Sewing: Nightgowns and PJs for Christmas

Hope you all had a merry Christmas and are gearing up for a great new year! I've loved all the family time and celebrating traditions with cousins. It's so much fun to have our girls ask about our traditions--they are theirs now too. One of them has become a sewn gift from me to my girls. Scarlett asked if I would be sewing something for them again this year, "because it's a tradition." Well, yes!

You can see some of the things I sewed for them in past years here:  the Ultimate Cuddle (minky) blankets, Waldorf dolls, Waldorf doll wardrobes.  This year I was inspired by Katy's Night Before Nightgown, designed for The Sew What Club. I thought my two youngest girls would love a feminine nightgown. I decided to make them in silky fabrics to up the femininity. I also used satin ribbon for the front panel trim and sleeve casings. (I loved the contrast casings Kelly sewed.) 

Now my first born is not such a fan of silky, girly things, so for her I had to come up with something else handmade. We had just seen the new Star Wars movie and I ran into this incredible fluffy fleece Star Wars fabric at Jo-Ann and I knew some pjs would be the perfect thing. I made another version of these fleece pajamas with my Bateau Neck Top pattern. 

Some ewoks may have crept into these shots too. 

These are the new morning uniforms at our house. The force is strong here.

Sewing: Idlewild Knit and the Metro Tee Dress

Hello friends. Like so many of you, I am smitten by the new Idle Wild Knits by Pattern Anthology for Riley Blake. And I was fortunate to receive some of it before it hits the stores (predicted for later this month). 

This knit fabric is "Idle Wild  Triangles" in Blue with some solid navy knit from Riley Blake for the neck tie. It is super soft and even more beautiful in person. Scarlett put it on and asked for pajamas because she wants to wear it around the clock. 

The sewing pattern is the Metro Tee Dress, which I've been designing and playing with for some time now.  I started with a short sleeve, round neck tee shirt for myself and have added a few iterations, such as a three-quarter sleeve for pushing up and a tie neck. Then I decided it would be a great pattern for girls too. And why not include a dress? Which then makes me think, and why not a dress for women too? And that's how it goes, which is why it's still in the works. That and the fact that my three little ladies keep me pretty busy.

Anyway, I was so happy for a chance to sew with this beautiful knit fabric! I'm sure this dress will be one of Scarlett's favorites. I have more of this fabric left so perhaps I'll make a Metro Tee for Tess. And after seeing the clothing popping up on the fabric tour I'm dreaming of the other Idle Wild fabrics and all the things I would do with them.

Sewing: Beach Robes 2015

It's become a tradition to go to the beach each summer. And it's becoming a tradition to sew beach robes for the trip. At least every other year. So here are the Beach Robes 2015. (...and 2013 and 2011)

This time I selected some very comfy towels from Target and made the robes extra large so the girls can use them for a couple years.

Maybe a bit too large? Their arms are going to have to grow....

If you've sewn with Dana's Beach Robe pattern you may be wondering how if these are her largest size, 3/4. No. I've sized up a few times so that Audrey's would probably fit a teenager.

The girls love them! And not just for the beach. These are our swimming robes all year round.

Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer!

Sewing: Pom-Pom Trimmed Voile Scarf for WeAllSew (Child's Sewing Tutorial)

Are you hoping to teach your child to sew this summer? My mother taught me to sew and I love sewing with my daughter, Audrey. The trick is coming up with a project that is satisfying, while not too difficult. This Pom-Pom Trimmed Voile Scarf is just the thing! It's very simple to sew but with a beautiful light cotton voile, such as this Anna Maria Horner Little Folks Coloring Garden, it looks so impressive!

I've got a step-by-step tutorial for this pom-pom scarf project at the BERNINA WeAllSew blog today. If you haven't been to their blog lately you have to check it out--they've just done a really beautiful re-design.

This is a great project for gifting (don't you love helping your children make handmade gifts), and for borrowing from your little one when it's finished!

You can view my other projects for WeAllSew here.

Sewing: Rock Star Game Day Jersey Dresses

Does it get more sporty? These two girls and all their energy.... They have so much fun together. Kids find fun wherever they go....

And I'm still finding fun sewing The Game Day Jersey pattern. These dresses may be my favorite yet! They were sewn with Znok Rock Stars organic jersey. My favorite is the version on Tess with the solid bodice and white yoke and sleeves--and stripes! But I also have a pattern extension in the works because the ideas just keep coming, so these may not be the final word on favorites...

You can purchase The Game Day Jersey pattern in my Wee Muses Etsy shop.

Sewing: Busy Bag for Kids (Tutorial)

As a mother I often refer to myself as a "bag lady" since it seems I'm laden with them whenever we are headed out. The bigger the girls get, the bigger the bags. One giant bag (such as my faithful Oilcloth Preschool Bag) isn't even enough for swimming, or airplane rides, or church these days. For plane trips I've refined the science and each girl has a backpack she stuffs with her choices of entertainment. (You can read a bit more about this in my traveling with kids post.) bags. I thought it was time they had their own bags for their other activities too such as soccer and swimming and church.  Maybe it's silly to have a lot of different bags around, but it sure seems efficient to say "grab your swim bag and let's go" rather than having to unpack and repack a bag.

So for Valentine's Day I sewed laminated cotton Busy Bags for the girls to take to church. I have a complete tutorial for you too (which would also work well with oilcloth)! The goal here is to keep them quiet and engaged in something appropriate so they don't disturb the congregation during the family worship service, Sacrament Meeting. Of course, as they get older they'll be expected to sit and listen and sing, but in the meantime, coloring, and other quiet activities make it possible for their parents to listen!

You may wonder if this strategy means I now carry three bags, plus my own, to church. It's true there have been moments like that. But overall it's working really well! The girls love organizing their bags each Sunday morning and packing them in the car. I love that this is helping them become more independent. 

These Busy Bags have plenty of pockets inside and out so their things don't get lost in a big pile at the bottom. I gifted a few small items in the pockets of these bags for Valentine's. They each added the rest. I thought I'd show you some of what is packed for each girl in case you need ideas to keep kids quietly busy.

I designed a double pocket on the front, the smaller of which is perfect for a 4x6 photo album (affiliate link). As you know, children love to look at pictures of themselves and their families. You can also use these to create flip books (Delia has some great ideas for an I Spy Book and a Feelings Book!) My girls each have a little book of scriptures and themes we are focusing on in their children's meetings at church this year.

Among other things, Audrey carries her own set of scriptures, an oversized coloring and activity book (I love this Usborne  Doodling Book for Boys), a soccer-themed Boogie Board (brilliant invention!), crayons and a Pocket Doodles small coloring book. I clipped on some hand sanitzer, which I found ready to go with a carabiner at Jo-Ann for $1.

Scarlett's bag hauls a coloring book, stickers (one of my favorite forms of quiet entertainment--I can't help buying them in the dollar section at Jo-Ann), pink floral Boogie Board, crayons, reading book and a few fun toys we've found. I love the magnetic Silly Faces game and the similar LalaLoopsy magnetic paper dolls. Netted Squish balls are a new favorite for my girls, and thankfully, totally silent. I can't help giving them a squeeze myself! I also love these Pkolino Artist's Journals, which include a notepad and set of coloring pencils in a cute zippered case. (I should mention this is not a sponsored post--these are all products we've found and used and love. But there are affiliate links, which provide a small compensation should you purchase any of these by clicking.)

Tess's bag always includes her latest favorite small stuffed animal and a snack: a granola bar, or fruit snacks, or crackers. She likes coloring and playing with stickers too. A Sandra Boynton board book is always good for whispered reading. "Blue Hat Green Hat" is one of our favorites but we have to stifle the giggles at church.  Aaron's Thinking Putty was a stocking stuffer for each of the girls this year. They had seen some friends at church playing quietly with it. It's great, moldable stuff, which doesn't dry out and fits nicely in the smaller of the inner pockets. But beware of getting small pieces smashed into your carpet or clothing! I also like The Melting Monster's and Aliens (and similar Melting Snowman). It is pretty amazing! Of course a stack of scrap paper for coloring is great for keeping them busy too!

It was fun for me to pick out different fabrics to suit the personalities of each girl. And even more fun, when after receiving the, Scarlett told me she was glad I'd intended her bag for her because she liked it, and the small gifts inside, the best. The other girls felt the same way. Glad their mom knows something about them!

I found the laminated cottons at the Etsy shop, Laminates.  Audrey's bag uses Michael Miller Retro Cameras, Trade Blanket Smoke for Free Spirit, and Michael Miller Celery Ta-Dot, which I "laminated myself" with clear vinyl in an "8 gauge" I found at Jo-Ann. 

Scarlett's bag was sewn with Tanya Whelan's Sugar Hill Blue Falling Roses, Scattered Roses, and Tamari Garden Teja Pink, the latter which I also laminated myself.

Tess's bag includes Robert Kaufmann's Kuka Dolls and Riley Blake's Just Dreamy Dots laminated cottons, and Michael Miller Geranium Pink Ta-Dot, which I also laminated myself, and some lime green rip-stop fabric. 

Ready to sew a Busy Bag? click through for the tutorial.