Living with Punks

Chevron Cinch

Here’s another version of the Relay Dress that I just had to sew up in this adorable chevron print from Girl Charlee. For the record, I am obsessed with that fabric site! I have a cart full of knits right now with a grand total of about $100…you know so I can get the free shipping ;) I can’t say enough about this pattern either…if you have a girl about a size 5, you have scored. Get the free pattern here….and if you don’t have a size 5 girl yet, just pin for later use!

I added a few inches in length on the skirt, and I’m glad I did. No need to worry about using leggings or knit shorts with this one. It’s so cool and comfortable for summer that I plan on making a few more before the season is over.

You can see my earlier version HERE where I just used knit binding around the arms and neckline, but I am in love with the ease and comfort of this fold over elastic I bought HERE. Great prices and you can get a TON of it. It works with knits and regular cotton, so I will be utilizing it in the near future for quick skirts and simple necklines.

For some reason I am stuck on the nautical look this season. Good thing little punk has changed her fave color from pink to blue recently, otherwise I’d be in for it…. you can see more nautical outfits I have made for her HERE and HERE.

Thanks for reading and until next time…

Kwik Sew 3935

With the advent of all the independent pattern makers that we all know and love, it’s rare that I find a commercial pattern that I feel compelled to sew up anymore. But as soon as I saw this pattern from Kwik Sew 3935, I pinned it. And then, that voice got started in my head about how much fabric I had laying around that would be perfect for this dress, so within a few hours, I bought it. Although, the voices didn’t stop….I ended up buying even more fabric online with this pattern in mind! But I digress….

This particular fabric is Lou Lout Thi by Anna Maria Horner and I kind of got obsessed with it. I think I probably have 6 or 7 yards of the stuff in different color ways around here somewhere. It’s such a wonderful mix of modern and retro. The super cute pocket is kind of hard to see though! I thought I’d get cute and center that blue flower in the center of the pocket, but it kind of gets lost! I think the next version, I sew up will either get a coordinating pocket or even a solid dress with a patterned pocket.

The dress can be worn with leggings too which makes it the perfect dress for school starting in the Fall. I realize school isn’t even out yet, and I am thinking of Back-to-School, but I can’t help myself! Little punk starts Kindergarten in August, and I’m already excited. And sad. And apprehensive. And jealous of her teacher because she gets to spend time with my girly.

These are easily worn with a pair of knit shorts underneath too!

The pattern was easy to cut and easy to sew up. But I will warn you, have your elastic ready! As you can see all that cute gathering… it’s accomplished with lots o’ elastic. I love the look it gives…very feminine. Oh, another wonderful feature of this dress is that it is easily sewn in knit! I have a ton of that laying a round from a recent purchase too, now I just need to pick one ;)

Even that cute pocket has elastic sewn into the side casing. It was super easy to sew in and to get the rest of the pocket stitched on. When I saw that part of the instructions, I was a little worried it would be a difficult task, but it was a breeze. I bought my pattern HERE, but I wouldn’t recommend it. They don’t allow you to download the pattern to your own computer. It stays on their site under your account, so anytime you want to view or print the pattern pieces, you have to login in…not a fan of that! If I buy a pattern, I want it on my computer. End of story.

You can purchase the paper pattern, or you may be able to find it digitally somewhere else! Let me know if you do!

Do you have any must-have commercial patterns that you love? Do tell!

Here are a few more things I’ve sewn up this past week in case you missed them:

Green with Envy: A DIY Cabinet Makeover

When I finished this project, I had to say... it came out better than I could've imagined! When I first told my husband what I was doing, and with what piece of furniture I was using, and what color I had decided on, he looked at me like I was crazy.

I’m sure, in his universe, I am still crazy… but I love this piece of furniture! The color is so cool and fresh feeling. It sets the tone for my whole house. It sits in the foyer and stores all the kids’ board games. It’s very functional and sturdy. I do have to admit there was a 50/50 chance I was going to ruin it, and if I did, my plan was to quietly dispose of it in the middle of the night. Thankfully, I didn’t have to lug it out in the dark by myself! It’s fabulous!

Here’s what it looked like before. I bought this about 7 years ago from my local furniture store. It was a great purchase when I got it, but now the colors were dated and the black was clashing with my new, fresh approach to the colors currently in my house. I’m going for a clean, tropical feel with lots of white accents. Want to know what color I used? JADITE from Sherwin Williams. And, I got inspiration for the color from a vase in my home using their color snap app

Head on over to MOMTASTIC to see how I did it and what tool I used to match the color! And just for fun, you can vote between my project and another as to whose DIY project turned out best!! Voting is in the sidebar on Momtastic

Head over NOW

This is a sponsored post. All work and creativity were performed by me.

KCW: Bubble Shorts

These shorts are so cute! I decided to make this version without the pockets, but can see how cute adding pockets would be! The pattern is from Peek-A-Boo Patterns and is the Bubble Shorts pattern.

I made the Size 5 and it only takes 1/2 yard!!! How awesome is that? I have a TON of 1/2 yard cuts laying around that I tend to purchase by the truckload. So, it’s great to be able to use those 1/2 yards up in such a cute way! The button is actually just for looks, so if you haven’t ventured into buttons yet, no worries! The elastic in the back helps the shorts slide on with ease…

Here is a view of the back….cute, yes?

They are roomy and comfortable enough for a full day of playing.

What do you think? Have you tried this pattern before? Do you have some cute fabric laying around that would be perfect for these? You can get your pattern HERE

the Anywhere Dress times 3

Have you been participating in Kids Clothes Week? For me, it’s a great motivator and kicks my butt into high gear to get some sewing done that I’ve either been putting off or making some pattern purchases that I’ve been procrastinating about…

Words cannot describe how much I love this dress pattern!!! It is so easy to sew up and the fit is perfect. I love all the fabric options you have with using cotton knit! I’ve got a nautical theme going on this summer for little sis, so this fabric I got from Joann’s fit right in. I chose the short sleeve version for this dress and topstitched the neckline.

For this version I used the 3/4 sleeve but omitted the sleeve cuff and just hemmed it as usual. Also, fabric from Joann’s…have you noticed they are carrying more knits that are cute? If I don’t get my knits there, I get the from Girl Charlee…great prices and selection! Click HERE to see a picture of her wearing it on Instagram!

Another 3/4 sleeve version. So, so cute! This fabric is again from Joann’s and is buttery soft. I think it was one of the more expensive selections, but it is worth it to me to have that level of comfort and lasting material.

The Anywhere Dress is so versatile and will last for years! The sizes offered in the pattern range from 12M- 12Y! Love those types of patterns, right? I promise you won’t be disappointed….. don’t forget to peruse the shop too….there are tons of patterns to choose from to jump start your summer sewing agenda!

I actually just bought the Carousel Top and will be making it with my most recent purchase of fabric from Girl Charlee.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I get a small percentage! Thanks!

Unicorn Dress that doesn’t make you gag

Unicorn dress with link to free 5T pattern

I’m assuming all you mothers of sweet little girls have the same dilemma…. Unicorns. They love them with a passion. Dream about them. Obsess about them. Randomly bring them up in conversations.

I don’t want to discourage her love of unicorns…I love that she loves them. But the fabric choices are few and far between and usually consist of garish hues of pink and purple. And those fabrics are okay in the right context, but I like to dress my girly in a modern, stylish way that is a little edgy and different. So, I did a little happy dance when I found this totally cute unicorn fabric from Girl Charlee. Not only was it $4.40/yard(!), it was black and white, which to me is the ultimate combo for sophistication. The unicorns keep it playful and actually bring the fantasy hype up a notch with that flowing mane and tail. I realize that these unicorns don’t have wings, but you see that little horn on his head? That’s all that matters, amirite?

I wish I could’ve gotten pictures of her wearing this to church Sunday, but sometimes my model goes on strike…you know coloring the sidewalk in chalk is more important than posing for mom! It is absolutely darling. It fits her like a dream. Just the right length and the elastic waist gives it a trendy look. The pattern I used was this super cute dress I found on iCandy. It is a free pattern for size 5T (score!) and took me an hour to sew up from printing the pattern to sewing the hem. Seriously, these tips for piecing together patterns makes sewing so much quicker and more enjoyable.

This is my first accomplishment for KCW (kids clothing week). I’m hoping to get a few more things done this week and will blog about them when I can….stay tuned!