Keeping Me Busy!

A little while ago, I shared the ridiculous cuteness of the Little Lizard King ruffled sunsuit with you.  I'm still loving this pattern and apparently everyone else does too because I have been taking orders for them like mad!  I'll be honest, I'm a little ruffled out, but oh my goodness, the cuteness!

This one is in the extremely popular Riley Blake chevrons with some medium dots to coordinate.  It's so summery and girly!  The girls were loving modeling these, so I suppose I need to add two more to my sewing list!

That ruffly little bum gets me every time!  And I love the huge bow around the neck!  You know how much I appreciate a giant bow.

Joel Dewberry is still getting plenty of love here too.  I've been enamored with the Heirloom collection since I first saw it and I still love it every time I work with it.  

The colors just make me happy and the prints are so gorgeous!  I know, I gush...but when something fits your style so perfectly, it's hard not to!

I know I've gone on and on about Little Lizard King patterns and I promise I'm not being paid by them (unless they want to, hint hint! :))  They are just really great quality patterns and I've enjoyed using them.  The style is right on with the boutique look that is so popular right now!

Now I'm off to sew some more!  Once I finish the 14 I'm working on (no, I am not kidding), I think I'm taking a sewing vacation for a couple of weeks!  Ha!  Have a fabulous week, my friends!

What Summer is Going to Look Like

It's been a little quiet around here for the past couple of weeks and with good reason.  Warm weather has come and brought with it a whole list of fun summer activities.  We've been on a little vacation with family, made a few trips to the zoo and hit up the park.  Now that the girls are 3 and really enjoying more "big girl" outdoor fun, I joked that I probably should just set up a little workstation for myself outside this summer!

That being said, it's pretty much a given that things are going to slow down a bit here on the blog over the next couple of months.  Most of the summer clothes (for the girls and for me!) have been sewn, photographed and shared.  It's time to enjoy being with my kids as they experience the joy of BEING a kid in the summertime!  

There's going to be a lot less of this...

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And a lot more of this...

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Yeah, not my pool, but wouldn't that be nice!  We do have a pretty fly 6' snapset pool though :)

There will definitely be less of this...

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And we'll be making time for more of this...

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There will still be sewing and blogging happening.  In fact, I have a pretty fabulous summer tutorial for you that I am hoping to have up next week!  So stick with me, but don't forget to enjoy the sunshine and the sound of your kiddos laughing about anything and everything!  Happy Summer!

Project Sewn Week 4: Signature Look

When I told my husband the theme for the final week of Project Sewn was to be my "Signature Look," I jokingly told him I guess that meant I should make a pair of sweats and a t-shirt!  As a stay-at-home-mom, I don't have a lot of opportunities to dress up.  Most days in the summer it's a pair of khaki bermudas and a t-shirt.  I'm okay with that - I love to be comfy and play with my kids without worrying about ruining my clothes.  If I really think about my signature style or what kind of clothing defines me, there are a few simple adjectives that come to mind.  Comfortable and casual would definitely be staples.  I love a touch of vintage but nothing too frilly.  I really love a good peasant top, which is obvious by the 5 or 6 tops of that style that I already own!  So, for my signature look, I created a peasant top and a pair of breezy linen capris that really suit my style!

For the top, I actually revamped a top I had previously made.  Confession time:  after making the top and blogging about it, I never wore it.  Not even once.  I honestly never felt that comfortable in it although I absolutely adored the fabric!

To turn the top into something I would love and wear, I got out the trusty seam ripper and removed the entire top portion above the pleats.  I used a peasant top pattern to create a new bodice and sewed it to the existing bottom portion and was instantly so much happier with the top!  I used some white eyelet for the bodice and lined everything but the sleeves.  I think it has a romantic and slightly vintage vibe, but still looks fresh and perfect for summer.

I made a simple pair of capris from some white linen and only wish I had added pockets.  I still might add some back pockets, although the tunic length covers most of the top of the pants.  I definitely foresee wearing these capris with many other tops, though!  

I truly love this outfit, which is really the essence of someone's signature style.  If you don't love it and you wouldn't reach for it in the closet, is it really your style?  It may not be sweats and a t-shirt but it's an outfit that I can feel confident and happy in, even chasing the twin terrors around :)  

My best attempt at being a model...don't judge, people.  I think I'll stick to sewing!

Thanks for all the kind comments about my outfits during this sew-along!  If you love this one as much as I do, I would appreciate it if you would head over to Project Sewn and VOTE for me!  I'm #20!  Have a great weekend!

Big thanks to my awesome BFF Shannon Miller for coming over to take these pictures for me, even though I waited until the 11th hour!  :)

Thank Your Teachers!

As the school year is wrapping up, I'm seeing a ton of really cute teacher thank you gift ideas popping up!  My girls aren't quite school aged yet (thankfully!), but we do have some wonderful teachers in our lives.  While I attend MOPS, the girls are in MOPPETS.  While this is essentially childcare during the MOPS meetings, they do have a curriculum and wonderful teachers and helpers who are all volunteers.  To thank these lovely ladies who care for my crazy girls, I made some simple gifts for them.

First I made a big patch of peanut butter cookies because seriously...peanut butter cookies.  Then I grabbed some cardstock, stamping supplies and washi tape and got decorating!  I cut the cardstock to the same width as the top of my zippered baggies and about 6" tall.  Then I folded it in half and cut the bottom edges with some scalloped scissors.  I put a strip of washi tape across the top edge and stamped some flowers along the left side.  I added a thank you message and signed our names!

Once the cookies were in the bags, I sealed them up, slipped the cardstock over the top and stapled it on.  It was super easy, very cute and all the teachers were thrilled!  It was also very budget friendly!  

We're heading into a holiday weekend here in the US.  For this long Memorial Day weekend we have plans to spend time with family and so I'm signing off for a few days here.  I wish everyone a safe and happy time this weekend wherever you may be!

Lavender Lovelies - Vintage Pillowcase Dresses

My best friends recently brought me a treasure of an estate sale find - two gorgeous matching vintage pillowcases!  Although purple isn't usually my favorite color, these lavender floral pillowcases are truly lovely.  

The pillowcases have a pretty floral print that gets a bit larger as you move towards the open end and then finishes with a scalloped edge border in solid lavender.  Also, the fabric is crazy soft...like pick up your baby and hold her just because her dress feels super awesome.

The craziest part is that I believe the actual pillowcases were handmade as well!  There weren't any factory finished edges inside, which makes me wonder!  I'm thinking it's pretty awesome if they were handmade and then I reused them to make something else handmade!  

I was originally going to take the lazy route and just make the simplest version of a pillowcase dress with some grosgrain ties, but after my little revelation about the handmade nature of these pillowcases, I decided to spend the extra time and put some effort into it :)  I used the leftover fabric from the top to make the ties.

I also lined the dresses which makes them look so much nicer.  I stuck with the theme and used some fabric cut from a thrifted white sheet for the lining.  White sheets are definitely my go-to fabric for linings!

I love bold modern prints too, but mostly the simple beauty of a vintage floral is what makes me happy.  The girls seem to be quite happy with them as well :)

This picture.  It stops my heart a little bit.  I love these girls.  I love making them things that they can hopefully pass on to their own daughters someday.  This is why I sew.

Voting is now open at Project Sewn for the sundress sew-along!  If you love my dress, I'd love it if you'd hop over and vote for me!  I'm #14 :)  Have a lovely weekend everyone!

VOTE HERE!  

J'Adore Dior (or My Stanley Hudson Sundress)

First of all, I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU! to everyone who voted for my black & white outfit!  I came in 2nd and I'm super happy!  Now it's week 2 at Project Sewn and I am so excited about my new sundress!

I'm pretty certain Dior never would have used a vintage sheet to make a dress, but I'm still calling it my J'Adore Dior dress because it was definitely inspired by the gorgeous 50s Dior sundresses.  It's subtitled the Stanley Hudson Sundress, which is a reference to the most recent season of Project Runway.  Stanley's work was impeccable and while I didn't love his final collection, the classic pieces he made during the season pretty much always blew me away.  We definitely have a similar aesthetic!  Anyway, the dress!!

I've probably started a million blog post this same line, but I started with a vintage sheet as my fabric inspiration for this dress.  It's the softest, lightest sheet and the print is just divine.  

As a massive added bonus, the sheet has this amazing border print with an embroidered scalloped edge.  It's so lovely and summery!

I knew I wanted to do a dress with a higher neckline, but the only pattern I have with the darts I wanted is New Look pattern 6874 - .  I started with the tank top pattern pieces and ended up using them only for the bust darts.  I just couldn't even try to draft those myself with all my other sewing going on this week!  After I got the bust darts done, I pretty much abandoned the pattern and self-drafted the neckline and shoulders.

I fully lined the bodice and put an invisible zipper up the side.  For the skirt, I cut the whole width of the sheet to length and then cut it in half.  I pleated each piece until they were the same width as my bodice plus seam allowance, sewed the panels together and then attached the skirt to the bodice.  I love the pleats instead of gathers.  It's a small detail, but I think it looks fresh and young.

Oh yes, and I added pockets!  Cute sundress or not, it's still momville around here and you just never know what the 3 year olds are going to hand you.  Pockets are a must.

I whipped up a quick sash to pull it all together and I had one awesome new sundress!

I don't think I can really overstate how much I love this dress!  It is incredibly light and airy.  It might be the most comfortable dress I own!  I actually wore it while I was sewing up the sash.  Okay, I had put it on to do the final fitting, decided it needed a sash and just didn't bother to take it off, but seriously...if dresses in the 50s were this comfy, I can see how the wives and mothers of the day didn't mind wearing them around!  I love my dress!

And I love the pockets :)

If you love my dress too, I'd be honored if you'd VOTE for me starting Friday morning!