Quick Notes on Summer Sewing

Summer is kicking my newbie blogger butt! I had grand plans all prettily organized on an editorial calendar, and then Summer actually happened. Yikes! All of a sudden it feels very obvious that I've been doing this blogging thing less than a year. Yesterday I had scheduled to share The Peanut's new backpack. It currently looks like this. I'm learning a lot about what NOT to do as a full-time blogger when school is not in session. Hopefully I'll be able to actually apply those lessons in the future. Right now I'm just pushing on until Labor Day weekend. In the meantime I'm also making sure we enjoy Summer: swimming, and train rides, and popsicles, and tricycles.

Why yes, I did sew that swim suit!

In between I've eked out some sewing, too. 

Looking at more recent posts, you'd be forgiven for thinking I'm more of an accessories sewer than a clothing sewer. But I love sewing for The Peanut, that's where my true passion lies. And this Summer I have sewn for her, I just haven't shared it here.

I made this kicky little skirt using my Ink-Jet Printed Fabric tutorial and paired it with another Muse of the Morning Practically Perfect Tee. I was privileged to share it on Diana Rambles. And I was thrilled when it was also featured on the Oliver + S blog.

That lovely piece of bark has since become a mess of crumbs all over the backseat of my car. Someone should stop sewing and go clean that up.

I also whipped up a pair of summer PJs. They weren't on the editorial calendar, but the urge to make them struck and I just had to do it. It's a third Muse of the Morning Practically Perfect Tee this time with a cap sleeve option (loving the fit of this pattern on The Peanut!) and a pair of Go To Patterns Go To Leggings. These leggings are also mashed into that Ink-Jet Printed Skirt above: they are obviously one of my TNT (tried and true) patterns. 

Since they were already sewn I submitted these to Shorts on the Line.

Remember those rompers from earlier this Summer? They each won me prizes! I wanted to take a moment to thank Sewing Mama RaeAnna of Romper Week and FrancesSuzanne of Flip this Pattern for rewarding me for doing something fun. How great is that?!

That's a Pleated Playsuit from E&E Designs on the left and a Mash-Up Oliver + S Croquet Dress and Puppet Show Shorts on the right.

I have nothing but respect for those of you who only sew in the evening after bedtime. I've shifted my daily routine to evening sewing, and after just three days I'm exhausted. I'm used to just sitting quietly with a couch craft after The Peanut's bedtime. When I'm sewing in the evening I have trouble stopping: just one more seam, just one more step, just one more stitch...and then I look up and it's past midnight. I wish I was one of those humans that only needs 4-5 of sleep per night. Sadly, I'm closer to a 9-hour sleeper. What I would give for an extra four or five hours every day!

While I figure out how to sew during sleep, you can rest assured that there are some new outfits coming soon: first day of school clothes, not one but two flower girl's dresses, some PJs, and a tutorial from my very first ever self-drafted pattern. Stay tuned, I'm going to go mainline some coffee now.

Ren Murphy writes for The Inspired Wren.

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You should really see all that goes into each project!

Summer means more playing than sewing, but you can still catch daily updates on Instagram (and Flickr) of works-in-progress. Get that behind the scenes view you’re looking for, and sneak peeks of First Tuesday Tutorials, too.

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