Yellow Skirt

As you can see I LOVE my yellow skirt. Normally this is not one of my favorite colors, but I saw a skirt at a store and thought 'hmmm, maybe it is better in a skirt than a shirt.' I then found this photo of inspiration on Pinterest and then decided I was going to have to make my own. It happened that there was a fabric fair a few days after I found this photo. I had the exact color in my head. When I saw it, I knew it was THE one.

I was so excited to begin that I started as soon as I got home and put little man in bed. My sewing box was actually still in his room, so I used a ruler and my normal scissors and did not pin when I began sewing. I made it like another maternity skirt that I have. It does not look very pretty inside
, but it works perfectly and is so comfortable! I also lined it with a stretchy lining. It hangs nicely and is a bit warmer. I did not have a pattern, so I cut around another skirt and the rest made up. I was happy with the result. As they say here, 'It would not win a beauty prize,' but I am thrilled with it and all the combos I can make with it. I plan to wear it also after the baby is born. Last week I saw a yellow dress paired with a gray cardigan. MORE inspiration!

Happy Fall

One baby out and one inside

Loving our yellow

Family photo

I sewed the skirt Friday/Saturday

First Madame Zsazsa Skirt

So there is a craze here (so it seems) with Madame Zsazsa-style skirts. She recently wrote a book called Allemaal Rokjes (Everyone Skirts). They are normally colorful, creative and sort-of retro style. 

Mostly very simple patterns, but if you buy something like it in a store, they are PRICEY.  Some I like, some not. I said some for adults kind of remind me of before when you sewed something, it had the 'homemade' look. But now that look is IN!

I just LOVE them for little girls. So many fun colors and prints. Plus with color blocking these days, you can have an awesome skirt and combine it with so many tops.

Our one aunt is the pro in this. I think she has probably made around 20 skirts. 10 for her daughter, 5 for her, and 5 as gifts for others. Maybe even 30, but who's counting?

I have tons of clothes and still feel fat, so I decided since I felt the need to try this out I would make one for my niece's birthday.

Our aunt swears that you can make one in 1 hour. I wanted to test this theory.

Start time: 2:30

1. put baby to bed in our room, so his room can be turned into craft room

2. move ironing stuff into room, dig out fabric and supplies

3. iron fabric, cut out 2-piece pattern, cut waistband

4. save time by putting machine on ironing board and sew standing up

5. side seams, sew waistband together, attach waist band, iron hem, sew hem

6. take photos

End Time: 3:30

Of course, the thread runs out with just a few more inches of hem left

I finally did something smart. Took a photo of the settings! This was the best my machine has done with stretch.

Outfit 1 that I love

Outfit 2 that I love. The green T was the most expensive part of the gift, so it has to be used twice. I love all these colors and hope my niece and SIL do to! Otherwise she can wear just the green or just the orange.

The fun, stretchy, colorful, a-line skirt.

What I learned from Madame Zsazsa 

• iron fabric first
• fewer pins=time saved
• no need to necessarly pin fabric together
• with stretch use a longer, slightly zig-zag stitch
• cut threads ASAP (don't wait until end of project)
• iron hem first, makes it much easier to sew

"Eye" skirt

Yesterday I made this bubble skirt. It's my first bubble one that is normal! My first one was too short and my 2nd one was too wide. This is out of a stretch fabric, so I can wear it now and for a while and AFTER the pregnancy when nothing else fits :P

Sewing Project

I had the privilege of receiving many maternity clothes from my sisters-in-law. I also received an already-cut-out-and-serged skirt! I 'just' had to sew the pieces together and figure out how to make the band for the belly. I was happy with my success. It's not 100% ready, but should be this week. I can't decide if I should hem the bottom or serge it to match the rest.

Crafty Ideas

I am not the most creative person, but sometimes I can get inspiration by seeing what others have done. I was at Ikea last week and saw that the 'new thing' is to frame pieces of fabric or to stretch them over a wood piece for a piece of art. I thought that I could do that! So as I was walking through the store I was thinking about an upcoming project. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I found in their fabric department a wide assortment in the 'left-overs' for GREAT prices!

My most expensive piece was the gray with leaves for around $1.50! The rest were 1 euro or less. I was thrilled and immediately sewed the yellow piece for a table runner (to match the placemats I bought @ Ikea).

I plan to make 'art' from the grey one, the stripe is to make a ruffle for a skirt and the stripes will be something for 4th of July.