My Little Mermaid

Though I haven't been able to make much time to sew lately, I was very motivated to make my two-year-old daughter a mermaid costume for Halloween this year. I can't remember now whether the idea for the mermaid costume came from her or me. But, as soon as it was out there, I couldn't let it go. I found myself excitedly scouring Mood Fabrics…

A Hello and a Goodbye: Gray Chevron Elephant Baby Blanket

Hello again! It seems all I needed to do to get my little one to decide she was okay sleeping on her own - at least at the beginning of the night - was to tell the internet that she wouldn't let me have any time to myself. Maybe she's worried about what her future friends will think when…

More Sewing for the Little Ones: An Elephant Blanket and a Replacement Banks

Hi friends! It's been a crazy couple months around here. Our DIY kitchen renovation pretty much took over my life as we pushed to finish before new baby arrived (haha - definitely not going to happen!). I was still able to juggle a bit of sewing and blogging in the midst of it all, but then this pregnancy…

The Purple Safari Dress

Well, here it is. The second McCall's M4758 that was promised in my last post. I kept with the theme of cute animal print for the skirt but found a little bit more interesting print to use as the bodice, both from Mood. I completed the dress with the perfect trim and buttons from FineFabrics.com.  If you didn't catch…

The Blue Zoo Dress

I've sewn so little for my daughter over the past two years, despite the fact that her favorite dress is a handmade dress her Grandma made her. It has apples all over it and a big, twirly skirt. As soon as that dress comes back from the wash, she's asking to wear it again. I was pretty…

Battling a Pregnancy-Induced Sewing Slump with a Gold Linen Skirt

I blame the pregnancy. Both last pregnancy and this pregnancy I've felt a noticeable slump in my creativity. Last time I was able to channel what little creative and DIY energy I could find into just two things: my science and my sewing. Everything else just kind of got left behind. At the time I…

Lessons Learned Working with a Border Print

Hi friends! First things first, that little bit of belly you see above is indeed a baby bump. The little one is due in August, which means I'm about half way through this pregnancy. My husband and I are in a race to see which will come first - the new baby or the finished kitchen.…

Nina Cardigan Done Right

While winter is definitely not over here in Seattle, we are finally getting our first hints that it's on its way out. Our crocuses have come up, and our daffodils are not far behind. The days are in the 50s (Fahrenheit, obviously!) with a bit more sun than in December and January. To celebrate, I wanted to make a…

Gridlock Redux

Ages ago when I had oodles of time, I used to participate in just about everything I could find in the online sewing world. Even contests held by Australian fabric companies requiring fabric from their store! I justified having fabric shipped half way around the world by planning out my project well in advance of both…

An A-Line Skirt in an Oscar de la Renta Woven

I know for a fact that my first finished garment of 2016 is going to become a very well-loved skirt, but making it was a lesson in how I should always get used to a new-to-me fabric by practicing techniques on scraps before venturing into the real deal. A lesson that, of course, I didn't…