Smock, smock, smock (and also scarf)

Sometimes it amazes me that Kris and I grew up half way across North America from each other, as we often think of the same "cultural" references. We were born within a month of each other, so that must be why. In any case, she remembered and posted the exact comic I always think of when I hear the word smock. I believe there is actually a whole week of comics about smocks and their value as a symbol of "true" artistry (how I love Calvin and Hobbes).

This is my smock. Its my version of this fantastic tunic which I have been drooling over for several years now. The base fabric is cotton something or another than I picked up at Fabricland a few years ago. It is a little stiff and linen-like, so it works well for this smock. The pockets are a hope valley print and a Free Spirit solid.

The pattern is a very modified Summer Blouse from Weekend Sewing, mashed up with the Simple Dress from simple sewing for Baby. Basically, I loved Emma's little girl on a swing dress so much that I wanted one myself. I loved the shape and the placement of the darts on the Summer Blouse pattern, but I didn't want to construct it the same way as that blouse. So I cut out the front of the Summer Blouse, then cut the back with an extra 1/2 inch on either side. I sewed up the middle, leaving about 5" at the top to make a button closure (this is how it is the same as the Simple Dress - I love the ease of this construction. I accidentally made really thick bias tape, so I decided to let it become a collar on the neck line, and use it as regular bias tape on the arm holes.

See? I was thinking of making it a dress, but I really liked it tunic length, so that's how I hemmed it.

The scarf is from one of Anna Maria Horner's project packs . She sends you the two lengths of fabric and you sew them together. Instant scarf! It was super fun and I love it. At first I thought it was ridiculously long, but actually its a pretty fun length.

So there you have it - smock and scarf. Of course, at Curriculum night I didn't have jeans and my hair was dry, so I looked a little more professional. In any case, somehow I always feel like clothes are cheating, as they come together so fast, so I don't always mention them.

The Girl on a Swing Dress

 Remember how I mentioned that I had been doing some clothes sewing? Here is one of my favorite results: the Girl on a Swing dress. My local quilt / fabric store had some of this cute fabric from the Sherbert Pips line in stock, and I decided it was perfect to make a little something for Emma.

 Although she didn't feel like posing when I was taking the photos, she loves this dress once you get it on her. This fabric is really light weight for the summer and it is loose and cozy. One of my favorite features (if I do say so myself) is the red bias tape I made for the neckline and sleeves - it makes it look like a Chineese dress.

Also, the sweet polka dotted pocket and ric-rak trim are pretty cute, too. It goes perfectly with these leggings, which cover Emma's knees. This is essential these days. After all, when you're just learning to run and you have two big brothers to keep up with, you fall and scrape your knees. All the time.

Just a sidenote: U2 is playing Montreal tonight. I'm not there because Dave is in Rome, and I would have wanted to go with him, but I can hear them from my house. They are at the Hippodrome, which is not too far from me (maybe a 10 - 15 min. drive depending on traffic). I heard the rumbling bass and high tenor singing when I came into the kitchen after putting the kids to bed and thought, "No, it can't be." But then they played something with the famous guitar reverb (possibly "Where the Streets Have No Name") and I knew it was them. It is just on the edge of hearing, so I can only sort of make out what songs they are playing, but it is pretty cool none the less. And I can definitely hear the crowd cheering.

Finished Summer Blouse!

So, I finished my summer blouse from Weekend Sewing. I had read a lot of reviews of this pattern and they all said to shorten the front facing and the sleeves, lengthen the body and lower the neckline. I had also heard that this voile was really slippery. So with all that in mind I did all my proper sewing things: I made a muslin, I pinned my pattern onto the fabric (instead of just laying it out like I usually do), I used actual dressmaking pins and cross-pinned (put pins vertically and horizontally to keep things in place), and sewed relatively slowly. And the result:

I like what I've got. The body is a little unstructured and boxy (this is another complaint about this blouse), but I like it that way because I don't have a waistline to show off in any case. I must have freakishly long arms because I shortened the sleeves and they are more like 3/4 length for me when I'm actually doing things, and I should have done them full length. This fabric is soft and drapes beautifully and this makes for a nice, casual summer blouse. Now I just need to stitch on a button.

The skirt is also made by me -- its a repurposed pair of well loved jeans. I love this skirt, too, and so I had to add these patches this morning when I pulled it out of the closet as there was a big hole where the two original pieces of pant leg cross over. Because this was kind of a weird place to patch a skirt I added a few other patches to make it look more like a design decision rather than an oddly placed patch.

And, just so there's another photo, here's my fabric pulled for my messenger bag:

I'd like to get this put together for tomorrow since I start work and I need a bag for hauling files and marking and the like back and forth to and from school on the bus / metro. But I somehow don't think I'll get it done tomorrow morning.

After 6 1/2 years of more or less staying home, I'm a little nervous about going back to teaching full time. But I'm really excited, too. I love being a teacher -- its always been my dream and passion to inspired students to live well and learn actively.

I'm feeling very blessed and a little overwhelmed today. Life is about to change dramatically for us and our little nest. Wish us well.

Fancy Pants, Take One

So, when I saw these Quick Change Trousers from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings start popping up around the internet, I knew I had to make some. I bought the book, and  I even bought fabric specifically to make them out of. Then I got distracted (ahem). I decided that fall is the perfect time for these pants, since they have two layers, and so I just didn't buy Emma any fall pants. This has meant that for the last week or so Dave keeps asking me, "Where are all Emma's pants?" whenever he has to change her. I have been sidestepping the question, rather than answering, "I haven't made her any yet." We all know the eye rolling that would cause. So, here is the first pair of several of these ridiculously cute pants.

The main fabric on this side is a print from Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow (I think) collection. It is ridiculously cute, and I had planned to use it as a flower field in a quilt, but I really couldn't resist making it into girl's clothes. I can always cut them apart later when they don't fit her and make them into a quilt after all. So here are more photos than you want to see of Emma doing typical 10 month old baby things in her new pants.

Playing Peek a Boo:

Having a temper tantrum (do all girls start this young, or am I in trouble?):

Practicing her walking:

Oh, did you catch that? These are the same pants, but now they're green. That's because these little darlings are reversible. That's right -- now when Miss Messy decides to crawl through the mud on the way to church or chow down on raspberries just before picture time, I can just flip her pants inside out. How do you know these were designed by a mother of six?

This side is Amy Butler's famous Full Moon Polkadots. I've been hoarding them for about 5 years now, but I've called off all fabric hoarding and my new sewing mantra is, "I did not buy fabric to stay folded up on a shelf". (Not having the income for new fabric helps, too).
I used the helpful cloth diapered bum modification worked out by Meg over at Sew Liberated and it worked beautifully.
This pair is all quilting cotton, and now that its getting cooler I'm planning some corduroy pairs to keep Ems warm when she's walking her big brother to school in the morning.

I conclusion, let me add that it is impossible to just photograph Emma these days. Others want to get into the photos, making silly poses and then demanding that I stop my photo shoot to show them EVERY photo I take of them immediately. I kept asking them to pose, but Aaron kept moving and dancing, so this is the closest we got to what they were imagining their photo should look like.

Little bit more Girl Sewing

I decided that Emma needed a mama made dress. For no reason other than that it made me happy to make it. I started out just wanting to make some bloomers for her to wear under some of the dresses she already has. But once I had the fabric cut, I realized I had enough to make a matching dress. Well, obviously it was all downhill from there.

This is the simple dress from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby. I shortened the pattern about 3 inches, since she's little, and started sewing. I decided that this yellow was going to be too busy and yet not busy enough by iteself, and I happened to have the pink floral sitting there for another project. I realized that it would match, sort of, and add some interest to the dress. But when I laid it on top of the fabric, I realized I needed something else to make it pop.

So I pulled out this magenta fabric, and once I had finished the applique, I decided that the magenta needed to re-appear. I decided to reverse the bias binding so that it was on the outside of the arms instead of tucked inside the arms. I had originally planned to do the same on the neck, but once I had the arms on, I thought that would be too much magenta, so I put the binding on the neck properly, and I think the bit of magenta peeking out is just right.


I think it looks adorable, Emma has had many compliments on it, and she loves it because it is so comfortable and easy to move in. So everyone is happy. And I am definitely sensing a new sewing addiction coming on . . .