I've had the fabric to make this dress for a couple of months, or I thought I did. I didn't realize the main fabric is a knit... I went to cut it out last month and I didn't have the right fabric. Not really a big deal. I used a plain navy blue knit and a bunch of pieces from Leah Duncan's Meadow collection. The pattern is Figgy's Stellar Dress, and I cut it out in an 8/9 length, which was barely just right... Holly will need to wear leggings under it in about 1-2 months. Sewing with woven and knits combined really intimidated me, but the instructions were clear and I didn't have any problems. I like that the dress has some personality and I liked using all the different prints. It seems to be a comfy dress for Holly - she was riding her bike and running around in it. I think it's a success...

I've had my eye on this Lion print from Cotton and Steel for a while, and when Gail from Probably Actually made a dress out of this print, I knew I had to follow suit. It's such a darling print - so much fun. Holly got an Oliver + S rollerskate dress out of it. And she likes it! I've stopped sewing for Greta. I'm not a big fan of making things she won't wear, so I'm taking a short break until she shows interest again. It lightens my sewing (self-placed) load. Until Greta is ready to wear what I make her (I think she needs more pink items sewn for her...), it's all for the daughter that wears and appreciates what I make. Holly's been through her phase of disinterest too, so I'm confident with a little bit of space and the right fabrics I'll have Greta back on board.

Anyways... here's some pictures of Holly in her dress...

I hardly sew at all anymore... two beautiful daughters and their wonderful summer has taken over my life. Every now and then I get overwhelmed by the things I want to sew, but then I remember what I'm doing with Holly and Greta is a million times more important. There will be more time to sew when school starts. And then I'll be wishing I was at the beach or swimming with my two best girls rather than sewing. There are a few things that I really do truly want to get done - a swim cover-up for myself, a twirl skirt for my friend's daughter, and then I definitely have to sew up Holly's birthday dress.

So, finishing up these cargo duffles felt like a real triumph! Each time we travel with Holly and Greta, I have to empty my temple bag so that it may be used to pack the girls' clothing. No longer! Now they each have a duffle to use. I doubt these duffles will be used exclusively for Holly and Greta when traveling. They're a great size and I can see them being used for all sorts of things.

Making these was time consuming - that's a lot of quilting! The pattern is fairly straight forward and with the help of some tips and a sew-along, I managed just fine. I used fabrics from Leah Duncan and Andover Chambray, purchased from Lima Sews.

I'm happy with how they turned out. And maybe they weren't actually as much work as I think they are. I worked on them for over a month, so it felt like a long time, but some of my sewing spurts were only 30 minutes.

A time and a season.

Holly is going to Kindergarten in the fall and it's breaking my heart. My coping methods of choice are shopping for school clothes and making school clothes! It's helping!

This is the first of what will probably be too many school dresses. Hoping that the busyness of summer activities keeps me from over-sewing for school. The kid can only wear so much and my girls usually pick favorites! Anyways, I used a peasant dress pattern and this tutorial but I added a bit of extra gathering to the skirt which I have mixed feelings about. I love the big, deep pockets. And this is an excellent color on Holly. Holly was so thrilled to try it on, and very disappointed when it came off. Hopefully that's a good sign. Or maybe that's the trick to ensuring my kids wear what I make for them... a little anticipation.

I'm planning on making Holly one or two knit dresses, one or two woven dresses and a jacket! A skirt or two too... maybe leggings...

Greta wore her last Oliver+S Rollerskate dress to death. She wore it a lot, and I only just retired it even though it was a size 18-24 months. It was showing a little too much leg... and bottom. So I made her a new one. I figured I was playing it safe with purple... but she doesn't like it. I think I need to loosen the elastic and then I hope she'll wear it because I love how it turned out. Simple and classic. And I know that if she just wears it, she'll love it!