KCW: Striped Zebra Skinny Jeans

Kylie might look cute in her pink Powercat T-shirt, but sitting here watching the K-Sate game while I work on this blog post is very frustrating. C'mon Cats, you're driving me crazy. Normally, I love football season, but this year, let's just say I don't feel guilty for not giving them all my attention while I work on my blog at the same time.

Speaking of...

Here's my third submission for Kid's Clothes Week. It also happens to coincide with Peek-a-Boo's Pattern Shop's skinny jeans sew a-long. The pattern came in the sew fab bundle and I had some funky stretch zebra fabric I needed to use up, so I was happy to participate. 

Pattern: Skinny Jeans by Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop

Fabric: Not quite sure what it is. I found it in the remnant bin at Jo-Ann. It is some sort of heavy cotton with some stretch. 

Size: 6 with the width reduced to 4T for 5 year old Kylie.

Isn't she cute with her missing teeth?

The fit is great. I might need to add a little more rise in the front when I sew another pair, but not much.

The pattern has great details with front and back pockets, faux fly, back placket, nicely placed topstitching... Unfortunately, those details are hard to see with the craziness of the zebra print.

I asked Kylie to turn around to show me her butt. She squealed "My butt?" and I had to explain to her that I meant the back of her pants. I didn't really want to see her butt. 

I sewed on a purple button, which automatically added 100 style points to Kylie's wearability scale. It's really simple really. She told me the other day she only wants me to make her pink, purple or red clothes. Nothing else. Thankfully, the purple button was enough to satisfy her diva demands. 

"Look a purple button. All of a sudden I love these pants. I can be completely irrational sometimes."

I was lucky to get any normal pictures at all. We only had a few minutes to take pictures before my mom was taking the girls to the pumpkin patch. The rest of the photos looked like this: 

  

What can I say? That's my Kylie Bear!

KCW: Pattern Test for Long Sleeve Perfect Peasant Dress

This is my second submission for Kids Clothes Week.

By the way my first submission was featured on day 2! I was so surprised to see Eve's cute face in the line-up on their blog! Go Eve and your cute stitched up face!

Speaking of the first submission, I accidentally clicked the heart on it and it made me give myself a heart. That's like liking your own status on Facebook. So uncool! And I can't figure out how to "unheart" my entry. All you savvy KCW users out there, let me know if there is a way.

Moving on to this outfit:

Pattern: Perfect Peasant Dress by Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop
Size: 4T with no modifications on 4 year old Eve
Fabric: Repurposed yellow sheet and grey striped seersucker from Jo-Ann

This outfit wasn't originally in the line-up for Kids Clothes Week, but I was picked to pattern test the long sleeved updated version of the dress. I was so happy to be chosen. The pattern is great, the dress is an easy sew and the end result is a peasant dress with a full skirt instead of the typical A-line cut of most peasant dresses.

Now I finally have a long sleeve dress pattern! There was no way I could convince Jason that I needed a new pattern after I purchased the Sew Fab bundle a couple weeks ago.

Eve loves her new dress! She was a good sport for taking a few good pictures in the colder fall weather. She was rewarded with chocolate, so don't feel too bad for her.

KCW: Bimaa Sweater and Fancy Pants Leggings

This post is linked up to: The Train to Crazy's Make It. Wear It. Thursday Party and Kid's Clothes Week.

Here is my first submission for Kids Clothes Week!

Modeled by my 4 year old, Eve or "Everz Beavers" as we like to also call her. 


Top: 
Bimaa Sweater Pattern
Size 2T lengthened to a 4T
Shawl Option

Pants: 
Fancy Pants Leggings Pattern
Size 4T, but with reduced width and 2T waistband size (and still a little too big on her waist, sigh.)

I bought the Sew Fab Bundle a few weeks ago, which is where I purchased both of these patterns. I feel like it was one of my better decisions, although it has caused my husband to question whether I will ever need to purchase a pattern ever again.

I wanted Eve to have a comfy lounge set that is also appropriate for wearing in public without people commenting that she is in her pajamas. This outfit fits the bill, I can just scoop her up and cuddle her to my heart's content while she is wearing it. The pieces also look good on their own if she wants to wear them separately.

I had a large scrap of the chevron interlock knit left that I wanted to use up. I originally used it in the dress found in this post and it was one of my favorite fabrics, so I just had to find a way to use it up. I used every last corner of it to make this outfit for Eve, so I feel accomplished!

 

Isn't that neckline pretty? I wanted to sew up the cowl version that has taken over the sewing blogs in the last few weeks, but I didn't have enough fabric. I'm actually really glad I sewed the shawl instead, I love the way it turned out.

The fancy pants leggings were a very fast sew! I will make more for sure. I think Eve pulls off the contrast bum panel, but I might make more in solid colors. I just don't know what the cutoff age is for showing off your butt in this style. :)

You might be wondering what that lovely bandage is covering on my daughter's face. My poor baby had to get three stitches put in this last weekend. She says she ran into the corner of her bedroom door. I have no idea how a door could do so much damage, but I have to take her word on what happened.

It happened over the weekend when everyone was home. I was taking a shower and heard screams coming from somewhere in the house. I wasn't worried because Kylie and Eve had been wrestling all morning (who knew little girls could be so entertained by tackling each other over and over?) and I figured they were happy screams of rough house play. Then my oldest runs into the bathroom yelling "Mom! Dad says get out of the shower! We have to go to the emergency room!" I rushed out, and found Jason hovering over Eve holding a towel on her face covered in blood. 

Poor girl. I was completely freaked out seeing my baby like that! And I'm not squeamish: I was the "hand holder/translator" during surgeries when I went to Haiti on a medical mission trip. I've dissected human bodies in my pre-med biology class. I've been told by a nurse that I'm the only one of her patients that sat and watched the whole time they drew my blood. 

But nothing compares to seeing blood come gushing out of your own sweet helpless baby.

So I did what any sane person would do in that situation. As Jason held a towel on her head to stop the bleeding, I ran into her room to find her clothes (she was still wearing one of my t-shirts and nothing else as her jammies from the night before) and literally dumped every piece of clothing out of her drawers to find something she could put on quick to go to the emergency room. I think that huge pile of clothes I dumped out is still in her room, what was I thinking?

Eve was a trooper. Jason said she was very brave and only let out a small silent tear as they put in her last stitch. 

I stayed home with Kylie while Eve and her dad went to the doctor and she was so sweet. Kylie was genuinely concerned for her sister. She colored her a get well picture and she also asked my if she could pray for her without any hints or prompting for me. In fact, I was a little bit embarrassed it was my five year who suggested that we pray.

Thankfully, all is well! Eve is healing up great and has been in minimal pain since the ordeal. Isn't she just the cutest? Don't you just want to cuddle with her all day long?

And now I realize that this is the second time I mention drawing blood in my first post of Kids Clothes Week. Let's hope I haven't started a pattern.

The LBLS (Little Black Lace Shirt) and Caterpillar Hunting

It's time for another season of Project Run and Play! I'm not sure I will have the time to participate every week in the Sew Along, but I'll give it my best effort. Well, maybe not my absolute best effort, I'm in the last trimester of pregnancy and a "good enough" effort is fine by me for now. Soon my energy will be back full force and I will cringe at the idea of "good enough." That's just not my personality. Ask my husband, I know I drive him crazy at times.

In addition to working full time, I have also recently opened up an Etsy shop and of course there's the pregnancy thing (such an energy sucker!). Needless to say, my life has been busy, with some definite moments of laziness thrown in there for good measure. I'm thankful for the chance Project Run and Play gives me to sit down and document a glimpse into our "Marsh Madness" lives. More like forces me to, but as you can tell from my blog, if I'm not forced to do it, the memories will go unchronicled. How sad. We have some great memories.

Good thing Kylie remembers everything... in her opinion at least. She's such her momma's child. Mom, if you are reading this, I know you are laughing and whispering "payback" to your computer monitor. Well Kylie, let me tell you, when you are my age, your memory will start failing you and you will appreciate what I've journaled in this blog!

What a mother thing for me to say.

On with Project Run and Play...

This first week, the assignment was to remix the Popover Sundress pattern from Oliver + S.  Not only is it a simple and timeless pattern with great instructions, but it is FREE! I might have to make more of these sometime, it is a fast and straightforward sew.

This is how I ended up remixing the pattern:

My first thought was Little Black Dress, I wanted to dress it up a little. I personally love casual, but my daughters love fancy. An LBD would be a good compromise in my opinion. Sophisticated with the ability to run and play in it (See what I did there?)

My oldest, Kylie, loves texture. I decided to add lace and fringe, essentially a LBLFD. (I had to google that to make sure it didn't stand for anything inappropriate.)

After sewing on several layers of lace and fringe, my reaction was that it looked just like a lamp shade you find in your average grandmother's house. I say "average" because I'm sure there are plenty of grandmas out there with fantastic taste and would never own such a lampshade. And in case my grandma is reading this, I want her to know I love all her lamps.

So I unpicked the layers with the fringe and decided to go with only the lace. Kylie was sad, she thought the fringe was so beautiful and loved how it swayed. I might have to make an all fringe dress soon.

Halfway through the project, I noticed I was out of lace. I had two choices:
           1. Convince my husband that I had to go to the fabric store 
           2. Turn it into a shirt.

Choice 2 it was. And I'm glad I did, we will get a lot of use out of shirt and it will be easy to dress up or down.

And that's the story of how my LBLFD turned into a LBLS. (I googled that too, nothing bad!)

I love how the shirt turned out! The lace adds a fun, sweetheart element to an otherwise very simple design. I also slimmed down the cut of the dress removing most of the A-line flare. I feel this was more appropriate for a shirt.

I love it when Kylie smiles like this with her mouth opened wide! It was her signature smile as a baby and still pops up every now and then.

I am not a fan of tying straps on active little girls, so I went with fixed shoulder straps instead. I just inserted the right length of elastic into a tube of fabric that was about 3 times longer tan the elastic. I love the way it gathers, but especially love that it is an easy on and off shirt with no ties, buttons or zippers. I also thought the exposed biased tape for finishing the arm holes would look a little too casual with the lace, so I opted to use double fold biased tape that it is only visible on the inside of the shirt:

I also choose to only add lace to the front piece of the shirt. The material under the lace is the same as the rest of the shirt, just with rows of lace sewn on. The lace I purchased at Hobby Lobby came slightly gathered, I loved working with it! By keeping the back plain, I felt it would be a little easier to play outside without having as much lace to worry about snagging and tearing. This girl has trees to climb!

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Just in case you were wondering what Kylie would look like with a green mustache:

And there you have it, week 1 of Project Run and Play complete! Phew!

But I need to sneak in a few more pictures of our lives lately as I have deeply neglected this blog. Let me throw some in of our outing while we were out taking pictures of the shirt. At the same time I was snapping pictures of the LBLS, we were also all working on Kylie's Kindergarten homework: hunting for monarch caterpillars.

Here we are walking the Kansas trails on our hunting expedition. Well, by "we" I mean my dad, Jason (husband), Kylie and Eve. I am not pictured, due to the fact that I was pregnant, sweating and looking miserable in the Midwest heat.

Can you see Eve's cute little legs poking out? My dad and Jason look so manly carrying the sticker covered caterpillar cage and the 4 year old, don't they?

On the way back, both girls needed to be carried. I wish someone could have carried me, I barely made it home after our adventure.

I didn't get many pictures of Eve on our caterpillar hunt, but I wanted to point out that she practically lives in this dress. It was a dress I made for her that I never documented, yet it will probably show up in a lot of pictures because she wears it as soon as it comes out in the wash. That's successful sewing right there, when your child would live in the outfit if you let them!

Although we didn't find any monarch caterpillars, we found this fuzzy brown one which Kylie named Furry. It is now in our terrarium in a cocoon. (Apparently moths make cocoons and butterflies make chrysalises.I didn't know that. My 5 year old taught me. We think this caterpillar is a moth, so I can say cocoon.)

Finally, here is Kylie telling me to stop taking pictures:

Galaxy Dress

This was the last outfit I made for Kids Clothes Week. I kind of cheated and didn't sew anything for couple of days in the middle of the week. Shhh! Don't tell anyone! I was a little disappointed but what can you do on days when you are gone from the house from 7AM to 9PM? Plus being pregnant is kicking my butt... enough said!

Kylie found this galaxy cotton print in my stash. I had been saving it to be a backing for an outer space playmat, but when she mentioned how much she liked it, I decided to make a dress for her instead. I think I heard somewhere that galaxy prints are in style?  Could be true, but don't take my word for it. I never know what's going on in the fashion world.

I used the "Kate Dress" by Lily Bird Studio for the pattern, size 6, but lengthened as the dress hits above the knee already and Kylie is a tall five year old. On top of lengthening the dress, I used a rolled hem on my serger instead of a regular hem to preserve even more length. I think overused the word "length" in this paragraph, but I'm pregnant and it's past 9 PM. I have pregnant brain, no judging!

Kylie is not the most natural picture taker, but I did get a couple decent shots. Pictures never show how truly beautiful she is, but at least she looks happy in all of them.

Let's start with the normal pictures first. I promise there are some silly ones too:

Can you believe she stood still for a whole second to take this picture? Very hard for this girl to do. She had to stop waving at everyone walking by.

I used very thick cording to make the piping. It was a little bit trickier to work with, but I love the results on this dress:

I love this sweet girl!

I love the rolled hem on the serger, very fast and great results:

 

 Shall we move on the the "ahem" silly ones?

First off the standard "Kylie just wants to dance dramatically during the photoshoot" pictures:

Next we have the "This is what Kylie thought would be a great pose for showing off the dress" picture:

Finally, we have the "I guess Duck Face is something that no one teaches you how to do, it's just something girls are born with that comes out during picture taking" picture:

I'm linking up to The Train to Crazy's linky party: