So I sewed up a couple tanks. Similar to this tank and this one I made last year.This one even uses the same fabric.The neckline ended up a little big on this neon one [um, neon stripes?! love.] But it’s still wearable. Just a little breezier… ;)This one started out as a T-shirt, but my boy had other plans. He asked for a tank top with a pocket. Well, how could I deny this adorable face?I may have a slight stripe obsession. Maybe. I’m not admitting anything.

But this morning, I saw that Peekaboo Patterns has a great Thrifty Thursday sale on the reversible Bucket Hat pattern! Only $2.50! Woot!

 Click here to visit Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop.
[affiliate link]

I just printed mine out, and I think I need to make one side in plaid. What fabrics would you use?

I have to admit – I have never once asked my boys’ opinions on the clothes I make for them. Until now. Asking my five-year-old, Sam, to design his own clothing (and teaching him the word design, which he loves now) absolutely made his day. He didn’t even hesitate when I asked him; he knew exactly what he wanted:
The top is the shirt, bottom is pants, in case his drawing wasn’t *ahem* perfectly clear. He even was so kind as to label it with sticky notes – stripes and cars. And as I looked at his drawing, he told me several times, “The stripes go up and down, Mommy. Not side to side.” Well okay then.

I took a little liberty with his design, and went for a bit more subtle approach. The stripes on the tee are faint and the cars are on the side pockets.Apparently, I took a little too much liberty, because I have since been told that cars all over the pants would have been more acceptable…

The stripes were drawn with a fabric paint pen. They’re more noticeable in person than in photos. And they’re shimmery. Who says boys can’t wear glitter?

Both the pants and the T-shirt were upcycled from adult-sized shirt and pants and made from self-drafted patterns. Upcycling is seriously fun – and can make for such quick sewing. Reusing hems and waistbands for the win!What I really love about the pants are these pockets – they’re different from the usual cargo pants pockets you typically find, and they’re ridiculously easy to make in any size.

Here’s how you can make your own:

1. Cut out the shape of your pocket – you want it to be just slightly larger than you want your pocket to be in the end. Use pinking shears to cut around all sides.

2. Press the top edge down 1/2 inch and sew it in place using a straight stitch. This will become the casing for your elastic.

3. Thread 1/4 inch elastic into the casing. Gather the fabric slightly as you can see in the above photo. You want the ends of the elastic to stick slightly out of your casing.4. Press the curved edges of the pocket in about 1/2 inch.

5. Pin onto the outer seam of the leg. Line it up with the curve of the inseam, as you can see in the photo above. The pocket should then hit right at mid-thigh.

6. Sew along the curved edges to attach your pocket, and you’re done!Sam had a lot of fun designing … and now I owe him a pair of pants covered completely in cars. ;)

Of course, Skirt Week at Crafterhours [which I made this skirt for] is wrapping up this week.Melly Sews has 30 Days of Sundresses going on. There are tutorials for both women’s and girls’ dresses!And Caila Made has a sweet pattern review series going on – reviewing the best patterns to sew this summer!All of these series have given me great ideas for my own sewing. I love being inspired by other sewists and seeing what they come up with!

What have you been inspired by lately? Share some links in the comments!

Here’s the deal, friends. I’m in a super awkward wardrobe phase. If you’ve birthed a baby, you know this stage. The I-don’t-fit-into-maternity-clothes-but-my-regular-clothes-don’t-fit-and-my-body-shape-is-super-weird phase. [if you're one of those who can wear a bikini within two weeks, though, just pretend to know what I'm talking about, okay?]

So I needed a skirt that I could wear now but would accommodate my changing body shape. And what better to wear in the summer than a flowy vintage-y skirt? [bonus: it's ridiculously quick to make!]

Materials:

• 1 1/2 inch non-roll elastic
• vintage sheet
• vintage doilies
• stretchy t-shirt for lining [optional]

1. Wrap elastic around your waist and cut where it fits comfortably, leaving a little extra for seam allowance. Sew the ends together, so the elastic makes a circle.

2. Measure how long you want your skirt to be. Add 1/2 inch for seam allowance at the top. [Use the hemmed bottom of the sheet if possible, then you don't have to add extra length for your hem] Fold the sheet and wrap it around your waist. You want it to go more than halfway around your body, so that you have room to gather the skirt a little. If you want your skirt to be very gathered, add more width. Cut straight up from the bottom hem.

3. Fold the sheet with the right sides together and sew the side together.

4. Gather the top of the skirt. There’s more than one way to do this. I usually sew a basting stitch – lengthen your stitch length and sew a straight stitch along the top of your skirt. Don’t backstitch! Gently pull on one of the threads to gather the fabric. Gather it until it matches up with your circle of elastic. [If you want your skirt to be a little more full and gathered, add a second or even third row of basting stitches]

If your sheet is thin like mine, you might need a lining. I snagged this super stretchy T-shirt from my upcycling stash to make mine. If I held this XL shirt up to my waist, I knew it would fit nearly perfectly as a lining. It’s a little shorter than my skirt, but you can’t tell that when I’m wearing the skirt.5. Cut off the sleeves and the neckline.6. Serge or zig-zag stitch down the sides. [By using the t-shirt, you don't have to hem the bottom of this either! Win!]7. Layer the lining and skirt around the elastic waistband. With the elastic inside the skirt, the right side of the skirt fabric should be facing the elastic. Pin together and adjust your gathers if necessary. Pin the edge of the elastic along the basting stitch, so that your seam covers it. Sew the elastic to the skirt using your serger or a zig-zag stitch. If you use a zig-zag stitch, use pinking shears to trim off the excess skirt material.Last step… adding vintage doilies as pockets! Obviously these are not super functional. But they’re a great touch and who doesn’t love pockets?!8. Fold the doily in half and pin it in place where you want it [try the skirt on before you sew it on, just to make sure it's in the right spot!] Sew slowly around the edge of the doily.
The perfect summer skirt!Is it wrong to wear this every day? Or should I just make one out of every vintage sheet in my stash? Yes, yes I should..

Thanks for popping in, lovelies! And thanks to Adriana and Susan for having me as part of Skirt Week and making me take time to sew for myself. Yay!

Don’t forget to check out all the amazingness over there and enter your skirt to win some of the fantastic prizes!

If you are a Blank Slate Patterns lover like I am, you might have seen that the retro summer collection was just released this morning.

If you’re not already a fan, you will be after looking at this collection. Click here to visit Blank Slate Patterns. I think Melissa has some of the most well-written patterns I’ve ever used. Every direction is so clear and the photo-instructions are excellent. And the Big Island Board Shorts came together like a dream. Click here to view more detailsThese shorts are designed to be swim trunks if you want – but they could also be regular shorts. The pattern includes an optional swim trunk lining, which I can now add that to my list of things-that-are-easier-to-sew-than-I-expected-them-to-be.I made mine out of PUL [cloth diaper fabric], since I had some on hand. But you can use any quick-drying fabric.I even used some vintage bias tape that I’ve been hoarding, waiting for the perfect project. I think this showcases it beautifully!It hasn’t exactly been beach weather here, so our indoor photo shoot required chocolate bribery.I tested the 18month size, which was perfect for my 22 month old. They have plenty of room for a swim diaper, and are also perfect without [but if your child is potty trained at 22 months, don't tell me... I don't want to know]. I can even squeeze his cloth diapered bum in there – important for the drive to and from the beach or pool!Now all we need is some sunshine!

I’ll admit, I have a hard time shopping for regular priced clothes for my kids. Not only do kids outgrow their clothes ridiculously fast, but seriously… $25 for a pair of shorts that they’re going to get mud all over in five seconds? Um, no thank you.

So with a combination of upcycling and from scratch sewing, I knocked off this GAP outfit for my five-year-old [ahem, five and a half...].

I am loving the bright colors of spring! I had some green denim from JoAnn’s that was perfect for these simple flat-front shorts.And I added some faux back pockets, just for fun. :)The sweatshirt was upcycled from an XXL hoodie that I snagged at a thrift store a long time ago. It’s suuuuper soft. Upcycling tip: use existing pieces of the garment to create your own. I re-used the hood and part of the pocket. I also cut off the waistband and re-attached it onto the bottom of my sweatshirt. Such a time saver!The hoodie wasn’t a henley, so I added the placket and buttons. I did my stitching in a green thread to match the shorts… just because I liked the green so much.The gingham shirt was one that had been retired from my hubby’s closet. Have you ever sized down a button-up for your kiddos? So easy.

Place a pattern piece [or a folded shirt] on top of the button-up shirt. If your pattern piece is for knit fabric [like mine was], give some extra seam allowance. Cut around the pattern piece, cutting through both the front and the back. DO NOT cut through the button placket or the collar. Leave those in-tact.

Note: Unless you’re making a shirt for something super formal like a wedding, you can most likely get away with leaving the collar in-tact for an older child. Or if you have a smaller child, use a smaller shirt. It will be a little big, but not so noticeable that you need to go through the trouble of messing with the collar.Cut off both sleeves and cut them to match your sleeve pattern piece [or use a shirt that fits your child]. Re-use the hem of the sleeve to make it an even easier sew.

Enter super fancy graphics…

Unfold the body of the shirt and the sleeves – sew the sleeves on. 

Sew along the bottom of the sleeves and down the sides of the shirt. Seriously easy.

Thanks for popping in today! Happy sewing. :)

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What would you make with these lovelies?

Did anybody get mine right?? I hope you had a lot of fun guessing, and maybe found some great blogs to follow in the process!

There are a couple of super fun sewing series that are kicking off. I’m so excited to be a part of them!

Skirt week at Crafterhours! I’m not a huge fan of wearing shorts in the summer, but comfy skirts are definitely up my alley.

And Flip this Pattern at Frances Suzanne - a year long series starting in June, where each month bloggers will “flip” a pattern [changing it up however they choose] and readers get to vote on which one they liked best. Fun, right? I’ll be competing in November, and I’m super excited to get to use Peek-a-boo Patterns’ Hangout Hoodie [Click here to visit Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop. -- affiliate link]. Plus, there are sew-alongs, so you for sure want to check it out.

So many fun things! It’s a beautiful Wisconsin spring day today, so I’m off to enjoy a little sunshine with my boys. Happy sewing, lovelies!

And the baby wearing it. Obviously.

The Classic Polo, this newly released pattern from Peek-a-boo Patterns, is my new fave. How did I not know how easy it is to sew a polo shirt?! Because it is ridiculously easy. Especially with Amy’s super clear instructions. Click here to view more details [affiliate link]I tested the short-sleeved version [the pattern includes both short and long sleeves] in the three month size on my [98th percentile for height] seven week old. Side note: newborn sewing takes scrap sizes of fabric and barely any time. Love.
I used some knit I had picked up at a rummage sale last year. I had assumed the stripes were horizontal, but when I realized they were vertical, it suddenly screamed vintage baseball. So vintage blue buttons were the clear choice.He’s a fan. I mean really, a polo shirt that’s super cute, and I can sew it up before the baby starts crying? Yep, I’m on board with that too.

And while you’re sewing, it’s Thrifty Thursday at Peek-a-boo Patterns, and these super cute convertible pants are half off today only.

Perfect for spring and summer! Click here to view more details [affiliate link]