I made a circle skirt, I am sewing genius

So, I was at Joanns. (How many posts could begin that way? Many.) I ran in for one thing, but thought I'd just peak at the apparel fabric. Thanks to some recent blogging series about working with knits, I'd been thinking I wanted to give them a try. Also, I had this skirt pinned on my Pinterest board.

It came from the Ice Cream Social Skirt tutorial at the blog icandy handmade. Cute, isn't it? She made it based on the tutorial for the circle skirt at Made. Really, a circle skirt doesn't belong to anyone. It's as basic as it gets, as one of the contestants on Project Runway said last night. But in any case, I learned to make it from those two sources, and I plan to make many more. It's fast, it's cute, it makes you want to twirl. What more could you ask for?

So knowing this, I grabbed some striped purple kint fabric, a polyester, from Joanns. I thought it was $3 a yard but got confused by the signage. It was really $7 a yard. So I paid $14 and should have enough left over for some other sort of project (maybe a circle scarf?).

It's really something I think you could dress up or down.

I really like how comfy it is, and how easy it is to pair with flats and wear around the house or to the park. I tried to take a picture of me in my yellow flats wearing it....

  But this kept happening.

Oh, and here's how the waistband looks. I made mine four inches tall.  I also chose not to embellish the bottom, because I had no cute trim. And I'm lazy. Made this way, the whole shebang takes like 30 minutes. (Especially considering I totally forgot to wash my fabric first. Whoops).

Hopefully it doesn't shrink! Cause me likey.

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Two more skirts and I am ready for summer

I finished two more skirts last week for The Summer of No Pants, and finally have the photo evidence ready to go.

For both of these, I used this tutorial for the "Shirt Skirt." My friend Kim found it, and in an attempt to enable my sewing addiction, posted it to my Facebook page. I think I churned out the first skirt less than 24 hours later. And it was my easiest one yet.

I need to make like 35 of these. So fast. (Cut off the bottom of a shirt. Shir the top to make a waistband. You're done!) So comfy. So I-can-wear-this-on-my-chunkiest-day-and-still-feel-kinda-cute.

Eh, who needs shoes?

This one is made from my husband's old polo-type shirt. It was the only shirt in his closet he was willing to part with. It's a little faded and the hem-line isn't even. But I was eager to try this, and you know, I like it despite those flaws. I saw this yellow trim at Haberman's when I was there to purchase my lip cord for the monogrammed pillow and bought it without really having a purpose for it. I placed it sort of randomly around and sewed it across the top. Cute!

Then for $8 I bought a new men's white and grey stripped T-shirt from Marshall's. I know, spending $8 for a shirt to chop up is kind of weird. But it was worth it -- because I truly think I will wear this skirt practically every day this summer. It is that comfy.

Staring wistfully out to sea.... well, Lake St. Clair anyway.

I started to make my third one last night, from a thrifted men's golf shirt. But the elastic isn't tight enough, if that makes sense. Like, three rows into the shirring I can tell it isn't going to tighten up the waist band enough. It's going to be too big. Any idea why that is? Something with the tension?

Whether I finish that one or not, I will be making more of these for sure. And hey, to any "real life" friends reading! Come over and watch my kids, bring me the men's large shirt of your choice, and I'll make one for you, too!

So The Summer of No Pants can now commence. I'm ready!

Oh and wait, one more thing. Help me out with something. I thrifted this cute sherbert colored linen skirt for $1 and am questioning something.

I love the color. Love the linen. I've already cut out the polyester lining. And it fits OK, but it is high-waisted, like above my belly button. And if it isn't sitting in the right spot, that damn front butt starts bubbling up. I sort of want to chop the top off and add some kid of elastic waist band. But there is a zipper running through the back and it's not like it's a huge skirt. Maybe I just need to let it out a bit? Or maybe just wear it up around my belly-button where it belongs? I'm so new at this upcycling and clothes altering thing... If you have advice for me, I'd love to hear it!

Linked at....

Third dress for Summer of No Pants

I have a love hate relationship with the third creation I made for The Summer of No Pants. On most fronts, I love it. The only thing I hate about it? I can't wear it! It's just not nursing friendly, unless I want to lift the whole dress over my head. I envisioned wearing it yesterday to Jack's baptism, but nope. I need easy access. I don't know why it didn't dawn on me that this would be a problem until the dress was nearly done, but that's what happened.

Anyway, onto the dress!

It started with this green Target dress I thrifted for $3.

I turned that into this!

So my mom revealed that she had tons and tons of old crocheted doilies from her grandmother. I had no idea. And honestly, I have never been much of a doily person so I probably wouldn't have cared. But crocheted details on clothing is definitely a trend right now, and I love it. So I decided to see if I could find something in her stash that would compliment this dress.

These two pieces were perfect! I have no idea what they are for. But they fit just perfect! I carefully pinned them around the shoulders, after cutting the arms off. Then I stitched them on, easy as that. The arm holes were finished with bias tape made from the sleeves. And that was it!

I thought about taking the dress in a bit, but then decided maybe to belt it. I don't know if I like that look either. Perhaps it should just be a sheath dress with no waist.

Please excuse my bra strap. Dang!

Unbelted. Acting aghast that there is no more beer in my cooler!

I really wish I could wear it soon. Perhaps if we get a date night sometime this summer. I wouldn't need to whip the girls out for that obviously (although I'm sure my husband would disagree with that).

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Second dress for Summer of No Pants

A week ago, I told you I'd be fashioning my second skirt out of a green sheet I thrifted last month. I was all set to do that -- make another elastic-waisted skirt. But after completing my first skirt for The Summer of No Pants, I thought it might be nice to try something else.

Then I remembered the Maybe Matilda knockoff dress that is on my Sewing Bucket List. I thought the green sheet would be perfect for it.

So on Tuesday, in the middle of a grocery shopping trip, I popped into a used clothing store and grabbed a striped tank for $5. And voila, I had my my dress completed nearly before naptime even began! It really came together quickly, especially because I cut the sheet along the hemmed edge, meaning I didn't have to hem it myself. Oh, and I skipped the pockets this time.

Here she is, sans belt:

Totally done!

Or is she?

I have an idea, but I don't know how to execute it. That's life as a beginner sewer. I took the bottom half of the T-shirt, cut one seam open, positioned it around the neckline and pinned it. What do you think?

I kind of dig it. I want to attach it but here are my concerns: one, I don't have a ballpoint needle and have never sewn with knits. I assume that's essential -- the needle, right? Two, I'm scared I'll chop off the collar and then hate it and be stuck at a point of no return. Three, I'm just not sure how exactly to attach it. Sew all the way around? Just handsew it into place in a couple of spots? I'd love your advice.

I'm also not loving how.... busty this makes me look. Shoulda tried the shirt on before I bought it, but when you have three minutes and a three-year-old with you, you do what you can. I'm wondering how to tone down the bustiness. Might the flourish along the neckline do that?

Here's me modeling it as is.

Standing at the doorway, peering snarkily into the distance.

Sitting on a bench, looking mildly bored.

Holding up a wall.

Pretending to change a tire.

 The sash is another issue. I don't like the way it scoots up on me (see in the last photo?). I might sew it into place. Maybe just along the middle of the back. Would that work? I also wish I'd cut it a wee bit longer. It seemed long as all get out, until I tied it around my waist.

Overall, I love the look. It makes me feel French. We all want to feel French sometimes, right? I just want to tinker with it a bit. Please, give me your thoughts in the comments! And head over to The Summer of No Pants Link Party to see what everyone else is creating.

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Something's Gotta Give

I think I mentioned this already, but I've been feeling mentally tapped out from all the creative projects on my to-do list. I mean that in a better way than it sounds. I enjoy feeling so creatively inspired, and thankfully, I am at a place in life where despite how busy I am, there is enough time here and there throughout my days to tackle some of those projects.

But as many of you who are moms know, sometimes that time you hope to use for your creative pursuits gets snatched up by family. By parenting. Not much you can do about it.

For me, something has to give at the moment. I have quite a few parenting issues that are going to demand more of me, and soon. Let's run through them, shall we?

-- I have two months left of maternity leave. And not a drop of milk saved. Because I don't wanna pump. But starting with Tuesday, I've added at least one pumping session per day into my schedule. Complain, whine, complain.

-- I say "at least one" because it might be two. Why? Because Jack has had all of three bottles in his life, and he needs practice. So I can be away from him for more than two hours. So one pumping a day will be saved, and potentially the second would be used to get him on friendlier terms with his bottle.

-- Luke will be three in July. He will start preschool in September. You know what this means. We need to be DONE with the diapers. Which means potty-training needs more than the half-ass attention I've been giving it.

-- Jack also needs to transition out of our room and into his. Soon. Because he is spending more than half the night in bed with me, nursing every two hours or so. He can't get too used to that. It's trouble. We moved Luke at the four-month mark. And guess what? Jack hit that mark yesterday.

My big little 4-month-old.

So it's time. Time for this big boy to move to his big baby room.  This will probably mean more sleep interruptions than we're used to. Me trudging up and down the stairs. Which will mean more napping and less sewing and blog writing.

On top of those things in the parenting column, I also want to start working out more. I got way lazy for the last five weeks. Few workouts, plus a trip to Dallas for a wedding, Mother's Day, a bunch of social events, our anniversary, Memorial Day picnics... To put it plainly, I've been pigging out. So I need to spend some time with my friend Jillian Michaels. I hate feeling doughy, and that's what a month of eating cookie dough and reading blogs will get you.

What I'm trying to say: I need to regain some balance. I hope it won't totally disrupt my sewing. Or blogging!. It's been so wonderful getting this blog off the ground, and I'm so happy to have you who follow me here! I know, given how obsessed I am at the moment with sewing and the online craft community, things won't change much for the next few weeks. But maybe a little.

So this is just an FYI, and a little bit of a call for sympathy, too. Ladies, I'm not alone here, right? Doesn't life just smack you in the face sometimes and make it damn near impossible to keep on crafting?

Let me know how you keep your balance in the comments! Oh, here's how balanced I was Tuesday: I pumped, I gave Jack a bottle, I grocery shopped, I did my Jillian DVD, AND I finished my next contribution to The Summer of No Pants. It can be done! Here's a sneak peak! I'll reveal the full thing tomorrow.

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First skirt complete for SONP!

Before we get to my first skirt, here is Luke, obviously thrilled with the adorable hat I made him. Just thought I'd share that so you can see it actually fits! Yay!

And again, thanks to Anna from Noodleheads for being my first interview subject for The Sewing Circle series! To read Anna's thoughts about sewing, click here!

OK, onto the skirts!

I knocked out my first skirt for The Summer of No Pants in two hours Wednesday afternoon. All hail naptime! Both kids actually slept for three hours. It was a-MAZ-ing! And it felt good to get my first skirt done.

Let's take a look!

It's the skirt from the My Growing Home tutorial. Like, the exact same skirt. Same fabric anyway. And I followed the tutorial nearly exactly, except for a few small things.

For one thing, I only had 1 inch elastic on hand, so I used that instead of 1.5 inch. I wonder how big of a difference that makes. The skirt doesn't lay as well as I'd like in front. It billows a little, making for an unattractive "front-butt" look, if I'm not minding it and flattening it and readjusting it constantly.

 I also think I might take it up a bit. I don't know if this lenth really flatters me much. Although I guess it is more practical if it is longer, right? Decisions, decisions!

The only problem I had with the tutorial came on the final step. Instead of sewing between two marks one way, I sewed the other way. Like, I sewed the sides instead of along the front. This meant I had to get creative when I inserted my elastic into the casing, and leave one-inch gaps along the sides of the front. This is hard to describe, and you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. In the end, the mistake really didn't matter much, so let's just leave it at that.

Ooooh, and this skirt is my first with pockets! Very easy to add. Love having pockets. My only concern is that they don't always lay correctly. Maybe I just need to iron some more, eh?

So there you go. One skirt down. Three to go!

Link parties I'm joining.

SONP week one!

I mentioned this on Friday, but I want to devote an entire blog post to it. I've decided to take part in the blog event The Summer of No Pants, hosted by Hideous, Dreadful, Stinky. The idea is to sew yourself four skirts or dresses over the next four weeks, and then to wear them (along with other skirts) all summer long. I love this idea for a few reasons. It's fun to have a community of people all working toward the same goal, and that is what this provides. There is a Flickr pool where you can share your photos of your completed projects and see everyone else's -- as well as get advice and converse with other people taking part. Secondly, I've never liked myself in shorts. I feel like skirts just flatter me more. And finally, it's always good for me to have stated deadlines to kick my motivation up a notch.

I've already mapped out what I'll be creating in the next month. Want to see?

First up, I'll be making this skirt from the blog My Growing Home. It's a J-Crew knock-off with elastic in the front and back, but smooth sides. Slimming, right? And it has pockets! I saw this last week and bookmarked it. Then over the weekend, I went to the Guildcrafter's fabric store in Berkley. And lo and behold, they carry this fabric! (And the entire Sherbert Pips line by Aneela Hoey.) Maybe I an uber lame, but I snatched up the same material without the pink. So when I say I will be making this skirt, I mean, seriously, I will be making this skirt! 

Remember my first skirt attempt? It's the Simple Skirt from the blog Made. It really is simple. And so I will be making at least one more of these as well. I might go ultra plain, too. And make one that is just a simple green. Maybe because I am having a hard time finding things that match my vintage-sheet skirt! Those colors are so outdated, it's really hard to find something that coordinates. But I might use a sheet once again. I have a really nicely hued green sheet that is really soft and I think would drape well. We shall see.

This dress from my Salvation Army trip cost $3. It's also a shade of green I really like. But it needs help. For one weekly project, I'm going to refashion this dress. Add a belt for sure. Perhaps shorten the sleeves or remove them altogether. Add some interest to the neckline? I'm not 100% sure, but I'm excited to turn this into a comfy summer dress that I can dress up or down.

And last... get this.... am I crazy? Maybe.

I love the retro look of this dress. It's the Macaron pattern by Colette Patterns. I imagine it is not super simple. I've read in various places that you should be an intermediate or above sewer to attempt. Is that me? I don't know. It might take me all week long to make this. But I think I'm going to try. Am I insane or no?

That's the plan, for now. Things could change. I could wimp out on the Macaron. I could make 15 Simple Skirts instead of anything else. I might switch gears and try the Maybe Matilda dress I love. Or maybe I'd do the Jamie dress by Sis Boom (as seen here.) That one is supposed to be fairly easy.

I'm also planning on hitting the thrift stores a few more times to add more skirts. I bought three on my last trip -- a dark jean skirt (a wardrobe staple I didn't have), a very comfy grey-blue flouncy skirt with pockets (that cost me $1), and a khaki skirt I am worried is a little too 1998. We'll see if I actually wear it.

Are you taking part in the SONP? If so, please drop a link to your blog in my comments! I would love to come and visit you and see what your own plans are. Everyone else, tell me, how often to you wear skirts? Do you find them practical for your life (especially if you're a mom of little ones, like me!)?