Selfish Sewing: A Maxi Skirt for Me!

I almost never sew for myself.

Which is funny since when I first started sewing it was entirely for myself.

But I was small and cute back then.

Since I picked up sewing again it's been almost exclusively for the Bug and other little Bugs with a bit of quilting or home decor thrown in.

Sewing for myself is pretty much limited to making a new purse every three months or so.

I'm an immediate gratification seamstress. If I can't get it done in a couple of hours, forget it. I don't have the time or the brain space to devote to it.  

Last weekend I tried on a maxi skirt at Target and fell in love with it.  Even better, I knew I could use it as a pattern to make more skirts for myself. The design was so simple that I knew it would be a quick project too (meaning, I might actually get around to doing it!).

So I did it!

It's just a simple three tiered Maxi skirt. Each tier is a bit wider than the one above it so it's gathered slightly to fit onto the tier above.  I took my tier measurements by laying out the purchased skirt on my cutting mat and writing down the dimensions (plus seam allowance).

The waist is a simple elastic casing. The Target skirt had a drawstring too but I totally forgot to add it until it was too late. No big deal, it fits fine without and it didn't really add anything aesthetically. 

Side note: I used elastic that said it won't twist and yet, it twists. Grrr. . . 

I've sewn it down flat in a couple of places but it is still twisty. What the heck? Any tips or tricks out there?

The hem just barely grazes the top of my shoes.

It's perfect and breezy and comfortable.

Super cool for these hot summer days with the added bonus that the legs could be a little over due for a shave and no one will be the wiser.

I love this fabric too.

It's a voile that I bought on sale at fabric.com ages ago, specifically with the intent to sew something for myself.  It's a bit bold but paired with a solid tee I think it works.

I do feel a bit hippie-ish when I wear it and carry my big ol' granny bag. But it's fun.

So now the question becomes, How many maxi skirts is it practical to have in one's wardrobe? 

Because I can see myself making many more.

Is there any interest in a tutorial?

~Lindsay

Pleated Penny Pattern Test

Sometimes I do crazy things.

Like volunteering to do a pattern test in the middle of one of the most hectic weeks so far this summer.

But I'd been longing to get into the sewing room and there is nothing like a deadline to force me to prioritize my creative outlet.  As busy as I was last week. . . I needed this.

Behold the Pleated Penney from Shwin & Shwin.

 I made the tunic length in 5T.

I think it fits the Bug just right.

I made a belt but I decided it didn't need it.  I like how the top is swingy and full without it.

Like our dead grass? It hasn't rained here in a month. It's crazy.

 Part of the deal for getting her to pose was letting her pick the short and shoes so we have purple shorts, dirty flip flops and a random fast food toy which she is pretending is her cell phone.

I will take what I can get.

I love the smile and puffed up chest pose.

It tells me that she really does like this one. Woo hoo!

The print is from Amy Butler's Lark collection. Fat Quarter Shop had it 50% off a few weeks ago and I couldn't help myself. I pretty much drained my "fabric buying" money in my PayPal account!

Money well spent I think. I love this big bold print.

 This top is a quick sew. It's pretty much the same front and back.

Made nice and roomy by the pleats around the neckline.

Those pleats are the only thing I'd consider "difficult" about this pattern but they are meant to be kind of free form and they don't have to be even so just don't over think it.

 The arm holes are finished with a bias binding. I happened to have a bit of thin, white binding on hand so I just used that. But you could match it to your fabric or even do a second print if you want to make your own bias.

I had some minor issue with the straps. They seemed too wide so I basically made them half the width of the pattern. I was working late into the night so I think perhaps the error was with me and not the pattern.  I want to try it again and do it right.

 Just another shot of the back.

The zig zags at the top just under her hair are because I was working late    and totally forgot to add my tag when I stitched down the facing.  If I was making this for someone else, I would have ripped out the seam and sewed it in but it doesn't really bother me to see those extra stitches there.

Now if you'll excuse her, the Bug needs to take this very important call.

I have a feeling it's Ariel.

~Lindsay

Flower Stamping

We bought some celery at the grocery store last week and as I was cutting it, I actually remembered to save the bottom part for stamping.

This has been all over Pinterest and lots of the crafty blogs, so nothing new here.

But it was fun for the Bug. And I think it's a neat way to see food in a different way.

We talked a little bit about what other types of vegetables we could make into stamps.

We had two "stamps" so she chose a color for each stamp.

Pink and purple of course.

There was a little bit of a learning curve with just how much paint to apply and how to put the stamp down, but she quickly got the hang of it.

These little projects take so much letting go for me!

I am such a control freak, but I took a step back and just let the Bug go with it--making her own design.

She did a super job. Of course.

We used these fabric paints that I found on sale at JoAnns. I've never used this kind before but they were marked down from about $6 per jar to $.99 so it was totally worth trying something new.

The verdict? I like them. I like having paint in a jar like this rather than the bottle or tube I usually use. I feel like there is less waste because you can just dip your brush in the jar and you don't have to pour it onto a palette. The colors are just as vibrant and once you heat set, the paint is color fast.

We've washed this shirt a good 3 times and so far it's holding up well.

I love it.

She did such a fantastic job and it's one of her favorite shirts to wear. (Thus having washed it three times in two weeks!)  She has gotten all kinds of compliments on it, which I think is just awesome.

Of course she glows with pride when she wears it.

I might have to have her paint all of her own clothing from now on. It makes getting dressed in the morning much easier!

~Lindsay

Baby Gifts Modeled (Caution. . . Adorable babies ahead. . .)

Fair warning. . . 

You can't handle the cuteness. I'm dying over here.

 You've got to love it when a Momma loves her shower gifts so much that within a week she's given you photos of the outfits in action. . . and recruited helpers for the things that were too big.

Hello sweet little baby toes! I barely even see that bright skirt I'm so overwhelmed with the urge to kiss those toes. 

 And then there is this.
Heaven help us, does she not look like an angel?

This is exactly how I envisioned this dress in my head. I am so glad I got to see it on a model.

I really have no words for this one.

A big Awwwww. . . is all I can muster.

There is nothing sweeter than ruffles on a baby's bottom. . . Except maybe those curled up tootsies. . . Or that sweet sleepy face. . .

Thank you ladies so much for sharing your sweet girls with us! It is so gratifying to see something you've made actually in use and even more, to know it's appreciated.

~Lindsay

A Sewing Lesson for the Bug

A few weeks ago a certain little had a case of the pink eye that required a few days at home instead of at daycare.

There may be some children who enjoy such things, but our Bug is a social Bug and too much time with just Mom or just Dad and no friends can be rough. Lots of unique activities are required to keep her mind off of the friends she is missing.

One of the days I spent home with her, I asked if she would like to sew a skirt. She loves to be in the sewing room with me. Loves looking at the fabric and going through the button jars. . .

Doesn't that sound sweet and idyllic? 

In reality it looks more like her pulling fabric and other notions off of my shelves and either throwing it on the floor or worse, "organizing" it for me (translated: moving it somewhere else in the room where she thinks it belongs and I will never find it). Going through the button jar typically involves her dumping a thousand buttons onto the floor, looking at them for 20 seconds and then going back to "organizing", and screaming like a banshee when I suggest she put the buttons back in the jar.

So now that we've established that. . . 

I wanted to sew.

I didn't want to deal with Bug drama while I sewed. So I, selfishly, told her she could make a skirt.

I knew the basic requirement. . . it needed to SPIN really well.

She dictated the rest.

She has been begging to do something with this rainbow stripe fabric for ages so I had a hunch she'd pick that.  I think I got it on clearance at WalMart and it's been in my stash for a year so I was happy to let her use it up.  We had just enough.

Another "must have" is pockets.  She chose the shape and the color of these.

I sewed them on. The curves wigged her out.

And she spent a good 45 seconds hunting through the button jar to find buttons to dress them up.

Small victories.

Yes there are five buttons on the pink pocket and three on the purple. Yes the purple buttons are random and four of the pinks are the same.

I'm not going to pretend that the lack of symmetry doesn't drive me bonkers.

But it's her skirt. Not mine. I fought the urge to control and just let it be.

And she wanted a bow belt. 

A BIG bow belt.

And here is our somewhat finished product.

Completely designed by the Bug (right down to choosing if the ties should be squared or angled at the end).  

Mostly sewn by her, with guidance of course. She really likes that foot pedal. I'm thankful for the speed control on my machine as she tends to enjoy putting the pedal to the metal so to speak! Makes a Momma a bit nervous.

I was tickled to have her wear it to school when she was finally able to go back.

My joy was abruptly ended by a temper tantrum over pocket placement.

Apparently she wanted them on the side seams.

Who knew.

I guess I forgot to ask.

I've yet to make a date with my seam ripper, but I will. No matter how much every ounce of me thinks rounded pockets on the side seams is going to look silly. . .

by golly I'll do it because that's what the Bug ordered and this is, after all her skirt.

I'm pretty sure Momma learned more from this first official sewing lesson than the Bug did.

~Lindsay

Gifts for baby. . .

Am I the only one who finds sewing/blogging hard in the summer? 

Maybe I'm just out in the garden more. I don't know.

But I'm definitely not as prolific in the summer months.

I did get in there enough to make a few sweet little gifts for a baby shower this past week.

Baby clothes are so fun to sew. They take so little time and fabric comparatively.

 Embellishing onesies is alway fun. This one I just topped off with a bit of ruffle trim around the collar.

I think it's just the right amount of understated sweetness to pair up with this bold little skirt.

And the skirt (complete with threads needing trimmed. . . sigh. . .) is a simple design with a sweet little ribbon hem.  I love this fabric. It's been in my stash for forever waiting for just the right project. I think this was it.

Instructions on how to complete a ribbon hem are at the end of the Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt Pattern. It's a technique I've used more than once to avoid hemming a garment!

My personal favorite summer baby gift is also the least photogenic.

It's near impossible to get a good photo unless it is ON a child. 

But Heaven help us. . . believe me when I say this little ruffle bum romper is the pinnacle of adorableness. 

If you don't believe me, click HERE (but don't blame me if you faint from cuteness overload!).

You can get yourself a copy of the pattern by Little Lizard King, here.

I highly recommend it.

The last gift was inspired by this beautiful embroidered pillowcase that was in my stash of vintage goodness I received from my grandma.

I ALMOST made a traditional pillow case dress.

Maybe I should have since that tutorial is the one thing driving traffic to this blog.

But I didn't.

You know me, I can't ever do the same thing twice. 

So I made a peasant dress.

 I used a bit of vintage bias tape to make some fun little stripes. One on the waist and one on the skirt--to make up for the fact that I cut the skirt too short! Shh! Don't tell, I made a mistake! Ha!!

I really do live the bias tape though. It looks so perfect with the sunny yellow flowers.

This embroidery bewitched me.

I am a sucker for a scalloped crochet edge.

I wish you could feel the fabric through the computer. It's the softest time worn bit of lovely you will ever see or feel.

It simply begged to be made into a dainty baby gown.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to this shower but I sent my gift ahead.  I'm told there were great oohs and aaaahs among the crowd.  That stuff always makes me uncomfortable. But what I really hope is that the Momma felt loved and blessed because that's what it's about for me and it's what keeps me sewing. . . even when the sun shines bright outside my sewing room window and my garden beckons.

More baby gifts to come! Another sweet girl due the end of this month will be receiving a package soon! Assuming I get my act together and finish one last thing!

~Lindsay

The Granny Bag

Several weeks ago, some friends of mine got together for a girls weekend in NYC.

I was bummed that I couldn't join them but things on the home front and at work were just too crazy to get away.

About a week later I got a surprise package in the mail. (well, it was sort of a surprise. . . someone sort of let the cat out of the bag early, Ahem. . .)

In the package was this note, and two yards of Denyse Schmidt fabric from Purl Soho.

I love that they specified that I need to make something for myself.

They even took a group picture.

How cute are they?

The fabric was awesome and fun and so appreciated, but seeing their smiling faces? That was the best.

They even sent me the little card. Oh yes I did save it.

Who me? a pack rat?

Perhaps a little.

So what to make? I thought about it for a while.  A bag made the most sense since I DON'T sew clothing for myself as a rule. 

My friend, Z (she's the one hiding in the photo above) had requested that I make her a bag for her crochet projects and we settled on the granny bag on the cover of this book, Carry Me.

I LOVE the bag and decided I should take the pattern for a test run before cutting into the AMH fabric she selected.

Totally selfless of me.

Ha!

 This is a BIG bag.

My husband delights in calling it my granny bag.

I don't care. I love it.

I think I keep less in it than I did my old purse, so go figure.

The instructions in the book were a bit complicated to figure out at first. It's a series of diagrams, and written instructions that are kind of minimal.

Not at all like the photo heavy tutorials I've been spoiled by.

But if you've sewn a bag or two before, it's not too hard to figure out.

And while I don't think this type of bag would be too hard for a beginner to sew with more complete instructions, I definitely wouldn't recommend this book to beginners.

My only complaint is the pocket situation.

I don't like the way they tell you to put in the zipper pocket. When I make it again, I'll do it my way.

And I'll put in considerably more pockets. 

Z will need a place for crochet hooks and other tools after all.

I thought at first that the lack of any closure on top would be an issue, but the bag is so big that all of my stuff sits WAY down in the bottom and doesn't ever come close to falling out.

I like that it's split a bit at the side seams so you can turn it down. I think that will be a great feature for a crochet bag.

As for the book, there are a lot more cute bag patterns to try!

So who's going to send me the next batch of fabric to play with?

(Kidding!!)

~Lindsay