fabric choices for KCWC Spring 2012

I have some plans to make clothes next week along with KCWC and I am attempting to prep for it this week.  Everything kicks off on Monday the 23rd and I can't wait!

Obviously Lydia is very excited too!

The List:

• Sailboat pants--really unsure of the fabric.  i want chambray but the local options are not great. They need to be light weight for summer--thinking seersucker will be a little too specialized to go with everything. 

• Sailboat shirt--maybe in a knit and a woven.
• A second pair of class picnic shorts thinking i will change this to a lazy days skirt!
• ALSO...
• I'd like to add --the ruffle halter top from Oliver + S 
• At least one (maybe two) bucket hats
• maybe short sleeve 90 minute shirt?
• if i get bored after all that (ha ha yeah right) i have a simplicity dress pattern i've wanted to try

Is it possible I am already feeling a little burnt out from cutting and pasting and tracing patterns?  Two of my patterns have been online print patterns so that meant a lot of assembly up front.  Normally I would retrace the size I am going to make onto freezer paper but I just went ahead and cut these out.  

It has been surprisingly hard to not just go ahead and sew up these clothes!!!  I know I will enjoy not cutting and tracing next week but that is just not my natural tendency.  I am a total 'project starter' not always a 'finisher' (especially if there is a road bump along the way!).  I learned this when I was knitting.  Luckily I am a better 'finisher' in sewing.  And of course I am still a totally hoarder whether it be yarn or fabric. 

 Cannot            re s i s t                f   a    b    r    i     c.

UFO sited

Okay so it only took  me 2.5 months to finish this little shirt.  I cut out a 2T and really should have cut 18-24 months.  I guess just doing a chest measurement is not good enough for sizing.  The shirt fits but the neck line is very low and almost off Lydia's tiny shoulders.
Hopefully it will fit in a few months because I do love how it turned out.

I used a pale blue/grey polka dot cotton fabric by Lakehouse.  The collar and ruffle are a bleached muslin.  

I loved these little anchor buttons.  They are a bit 'cutesy' but sometimes you just gotta go with it.  I tend to over think fabric/notion purchases and these buttons were just on a whim.  

I love Oliver + S patterns but I do believe my future success will depend on my precise measurements.  I am so new to garment sewing.  I am assuming you take the measurements and you make the exact size that is suggested for that measurement.  Is there ease already added in?  Maybe that sounds stupid but I honestly have no idea.  When I cut the 2T size I am sure I was thinking that I should give her a little growing room.  

Also kids sewing is a different from adult sewing in this matter.  I want there to be growing room but I am not interested in sewing Lydia an entire wardrobe of 'tent' like shirts.  

This is a picture of Lydia wearing her shorts.  It is going to be a high of 79 degrees in Asheville today so they are more than appropriate!   

Maybe you were wondering why I am posting a 'leg' only picture...

Cute as she is these are the types of faces I get for most pictures.  Love this little girl.

Lazy Days and Class Picnics

Hello hello!  I have been on a bit of a sewing roll lately.  This skirt is a gift I made for my 6 year old niece's birthday.  It is a Lazy Days Skirt--which is a free pattern from the lovely people at Oliver + S.  If you have a little girl in your life who loves skirts and dresses like my niece, then I would highly recommend making this skirt.

I have never done ribbon hem but I loved how it turned out.  I used a natural colored cotton twill tape.

The fabric is a pink pin dot from the bargain second of the fabric store near by my house.  

Fabric: Robert Kaufman Essex Linen in Black

SHORTS!  Another first!  I think these turned out nicely.  I used the class picnic shorts pattern from Oliver + S.  I actually was planning on making these for kids clothes week challenge but I just couldn't wait.  

I love that the shorts look like old school track shorts.  I ran track for 10 years competitively so I would say track shorts hold a certain spot in my heart :)

I am a total copy cat.  I love the little tags that I've seen on probably actually.  It never even occurred to me to add tags to clothing but I love the simple twill tape, fabric and embroidered tags that she adds to her daughters clothes.  

front waist band and faux fly

i got a little lazy and didn't feel like switching thread, oh well.

I made an adjustable waistband. This called for buttonhole elastic which I really didn't want to go out and buy.  I was so glad to find a quick tutorial online on how to make your own buttonhole elastic.  It really is a no brainer.  

Love these little red buttons from my Grandmothers collection.  She has some of the most adorable buttons.  She is 93 and many of them are from the 40's and 50's.

Not sure why this picture is here..I guess I find it humorous that the shorts can stand on their own.  

Go make some shorts--super quick and fun to sew!

Gift Giving and a Quilt

The first few pictures  are of some simple wristlets that I made a while back.  They are hand embroidered with my friends initials and another friends first name.  I think they were cute, quick gifts.  Not to mention stash busting gifts!

On to more exciting things...

This is something adorable from the book Little Things to Sew.  I honestly want (will) make everything in this book--perhaps minus the scarf...not a huge fan.  The directions have been clear (just as any other Oliver + S pattern would be) and the projects are classic but not common kids projects.

My first quilt!  In which I have actually cheated on...I did not painstakingly hand stitch all those little squares like a friend of mine had to do.  I am only responsible for the border and the hand quilting of this quilt.  Needless to say I am thrilled and hope to finish soon.  More on that later.

don't hate me--I live 10 minutes from the Biltmore House and my lovely 

mother-in-law (pictured above) and father-in-law gifted us season passes last spring. 

 the tulips were to DIE for.

These are pictures of Lydia lately--looking : coy, shocked, and disapointed.  Notice, she is wearing her Little Things to Sew Bucket hat in them all.  One side is a pale chambray fabric which I interfaced all of the pieces and the other side is just a white muslin.  I used teal for contrast stitching.  This hat turned out way too small even though I thought I measured correctly.  I made the small size and I blame my seam allowances being too generous and also Lydia being TOTALLY fidgety while I measured :)

family reunion dress complete

I actually finished the Easter dress in time to wear on Easter--a miracle!  I only had the pattern and fabric since January.  I believe I built this dress up a little too much--hence the procrastination.  Lydia loved trying it on and I loved how it looked.  Next time around I will be a little better about fabric selection.  The cute details that I worked hard to perfect were lost in the busy print.

I chose simple matte black buttons for the front and back of the dress.

Slightly gathered sleeves helped when matching the sleeve to the underarm seam.

I used a pale blue polkadot contrast hem

Unfortunately, Lydia never holds still for more than a second right now and this is the only picture that I have on my phone of her in the dress.  I think this is before I even sewed all the buttons on the back.  I apologize for the terrible grainy quality but I really think the socks and undershirt add to the ensemble.