Skirt #2

This morning Gwyneth and I had some special sewing time together. Gwyneth cheerfully sat on my lap, giving her full attention while I sewed up her skirt. I was excited, because I felt like I was passing on some special knowledge to her. I love it when I get to share the practical parts of life (such as sewing and cooking) with her looking on. We didn't have any plain matching shirts for her outfit, so I took a shirt of hers that had a little bunny on it and covered it up to make a matching set.

Gwyneth strutting her stuff on the runway, er, sidewalk


Look Mom, it's fluff


Gwyneth inspecting a flower, which happens to be her new word

Inspired

Okay, obviously, you guys can tell that I've been inspired. There's been silence for quite a while in my part of the blogosphere, but all of a sudden I've got lots to post! I've seriously fallen in love with sewing for Gwyneth! It's probably just a stage that I'll grow out of in a week, but for the time being I've been so excited about sewing that I've literally been losing sleep over it!

Anyway, here are the fabric and notions that I found yesterday to get started on some skirts for Gwyneth. Fun!



Here is my first attempt at the skirt with no instructions or pattern. It turned out well, and given that I figured it out on my own, I'm pretty proud of myself. I really like it, but I think the next one I do will make a bit wider so that when the waist is gathered up, it's fuller at the bottom. I loved this little retro print and the baubles remind me of the buses in Mexico. They would often have similar decorations hanging around the windshield, along with some form of the Virgin Mary.



Eventually two more skirts will follow. Those will get posted sometime.

More Smocking Fun!

Here's another smock with a pocket - a smocket if you will.



And our model trying to destroy the photo prop.



I've caught the sewing bug! I went to the fabric store and got enough fabric and notions to make three whimsical skirts for Gwyneth. (I must comment that sewing for little one is not only more affordable, but the projects whip up quite a bit faster than otherwise.) I can't wait to get started! I better get all the sewing in while I can, because this sewing machine will unfortunately not be crossing the ocean with us.

I'm sure on the next post, you'll see three of the cutest skirts ever (well hopefully).

Nifty Sewing

So yesterday was a terribly dreary, cold, rainy day. You know, the Minnesota spring type of day. Gwyneth and I spent the majority of the day as sulking shut-ins. Today on the other hand was a whole different story. It's a beautiful, mildly warm, sunny day, which is a tall order for Northern Minnesota.

Yesterday, in our shut-in state, I decided that Gwyneth was in desperate need of a long sleeved bib, or better yet two. Gwyneth's got her own, not so unique toddler style of eating, which means dredging even the pushed up sleeves through spaghetti sauce and the like. I found the perfect bibs online, however, they ran $17+ a piece, and then there was shipping in addition to that. For two of the such desired, it was about $40. In a desperate attempt to save money, I searched high and low for a sewing pattern that would create something similar. I couldn't find the perfect pattern for a bib, but instead found this hip vintage smock pattern for free, so I got sidetracked by a not so practical, but fashionable sewing project.

Since yesterday was gloomy and today was the opposite, one would think that during Gwyneth's afternoon nap time, I would be outside cleaning up the garden, or maybe reading a book in the sun, but I did what I should have been doing after clouds rolled in, in a day or two. I made Gwyneth a the smock! I was able to start and complete the smock with some fabric remnants I had on hand before Gwyneth woke up from her nap! Hopefully tomorrow's another sunny day, so I can make another smock with a different fabric combo during Gwyneth's rest.

Below Gwyneth's modeling her little number.