Summer Sewing

The past few weeks sewing projects have started whirling around in my head, usually during night feeds, and although I won't get time to make them all I thought if I posted a few of them it might give me a bit of motivation plus I really enjoy seeing other sewers planned projects and how they adapt and change.

Since having a baby my body shape has really changed  (I believe I am now an apple!) and left me with lots of clothing that just doesn't fit.  Add to that the need for nursing friendly clothing and I am down to wearing the same few items in rotation.  So sewing some correctly sized gap-filling and nursing friendly clothes is high on my priority list.   I am going on holiday in a week too and I would dearly love at least one finished item to take with me so here goes!

Butterfly Delphine

The easiest and probably fastest make would be Tilly's Delphine skirt from 'Love at first Stitch'. It uses only a metre of fabric and is quite a straightforward a-line so I think this is my best shot at getting something completed.  Plus the shape looks good on so many figures I'm hoping it will suit my newly curvy one.

'Love at First Stitch' by Tilly and the Buttons

I found this great butterfly appliqué tutorial at Project Run and Play (for little girls but that won't stop me) and I'm going to try it in a different colour scheme.

Photo credit: Jessica from my inner need to create via Project Run and Play

Dusty pink is the main skirt fabric and then the other florals and lilacs will make up the butterfly wings 

Bright Box Pleats

I really love the box pleat skirt from the Great British Sewing Bee second book which is again a straightforward looking sew but very stylish.  This style of skirt seems to be forever popping up on my pinterest at the moment.  I would love it in a chevron print or  stripe but I am on a self imposed fabric buying ban so anything I do sew will be from the stash.  (This doesn't seem to have stopped me much, now I seem to be buying zips and trims instead!)

I have a fab bold paisley print which my brother bought me a few years ago which I think will work.  Originally I thought maybe it would become a tunic or a maxi dress but now I'm thinking this skirt.

My stash fabric I think it is an old Anna Marie Horner design

Turquoise shirt dress

Lastly I have had this turquoise kona cotton since I made my carousel dress and all along I have wanted to turn it into a shirt dress.  I love shirt dresses they are so easy to wear and I keep seeing them popping up all over people's blogs at the minute. 

Silver Needles Pattern 56 - I haven't come across this brand before

I think I have settled on this pattern but I'm still unsure.  I cannot decide if I want sleeveless or short sleeves? Do I want to use the fushia pink rose buttons I originally got for it or are they too big?  Do I want to use fushia piping to match?  What about a floral contrast to collar and cuffs?  The list goes on...

What would you do?  Also how do other mums manage their sewing time?  I'm all ears.

Epic bunting

It's been a while!   Sometimes life gets busy and blogging takes a back seat. In this case it was a maternity break heehee!  I can't promise to be posting more often as it is hard to get time to spend sewing with a baby. 

This is a project I recently completed to make bunting for my mother-in-laws preschool.  It is 50 flags long and reads "TSJ preschool celebrates an outstanding OFSTED."   The letters are all hand sewn and this took me a good few weeks when you only get an hour or so a day to work on it.  I used gingham as it reminds me of school summer dresses and it is an affordable fabric.  The school colours are red and blue too so it is a nod to that.  I am I  love with the bright blue binding it is so vivid and eye catching! 

I have a secret project on the go at the moment and have been doing lots of sewing planning even if I haven't been able to do that much!  Planning is half the fun sometimes!