KCW: Skipper Tops {with some bling love}

I have a minor case of gold fever.  I've gone from my eleven year old, gold is so eighties to what I am today, a played down version of King Midas. I like a bit of it here and there....and sometimes everywhere, when it comes to kids clothes.  {Remember this outfit or this shirt.}  A touch of {tasteful} bling never heard anybody, in my humble-slightly-unfashionable opinion.  :)

Which is why I sewed up some skipper tops for Kids Clothes Week and added just a touch of heart bling.


This is probably obvious from this review, but the skipper top is one of my favorite patterns with clear, helpful instructions on sewing with knits and tons of options.

I sewed the "banded" option, with this mystery walmart knit.  I bought two yards a long time ago and I have used it for so many projects, some blogged about, some not.  It's thicker {almost like a sweater knit, but not quite} which made it perfect for a winter shirt.  And apparently, Lila had some pre-olympics pride goin' on in this picture.  I dunno.

I used Tulips Iron-on Sparkle Transfer paper.  I've used this a few times now, and I really like it.  Plus the sparkles don't come off once it's ironed on.  {Something Superman greatly appreciates.}

I haven't meant to go so "matchy-matchy" for these girls lately, but I liked the look of the first shirt, so why mess with a good thing?  Plus, they like matching for now.

SO I guess I'll kick back and enjoy that fact until they're teenagers. :) Or until one sister gets strangled....ahem.  Either way.

KCW: Geraniums {Winter Style}

Even though it's cold in the ol' gem state, I couldn't resist making a few Geraniums for the winter.

 I made a tunic for Lila



This is probably obvious, but she's super excited about it.....

I made a dress for Madelyn.  I modified hers just a touch because I was using up some old material I bought like 3 years ago {it's corduroy from Walmart, I think?} and I only had a tiny bit left to use.


This doll was in a little bit more of a better mood than her sister.  :)

And so we have two little contributions to Kids Clothes Week.  I'm always excited for this little "push" to sew.  :)

Project Run & Play: 2 wrongs making a right

Sometimes, we come across those rare cases where two wrongs do actually make a right.  In this case it was two skirts doing what they usually do when I try to sew for myself.  Flopping.  Belly flop style.

Skirt number one {in obvious need of ironing} was originally a dress purchased for $2.50 that was too short.  So naturally, I tried to fudge it into a skirt with little success and one wear to its name.

Skirt number two was the result of a more recent attempt at a tulle skirt for myself gone sour.  I made a few key mistakes {something about not measuring my body correctly and consequently being unable to pull the skirt up over my behind....ya...something like that}

So after spending some quality time at the back of my closet, these two skirts are making a second debut as:

A chambray shirt and a real tulle skirt.  Or two skirts trying to repent of previous wrong-doings.  I'm all about second chances.


Project Run & Play's Week Three Challenge was to use old or recycled materials to make something.  So what better way to help out a couple skirts down on their luck?

I thought the denim style skirt would make a perfect chambray style shirt for Lou.

When I finished sewing it, I felt like it was cute as it was and Lila liked it, but to increase wearabilty by 100000%, I painted some polka dots on it.

Talk about insta-love. :)  {By the by, please excuse Lila's robot face and hands on hip stance.  She was really into this pose....}

The tulle skirt stayed a tulle skirt with a huge revamp--it's smaller and better and all around cuter because

1}It fits her and 2}A four year old is pretty much cute wearing anything.

Nothing better then giving some sad old clothes some new life and not having to spend a dime whilest doing it, right?

Neck Ed: How to take in a dolman style neck

Welcome to day one of:

Now I'm no expert, but I found that this was the easiest shirt to fix in this series.  The reason being that dolman style tops usually have a lot of excess fabric and give.  Take this example.  The shirt had a lot of room under the arms.  I've always had to wear a cami under it becuase it was just a little too wide for comfort and it shifted a lot--making it uncomfortable to wear.

So I figured. why not take the neckline in just a touch?  And the results ended happily!  #itsamiracle

{Note: yeshhhh....the shirt above is different than the tutorial shirt.  I did this "project" on a few different dolman style tops, so the result is the same, sorry to confuse you.  :)}

Ok, all you've gotta do is take your {ahem...wrinkly} shirt

Turn it inside out

And pin down each shoulder/arm seam.  {Now you'll want to measure how much to take in, but I took this one up about 1.5 inches.}  Ignore that sad, lost green pin on the left--what in the world?

Now just sew down one both sides.  Can't see the thread?

Here you go.  :) The trick with this is just making sure that the neckline hem seams and the arm hem seams match up--that'll make this "mend" less noticeable. :)

Now just trim your excess fabric and you're in business!

One shirt down, three to go! 

Hip hip!

A Neckline Education Series Introduction

One of the hardest parts about starting a blog {for me} was that I felt like I had to have an opinion about something.  It seems like to blog, you have to know your position and put your thoughts on said position out there and find agreement or disagreement--overall creating some sort of conflict.  And conflict is a thing I avoid like the plague.  I don't like to rock the boat with my personal opinions.

So don't don't don't take this as a judgement of what you do or don't choose to wear, ok?  I like to think that we're all friends, here.  And this is primarily for me, but I thought maybe I'd share jut in case anyone else was having a similar problem.  The problem being that I was going through my shirts recently and you know what I found out?  Half of my shirts were unwearable because of one silly little problem: those blasted gaping necklines.  I don't know if it's just my body type? my delinquent shoulders? or what? but sometimes I put on a shirt and I'm constantly adjusting the neck so my beezer strap won't show.

The thing is that I'm a mom and I already have plenty to keep me busy without having to worry about pulling at, tugging on, or adjusting a shirt a million times.  I'd also rather not add another cami/bulky shirt just to keep my neck covered. I just want to put on a shirt, feel somewhat stylish, and know that it will cover me so that I can be comfortable doing what's important--chasing my children who are running away from me at the grocery store.  Got it?

Since I discovered this trouble with my shirts, I've tried to just purchase shirts that keep me covered comfortably.  And that's great, but I also live in the real world of a fairly small clothing budget and so buying new shirts can only happen so often.  :)  So I thought I'd try to fix this problem with my trusty ol' sewing machine and I created myself a little series.

An education in necklines or neck ed, if you will.....  :)


Just a few tips on how to fix the necklines so you can wear a shirt and feel comfortable.  Buckle up--we start tomorrow!

Project Run & Play: Winter Sunset

Ack!  Project Run & Play is here--Superman is so excited.  :) Despite my minor inner protests, I'm sewing along here and there because the themes sounded fun and heck, Lila suddenly grew, so her clothes that I thought would work for preschool, will no longer work for preschool.  Apparently, society does not condone sending your kids to preschool naked--what's up with that?  :)  So sewing-along I am.

The week one challenge was winter inspiration.  This is actually what sold me to sew along because man oh man, living in Idaho qualifies you to be inspired by winter.  :)  I mean, you're kind of forced to either be inspired or depressed by all the snow, so I'm gonna go with feeling inspired.  Looking on the bright side and all that.

I was mainly inspired by pretty winter sunsets {and sunrises} for this look.  Sometimes when the sun sets around here, the soft light touches the mountains and turns the sky a gentle, warm peach color and the sun hits the snow so it sparkles.  And then the sky turns a brilliant orange or pink.  It really is breathtaking.  And a sun set is one of those things you're grateful you got to see because it's gone in a moment.  :)

Wow, listen to me.  I sound like I'm selling an Idaho sunset brochure.  Sheesh.  Anyway, all cliches aside, those pretty sunsets inspired the look.

I started with a self drafted blouse.  The fabric is a precious old hand-me-down that I've had for ages.  It's thin and soft {believe me, my iron has melted this stuff on more than one occasion}.

But I felt like the the subtle peach/pink was a perfect look for what I was going for.....plus it was free. ;)
 

I added a sparkly gold sequin color.  Because I love collars and I wanted to add a touch of sparkle.

It's a stretchy sequin {from Joann} so I used some interfacing to stiffen things up.

And down the back I put a row of gold buttons.  It ended up being one of my favorite features.

The leggings were also based on Lila's measurements.  Even though the blouse is long {more like a tunic, I guess} we're talking winter here, so tights just wouldn't cut it.

Plus wearing and loving leggings seems to be part of Lila's genetic make-up, so the chances of these getting worn often are very high, making this a win for both of us.  And the material {from Joann} is shiny gold, so Lila's been tickled with them.  :)

So there we have it.  A little winteration inspiration.  Thanks for lookin'!