E’s first day of first grade is today, so i made her a new dress…yesterday!
first grade already, i can’t believe it. she learned so much “big kid stuff” over the summer (riding a bike! swimming! whistling the imperial march!) and she’s super excited to start a new school year. we were out of town for the long weekend, so i had to choose a quick-yet-satisfying dress to sew for her to wear on her first day. i think i picked a good one.
this outfit is pure summer in oregon, 80s style – the way i remember it.
french braids, tan skin, play clothes, and bare feet. days were spent outside with my sisters and the neighbor kids – running through sprinklers, bike riding, and sometimes my mom would make a jug of kool-aid to drink on the back deck. you know, to beat the thirsties.
today i’m posting over at the Oliver + S blog with what they call a “wardrobe edit,” where i list what i would make if i had all the time in the world, all the fabric budget in the world, and any oliver + s pattern to sew with. OH HOW I WISH!! i picked a few things for E, an outfit for O, and even something for baby C (who is such a fun little fella these days – sleeping through the night and giggling is the BEST). it was fun to pull together – check it out!
at a certain point while writing the wardrobe edit post, i got a bee in my bonnet to MAKE one of the things – i guess to show i’m serious or something. so here it is…look number 1 from the wardrobe edit post…the chartreuse + moonlit playtime dress!
somehow i had missed this butterfly print in the initial cotton + steel hullabaloo and only came across it recently on Miss Matatabi. it’s quiet but oh man is it beautiful. it’s from moonlit by Rashida Coleman-Hale – i got it at Modern Domestic, you can get it here. Continue reading
so. this one is pretty obscure. i came across this “s is for stanley” graphic around the web somewhere a couple years ago, thought it was great, printed it out…and then it got buried on my cutting table, waiting for me to turn it into a stencil.
and then i cleaned my sewing room, came across it, and figured now was the time to finally make it happen.
stanley is stanley kubrick, director of such films as “dr. strangelove,” “the shining,” “a clockwork orange,” “full metal jacket,” “eyes wide shut.” all completely inappropriate films that no child should watch…but they’re also provocative, interesting films with a strong creative point of view. his films had a strong influence on pop culture / other movies. even if you haven’t seen any of his movies, you’ve likely heard “heeeeeeere’s Johnny!” or know the image of a “war room.” and hey, the man himself had a pretty distinctive look. bushy beard, bags under his eyes…perfect for a kid shirt! heh. Continue reading
someone please tell me why don’t i have these two take photos together more often??
i’m cheating a bit with this post, since i actually made his swimsuit a week ago. but the opportunity to have them both pose in their handmade suits was too much to resist. and i made hers last night, so it counts.
skirt as top 