Roller Skate With the Queen Bee!

I did NOT intend to make an outfit, but yay for unplanned beauty!!!  Lightweight dress and lacy leg warmers for the win!

I'm not usually into simpler dresses/outfits, but for some reason, I always love to make a Roller Skate Dress!  Designed by Oliver and S, it is for REAL only two pattern pieces!!!  Well, it is for ME, as I like to make the version without the neck piece.  I did that the first time I made it, but I'm not sure I'd ever do it again.  Just keepin' it real, yo.

Awww, favorite smile!

I used a deep stash fabric (a shot cotton by Kaffe Fassett???) and a solid shot cotton - both gorgeously lightweight.  I consider myself crazy lucky when I have enough yardage to create something.  Not spending extra money??  ALSO a win-win!

NOT an optial illusion...there is a wrinkle there from the sewing job, LOL

I have blogged about this before - both a dress and a tunic version.  And I made a wee version a few years ago, too, out of the lovely Dream Bikes by Heather Ross...SUCH a great, soft fabric, but I digress....

Not anything exciting to say about the pattern itself, other than it's awesomely simple and cute - so many ways to make it fun, though I'm always boring and don't get jazzy ;)

Next up are the Queen Bee Leg Warmers, designed by Jackie Vlcek of Luna Grey Fiber Arts (her FB page).  I bought it as a kit, along with her yarn.  I used Aspen Sport in the Sugarplum color way, and it is SUCH a pretty color!  I hadn't knit Camden leg warmers in SO long, and I was glad to whip these up.

The pattern is well-written and crazy simple, just a six-round repeat.  The kit is still available - you should TOTALLY go for it!  It was my first time using Jackie's yarn, and I'm glad I had the chance to.  The yarn is richer than it appears in the photos; pops of iridescent purple come through in certain lights - super lovely!

These are so fun!  (and yes, that poor end is peaking out the bottom!)

And a week or two in the life of!!!

This is why today's bedtime was INSANE

Two cuties, clearly!

Happy birthday, little guy!

Sad kid, not getting what he wants

Awww...new dump truck!

Spot 'o tea!

Birthday gift skirt!

Twice the Fun! Oliver and S Roller Skate Dress

One thing I gotta say about this pattern - insanely easy and quick - and only TWO pattern pieces, if you really want to save time.  (Well, okay, that's more thank one thing.)

Last time I made this, I went semi-fancy (just go with it) and used my Heather Ross Dream Bikes (find it on eBay) fabric and added the neck trim.

Late Spring/Early Summer 2013

This time, I knew I just wanted to sort of get 'er done, so to speak.  I wanted some new duds for Camden, I wanted to use stash fabric - and I just wanted to be quick about it, honestly.  As for the neck trim pieces, I couldn't decide on anything that looked great with the main fabrics, so, that was that.

She needed brown bunny, pink bunny and leperly....ummm....

So, hey - cute AND simple.  Not a deal-breaker, right?  And funnily enough, Camden wanted to wear each one all day when she found them hanging on her doorknob :)  Works for me.

I was super happy to use the pink deer fabric I'd bought a LONG time ago, it seems...I'd had only a yard and had never know what to do with it.  But SCORE upon remembering/realizing I could make an Oliver and S Roller Skate Dress with ONE yard of fabric!  I did have to buy some shot cotton to line it - which was nice, as it was on sale at Bolt in Portland when I visited recently.  I am also not really into the bow detail that can be added, so, it's a pretty plain Jane result, other than the fun fabric and the cute kid, aha!  (And P.S.  It was NOT warm out during any of these pictures.)

Camden then informed me she needed the tunic version of this pattern, so, we went through my stash - and found enough yardage of this print I'd used before:

Well, ALMOST enough.  I thought I had enough for a full dress, but sad times when I cut the front pattern piece and then realized that when I folded for the second pattern piece, I did NOT have enough to cut it - not enough by a mere half-inch of so.  I guess I could have brought in the sides of the dress, but whatever.  I'm glad I cut the main fabric first, as opposed to the lining.  And I like the result as a top...which works out, as she wanted a top, anyway ;)  Anyway, I had on hand some green shot cotton - one of my favorite fabrics to use as a lining.

Anyway, I totally recommend the pattern - satisfyingly quick, and one day, I shall do something a bit more interesting with it, as it's a nice canvas for hand embroidery, etc.  I do have another one lined up, as Camden wants a reversible version, so, be ready for that blog post in a week or three.

For now, I leave you with some Halloween shots from 2012 up through this year....all in the same costume.  I wish I had glorious photos from this year, but whatevs.  I forgot my camera.  We had a good time at a friend's house - Lisa from Irons in the Fire hosted a wee get-together, and Camden and her friend, Elora, ran around like crazy, while I sampled strawberry after banana after strawberry, dipped in chocolate :)

2012, when I first made the costume

2013.....LOL....rough life

2014, getting ready

2014....pirate with glow sticks and velcro shoes