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

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