KCW - Easter Dress #1

It's that time again - Kids Clothes Week!  (Participants dedicate at least one hour every day for a week to sewing up some clothes for your kids, for anyone not in on the fun themselves.)  Since this season's KCW is conveniently just a couple of weeks before Easter, I decided to take it easy and just commit (to myself) to a dress and sweater for the littlest lady of the family.  But then I went on Pinterest.  I think most of you probably know where this is headed....

So then my list expanded to a 2nd Easter dress (two celebrations deserve two dresses, right?), a new spring blouse, and a new pair of springy pants.  Not an impossible-to-complete list, but a little more than I was confident I would be able to through in a week.  So I did all my cutting and bodice sewing last week, leaving skirts, hems, closures, and the pants for this week.  I've dropped the sweater for now (not feeling it at the moment) but would also love to add the new Eos blouse if time permits.  I hit up an awesome estate sale on Sunday and walked away with approximately 30 yards of fabric for about $15.00.  'Cause that's what I needed - more fabric. And of course new fabric equals more inspiration which leads to an even longer list.  Oops.

Anyway...today I present my first completed garment.

It's so gray and rainy today we decided to bring spring inside - green grass and giant flowers?  I'll enjoy those any day!  Actually, they may stay up all week since we're not all that green outside on a sunny day yet, either.

I thought the flowers and eggs would make this a fun shoot.  Spoiler alert: I was wrong.  Between the gray skies and this little girl having some belly/diaper issues (stink-yyyyy!), we've been pretty miserable around here for the last couple days - and today is no different.  We started with eggs.


Then moved on to a chip.

 Then we got some of this:

And I, unfortunately, had to resort to the phone once again.  Argh.

The pattern is the Tuileries Dress from Kelly at Sewing in No Mans Land.  The lacey fabric was from a different estate sale, and the navy lining fabric was from my grandmother when she de-stashed.  The pattern only calls for a lined bodice, but since I was using the lace I did a full lining.  Added bonus: an extra full skirt.  If it wasn't for the head of the zipper (and a little sketchiness in the actual zipper insertion) this dress would actually be reversible, which I think is pretty neat!


My favorite part of this dress is the little pleated detail at the neckline - unexpected and quite a lovely feminine touch.

Back tomorrow with outfit #2.  It's all sewn up and ready to wear...but I'm going to need you all to wish me luck documenting that fact!!

Linking up to KCW here.

Week 12

A portrait a week with the big camera.

Year to date found here.
On instagram @amos_el with #theclickproject.

Springtime Bimaa

They tell me Spring is coming.  I'm having trouble imagining it, but that's what they say.  So, since our temps aren't quite spring-like yet, I'm sewing SPRING with color!

Quite certainly my last Bimaa of the season, and likely of this size.  Baby girl's growing up.

I got a new toy for my birthday last month - a serger!  This was my first project using it, and, while I'm still getting used to it, I didn't find it nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be.  I've re-threaded it a few times - not so scary.  I'm actually quite smitten!

As for the shirt: it's two upcycled tees.  The yellow shirt was just a tad narrower than the pattern called for, so I had to narrow the cowl a bit which makes it stand up a little more, drape a little less.  Some of the pictures make it look like it doesn't hang down enough, but that's only because I wasn't paying enough attention when I took the pictures.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend narrowing it, but it's not tragic if you have to.

She sure doesn't think so.

Week 11

A portrait a week with the big camera.

He rediscovered his inner toddler at the sink this week.

Book worm.

Year to date found here.
On instagram @amos_el with #theclickproject.

Week 10

Once again taken on time, but posted late.  Better than posted never.  A portrait a week with the big camera.

I have officially passed on my love of the Peep.

See...sugar dazed.

Year to date found here.
On instagram @amos_el with #theclickproject.

Mini Mod Dress

Have you heard?  Kelly of Sewing in No Mans Land has started releasing patterns!  I was super excited to get to test her second pattern, the Mini Mod Dress.

As she mentioned in her post about the release of the pattern, there were a few hiccups along the way and I have a couple additional versions of the dress that will have to wait for Lisi Loo to grow into them that were made before the sizing was perfected.

It's a really cute, easy shape with options for belting and adding elastic to the sleeves and waistline.  The color blocking isn't part of the pattern, but simple enough to add.  The whole dress is really simple, actually.  I think my last one was finished, cutting pieces to wearable dress, in under two hours - and that was with the color blocking!

If you've been around for a while or perused 2013's Gallery, you may recognize this blue/green combo of Joann linen-looks.  I used the same here and here.  I'm obviously a fan of this fabric.  It comes in really rich colors and is a nice quality for a very reasonable price - especially with a coupon, or when it's on sale which seems to be quite often.  Don't worry, though - this was the end of my stock of these colors.  I'll be moving on and out of my comfort zone.

The pattern includes pieces for a belt and belt loops, but I kept it simple and just threw her brother's belt on for effect.  She and I were both pretty tickled with the effect of brother's belt, though.  Not that these pictures show it.  Argh phone!  Blessing and curse.

This was my first time testing a pattern and I found it interesting to take a little peak at what goes on behind the scenes; how many revisions and tweaks it takes to get a pattern just perfect in every size offered.  So much work!  I totally think it was worth it, though, in the end.

(By the way - I was given the pattern for testing, but no further benefits were received.  Opinions are all mine.)

Week 9

A portrait a week with the big camera.

(Haircuts at home.  No need for him to know that I have no idea what I'm doing.)

(Artist.  Plus...the hair!  How did that happen?)

Year to date found here.
On instagram @amos_el with #theclickproject (tomorrow, as to avoid overgramming).