Tote-ally Thankful for Our Teachers

Every new school year (or new-school) I feel compelled to sew something for The Peanut. I forge a shield of protection out of fabric and mother's love to send with her off into the world. It's the end of the school year and the last year of three in her current program. Once again I was driven to sew something imbued with all my love and gratitude and awe. This time I'm sewing for her teachers.

Signature Style

It's the final week of Project Run and Play. I started this blog so I could play along with PRP. And now it's Signature Style Week. In all the seasons I've been reading along, I've been thinking about this question. So I started this season with a list to define my signature:

• It has clean lines and few embellishments. It's the subtle details that make it special. And hopefully it's impeccably finished.
• It is easy to wear for everyday life. It’s not special occasion, it’s not for one-time use. 
• It’s not twee. It may be youthful, but it's not sentimentally cute.
• It’s feminine, but not girly. There’s not a ruffle, nor any pink, in sight. Perfect for The Peanut’s personality and you can tell because she lights up when she wears it. And that’s my ultimate goal.

Kids Clothes Week, Day 4

It Kids Clothes Week! In honor of KCW, and for just this week only, I will attempt to blog daily and document all sewing [through mostly cell-phone pics]. 

Kids Clothes Week: Sew clothes for your kids. One hour a day. Each day for seven days.

This afternoon I was able to complete an entire pair of cropped jeans for Project Run and Play. It helped that I had already cut them out on Day 2. 

 How fabulous is that green pocket-lining and top-stitching? Bonus view of my week old, sewing machine induced, thumb blood blister.

We'll Spring Break in France, s'il vous plaît

Today is a special off-schedule post so that I can share my Project Run & Play Week #2, Spring Break Challenge solution. I so wanted to get this posted on Monday, but it snowed (again!) on Sunday (March 30th! Why?!). So I gave myself grace, and time to find some sunlight for photos, and pushed this back until now.

Strolling on the Seine? Or heading for the gangway on the cruise ship?

Project Run & Play Week #2, Spring Break Challenge: Design an outfit inspired by your favorite vacation spot (or day-dreaming vacation spot). 

After-School Pattern: Sporty Redux

The Peanut’s wardrobe is mostly casual and her needs are mostly play clothes. So even though I’m drawn to the dress patterns, pants are always in need. I had just finished sewing the After-School Shirt & Pants by Oliver + S (with the Raining Cats & Dogs top), but I jumped right in and gave it another go. I considered the ruffles of View C in the pattern, but instead opted to sew a sportier look more in keeping with The Peanut’s personality. To achieve this I used lots of high-contrast top-stitching on the plum-colored bottomweight. I chose thread in a pale purple (over an even paler purple option) yet it looks almost gray-white in the final product. Top-stitching can be painful for a perfectionist like myself to sew; I can’t help but see every wobble and catch. It takes effort not to go back and re-do it until it’s just right.

  Still rocking the up-and-away model look.

Tote of Protection

Mr. Wren, watching me frantically sew: We could just buy The Peanut a tote bag if that's what her new school requires.

Me: But I'm not making a tote bag. I'm forging a shield of protection out of Mother's Love.

Mr. Wren: Or you could do that.