What's Next?

Hi! I know that after the fury of KCW, Calling All Kids, and PR&P it seems so quiet around here. Well, in truth it is pretty quiet. I haven't stopped working but I've been using my time to prep for next month when I'll be guest posting on a few great blogs. I'm also prepping for our baby to come any day now! I've still got a few weeks until I'm due, but the reality is baby chooses when it wants to show up. :)

I'll give you with a little teaser of what's next:

Who makes your clothes?: A fashion Revolution

Do you know who makes your clothing? 
Just a year ago 1,133 people were killed in a factory in Bangladesh- people who were working to create clothing, cheap clothing for consumers like us. It really hurts my heart to think that getting a "deal" means putting someone in danger. That our price points have created a situation where a mother or a father may not make it home to see their child, ever, because their work environment is so unsafe. Or, that they must live in poverty because the factory where they work pays them wages that are unthinkable.

Maternity Dress: handmade by ME

Small Fry Skinny Jean Shorts in Geometric Print

I'm back for my second pair of Small Fry Skinny Jeans. 

Such a great pattern. 

Upcycled Summer Pajama Shorts

New item of necessity? Summer pajama shorts for Archer. 

It seems like winter dragged on forever, then suddenly without warning, we had a day where the temp was 86 degrees. Whaaaat? So, like a smack in the face, spring showed up and I realized that though Archer had plenty of tees to sleep in, but he didn't have many pairs of shorts to go with them. He really can't go without shorts on or he'll rip his diaper off and scream "Mommy, help me!" until I come in and put it back on. I'm also not a big stickler for matching pajamas- in fact, it seems like anytime I expect items to go together the kids pull out their opinion cards and tell me they want something different. oy. I give up, wear what you wish little ones. 

KCW Wrap Up & Mix N' Match Gender Neutral Baby Outfits

I finished KCW feeling amazed at all of the items I managed to sew in a weeks time. Here's a pile of my baby items. It didn't have Lily's green dress since she was wearing it at the time of the photograph. 

KCW Day 7: The Racerback Dress in Green

On the last day of KCW I decided that I had sufficiently stocked up on newborn/small sized baby clothing and that this day I would have a little fun. Of course the project was finished towards dinner time when light was less than ideal, so I chose to wait to photograph. I even tried (for a good twenty minutes) to see if I could play with lighting/settings on my camera to get a decent photo and found it futile. For my level of photography skill, proper natural light is needed. 

KCW& Calling All Kids Day 5: Newborn Geranium Dresses

Another great pattern I have found for the new baby is the adorable Little Geranium Dress offered on Made By Rae.  

KCW & Calling All Kids Day 4: Summer Breeze Dress in Geometric& Yellow

Whew- busy busy day! I'm going to make this a super brief post. I just cannot justify keeping these kids inside a moment longer than absolutely necessary to share my creation. 

It's gorgeous outside, hooray for spring!

KCW & Calling All Kids Day 3: Baby Romper In Blue& Buses

Last night I had an unexpected surge of sewing power and started on my version of  The Baby Romper offered as a free pdf pattern by Shwin & Shwin. I made it over a year ago as a baby shower gift but this time it's for me!

KCW Day 2: Baby

Back for Day 2. 

I kept tackling my baby list and even added to it a little. 

KCW Day1 & Calling All Kids

Kids Clothes Week (aka KCW) is a sewing event I've followed for quite some time. I've enjoyed taking time to plan out my kids outfits rather than flying by the seat of my pants. It's that extra creative step that many times gets left out & during KCW and other challenges I get to stop and really enjoy the creative process of sewing that I love so much. 

Family Quilt: The Wedding Square

Another embroidered quilt square finished, woohoo! 

If you missed my initial family quilt post, the main idea behind the quilt was that in the colder months I am more apt to pick up my embroidery and work on a random project. The thing was, I had no use for the embroidery when it was done. I just did it to practice and keep myself busy when I had free time. So, instead of making a bunch of projects that had no use, I decided to start embroidering on a standard sized square and when I acquired enough of them, I will put them together into a quilt. I chose to do a family theme and so the finished quilt will tell a story of our family and hopefully some special things about us. 

“Give Yourself a Raise” with Raise.com

I normally don't post about companies, but when Jessica from Raise.com (<--- click to check them out!) contacted me about their website, I was intrigued and went over to see what they were all about. Honestly, it's a pretty fun idea. You know when you get gift cards for places you don't regularly shop at? Now you can sell them online at their website. Then, anyone who frequently shops there can purchase the card for a discount and get more for their money. Seems a lot better than letting it sit in the drawer until it's lost, right? 

I especially loved the concept of rewarding yourself for all the hard work you put in every day, which is a focus for the "give yourself a raise" message. Even when that something is a Starbucks coffee that you normally wouldn't splurge on or a yard of gorgeous fabric that yells your name; giving yourself permission to indulge once in a while can really perk up your mood.

Project Run & Play Week 2: Vacation Theme

Alright, week 2. 

You know Lily's favorite colors (pink&purple, duh), and you know she's crazy particular about what she wears, so when I saw THIS PIN on pinterest and loved the pants- I asked her if she'd wear them. She assured me that she would as long as they were the bright colors that were pictured. At Joann's I was able to locate a pastel-ish pink and yellow, and so the pink was purchased.

The last two years we've taken a family vacation to California where we visit family and the ocean. It's been so wonderful and I can't wait to go back. I doubt that will be this year with the new baby and house, but it's certainly not off my list.