Kids Clothing Week Challenge: My Secret Mission

KCWC

Last week was kids clothes week challenge!

I was excited, but tried not to be.  :)  Some weeks I'm super productive when it comes to sewing... but some weeks I'm lucky if I get a pattern traced and cut!  So I decided to follow KCWC in secret, just to see if I could do it.  The commitment?  One hour of kids related sewing a day for 7 days.  Seems pretty attainable... but things happen.  (Like no naps, babies pulling all nighters, spilled toddler potties, grocery store melt downs, Dora movie-thons... you get the picture!)

Somehow, though... I did it!  One hour a day, and I came away with 6 completed sewing projects, one nearly complete one, and a finished quilt that had nothing to do with kids clothes.  :)  I'm feeling pretty accomplished!  

One day I spent as much time battling with my sewing machine as I spent sewing.  

One day I fought with a seam ripper.  

One day I sewed while a handyman played under my kitchen sink.  

Many times I sewed while Lucca jumped to her heart's content in her jumperoo.

Many times I drank too much coffee and didn't sleep enough.  :)

EVERY time I was so thrilled when I was finished that it didn't matter!

Raina's Gigi Dress

The rainbow gown

treasure pocket pants

Snow White raglan

Lucca's Gigi Dress

strawberry shortcake popover sundress

(all except Lucca's Gigi dress have posts up about them... watch for the last one this week!)

It's been so much fun getting inspiration from the host blog and from the KCWC flickr pool.  I have a million and one more things I want to make now!  

...and now, in the wake of all this kids sewing, I've realized that while I do loads of sewing, I've never made anything for myself!  So my next project, out here for everyone to see and call me on if I stall... is to make something for ME!  I started a pinterest board with ideas... if you have any you think I need to add, please leave me a comment!  I've got some fabric stacked, some ideas in mind... now it's time to put my nose to the sewing machine and get going!

Strawberry Shortcake Popover Sundress

A couple days ago, Raina pulled a piece of fabric out of my stash and asked with the bluntness that is only adorable coming from a tiny person's mouth, "Mumma!  Is this for my strawberry shortcake dress?!" What else could I say but, "Of course it is!"  (She likes to go through my fabric from time to time and drag pieces out as "blankets" for meow.  This is the first time she's envisioned fabric as a finished sewing project.  Yay!)

The pattern I used is a free download on the Oliver & S website... the popover sundress.  It was incredibly simple and a quick sew.  I rarely finish a project in one day these days, but I managed this one pretty easily.  Of course, it helped that Raina was really into it and wanted to help.  :)  Here we are cutting and taping our patterns while Lucca napped.  I can't wait to see what Raina makes from her pattern!

And here, the finished dress!  That there under the arms?  That stuff that goes all the way up into those amazing straps?  That's bias tape.  That I made.  Yup.  Another fear, conquered.  And way easier than I had imagined.  I can't wait to try it out on future projects now.  Also, the pattern gives "hints" like a for realsies Oliver & S pattern. and one is to add piping or lace under the yoke edge.  It sounded like a marvelous idea to me, so I made a ruffle... and decided that while I was at it, I might as well add a ruffle to the bottom as well!  Adding the ruffles definitely added time onto the project... it makes me a little excited to think about how quick this would have been without my added details!  I think more of these easy peasy dresses will be part of the summer ensemble!

p.s. - it also includes a pattern for a coordinating doll dress!  I haven't made one yet, but Raina insists that it is the next thing "we" sew!

p.p.s. - the Snow White Raglan fit!  It is snug going over her head.  SO glad I cute the neckband a size up... but next time I would go even larger, or maybe figure out a way to adapt it a bit and give it a "v" or do some buttons down the shoulder...  I tried to get a picture of her in it, but this was the best I could do :).  "Raina, can you stand still so I can take your picture in your new shirt?"  "Nope!  Sowwy!  Too busy!"  (Too busy until I turned on Super Why, which is where the zoned out look in the last one comes in to play!)