23
May

Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt – Signed Book Giveaway

I mentioned in last weeks “Quilt Market” post that I would be doing a book giveaway this week.  Well, here it is, just as promised – “Sew Serendipity” by Kay Whitt.
One of the first people my mom and I met at International Quilt Market was author and pattern designer, Kay Whitt.  We just happened upon her booth where she was sharing her gorgeous pattern designs, her wonderful book and was sporting the most adorable dress that you can see in the picture above (made from one of her own patterns).  And as I mentioned before, she was a true ray of sunshine.  So warm and friendly and more than happy to help an aspiring pattern designer with the ins and outs of the industry.
Later that day, Kay was doing a book signing for her book, “Sew Serendipity” and I received a signed copy of the book from her publicist.  Would I love to add this book to my stash? Well, absolutely!  But I have quite a few sewing books and I decided that the book would be better in the hands of one of you.  So that leads us to our giveaway.

Today I’m giving away a signed copy of Kay Whitt’s “Sew Serendipity” sewing book.  Now even though I am giving this away, I had to take a peak inside to make sure you all would really like it.  And guess what?  It’s a total winner!  This book is geared towards women’s clothing and has many great skirt, tunic, dress, and coat patterns.  But it was the coat patterns that really won me over.

Oh, how I love this coat.  Love, love, love.  It’s just so sweet and feminine without being over the top.  I’m always thinking of children’s clothing, so I could totally see something like this on my little girls as well as myself.

I thought this one was really hip and fun with this modern fabric.  But it could also be toned down in a more subdued fabric.  This shape would be really figure flattering on lots of different body types.

And I just can’t stop looking at this one!  So classic, yet modern – just my style.  If any of you win this book and would like to make this for me, I would gladly take it off your hands.  Just kidding, but isn’t it adorable?

The book contains tons of illustrations throughout that makes it very easy to understand.  Kay does all the illustrations herself, which are just awesome.  I also love some of the other earlier chapters about getting a truly custom fit as well as her sewing tips and tools of the trade.

If you have ever been interested in sewing for yourself or another woman in your life, you are going to want this book.  So here’s how to win………..

Three ways to enter.  You may enter up to three times total.  Please leave a comment for each entry.
1) Leave a comment.  You can say whatever you would like. (1 entry)
2) Follow The Cottage Home Blog. (1 entry)
3) Become a fan of The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE to do so). (1 entry)

Giveaway will be open until Friday, May 27, 2011 at midnight (CST).

19
May

For the Love of Yo-Yo’s

I have always loved yo-yo’s and no, I’m not talking about the kind you probably played with as a child, I’m talking about fabric yo-yo’s.  These fabric embellishments have been around for forever and they have such a lovely vintage, nostalgic quality about them.  They used to be used on quilts, aprons and dresses and still are today.  Add a yo-yo to any of your sewing projects and it will instantly have a vintage charm about it.

At the beginning of April I attended a very large local flea market in our area that is held once a month.  This is one of my favorite places to hunt for treasure.  You can find anything your heart desires here – vintage fabric and linens, antique furniture, salvaged wood, old buttons, crates, vintage jars and the list goes on and on.  It seriously is one of my favorite weekend outings!

During my last trip to the flea market I came across this huge glass container of old fabric yo-yo’s.  I couldn’t believe my eyes!  If you know much about yo-yo’s, you know that they can be a little time consuming to make and this jar contained over 100!  It was a yo-yo lover’s dream come true.

These yo-yo’s were some of my favorites in the jar.  I have so many ideas for projects and creations that could be made from these beauties…….oh, the possibilies.

So, does anyone else share the yo-yo love?  Or is it just a strange addiction all to my own?
What would you make if you came across a huge jar of yo-yo’s?
17
May

International Quilt Market – Spring 2011

If any of you follow along on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I just returned from International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It was an amazing, inspiring trip, but boy am I tired!

If you are not familiar with International Quilt Market, it is basically a trade show for quilt shops and manufacturers.  There is a Quilt Market twice a year that is not open to the public (just to those in the trade) and then there is a Quilt Festival twice a year that is open to everyone. 

At quilt market there are tons of booths displaying all there newest and greatest products.  The fabric designers and manufacturers are there presenting their new lines, there are quilt, handbag and clothing pattern designers, button dealers, as well as trim, thread, interfacing and quilting batting manufacturers.  You can also check out the latest new gadgets such as the “Slice” fabric cutting machine and many, many more new products.

My mom and I met in Salt Lake City.  She flew in from Houston, Texas and I flew in from Chicago, IL.  So we got to spend an entire three days together, which is very rare these days living in different parts of the county.  I did have to leave my two girls and hubby behind, but we got a ton accomplished so it was definitely worth it.

See those fun “The Cottage Mama” bags we are carrying?  Well, I ordered those through an etsy shop called “Bag Full of Posies“.  The bags are made of jute and Kellie, the owner, will print any text you would like on the bag and then adds the rosette flowers.  She coordinated our bags to match my business card.  We got lots of compliments and it made it very easy for people to know who we were. 

Sample Spree

 Seven Islands – Japanese Import Fabric

All purchases made at Quilt Market are at wholesale pricing (which means large quantities as well).  But the night before the market opens, they have what’s called a “Sample Spree” where those that are attending market can purchase smaller bundles of fabrics, notions and patterns at wholesale pricing.

I had heard that the sample spree can be a little nuts, but they weren’t kidding.  Apparently people were lining up to go in four hours prior to it opening.  My mom and I weren’t that nutty, but we did get there an hour ahead and were way far back in line.

While we were waiting in line, I met Kari from Ucreate.  I adore her blog and she saw “The Cottage Mama” on my bag and came up and introduced herself.  She and I got along great and spent even more time talking at the blogger’s meetup that occurred on Saturday night (see post HERE for more info on the meetup).  We could definitely be friends if we didn’t live so far away!  I didn’t take any pictures at the meetup, but there are many shots on the Blogger’s Meetup page.

It’s a mad dash inside as people are rushing around to grab bundles of fabric before they are sold out.  We weren’t looking for anything particular at the sample spree, so it was just fun to take it all in.  The Moda table was the busiest by far since they carry the most bundles and cuts of fabric.   

Quilt Market

For the next two full days, Mom and I walked around meeting different designers and setting up our accounts with the different fabric and trim manufacturers.  There was something like 1000 booths there, so it was definitely sensory overload.  We tried to stay really focused and managed to get most everything accomplished.

Amy Butler and I

One of the first designers I set out to meet was Amy Butler.  I just love her fabric (notice the belt around my waist……that’s from her “Love” fabric line).  She was so sweet and just a truly genuine person.  She offered me some really great advice in regards to my pattern design and seemed so happy to be there.  Loved her!

 Joel and Laurie Dewberry

Next we met Joel and Laurie Dewberry.  Their booth was simply gorgeous and their new “Heirloom” line is to-die-for.  They were the sweetest couple and I think it’s adorable that they are a husband and wife team.  It really felt like you were entering an upscale boutique when you entered their booth.

Anna Maria Horner
We stopped by and met Anna Maria Horner.  She has a beautiful new, eclectic line of fabric coming out.  She also seems to be doing a lot with embroidery and hand-quilting which was really pretty to see.
Westminster Fibers

The picture above is the Westminster Fibers booth.  When you order fabrics at market you don’t order through the designers, you order through their manufacturer (such as Westminster Fibers).  You set appointments with different reps. and go through all the upcoming lines and place your orders.

Oh, and Kay Whitt, author of “Sew Serendipity” and an amazing pattern designer (Serendipity Studio), was just a doll.  Talk about a good soul.  She shared so much insider information with me about pattern design and could not have been any nicer.  She was truly a breath of fresh air and I feel so blessed to have met her and I’m very thankful for the time she spent with me. 

See the book she’s holding?  Well, she signed a copy of it for you guys and I brought it back and will be giving it away on the blog.  It’s fabulous, so stay tuned for that post!

Sarah Jane Studios

And one of my new favorite designers is Sarah Jane Studios.  She and I could definitely be friends.  She was so sweet and I love the concept behind her new line.  Will you believe me when I tell you that I ordered 10 bolts of fabric from this line? Yes. I. Did.  It is just too sweet to pass up!  Plus it had some adorable little boy prints which can be tough to find.

Riley Blake

How neat is this giant fabric wrapped tree at the Riley Blake booth?  Some of the most fun parts of quilt market is checking out all the creative booth displays.  It’s amazing what some of these people come up with!

Art Gallery Fabrics
Art Gallery fabrics had a gorgeous booth display.  The white background really helped all their vibrant colors to pop.  Their upcoming fall lines are amazingly beautiful and Pat Bravo (Art Gallery designer) was so fun and we had a nice chat with her.
So my spring International Quilt Market experience was a great one.  I feel like I made some wonderful connections to some truly great people and really feel up to date with what is going on in the current fabric market.
I’ll have to do another post showing you some of the goodies that I brought back with me, but for now, I’m sure you’ve seen enough.  I came back with some pretty fabrics, trims and buttons, but the really exciting part is the 35 bolts of fabric that I have coming to my house – yippee!!  I feel like I barely took any pictures – this is probably only a tenth of what we saw, but I hope I gave you a good enough insiders look into the market experience.
I’m so glad to be home and I’m really looking forward to sharing what is a new chapter of my business, Children’s Sewing Pattern Design!  Lots of exciting things happening over the next several months.  Thanks for joining me on this ride!!
14
May

The Cottage Mama Published in Altered Couture Magazine

I have some pretty exciting news!  I just had my first two pieces published in the summer issue of Altered Couture Magazine.  The magazine is a quarterly publication and hit newsstands on May 1st. It is available in many different stores such as Barnes and Noble, Borders, select Joann Fabrics, as well as online through the publisher, Stampington Company. 
Altered Couture is a magazine focused on “altered” and embellished clothing and accessories.  It is filled with gorgeous photographs and inspirational pieces.  The artists explain the tools and techniques used in creating each project and how to transform your ordinary clothing into wearable works of art.  There is definitely something for everyone, from super-funky jeans to sweet summer dresses. You will also pick up lots of new techniques such as stamping, dying, embellishing, sewing, beading and more.
Altered Couture is my very first print publication and they chose to feature two of my pieces in the summer issue.  I have about four pieces coming out in the fall issue as well.  I was put in contact with the editor through my aunt Sarah, who had met her at an art show she was doing in LA.  The magazine requested several of my pieces that were found on the blog and we just went from there!

This piece of paper arrived with my copy of the magazine and I think it’s definitely something I’ll have to save for my scrapbook.  There’s really nothing like seeing your writing and creative work in print!

So here are my two pieces that can be found in the summer issue.  The pictures were taken by the magazine after I sent them my pieces, but both articles were written by me:

This was one of my first “altered” pieces I had done on the blog.  I took a women’s turtleneck sweater that I had found at my local thrift store and turned it into a ruffle cardigan for Savannah Rose.

The ruffle cardigan has a lot of fun details such as fabric covered buttons, piping, trims, and of course, a giant ruffle.

My second piece featured in the summer issue is a dress that I made using a woman’s skirt.  I fell in love with the fabric on this skirt that was found by my mom at Goodwill, but it was way to large for me, so it became a dress for my girls.

Again, my favorite part of this look is the layered yo-yo and fabric covered button detail on the front of the dress.  I’m a little nuts over yo-yo’s!

What ended up being even more special about this magazine publication was that, not only were my two pieces featured, but my Aunt Sarah had one of her pieces featured as well!  Here is her piece……

Doesn’t that top just make you want to hit the beach?  I love it!  So classy with a hint of vintage charm.  My aunt is an incredible weaver and has had some of her handbags featured in another one of Stampington Company’s publications called “Haute Handbags“.
Working with Altered Couture was a wonderful experience for me and I look forward to working with them in many issues to come.  
Stampington Company publishes many different magazines that you may have seen in stores such as “Where Women Create”, “Where Women Cook”, “Sew Somerset”, “Artful Blogging”, and “GreenCraft”……just to name a few.  The magazines are very high quality and have the feel of a book.  If you’ve never picked one up, head out to your local bookstore and check out the most recent issue of “Altered Couture” magazine!
To check out many more of my “Altered” pieces, click HERE and check out some of my sewing tutorials.
11
May

Purple Potluck Bowl Covers

Summer time means picnics, barbecues, and potlucks!  Many times we are invited to outdoor activities and everyone is asked to bring a dish to share.  I thought it would be fun to create a reusable fabric bowl cover so that we can tote our side dishes to these events in style.  These are also great to have at an outdoor picnic to keep the bugs off of your food when no one is eating.

These bowl covers will take you no time at all.  It will probably take you longer to decide on your fabric and coordinating bias tape than it will to actually sew them.  Make one for your favorite bowl or make a whole set for all of your serving bowls!

So, let’s get started……….

Potluck Bowl Covers

Supplies:
1 Fat Quarter (should be enough for a large bowl)
1 package double fold bias tape (or you can make your own)
Thin Elastic – 1/8″ or 1/4″ (the amount depends on the size of your bowl)
Safety Pin
Sewing Machine
Scissors

Directions:

Take the bowl that you plan on making a cover for and flip it over.  Place it on your fabric.  If you are using a directional print or something with a certain design, make sure to center your bowl over the design.

Using scissors or a rotary cutter, cut a circle that is 2″ wider than your bowl.

Sew your bias tape around the entire edge of the bowl (click HERE for my bias tape tutorial).  Leave an opening in your bias tape large enough for a safety pin to fit through.

Above you can see the opening in my bias tape.

Measure towards the top of your bowl and subtract two inches – that is how much elastic you will need.  My elastic was very stretchy, so if yours isn’t, then you may need to make yours a little longer.  Stick a safety pin through the end of the elastic.  Typically I use a bodkin to thread elastic, but in this case, only a safety pin will fit through the bias tape opening.

Thread your elastic through the bias tape opening and around the circle.  Stitch the ends of elastic together and close the opening in your bias tape by top-stitching with your sewing machine.

Place your covers on top of your bowls and you are ready for your summer potluck!
Potluck Bowl Cover Tutorial from The Cottage Mama. www.thecottagemama.com
You could certainly make these in a more casual fabric or even make them to coordinate with your outdoor picnic blanket or tablecloth.  These are not meant to replace foil or plastic wrap when you need a seriously tight seal, but these are just right for taking your dish to and from your summer get together!
6
May

Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series: Recap

I have had such a wonderful week sharing all my Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe creations with you all!  

Here’s a recap of Savannah’s entire Spring Wardrobe made by her mama.  The rest of her clothing is more basic play clothes.  I got her some denim shorts, khaki shorts, two pairs of knit shorts and some knit capris.  I think she may need another pair of capris or so, but this should have her set for awhile, don’t you think?
Butterfly Dress
Created from an old, stained polo shirt
Bumble Bee Skirt
Created to match a store-bought tank
Cupcake Dress
Created from an old dress and the applique from a stained t-shirt
Yoga Band Skirt
Created from the bottom of an adult woman’s shirt
“Too Sweet” High-Waisted Dress
Created from an old, stained t-shirt
 Ruffled Capris
Created from odd-fitting pants
Ruffle Front Party Dress
Created from an old, stained t-shirt
Finally, I included three other pieces in this recap that weren’t semi-handmade, but I made them for Savannah to wear this spring/summer so they are part of her wardrobe……
Easter Dress
Created from a thrift store bed sheet
Blog post HERE
Little Love Bug Dress
Created to be worn sleeveless with sandals for spring/summer
Blog post HERE

 Peasant Ruffle Front Dress
Created from 100% quilting cotton yardage
Blog post HERE

Savannah’s Semi-Handmade Spring Collection
Created by The Cottage Mama
I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this series and it has given you some ideas and inspiration in creating new looks from old things for the loved ones in your life.  I would love to see any semi-handmade creations that you may come up with, so if you have a chance, please feel free to add them to The Cottage Home FLICKR group so we can all be inspired by each others work.
Thanks so much and it’s been a pleasure sharing with you!
5
May

Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series: Part 4

I hope you’ve liked what you’ve seen so far in my Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series and today I am revealing two fun little dresses and a super-easy skirt. 
All three of these looks were created from different store-bought shirts.  They were transformed into something new with the addition of some new fabric, pretty trim, and large ruffles.
I think this dress looks like a high-waisted skirt, but it’s actually a dress.  Again, I had another cute t-shirt that needed some new life and a few stains cut off.  So I cut off the stained portion of the shirt (the bottom) and added this pretty skirt and bow.
The wrap around bow is my favorite part of this dress.  It’s really wide and is definitely a statement piece.  I stitched the sash to the front of the dress all the way to the side seams.  The sash is wrapped to the back, then to the front and finally tied in a large bow off to the side.  You could make this look without the sash or just have it tie in the back if you would prefer something less dramatic.
In order to have the sash tie off to the side, you will need to make your sash a little bit longer on one side than the other.  Just play around with it until it looks like you want, then pin it in place and sew.
The fabrics used in this dress are from two different designers.  The main skirt fabric is from Amy Butler’s “Soul Blossom” line and the small accent fabric is from Tula Pink’s “Parisville” line.  I think these fabrics are a little different for a little girl, but they really work with the colors in the shirt.
The yoga band skirt was created from the bottom of the shirt I used when creating my Empire Waist Maternity Dress (see post HERE).  I think a little “Mommy and Me” is pretty cute, so you may find the two of us sporting matching looks this summer.
I purchased a matching blue tank top from Old Navy for her to wear with this skirt.  Plus this tank will coordinate with some other play clothes she has for this summer.
The skirt is only made of two pieces – the bottom of the shirt used for the maternity dress and a super-stretchy jersey knit.  This jersey was SO stretchy that I cut the waistband only 17″-18″ (Savannah’s waist is about a 21″-22″).  The reduction in waist size made this skirt fit perfectly and there is no worrying about it falling down.
I ran a gathering stitch along the top of the skirt piece and added it to the folded waist-band that I created with the jersey spandex knit.  The waistband is extra wide for this skirt, but you could follow the waistband instructions for my “Easy Bubble Skirt” tutorial as well (found HERE) but just make it much wider.
For my final look, I created a party dress made from another worn-out t-shirt.  I simply cut off the t-shirt, added a skirt and made a giant ruffle to go down the top.
Savannah wore this dress to a recent birthday party.  We paired it with a cardigan and tights because it was a little chilly that day, but I will put it with just a simple pair of sandals when the weather warms up.
The large ruffle down the front was created by cutting a large piece of fabric, folding it in half (wrong-sides together), stitching down both long sides and one short side.  Then I turned it right-side out and pressed it.  The open end is hidden in the seam between the shirt and the skirt.  I ran a gathering stitch down the ruffle and then stitched over it again to secure it to the shirt.
I also wanted to do something a little more exciting with the skirt on this dress.  I used three different prints that I thought went well together.  Two of them are from Amy Butler “Love” and the other is from Amy Butler “Soul Blossoms”.  I just cut wide strips of fabric and then sewed them all back together in a width that was about 46″ wide.
The trim is my favorite part on this dress – I think it ties it all together.  It is a woven jacquard trim that has been stitched on the top and bottom to secure it to the dress.
After I finished the dress, I felt it was a little wide (this shirt wasn’t super-fitted), so I added a coordinating ribbon to define the waist-line a little bit more.  Plus it adds some interest from the back.
Whew, so those are my final three looks in my Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series.  Tomorrow I will do a recap of Savannah’s Spring wardrobe.  Thanks so much for following along with me – it’s been a lot of fun sharing with you all!
4
May

Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series: Part 3

Today I am revealing two semi-handmade looks that are so super-simple.  Even if you are a beginner sewer, you can definitely feel confident tackling these two projects.
Both of these looks, the cupcake dress and the ruffle capris, started off as two very basic clothing pieces and were transformed into something a little more special through the use of ruffles and fun fabric.
For the cupcake dress, I started out with a basic peasant style denim dress that was purchased from target.  Savannah got a lot of wear out of this dress last summer, but unfortunately it was just getting a little too short for her.
For the cupcake applique, I simply cut out the cupcake piece from the badly stained Gymboree shirt that we had.  I thought this cupcake was adorable, but the shirt had seen better days.  All I did was straight-stitch around the edge of the applique to secure it to the dress.
I chose a fabric that coordinated with the cupcake to extend the length of the dress through the use of a ruffle.  The ruffle was cut to be 2.5 times the entire bottom measurement of the dress.  I had to join two pieces together in order to make it long enough.  I wanted to add about 2 inches to the dress length, so I cut the ruffle 4 inches wide because it is folded in half (which means no hemming!).
The bottom of the dress is top-stitched (1/8″ seam allowance) to make sure the ruffle stays down after washing.  Plus, I always like top-stitching, it gives it a more finished look.
I’m so happy we are going to be re-using this dress for the next several seasons.  I loved it before, but I love it even more now!
I typically wouldn’t cut up a perfectly good pair of pants, but here was the one exception.  The ruffled capri look was created because I loved these little pants but the fit was sort of odd for the size.  They are actually a size 2T (Savannah wears a 4T) – the length was definitely a 2T, but the waist was more like a 4T/5T.  So we never got too much wear out of them because by the time the waist fit, the length was just a little too short.
This was the quickest look out of all to create……it took longer to measure and cut for the ruffles than the actual sewing portion.  I just cut the pants off and added a ruffle.  How easy is that?  I did top-stitch (1/8″ seam allowance) around the bottom of the pants to make sure the ruffles didn’t flip up after washing.  My mother-in-law purchased this coordinating shirt for Savannah (not knowing we already had these pants) in a size 4, so we have the perfect shirt to go with these cute little capris.
You could do this with any pair of pants.  You can either make them into capris (like I did here) or extend the length of them to make the pants longer for the next size up.  My children are averaged sized, but I would imagine this could work really well if you have a thin little string-bean on your hands.

So there you go, two easy, totally new looks with the addition of some ruffles!  What do you think?  Have any pants or dresses that you would like to extend the life out of or make just a little bit more special?  I challenge you to pull them out and make it happen.  And when you’re all finished, add your pictures to The Cottage Home flickr group so we can all see your amazing work!
Tomorrow I will be revealing two little dresses and a fun, easy skirt – see you then!
3
May

Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series: Part 2

So today I am revealing the first two looks in Savannah’s new semi-handmade spring wardrobe.
Both of these outfits just shout spring to me.  One of these outfits was made from a repurposed shirt and the other one was from cotton fabric that I had in my fabric stash made to match a store-bought shirt.
The first dress, what Savannah likes to call her “Beautiful Butterfly Dress,” is made from a terribly stained polo shirt.  I really loved the fit of this shirt and I’m not quite sure what spilled all down the front, but it is definitely not wearable anymore……until now…….
This dress took no time at all to make.  I simply cut off the shirt and added a skirt with a ribbon tie.  I wanted it to be a little more empire waisted, so that is how I based how much of the shirt to cut off (not to mention that I needed to cut off all the stains).
I love that this dressed can be dress-up or down.  Here I have Miss S. in the dress with her pink glitter sneakers which are perfect for running around outside.  But pair it with some tights, dress shoes and a cardigan and we’ve got a perfect look for Sunday Mass.
I thought this butterfly fabric was just perfect for this little dress.  The polo shirt already had a sweet butterfly and the fabric contained just the right shade of pink to compliment the shirt.
I used a gingham ribbon that I happened to have to make the sash for this dress.  The yellow was the perfect shade. You could certainly make a sash out of fabric, but this ribbon made very quick work of creating one.  I stitched the ribbon to the front of the dress and all the way to the side seams and left it loose in the back.
I think the trim is what makes this dress special and unique.  Again, the yellow was just the right shade to match the fabric and the ribbon sash around the waist.  I stitched it all the way around the bottom of the skirt piece before attaching the skirt to the shirt.
I actually created this bumble bee skirt to go with a tank top that I purchased from Old Navy.  I purchased three of the same solid color tank tops to mix and match with different outfits for Savannah.  The rose-ish, pink-ish top that arrived in the mail was a unique color, but I was really excited when I saw that it was just the right match for Sandi Henderson’s “Meadowsweet 2” fabric line.
I made the top of this skirt more narrow and then added a gathered skirt to it.  Sometimes I find too much gathering up top makes the skirt look really bulky on a little girl.  This skirt is somewhat fitted through the hip and flares out.  Perfect for twirling! 
I used a woven bumble bee trim around the bottom of the skirt to add a bit of whimsy.  Then, rather than do a normal hem, I used fabric to bind the lower edge.  Basically this is just like creating double-fold bias tape and attaching it to the bottom.  The only difference is that it doesn’t have to be cut on the bias because you aren’t stitching around any curves.
Both of these looks were created just by using my daughters measurements.  The first dress was so simple because I just needed to know how long to make the skirt piece.  And for the second look, that really was just a basic skirt and you can make that whatever length you like!
So, that’s it for Part 2 of the “Semi-Handmade Wardrobe Series” – I hope you enjoyed it.  Get ready because tomorrow I will be revealing some super-cute capris and my cupcake dress.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
2
May

Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series: Part 1 – Introduction

Savannah Rose has been growing like a weed.  It’s like overnight she grew 1″-2″ and the poor girl was in serious need of some new clothes.  Now, it is impossible (or just not feasible) for me to hand-make all of my children’s clothes.  With my etsy shop taking a lot of my sewing energy and projects for the blog, sometimes the girls get the short end of the stick………but not this Spring!  I’ve taken a little time away from the etsy shop to focus more on my girls.

I was inspired by Jessica from Me Sew Crazy when she came up with a spring wardrobe for her girls.  Granted, she handmade all of her collection, but it was the inspiration I needed to get sewing for Miss Savannah.  I decided I wanted to give her a boutique style wardrobe, but wanted to re-use and re-purpose a lot of her old clothing that would otherwise be discarded.

So here are some of the old clothing pieces I started out with for the spring wardrobe.  Most of these shirts have been so badly stained that I wouldn’t consider saving them for Matilda to wear – they were headed to the trash.  Now most of these clothes are from Gymboree, which I love, and the thought of throwing them away made me really sad.  Not to mention the fact that they were so cute.

As you can tell, I was obviously a naive new mom when I bought this clothing – who puts a 2-3 year old in white?  I won’t be making that mistake again…..especially now that I’m expecting a boy!

So to accomplish the task of creating a semi-handmade boutique wardrobe, I did what I usually do when I have a lot of sewing to get done.  I cut all of my pieces for each of the different items.  That includes trim, bias tape, elastic and fabric.  If I’m going to use buttons or zippers, I pull those at this time as well.  I group all of the pieces that go together and fold them all in a neat pile.  I stack them on top of each other and I work from the top of the pile down to the bottom.

Designing and choosing fabrics is a tedious task for me.  It is my favorite part, by far, but I definitely take my time picking the right fabrics and coordinates.  I find if I do all of the planning and cutting work ahead of time, then the sewing part is really a piece of cake.

So, what do you think?  Have any ideas what that pile of fabric, old clothes and trim might turn into?  I cannot wait to show you.  So dig out some of those old shirts that have been stained or the clothing that got all funny in the wash and let’s make it into something new and fabulous.

This is going to be a week long series with a post each day and I’m looking forward to sharing my creations with you.  I hope I inspire you to create a semi-handmade wardrobe of your very own.  And who knows, if you like it, maybe I’ll have to redo Matilda’s wardrobe too!