two

I can't believe my little guy is two now. It's been a great couple of years. Love you lots, Chicken Findaloo!

dresses for dahlia

pattern: Sweet Dress by Leila & Ben

Though things are back to normal since Dahlia's birth, the heady fumes of wee snuggly infant still make me a little dizzy and giddy with glee, and I've been so focused on her (and Finn) that I have fallen a little out of touch with my ol' friend the internet. For instance, I had no idea this week is the Kids' Clothes Week Challenge. Honestly, I had no idea there was even such a thing as a Kids' Clothes Week Challenge in the first place. Now that I know, though....

I'm in! Because it is spring, and I'm in love. And I want to sew ALL THE CLOTHES. I whipped up these little dresses (the Sweet Dress pattern by Leila & Ben) last week. Check out Dahlia loungin' in her chevron dress:

I made the 3-6 month size, and it just fits her. I am planning to make a couple more this week in the 6-9 month size and to make a couple of tops based on this pattern. I've got my fabrics ready, and I'm ready to sew!

quietly counting

I recently sewed up this "Ten Little Things" Quiet Book for gather here because they now carry Jenn Ski's adorable "Ten Little Things" line by Moda. For those who may not know what a quiet book is, it's essentially an activity book for kids. With this awesome quiet book, designed by Angela Yosten, kids can learn their numbers with the cute little animals/objects in the different panels/pages.

It even has a zippered pouch in the front cover where your kiddo can store some chalk. Why would he/she need a place to store their chalk? That's because one of the coolest things about this project, besides the supercute prints by Jenn Ski, of course, is the chalk cloth! Chalk cloth, people! I know a lot of folks are so very over the whole "chalk boards on everything" trend that has been electronically plastered all over Pinterest and similar sites, but if you have a toddler you understand and appreciate the benefits of having readily available surfaces to write and doodle on that you can easily wipe clean. It keeps them busy, engaged, and quiet, or if your toddler is like mine, something like quiet - i.e. chattering at himself and not at you while you're trying to get stuff done.

And this has been kid-tested and kid-approved. Finbar LOVED it. He was immediately attracted to the prints, and as he is learning to count and is completely enamored with numbers right now, this is so up his alley. So yeah, if you're looking for a fun project to make for a kid, this would be one to go for. Finn recommends it!

sometimes my heart nearly bursts with love

I love this kiddo so stinking much.

a tale of two tops

Lately, I keep seeing the Wiksten tank pop up everywhere. Curious about garment sewing but unsure of my abilities to do so, I decided to give this simple, straightforward, clearly-written pattern a whirl. My only concern was whether its boxy shape would work for my body because, well, boobs - they ruin everything. (Not to mention the post-baby body which has gotten thick around the middle and still doesn't fee quite like my own again. Probably because with nursing, it's not. I'm always hungry because I'm feeding a teeny human every couple of hours.) Honestly, I'm still unsure about the shape & fit on me, but I will say that the pattern is so easy and breezy it was definitely worth giving it a go.

Keeping in mind Carrie's notes on her tank, I cut an XL front and a L back to avoid the gaping at the back of the neck, and that seemed to work. There was no gaping, and the fit was fine. I can see this top getting a good amount of wear this summer, especially due to the lovely linen/cotton blend of the Melody Miller print I used. It is SO comfy.

I decided to make another but switch things up a little. I figured that if I cut the pieces with a couple of extra inches at the center, I would be able to gather that extra fabric and make the top a little bit more like this top from Anthropologie. Uh, yeah, that didn't quite work.

Again, I cut an XL front and L back, gave each part 2 extra inches in the middle for the gathers, made the arms' and neck's bias binding somewhere between the two sizes, stitched the bias binding on the outside instead of the inside, made the neckline higher in the front, and smocked in between 5 rows of tight gathers at the center of the back. If I was to make this again, I would give it an extra inch under the arms but not at the hips, place my gathers at the center of the bust and not any further out, and I would keep the original pattern's neckline. And I would learn to do a proper fancy hand smocking for the back instead of the kind sloppy machine stitched smocking. It's all right from a distance, but if you look at it closely, yikes....

Maybe a couple of darts would have worked better? Perhaps I'll try that next time. Because there may be a next time.... But first I want to try my hand at the Sorbetto tank by Colette.

when quilts are put to a good use

I love that this demo bunting quilt I made for class is now part of the kiddo's latest favorite game. He likes to match his "happy birds" to the bunting. It's awesome to watch him thinking about it as he arranges and rearranges them during his quiet play time. He's so thoughtful about where he places each one. I'm thrilled that this quilt has unexpectedly provided him with such an outlet or source of entertainment.