Christmas Present Placemats & Skirts

Some of my fondest memories are of times spent with my mom decorating our home for Christmas. Handmade decorations, a large fir tree, fresh holly and magnolia leaves from our yard, and the Statler Brother's Christmas on the stereo were essential to creating the festive mood in our home.

One thing we always had on our dining room and breakfast room tables were special, Christmas placemats that my mom had sewn. Several years ago, I decided to recreate her Christmas Present Placemats and even wrote a tutorial so others could make them, too. This tutorial continues to be one of my most popular tutorials and posts ever!

Since it has been a while since I made a set of these adorable Christmas Present Placemats, I thought it was time to make a few more using all quilting cottons instead of a double-sided quilted fabric. I'm so pleased with the results!

The quilting cotton prints in Blend Fabric's Even a Mouse collection by Maude Asbury were perfect for these new Christmas Present Placemats! I love the Snowball Fight print for the border and cloth napkin that makes the bow, and the Christmas Carolers snowglobe print in red is fun and festive for the main part of the mat. The back of the placemat is sewn with the Let It Snow print in light gray.
(Disclaimer: I was provided the fabrics used in this post in exchange for sharing a project I made with them. All opinions are my own.)

If you'd like to make your own set of Christmas Present Placemats, then click HERE for the full tutorial. Here's a picture of the original one I made years ago. For this one, I used a double-sided quilted fabric for the mat and quilting cotton for the napkin and binding.

If you choose to use quilting cottons instead of double-sided quilted fabric, then you will cut out 2 rectangles measuring 12" x 18" for the front and back of the placement. You will also need to cut out one piece of batting measuring 12" x 18". All other pieces remain the same from the tutorial.

Since I had a some fabric left over from the bundle of fabric from Blend Fabrics, I whipped up a couple of skirts using my Simple One Seam Skirt Tutorial.

For this size 4T skirt, I added a contrasting band to the bottom of the skirt.

For this size 6 skirt, I used the Stocking Stuffers in Grey fabric to make this animal lover's version. My daughter was sad that I didn't have enough fabric to make this one in her size! These are so quick and easy to sew and make gifts for little girls.

Have FUN sewing!

VFT Lavinia Blouse & Skirt

Wow! It's been a long time since I last posted on my own blog! While I've been busy writing and posting for all my contributor positions lately, I have neglected my own site. It's time to change that, don't you think?

I have sewn so many things lately--lots of pants, skirts, dresses, zipper pouches, and notebooks--so it's time I start sharing a few of these projects and (hopefully) some new tutorials with you soon. I appreciate your patience!

One of my favorite projects from the end of last year is this lovely blouse and skirt set using the Violette Field Threads Lavinia pattern. Ella wore this ensemble to her piano recital and played beautifully. As you can see, I had edited photos and intended to post them around Christmas time! Better late than never!

Paneled Sunsuit Skirt

I absolutely love sewing clothes for my daughter to wear to school. My little first grader is growing like a weed and could use a few new skirts and tops to add to her wardrobe. When Call Ajaire asked me to participate in her Not Just a Sunsuit pattern tour to celebrate the release of her first pattern, the Paneled Sunsuit, I knew I had to try the skirt view first for Ella a new school skirt! 

The Paneled Sunsuit Pattern has more options than any other pattern I've ever seen! It's insane the number of pieces and outfits you can sew up out of this one simple pattern. The instructions and diagrams are extremely thorough and detailed and a breeze to follow.

sewVery Simple One Seam Skirt Tutorial

It's time for the Simple Simon & Co.'s Skirting the Issue series again, and I'm participating this year with my sewVery Simple One Seam Skirt Tutorial.

Skirting the Issue is all about making skirts to donate to girls in need. While the ladies at Simple Simon & Co. will be donating skirts to girls in foster care, I have sewn together several skirts in a variety of sizes to donate to girls in need at my daughter's school. These skirts, made using my sewVery Simple One Seam Skirt Tutorial, were a breeze to make and take little fabric.

Kangaroo Pouch Pocket Tutorial for Skirting the Issue

I'm excited to be participating in this year's Skirting the Issue Series hosted by my friends at Simple Simon & Co. Today, I'll show you how to add a Kangaroo Pouch Pocket to the Tilly Skirt Pattern by Sewing Mama RaeAnna.  This tutorial would work on any basic skirt pattern that has two individual front hip pockets.

Skirting the Issue is all about making skirts to donate to girls in foster care.  All July long, Simple Simon & Co. will introduce you to a blogger who will either share a skirt tutorial or skirt round-up with you in hopes that you will feel the need to sew up a skirt or two for a girl in need in foster care.

The Tilly Skirt

Sewing Mama RaeAnna has just released her latest pattern, The Tilly Skirt!  Since we are good friends, she gave me a sneak peek of the design and pattern before it was released to the public.  I couldn't wait to sew one up for Ella, and it was one of the quickest projects I've made in a while!

I made this skirt back in late April, and Ella has certainly enjoyed wearing it over and over again since then. In fact, I desperately need to make her another one!  Maybe I'll do that this afternoon since it only takes about an hour.

Beachy Boatneck Shirt & Schoolday Skirt

Today I'm blogging about the Beachy Boatneck Shirt and Schoolday Skirt patterns from Blank Slate Patterns.  My friend, Melissa, from Melly Sews is the pattern designer, and when she invited me on her pattern shop tour, I couldn't say yes fast enough!

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions provided in this post are 100% my own!   When you purchase a Blank Slate Pattern through one of these links, I earn a percentage of the sale. Thanks for your support! 

Let's start with the Beachy Boatneck Shirt.  I've seen so many of these on the internet for both boys and girls, so I knew I had to give it a try.  I chose the size 6 after comparing the sizing chart to Ella's chest measurement, and I think it's a perfect fit.

Since I am pairing the shirt with the pleated Schoolday Skirt, I wanted the top to look a little more feminine.  To accomplish that, I modified the facing pattern pieces so that the bottom edge followed the curve of the neck opening, and then I chose to sew the facing on so it would be on the exterior of the shirt.

I had really wanted to use a solid color for the facing, but I didn't have any knit fabric that matched on hand! I was anxious to move forward with the sewing (no time to run to the store), so I opted to just use the same heart fabric for the facing.  I found an old baby onesie in my repurpose pile and used a piece of it to make the center cinched area on the facing.

I really like the faux collar effect the exterior facing gives this shirt.

I think you could have so much fun playing with different facing shapes.  For a boy, you could just use the facing pattern pieces as is but sew them on to flip to the exterior.  I might just have to try that sometime!

The Beachy Boatneck is a pretty straight cut top, and it's fairly long.  I think if I had added just three or four more inches to the length, Ella could have worn it as a dress!  The extra length does make it idea for tucking into pants or skirts which most kids rarely do these days.

Overall, this is a great pattern because of the simplicity of the design, the pattern pieces, and the terrific sewing instructions.  Oh, and I think the fit is spot on, too!

I paired the Beachy Boatneck Shirt with another great pattern from Blank Slate Patterns:  the Schoolday Skirt.

I purchased this pattern right after it was released a few months back, but I somehow never got around to making one!  This blog tour was the perfect opportunity for me to try it out.  I now regret waiting so long!

The Schoolday Skirt may appear intimidating with all the pleats, but it is actually quite simple to make. Melissa's instructions make sewing it together so easy!

For Ella's Schoolday Skirt, I used a lightweight denim fabric I picked up at Joann's.  This fabric is so soft and easy to work with.  I'll definitely be buying more of it for future projects.

Again, I referenced the measurement chart in the pattern and decided to go with a size 5.  Although not specified in the pattern instructions, I chose to use buttonhole elastic to make the back waistband adjustable.  Because of the way the skirt waistband is sewn together, I didn't have to make any modifications in order to do this!

Well, there you have it!  My Blank Slate Patterns outfit!  I think this definitely going to be a Fall favorite at our house, and I look forward to sewing more of both pieces!

Are you thinking about making your little one their own Beachy Boatneck Shirt or Schoolday Skirt?

Then head over to Blank Slate Patterns to purchase your copy of each pattern today!  But be prepared, you just might end up picking up two or three more patterns while you're there!  As a bonus, 50% of the profits from this week's (Oct. 6 - 12) sales at Blank Slate Patterns will be donated to the Komen Foundation for breast cancer research and services.  

Skirt Week Final Call

Today's the last day to enter your skirt creations into the Flickr pool for judging in Crafterhours Skirt Week 2013 competition.  You have until tonight (June 7th) at midnight EST to upload your photos for consideration.

To read all the rules and find links to the Flickr groups, click here or on the photo above.

And let me just tell you.  There are tons of awesome entries so far!  So much inspiration.  I am very impressed thus far which is making my job as a judge (you heard me, I'm a judge) even more difficult!

This is my first time judging a sewing competition, so I'm a little nervous especially with so many amazing entries to consider.  Sew hurry (pun intended)!  Get your skirts finished, photographed, and uploaded by tonight at midnight EST for a chance to win some amazing prizes!  To check out the prizes, follow these links:  Prizes Part 1 and Prizes Part 2

Good luck!

Mommy & Me Skirts

I've been wanting to try shirring again lately, so I decided to make myself a skirt for summer.  I had a couple of shirred waist skirts from Target years ago that I loved, and after seeing this tutorial over at Running with Scissors, I knew I had to give it a try.

Since I don't have much experience with shirring, I decided to use an inexpensive piece of quilting cotton that I had purchased from Joann's a few weeks ago.  I liked the colors and the print was okay, but if this shirring thing didn't work out, I wouldn't feel so guilty about wasting the fabric.

Warning!  The picture you are about to see contains a pair of very, very white legs and me with no make-up on.

I chose not to make the skirt with pockets just to simplify the entire project this time.  The main idea was to practice my shirring technique.

I used the tutorial to determine the width and length of the skirt, but I found that even with her revised notes in the instructions, this was still too much fabric for me.  I also felt like the skirt length she specified was a little long for me.

Last time I shirred something, I made sure to make a note about how I adjusted my sewing machine settings.  This seemed to work out just fine, but when I finished all 10 rows of shirring for the waistband and then spritzed it with water and applied heat, the elastic just did not draw up nearly enough. This is when I discovered that the width of the skirt was just way too big for me.  I even sewed in a few extra rows of shirring hoping it would draw up more, but it didn't.

What I thought was going to be a super quick project turned into an afternoon headache!  I eventually decided to cut off 10" of the width at which point the skirt still fit a little loose.  So, the next time I try making this skirt, I'm only going to multiply my hip measurement by 1.45 (instead of the tutorial recommended 1.75) to get a better fit for me.

After finishing my skirt, I realized that I had enough fabric left over to make Ella one, too.  Since my experience with shirring hadn't gone as well as I had hoped, I opted to just put in a regular elastic waistband on her skirt.

To make the two skirts look even more similar, I added the bias tape at the hem.

This little ruffle and bow were a cute addition to her skirt and gave it more of a girly flare; however, she keeps asking me to remove it (not gonna happen!).

Next time I shirr, I think I'll try using a different brand of elastic thread.  I've read that Stretch-Rite works well (I think it could be because it has more rubber in the elastic than the Dritz brand).  What's your opinion?  Do you have a preference for one elastic thread brand over another?  I'd really appreciate your input on the topic.  Thanks!

Pink Poodle Bows Ruffle Sleeve Top & Mini Skirt

With all the warmer weather we have been having, I decided I needed to finally make Ella the adorable Ruffle Sleeve Top and Mini Skirt from the pattern I won from Pink Poodle Bows back in late January.  You can read all about the contest I won hosted by KoJo Designs here.

Photo from Pink Poodle Bows

The pattern instructions are super easy to follow, and although you don't have to have paper pattern pieces to cut it out, they are provided for those who prefer them.  I just used the dimensions specified for a 4T and cut out all the rectangles, but I did use the cut-out guide provided in the pattern for removing a curve piece from the sleeve and a triangle from the bottom of the top.

The skirt took probably 15 minutes total to make.  I'm really happy with how it fits Ella, and I plan on using this pattern for making a few more skirts for the summer.

The top was very easy to sew together, and I really liked her tips for making and sewing the belted band onto the shirt.  However, if I make this top again, I think I will half the width of the band.  The proportions just don't seem right for such a little top, and because it is so wide, it wants to bunch up in the front.  I think 2" wide would be better.

The flutter sleeves are adorable, and Ella loves them because they make her feel like a butterfly!

I would definitely recommend this pattern to anyone, especially a beginner sewer.  It is simple, has easy to follow instructions, and comes with pattern pieces for those who prefer to have a paper guide when cutting out their fabric.  So, please head over to Pink Poodle Bows and check out all the other really cute patterns she has to offer.  Thanks again for the pattern!

The Madalyn Skirt & Matching Doll Outfit

A couple of weeks ago, I made this skirt out of some larger "scrap" pieces of the Joel Dewberry Heirloom fabric.   I emailed my best friend, Melissa, to get her daughter's measurements to see if it would fit her, and sure enough, it does!  

I'm going to see my friend soon (for like the first time in almost 3 years), and I wanted to take her daughter a little something.  So, we now have The Madalyn Skirt!   I sent Melissa the pictures this morning, and she said her daughter would love it.  

This skirt can be worn with either side in the front, and it was sewVery easy to make.  You can do it, too!  Sorry I don't have step by step pictures, but it is so simple, I know you can do it!  Here's how...

Cut one panel 19" x 19", one 14" x 19", and two strips 2.75" x 19".  Next, sew one of the narrow strips to each side of the smaller panel.  Then sew the pieced panel to the larger panel.  

I decided to zig zag down the seams of the strips to add a little detail.  You can do this, too, but it is not necessary.

Next, make the casing for the elastic waistband.  Turn down 1/4" and press and then another 1" and press it.  Sew your seam about 1/8" from the edge of the casing but remember to leave a 2" opening so you can insert the elastic. Take your child's waist measurement and subtract 1" to 2" and cut a piece of 3/4" elastic this length.  For the Madalyn skirt, I used a 24" piece of elastic. Put a safety pin on one end and work it through the casing.  Now, sew the two ends of the elastic together and then sew the casing opening closed.

Finally, turn down 1/4" and press and then another 1/2" and press for your hem.  Sew your hem seam about 1/8" from the folded under edge and you are done!

Melissa had asked me a while back if I ever sewed doll clothes.  At the time, I had not even considered it, but since I had a few smaller scraps of the fabric left, I thought I would try making a matching doll skirt and bag for Madalyn's American Girl doll.  Each skirt panel is approximately 7" long and 8" wide.  I just sewed those pieces together and then serged the top and bottom, turned them under 1/2", hemmed the bottom and made a casing at the top.  I then used a 10.5" piece of 1/4" elastic for the waistband.  

The purse was very easy to make as well, but it takes some patience sewing such small pieces!  When I have a little more time, I'll draw up the pattern dimensions, along with that for the skirt and post them for download.

Now I need to make her doll a white t-shirt to go with the outfit, and I've got to put together a little something for her son, too.  I'm thinking an Auburn University pillowcase may be just the thing! War Eagle!

Can't wait to see you and your family soon, Melissa!