Being in-between countries like this, the end of summer seems to have slipped past me before I've had a chance to catch my breath....We had time for a brief vacation back home, connecting with relatives, and a day or two of bliss at a late summer beach.
There were unexpected treasures, like pine cones on small bushy trees just off the ocean.
I hear it's cooler back home - here in Japan it's still quite warm and muggy. I'm longing for fall. I hear a friend is going apple picking soon. How I miss that!
Towards the end of the summer I did manage to get a lot of sewing done. It was extremely addictive.
For many of these projects I splurged on Liberty print fabric, which is beautiful, and quite popular in Japan. I feel like it's not too bad of a splurge when you're making something for such a little person, because you really don't need a lot of fabric.
I used the small grey flower print as a lining for this little vest and then as the material for a dress for A.
and also made managed to make several items out of this:
The girls wore some of the things I'd made for them earlier in the summer, too. The little top on A was very simple - just 3 rows of elastic smocking on a tube of fabric, then I added straps.
And I've started making a few Oliver + S patterns. I LOVE these. Each pattern is like a personal sewing lesson. This, below, is from the Puppet Show Tunic and Shorts pattern. I made a halter top out of the trim fabric to go with these.
I actually made several halter tops and dresses for both girls. These are very fast! I think you can complete an entire one in about 20 minutes if you're not constantly interrupted by a baby! Faster than going shopping for clothes, no? My go-to pattern is from my favorite Japanese dress pattern book of all time, Koharu no fuku. I love how simple, yet infinitely adaptable, the lines and patterns for all the clothes in this book are. I adore this book and often find myself recommending it to other friends who are just learning to sew. Perhaps a giveaway is in order?
There was sewing for boys too, but I think might discuss those in a separate post! Until then, here is a quick glimpse of some double gauze pants which D lived in this summer:
Now I'm feeling ready to try a few projects for myself. I'll start with this book, and see where it takes me.
It's also time to break out the knitting needles in earnest. I got a few small projects done, and am now hoping to tackle Never Not Knitting's Playful Stripes cardigan. As if life weren't busy enough - but small portable projects, along with an abundant supply of dark chocolate, are what get me through these hectic days. Casting on today!
What fall projects are you hoping to get to?
