Tea Party Dress/Tea Party Birthday!

Let's not get too hasty...Camden sort of had a tea party-themed birthday, but not really.  I made teacup-shaped invites, and we made butterfly-shaped placemats (that blew all around in the wind that thrives in Bend, OR)...and I meant to make a butterfly-shaped birthday cake, but that totally didn't pan out (at least it's GOOD cake!)  Anyway, best-laid plans and all that aside, the kids had fun, and it was a gorgeous day!  I took not ONE single picture, and I'm now a bit sad in realizing that.  I was too busy trying to keep candles lit and things from blowing away, aha!

Back on topic, though!  I made Camden a fourth Tea Party Sundress by Oliver and S.  I last made one in 2014 and blogged about it here.  I always LOVE this dress.  The sad issue is that Camden has run her course with this pattern.  I officially made her the size 5 - AND lengthened it.  It's definitely still a bit short.  I added an inch to the hem and sewed the bodice length with a smaller seam allowance then did the same with the bodice/skirt seam, just to give it that much extra.  No worries, as it's still cute, but this pattern ends with size 5 - understandably.  It wouldn't be quite as fetching to see it on an older child.  The bodice DOES have a tendency to look wider, compared to the skirt.  There exists an optical illusion, just because of the piping, but also because of the flare.  It's just definitely a little girl dress, and one of these days, Camden won't BE a little girl!  :O

I used the same bodice fabric as I used for THIS dress, which worked out nicely, and I again used deep stash fabric.  It feels good when I'm able to use up some of the cuts I already have, rather than buying more, when I really can't afford to.  Camden really wanted some sort of blue, as in ELSA blue, but I had to keep insisting that sort of blue wouldn't quite work, aha!

The pattern is always delightful to sew, but insert a million disgruntled faces here:  I totally recognize that my flat piping looks WONKY, and I went against my better judgment and cut it the width the pattern calls for, though I'd been thinking of cutting it just a bit narrower.  Too bad, so sad for me, but that's a bit of a bummer, as it looks too wide and crazy.

This kid really wants his own photo shoot, it seems!

Simple, chain-store buttons, but I love how they work!

It worked out well, and everyoone at Camden's party loved it!  It's always nice when other people notice her me-created outfits.

Up next for me??  I have yet to blog about a new skirt I made Camden, and I have plans for a few more outfits, but.......NO sewing this week!  A friend and her family will be in town, so, I hope we get outside quite a bit!  I also just bound off a cowl, and I hope to sneak photos of that this week!

A bit of a weekend in review!

That tongue, aha!

Awww!  Helping at Windy Acres Dairy

Crazy sunshine days!

Poor, hungry babies!

Camden....Ben and Mia??? A Lily Bird Studio Pattern!

A gorgeous Friday afternoon...and even better, as I finished a pair of pants for Camden - the Ben and Mia pants by Lily Bird Studio.  I'm not sure when, exactly, I purchased this pdf pattern, but when I realized I had next to no tracing paper left - and needed to sew SOMEthing, I found this in my files.

That fuzzy was invisible when I was taking photos, LOL

I will start out by saying that this is NOT my favorite colored purple - a jewel tone.  I have hopes to buy a better purple some day soon from Fabric.com, but it's what I had.  Secondly, I almost gave up hope when I had to tape together the pieces, as there is only ONE label for each pattern piece....so, out of the six pieces I cut out for each pants piece, only ONE section was labeled "pants front" and so on.  It didn't take TOO much brain power, but I do think there needs to be labels on each piece of paper or letter match-up points.

Sorry about the strap sloppiness, LOL

The pattern itself goes together easily, and the fit is okay.  I often find with Camden, pants have an awkward fit - she does have a flat bum, but they often seem to be wide across the front - well, or that, coupled with the fact that her belly sticks out a bit, so, pants ride lower.  This fact makes for awkward pictures, as it wrinkles funny, etc.  One might suggest I go to the effort of making a muslin or somesuch - but not in this lifetime will I make a muslin for a wee, cheap pair of pants, aha!  (This will not be the case when I make her jeans....)

Because I was in the zone of "let's get 'er done," I am glad I had buttons on hand for the button tabs - though I know (I promise I do!) that bigger buttons would look nicer on the tabs.  But hey - let's just say I was awesome for using something within my stash.

In keeping with the theme of not truly loving these pants, I left the flat piping wide, rather than bringing it in....and I left the piping on the back pockets, though I am NOT kidding myself that it looks good.  I know there is a trick for not putting it all the way up to the corner before attaching the lining and outer pocket piece together, but I didn't want to rip out and think on it.  We'll just say it gives the back a splash of color and be done with it.  Also, I will say the back pocket piece itself is rather large for a small person.

That is some insanely wide piping - oops

Overal, the pants are cute enough, and they work, which is great.  Am I in love with the pattern itself or the job I did?  Not really, but that's all right - moving on to bigger and better things, aha!  (Well, one can hope!)

Also, Matt is building a tiny chair for camden.  He is planing down the fiddle wood here.

Matt wants me to mention he has no good working bench, so, he has to slave away on his knees

Seashore Sundress...in the High Desert...It's Cool

Maybe if I had set up some lovely beach scene, we could all pretend it's super warm out again!!!  Even pulling out the pail and shovel may have given *some* sort of illusion...

Ah, well - this is reality!  It did hit 50-something today, and it was gorgeous outside, so, I'm not complaining.  We fit in our third bike ride of the week, putting me at 12 miles or so in three days - not bad for about 32 weeks pregnant, aha - hauling Camden an' all!  (But let's be honest:  I have been in gear 1 getting up some of the hills of late!)

I am clearly entirely off-topic at this point, which is part of a bigger issue:  I have 7-8 items I want to sew BEFORE the baby is born, and I'm realizing RIGHTTHISVERYSECOND that it will NOT happen - yikes!  I take one of my machines - and my serger - in for servicing next weekend, which is GREAT....but I can't finish projects without my serger.  I will be without that sucker for two weeks.  So...much prepping of projects in that time???

Back on topic:  I have a lovely Oliver and S Seashore Sundress to present today.  Camden loves it, and I'm glad I did step it up a wee teeeeny bit and actually just add some flat piping.  Don't ask me to do much more with any given pattern, per the bold plans stated above.  I gotta whip these suckers OUT.

Sneaking in a Sweet Poppy sweater shot, LOL

This is the third Seashore I have made Camden - always basic, nothing fancy, though I have seen some super cute ones out there.

A LONG time ago!

I love this style, because it's slim-fitting, and naturally, we can just put a tee under it if it's a bit chillier, even though it's not the BEST styling for this dress.  You'll note I made Camden enjoy the crisp air in the photos, though she IS wearing leggings, LOL.

You can just barely see the piping at the pockets, too

She said she needed a picture of her SHOE

This is the largest size - size 4 - of the smaller size set, and I'm SAD to discover that I, for some reason, do NOT have the larger size set, so, that will clearly need to be remedied.  The fit is great, as she is going to be 4 in March, though I know this size will definitely be a bit more form-fitting, come fall.  If there is errata to go along with this pattern, I've never bothered to look it up.  Everything lines up nicely, and I don't use any fancy markings - nice!  I do feel like it comes up higher on Camden - and that other people sew their button holes a teensy bit higher on the strap, but ah, well.  It all works out, LOL!

Note the flap piping peeking out a bit wider at the top  :O