think? What a goof, I love her!

For Lyla, I made another Geranium Dress (hey, when it ain't broke, don't fix it!) - this time a sleeveless tunic version in View B (pleated).  I made it with this awesome floral print from Tsuru by Rashida Coleman-Hale.  After seeing all of these versions, there was just no hope.  : )  It's a beautiful border print and I managed to use the border portion for the bodice and the main motif for the skirt portion of the dress.

Lyla wore it today over her onesie and looked ridiculously cute, as usual.  I'm still pinching my brown-eyed self that I have a blue-eyed girl!  They are a deep dark blue, but they are blue!

So, that's today.  I'm off to a surprisingly great start and have two things that are getting a lot of love already!  Woohoo!  I went to a friend's house last night and started working on a shirt for Joe (using the Maxwell shirt pattern by Shwin & Shwin).  It has a collar - eeek!  Hope to finish that up in the next day or two.

I think I'll spend the rest of my evening looking at what everyone else has been up to!     

 

Geranium Dress

Going to keep this short and sweet tonight and let the dress (and the girl) do the talking.  If you are a sewer, go buy the Geranium Dress pattern by Rae from Made By Rae.  It's perfect!  If you are just here for the sweetest, sweet potato eating, chubby feet having, little 7-month old who sits like a champ, scroll down.   She does not disappoint!

The dress.  Made with a super soft creamy 100% linen that's been sitting around in my stash.  It's a size 6-12 months and fits absolutely perfectly (still can't believe it!).  I made View A which includes flutter sleeves and a gathered skirt.  I lined it with a bright coral-y cotton couture solid.  I added the hand embroidery to the bodice and errrrr, I can't decide if it looks totally goofy or awesome.  Hmph.          
  

Yup, I told you so. : )  I'll be back next week for Kids Clothes Week!

Shop Talk

It's been a while since I've posted about my Etsy shop.  First, a few announcements:

:: It's still open! : )
:: I have a few new listings, with sneak peaks throughout this post - a couple of pillow covers, a table topper, and some new list-takers!  Check them out!
:: I'm feeling ready for a SALE!  For the remainder of this month, take 15% off all items using code "APRIL15"
:: I am no longer shipping internationally.  I apologize for this change, but it is just too costly and time consuming for me at this time. : (
:: Please contact me for custom items!  I'm having a blast with custom orders..more on that below.

Now...It's been almost a year since I opened my shop.  I haven't exactly been the best shopkeeper.  Finding time, resources, and space to keep my shop filled with new fresh items has been really tough.  Family has always been my #1 priority, and these days I'm spending more and more of my time kissing baby toes, playing games with my little guy, listening to my big girl's stories and getting dinner on the table.  I actually feel more balanced than I've felt in a long, long time.

That said, I still LOVE to sew.  And this little shop of mine and the small amount of custom work I do allows me to pursue my hobby.  This year I set a personal goal to be much more intentional in my sewing.  To start and finish projects, to make things with a specific purpose or recipient in mind, to be mindful of my intentions in buying fabric and supplies.  So far, so good! 

I've had some custom sewing orders come my way, both via the shop and personal referrals.  And, I have REALLY enjoyed sewing these items.  It puts such a smile on my face to make *just* what someone wants.  Also, I really enjoy getting to know my customers a bit through the chatting that a custom order entails.  So, keep em coming!        

I hope to continue to add new and different items to my shop on a more regular basis.  In the meantime, I'd love for you to pop over and take a look around.