July Sewing Retreat

I really love to sew for kids, and it's so neat when they get to have a say in what is made.  Miss V and I went to Hancock's recently and she picked out three dress patterns for herself, and a couple for her doll.  When I saw her first choice I immediately knew what fabric I wanted to use, and when I showed it to her she got pretty excited.  I knew we were going to have a hit.  The peasant neckline meant there would be fewer fitting issues.  Usually she's a challenge because she has a size 3 chest and needs a size 6 in length, but with the elastic around the neckline we didn't have to worry about it.  I inserted a generous piece then tried the unhemmed dress on her and was able to pull out the slack to get a really nice fit.  At our July sewing retreat I put in the hem, and when she came to visit the next week I finished everything.  She wore it to our jaunt to her favorite doll store the next week.  The fabric is from www.banberryplace.com and it sewed up beautifully.  Wheat you can't see is the pair of shorts made out of the green fabric underneath the dress--figured she should have matching shorts for school.

More placemats were on the agenda next.  I quilted six for my niece that my sister pieced, then pieced another set to be given as a gift for the holidays.  Got those quilted and they just await the binding, but the binding is made so when I have a little time I can get those finished.

I do have three granddaughters, but it seems like Miss V gets the lion's share of the kid sewing I do.  The other girls have so many hand-me-down clothes that I think they could go a month without a repeat, but nonetheless, it was their turn.

The four fabrics these outfits come from have been in my stash for quite some time.  I don't really remember for sure where they came from, but I really love batiks and just liked the four together.  I had decided who would get which one as the main fabric, but took them to show the girls and I was 100% wrong!  Good thing I did as now they can feel like they've had a chance to pick out stuff like their big sister.  Miss E chose the one with the animals--a future vet?  Miss E picked the starts, suns, moons & comets--a future astronomer?  You never know.

As you can see, the peasant neckline continues.  I actually had this Kwik Sew pattern picked out for the twins way before V picked hers out.  They all turned out so cute, though.  I can't wait to see them in the finished outfits.  When I went to try them on so I could adjust the neckline, I didn't think I'd get Miss E's back.

Our July retreat was attended by two friends and my sister.  My friend, Jane, sewed mostly on knit tops.  I am so glad she did because we all got to try some of them on and discovered some designs that looked pretty good on us.  As a matter of fact, my sister Kristine, friend Maggie and I all bought Vogue 1085 so we could make tops from it.  That will be the next project and I can't wait!