A tale of two skirts...

Abby still won't try on the Holiday dress I made for her, however, I've recently finished a few projects that she loves to wear. My niece, Tehya, is all about princesses at the moment, so for her 3rd birthday, I made her a tutu. I found this blog post really helpful in getting started. However, I found it much easier to form the loop in the tulle with my fingers, then slide it onto the elastic and tighten it once it was in place. A matter of personal preference, I'm sure. Anyhoo, I figured that, while I'm buying the tulle and making one tutu, I may as well make one or maybe even four more. Just because I can't start off small in anything I do. Tehya loved her pink and sparkly white tutu, after a small incident involving a twirl and a slip on a piece of wrapping paper. Abby also loves her mermaid tutu in shades of blue and purple. Oh, I also cut the strips in different widths, and for Abby's I even cut the teal strips kinda wonky hoping they might look like seaweed. I'm not sure if it's even noticeable. I cut the ends to points or rounded them off as well, instead of leaving them straight.

I made smaller versions for Kayleigh, in shades of green and pink, and a super-cute little one in sparkly beige and pink for my little sister Elizabeth, who is expecting her first baby in June!
I love craft books. I have a huge collection, and I'm hoping to post reviews of many of the projects I've attempted from these books. A recent purchase was Sewing Clothes Kids Love: Sewing Patterns and Instructions for Boys' and Girls' Outfits. I bought it partly on a whim, as I was planning to buy one book, but had to add a few more to get the free shipping. (They always get me with the free shipping... admittedly, it doesn't take much to convince me to buy another book or two.) I love the individual patterns these ladies publish as Farbenmix, but hadn't convinced myself to splurge on them as they can be expensive to buy and have shipped. However, after reviewing the book and making the Insa skirt, I will definitely be adding more of their patterns to my collection! Abby loves her 'princess' skirt too, so the title of the book is definitely fitting. I was a little worried that my skirt wouldn't turn out as well as all the gorgeous examples in the book, as the pattern is for the basic skirt, and it's up to you to choose your fabrics and trims to personalize it. However, I pulled out all my second-hand linens, and a bunch of trims I had bought on sale at Fabricland (while buying the tulle!) and after several hours of pondering, I took the leap and started cutting. The best part is that the pattern pieces are simple to cut and assemble, and the skirt goes together very easily! Even without specific instructions on adding trims, by following the general instructions, and looking at the skirts in the photos and picking out ideas that I liked, I put this skirt together in just a few hours. And I have to admit, I'm in love with it. I would make one for myself if I could get away with it! I'm so happy that Abby loves it too.

I can't wait to make more skirts. I am totally happy with just making this skirt over and over! But, there are 10 patterns in the book, and I am hoping to try a few more, especially if I can find some cute second-hand knits to cut up for the t-shirt and tank patterns!

On the dining room table this week? Shower invites for my little sister's baby shower!