Time for Another Sew-Along?

What do you think?  Is it time to do another sew-along?  Does anyone have any ideas of what you might like to make?  I can think of a few options, but I would love to hear what you think?  Leave me a comment, and we'll get another one started soon!

Mother's Day Sewing for Me!

Sorry though, you can't see it :).  I decided since it is Mother's Day weekend, I'd get started making my bathing suit.  I, however, won't post a picture of myself in a bathing suit on the internet, so I'm afraid you won't get to see it. 

I'm making a tankini with a skirted bottom, and I've finished the bottom part now.  It needs a couple of modifications, but I'm happy with it so far!  I'll work on the top later this weekend. 

Oh, you say you want a picture?  Well, do you remember this?

Look, what Allie discovered a couple of days ago. . .babies!

Happy Mother's Day!



Bamboo lycra in soft pink.

I have a confession to make:  these dresses were made as a direct result of me wanting solid-colored dresses to take pictures of the girls in.  It started, as usual, in the fabric store.  I had read about people using vinyl instead of seamless paper as backdrops for photography, and I wanted to give it a try.  Joann's had several different colors of marine vinyl, including a light gray that I decided would work beautifully. 

My choice of light gray necessitated that I put the girls in soft colors, and I had some ballet pink bamboo lycra in my stash. . .just enough to make 2 dresses.  I didn't want them to be identical, so I used the same fabric to make different  styles. 

Jenna's is the Miss Madeline from the Handmade Dress.  I made it without the elasticized waist.  As you can see, it works perfectly in a knit as well as in woven, as the pattern suggests.

Allie's is a self-drafted tank dress with gathered side panels.  I bound the neckline and armholes out of the same fabric using the binder attachment for my coverstitch machine, which may be my favorite sewing invention EVER!

We didn't get any good pictures of the sides while she was wearing it, but here it is being modelled by her duct tape double that is a couple of sizes smaller than she is now.

This is why I love sewing with knits. . .it is super fast!  I had both of these cut and sewn in about 3 hours. 

I would love to hear what you are working on!

Just a Mug Rug for Mother's Day.

Wow, it's been a little while, hasn't it?  I'm sorry about that!  I've been busy and away from my sewing table, but I had yet to complete the April challenge at http://www.sewingmamas.com/.  The challenge was to sew something for a mother, who couldn't be myself.  I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to make, but I finally settled on a mug rug. 

Have you heard of mug rugs?  I hadn't either until recently, but essentially, it is quilted mat that can be used as a coaster for a mug of coffee or tea and a snack.  Here is my version.  I'm not a quilter, and I miscalculated when deciding on my method for applying the binding, so I had to improvise.  I think it is cute, and I think Mama will like it, so there you go!



I also made both girls a dress this morning for a photo session.  I did take pictures of them, but they don't really showcase the dresses very well, so I'll show those to you later.

Happy sewing!

Happy Easter!

We have baby birds in our bird house and, although the Easter Bunny didn't bring these, we did find this nestled in the back of our satellite dish last weekend.



Pattern Review--Favorite Things Little Smarty Pants

I made some more Little Smarty Pants today, so I thought I'd take the time to write a quick review of the pattern.  Overall, this is one of my favorite summer patterns.  It comes in two lengths--capri and bermuda shorts.  I haven't made the capri length yet, but I will soon.

Likes:

• The pattern has plenty of details that give them a more finished look without requiring zippers or buttons. 
• The flat-front, elastic-waist style means that there isn't a lot of bulk at the waist.
• I love the bias cut back waistband and the method used to create the cuffs on the bermuda shorts.
• It is a good unisex pattern although I don't have any boys to make them for.

Dislikes:

• The pocket instructions can be quite confusing and call for 2 extra pattern pieces that you really don't need to use unless you want to use a lighter-weight fabric for your pockets.  Once I figured out that I don't necessarily need the pocket facings, it all worked out fine though.
• The sizing for children is paired, so any size above a 4 is a combination of two sizes (e.g. 5/6, 7/8).  Allie is between sizes at the moment, so this doesn't work as well for me as it could.

That's really the gist of it.  The results definitely look like the pattern envelope, and the details give them a ready-to-wear feel that you don't always find in patterns. 

I used my black and white seersucker for these.  Jenna's are bermuda length with front and back pockets and cuffs.  I didn't do waistband tabs or belt loops.  Here are some pictures although the details get a little lost in the gingham.   They are a size 4, but are still a little big. . . she will probably grow into them in the next few months!

And another picture just because she's cute!  (This is her model pose.)

For Allie, I decided to use the same pattern to make a skort for her.  I cut her the bermuda shorts in a size 7/8 and shortened them a little bit, and I didn't cut any pockets or side tabs.  I made a simple tiered skirt to go over them and and sewed it to the top of the shorts before attaching the waistband. 

I made each tier of the skirt 1 1/2 times bigger than the tier before and gathered it by hand.  I definitely should have taken the time to get out my ruffler foot, but I didn't, so I spent a lot of time pulling up bobbin threads!  It ended up being very twirly!

I hope you have all had a great weekend!

Seersucker

I love love love, with a twinkly heart surrounded by firecrackers, seersucker.  Seriously.  It may be one of the best fabrics ever made for hot, humid weather.  Unfortunately, good seersucker is hard to find.  There is the fake stuff at Joann's that I'm guessing is about 80% poly since it melts if your iron is too hot. . .don't get me wrong, I've been sucked in by some of the super-cute prints and bought some, but it isn't real seersucker. I've also come across some really thin (read really see-through) stuff, but that isn't what I've been looking for either.

Guess what is in my washing machine as we speak.  Yep, some real seersucker, and if it could be any better, it is black and white gingham seersucker!  I found it at the bottom of a stack of bolts in the very first shop I went in at the garment district.  This particular store had an incredibly pushy salesman who tried to talk me into several different things, including some rainbow striped satin, but all I left with was the gingham seersucker. 

Now, I just need to decide what to make with it.  I may make some Little Smarty Pants or maybe a skirt like this one (without the fish embroideries).  What is your favorite thing to make with seersucker?