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. 

Job Perks

One of the best parts of my job (for a fabric-aholic, this could be considered enabling, but that is another discussion) is access to gorgeous, new fabric, hot off the presses.  To get ready to release this darling ORGANIC collection by Carolyn Gavin of Ecojot to the world, 

we needed some sewing done---and, since a certain someone I know was having a birthday, I got right to work:

Love that mug.  Three-year olds not always being the most cooperative of subjects, we had to use what we could get!

This dress is made from the Roller Skate Dress pattern by Oliver + S.  It was my brilliant mother's idea to make it reversible rather than add a lining.  No pattern alteration necessary---even better!!  The pattern was so easy to sew and comfy to wear for the active girl, that I already have another in process---this one with horses, natch.

 And just to prove the point that this is a multi-generational collection, not just a sweet children's line,  infinity scarves for Mom and Nan:

Currently, this collection is only on sale to wholesale customers, but you consumers will be able to get your hands on it before too long---June 2014---just in time to make some beautiful summer items.  In the meantime, stayed tuned to the Windham Fabrics blog for a giveaway before then...maybe you will get your hands on an early batch, like me!!  :)

Briar Rose Quilt

Oh, swoon...I am so in love.

I was definitely late to the Heather Ross-obsession party, but I fell hard for the her latest line, Briar Rose...it has a lot of bees in it and y'all know I got a thing for bees and a cute little "Honeybee" to prove it (I am not kidding---"honeybee" is on her birth certificate...poor girl, someday she will sigh about her hippie parents).

Anyway, she had yet to get her "mom-made quilt" being number 4 and all.  My goal was to make one before her 3rd birthday, so I was so excited to be inspired to make this great and easy pattern designed by Rae of Made by Rae for Windham Fabrics.  You can download it for free here.

This fabric is still in stores, so if this beautiful and simple pattern inspires you to get sewing, like it did for me, then run out and get some!  I can guarantee it won't last for long!