I’m on a roll!

I love days like this where everything comes together as it should and I’m able to get so much done. I didn’t sew any pieces on backwards; I didn’t have to rewind my bobbin two inches from the end of a seam; my seam ripper sat docilely in my tackle box; and best of all, I have tangible results (unlike when I’ve spent hours tacking in facings that no one ever sees)!

My good sewing mojo began yesterday when I was able to knock out a dress for Rana. Coming into this spring, we realized that the girl has been growing like a weed and all of her springtime dresses from last year were scandalously short on her this year (good news for Granota whose dress wardrobe doubled). I planned on making her about five dresses and didn’t want to spend the money on that much new fabric, so I hit the thrift store. I love the thrift store for fabric shopping. It’s a little bit more of a challenge to find nice prints sometimes, but you can’t beat the prices. I came away with two men’s Hawaiian shirts, two orange/yellow striped pillowcases, one plain hot pink pillowcase, one hot pink pillowcase with orange and light pink flowers, a scrap of jersey with a bright fruit print all over it, a butterfly sheet, and a red gingham checked sheet — and spent about ten dollars for all of it! Score!

Up to this week, I had made three dresses: one from the white Hawaiian shirt, one from the two orange striped pillowcases, and one from the fruity jersey (using fabric I already had on hand to make the skirt). And I haven’t taken a photo of a single one of those! Yesterday, I finally got the urge to clear all these thrifted fabrics out of my room. They’ve been draped across the back of my chair and slung over my dress form for months. It’s about time. Loosely following cheytown’s Button-down Shirt Recon (four years and still going strong!), I made Rana a dress from the red Hawaiian shirt. Ok, I used cheytown’s tutorial from memory for the white Hawaiian dress/shirt, too, but it’s also a little different from the “original.” Back to the red dress: Rana loved it and wore it to school today. She was in a funky mood when she got home and consented to pictures only if she could hide her face. Unlike the original, this one buttons in the front and I had to do a little pleating along the back neckline to keep it from dipping down too low.

Men's large shirt becomes a dress for a 5 year old

Today, with all my sewing super powers still in full force, I began another dress using the hot pink pillowcases. I completed the bodice (using an old Simplicity pattern). Rana likes twirly dresses especially, so I am making the skirt in patchwork tiers; I’m making it up as I go along. I’m still in the pinning process on that. If everything keeps going smoothly, I’ll finish it in a couple of days! I sure do like progress.

That's a lot of little squares to sew together. This is why I don't quilt.