Urban Home Goods Swap

This past week was hot, hot, HOT. Way too hot. It was 111 on Wednesday, and my poor AC couldn't even keep up. So we stayed in the house a lot, and I got some sewing done in the afternoons. Right now it 78, and all I can say is fall can't come soon enough!

So, this week I took a break from sewing the kid clothes to work on my swap package for the Urban Home Goods Swap. I was working on these hexies all over vacation for this fall inspired sewing machine cover. I love how it turned out, and hope my partners loves it too! I was inspired by the sewing machine cover in the book "I Love Patchwork". One of my favorite crafting books right now. I just switched the strips of fabric she uses for the hexagons and added a scrappy binding because I thought the plain white side needed some pop of color.

I also made my partner a big coaster or "mug rug" for her coffee or tea for when she sews! This was a fun simple little project. There is also a Scrappy Mug Rug Swap getting under way if you are interested!

I also made this mug rug for myself. I love Castle Peeps, and I used one of the block patterns from the first issue of Fat Quarterly by Comfortstitching. I love how the King is waving hello!

My last items for my partner are two kitchen towels. I used some cotton/linen blend fabric for the towel and then embellished them with some appliqued stars. I tried out the fabric for drying, and it was perfect!

Next week...I return to kid clothes!

Swaps and Blocks

Back from a lovely vacation. So lovely I barely took any pictures. ;0) I did get this one at Hearst Castle. We pumped the girls up about going to a castle. Juliana was excited at first and talking all about princesses, but in the end wasn't convinced that going on a long tour of a castle in the heat was fun. She declared that it had been an exhausting day! I even got to stop in at Birch Fabrics (aka Fabric Worm). Talk about heaven.

I am trying to get ahead with my swaps and stuff before starting on my next clothing item.

These are some hexies that I will be using for my partner for the Urban Home Goods Swap. They are almost all sewn together. This was the sewing that I got done over vacation.

I finished up my quarters for the Mod Bento Block Round Two. Yay! I guess I was feeling my green and pink scraps this round.

Then I made the block for August for The Fussy Cut Bee. I will be honest and say I wasn't feeling these fabrics at first but I am pleased with how it turned out in the end.

Castle Peeps Skirt

When I first saw Castle Peeps I knew Juliana would love it. She draws castles and princesses all. day. long. I literally have hundreds of sheets of papers covering my house filled with drawings. (It sometimes drives me a little crazy. Not the creative part....the paper all over my house part.)

I decided to use the Tea Party Apron Skirt pattern by Pink Fig for this skirt. I carry it in the shop if you are interested.

A little review of the pattern:

I have never used a Pink Fig pattern before, and I liked her style. Pretty tutorial-ish. I don't like how it is on a big piece of paper that opens up b/c it is just too big to really put anywhere, but a lot of paper patterns are like that. The steps were clear and easy to follow. However, she does assume that you know how to sew and are not a beginner. She doesn't explain things like gathering.

I didn't alter the pattern at all except to leave off the apron because well...I think it looks kind of silly. Plus, I in no way wanted to hide the Peeps of the Castle land! She also includes a little flower tutorial in the pattern too to jazz up a t-shirt or the apron, if you want to make one.

Do you see the baby in this picture? I just noticed him! (and the other little hand resting on his head. Poor little guy gets a lot of head pats.)

Juliana could not wait to wear this skirt, and fortunately the girls went to a tea party birthday party and got all dressed up. Felicity is wearing her Claire tie knot dress. It is funny how using the same fabric for the trims make them look they go together so well.

Sweet Little Ruffle Dress

Trying to get the Princess ready for a photo shoot while she plays...

Princess is having some issues...

Here she is distracted by the word "chocolate chip".

I sure hope I am not the only one with a two year old with attitude.

So, next up is the Sweet Little Dress by Leila and Ben. I so loved The Pattern Makeover Month at Brown Paper Packages. She used the Sweet Littlle Dress pattern to make lots of different versions. This large ruffle version was definitely my favorite, although I have a couple more bookmarked to try as well. I used a little bee Lecien fabric that I have had for awhile and used some light yellow Kona cotton for the ruffle. At the top I used a rose from some shabby rose trim. I really love how it turned out, and although the recipient declared it was "NOT pretty" when she first saw it she showed it off to everyone today as "beauuuutiful".

So far off my list I have completed:
two shirts
one sundress
two skirts
one peasant dress
and three pairs of leggings

Up next- a Castle Peeps outfit

Some shirts and leggings and a little bit of pouting

There hasn't been much sewing going on of late seeing I got a cold and then another cold. Then the baby got a cold and has recently decided that sleep is a thing of the past. *sigh* Yesterday, however, I did get him to nap and the grumpy toddler too at the same time. Woot, woot.

I finished up the Ice Cream shirt versions that I have had cut out and half way done, and I whipped up some little leggings as well!

I used some David Walker Hopscotch for Juliana's. (She picked it out.) It really is a sweet little print, and she likes to look at what all the little girls are doing. I decided to leave the v off of the neckline after I saw this version by Liesel (which she did by accident!). I think it makes it a little sturdier for more day to day wearing.

I used some of my much beloved Heather Ross Far Far Away for Felicity's. I had to use it sometime, right? I used a sturdier quilting cotton for the yoke, and I am glad I did.

I also sewed for the first time with knits! I admit I have been too nervous to try them before and have always been kind of scared by all the different stretch requirements and so forth that I didn't know anything about. However, I got the Lil Leggings pattern from Lil Blue Boo because I have wanted to make some to go under all the dresses and skirts that my girls like to wear. I took a couple of my old t-shirts that were too big and made three pairs last night! I added a little stretch trim that I found in this etsy shop (She has some gorgeous trims!) to the bottoms of these two pairs that the girls think make them extra cool.

Things I have discovered:
knits aren't as scary as I thought
knits are much easier to use on a serger than wovens
knits, however, are harder to control and stretch a lot (who would have thought?)
it pays to pin, pin, pin

I used a size 5/6 for both pairs of leggings. The shirt I used for Felicity' s wasn't as stretchy and so they fit her better than Juliana. They are a little baggy but seeing as they are mostly going to be worn under things I think they will work.

Despair.