City Lights, Suburban Clouds: Little Lizard King

I sure waited until the last minute to sew up this Halloween version of the Little Lizard King circle skirt, City Lights.  I kept reminding myself, kept putting it off, thinking the tulle would torture me.  I bought the fabric a few weeks ago, and YIKES, Halloween is in 5 days, and I finished the dress only last night.  It is super cute, though.

Clearly, this is a pretty basic circle skirt pattern, and there is a sash option that I didn't include, though part of me was sad at the last LAST minute about not doing so.  Then I got over it, aha.  It was late.  I know people can do the math and magically make a circle skirt, but I'm lazy and get weird about figuring things out on my own. 

Camden has been desperate for more sparkly/metallic in her life, so, I doubled it up - combining some glittery tulle from Joann Fabrics and some Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Metallic Rainbow from Modern Domestic.  It's a great combination, though the metallic doesn't really come across in photos.  The metallic also doesn't include any purple, but it all works out well enough.

I could have gone with tulle UNDER the skirt, but the whole idea was something sheer swishing about over the solid layer.  I wasn't sure whether or not to hem the tulle, but I did - and was bummed I didn't have matching thread, somehow.  I wanted the colors of the skirt to pop, not the threads.  It works, and nobody will care, but I do, naturally.

The front waistband is flat, and the back is elasticized, which I always like, though I definitely waisted a couple inches of elastic, because I was sewing late and wasn't able to test the fit on Camden until this morning.

The directions for the pattern seem great, though I mostly just sewed it up without using them, which is probably par for the course for anyone sewing this pattern.  I printed out the size 8 and 9/10, though I ended up cutting the larger size...and I wish I had bothered to lengthen it, for no real reason, of course - just to make it last longer.

Camden super loves it and showed a friend today how well it twirls, though I guarantee the one twirling photo I am including is awful, aha! 

More fun we have been having!

Writing post cards at the fort

Working on Tiberius's Captain America costume

Uptown, Downtown, Pumpkin Patch or Back Yard: Sew Straight Patterns

I have fallen off the deep end.  Sadly cliche, but oh-so-true.

I have already sewn six Uptown/Downtown Dresses by Sew Straight Patterns.  And that was in the course of two weeks, I believe.  This Dress is crazy simple and addicting!

I knew I liked cowl neck dresses, as I sewed a few Heidi and Finn Cowl Neck Dresses back in the day.  See below for crazy cuteness!  But the sizing update for the H and F pattern wasn't sent to previous buyers of the pattern, so, I have been on the fence for quite a while about buying another pattern in larger sizes.  I have talked with my sewing peeps for ages about which pattern to buy - which one offered the best slim fit I was going for - and a cowl.  The cowl IS the thing, y'all. 

Anyway, super boring story short, I finally took the plunge and decided on the Uptown/Dowtown pattern.  I am so glad!  I like the shape of the cowl, and the fit of the dress is nice and slim, and you have options for sleeveless, plain neck, longer skirt, etc.  I sewed it the same EVERY TIME, though, aha.  It is literally the only version I like for this pattern, in terms of my style.  Which is apparently Camden's style ;)  I did lengthen the dress and the sleeves, though - one inch on each of Camden's versions, pictured here, and then four inches on her friend's.  Her friend, Elora, is about four inches taller than Camden, which clearly doesn't mean I should lengthen the dress that same amount, but I was playing it safe.  I ended up going with a bigger hem, probably a two full inches folded.  Thankfully, I had her on standby, so, she was able to try it on.  (I have since made her another, which I hope to have pictured on the blog when I do my next post about this pattern.)

Elora's dress is in some cute Halloween fabric purchased at Joann Fabrics, which is naturally on super sale right now.... too bad for me, LOL.  (Note on the Doodles knit fabrics at Joann Fabrics...they shrink a TON.  I had been warned, so, I took care to wash and dry mine three times.  For example, I purchased 3.5 yards and it shrank to 2.75 yards, no joke.)  Camden's dresses are both made in Birch Fabrics, which I purchased at Modern Domestic, but which are no longer available there or on the Birch site, but I do see an Etsy listing for the unicorns and a listing for the birds.  I LOVE this fabric so much.  It is so wonderful to work with and looks so nice on.  I had forever wanted to sew with Birch knits, and I'm glad I was finally able to.

Go get this pattern if you haven't already!!!  I mean....four pattern pieces and easy to put together???  Camden was so excited to have this dress, and her friend loves it, too!!

And some days in the life of.... too much has been going on!

 

She drew a picture for an Ask magazine contest!  Wish her luck!

We have been to the fort so many times recently, it's almost like we live there!

Dad has a Friday off, so, we can go on a wee hike!

Working on Camden's longhouse project

Wearing Georgia and Lulu for photos!