Jumping Rope

I made Allie another long-sleeve shirt this morning out of a lovely purple and lime stripe I bought in L.A.  I don't know what the content of this fabric is. . .it feels like it may have a little bit of poly, but I don't think it does.  I think what I'm feeling is lycra.  It is a really soft, almost slinky-feeling fabric, but it is nothing like traditional slinky. 

I had green ribbing n my stash. . .what would I do without my binder?!

This is the same pattern as the shirt yesterday without the gathered panel.  It has the same extra-long sleeve detail, but I didn't bind the hem.  It needed extra length (as most Ottobre shirts seem to for us), so I added 3 inches plus a hem allowance.

An action shot or three!

I hope you've had a fabulous weekend!

Preparing for Fall

It is sweltering outside, so the only logical thing to do is to sew long sleeves, right?  Seriously, though, it seems like I'm always caught off guard when it does start to get cool, and Allie's sleeves don't reach her wrists.   This year, she will have at least 1 shirt!

This is the "Dots" T-shirt from the Ottobre Winter 2009 issue.  It starts at a size 128, and I made the smallest size, using knits from Hobby Lobby.  The pattern calls for doing a rolled hem on the gathered panel, but I knew that would be a nightmare on this super-thin knit, so I left the edges unfinished. 

The sleeves on this pattern are extra-long and narrow and are meant to be bunched up at the bottom.  Oh, and take a look at how well I matched those stripes!

The only change I made to the pattern was to add extra length. . .8 stripes worth to be exact.  The bottom is finished with binding , but next time, I may do a regular hem, so the bottom will hang rather than hug.  This is a cute pattern with enough details to take it a step past a plain t-shirt. 

What's Next?

Well, my cutting table is clear, and I have piles of fabrics and patterns to choose from, so what should I do next?   

Do you have a suggestion?  If so, leave it in the comments!  I'm open to doing another sew-along too, so if you have a sew-along request, be sure to say so. 

What's next on your table?

One more desk bag!

I think it is really a lot of fun to let kids design their own stuff, and a desk bag is the perfect opportunity for that.  This one is designed by Karley, who, like Allie, will be a second grader tomorrow morning.  I think it turned out very cute!

The pink here is denim, so it should hold up just like duck cloth, but it isn't has stiff as the duck cloth.

She chose an accent fabric with sparkles and coordinating purple pom-poms.

And since she couldn't find jumbo ric-rac, she decided on two rows of smaller ric-rac. 

Another promising school year starts tomorrow morning!

Winner!

The random number generator has spoken. . .and the winner is. . .(drumroll, please)

LauraH!  I'll be sending you an email for your address, so I can send you your desk bag. 

Thanks, everyone!

Mama-Made, Kid-Approved

Allie, Jenna, and I took a trip to the fabric store yesterday, so that Allie could pick out fabric for her desk bag. . .take 2.  (Yes, I'm teaching them to pet all the pretty fabrics. . .lol!)  We walked around and Allie filled up the buggy with bolt after bolt of fabric that she liked.  She had peace signs, polka dots, and tye dye prints, and then we compared them two at a time until she had narrowed her options to just one. 

After a trip to the utility fabric section (for duck cloth) and the trim section, we headed to the cutting table.  Here's the result. . .she likes it!
  

I picked up some extra duck cloth while we were there as I had in mind some chair bags for the kitchen.  These will hold homework supplies to keep them off the counter and hopefully end the constant hunt for a pencil.

The color palette is a bit more subdued  in order to fit better in the kitchen.  I divided the bottom pocket into two pockets and some slots for pencils.

Since I knew the dimensions of my chair, I skipped the elasticized flap and opted instead for a longer flap with a more fitted bag.  



I'm happy with how they turned out and think they will be great to have when school starts later this month.

Have you entered the giveaway yet for the desk bag?  If not, don't forget to go here and leave a comment.  I'm choosing a winner tomorrow night!

Do you need a desk bag?

Allie's back to school supply list this year (and last) includes a desk bag that hangs on the back of the desk.  I did what any good crafter would do and started searching the web for a pattern or tutorial to make one, and I was shocked when I couldn't find one!  When Sew, Mama, Sew! put out a call for tutorials, I knew I wanted to participate. 

If you need to make a desk bag, head on over there for the tutorial.  If you don't want to make one though, I have exciting news!  Unfortunately, Allie doesn't like this bag, so I'm going to give it away to one of you.  Leave a comment here and be sure to include your email address, and I'll choose a random winner on Sunday.