Preschool is serious Business

I had NO idea that preschool was such serious business. Apparently if you don't get into the *right* preschool your kids are destined fail everything for their entire lives and become socially inept. It's maybe the most important decision that a parent will make EVER, Hah, right.  Anyways after a year of being on the waitlist my little pumpkin  was accepted into the preschool of our choice. Naturally, I had to make some fabulous first week of school outfits for her. Here is what I did.
    Her first look(above) is the Everyday Play Skirt from Little Lizard King paired with a store bought tee that I hacked the sleeves off of so I could add my own flair. I think I flaired well. Its comfy and play friendly which is important to any 4 yr old.

Addisons next look comes straight from one of my favorite designers, Violette Fields Threads. This is their new Clara Pattern and I am SO in love with it! I paired it with some knit shorties we had. This is a much more ruffly girly girl look but still super play friendly. I mean those ruffles....seriously. I die. 

Her last look is a super fun super LOUD look. Not my usual style, but Addison loves it. It will be sure to get her noticed! I paire Violette Field Threads Quinn top with Create Kids Couture Brennas! 

My goal was to make all her outfits super play friendly but also super adorable. How did I do? 

Is Addison going to be best dressed this year?

      I  am so excited to be on the Simple Life Pattern Company Blog Tour! I have been so impressed with the quality of their patterns. Each one is extremely well thought out and as a tester, I can attest that they are very thoroughly tested to get the absolute best fit. 
   For this mashup, I used Phoebes Drop Waist Dress, Cheyennes Ultimate Ruffle Tshirt, and Peppers Peek-a-boo Skirt. You can purchase all of these fabulous patterns(and many more) HERE. 
 

How appropriate is it that my first official "I sewed that" post is also using not one, not two, but THREE patterns that are new to me. I'm thinking pretty appropriate and pretty fabulous right? 
  Before I get into it, I have to say that when I started this project I actually had a completely different outfit in my mind, and I do mean completely different. Different fabrics, different look entirely. I was originally going for a much more summery ruffles everywhere girly girl look.The more I looked at the fabrics, the more I decided I wanted to go a different direction. The fabrics just weren't speaking to me. So, back to the drawing board. 

 Then it happened. 
    Loud and clear I heard this FABULOUS Art Gallery knit(purchased HERE) SCREAMING to be used. If you haven't used Art Gallery knit before, you are missing out. It is so soft and wonderful and sews up beautifully. So really, I had no choice. When a fabric screams to be used, you use it.

 I used Cheyennes Ultimate Ruffled Tshirt  with a little Phoebes Drop Waist Dress for those lettuce edged hemmed ruffles on the sleeves. I chose to do the 3/4 length sleeve with a single ruffle and the fold over neck. The fit was spot on, the fabric is Addison approved and I got to add a ruffle. In my mind that makes it perfect! 

Now on to the skirt. Again, Art Gallery fabric fabulousness came through for me. 

For this skirt, I used a bit of Phoebes Drop Waist Dress with a smidge of Peppers Peek-a-boo Skirt.

I used the measurements from Peppers to make the waistband, except I added some width because I wanted a wide waistband. I also only put elastic in the back because I just love love love the look of a flat front skirt. 

  Here is how I did it.

  First, I measured my daughter to determine how long I wanted the skirt, taking into account the waistband and seam allowances. It ended up being 10.25". I used a very thin bias tape on the bottom to the skirt, but if I wanted to hem it I would have needed to add another .5" to account for that.

   I then moved to the waistband.  I measured my daughter to determine how long I wanted my elastic.  I used 6" of 1" non roll elastic for her. Shes a 4T. I sewed my waistband to the skirt per the instructions on pepper, making sure to leave a 1.5" gap in front of the side seam. 

Then I threaded my elastic toward the other side seam and here is the trick.....I let the elastic go. You will thread your elastic around the FRONT of your skirt and then continue threading around until the end of your elastic is 1/4" in FRONT of the side seam. then you will sew the end of the elastic in the seam. 

   Continue threading until the front of your elastic passes the other side seam by 1/4" and sew that end down. Then sew your opening closed and finish. 

     

     I really enjoyed this project. One of the things I love most about sewing is getting to be creative and make something my own. It sure helps when you have so many fabulous well written patterns to help with all the technical mumbo jumbo boring measurement stuff. Math is not my forte, believe me. 

Once again thank you to Simple Life Pattern Company for allowing me to be a part of this amazing Blog Tour! If you haven't checked out all the other mash up awesomeness, go do it now! 

   In the words of Bugs Bunny, "Thats all folks!"

   Welcome to my brand spankin' new blog, Sew Gracefully! I thought I should start out this blog with an intro of both myself and what this blog is going to be about. I mean, that is why ya'll are here right?  

             Hi!!! My name is Tiffany and I am a lover of all things sewing. I have two beautiful daughters, almost 2 and just turned 4 and one much too grown up stepdaughter. I am in denial that they are growing older. Seriously. Make it stop. I started sewing about 2 years ago, right before the birth of my 2nd daughter and it has grown from being a small hobby to being a full blown addiction and small business. I bought my first machine on a whim and I quite literally did not know how to thread a needle. That first stitch was pretty scary, let me tell you. I'm fairly certain my "straight" stitch turned in to a quivering mess of fear and it probably didn't help that my fingers were curling in sweaty anticipation of being caught under the needle. Two hours later I sewed my first straight line and well...the rest is history! My machine has been buzzing and making straight straight stitches ever since. Well, except when I have a few glasses of wine...but that is a different story for a different time. Ha.
    Now on to the good stuff(and I am not talking about wine), what will this blog be about? My intention is to make this about sewing and share all the fabulous patterns I test. I would love to post some tutorials on "hacks" I make to the patterns as well as mash ups from different patterns. I love taking a pattern and making it my own, whether that is just fabric choice or changing it completely.
    So, thats about it! Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my creations, tips, and tricks!