OWOP: Day 1

I chose Simplicity 2892 for Tilly's One Week One Pattern challenge (button found in side bar) because I already had three tops made from this pattern and a fourth one planned.
Day 1: View D in jade green floral rayon from Hancock Fabrics.  First blogged here.
Worn to the playground with hot pink knit circle scarf (also made by me), hot pink braided belt from Target and Gap jeans

Also worn with my bow headband from... oh my goodness... I can NOT recall the name of the shop now!  I will fill it in when I get my brain back.
Update: I found my brain and the shop is Blush Envy.

And here's a shot of my 2-year-old on the swing. :)  just for fun.

Simplicity 1872

After skipping a couple weeks of the Sew Weekly challenges, I got back on track and submitted a post for the Green theme.  I just realized this very second that I forgot to tag it like I was supposed to.  erg!  I hate it when people don't follow directions!
Here's the post and here are some more pictures for you to enjoy.

Clover - Styled

I was browsing over at Handmade by Carolyn and some of my favorite posts by her are the ones where she styles her garments in different ways.  Now, her style is impeccable and my post won't be nearly as good, but I thought I'd give it a go styling my Colette Clovers.

First up: Turquoise Clovers and Amy Butler Gothic Rose Sorbetto
Interestingly enough, I haven't been particularly thrilled with this top.  It's easy to wear, but I didn't feel like the length was the most flattering.  With these pants, though, I really like it.  Maybe there are more Sorbettos in my future after all.

Here's my attempt at dressing the Clovers up a little.  The only me made in this picture is the pants.

I made this blouse from Simplicity 2892 with Anna Maria Horner voile and really haven't worn it very much.  There are little niggly things about it that make me not reach for it, but I realize from this picture that it probably looks fine to everyone but me.

This is my short sleeved Sewaholic Renfrew in a cute apple print.  I got mine from Girl Charlee, but, last time I checked, Fabric.com had it in some other colorways.  You can't really see it in this picture, but the apples have red heart-shaped centers.

You might have noticed I got that remote shutter release I was talking about getting.  I can already tell it's going to make getting photos much easier.  Hooray!

In the Works

Lots and lots of things going on at once right now!  I was pretty much going one project at a time after I matched all my fabrics and patterns at the beginning of the year, but I'm starting to remix, plan new pieces, and add some totally new things in the shuffle as well.
I am starting a new Etsy shop called Molly Makes.  It's a branch of my original business, Molly Blossom, but geared more towards clothing items and mostly for kids.  I started to get a hankering to sew for my girls again, but, honestly, their closets are so full already.  I have so many fabric remnants crumpled up everywhere that I don't want to throw away and I had so many patterns that I've bought for them over the last three years that I hadn't gotten good use out of.... so it made sense to sew things to sell.  I just sew whatever strikes my fancy in whatever size I have enough fabric for. I'm having to get pretty creative coordinating fabrics, but it's been very satisfying thus far with the about 10 pieces I've made, knowing that those neglected fabrics will finally find a life and my sewing room gets less cluttered.
Here's a couple of items from my Facebook launch sale being held tomorrow.

Whimsy Couture Criss-Cross pattern

my own concoction

also my own concoction

I am finishing up a 50's dress pattern that I planned on using for this week's Sew Weekly theme of Inspired by Art.  I think I'll just save it for the Mad Men theme two weeks away because when I looked more closely at the piece of art I was using as inspiration, the colors weren't what I thought they were originally.  I think it will work for the Mad Men theme.  I'll make it work.

I was bad and bought new patterns and fabric as well.
JoAnn's is evil.
I saw this shorts pattern while browsing the Simplicity Spring offerings online.  (browsing is the first mistake when trying not to buy something)  It's just what I've been seeing in my head.  I'm trying this Spring/Summer to amp up the style, while keeping the comfort.  I know myself and I won't wear it if I'm not comfortable, even if I like the way it looks on me.  I've been thinking elastic-waisted shorts with pockets would be just the ticket if executed properly (unlike the board shorts look on the pattern envelope).
I bought the pattern and two fabrics since I had coupons.  I was drawn to the cross-hatch pattern in the suiting and the colors in the other fabric just make me happy.   It's interesting to me that I'm already planning to make multiples.  I think Tilly's challenge has helped me make the shift.

I also couldn't resist one of Cynthia Rowley's newest offerings, Simplicity 1872.  No reviews out there yet that I could find, but hopefully there will be soon.  I want to make version A.  I need more anything-but-dresses.

Next week's challenge at The Sew Weekly is a Pantone challenge and I'll be attempting this skirt.

The girl on the envelope is apparently just learning to sew and I think hers is cute, so I should be fine, right?

The "Kevin was a Girl" Ensemble

I have another post to share over at The Sew Weekly.  It's Academy Awards week and our inspiration could be any character from a film or any film that's ever been nominated or won for any category. I settled on Kevin the bird from the awesomely sweet and funny movie Up!  I was not featured this time (and really wasn't hoping to be with the cruddy pictures I provided), but you can see my contribution here.

Time to start looking for a remote shutter release after the failure of this shoot.  Running back and forth in those heels in timed shots was perilous.

Jumping on the Renfrew Bandwagon

 I apologize for the cell phone mirror pictures.  My face is badly broken out and I'm having some no-makeup days to give it a break.  I didn't feel like doing a whole styled photo shoot just to have my head chopped off.  I do definitely want to show you some outfits, though, eventually.

I splurged.  In so many ways, the Sewaholic Renfrew was a splurge for me.  I haven't spent more than $10 on any one pattern in the past, so $16 (+ shipping!) is a hard number to swallow... and for what?  A T-shirt pattern!  I can buy t-shirt's at Target for $3 on the clearance rack that I like perfectly fine.
But...
somebody bought some stuff from my shop so I had some PayPal money and I kept getting emails about the pre-order for this pattern with a free shipping code.  Then I started to see the testers' creations pop up.  And I got more and more curious.
I finally decided I couldn't really rationalize it, but that I would just splurge.  I ordered the pattern on the last day of the pre-order and it shipped very soon afterward.
JoAnn Fabrics was opening soon and there were sure to be a decent selection of knits and maybe I could catch a sale or get a coupon.
And that's just what I did.  I went opening day to the shiny new JoAnn's and got some purple knit at 40% off.  Then I came home and made this the next day.

I was so thrilled (despite having cut the pieces with the stretch going the wrong direction) that I wore it to church the next day and immediately threw it in the wash that evening so it would be ready to wear again.  Cost of this shirt - $23

As I was thinking about getting dressed half-way through the day today, (yes, I was in my pj's until after lunch) I was very tempted to go grab my purple cowl t-shirt again.  As I was tidying up a bit, I discovered this forgotten yard of knit fabric in my stash and immediately knew that I MUST MAKE ANOTHER RENFREW.  I whipped this one up in about an hour while my girls were napping and get this, I used LESS than a yard.  Isn't that fabulous!?

New cost analysis:

purple cowl - $15 (half the price of the pattern plus the cost of fabric)

apple scoop neck - $6 (half the price of the pattern and free fabric from stash)

And now it's not seeming quite as expensive.  Big sigh of relief and two cute t-shirts for me!

The "No, I'm Not the Plumber" Jumpsuit

What was the Muslin of Hope mentioned in the previous post almost turned into just another project to dash my hopes.  I'll let you read about it below in the post that was featured today on The Sew Weekly.  Yes.  I was a featured contributor today!  I've been following along with the weekly challenges (the button challenge for two weeks ago was my "Please Strangle Me" Blouse and I also did the make this look challenge, but haven't blogged it yet) but I haven't actually submitted any posts as a Sew Weekly contributor until this jumpsuit.  I hope to submit good enough posts to be featured a few more times this year.
Here are some pics, but go on over and read the actual feature for yourself.  I'm just tickled.