Gigi Skirt

I made this skirt for Danielle almost two months ago and still haven't managed to embroider a coordinating shirt.  Oops.  I guess that will have to be a separate post if/when I get to it!

Straw-b-b-b-berry Shortcake

I had been wanting to try a pattern from LilyBird Studios (LBS) for forever (seriously, for over a year).  I had been eyeing the cuffed shorts I mentioned in this post, but when I went to get them, I decided to take a chance and pick up a pack of 3 patterns.  I was not disappointed with this skirt!

The pattern allows for a contrasting waistband, but
I used my main print because of the scale.

This skirt has cute details and the instructions were fantastic!  They include yardage charts and cutting layouts and finished garment measurements.  I thought the price was reasonable (especially during a sale) and the customer service is great.  I am very pleased!

This skirt is also good for checking out bugs

The kids have started daycare this week in preparation for my going back to work outside the home.  They are loved on a ton by their teachers and seem to be adjusted to the new schedule, so I am going to enjoy this day and try to spend it all sewing!

My First Tutu

For as much as I love to sew, I'm not very "crafty".  I crochet and cross-stitch and all that jazz, but I don't do many paper or no-sew crafts.  This tutu is about as crafty as I get :)

She likes how full & sparkly it was :)

Technically I did sew a little, since I made a loop of elastic by overlapping the ends and stitching them.  But I just knotted the tulle on (2 strips at a time).

I used 18" strips and it's just long enough for now

It's very puffy, I don't know if there are any guidelines about how full tutus are supposed to be.  I just kept adding tulle until the whole elastic was covered.  I used a bit more than I thought I would.  I was hoping to get 2 tutus this size (Danielle is a 3T) out of the 100 yards of 6" wide tulle I bought, but I have less than half of the rolls left, so I will be making a smaller size.

I can't believe I waited so long
to make my little dancer a tutu!

I used light pink, fuchsia, lavender, white and a little bit of silver glittery tulle.  I figure it will go with quite a few of her clothes (despite how I "styled" it with a plain white shirt for the pictures).  It's pretty and girly and I think she likes it.  I'm going to ask her teacher if she can wear it to dance class for their last session.

Summer Maxi Dress

I took advantage of a bundle at Violette Field Threads a little while back and picked up the Emmaline maxi dress. The chevron dress used as the cover photo is darling, though I haven't jumped on that trend yet.

The length of the 3T was
perfect for my 3 year old

It's a sweet dress with a ruffled, bias-bound halter neckline, elastic at the back, and 3 rows of (optional) ruffles at the bottom.  I used about half of a queen-sized sheet I found at the thrift store for this dress.

Though in general I dislike halter styles on little girls, the coverage this dress offers everywhere else still makes it seem modest to me.  If I make it again, I will use longer elastic for the back, since it's a little snug on my super slim daughter and tends to ride down a bit because of it.

Side view--it's got a nice amount
of fullness in the skirt

The ruffles all share the same top edge which makes them a little thick for gathering, but it's worth the trade off of only having to gather one time.  The bottom edges of the ruffles are just a plain serged finish (not even a rolled hem!).

I really like how it turned out, though I don't think maxis are the most practical choice for playing outside :)

New Summer PJs

If I can get caught up on pictures, I have a lot of projects to share with you.  I have been sewing up a storm!  I'll start with sharing Danielle's 6 new nightgowns today.

She likes them :)

I like to make her nightgowns for her summer pjs, because it's quicker than a top & shorts and I can make them a little long so they'll last all summer as she grows.  I normally use a pattern I draft (using indietutes' tutorial), but decided to use a "real" pattern this time.  This should make it easier to sew similar items for my nieces since they are a size larger than my daughter.

I made the 5 pjs shown here plus some Abby Cadabby ones

I used the "Amelia" pattern by 5 Berries Sewing Patterns.  I plan to post a detailed pattern review on Pattern Review soon.  The short of it is that I thought the instructions were really strange (hand-stitching the ends of the elastic together...huh?), but I really loved the results, thought the pattern was drafted well and has a really nice shape.  On top of that, 5 Berries gave away a pattern for FREE to their Facebook fans a couple months ago.  That's pretty cool.

Tinkerbell!

The pattern is actually for a dress with a sash, but I used the short sleeve markings and added a little length, leaving the sash and the elastic for the sleeves off in order to make a nightgown suitable for summer.

The use of stash fabrics in addition to some character prints means these are very affordable pjs indeed.  I am really happy with how they turned out and plan to use the Amelia pattern pieces for future nightgowns/peasant tops/pillowcase dresses/etc.

Too Cute Shorts

I got the chance to test a shorts pattern for Cole's Corner & Creations and the results are adorable!

So is my model--but I'm biased :)

They're simple, elastic-waisted shorts with a cute ruching detail on the side.

You can cinch them as much
or as little as you want

I made this pair for Danielle out of a lightweight denim.  The pattern has instructions for using either fabric or ribbon for the ties--I went with some pink saddle-stitched grosgrain. 

Aren't these shorts darling?

They're meant to be a little blousy, and the pattern is designed to fit kids in a way that's comfortable.  Danielle is a bit skinnier than average, but I thought the shorts still fit great.

This is the second time I've tried one of Cole's patterns and I have to say I've been really impressed.  I've tried pdf patterns from several different people now now and Cole's patterns are by far some of my very favorite.  She offers lots of great tips and explanations in her instructions and I learned something new making these shorts.  I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!