Skirt Week 2013...

*** Update***
Although I didn't win... my Anthropologie inspired skirt was featured in the top 10 for straight skirts!  Yay!  It was so fun to see me up there with some really fabulous skirts...  P.S. I'm #4...


Hip Hip Hooray!  It's skirt week!
What is skirt week?  Well you can read all about it here... It is a weekof sewing skirts for you... Yes!  I said it selfish sewing... and with summer just around the corner, it is perfect timing...  Here is what I contributed this year...

Anthropologie knock off...

I made this skirt a while ago... by modifying Simplicity pattern #2512... but never got around to taking a picture of me in it.  This was the perfect opportunity to do it... You can read more about it here...

I love the fabric combinations... and the pockets!

Tween Maxi Skirt...

I just finished this one up for KCW...

The pattern I used was Gloria's Tween Maxi Skirt from Creative Kids Couture... It met all of my daughter's requirements (Long... and good to twirl)... She loves it!

Vintage Knit Skirt...

Super comfy pull on skirt...  from Simplicity pattern #2258...  I did not have enough fabric to cut out the ties, which would have been a cute detail... But, that's the nature of dealing with vintage fabric...

 

 I also hit a small stumbling block when I cut out the pockets... none of my scraps were big enough!  So I cut them out of a different fabric... and grafted (zig zag stitched in place)pieces of my main fabric on the part that shows... It was definitely a make it work moment...

Not very exciting on the hanger... but I like it... and it was super fast to make...

Ruffled Hi-Lo Skirt...

Making a long skirt for my daughter... made me want to have one too!  So I pulled out this pattern from Simplicity #1662...

 I am still a fan of the Hi-Lo hem...

 The only changes I made were... widening the waistband... and adding a second ruffle.  This is an easy to wear skirt...that looks great dressed up, or dressed down with sandals and a t-shirt...

I have been a busy bee... but it's worth it!
Happy Sewing!
***Jennifer

Spring Top Sewalong...

 

I am really late on joining in... but I couldn't miss the opportunity to do some selfish sewing for the Spring Top Sewalong with Made by Rae.  Here are my contributions for this year...

Same Pattern 2 Ways...

 I love all of the options with this Simplicity pattern #1693... On the first top, I made the sleeveless view with the peter pan collar.  The second top added the cap sleeves, but no collar. I am still a fan of the high/low hem, so I used it on both tops...

 The fabric for this top was a vintage lace curtain panel....

 ...and this top I cut out of a vintage tablecloth...
Both tops have a simple loop and button closure... and were seriously easy to sew up!

Peplum Top...

This is a current trend that until now... I have not been able to wear.  Being freakishly high waisted, the waist of every peplum top I've tried on in the stores hit me at my hips... not a good look...

Then I spotted this McCall's pattern #6754... and knew with a couple of adjustments (bringing the waistline up 2 inches), I could jump on board!

Using the stripe on the bottom of some vintage knit I had in my stash... I cut out the peplum... I had wanted to cut the whole top out of the stripe, but it just wasn't possible.  So, I  was able to squeeze in the center bodice... and the rest I had to cut out of the top white portion...  I love it!  Now I can wear a peplum top like the rest of the cool kids...

Well that's what I did for the Sewalong...
Happy Sewing!
***Jennifer

KCW Spring 2013... Day 7...

Yes... I am well aware that KCW is over... but I was determined to finish my projects for the week!  Between my husband being out of town, baseball(boy), kickboxing(girl), and working on school art projects,   there simply was not enough time to squeeze in even an hour of sewing...(hence the other meager posts...here...here...here...and here...)  So, with the hubby now home(and the art projects completed), I was finally able to wrap up my week for KCW... and get some pictures taken...
For my last project I wanted to make Gloria's Tween Maxi Skirt from Creative Kids Couture.  My daughter kept asking if I could make her a maxi skirt, and I had purchased this PDF pattern a couple weeks ago with KCW in mind... so...  I could not end the challenge without making the skirt!

After I printed out the pattern...  I was very happy to find out that all of the pieces were straight cuts(that meant no pattern pieces to cut out and tape together)... All I needed was a ruler, pen, and scissors.  Thank you CKC for such a cute and easy Pattern

It was an instant hit... after the twirl test... of course... (and paired with the top from day 6)

She didn't want to take it off... and kept coming up with different poses...

This one is my favorite!
I also managed to get her into the first two items I made... I know it sounds corny... but the patterns I drafted using The Perfect Fit, really are a perfect fit!  Here's the proof...

Love the way my sailor inspired shorts turned out... and the top is pretty cut too!

I'm glad I added the panel on the bottom of the top, because it made it long enough to tuck in too!  Now you can see all of the cute buttons on the shorts...

That's my end to KCW... I'm glad I took the time to finish... Better late than never...

Happy Sewing!

***Jennifer

1000 Cranes... A Farewell Project...

Last year... I mentioned working on art with the kids at my children's elementary school.  Every year our school(Yujin Gakuen Japanese immersion school) hosts a dinner and auction to raise money... The main attractions are of course the classroom art.  I have had a hand in many of these pieces over the years...  I seem to start traditions, (like the 2nd grade origami people) and have so many great memories working with the kids and other Moms... It has truly been one of the highlights in my life...  And now, as this year comes to an end... my youngest is moving on to middle school... so our time at the school is also coming to an end.  Since this was my last piece of artwork, it seemed fitting to repeat 5th grades artwork from last year... A landscape made out of 1000 origami cranes, folded by the kids themselves.  1000 cranes is a symbol of good luck in Japan... and to me, it also symbolizes the kids taking fight and moving onto the next stage in their lives.  And since it is a send off for me too... I wanted to create two landscapes...

 Day...

 ...and Night...

 The kids did an amazing job... and folded 2000 origami cranes from 6x6 sheets of paper(this took about a month and a half). After they were folded, I counted and then sorted them by color/shade...

Next, I roughly sketched out the landscape on a piece of poster board... and started gluing them on... one by one... row by row...

 Forming the hills, sky, and river as I made my way down...

 It took about 40 hrs to complete each landscape... with a lot of late nights... and multiple cups of coffee...

But, when the last rows were laid out... and I could see an end in sight... I kept thinking about my time at the school coming to an end...  and it was bittersweet...
I have given gladly, all of the hours... days... and weeks... that I have volunteered at the school...I will never tire of singing praises for our dedicated teachers and staff.  The time I've spent on artwork through the years, was hopefully letting the teachers know how thankful I am for all that they done.  Our children have been given such a strong foundation...they are ready to take flight...
Arigato!
*** Jennifer