Sun Shine Girls!

The sun is out and shining and the weather is turning hot! Well for where we live any way. Yes 80F is really hot after -30F for the winter we had. ; )
Sweet pea's new favorite movie is Strawberry short cake fun in the sun. She has watched it so many times that she has been singing the "Sun Shine Girls" song  around the house, heck even Price C is starting to sing the song too! Then she ask me if I would sew her a swim suit, I had swim suit fabric on hand so I said sure. I have been trying to decide on a pattern for a bit now anyway so the to of us looked together (way too much fun!!) and we picked out the Tankini pattern from the Peek-a-boo shop. I think the selling point for her was that Ella would get a matching suit. (Although I keep telling her that Ella can't not really go into the water)

If you couldn't tell already she absolutely loves, loves this swimming suits! She was sing and dancing around when I was taking her pictures, and when she wasn't dancing she was practicing her surfing. She really wants to go surfing.

So that pattern and instructions themselves are super easy and quick. Although sewing the arm bands on the wee doll size really was not any fun I tell you. I was growling a bit but it's only for her doll so I tried and let it get to me. I used some thinner swimming fabric so it might have been why but the back of the racer top is a bit wonky. I have some ideas to keep this from happening so I really want to give this pattern another go. I seen some denim looking swimming fabric at the store up the road so I will go back and pick some up on Monday I think. I am pretty pleased with it over all though.

I made her the shorts to go with the top seeing this girl can't sit still and to make sure everything stays covered. I love this pattern for that! The two piece really makes it easier for her to use the restroom on her too.

Well now she wants me to make a swim suit for me, I would love to try it....after the rest of my sewing is caught up baby girl.

 Ella had to wear her swim suit all day too. : ) She is working on her tan. ; )  

I have really wanted to try sewing one of these for a while and it was not as scary as I thought, in fact it was a bunch of fun! I really want to make one more for Sweet pea before mid summer and Make Price C a rash guard and swimmer trunks too. I might try and sew myself one as well too. We will see.


Happy Weekend!


Sharon

Some of My Favorite Sewing

Believe it or not some of my favorite sewing if for my boys. I love it when the older ones ask by request for a particular pattern to be made in a certain fabric. It makes me feel so good that I am able to make them clothes that they want wear. It's even better when they turn out as planed too.  

This outfit was suppose to be for Garrett's birthday this past winter but wasn't sewn together. ( I was feeling pretty sick at the time) He had a play at school on Tuesday so I thought how great would it be if I sewn it together for him, no time like the present right?

The shirt is a classic Oliver + S Sketchbook shirt. I have made over 20 of these babies and still counting! Keep in mind though that I am sewing for four sons. This pattern is a staple in our house! I think this is the best one I have sewn so far. I still think the collar is as fiddly as the first time trying it but this one I am quite pleased with.  The pants are the Field Trip Cargos minus the cargo pocket on the sides. I think they look more like dress-up pants this way. I adore all the top stitching on these too. It gives them a more "professional" look to them I think.  

Yep, I totally love the stitching on these!

I did put the elastic up a bit in the waist of the pants so I could later let it out for growing room. Garrett does not like anything lose fitting in the waist at all so this way makes us both happy. The shirt I added 3" to the length and I did change the pocket shape as well. Wyatt was already eyeing this outfit too. (It's nice that the two middle boys wear the same size) I have four more pairs of cargos on a "back to school" sewing list for these two boys for the coming fall. 

Garrett couldn't be happier. : )

Sharon

Sewing Childhood Memories

One of my fondest memoires as a child is chasing fireflies with my sister in the warm summer evening just as the sun sets. When Sarah Jane Studios came out with the Wee Wander fabrics I had to have the firefly prints for my two little ones, it just takes me back to those carefree days.  

First up is Sweet pea in a Birthday Party dress, a.k.a. an Oliver + S pattern. It's the first one I have sewn her using this pattern. I did make a size 5 thinking the 4 would be too small. I now think it would have fit just fine but with the 5 I know it will fit all summer long and just maybe next summer too.   

I think she loves this fabric as much as I do too. She wouldn't sit still so I couldn't any pictures of her. (This also might be due to I have been sewing for her brother and myself lately so she was super excited to have a new dress) I love the A line shape of this dress and the pleats are so lovely! The pattern makes it super easy to make the pleats too, it just took some time. I stitched the insides of the pleats to help hold the shape of them, with five kids I don't do a whole bunch of ironing other than when I sew. ; )

I made the front button placket on this one, I fussy cut it so that a jar was right at the end and there is a MOP star button on the "inside" of the jar. I used the oval MOP buttons on the back of her dress. They just seemed like fireflies themselves sparkling in night air.  

I really don't know why it has taken me so long to sew this pattern but I really enjoyed every minute. I love every little detail of it!

Prince C birthday outfit is going to be made out of the same fabric...as soon as I get to it! Right now I ma working on an outfit for Mr. G I cut out for his birthday. I do have the pants finished and I did start on his Sketchbook shirt so maybe I'll get to it by the end of week, maybe.

Sharon

Time For Summer, Sewing with Some Free Patterns

School lets out for the summer here in four short weeks and the weather is starting to turn lovely. With the older boys being out of school so soon I really would love to have all my kids clothes sewing done before then so what a better way than to start on than a lovely summer dress?! Sweet pea really needs some new dresses too, she has grown so tall over the winter. She is in love with dresses and who could blame her? I love to wear my sun dresses too, way better than pants. So first up was this Picnic Dress. I used a small scrap of fabric left over from her other Strawberry dress. (Oopps, I have forgotten to blog about that one! I will later this week!) It was maybe a yard with some other pattern pieces cut from it. I squeezed the pattern pieces on this baby and got all but one of the inside facing pieces out of this, yep I am that good. ; )

It his made out of strawberry briar rose fabric so you know she loves it! She was twirling around all da in this dress. I used some of the pink/white whipstitched piping on the bodice of this too. It was a easy quick sew, much like that of Oliver + S popover sun dress. The other great part of this dress? It was a free pattern from the Cottage Mama. You can find it over here on her blog too if you want to make one for yourself.

Here is the second part of her new outfit! Since she loves to wear dresses and plays pretty hard outside I thought it would be a great idea to make her some shorts to go under her dress this spring and summer. I notices that Oliver + S came out with a new free pattern, the Sunny Day shorts, they were perfect for this! I sized down one size since I used a knit fabric. I am in the works on making my four boys some pj's bottoms form this very same pattern too. The pattern size range is 6m to 12 boys! That's is terrific for me, all my kids can have a pair apiece. (The Picnic dress only comes in four sizes) I can see me getting a ton of use of the Sunny Day Short pattern already. I want to make Sweet pea some pj bottoms too but on her I plan on adding ruffles to the pants legs hem. I am going to make her two more knit pairs to go under her dresses once I can find my other box of fabric in the barn.....I know it's in there somewhere.....

She is pretty happy with this dress, I just might have to make her one more this next week.

Here is a close up of the piping, I just love this stuff! I need to order some more very soon. They come in all different colors.

I am also working on Caspian's 2nd birthday party sewing as well. (Yipes he is almost two?!?) I am making him and Sweet pea matching outfits this year. I could resist. Her dolly Ella will even have a matching dress. So plenty to work on for me this week! I am really enjoying it too. : )

Happy Sewing!

Sharon

Selfish Sewing Day 4 and 5, In House Blossom Blouse pattern

Yep, Selfish sewing week was last week and I am a bit late posting but I didn't finish up this top untill this morning. It's the one of the newer pattern lines that Oliver + S is carrying now, the In House pattern company. I have been hording this fabric ( Palso Verde Voile Wayfarers in Shell from Cloud 9) since I got it and had been looking for the perfect top pattern for it. I wanted something with longer sleeves for the cooler evenings and mornings we have here in spring to early summer and I wanted something with little lines as not to brake the pattern up too much. When I seen this pattern I knew it was the one!

I love the A line shape of this top, lose fitting that's perfect for the warmer weather that we are having finally. I placed the fabric on yoke sideways for fun but it's really hard to see in photo. I also have the sleeve cuffs with "stripes" on them too.

Over all I really enjoyed this pattern. I would say it's quick and easy to sew. Perfect for any beginners. The instructions were clear and to the point. I would really recommend this pattern to anyone!

I hope you ladies had a great Selfish Sewing week like me!

Sharon

Selfish Sewing Day #3, Deer and Doe Chataigne shorts

On my quest for sewing for myself this week I busted out my Deer and Doe Chataigne short pattern. The construction is very easy and the instructions are very clear and to the point. The shorts also have a lovely invisible zipper on the side too, a selling point on this pattern for me. I was able to get these sewn up in about two and half hours and that's with a toddler and preschooler home. (not bad if I say so myself!) Aren't they super cute?!?

 They are a bit snug in the waist at the moment. A easy fix. Some exercise! (someone has gained a bit of weight this past week but I will not complain I can eat and not get sick now)
Stay tuned for the top!


Sharon