Swim Team Blog Hop

I am so excited to be participating in this blog hop with:

Wednesday, May 21st  Windham Fabrics

Thursday, May 22nd Dinara Mirtalipova

Friday, May 23rd, Erin Schlosser

Saturday, May 24th, Melissa's Missouri Mel

Sunday, May 25th, Terri Quilted Fox

Be sure to click over to their blogs and see what they made!

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Ever since I first saw the beginnings of this fabric several months ago, I have been dreaming about the fun summer cover-up I would make with these fabulous bathing beauties!  Designed by Dinara Mirtalipova for Windham Fabrics, you can read more about Dinara's design inspiration by clicking over to her blog above.

Though I generally don't make "Mommy and Me" outfits, these two  main patterns were different enough in scale that I felt like it was OK (as in not super-super-dorky even if we wore them on the same day).  Plus, my little swimmer girl who paddled around for hours in the lake yesterday despite chattering teeth, definitely "needed" this swimming-ladies pattern in something.

I ended up making a Washi dress by Rae Hoekstra, for me (which I have been meaning to do...forever...) and a quick pillow-case dress for her. There is a great pillow-case dress tutorial here. I just threw this together in a half-hour---I don't put a lot of time and effort into making things for her lately because she is 3 and FULL of opinions about her clothes.  See below.

So...she did not LOVE her dress.  In fact, she had a complete screaming temper tantrum about wearing it.  This is dad, bribing her with a promise of ice cream to get her to cooperate with photos---let's be honest about the other side of pretty blog pics.  

Looks bucolic, right??  Little do you know...

This Washi dress was a great one for me to make now...7 mos pregnant, because it has shirring on the back that gives it a little stretch and some small pleats in the front, so I can wear it now and in August after the baby comes. 

This is the face that we mostly saw.

These beautiful lupines finally provided some distraction.

I can't wait to make more of these dresses and tops---it was an easy one-day project and in this fabric makes a great swim day cover-up! 

What would you make?  Leave a comment here, I will be giving away two fat quarters bundles of this fantastic summery fabric to two lucky winners!

Thanks to everyone who left such nice comments!  I enjoyed reading what you would do with this fabric!  Sounds like the beach will be full of sun-bathing ladies this summer! ;)  The winners of the giveaway are Gill and Carla!  I sent you an email, ladies, so send me your address and I will send out your fabric. 

Fashion Revolution Day, a.k.a. Spring Cleaning

On-going conversation in our house:

Hubs: "I want to turn the master closet into a meditation room."

Me: "Snort."

Hubs: "I'm serious."

Me: "When you start meditating in the living room I will think about clearing out the closet."

Hubs: "Why do you still have like 20 dresses I have never seen you wear?"

Me: "Uh..."


Ok, so he has a point.  

Generally, every season I try to evaluate those clothes which I did not wear for the whole season and clear some out each time.  However, what do you do with the clothes and dresses you bought ages ago that no longer fit your lifestyle, but are too nice for the roadside donation bins?  

One great organization for professional clothes donations is Dress for Success---more than just providing clothes for job interviews, the organization mentors and coaches women to help them find their way in the job market.  Another great initiative is Donate My Dress, a group that encourages young girls to donate their prom and party dresses so that they can be re-used by others.  

Reading this post by Chelsea Spear yesterday, re-invigorated me to pare down to the essential things in my wardrobe that I care about and really NEED.  I loved her mantra, which I will keep repeating to myself as I clean out the closet this weekend:

Have I worn this in the last season (or if it's "special" ask yourself if you've worn it in the last year)? 
If you answer no, get rid of it. Sell it, donate it to a Salvation Army or Goodwill near you, seal it away in your attic for safe keeping, just get it out of your closet and free yourself of the distraction. If you're like most people you think this rule won't apply to you, because you spent your hard earned money on it, and it's yours. But in all reality, most clothing pieces that aren't worn are no longer desired by the owner. Chances are if you're not wearing it this year, you won't be wearing it in the future. 

I am not a big "shopper," however, I do occasionally haunt the consignment stores and vintage boutiques for some unique item and I like to make my own clothes.  I haven't made enough yet, but I am on a mission this year to improve my garment-making skills.  

Reading this post by Tilly and the Buttons, kind of encapsulates some of the thoughts I have been having about commercially produced clothing lately.  If someone says, "It was ONLY $10 at H&M!!", my immediate reaction is to think, "Yes, but why...and HOW?!"  Now that I have started to sew some of my own clothes and knit my own sweaters, I can see the time and effort that goes into a garment.  From both a practical and spiritual perspective, this is a profound shift to make. It changes how you view the price tag on a piece of clothing in a store.

Often, I think, we cannot truly feel or understand, in an empathetic way, these costs or values UNLESS we involve ourselves in the MAKING.  This means getting your hands dirty, it means spending the time, it means caring about the process and the people involved.  Whether it be the food you make for your family, the clothes on your back or the toys in the toybox, it all has a cost---environmental, economic, human and spiritual.  

I would like to make sure that I model values I believe in---in all these regards---for my children. Values that are ethical and thought-out, not knee-jerk.  It is a process, an unfolding and a journey---I am, by not means, there yet.  

But today, I will start by cleaning out my closet.  
(Did you hear that, honey?)

Are you with me?? I will need support.

My meditation for today is from Tend Magazine:

Tutorial Tuesday!

Guess what, everyone??  I have a tutorial post up at Sew Mama Sew! This is my first guest tutorial post and I was really excited to do it!  Please tell me what you think and if you have any questions at all.

The Everyday Summer Skirt

For years, I have had a skirt I bought on the street in Cold Spring that I love because it is easy (read: pull on and walk), comfy (read: elastic waist), yet stylish (read: undeserved props from mom friends).  

I am not a super-confident garment sewer, but after the busyness and chaos of the last few weeks of school, I really needed to do something for ME.  So yesterday I decided to buckle down and try to recreate this fave skirt.

I learned a couple of tricks on the first attempt, but I am really happy with how it turned out overall---so happy, in fact, that I just ordered a whole bunch of fabric to make a pile of these and stock up my Etsy shop, so keep your eyes peeled for that link!