Category: Making

sewing

Start with the Basics

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This is not going to win any sort of cuteness awards. But what nearly-seven year old can’t use a pair of purple shorts? I gave these to Caitlyn last night to check the fit. “Oh, Mama! You made pockets!” I feel a bit like I missed the memo. Pockets? Since when was she excited about pockets? There are pockets on her other clothes (although not many of the ones I’ve made) and she doesn’t use them (although, to be fair, the pockets are tiny and practically useless). I thought the critical thing was the purple color, since these aren’t covered …

sewing

Perhaps Foolhardy

 

Despite the original idea that I would mostly ignore Kids Clothing Week this year in favor of making April Clothing Caitlyn Month, I find that now that KCWC is here, I’m not ignoring it. In fact, I may be a bit ambitious. So, here’s what’s cut out and ready to go, from left to right. McCall’s 6387, in green and yellow daffodils, with fabric purchased at Stash, my new neighborhood fabric shop (squee!) a home-drafted a-line-ish skirt with panels of fabric left from Caitlyn’s summer hat McCall’s 6530 in purple and polka dots McCall’s 6062, view A (View B is …

sewing

Spring Break Recap, or Skimble Won’t Let Anything Go Wrong

 

Last week was Spring Break in these parts, and I’d love to be able to say that Caitlyn and I did all sorts of amazing things. Instead, I had a cold. Not a bad one, just enough to slow me down and make me tired all the time. At one point I had kicked around the notion of heading east-ish for a day hike during Caitlyn’s time off school. We settled for an outing to KidzBounce for nearly two hours of bouncy houses. The highlight of the week off, though, was a production of Cats. For better or worse, I …

sewing

Challenge Check-In

 

No, I haven’t been slacking on my personal sewing for Caitlyn challenge. And I hope to have more to show soon! In the meantime, a nightgown. I bought this pattern (McCall’s 5510) several years ago in a fit of frustration. Caitlyn needed summer weight jammies and everything I found at the various department stores I checked out (ok, maybe it was only one) was branded with characters I didn’t want in the house. I think Caitlyn was perhaps three at the time and there was no way I was going to buy something with Miley Cyrus or High School Musical …

Caitlyn, sewing

Snip, Snip, Sew, Sew

You may have seen this dress before. I made it for Caitlyn when she was in preschool and it’s been one of her favorites. See it in the back yard, at the Ren Faire, on the first day of kindergarten, with a shark, and with a hat. It’s had a long and much loved run. And it’d become too short. We’d recently read I Had a Favorite Dress, in which a girl outgrows her favorite dress and her (rather amazing) mother turns it into a whole series of things (a shirt, a skirt, a scarf, a hair clip, etc). Inspired …

Caitlyn, Seasons, sewing

Keeping Caitlyn Clothed

 

One day last week, Caitlyn picked out an outfit for school but then changed her skirt choice by the time she was ready to have Mama do her hair for the day. When I asked her why the change, she told me that when she had put on the original skirt and made sure the waistband wasn’t below her hips, she realized the skirt was too short. At this rate, we’re not going to make it until April 23-30 for Elsie Marley’s Kids Clothes Week Challenge. I’ve already dropped all the hems I can drop. If it’s too short now, …