Sewing: Fourth of July Madras Dresses

 

Hello, Friends! I'm still here. Busy working on some left-brained stuff (my old marketing life revisiting for a bit) and busy working on some fun right-brained stuff: new patterns and pattern updates. I have been learning new programs so I can create computer graded and drafted patterns. It's slowed me down quite a bit but I'm really excited about being able to share patterns of this quality. The first is in testing so it's close! Stay tuned.

 

 

Oh, and of course I've been busy with these three! Enjoying summer things such as swimming and hiking and field trips to local attractions. And gathering with friends and family. We celebrated Independence Day with just such a gathering. If you were celebrating on the 4th too I hope yours was a great one.

 

 

We started off the Fourth of July with some swimming lessons. Not quite the same as going to watch a small town parade (in my mind the ideal way to start off the day) but I'm so grateful my girls have the opportunity to participate in sports and challenge their physical selves. I would sign them up for every lesson available if time allowed. I'm grateful too that girls here are free to seek an education and develop their minds for great things. I so love learning and there is nothing like seeing your children enjoy learning new things too. It inspires me all over again.

 

 

In the evening we gathered with friends for a traditional Fourth of July barbecue. There were BBQ ribs and salmon and lots of good-tasting side dishes. I brought a green salad based on this green bean, sweet corn and tomato combo. Yum! We are so lucky to have great neighbors who love us and include us in this tradition. I missed our family who weren't with us, though. I don't know if it's age or wisdom, but there's no group of people I would rather be with on a holiday, or any day.

 

 

I did a bit of patriotic sewing just in time for the holiday. This patchwork Madras seems just perfect to me--in that East coast preppy way, which is a fun throwback to my school days. Audrey's dress is one I made her a couple years ago--you might remember it from this Madras post. Still fits! Just shorter.

 

 

I sewed new dresses for Scarlett and Tess with my Ruffled Chemise pattern. Tess's version is exactly the current pattern--Scarlett's is a new ruffled placket variation I'm playing with. I found the patchwork fabric at Hobby Lobby last year (same source for Audrey's dress a couple years ago) and need to go back to see if they are stocking it this summer. I can't believe it's July already! I have so many summer sewing ideas and it seems is slipping away already...!

 

 

I love the idea of patriotic outfits for Independence Day. If you want to see some things I've sewn in the past you can check out:

 

2012 (Kangaroo Pocket Knit Skirts)

2010 (Patriotic Pillowcase Dress)

2009 (the Summer Set prototype!)

2009 (Patriotic Prairie Dresses)

Sewing: Kangaroo Pocket Skirt for Girls (Tutorial)

I have such fond memories of my mother sewing for me. I loved going to the fabric store with her to pick out patterns and material. I certainly learned from her example and show my love for my own girls by sewing for them. Every girl deserves to have something sewn for her, so I think the Skirting the Issue campaign from Simple Simon and Co. is just perfect! Are you participating? I hope a hundred or more girls feel the love coming to them when they pull on their new skirts.

When I sew for my girls I seem to choose more complicated projects. I've loved sewing skirts with fun classic details, or interesting construction, or yards and yards of fabric, but this time I decided the skirt needed to be quick. I wanted to come up with something that could be done in about an hour so that those of you participating in this effort could make a few. And I wanted to be able to pull off a set of three for my own girls in time for the Independence Day holiday. And it worked!

I call this a Kangaroo Pocket Skirt, and it's something I experimented with for myself, though not as successfully as I would have liked! I love that it's a skirt-meets-hoodie, in comfortable, stretchy knit cotton and replete with drawstring and...kangaroo pocket. I even left the hem "raw." For my sporty girls I think it can take the place of shorts or jeans or even go to the beach over a swimsuit! It's nice to have plenty of stretch on these busy bodies.

I couldn't resist lining them up on the 4th of July in this fun red, white and blue against a bright red fire engine, and eating ice cream to top it off. Pretty Americana, I'd say!

My tutorial shows you how to make this in "girl" sizes 2-8. This is a nearly straight skirt so it hugs and would do best with a modification for older girls and women with hips--you could easily throw in a curve from waist to hip or use an existing slightly flared skirt as a pattern.

Ready to play?

Here we go... (click to Read More)

FYI: Happy Fourth of July (and Skirting the Issue)

Happy Fourth of July, to you who are celebrating Independence Day today!

I hope your day is filled with friends and family, parades and barbecues, and good will to everyone. It's a great day to appreciate what we have and think about how to act more graciously. "Today, as never before in the free world, responsibility is the greatest right of citizenship and service is the greatest of freedom's privileges." Robert F. Kennedy

Speaking of good acts, I was invited by the fabulous women of Simple Simon and Co. to participate in their Skirting the Issue series. Are you sewing along? It's such a great cause! Today I'm sharing a tutorial for this Kangaroo Pocket Skirt for Girls. Check it out at Project Run and Play.

My "FYI" posts share news or a perspective about something that's been on my mind. You can read them all here.

Sewing: Some Things for the Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is just heartbeats away but you still have a bit of time. Last year I didn't get around to it until literally a day or two before but I came up with some fun last minute decorations.

You can find tutorials here for:

• Striped tablecloth
• Star bunting
• Star buttonhole napkin rings (similar to these)
• Hot dog trays

And, if you are like me--any holiday is an opportunity for a new outfit for your children--you might like to sew something for your girls to wear to the fireworks. You could try my Patriotic Pillowcase Dress tutorial here.

This tutorial has also been published by All Free Sewing in a free ebook, "Create a DIY Fourth of July," along with some other great sewing tutorials!

Hope your holiday planning is shaping up. I'm buying little flags for my girls to wave and looking at menu ideas for the traditional BBQ. There is nothing better than a patriotic summer holiday with family and friends!

Sewing: Patriotic Pillowcase Dresses

 

 

I wanted to make some quick outfits for the girls to wear to Fourth of July celebrations this year. Last year I made some dresses from Portabello Pixie patterns, which turned out beautifully, but I was literally finishing them while the celebratory BBQ was beginning. This year I decided I would make some simple pillowcase dresses--less time intensive and more playful for the casual celebrations too. So I went on a fabric hunt and wasn't finding anything that seemed patriotic but not too cliche. Then I found this fabulous anchor scarf panel! It's Bar Harbor by Minick & Simpson for Moda Fabrics. I love this nautical pattern! I love the cadet blue and off white coloring. I thought it would be so perfect for a pillowcase dress with some red accents. And it is!

So here are Audrey and Scarlett in their Patriotic Pillowcase dresses:

 

I used a red cotton for the tie and added a ruffle to Audrey's dress. Not only do I think the ruffle is darling, but it adds some length to the dress--she is getting so tall! I left the ruffle off of Scarlett's dress as it was plenty long on her. I think the dress is so cute and fun with and without the ruffle--can't wait for them to wear these to our BBQs this weekend.

Here's the tutorial for making these dresses in a size 4 and a size 2, with and without ruffle (click to read more after the jump):