Strawberry Pickin' Summer Blouse

I made another top for myself!  I used the Summer Blouse pattern again, only this time I lost the sleeves.  I really thought that challenging myself to sew things for my own wardrobe would be a struggle, since I love sewing for kids so much.  Turns out I love sewing for myself!  Now I need to opposite-challenge myself to start sewing kids clothes again!  :)  Or maybe I should challenge myself to work harder on my baby clothes quilts!!

Here's the front:

 

And here's the back!

This top is the much anticipated (ha!  By me anyway...) companion piece to Raina and Lucca's Gigi dresses - made from my sweet grandmother's old aprons.  Once again, I stuck to the pattern as much as possible, but basically just cut iff the bottom of the apron and used that as the bottom piece to keep pockets, buttons, and trims intact.

 

From the beginning, I knew that I'd use this strawberry print apron to make something for myself.  I love it - print, softness, color, everything about it.  I knew I needed to use a fun pattern to coordinate with it for the bodice top, and as soon as I saw this strawberry print I fell in love.  

It's strawberries and raspberries in pinks and reds, and has kind of hand-printed look to it. 

 

I was concerned for just a second or two that it was TOO MUCH STRAWBERRY.  It didn't last long, and I'm glad I didn't let the little voices sway me.  Love.

 

No buttons on this one, and no poofy sleeves.  Simple summer tank, perfect for picking strawberries.  Which I plan on doing with my lovely little ladies as soon as the stinkin' rain stops!!

Pretty Summer Blouse

The newest chapter in the "sew something for myself!" series!  See, I told you I've actually been doing some sewing, not just writing tearjerkers.  :)

Honestly, though, I've been working on this one for quite a while.  It's an easy pattern, but I had so much going on, and it just kept getting hung over the back of my chair and then inevitably something would get hung over it and I'd forget for a few days.  Oh, did I mention it's also a FREE pattern?  THat comes in multiple sizes?  For really real!  You can download it here:  Pretty Blouse pattern  For free!

Did I mention it's free.

Okay, I'm over it now.

As I was sewing, it seemed like I was making a tent.  So.  Much.  Fabric!  I kept having to remind myself that yes, sewing mommy's clothes uses more fabric than sewing toddler and baby clothes, and it was going to be okay.  Even when I was almost done, I held it up and thought, "What the heck kind of a mumu is this?!  Why did I waste my pinwheels on this?!"

But in the end. I love it.  Even more so with the addition of the button.  It's wooden, with white paint.  I wish I could tell you it's vintage, or that I salvaged it from an amazing thrift store, but I bought it at JoAnn's.

At times I questioned the use of the pinwheels.  It's really a kids fabric.  I mean, the line is called "Children at Play."  But I love it so much!!  And I think the navy with white polka dots really works with it.  Not too busy, and the dots make it more grown up.  Or it's possible that since I spend pretty much all of my time around children, I am absorbing their dress code.  I can live with that.

so you can really see the pinwheels, and also the pretty neckline.

A few years ago, before Raina was born, I was with a group of church friends.  I had gone to join them straight from work as a preschool teacher, so I was dressed for the occasion, but I don't think my outfit was anything I would have thought twice about wearing on a non-work day actually.  One of them said to me, "I wish I had the courage to dress like you."

Uh... thanks?  I decided to take it as a compliment.  I felt confident and happy wearing a pink jersey dress over a button up shirt, with jeans and purple converse at the ripe old age of 27.  I still think back on that comment fondly, and try to dress in a way that people wish they had the courage to emulate.  (Not always easy with this post 2 baby bod, but I'll be back in top form some day...)  (And also, did I just use the word fondly?  Maybe I'm older than I thought!)

Any way, here's a few extra pictures...

I'm working on a second one already, minus the poof sleeves.  (Spoiler Alert!  It's a companion piece to Lucca and Raina's Gigi dresses!!)