Summer Dress

I love wearing skirts and dresses in the summer. It isn't always warm enough here in England to go out with bare legs, but I'm calling this my "Italy Dress" since we are going there in July and I can't wait to stroll around in HOT weather in a comfy dress with no layers! I used the Scout Tee pattern as the top (but I think I might shorten the sleeves... and I'll probably bring the shoulder seams in a bit on the next one I make). Then I added a gathered skirt and an elastic casing, front pockets (using this tutorial) and a hi-low hem on the bottom.

I got this polyester fabric at Girl Charlee and it is wonderful. I really love the colors and the pattern and it is a great weight. I'm really happy with how this dress turned out! I want to make more, but I need to be realistic about how many dresses I actually need. :)

Scout Tee

I feel a little rusty on my pattern-making skills since I've taken such a long break from sewing. I wanted to make something that I didn't have to think too much about, so I finally tried out a Scout Tee. It was a straightforward pattern and makes a really nice finished product. I got this fabric at Girl Charlee and I really, really love it! This is my favorite style of shirt to wear, and I know I'll be wearing it all the time!

Matching

I got this lovely floral fabric from Girl Charlee last summer, and had just enough to get two simple t-shirts out of it! My mom actually made one for herself a while ago, too, so we are all matching!

These are really simple shirts - just a top shoulder seam, no set in sleeves, and self-fabric neck and arm binding. So quick!

Tunic

I made this tunic for Anna out of a fun skirt a friend handed down to me (Jill, was it you??). I love the embroidery and the colors and the cute puffy sleeves. Another comfy top!

For Anna

Wow, it took me a while to feel settled enough after our big move to start really sewing again! I did a few things here and there through the fall and winter, but finally started really sewing again this spring! Here are a couple simple things for Anna I whipped up a little while ago.

An elastic waist skirt with a fake button placket. I really wanted to use some dark brown buttons, but Anna won out with the pink. :)

This peasant tunic was so easy and is so comfortable! Elastic neck, raglan/peasant sleeves, and cute floral pockets. I want to make her a bunch of tunics that she can wear with comfy leggings!

Packed Up

All of our belongings are packed up and we'll be moving to England next week! I won't be seeing my sewing machine for quite a while, but I'm looking forward to getting all settled and hopefully having some sewing time in a month or so!

Birds

Here is another basic t-shirt I made with some fun bird fabric I bought from Girl Charlee. I think I have finally perfected my t-shirt pattern to fit me just right (I made a few more tweaks after making this shirt) and I'm glad to have something I know fits that I can use as a starting point for lots of different projects.

Sew-vivor Prize!

I was so excited to win 3rd place in the Sew-vivor competition, and I got a really awesome prize package! Thanks to all the great sponsors, I was able to stock up on some beautiful fabric and try out some new sewing patterns!

Top to Bottom: Salmon Lycra Jersey - Fabric Fairy, Multicolor Stripes - Fashionable Fabrics, Navy Chevron - Fashionable Fabrics, bottom four cotton prints - Raspberry Creek Fabrics

 Solids - The Ribbon Retreat

I'm excited to sew some cute dresses and button-up shirts for my kids, and I already used the black lycra jersey to make my maxi dress. Thanks so much to all the sponsors!!

Maxi Dress

I love wearing skirts and dresses in the summer, and I've been wanting a maxi dress for a while. I got this black Lycra jersey knit from the Fabric Fairy using my Sew-vivor prize gift card, and it is really great fabric! It has great stretch and recovery and is really comfortable. I used my basic t-shirt pattern and added the skirt with an elastic waistband casing using this tutorial. I included side pockets and a pocket on the front. I really love it and I want to wear it every day!

I have since made a shorter version and a maxi dress for Anna that I'll show soon!

Stripes

 I had just enough fabric left over from my cardigan to make a nice loose t-shirt. The stripes on the back are vertical out of necessity since I didn't have quite enough fabric to lay the pattern pieces out all horizontally, but I love the interest it adds. I'm still trying to perfect my basic t-shirt pattern, but I'm pretty happy with this one!