HI! how are you? i’m fine! after not blogging since july, i feel like i owe some sort of explanation why…and i have quite a few reasons, i guess, but the primary one is just that this whole time i’ve had a blog, i’ve also had a “day job.” i work at an office four days a week, and i started skirt as top when kid #2 was a little baby. so really, i’ve NEVER had the time to blog, but i made the time, because i loved the community and i was getting opportunities and it was fun. i have definitely lost a lot of sleep keeping it up over the years, though, simply because there aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all.
this summer, i decided to take a little blog break, then i just got completely out of the habit of blogging. it was freeing to let myself “off the hook” in the evenings, and even felt good to be more on top of household stuff that i usually let fall by the wayside in favor of sewing/blogging. a lot of my sewing blog buddies also stopped blogging this summer, so i also didn’t feel like i was getting “left behind.” no regrets, we had a great summer with a lot of time spent outside and with friends, but then at the end of summer my work situation got thrown into turmoil and i ended up changing jobs. all is well, it is just taking me a little while to get settled. all along, despite the benefits to not blogging, i’ve still missed sharing what i’ve made, and when i started getting a couple emails and comments about my lack of posts (even E asked me why we hadn’t taken photos in a long time!), i decided it was time to get back here again.
the strange thing is, the longer i went without blogging, the more “epic” i felt that my triumphant return post would have to be. why do i put this pressure on myself? no idea. but instead of some amazing fantastic thing, i’m just gonna post this simple skirt i made for E on a whim this summer. she has worn it a million times already, and i’ve made two other versions as gifts (one of which i took photos of) so i’ll share that another time.
the skirt was inspired by two very similar skirt tutorials – the Purl Bee’s gathered skirt for all ages and True Bias’s easy skirt tutorial. mine looks similar to both but is constructed slightly differently, in that i don’t have a separate waistband (like true bias’) but i piece the pocket into the skirt (like purl bee’s). mine is actually a simpler version than either of those! haha.
the side panels have the pocket piece just placed over the top and then pieced together with the front and back panels into one big tube.
i decided to finish the hem using bias tape, gingham in this case. it adds a nice little surprise when an active gal twirls or moves and the hem becomes visible, and seems to reduce bulk at the pocket too.
the main fabrics are both Lizzy House – pearl bracelets and butterflies from her wonderful natural history line. the greens matched perfectly even though i’d had the pearl bracelets in my stash for a couple years! nice job, Lizzy!
E has wore this skirt so many times already, and i love how the style is simple but still has more interest that your basic gathered skirt. As E gets older, i’m continually looking to bloggers like Rachel of Stitched Together, a huge inspiration for me with how she dresses her oldest girl, Indigo. check out her version of this skirt style!
i hope you had a great summer and i hope now that i’ve “broken the seal” on blogging that i’ll back here more often!
oh and here’s a photography tip – rad poses happen when you ask your kid to do the whip/nae nae during a photoshoot. check out little miss triceps! 😉
skirt as top 
Breaks are always good, but you were sorely missed. I am sorry to hear about your job situation though. Hope the new one is working out well for you! Love this little skirt. Sometimes simple but special is just the perfect thing.
It’s weird to miss it and not miss it at the same time, right? Welcome back, love em’s skirt and her braids 🙂 Happy fall!
We’ve missed you!! Glad to see Em loving her skirt- it’s perfectly sweet on her.
I adore that skirt, those colors are just fab, and of course pockets are perfect for gathering necessary things. 🙂 I’m glad you took a break and it’s great to see you back! 🙂
What a cute skirt! Those butterflies are great. Glad you took a break to focus on, ya know, real life and stuff. 🙂 It’s good to step back at times!
I have to admit I had a laugh at the idea of needing something monumental to break the blogging drought. A pretty butterfly skirt does the job just fine, ‘specially when your model is so awesome.
Welcome back!
Kristin! I am so glad you are back. I have to tell you, I never realized how much you had been working while also sewing so much. And that is just both impressive and possibly unsustainable long term (?)- previous pace at least (?). As a stay at home mom, my life was busy with little ones, but as a homeschooling mom, I feel more like a working mom. And I say that lightly, because I have never been a full time working mom, but what I mean is that my kids’ schooling is my focus and I no longer have my days to myself. It’s pretty much impossible to do anything for myself during the day, let alone things like laundry, meal planning, homeschool planning, or getting together with friends (or even talking on the phone during the day). All of that is ancient history. It now all gets pushed to the evenings and the weekends. And that makes sewing so much harder. And sometimes, even though I love sewing, it can feel like another thing on the To Do List. I seriously cannot fathom how you managed your previous pace while working – though lest I sound like a whiner, as you know, Dan does work 60-70 hours/week so homeschooling and raising 5 children is just a lot. I’m having a hard time keeping up with my own sewing and have for months now.
Oh and thank you so much the kind words about my sewing for Indigo. That really means a lot to me coming from you! I hope you really are back. You are such a strong course of inspiration for this community, not only in the kids sewing world, but also women’s too. Plus your bags are awesome! 😉
Welcome back! I kept thinking my email subscription was interrupted or something. Happy to hear everything is ok. Simple skirts are always a good idea and this one is adorable!
Darling as always! I love the surprise gingham at the hem!
Gorgeous skirt and I TOTALLY get you on the whole blogging thing. It is so nice to get out of routine for awhile, but I miss the blogging scene. Probably a matter of reassessing and readjusting from time to time!
This is a very cute skirt! I remembered I made one for my niece (she was six years old back then) and loves how she can easily bring her small little ponies wherever she goes inside her big pocket! Nice touch on the hem, it gives me an idea for my next project.