Kid Clothes Week: Day One

My first item for Kid's Clothes Week- a Roller Skate Dress!  This is a new pattern from Oliver + S.  I have seen so many popping up in their Flickr group and for good reason.  This is a quick sew, and it looks so cute!  

Not only that but I squeezed a size seven out of one yard of fabric!  Woot!  Nothing like a little creative placement. ;0)  I have had this fabric in my stash for about five years!  It is floral by Anna Griffin.  I have always loved it, and it was just waiting for the perfect project.  She said she looks like a garden in this dress. ;0)

There are just two pattern pieces, which makes it easy to cut out and put together.  I love that it is lined as it t makes it feel very sturdy.  The instructions were flawless.  I already have another one planned out!

Also, she is looking so grown up!

-little projects-

I made another In Threes sweater.  This time in pink and for another baby.  I love this shade of pink.   It is kind of dusky and not pink, pink!  There is neon everywhere right now, and I admit that I am just not a neon girl.  I have had the hardest time shopping for my kids this spring.  Everything is so...BRIGHT.  I don't mind it in bits and pieces, but well...where are my pretty pastels??

I haven't been knitting as much lately because I have been dealing with horrible tendonitis.  I was working on a cute little baby dress in a fingering weight, and it just did me in.  I am half way done, and the dress is turning out so, so cute.  I don't know if I can ever work with fingering again though.  Thankfully, this is worsted weight, and so it didn't bother my hand and shoulder as much...whew.  I made another little peasant dress to go underneath.  I used a sweet little flower fabric from Hunky Dory that I have had in my stash for awhile.  Perfect for a little baby, yes?

I also made some fun Foldover Clutches.  I have been wanting to make some of these for awhile.  The envelope clutch I made last year was starting to look a little dingy, so it was time for a little something new.  One for me and one for a gift.

These are super simple, quick sews.  However, the touch of leather gives them that perfect touch.  Very satisfying! ;0)

Kid Clothes Week starts tomorrow.  I don't know if I will be productive as I was last fall, but fabrics and patterns are picked!  Fingers are crossed!

-spring-

A birthday, Easter, and a First Communion.  Life is good and busy. And no, I didn't make anything for her First Communion.  I feel a little bad about that, but I just didn't have the energy.  However, she is wearing my wedding veil, and I gave her the same necklace my mom gave me on my First Communion.   She had a wonderful day, and we are so proud of our big girl.  Juliana made her first quilt (top) for Samantha for her birthday.  It is for Samantha's doll.  They were both pleased.  Also, it is so hard getting a picture of all four kids together.

-first birthday outfit-

My sweet Samantha turns one next week.  Talk about a year going by fast.  She is the tiniest little thing you have ever seen.  People are often surprised how old she is.  She just now is starting to fit into nine month clothes.  She may be tiny, but she is surprisingly independent.  She already yells at us to do things for her and knows how to push her big brother's buttons just right.  She doesn't seem to have any interest in walking just yet, but she crawls everywhere and gets into plenty of mischief.  

For her outfit I knit her the "In Threes Cardigan".  This was my first little sweater, and it was so much fun and went together fast since it uses a worsted weight.  I already have another one planned for another baby.  The yarn is Knit Picks Swish worsted in Wonderland Heather.  The dress is the Molly Peasant Dress.  I have made this pattern lots of times, and it is a great basic little dress that you can change up and personalize.  For the diaper cover I used Dana's free diaper cover pattern.  Super quick and comes in a variety of sizes!

Now to go finish that quilt I started her a year ago...! ;0)

-rag quilt-

The Celebrate The Boy posts by Rae and Dana made me think of this little rag quilt made for my newest nephew back in December.  I bought a set of boy fat quarters from the Children at Play line back before whether I knew whether Samantha was a boy or a girl. (I thought she was going to be a boy.)  So, I was just waiting for another baby boy to make his appearance to use this darling fabric.  I decided just to make a simple rag quilt with minky.  I love using minky for baby quilts.  It is so soft and seems to add that perfect soft touch that babies love.  I didn't use any batting in between the layers, so it is a little more like a blanket than a quilt.   Now to finish Samantha's baby quilt now to be her first birthday quilt! ;0) 

-go anywhere bag-

I made myself a new bag!  I love bags.  You should see my closet and how stuffed full of homemade bags it is.  I have even given tons of them away!  Doesn't stop me from making more though. ;0) This is the Go Anywhere Bag by Anna of Noodlehead.  I have had this pattern for a long time, and it was time to get to making it.  I am kind of at the in between state of needing a diaper bag and not.  This is a largeish bag, so I can still stuff in some diapers, nursing cover, and extra set of clothes.   I haven't been buying much fabric of late because well, I haven't been sewing very much, and it is hard justifying buying fabric when I have a whole stash that is waiting for me already.  However, I fell in love with both Architextures and this star fabric from Constellations., and I knew they would go well together in this pattern.  I didn't change much in this pattern except to use flat piping for the edge of the pocket, the back pocket I sewed a line up the middle instead of adding a snap because I feel large pockets often get floppy, and I used fusible fleece for the outside of the bag because I love the soft structure it provides.   I also quilted the main bag pieces because I love the look. The pattern went together quickly, and now I am trying to pick what fabrics to use for her new Divided Basket pattern!  

-knitting helps-

I have been knitting a lot lately.  I got sick back in July.  It was a sinus infection that lasted months.  I recovered from that and then a month later was so sick again.  This time was different.  Stomach pain.  It took me awhile to realize that things weren't going to get better.  In fact, things were getting much worse.  However, I got a diagnosis in January, and got put on medication right away.  I have also had to change my diet quite drastically, and that took a lot of thought into just how I should eat.  While this is a chronic autoimmune disease, I am hoping I will be able to keep the symptoms to a minimum.  

Slowly, I feel like I am getting my life back a little at a time.   I didn't even know how bad things were until I started feeling better.  I think as a mom you just have to keep going, and it wasn't until I got a more official diagnosis that I allowed myself to admit that things weren't going so well.  I feel like I am coming out from a fog, and I feel eager to embrace life again, but also a bit nervous that I will push myself too hard too fast.  I just can't wait to be healthy again!

 For me sewing was taking too much energy, so in the afternoon when I often feel the most tired I get to sit and knit.  God seems to send us little blessings to help us get through rougher times, and it feels a little silly to say but knitting has been that for me.  It gave me the chance to learn and think of something other than how my health was.  It is all about the little things!  

I have also missed being in this space, and I have really missed my regular sewing time.  I am hoping to catch up a bit and share some projects that I have done in the past few months.   

This is my second Millwater!  I loved the first one I made.  I knew I wanted a longer one for me.  I got a couple of Knit Picks gift cards for Christmas, so I picked out yarn for a few projects.  I used their Swish Tonal in Pearlescent.  I love that name!  The color is something in between white and gray, and I love have neutral cowls/scarves to go with different things.  This was a very enjoyable project,  Now  I just hope to get a couple more wears in before spring is officially here!

xoxo,

Meg