Today is Addy's first day of school! I'm a little bit sad (and man is the house quiet!), but also excited to have all day to focus on my projects and hopefully feel a bit more centered. Lately I've been battling with the guilt of quilting during the day when Addy is home or in the evening when Addy is in bed and Matt is home. Dedicating my days to creating will hopefully help me to enjoy the times Addy and Matt are home more!
Months ago Addy picked out the fabric and pattern that she wanted for her first day of school outfit (this is becoming a fun tradition!). We ended up using the short-sleeve pattern from Oliver + S's 2 + 2 blouse and the skirt from the Swing Set pattern.
For the blouse we picked a print from the Children at Play line by Sarah Jane.
One small change that I made was to use a thin bias binding for the neckline:
I love the bias tape on the hem of the sleeves, too! Oliver + S patterns have the most wonderful details, I get so giddy when my handmade garments are so well finished!
5 buttons running down the back of the blouse, a classic Oliver + S detail (Addy chose the pink and purple!):
I picked up the skirt fabric from JoAnn's. It's a fine corduroy in a pretty purple color. I didn't have the blouse material with me at the time, which is why the purple doesn't "match". But I actually love that it goes with the blouse without being a perfect match!
The skirt pattern calls for a lining, but I didn't want to add too much weight to it, so I just made a facing from quilting cotton for the waist. This eliminated some bulk and also made it easy for me to add the elastic at the waist without altering the skirt design:
(What the heck was I thinking when I shot that pic? I'm not even focused on the facing! Ha!)
Here we are at the bus stop!
Addy also needed an art smock for school. I could have grabbed any old shirt for her to use, but what is the fun in that, right? I had this cute yoga monkey print in my stash, so I sewed this up for her (pattern is also Oliver + S! It's from the book):
The back is a simple velcro closure:
And here it is in action!
I can't rave enough about the Oliver + S patterns! They are so simple to follow, and they include great details. If you haven't tried them yet, I would highly recommend them. The price is certainly higher than the "Big 5" patterns from JoAnn's, but they are worth every penny. (And hey, there is awesome support over at the Oliver + S forums!)
Addy is now off to school, and once I hit "publish" I'm off to sew! I can't wait to pick her up from the bus and hear all about her first day!
12 comments:
The best dressed kid in that class, I'm sure. So adorable, and you did such a nice job. The art smock is too cute as well.
so cute! i love every last detail you included. She looks so happy! boy, you are going to have some fun crafting time! and also better focused time when your with them. :)
I love your pattern reviews. I have a couple of them and have been wanting to try them for Charlotte. These are just adorable. I LOVE that skirt, and Charlotte prefers wearing skirts. I have some of that yoga monkey fabric--isn't it fun? Oh, and the pumpkin fabric skirt--by my all-time favorite designer Debbie Taylor-Kerman, even though I can NEVER remember which comes first--Taylor or Kerman (I just had to go check some selvage!). CUTE!
What a beautiful kindergartener!!!!
Very cute girlie and outfits!
What an adorable kindergartener!!! And what a good Momma to make sure she goes to school looking so spiffy. Love the art smock! And love the first day of school pic!
Adorable clothes for an adorable child. I hope she has loads of fun in school.
Don't feel guilty about taking time for crafting, you are looking after yourself & that can only be good for your family. You are setting a great example for your daughter.
Have fun
Lush
London, UK
Really really really Cute!!!
Oh my gosh, so adorable!! I'm in love with the purple corduroy!! You've really inspired me to get making clothes for my kids!
Hope she had a fantastic day :)
All of these beautiful pieces are so special! Love it!!
What a great first day of school outfit. Addy is one lucky little girl.
Oh my goodness, how adorable is Addy in her sweet new clothes! All so cute. I just bought some of the Children at Play border panel fabric and plan to make something for my girls!
Post a Comment