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

A Chantilly or Two

Ok, It's been a while since I have really blogged. I have sew some since surgery but have not shred any of it here....until now. ; )

This is my new favorite summer dress! It's the Chantilly dress from Collette patterns . I truly enjoyed sewing both of these dresses very much. The pattern was very well written. The only part of the pattern I wasn't pleased with was how to install the invisible zipper. Now I do know how to sew one in very well thanks to Liesl amazing patterns! (Oliver +S) but if I hadn't it would have been a bit troubling to sew in.  OK, OK, I did twist the Zipper when sewing it on the right side, on both dresses...one would think I would have learned my lesson the first time around! (I was just so excited to finish the dresses at this point so I might have been rushing a tad).

This dress has incredible details to it. It's fully lined and the lining of this is just as fabulous as the outside of it! A real pleasure to sew.

The fabric for this one was Cloud 9 organic Lunada buy in coral and the lining is an ivory voile, both of these fabrics feel so soft and has such great drape to them.

Here is the first Chantilly I sewn up, a wearable muslin in peach gauze. I made this dress back in the begging of March. I have already worn this dress so many times, love! It's so comfortable and looks fab!

(You can see my surgery site in these last two photos pretty well. This was about 5 days after)

Yep, love at first sew!

I can't tell you ladies how much better I feel since surgery and how great it is to be sewing along on this Selfish Sewing week!

Sharon

Selfish Sewing Week!

Starts today! I am in this time are you?

maybe I'll get some things done on my to do list for me for once.

Sharon

Guest Post at Oliver + S!

Just in case you missed it, I have a guest post on my favorite pattern over at Oliver + S blog a few days ago! Can you guess which one it is? (it shouldn't be hard!)

You can check it out over here!

Sharon

Little Things To Sew Travel Quilt

Well I did it! I am officially done with all 21 projects in the Little Things to Sew book Challenge! I was able to finish up the Travel quilt and add in an extra pillow case this morning! I want to say a really big thanks to Shelley for hosting this fun challenge for if not for her I would have never finished up with all the patterns from the LTTS book. : ) 

For the quilt I wanted something with spring like fabrics in it, so I went with baby ducks and chicks with a peachy yellow main fabric. If you are looking more closely now you are not wrong, there are not chicks in this quilt at all. I decided after cutting into the fabric that I really loved the ducklings on the quilt by themselves and I am now saving the baby chicks for yet another Travel quilt later on. The cool thing is after I finished the quilt I had enough fabric left over to make a matching pillow case too!

(I uses 1/3 yard of each color of the duckling fabric total if you are wondering)

I quilted the top with a double diamond shape on my sewing machine. It really wasn't too bad except for the center rows where it was a tight squeeze on my machine for the fit. I did hand stitch the back of the binding on though, not too bad. ; )

To make enough fabric for the pillow case I cut 6" of the blue and brown ducks and sewn them together as one fabric for the border of the pillow case. I do like seeing all three fabrics on the pillow case for a bit fun. (The brown fabric is on the inside of the pillow case.)

Little Prince C loves it too! The whole time I was sewing this up he kept trying to snatch it from me. He sure was glad this morning when I really let him have his new quilt!

Thank you so much Shelly again! I couldn't have done it with out you!

I hope the rest of you ladies have as much fun sewing along with the Little Things to sew book challenge as I did!

Sharon

LTTS: Some fun things for Prince C

This past week I really, truly got around to sewing. I just wanted to keep it simple, fun and easy so I made an art smock, a bias apron and a bento carrier for Prince C. Yes, all things are also on my list of things needed to be sewn for the Little Things to Sew book challenge too. ; ) Two birds with one stone you could say!

The Art Smock really was a pleasure to sew. The instructions have you make French seams on the inside and make for a lovely finish to the smock. I just love French seams!

I used contrasting thread on this. I love the way the white thread looks against the red fabric. I really am happy the way the pockets look on this too.

This is Prince C's new cooking apron. He wanted one like big brothers and sister but all the ones I have in the house made up are way to big for him. This one is just his size!  It was pretty easy to sew too and I think with the off white bias on the coke fabric that it reminds me of Vanilla Coke. Yummy! If I can't drink it at least I can sew with it. (Oh how I miss drinking Coke Cola!)

Next up his new lunch box! The pattern is the Bento Carrier. It was just as fun to sew as the other two. I started one of these well over two tears ago for Sweet pea but have yet to finish it. now I have no clue why? (I would be happy to finish it now but it is pack up somewhere out in the barn. I'll have have to find it later this spring.) I am thinking that I really just enjoy sewing with bias is why I love this pattern so. On this one I used teal top stitching on the off white bias for different look. Some of the stitching is off a bit (don't look!) but Prince C love it anyway. I added a circle coke applique' to the center of this ala Quilt in Day style. I'll have to share that with you ladies one day.   

Here is the outside of his Bento Carrier. I need to go and buy a little container from the store to fit inside this for him. He does enjoy carrying around a lunch like his grandpa and daddy. I think it's so cute.

Well three more projects done and one final one to go! I am finishing up with the quilt. I already have it cut as I type and it's waiting on me to sew it up. I decided to make mine in different fabrics than the other ones I have seen. It's a bit more "spring" like you can say. (hint, hint) I will have plenty of sewing time today too, we are completely iced in. The ground is all white but it's all ice and no snow. Oh well.

Happy Sewing!

Sharon

What I have not been doing

Ok, so obviously I have not been sewing...nothing, nada. I have been feeling so good, I have had the flu then a virus then my medicine for heart started not working so well any more.  Oh yah, I also have surgery now scheduled for next month to have my thyroid removed. (Hopefully, and praying, this will fix all my health problems!) So I decided sewing was not happening. Now don't get me wrong, I have been planning sewing. : ) Lots and lots of sewing!

Like a new strawberry dress for Sarah that we seen on The Cottage Mama blog. We are making ours pink color tones. I have two sailor dresses planned for missy too. I want to make little man a new sailor suit too complete with a hat.

My nephew and his wife just had a new baby boy I am wanting to make an outfit for.

Now for the exciting part!

After drooling over some of Nicole's and Justine's dresses I have broke sown and bought myself some patterns, yes for me!

Three deer and Doe and two Collette patterns. I even bought five yards of some fabric that I would normally not buy. I am super excited to try al these patterns out. Well see how long it take for me to get into gear. But first I want to finish those last four projects for the Little Things To Sew Book Challenge.

Wish me lots of luck and sewing time!

Sharon