With baby C’s new nap schedule I have gotten some blocks of time to sew this summer. Much less than I want to (or at least fewer items are getting sewn than are on the to do list) but still a pretty decent output.
Big C has been liking maxi skirts lately.
First skirt is from ruffle fabric with an exposed elastic waistband (although you can’t see that in the picture). Not sure I will do that kind of waistband again, it is kind of a pain. Second skirt is just a standard tube + elastic waist but gave me some practice sewing with rayon challis. Very poor attempt at pattern matching is luckily not shown…that is my challenge this year!
M got a fancy skirt…
Oddly sticky polyester fabric from Joann’s with flowers sewn on it (I mean, it came that way). Some challenge figuring out how to do the hem and the waist due to the bulk of the fabric, so this ended up like a bubble skirt with white voile on the inside and then some trickery to attach the elastic waistband. Same waistband as on C’s skirt but I am not happy with how the stitches show up on it—sewing in a perfectly straight line while stretching the elastic way out did not go well. But M was happy. And, er, the length should allow it to fit for a while.
I meant to follow a Sew A Long for this next item but didn’t actually make it until the week after. It is a woven hoodie that baby C wore for the 4th of July.
This is from the translated version of Happy Homemade Kids, although I added the lining to the hood. The hood fits oddly but looks cute on her back. Overall, was able to use up some leftover 4th of July fabric so that she coordinated with the other girls (who wore the outfits I made last year again). Well, the back of big C’s shirt matched baby C at least…
The rayon challis maxi skirt experiment was my warm up for sewing this dress from Ottobre Kids for big C:
Not quite as fitted around the waist as it was in the pictures (thanks skinny C) and the invisible zipper in the back gave me a lot of trouble. I think the zipper still pulls the back funny—it is heavier than the fabric. Maybe interfacing would have helped? At one point I poked a small hole near the collar while ripping out the zipper the 3rd? 4th? time and so had to stop fiddling with it and be satisfied. This fabric screamed C to me and she was quite happy with the dress. I did a very narrow hem at the bottom to keep some length. I think she is going to wear this to a wedding this weekend, so, success!
I have been on a shorts sewing binge, in part for an online contest called Shorts on the Line, but also because the kids needed shorts. One pair for M from a japanese sewing book (another pattern matching disaster, partially because the gridded pattern was totally off grain!) not shown, nor do I have pictures of my first Sunny Day shorts from Oliver + S which were for big C. But then I made three more pairs with various modifications…
Cargo pockets with a flap added for M.
Studded leather trimmed rear patch pockets, voile lined front slash pockets and an inch in length added for C.
Voile lined front slash pockets and rear welt pockets (!!) added for M.
The last two pairs the girls picked out the fabrics themselves at the store, and they just look sooo them. Pretty pleased to have sewn my first welt pockets too.
Let’s see…I also made myself a skirt, but no pictures of that. It is my one pattern matching success but the zipper gave me such a hassle that we are not speaking right now.
Lots of knitting going on as well, I think four or so scarves and hoping to get sweaters done for at least the two older girls before summer’s end. Always more to do!