This romper was under a huuuuge pile of fabric until last week when I finally tidied up my studio (I wasn’t joking when I told Rachel I hide failed projects in the corner). I started this for kids clothes week challenge last spring–yes it has been that long since I cleaned the studio, shut up–but after I sewed it together I realized it too huge to even finish. When I found it I felt like another person made it. I mean, a romper with snaps and ribbed cuffs made out of a very thin knit fabric, really? I wouldn’t even think about making something like this now. But maybe I should–my sewing skills seem to be regressing instead of progressing.

When I made the pattern, I traced a lovely jumper Mary Jo gave me when this little one was born. He wore that thing until it was embarrassingly small.  I wanted to make a bigger one, so I just made the pattern bigger. But as I know absolutely nothing about pattern drafting I made it bigger in all directions.  While babies do grow, they do not grow in all directions at once.  So it was too big then, but now that it’s sort of the right size it’s too big in some places and weird in all the others.

It’s handmade in that insulting way some people say handmade, but we are going somewhere very hot and very muddy soon, so it will at least get worn. And for next time (because I will sew some clothes again) I will just make all the patterns taller. The wider part I’ll leave for me.

Please excuse the crappy photos. It seems it is difficult for me to focus before I’ve had coffee–the camera and otherwise. But hey, a rainbow dress! Finished and on time!

My little girl is five today. It seems a long time ago that we took a tiny little baby home to our Chicago apartment. She’s grown into a very organized kindergartener, prolific artist, helpful big sister and a beautiful little girl. Her favorite colors are pink and rainbow, so of course I had to make a rainbow dress. I had a bunch of ideas about how to make the rainbow all cool and modern, but in the end I just went for straight forward and simple. And she loved it.

The pattern for this dress came from this japanese book (sorry I have no idea what the title is). It’s a clever design: the top has buttons sewn around the hem and the skirt has buttonholes all along the waistband. And now that I’m thinking about it, this would be a great way to repurpose a button up shirt. I might buy a long sleeve shirt and sew buttons on the bottom to turn it into a winter dress, but it will be a while before I have the urge to sew 18 buttons on anything.

How does one accessorize a rainbow dress, you ask? With rainbow tights of course (and red high tops).

I’m have to apologize for the unfinished (can’t find the buttons), wrinkled (I can’t find my iron either) shirt and the model’s obviously slept in braids. It’s Sunday morning and we are all a bit lazy.

I wanted to make this shirt (from Happy Homemade vol.2 again) because I remembered I had picked up some awesome vintage trim that would be perfect for the little tab in the middle. So I bought the pretty blue corduroy and sewed the shirt up, then tore my studio up trying to find the trim (maybe the shirt has the power to hide things). I gave up, decided I must have given it away and used an old plaid shirt instead.  Last night I started on an old crochet project and there in my bag full of yarn was the ribbon.

I still haven’t found the buttons, but maybe they are hiding with the iron in the refridgerator.

*******************************************************************************************************

Today is the last day of the kids clothes week challenge and I hope you had a good time. The flickr group is full of amazing things, I’ve found some new and fantastic blogs and you’ve pointed me to some new children’s pattern designers. Thank you so much for playing along!

The last giveaway is from one of my favorite bloggers, Kayanna from junecraft. She has kindly offered a $20 dollar gift certificate for her etsy shop to the winner! She makes beautiful prints, calendars, funny little plush, tote bags and they are all modern and stylish and cute as all get out.

To enter tell us what you thought of the week (whether you participated or not), or what you like best from the junecraft shop, or how you take your coffee. Good luck!

****************************************************

The winner is

#54: Claire from Moth and Sparrow!

Congratulations!

*****************************************************

Nothing fancy today, just some laze around the house pants for a chilly Saturday. Cashmere pants. I wish I had some. The baby hasn’t benefited much from kcwc this time around–not that he’s noticed.  I’ve got a stack of pants sewn up for him that still need elastic, but they’re just pants. These are the best of the bunch and even they aren’t that exciting. I stopped buying sweaters to felt a while ago because it was getting a little hoard-y, but now I’m thinking he might need some sweater overalls for this winter.  Maybe we’ll take a little family trip to the thrift store this afternoon.

**************************************************************************************************

Today’s giveaway is from Chez Beeper Bebe. Holly makes clever and cute things at an amazing pace. Every time I look at her blog she’s got some new, fantastic idea made plush. She has kindly offered one of her baby on a stick toys to the winner of this giveaway! My kids always ended up hitting themselves in the face with their wooden rattles (hey, no jokes) so these soft, easy to grasp, crazy cute rattles would have been just right for them. Also, who can resist a name like baby on a stick?

To enter you can tell us about your favorite little softie, plushy, cuddly thing when you were little, or a soft toy you’ve made for you kids, or what you are going to do today.  Good luck!

****************************************************

The winner is

#23: Wendy!

Congratulations!

*****************************************************

I cut out this skirt for kcwc in the spring, but then the pockets and the piping started to looking very difficult and it found it’s way to the bottom of the pile. Well, it turns out the piping wasn’t hard at all–a little fiddly maybe, but it turned out.

The pockets on the other hand are now in the garbage. You can’t see the back pockets the pattern picture, but they are cute little curved things with piping around the bottom, and a horizontal buttonhole on the top hem, oh and they are top stitched too. I have no idea how you are supposed to make buttonholes look good on knit fabric or top stitching for that matter. Whatever, maybe I’ll have to courage to try again in the spring.

Or if my daughter demands it, because she’s pretty peeved that the pockets in the front are fake. And really I was kind of annoyed too, when I figured out what the diagrams were telling me to do. This is another pattern from Everyday Bottoms; it seems like I’m having a japanese kids clothes week, but the patterns are so damn stylish I can’t not make them.

******************************************************************************************

Today’s giveaway is a new book, called Sew Tina!, by fabric and pattern designer Tina Givens. The book doesn’t even hit the shelves until October, so this is a super special sneak peek! It is filled ideas and patterns for children’s clothes, accessories and things for their rooms. I haven’t seen the book yet, but if that cute little dress is any indication, it is sure to be fantastic.

To enter this giveaway tell us if you are a work from patterns or dive right in without a plan kinda sewer, or if you have read some extra good craft books lately or what you had for breakfast. Good Luck!

****************************************************

The winner is

#114: Carolyn!

Congratulations!

*****************************************************